Get to Know a Gamer: Baxder

Astra · #1 Feb 22nd, 2021, 04:57 PM

Get to Know a Gamer
Baxder edition

Hello everyone. This thread is the next installment in a series of threads on a somewhat-weekly basis where we get to know members of the RPGX community by having informal "Ask Me Anything"-type threads. In essence, I am going to post some icebreaker questions to which the subject will reply and then the thread will remain open for Q&A until it isn't fun any more.

If you would like to be a victim interviewed, if you have feedback on GTKAG or on the questions themselves, follow this link: https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthread.php?p=8981519

Some reminders:

All site rules of course still apply (i.e. keep it PG, no dox, etc.)
Nobody's obliged to answer any questions they don't want to answer
Please keep in mind the risks of sharing info online.
It is okay to ask questions in advance; no need to wait for the victim to respond to the opener.

Now without further ado, some opening questions to break the ice!

QuestionnaireWhat are you doing right now? (besides answering this)
What do you like about your town? (and where is that?)
What do you see when you look in the mirror?
What do you see when you look out the window?
What's your personal quote?
Low-fat, non-fat or regular milk?
Pen or pencil?
Last-gen or first-gen game consoles?
Fashion, science, business or car magazines?
Where would you vacation (if you had enough money)?
Sarcastic or ironic?

The following shamelessly stolen from the "Inside the Actor's Studio" Questionnaire:

What is your favorite word?
What is your least favorite word?
What turns you on (intellectually speaking, not sexually)?
What turns you off?
What sound do you love?
What sound do you hate?
What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
What profession would you not like to participate in?
If heaven exists what would you like to hear your supreme being of choice say when you arrive?

What is your favorite...
...music style?
...food style?
...color?
...instrument?
...ice-cream flavor?
...furniture piece?
...quote?
...video game?
...magazine?
...moment in a game (either on RPGX or IRL)?

Lashiec · #2 Feb 22nd, 2021, 05:13 PM

What's your favorite pastime that has nothing to do with gaming? I see, interesting. And what besides reading?

What is the best city you've ever been to and why?

Astra · #3 Feb 23rd, 2021, 12:03 AM

What keeps you coming back to RPGx?

Baxder · #4 Feb 23rd, 2021, 01:41 PM

Hi! Let the inquisition begin!

What are you doing right now? (besides answering this)
Sitting at my desk at work, as usual when I'm active online. I got a good gig!
What do you like about your town? (and where is that?)
I like that it's a city of 100,000 people and still feels like a small town. It has no mall or major attraction except for its Lake Michigan shoreline, which I also love because I grew up on a very similar Lake Huron shore. It's in Wisconsin.
What do you see when you look in the mirror?
The attempt I'm making at a new look with longer hair and a short beard; it distracts from whatever else is happening with the onset of middle-age!
What do you see when you look out the window?
My midwestern suburban neighborhood, and at the moment lots of melting snow. My kids when I kick them out for a bit.
What's your personal quote?
"There's a party in my head, and you're not invited"
Low-fat, non-fat or regular milk?
2%. I hate skim; it's more like milk-flavored water. I could do whole but grew up on 2% so that's what I use.
Pen or pencil?
Pen, which doesn't really make sense for me because I make a lot of mistakes when I write anything by hand. I prefer the consistent legibility and maintenance-free (no sharpening/clicking out more led) nature of pens. I've had the same one for something like ten years now, which I'm kinda pathetically proud of.
Last-gen or first-gen game consoles?
Nope. PC purist since the debut of VGA and the original Sim City.
Fashion, science, business or car magazines?
I don't read paper magazines anymore, but I do follow a lot of sciency things online. Futurism being my favorite.
Where would you vacation (if you had enough money)?
Barcelona. I was there for a short time hmmhmmrhmm years ago and fell in love with it. I'd love to go back and see the sights properly.
Sarcastic or ironic?
Sure.
What is your favorite word?
Cumquat. It's just always funny.
What is your least favorite word?
"Potential" - I blame its prolific application to my childhood self for most of my shortcomings.
What turns you on (TBH, and if you really want to know, my answer works for both.intellectually speaking, not sexually)?
Unique perspectives, I suppose; Honesty/frankness combined with open-mindedness about important things or significant topics.
What turns you off?
The opposite! I can stand nothing less than a "bull [pooper]!"
What sound do you love?
Windchimes. Nice ones, though, not the horrible clangy kind.
What sound do you hate?
The manmade sounds that ruin an otherwise perfect setting. Like the traffic on the nearby state highway when you're in a forest preserve.
What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
I'm not ambitious enough to shoot for author, but I'd go for Somehow this just reveals my total ignorance of the creative industry, doesn't it?editor. Or studio engineer.
What profession would you not like to participate in?
Anything where I feel my beans are being counted. I know I work for a man, but I don't want to feel like I work for the man, ya know?
If heaven exists what would you like to hear your supreme being of choice say when you arrive?
I'm a little too embroiled with being between supreme beings ATM to be either snarky or honest with this one. Haha. That kinda works, though!How about a rain check?

What is your favorite...

...music style?
Rock/Metal
...food style?
Breakfast/Italian
...color?
Blue
...instrument?
Cello
...ice-cream flavor?
Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. I also recently discovered carmel+butterscotch shakes/malts at 5 Guys. Ooh! And if you live in a place with Vernors, seek out a Boston Cooler! I miss those so much...
...furniture piece?
My bed, I guess? Maybe my dining room table? This question makes me strangely uncomfortable...
...quote?
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
...video game?
Elite Dangerous at the moment. o7 I actually got a spot on the admin team of a community project involved with it recently. Past selections would include No One Lives Forever 1&2, Max Payne, Morrowind, Freespace 2, Freelancer, the Silent Service series, World of Warships, Kingdom Come Deliverance...Lemmings...
...magazine?
The aforementioned Futurism will work here.
...moment in a game (either on RPGX or IRL)?
I once played an Only War scenario in which my party raided (for reasons long forgotten) some outpost that turned out to be a massive fuel depot. Like, occupying a significant portion of a continent's subterrain massive. We played the A-Team theme as we drove away with half the planet exploding into space behind us. It was ridiculous, but hilarious.

Baxder · #5 Feb 23rd, 2021, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lashiec

What's your favorite pastime that has nothing to do with gaming? I see, interesting. And what besides reading?

Hm. It would be photography, but I haven't done that in quite a while. Does listening to music count? I go through the new releases on Loudwire every week and curate a It has a cap of 10,000, so I have to rotate stuff off from time to time.9500-or-so track playlist on Tidal. Once things open back up, I will be among the head-banging throngs.

I also collect fantasy and sci-fi artwork from the webs for screensaver/desktop purposes. I currently have over 20,000. Been at it for over 20 years. My current source is here.

I'll cheat a little and say in-game photography in Elite Dangerous.

I'll cheat a little more and say reading webcomics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lashiec

What is the best city you've ever been to and why?

Tough one, there. I'd say Barcelona but it's already had its mention. I do love New York, but that's literally a cliche. I went to Whistler, BC a few years ago. I'd never been to "the mountains" before and it had the effect everyone said it would. Seriously, I would become a Canadian and live there if I could. That's saying a lot for a native Michigander.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astra

What keeps you coming back to RPGx?

Most recently, stuff like this. I poked in intermittently over the last ten...fifteen years or so but never pulled the trigger on a re-commit until some recent life events put me in the mood to find me again, and I jumped back in. The games are fun, sure, and it's great to write role-play here as you can nowhere else, but the community stuff is what we all know will last.

Imveros · #6 Feb 23rd, 2021, 04:45 PM

Shadowrun, great setting, or the greatest setting?

Have you ever had a chance to try it? If so, what did you think? If not, what would it take to get you to try?

Baxder · #7 Feb 23rd, 2021, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imveros

Shadowrun, great setting, or the greatest setting?

Have you ever had a chance to try it? If so, what did you think? If not, what would it take to get you to try?

Ah yes, I should have known.

I'll go with greatest, sure. I've been into cyberpunk for a while now, thanks in no small part to the latest PC Shadowrun series, which did an amazing job of portraying the low-life/hi-tech Sixth World. I'm not versed in the setting much outside of those, Crossfire, Encounters and the game I'm currently engaged with here (Alea, in sig).

The game is still too new for me to form a solid opinion, but if it weren't for Chummer I don't think I would have even been able to make the attempt. So there's that. I am very much enjoying it, and am sure I'll climb the learning curve just fine. Bothers is doing an amazing job with this newbie, despite it being their first time GM'ing the system, and I believe some of the other players (Rat Queen being among them) are SR veterans, so help is readily available.

ruffdove · #8 Feb 23rd, 2021, 08:45 PM

So you live in Wisconsin... ever make the pilgrimage to Lake Geneva?

Baxder · #9 Feb 24th, 2021, 02:34 PM

I've been out that way a few times. Mostly for day trips but I think I stayed at a resort out there once. I don't remember the name of the place. It was nice, but seemed very "Florida" to me; all teal and salmon. The town is a nice little tourist trap. Sadly the days of actual GenCon predate my residency by just one year. Come to think of it, though, I've never looked to see if there are any Gygaxian attractions there. Hm.

ruffdove · #10 Feb 24th, 2021, 03:18 PM

Check out Empire of Imagination. It's a biography of Gygax that frankly gives him the kid gloves treatment*, but it does discuss Lake Geneva and a lot of the landmarks that relate to D&D. The house where TSR was originally based--and where a lot of the staff actually lived--is still there and apparently there are several shops inside, including a candy store. There is also the Museum of Role-Playing Games there. Don't know if the abandoned sanatorium that he used to explore as a child is still there. I've always wanted to go to Lake Geneva, but it's kind of a long haul from where I live. Here's a map from the book:

* - For a more balanced and well-sourced look at Gygax and the history of RPGs in general, see Jon Peterson's Playing at the World.

Baxder · #11 Feb 24th, 2021, 03:24 PM

Nice! Hit me up if/when you do make the trip!

I did come across his house but can't make up my mind about it being really awesome or a shameless exploit.

It also looks like the Geneva Lake Museum is putting together a Gygax exhibit.

Are you confused and wondering what is going on here? Check out this YouTube video to get the scoop.