- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Community Spotlight: Great_Pretender
This week, we had a chance to talk to one of the Bungie.net forum ninjas, Great_Pretender. Read on to find out some interesting background information and get the scoop on what TGP is all about.<CrypticGuardian> Hey TGP. What's going on?
<Great_Pretender> Nothing much!
<CrypticGuardian> Are you ready to do this?
<Great_Pretender> I am SO ready. You won't believe how ready I am.
<CrypticGuardian> Alright, cool. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? How old
are you?
<Great_Pretender> I'm currently living in Perth, Australia. I'm 17 years old, give or take 7 months
and 13 days.
<CrypticGuardian> What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
<Great_Pretender> Well besides playing games online, I have a distinct interest in television/film,
multimedia studies, and some forms of awesome art.
<CrypticGuardian> Anything in particular that stands out the most or is your primary focus?
<Great_Pretender> Television and film studies, I hope. I just finished my exams and I hope I
get into the media course I applied for at Uni.
<CrypticGuardian> That's cool. Good luck with that. Do you play any sports or just have a favorite
sport to watch?
<Great_Pretender> I enjoy *watching* Aussie Rules Football, but I don't really get into sports
much.
<CrypticGuardian> I see. What about video games? Are you a big fan? If yes, what are some of
your top favorite all time games?
<Great_Pretender> Most of my favourite games are from Bungie. Marathon, Myth and Halo. I also
have fond memories of Half Life, Thief, The Sims (I'm not crazy, I just like
burning people), Black and White... Yeah lots of games. I only recently
started paying attention to the gaming community, though.
<CrypticGuardian> That's awesome. You've been a Bungie.net member since '04, correct?
<Great_Pretender> Very late '04, yeah!
<CrypticGuardian> Ok. Where did you first hear of Bungie and what brought you to their website?
Was it their games, your friends, or something else?
<Great_Pretender> I joined up because I saw my friend on a school computer asking a stupid
question about Halo 2, and I figured I might as well become a member too.
Only THEN did I realise that Bungie made Marathon and Myth as well, two
games I'd been enjoying for years previous. So I joined for Halo, stayed for
Myth and Marathon.
<CrypticGuardian> Oh, cool. Being new to Bungie.net, what did you do later on to get more involved
with the community? Explain what your role is now and what you have continued
to do to help benefit others?
<Great_Pretender> To be perfectly honest, I was a bit of a forum cop. Y'know, those ones that
you look at nowadays and SHAKE YOUR HEAD ANGRILY because they are so
deliciously annoying? I only realised after I became a mod how stupid it was.
Nowadays I just be myself. An angrier and less lenient self to what I usually
am.
<CrypticGuardian> I see a lot of new members join Bungie.net, especially because of Bungie's
new game release, Halo 3. They usually post in the Septagon and either ask for
help or offer to help. What do you think is the most beneficial way to contribute
to Bungie.net as a member? Do you have any tips or suggestions that would
help them become more involved with the community? For example... how to
go about certain issues, what to do, and what not to do?
<Great_Pretender> Well, I wish more people would use their brains first time they come to the
site. Read the stickies, stay up to date on current issues, don't reply to spam.
All of the obvious stuff. That's really all anyone needs to do to be useful rather
than useless.
<CrypticGuardian> I agree. Has becoming a moderator and being around for the past few years
here changed you? Or in other words has Bungie.net become a part of your
life? If so, in what way?
<Great_Pretender> I wouldn't say it's become a part of my life. Moderating certainly made me a
more logical person in the real world, though.
<CrypticGuardian> I understand. Can you recall a favorite memory or past time experience on
Bungie.net? If so, may you tell us?
<Great_Pretender> Nothing in particular. The more active period of the Myth Jumpers was rather
alright. I enjoy playing Myth with them.
<CrypticGuardian> Tight. Would you say you were more active in groups or in the public forums?
Or were you just an all around members who did everything?
<Great_Pretender> I'm more active in the public forums still. Just about every group I join, I post
in twice and then forget about. That's why I don't join groups anymore.
<CrypticGuardian> Haha, I see. So, recently it seems that all of the moderators got the Recon
armor. Do you like it or want to say anything about it?
<Great_Pretender> I like it. It makes me WANT to be a Spartan, for once.
<CrypticGuardian> Does that mean you prefer the Elite model?
<Great_Pretender> Yes! I just wish there were more perms for it.
<CrypticGuardian> Yeah, it seems that the Spartans got the upper hand in Halo 3 with
customization. I think there will be some download content in store for us fans
along the road though. Anything you would like to see in the future for Halo 3?
<Great_Pretender> More Forgabilities and gametypes. More Elite perms. A playlist for good
custom games. Etcetera etcetera. Oh, and more maps.
<CrypticGuardian> I'm sure you're not the only one looking forward to that. On the subject of Halo 3,
do you play a lot online?
<Great_Pretender> Right this moment, yes. My home computer exploded and I just finished
school so I don't really have much to do at home. You should know how
much I play online!
<CrypticGuardian> I know... haha. Do you mind sharing your gamertag with the public? I never
understood the meaning behind it. How did you come up with it and is there
significance for it?
<Great_Pretender> Trandom Kaggus arose through some spelling mistakes while I was playing
Myth with a guy. So there's no real meaning behind it.
<CrypticGuardian> Ok, what about your Bungie.net display name Great_Pretender or TGP?
<Great_Pretender> I rather enjoyed the cover of "The Great Pretender" that Queen did. So I
called myself the Great Pretender for a short period on Myth. I then went
back to my normal name, "Da Cid."
<CrypticGuardian> That's interesting. Some people noticed your new avatar from the other day. Did
you design it? I think it looks awesome by the way, but why change it?
<Great_Pretender> The orange bit is the Dwarven paratrooper symbol from Myth and there's a
dwarf face in the blue as well. The rest is whatever. I changed it because it's
been a year since I changed it, and I figured the new one fits the colour
scheme better (although my last two fit the colour scheme as well).
<CrypticGuardian> Nice. Well I think that wraps about everything up. Do you have anything else to
say or would like the community to know?
<Great_Pretender> Stop asking me about Recon armour... yeah I think that's it.
<CrypticGuardian> Haha. Ok. Do you have any last questions for myself or any of the viewers?
<Great_Pretender> Nope!
<CrypticGuardian> Alright, thanks TGP for your time and take care.
<Great_Pretender> Righteo!
[Edited on 11.14.2007 9:22 PM PST]