You have just entered room "interview." grantparkcoker has entered the room. NinjaMutant: yo grantparkcoker: Hey. Skippy0000: ned, ben. ben, ned grantparkcoker: I'm the marketing intern here. NinjaMutant: heya! grantparkcoker: Do you have time to do a quick question answer session? NinjaMutant: yeah, sure! grantparkcoker: OK. I'm looking at your answers to some questions on the LaSombra website NinjaMutant: Oh right, the Who's Who pages. I think I answered those questions a few years ago grantparkcoker: So I'll try to filter some questions out so you don't have to reanswer them. NinjaMutant: ok Skippy0000: dude, classic ben peal pic Skippy0000: http://www.thelasombra.com/images/FRandUS.JPG grantparkcoker: I will need you to send me a digital photo of yourself, that reminds me grantparkcoker: ok, so to the questions. grantparkcoker: What do you appreciate about V:TES that keeps you coming back for more NinjaMutant: (argh...firefighters calling about fundraiser stuff...just got them off the phone) grantparkcoker: Those bastards want more hoses? grantparkcoker: Also, take your time, I've got all the questions ready, so if something grabs your attention away from these riveting questions, I understand. I can also shoot you an e-mail with them and you can answer them on your own time... NinjaMutant: What keeps me coming back for more are the players. No matter where I've traveled to play V:TES, I've always been impressed by not just the skill level of the players but the quality of people they are, as well. grantparkcoker: Cool. What about V:TES should appeal to the average gamer? NinjaMutant: The big appeal would be the multiplayer dynamic. It sets V:TES apart from almost every other CCG out there, and give it something in common with the multiplayer board games and card games out there. grantparkcoker: Tell us a bit about your local playgroup...(any anechdotes, players, dynamic, meeting times---time for the shoutouts to your homies) NinjaMutant: (that question- appeal for average gamer - has the gears turning in my head...given time, I could write a more lengthy and in-depth answer to that question) Skippy0000: oh boston grantparkcoker: Take all the time you need Ben NinjaMutant: I could go on for a long time about the Boston group - we've been around for 10 years now! grantparkcoker: So its sort of a citywide thing? NinjaMutant: yeah NinjaMutant: Might even be more than 10 years...Dave Zopf was the original Prince of Boston, who put in a ton of effort showing up at our local store - Your Move Games - doing demos every week and building up the group. Skippy0000: vtes is most fun when you can get a ton of people together. playgroups typically pull from whole cities or even regions. grantparkcoker: Do you have someone you normally playtest with or compete with ona regular basis? Ahh, thanks Oscar. NinjaMutant: I moved back to Boston about 9 years ago, and while I played Jyhad a little bit here and there when I was living in Pittsburgh, Dave's the one who really got me sucked into the game. grantparkcoker: That explains things more. (I was a huge Magic player, so I'm still understanding the dynamics of the game and the culture behind it) NinjaMutant: Dave eventually got a new job down in Charlotte, NC, and appointed me Prince of Boston. Some players have come and gone over the years, but over time I feel we've become one of the most skilled and creative playgroups in the world. grantparkcoker: Back to a perennial question: what is your favorite type of deck to play and why do you like to play it? NinjaMutant: Both Ben Swainbank and myself have made it to the final round of a continental championship twice, and I managed to squeak out the 2001 NAC championships win. grantparkcoker: Ah, didn't mean to cut you off...please continue. NinjaMutant: (I'm still working on the Boston question) :) NinjaMutant: Swainbank's style is very toolboxy, with a lot of cards being common throughout his decks, such as Jake Washington, Weighted Walking Stick, Ericyes Fragments, and Vampiric Disease. NinjaMutant: My style is typically fairly focussed, but with a few curveballs thrown in to keep people off-balance. NinjaMutant: Ben and I were also among the authors of the V:TES Player's Guide, with Ben doing in-game strategy writing while I was working on clans, disciplines, and some deck-building strategy. grantparkcoker: was before White Wolf picked up the game? NinjaMutant: (the current WW strategy guide) NinjaMutant: Eventually I took the position of US National Coordinator in the V:EKN, and had the Boston group vote for a new Prince. The crew chose Josh Feuerstein, who's been Prince of Boston for about a year now. grantparkcoker: You were appointed to Prince? grantparkcoker: And you passed it off by vote? NinjaMutant: Josh is our resident mad scientist, who comes up with all sorts of crazy rules questions and card combinations. A few of my recent hot tech decks (EconoGhoul, InterSet) were ideas of Josh. NinjaMutant: Yeah, DaveZ appointed me as Prince. I passed it off by vote. NinjaMutant: Another thing about the Boston crew is how frequently and how far they'll travel to play V:TES. We're regulars in events throughout the Northeast, as well as GenCon, Origins, qualifiers in Canada, and the European Championships. NinjaMutant: Partners in crime in these travels include Matt Hirsch (who also makes cool Boston V:TES tshirts and does our website), Kevin Mullen, Scott Gomes (whose awesome wife Tanya feeds us dinner and cake), Jon Scherer, Greg Pettigrew... NinjaMutant: ...Peter Jehlen, and Jason Schneiderman (our resident World of Darkness expert) NinjaMutant: Oh, and add Matt Flint to that list. He's a V:TES star from Cincinnati who's since moved out here. NinjaMutant: That's not even half of the cast of characters. We have a lot of people who just show up for our regular Monday night games at Your Move Games, but don't have the time to travel around and meet the rest of the V:TES world. grantparkcoker: Did Matt Flint move for the sake of V:tES...just curious NinjaMutant: heh, nah, he got a new job out here NinjaMutant: Quickly looking at the Tournament Winning Deck Archive, players from Boston who are in that archive include: myself, Ben Swainbank, Scott Gomes, Matt Hirsch, Jon Scherer, and Matt Flint NinjaMutant: (now to "what's your favorite deck and why") NinjaMutant: My favorite deck is whatever I've just built and haven't played yet. I love to try out new clans or new ideas, and I try to experiment and push the envelope as much as I can. grantparkcoker: I dig that answer. Do you have a favorite strategy for winning a game (Pacing, reading opponents, when to play what, etc) NinjaMutant: I do prefer to be aggressive and offense-minded, as I like to create opportunites instead of waiting and hoping that openings will pop up. Apart from that, I have a bag of tricks I've accumulated by being a wily old veteran. :) NinjaMutant: (oh, another strategy thing) grantparkcoker: You are a veteran! Offering no kryptonite for those wanting to defeat you.... NinjaMutant: Yeah, you gotta earn it. ;) NinjaMutant: In terms of deal-making, one tool I've learned and use often is small deals. Rather than making broad table-splitting deals, I prefer to deal in very small amounts and small favors. NinjaMutant: Rescuing vampires from torpor, lending a Powerbase: Montreal, allowing one action to succeed so one of mine can succeed, etc. grantparkcoker: Clever. What do you think makes a successful player? grantparkcoker: (sorry it is so broad--you can highlight one aspect if you want) NinjaMutant: (heheheh...that's definitely a broad one) grantparkcoker: I was thinking possible answers might include: understanding board positions, deal-making, deck contruction, having a dynamic and encyclopedic understanding of all the cards....etc... NinjaMutant: I think what separates the best players from the rest of the pack is the ability to understand the table dynamic. It's probably the hardest thing to learn in V:TES, and it can really only be fully learned by experience. grantparkcoker: Or something more general and vague like a player that has a damn good time. grantparkcoker: Cool. That's what I'd figured from what Oscar has taught me about the game. grantparkcoker: How important do you think the political aspect of the game is?. Reading / intimidating / fooling your opponents? Do you consciously practice this? NinjaMutant: Once you know which way the table is moving, you have a better idea of what plays to make, what deals to make, etc. NinjaMutant: Josh Feuerstein offers this, one of many of his original V:TES images: http://thaumaturgy.monocleofclarity.com/magicofthesmith.jpg grantparkcoker: Ah yes, and as before, if I ask you a question too early, just finish up the previous question before moving on. grantparkcoker: That's for the political aspect I assume? NinjaMutant: The picture from Josh? grantparkcoker: Yeah. NinjaMutant: No, that's just random. NinjaMutant: Given that it's a multiplayer game, the political aspect (in terms of dealmaking) is very important. You can only manage and control so much in the game, so every little bit of help you can get from other players goes a long way. NinjaMutant: As such, you have to be very careful about how much help you _give_ to other players, as well. NinjaMutant: Reading, intimidating, and fooling opponents is also very helpful, as they can be ways of creating openings and opportunities. grantparkcoker: Think I'll leave that smith picture in as the first part of your response. It'll keep people guessing what you mean by such an enigmatic response. NinjaMutant: (is = are also very helpful...just correcting my grammar) NinjaMutant: We're an enigmatic crew :) NinjaMutant: Intimidation works less well these days, as players are typically too smart to be bullied around anymore. Skippy0000: for the most part grantparkcoker: Hush you! grantparkcoker: ;) Skippy0000: heavy handed manipulation is out. "i'm your buddy"backstab is in Skippy0000: hehe grantparkcoker: I found that to be a particularly useful one in Settlers of Catan. grantparkcoker: Preparation-reading teasers? Dividing/assessing the cards? (do you share the responsibility amongst your playgroup?) grantparkcoker: Oops, that should read: How do you approach the release of a new set? Preparation-reading teasers? Dividing/assessing the cards? NinjaMutant: Another plus for making small deals is that it minimizes the effects of getting backstabbed. grantparkcoker: I'll add that on to your previous response. NinjaMutant: (cool) NinjaMutant: We pretty much just sit around and wait for the White Wolf preview page like everyone else, and then gorge ourselves on cards when they show up. :) NinjaMutant: We're pretty impatient and want to get new decks built as fast as wel can. :) grantparkcoker: How do you prep for tournaments? (playtesting ahead of time? understanding the meta-game of the tournament environment?--I forgot what the technical term of that is...but the prevailing decks/strategies being played) grantparkcoker: (yoga the morning of? yogurt the morning of?) NinjaMutant: (metagame is probably the technical term) Skippy0000: if they released equal amounts of cards for every clan discipline, etc. what would you tackle first? NinjaMutant: Well, because V:TES is a multiplayer game, there really doesn't end up being a single best deck like you see in head-to-head CCGs. As such, you don't end up going through the usual deck-testing drills like you see in Magic and Vs. NinjaMutant: It's more a work-in-progress thing when developing tournament decks. It'll start with trying out new decks, and one or two of them will pop up and show some potential. NinjaMutant: From there, you play them more and more and refine them and modify them until you think it's ready for prime time. NinjaMutant: In the month leading up to a qualifier or the NAC, we'll schedule a tournament so we can get a last serious field test in, and our weekly games will shift from more casual stuff to "bring it" games where we play our best stuff. NinjaMutant: For the qualifier or championship, we'll play what we feel are our best decks. We also make sure to go to bed a bit earlier the night before so we're rested up. NinjaMutant: (now to Oscar's question about what I'd tackle first if they made equal amounts of everything in a new set) NinjaMutant: Since I like pushing the envelope and trying new things, I'd first look at clans I haven't yet won a tournament with and see if there's anything new in there that shows promise. NinjaMutant: I also have a bunch of unfinished decks, so I'll see if there's anything new that'll complete them. Apart from that, I just drool over the new cards for a while until something pops out at me. grantparkcoker: Any rituals you employ to affect your success? Superstitions? NinjaMutant: I shuffle my crypt first, then my library. After they're cut, I always draw my library cards first, then my crypt, both face down, then look at the library cards first. Skippy0000: heh, didn't know that NinjaMutant: :) Skippy0000: i'm the opposite, except for looking at library cards NinjaMutant: I do have dice superstitions, but they don't really apply to this game. grantparkcoker: I always bet on 5 on a 1d6. It comes up about half the time for me. grantparkcoker: Are there a card you feel is often overlooked? What aspect of them is under-appreciated? [could either be fun or useful to winning] NinjaMutant: I also have my own sorting system for my V:TES collection. grantparkcoker: Are=is grantparkcoker: How do you sort it? NinjaMutant: Quick note on dice: If you're about to roll, and your opponent says, "Anything but a 1", IMMEDIATELY stop yourself from rolling the die, look your opponent right in the eye, and say, "No, 2+, sir", the roll. NinjaMutant: (let me see if I can find the post I made on the newsgroup about how I sort my collection...) NinjaMutant: oh man, it's long NinjaMutant: http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad/browse_frm/thread/2229c08293319b04/17c406128509d247?q=sorting+collection&rnum=2#17c406128509d247 NinjaMutant: And that post is 3 years old...doesn't factor in KMW and LoB stuff...it's been adjusted since then...But you get the idea. :) NinjaMutant: (as for what card is overlooked) NinjaMutant: I've been championing the cause of The Barrens for years and years, since I've found it to be a highly useful tool. It helps clear hand jam, and also allows you to include a few cards with a high opportunity cost. NinjaMutant: High opportunity cost cards are often in that "curveball" category. Skippy0000: "prayer card" NinjaMutant: I hate that term. :) Skippy0000: hehe NinjaMutant: People often say "prayer card" as a way of saying the card is bad. NinjaMutant: I think they forget how useful their discard phase action is. NinjaMutant: Robyn Tatu did a great job of illustrating how a high opportunity cost card can actually have a lower opportunity cost than previously thought, once you look at the card in a tournament environment. NinjaMutant: She made what was easily the top play of 2005, when she tagged Alexandra - the Toreador Inner Circle Member - with Nosferatu Performance Art. NinjaMutant: This is a card that has existed since Dark Sovereigns, but had really never seen play because it has such a high opportunity cost (it can only target Toreador). NinjaMutant: However, it's only a bad decision if you're just looking at it from the perspective of only playing one game, where your odds of facing a Toreador are relatively low. NinjaMutant: However, in a tournament, you'll be facing 9-12 opponents in the preliminary rounds, and finding one Toreador opponent amongst them won't be at all unusual. NinjaMutant: In the games where you draw Nosferatu Performance Art and don't face a Toreador opponent, you can just discard it in your discard phase (or use The Barrens). Skippy0000: hehe grantparkcoker: Ooh, the answer comes full circle! NinjaMutant: :) grantparkcoker: Do you have a memorable tournament moment? (either funny or serious) NinjaMutant: Not only did Robyn illustrate a great metagame strategy idea, she also used the lowly Nosferatu Performance Art to it's maximum (and catastrophic!) effect. NinjaMutant: My favorite moment was during the finals of the 2001 North American Championships, when I managed to get the entire audience to bust out laughing. NinjaMutant: I was playing Short Leash Bleed, which is very run of the mill Obfuscate-Dominate stealth-bleed deck, but with the added twist of Change of Target and intercept locations to minimize the effects of getting the bleeds bounced. NinjaMutant: At one point in the game, Stephen Fazio (playing Toreador vote) played a Kindred Restructure to get himself the hell away from Robert Goudie, who was pounding him flat with a Potence weenie deck. NinjaMutant: A very, very lengthy discussion ensued amongst the players - it was at least 10 minutes, if not longer - as everyone was very nervous about how the table would shape up and who might get VP as a result. NinjaMutant: Finally the terms of the vote are decided, and Fazio is about to declare the vote to be passed. NinjaMutant: "No, wait!" I say. NinjaMutant: "But the vote passes!" says Fazio NinjaMutant: "Not yet!" I say. And I play Malkavian Rider Clause. NinjaMutant: At which point the crowd erupted in laughter, and another 10 minutes of discussion occur with players at the table wondering if I'm actually playing a political deck instead. NinjaMutant: Thankfully Trey Morita got everyone to shut up with a Delaying Tactics. :) NinjaMutant: I did have a pair of Dramatic Upheavals in the deck, just in case. ;) Skippy0000: haha NinjaMutant: Winning the 2001 NAC was awesome and a great memory, but I was very happy that I put on a good show for the crowd. :) grantparkcoker: Heh. Is it safe to say that would answer this? Is there a particularly memorable play from your career thusfar? NinjaMutant: Yeah, that one ranks way up there. Another favorite moment was in the finals of a tournament in Bratislava, Slovakia. NinjaMutant: I was at 3 pool, playing a Tremere-Gargoyles deck with 3 minions untapped (1 Tremere, 2 Gargoyles). My predator (weenie Thaumaturgy) had 5 ready minions and an Anarch Troublemaker. I didn't have a Wake in my hand. NinjaMutant: I did have a Bond with the Mountain in hand, but if he tapped my Gargoyles with the Anarch Troublemaker, I was doomed because I couldn't cycle. NinjaMutant: Instead, he tapped the Tremere and one Gargoyle (presumably being concerned about Deflection) and bled. NinjaMutant: I let the first two go because they didn't have Dominate, putting me at one. I blocked the third because I had to, playing Bond with the Mountain to end combat and untap. I blocked the fourth, and played... NinjaMutant: ...as many combat cards as I could, hoping to draw into a Wake or a Bond with the Mountain. No luck. All was lost. He just had to bleed with the last minion, and he did. NinjaMutant: And then I remembered I had the Barrens. NinjaMutant: I tapped the Barrens and top-decked the Wake. grantparkcoker: I am a big fan of topdecking the right card. NinjaMutant: Bailed out that crisis, then gained a little pool on my turn, got back in action, and went on to win the tournament for the first ever win by Gargoyles, and my first ever win in Europe. Since then, I've called The Barrens... NinjaMutant: ...my guardian angel. NinjaMutant: (text limit in AIM messages, it seems) grantparkcoker: I guess AOL's development team didn't expect people to talk in full sentences as opposed to l33t. NinjaMutant: heheheh grantparkcoker: Just a few more questions. grantparkcoker: What's your favorite card art? Skippy0000: http://cronus.infopop.cc/~hirsch/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=212 Skippy0000: http://www.geocities.com/rava1974/EC2003/pages/2verdiPrincipi.htm Skippy0000: don't mind me Skippy0000: http://www.darkwindrising.com/vampire/photos/gall_vtes2/images/Picture_0045.jpg grantparkcoker: You voyeur! Skippy0000: http://www6.nwe.de/veknpics/vtes/budapest/000128.htm NinjaMutant: Hmm...favorite card art... NinjaMutant: As with cards and decks, there's a lot I like. For vampires, I like Ingrid Russo, The Muse, Petra, and Joaquina Amaya. Hmm...it's hard to pick just one, since there's a lot to choose from. I suppose it's easier for me to pick... NinjaMutant: ...some favorite artists: Jeff Holt, Steve Prescott, Becky Cloonan, John Bolton, Doug Alexander, Ron Spencer, Dave Seeley, Durwin Talon, and Christopher Shy. NinjaMutant: oh, and James Stowe. grantparkcoker: Cool. You answered this before, but another perennial one: What's your favorite set? NinjaMutant: I do own some original pieces: Aurora van Brande, Infernal Pact, Ivory Bow (CE version), Defender of the Haven, and...The Barrens (Sabbat version). grantparkcoker: I think we should develop a theme song mp3 to play everytime The Barrens is mentioned :) NinjaMutant: heheheheh NinjaMutant: Bloodlines will still go down as my favorite, since it added a whole ton of new things to try out. At the time it came out, it changed how I looked at deck design, as I found that not every vampire has to do everything... NinjaMutant: ...the deck does. I found mixing and matching clans and vampires to be a lot easier as a result. NinjaMutant: I'm still digesting Legacies of Blood, but I'm finding it to be a very challenging set in terms of deck design, but there could be some great rewards at the end of it. NinjaMutant: (er..."...and there could be...", not but) grantparkcoker: A fun one for you: If there was a card based on you, what would it be? NinjaMutant: Dave Wilson from Ann Arbor actually made Ben Peal Fan Club tshirts that had me portrayed as a Salubri. NinjaMutant: (I wish I could find an image of 'em...) NinjaMutant: I'll email Dave Wilson to see if he has it grantparkcoker: Cool. grantparkcoker: What other games do you play on a regular basis? NinjaMutant: Message is too long or too complex NinjaMutant: argh NinjaMutant: I am too smart for AIM NinjaMutant: let's try that again Skippy0000: oh this is hilarious Skippy0000: http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.trading-cards.jyhad/browse_frm/thread/6239a89d230750c2/16c1078c35185d53?q=ben+peal+fan+club&rnum=9#16c1078c35185d53 Skippy0000: ben peal is the only vtes player ever to have a fan club NinjaMutant: I play assorted board and card games - favorites include Tutankhamen, Fearsome Floors, Tigris & Euphrates... grantparkcoker: That's a funny post Oscar. NinjaMutant: ...Vinci, Wiz War, Up Front, and Bang. NinjaMutant: I also play Warhammer 40,000, Warmachine, a little Vs., a little Magic, D&D when I can, as well as games on my Xbox and Xbox 360 (gamertag: Fudjo) grantparkcoker: Now back up for a couple of serious questions again. grantparkcoker: You've got a hand in the direction of V:tES. How do you view that responsibility? NinjaMutant: (oooo..that's a good one...) NinjaMutant: As both a player and as US National Coordinator, the focus is always the same: building up the V:TES communities and creating the best possible environment for the game and for my friends. grantparkcoker: (I'm assuming from your answers that you have effectively hypnotized Oscar and the V:tES developers to do your bidding) Skippy0000: i'm a puppet orgplay grantparkcoker: (just when I think I can sneak an answer in past his radar, he pops up again!) NinjaMutant: :) grantparkcoker: (er comment I mean) grantparkcoker: A related question: Why did you decide to step down as Prince of Boston and up as U.S. Coordinator? Skippy0000: cuz he's the man NinjaMutant: As I traveled around a lot to play the game over the years, I made a lot of new friendships and new contacts. I found that I was getting involved more and more in the North American V:TES scene, and I wanted to help out more... NinjaMutant: ...with things there. grantparkcoker: Admirable. NinjaMutant: At the same time, the Boston V:TES scene had grown past the point where it could manage itself fine without me as Prince, and there were several people who could do a solid job in that role. Josh Feuerstein ended up with the job. grantparkcoker: and a good segue: What's the most fun you've had traveling for V:tES? NinjaMutant: Oh, definitely in 2002, when I took a two week trip to the EC that year in Vienna, and visited the groups in Munich, Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava. I got in touch with the players in the various cities, and ended up getting... NinjaMutant: ...offered a place to crash wherever I went! In the two weeks, I only spent 2 nights in hotels. It saved me a ton of money, and it also gave me more time to spend with the people there and I felt that I learned more about those... NinjaMutant: ...countries and the people who lived there by doing so. grantparkcoker: Cool. I'm jealous. NinjaMutant: It was definitely an eye-opener, both for life experiences and for the V:TES experiences. :) grantparkcoker: I was going to ask you when and where you started playing, but I can just glean that off of the lasombra interview if you want. NinjaMutant: I very much appreciate all the hospitality I received from my hosts in Europe, and I made a ton of new friends. NinjaMutant: Carl Pilhatsch did a great job of running the EC, too! NinjaMutant: Oh, I started playing the day the game came out, while I was living in Pittsburgh. NinjaMutant: but yeah, the Lasombra thing covers it grantparkcoker: OK. A couple more biographical type things and we're done. grantparkcoker: So you live in Boston? manager of Your Move Games? any other job? grantparkcoker: born in 1972? grantparkcoker: social security number is...just kidding. grantparkcoker: and your title is U.S. National Coordinator? NinjaMutant: Yeah, I live and work in a suburb called Somerville, but everyone within Rt. 128 considers themselves to live "in Boston". NinjaMutant: manager of Your Move Games...I used to work as a systems administrator, but running a game store is way more fun and appears to be my true calling. NinjaMutant: My V:EKN position is US National Coordinator grantparkcoker: Great! I think the only other thing I need from you is a digital picture, and we'll see if we can get this interview up on the web. NinjaMutant: heh...let's find a "good" one... grantparkcoker: If you have one handy or a link to one, you can send it to me on this IM or at ned@white-wolf.com grantparkcoker: Congratulations Ben! You are the proper inaugural figure for this new project to bring a greater face to those who play V:tES. grantparkcoker: I think we're going to try to make it a weekly/biweekly thing. NinjaMutant: ha! nice! Thanks! grantparkcoker: If there's anything else you'd like to add, please feel free. NinjaMutant: here's one...but wait before using it...I might find a better one NinjaMutant: http://www.nosferatustuff.com/vtes/tournaments/02won_thurs27.jpg Skippy0000: classic grantparkcoker: Appropriately intimidating. NinjaMutant: here's me in my store: NinjaMutant: http://house.ofdoom.com/~ninja/Pictures/YMG/DSCN1607.JPG grantparkcoker: I'm beginning to think your face is stuck like that. NinjaMutant: that would rule Skippy0000: haha Skippy0000: ooh, halo's on Skippy0000: thanks for your time, ben grantparkcoker: I guess your momma did warn you and you defied her iron rule. Skippy0000: i'll get you a beer at origins or something Skippy0000: thanks ned Skippy0000: see yall later grantparkcoker: Heh. Well thanks a ton Ben. A great start to this project. NinjaMutant: ha NinjaMutant: Hey, thanks for the opportunity! This was fun! grantparkcoker: And if you need me to sabotage Oscar in any way, let me know...oh wait, he's still here. Skippy0000: i'm logging this NinjaMutant: Oh, there are plenty of opportunities for that NinjaMutant: Do we add the ego stuff to this? grantparkcoker: What do you mean? NinjaMutant: like "career leader in tournament wins", "most clans used to win tournaments", etc.? grantparkcoker: Oh sure! NinjaMutant: oh jeez NinjaMutant: :) grantparkcoker: Can AOL IM handle it? NinjaMutant: Let's see ;) NinjaMutant: I think right now it's "career leader in tournament wins", "most clans used to win tournaments", "most entries in The Lasombra's Tournament Winning Deck Archive", 4-time qualifier champion, 2001 North American Champion... NinjaMutant: Apparently I'm currently ranked #1 in the world, but I think that might be inaccurate right now (Stefan Ferenci should have that, I'd expect), but I was #1 for most of 2005 NinjaMutant: also made the finals of the 2004 EC in Heidelberg NinjaMutant: How can I be further self-aggrandizing... NinjaMutant: oh, yeah, co-author of the V:TES Player's Guide grantparkcoker: Most influential haircut of V:TES? NinjaMutant: if only NinjaMutant: what an awesome world that would be! NinjaMutant: oh, I also created the Create-A-Clan rules NinjaMutant: another enigmatic picture for ya: NinjaMutant: http://oakenguy.livejournal.com/296610.html grantparkcoker: Oh I like it. I'll have to figure out how to best employ that in the interview. grantparkcoker: If you think of anything else I missed, I'll probably wrap this up tomorrow morning to send to Oscar, my boss Kelley, then the www wizard here. NinjaMutant: rock on NinjaMutant: If you have any questions, just bug me on AIM NinjaMutant: I'll try to track down that card picture of me grantparkcoker: Sounds good. Thanks again Ben! Good to meet you and talk to you. Cheers. grantparkcoker has left the room. NinjaMutant: neat! Skippy0000 has left the room.