Hiya folks,
It's time once again for another mind boggling installment of "Community Spotlight!" where we grab one of your peers in the Earth Eternal community and grill them on all the hot topics of the day. This week, we're talking to none other than Tymid, the brains behind "Diary of a Girl Gamer" over at Punkbunnie.com.
So first up, Where are you from?
That's a good question. If I told you the specifics and you looked it up on Google maps, you would literally see -MIDDLE OF NOWHERE-. Haha. I guess the easiest way I can explain it is that I'm a Texas girl, have been all my life. I could be constituted as a cowgirl, considering I've owned horses, I've got my own cowboy boots, my southern drawl is ATROCIOUS, and I believe in good ol' fashioned fun. Where I come from isn't really where you'd expect most gamers to come from, however, I've been happy to see that more and more gamers from Texas are making their appearance on the gaming scene.
Currently, I'm in a -slightly- more known town for school; Tyler Texas.
Texas. That's cool. Tell us a little bit more about yourself.
A little about me. That's a toughie. -Well-...my real name is Raven, I'm 19 years old and I'm currently majoring in Music Education at Tyler Junior College. I've been a gamer since I was about 9 years old, starting with MUCKs and MUs, venturing on to Avidgamers to perfect my descriptive writing style via roleplay.
Speaking of art, I draw constantly. If you were to look at my notebook, which should have class notes in it, you'd see a whole mess of doodles and sketches. Actually, most of them recently have been EE related. I'll have to show it off sometime.
I love to write as well. I'm an english minor under my music major, so it's a constant study for me. I love to get better at what I do, I love to read, and I LOVE to inspire people with what I write.
And finally, I'm a gamer. Last but not least, most certainly! When I'm not at class, I game. There's been times where I've stayed up for 48 hours straight, just so I can help a guildie get to their level cap. I've been a guild leader, a moderator, a newbie, and a beta tester of many games. I love it for the challenge, the social interaction, and the thrill of temporarily living another life. It's fantastic.
How did you get interested in Earth Eternal?
I don't play games just for one reason, there has to be the whole package involved. When I research the games I want to play, I look for things that'll keep me intrigued for the long haul, such as graphics, community, quests, class evolution and skill sets. This game seems to have all of that and more, as well as a fine crew that puts it all together.
One thing I really liked is how much the designers are involved with the gaming community. Sometimes, the designers set themselves up to be almost demi-gods, only posting announcements and generally being rather stand-offish on the forums. I've seen many posts where the staffers are just having fun with the people on the forums, including myself! And, it's not often you get to see a designer in the fan-based IRC chat. It's even less often when they conspire with a certain IRC channel mod to make certain ladies confused. *cough* Zod and Shazbawt *cough*.
Tell us about your involvement with Punkbunnie.com.
It's actually kinda' by accident that I got involved. I met Zod_Deepfury when I applied to his clan (The Underground), and as I became more involved in the IRC chat, I started hearing more about the site, and I thought it was a great idea. It was about that time that I saw a very sad post on the forums about sexism posted by a female member. I was so frustrated by the futility of the post that I started thinking: "Hey, what's the big deal with people thinking that guys discriminate against chicks?" So, I talked to Zod, and we thought it would be a good idea to write Diary of a Girl Gamer. In about...30 minutes I wrote the first installment, and Zod loved it, and posted it. We then discussed that it wasn't really about the fact that I have ovaries, it's the fact that some OTHERS with ovaries still feel insecure about gaming among male peers.
In short, my editorial is to give adequate perspective from the eyes of a normal chick gamer for the guys out there, to show the ladies that it's alright to game and be proud of what you do, and just to communicate my thoughts on the game, real-life events that are somehow connected to the game, and also just to make a casual, enjoyable read for those who just want a smile and a relaxing read.
We're all big fans of "Diary of a Girl Gamer" here, so tell us, whats your all time favorite game and why?
WHY do you ask me that question. I've played so many, hrm. Well, the ones that really sticks out in my mind are the Baten Kaitos series (Namco Games) for Gamecube and Wii. It was my first indepth RPG that I played, and I vividly remember as a kid not having the money to buy it, so I dug through the couch every Thursday so I could rent it through Monday at the local game store. The graphics were fantastic, even if the voice-overs sounded like they were being recorded in a bathroom. I had to have played the first Baten Kaitos over 8 times, just because the storyline was so fantastic, as well as the character involvement and challenge level. That's what determined my criteria for what I look for in games NOW; if it doesn't have a good story, something I can get into, get attached to, and actually LIVE through, I won't play it. I've read the EE history many, many times, and when Open Beta comes out, I think you guys are going to have many more fans than just me.
Any other hobbies or interests?
Wull, yeah! I love long walks on the beach, candle-lit dinners under moonlight, and-...oh wait. Wrong interests.
On a more serious note, I love music. I sing constantly, whether it be for performances or my own self performance in the shower. -Don't Picture That, Guys-. I love marching band, and all of my music ensembles, and the vocal musical groups I perform in. I love horseback riding, as well as relaxing out in the country, where all you can hear is the wind through the trees and stray crickets. (Or when you're inside, dial-up internet connections.)
I also love food...I cook for my entire household once a week. My speciality is my Grecian Spaghetti. As far as interests go, I'm a pretty dull person: gaming, art, music, and reading. I -do- really like laser-tag and paint-ball, though. I LOVE football and baseball, playing and watching, and most importantly, I like doing whatever I can to make someone smile.
Finally, any words of wisdom for your fellow Earth Eternal community members?
As far as years go, I'm not that wise. But what I can tell everyone from years of gaming experience is: have fun. Don't let one person get you down, just because they made it to a level faster than you. They probably just installed a toilet in their mom's basement so they don't have to go too far from the computer. ^_^
Don't let trolls or ignorance make you angry. The internet is vast, and full of many intelligent, and many ignorant people. Let yourself stray to the side of happiness, instead of feeding trolls with responses.
I've stated this one before in my article; ladies, don't think that just because a person has a high testosterone count that they're automatically going to judge you for playing a video game. More and more women are gaming now. And they're pretty awesome. It's HIGHLY unattractive when you call a pity party onto yourself because someone who's afraid of cooties said a nasty thing to you. We're gamers here. Not women, not men, but gamers. We lost our gender when we told our significant others to hold on a minute while we finish a level.
Something I found out the hard way: real life comes first, guys. I realize I'm going to level a lot slower than most because I'm working towards a degree, and a life outside of this apartment. If you've got homework due tomorrow, do it! You'll have plenty of time to game after you graduate and get a solid job, and you've got your OWN LAPTOP, and you've got your bills paid.
...One last thing. Guys and gals...watch out for Tymid on the battlefield. I'll be looking for you. >:)
Thanks for your time Tymid!
Be sure to check out here regular editorial "Diary of a Girl Gamer" over at:
http://punkbunnie.com/
Submitting...
Hiya folks,
It's time once again for another mind boggling installment of "Community Spotlight!" where we grab one of your peers in the Earth Eternal community and grill them on all the hot topics of the day. This week, we're talking to none other than Tymid, the brains behind "Diary of a Girl Gamer" over at Punkbunnie.com.
So first up, Where are you from?
That's a good question. If I told you the specifics and you looked it up on Google maps, you would literally see -MIDDLE OF NOWHERE-. Haha. I guess the easiest way I can explain it is that I'm a Texas girl, have been all my life. I could be constituted as a cowgirl, considering I've owned horses, I've got my own cowboy boots, my southern drawl is ATROCIOUS, and I believe in good ol' fashioned fun. Where I come from isn't really where you'd expect most gamers to come from, however, I've been happy to see that more and more gamers from Texas are making their appearance on the gaming scene.
Currently, I'm in a -slightly- more known town for school; Tyler Texas.
Texas. That's cool. Tell us a little bit more about yourself.
A little about me. That's a toughie. -Well-...my real name is Raven, I'm 19 years old and I'm currently majoring in Music Education at Tyler Junior College. I've been a gamer since I was about 9 years old, starting with MUCKs and MUs, venturing on to Avidgamers to perfect my descriptive writing style via roleplay.
Speaking of art, I draw constantly. If you were to look at my notebook, which should have class notes in it, you'd see a whole mess of doodles and sketches. Actually, most of them recently have been EE related. I'll have to show it off sometime.
I love to write as well. I'm an english minor under my music major, so it's a constant study for me. I love to get better at what I do, I love to read, and I LOVE to inspire people with what I write.
And finally, I'm a gamer. Last but not least, most certainly! When I'm not at class, I game. There's been times where I've stayed up for 48 hours straight, just so I can help a guildie get to their level cap. I've been a guild leader, a moderator, a newbie, and a beta tester of many games. I love it for the challenge, the social interaction, and the thrill of temporarily living another life. It's fantastic.
How did you get interested in Earth Eternal?
I don't play games just for one reason, there has to be the whole package involved. When I research the games I want to play, I look for things that'll keep me intrigued for the long haul, such as graphics, community, quests, class evolution and skill sets. This game seems to have all of that and more, as well as a fine crew that puts it all together.
One thing I really liked is how much the designers are involved with the gaming community. Sometimes, the designers set themselves up to be almost demi-gods, only posting announcements and generally being rather stand-offish on the forums. I've seen many posts where the staffers are just having fun with the people on the forums, including myself! And, it's not often you get to see a designer in the fan-based IRC chat. It's even less often when they conspire with a certain IRC channel mod to make certain ladies confused. *cough* Zod and Shazbawt *cough*.
Tell us about your involvement with Punkbunnie.com.
It's actually kinda' by accident that I got involved. I met Zod_Deepfury when I applied to his clan (The Underground), and as I became more involved in the IRC chat, I started hearing more about the site, and I thought it was a great idea. It was about that time that I saw a very sad post on the forums about sexism posted by a female member. I was so frustrated by the futility of the post that I started thinking: "Hey, what's the big deal with people thinking that guys discriminate against chicks?" So, I talked to Zod, and we thought it would be a good idea to write Diary of a Girl Gamer. In about...30 minutes I wrote the first installment, and Zod loved it, and posted it. We then discussed that it wasn't really about the fact that I have ovaries, it's the fact that some OTHERS with ovaries still feel insecure about gaming among male peers.
In short, my editorial is to give adequate perspective from the eyes of a normal chick gamer for the guys out there, to show the ladies that it's alright to game and be proud of what you do, and just to communicate my thoughts on the game, real-life events that are somehow connected to the game, and also just to make a casual, enjoyable read for those who just want a smile and a relaxing read.
We're all big fans of "Diary of a Girl Gamer" here, so tell us, whats your all time favorite game and why?
WHY do you ask me that question. I've played so many, hrm. Well, the ones that really sticks out in my mind are the Baten Kaitos series (Namco Games) for Gamecube and Wii. It was my first indepth RPG that I played, and I vividly remember as a kid not having the money to buy it, so I dug through the couch every Thursday so I could rent it through Monday at the local game store. The graphics were fantastic, even if the voice-overs sounded like they were being recorded in a bathroom. I had to have played the first Baten Kaitos over 8 times, just because the storyline was so fantastic, as well as the character involvement and challenge level. That's what determined my criteria for what I look for in games NOW; if it doesn't have a good story, something I can get into, get attached to, and actually LIVE through, I won't play it. I've read the EE history many, many times, and when Open Beta comes out, I think you guys are going to have many more fans than just me.
Any other hobbies or interests?
Wull, yeah! I love long walks on the beach, candle-lit dinners under moonlight, and-...oh wait. Wrong interests.
On a more serious note, I love music. I sing constantly, whether it be for performances or my own self performance in the shower. -Don't Picture That, Guys-. I love marching band, and all of my music ensembles, and the vocal musical groups I perform in. I love horseback riding, as well as relaxing out in the country, where all you can hear is the wind through the trees and stray crickets. (Or when you're inside, dial-up internet connections.)
I also love food...I cook for my entire household once a week. My speciality is my Grecian Spaghetti. As far as interests go, I'm a pretty dull person: gaming, art, music, and reading. I -do- really like laser-tag and paint-ball, though. I LOVE football and baseball, playing and watching, and most importantly, I like doing whatever I can to make someone smile.
Finally, any words of wisdom for your fellow Earth Eternal community members?
As far as years go, I'm not that wise. But what I can tell everyone from years of gaming experience is: have fun. Don't let one person get you down, just because they made it to a level faster than you. They probably just installed a toilet in their mom's basement so they don't have to go too far from the computer. ^_^
Don't let trolls or ignorance make you angry. The internet is vast, and full of many intelligent, and many ignorant people. Let yourself stray to the side of happiness, instead of feeding trolls with responses.
I've stated this one before in my article; ladies, don't think that just because a person has a high testosterone count that they're automatically going to judge you for playing a video game. More and more women are gaming now. And they're pretty awesome. It's HIGHLY unattractive when you call a pity party onto yourself because someone who's afraid of cooties said a nasty thing to you. We're gamers here. Not women, not men, but gamers. We lost our gender when we told our significant others to hold on a minute while we finish a level.
Something I found out the hard way: real life comes first, guys. I realize I'm going to level a lot slower than most because I'm working towards a degree, and a life outside of this apartment. If you've got homework due tomorrow, do it! You'll have plenty of time to game after you graduate and get a solid job, and you've got your OWN LAPTOP, and you've got your bills paid.
...One last thing. Guys and gals...watch out for Tymid on the battlefield. I'll be looking for you. >:)
Thanks for your time Tymid!
Be sure to check out here regular editorial "Diary of a Girl Gamer" over at:
http://punkbunnie.com/