ThorMartel – July 30, 2007

Main Avatar:
ThorMartel

Race & Class:
Human Bounty Hunter

Clan:
BRONZE

First Name (RL):
You, mon ami, are a shameless flirt. Is this really an interview?

Profession (RL):
I wish.

Location (RL):
Stealthed near NetDevil HQ.

When and How did you start playing Auto Assault?
Although player reports from the beta waves were unanimously positive, I resisted early temptation. Then one day in Wal-Mart… oh, they’re sneaky, putting AA low on the shelves… so then my son thought the gal on the cover was… well, she reminded him of his totally smoking red hot mother… yes, that’s how it happened, I’m sure of it. That and the cars and guns. I think. It was a long time ago.

How did you choose you Avatar’s name?
We used all the names my son knew at the time. Squished both together in an awkward mess, done deal. Always figured it could be changed easily enough at a terminal or something. Sort of like his jazzy little aviator’s skullcap, woot! Ah well.

Why did you choose your main Faction & Class?
I wanted to be a Biomek, primarily so I could macro “f*ck you, asshole” every few seconds and claim I was roleplaying as per the Terminator movies. Thor, on the other hand, was less mature about things, and demanded to be the Incredible Hulk. We flipped a coin and went human. Stupid blank coins.

Do you play solo? Why did you join a clan?
The whole “solo play” was fun for a whi… you know, come to think of it, that’s a private matter. But I joined BRONZE once it became obvious that the Human faction had no chance without me. That, and I think someone recommended I consider group therapy.

Do you prefer PvE or PvP?
PvE is less predictable, what with all the crazy spawning and stuff, so I do both, but only grind at PvP when I’m really tired.

Do you craft? What is your favorite crafted item (yours or others)?
I was really heavy into crafting for several minutes at one point. Abandoned that once I slept off the brownies. Favorite crafted item? The Mk2 Offense ornaments – core component of making various competitive builds. This back when the skill system was not made for retarded chimps, and of course, before the MK2 got nerfed into worthlessness. But I’m not bitter.

What is your weapon of choice?
Osterake glands. Or like, when a whole bunch of people yell “INCOMING” and we’re near an outpost terminal, hacking that sucker will silence them and turn the tide of battle. Very effective.

What is your favorite ride?
There’s this one plastic slide at McDonald’s, and it looks all innocent, but today’s lifestyle means polyester is back, so you’re in for 50,000 Joules when you exit those metal doors. Over in AA, I loved my Xanthos above all others. More miles on that than my real car I think. Then again, my Xanthos is not on blocks in the yard.

Which junk item do you refuse to get rid of?
Easy – the Auto Assault retail box, installation DVD, manual, etc.

What is your favorite NPC & location in AA?
I always liked that one nameless gent northwest of Upside. For the longest time he or she would give a mission to do… nothing at all. No rewards. No mission light. No description. Dude, talk about heavy… I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it. That’s deeply metaphysical coming from “just” a game, you know?

Who is your Arch-Nemesis in AA (Player or other)?
I would have to go with Explorer22. I finally figured out how to get his Ladon chassis from the Ground Zero repair pads to the next zone over, but it took wads of patience – tried dozens of builds before I found the right one for the job. PBnJ was up there, too. How do you kill someone like that?

What is your favorite moment you’ve experienced in AA?
With over 300 days of total /played time, it was nice to discover that I’d never turned in the Darkbite quest. Those extra skill points, they’re right handy. That, and killing Anthal on his big return. With my ENG. I saved that token in a little glass case.

What song/genre you like to listen while playing AA?
Right from the start I began looping the theme intro from Thundercats. Rawr! If that won’t pump you up, you were probably a natural birth.

What current feature would you change in AA to make it better?
In the next update, I would really like to see a focus on some of the bigger issues… I mean, is it Sulphur or Sulfur? On the map it’s like… but then you get a base attack warning and… meep! Honestly, I can’t tell you how many times BRONZE has lost precious minutes in the confusion – and I don’t think we’re alone there. Listen to your players, goodness!

Which new AA features would you like to see in the future?
Tough call… definitely “stacking paint” is totally key for the majority of the remaining characters. Then again, other have a valid point that killing the game is also a prime issue… can I cheat and call that one a tie?