Official GTPlanet Member of the Fortnight [Member of the Week]

[W3H5]

If site moderation was a paid job, would any of you give up your current positions/ occupations to do it full time providing the pay was acceptable?

 

[Monatsende]

[...] - starting next week on October 11th the interviews will be posted every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until month's end, with the final week quite possibly hosting a new interview every day.

[...]

...staring at calendar...

 

[W3H5]

I just lost a huge chunk of my year according to T12's calendar!

 

[Terronium-12]

Don't mind me, I just want it to be fall already so I can start tearing through the games I have on pre-order, start planning for thanksgiving, and most importantly to be done with the dreadful summer months already.

I didn't even realize I wrote that.

 

[TB]

I didn't even realize I wrote that.

Drugs are bad, m'kay?

 

[axletramp]

The English isn't much better...

 

[FoolKiller]

and most importantly to be done with the dreadful summer months already.

 

[Dean]

A [late] congratulations to @TB and @SlipZtrEm.

 

[Monatsende]

Mods aren´t anymore what they used to be. Sad world...

 

[Danny]

Mods aren´t anymore what they used to be. Sad world...

 

[Lizard]

I just lost a huge chunk of my year according to T12's calendar!

You think you are in trouble? I have just missed a week of uni lectures.

 

[Terronium-12]

Get on my level, kids.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

SlipZtrEm, the mod I idolise the most. He`s the best. (Oh, I will say that after each and every staff interview. Exept the "SlipZtrEm" part...)


32.) "I'd either post a news article of "Kaz announces partnership with T10, Forza Turismo scheduled for holiday release!" before changing my password, logging out, and never looking back... [...]"

36.) Hands over a beer. Suits well to the pretzels.

Cheers for beers, Monatsende. Glad I could provide a few chuckles!

@SlipZtrEm

Whatever.

Nice read, dude!

Thank you, brother-in-arms!

Awesome, it'll be great to hear more from this guy. I can't wait to find out what he has to



Get out. Get out now. Take your things and get out of my life.

Don't be that way, baby.

Stylistically, it was fantastic, and I'll never turn down a chance to ogle either Emily Browning or Jena Malone. But it ranks up there with Only God Forgives as one of the worst modern films I've seen.

Very good read indeed! Whoever came up with the idea for these mod "interviews" should be given some cookies!

Great interview, Slip.

I'm fairly certain it was @Terronium-12.

I enjoyed reading the interview.

Glad you all liked it 👍

If site moderation was a paid job, would any of you give up your current positions/ occupations to do it full time providing the pay was acceptable?

Sitting in front of a computer all day is pretty much my job already, so I'd say it'd be pretty tempting, yeah.

A [late] congratulations to @TB and @SlipZtrEm.

Thanks @Dean 👍

Mods aren´t anymore what they used to be. Sad world...

Don't worry, I think I might still have a few Ben Sherman shirts tucked away in my closet somewhere...

 

[Shaun]

Nice read @SlipZtrEm 👍.

 

[Terronium-12]

The recognition of new faces will continue, but this month we're going to put a little spin on the whole concept. There are only a select number of individuals capable of upholding this new concept; those that don't cower in the face of fame, those that don't regress when presented with the opportunity to shout from a rooftop "I'm better than you... on the internet!".

Those who live, breathe, and exhale the very essence of what makes GTPlanet the place that it has become and will continue to be - these are the approved traits of the archetype known only as The GTPlanet Illuminati, er, I mean the GTPlanet Moderation Staff and incidentally, the GTPlanet Member of the Week.

Two birds with one stone? Say it isn't so!

No matter where we go, people will either ignore or want to confront us, which is where our personal bodyguards come in. No matter what we say, everyone will interrupt and/or attempt to correct us. No matter what we're wearing, it will be made fun of for the next 10 years. So let us welcome the newest member to the League of Extraordinary GTPeople, and the second in the long line of staff interviews, daan!

1. First and foremost, this is a most special month for all of us involved in the workings of GTPlanet and I thought it was time for us to bare it all, allowing the community at large an opportunity to see us for who we all really are - which of course means you're officially GTPlanet's Member of the Week! Are you excited? Explosions!

I'm so exited you wouldn't believe. I'm also angry and confused and all those other emotions people think I've got.

2. What brought you to GTPlanet and was there ever a time before you took on the badge where you thought to yourself "I'd like to do that" only to then immediately regret said thought ever coming to mind?

It seemed to be a good place and there were some interesting races happening here. I also liked that there were forums on every other topic so you didn't just have to talk GT all the time. My first post here was in a contest ran by Mr P. The story of my GT history can be found here.

3. There's a lot to do around the forums so I have to ask: what sub-forums/threads do you frequent most often and why?

I probably find myself between the mods forum, premium forums and the Motorsports forums most often.

4. What was it that sparked your interest in Gran Turismo?

The looks of the game and the fact you could drive everyday "normal" cars as well as the usual sportscars and racecars.

5. How did you come up with the name "daan"?

I'm actually Dutch. It's a Dutch name don't you know. If I had a pound for every time I've been asked if I was Dutch, I'd have about, oh, 6 pounds...

It's the first 2 letters of my first name and the first 2 letters of my surname. The first online service I ever used came up with that as a suggestion for an email or somesuch and I used that.

6. There's no controversy here so what's your flavor: Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport, neither, both, or something else altogether?

Never played Forza, and as my G25 isn't compatible with the Xboz range, I don't see me ever trying. For consoles, I've been GT all the way. GTR, GTR2, Race etc have been played loads on the PC though.

7. What was your initial reaction when the badge was presented to you?

What? Me? Are you sure?

8. GTP 12 is up and about, what are your thoughts?

Once I got used to it, it's a good step forward, although I miss being able to select threads straight from the search screen like we used to. Perhaps that's yet another task for @Jordan ...

9. Gran Turismo 6 is finally here, what are you thoughts so far?

I'm liking it. The physics seem to be a step up from GT5's. There just needs to be more race series, and more longer races of up to about an hour or so. GT3's PD Cup needs to return though. It consisted of 20 lap races in completely stock cars and the opposition consisted mainly of the "276bhp" Japanese cars. It really was a great series. The PD Cup name was in GT4, but they killed it by making the races shorter, and by having cars like the Peugeot 206s racing against Lotus Esprits.

10. Talk a little about what you think you bring to GTPlanet and how you think you can continue to improve.

I suppose that's more for others to say. I'm perfect as it is...

Probably the only thing I bring to GTP is a supply of padlocks.

11. A lot of fantastic-looking games are due out soon - as early as next month to be exact - what are you most looking forward to when it's all said and done at 11:59 on December 31st?

I'm not really into other games as such and probably my main gaiming device is my Android tablet, and Football Manager Handheld is probably my most played game on that. In saying that, I got the early release of Assetto Corsa and it looks and plays well.

12. With the next generation of all things video gaming upon us, have you made any plans to pick up a PS4, Xbox One, or Wii U?

Nope, I have no reason to purchase any of those devices yet. PS4 is more likely but only when a GT title makes an appearance on it.

13. Tell us something interesting about your hometown.

It holds the world record for the world's worst outbreak of E-coli, but apart from that it's completely unremarkable.

14. If given the opportunity, if even for a moment, what would you do with GTPlanet?

I would ban all the redacted ................

15. Do you have any hobbies we should be made aware of?

I'm getting more into photography, or trying to get more into photography. I recently got a DSLR and a few lenses but I'm still learning all the settings. I think I'm getting there though.

16. You are producing a 12-episode drama series for the BBC. The show can be anything you want and you can cast any living actors you want. What would it be and who would you cast?

~ 404, Answer Not Found. Delete system32 to continue. ~

17. What are the maximum number of points you've issued any one person for breaking the rules?

I gave out a few thousand at some point, but I can't recall who or why.

18. Some would say our position is a lucrative one, others would say it's an excuse for us to be internet "tough guys" - what would your response be to both of these assumptions?

Folk that say we're internet tough guys are just a bunch of nazis.

19. Word around the rumor mill is you are, or were once before, a bionic man? Did it cost six million dollars and was the technology there?

I'm not bionic, but I am kept alive artifically. The final bill for the work was more like 6 dollars though.

20. With all the bickering about Forza vs Gran Turismo, how about we get to the real question; which is better, F-Zero or WipEout?

I never saw the attraction with wiPeOuT as I hate with games with random capitals. F-Zero for me, even though it wasn't that great either.

21. Have you ever been stalked or threatened with legal action because you're a moderator here?

No, and no, but I have been threated by violence. There was someone for a country far, far way who said he had Scottish relatives and he was going to send them round to beat me up. I'm still waiting...

22. If you were to indulge in the art of boutique car manufacturing what would your mission statement be?

I'd be unlikely to as I don't even know what "boutique car manufacturing" is. Is that where you take a car and do its nails and give it a bouffant hairdo?

23. What's your ideal breakfast lineup?

Full Scottish. Square sausage, black pudding, fried egg, hash brown & baked beans. Sets you up for the day that does.

24. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being likely to go to the nut house, how crazy would you rate yourself?

I'm probably a 5, but with the odd 1 or 10 thrown in for good measure.

25. What would you look for in bringing a new face into our elusive fold of moderator insanery?

A good level headed personality but with a touch of madness thrown in. @Danny would make an Epic! mod, although I'm not sure I'd like to be around to deal with the fallout...

26. Where and when was your very first post here and how does it differ from your posting style used today?

My first post is here, but I don't think my style has changed at all as I was a fully grown adult when I made it, and I've probably not got a posting style either.

27. When was the last time you listened to a soundtrack and was unexpectedly surprised by it?

Not sure if it counts as a soundtrack but I recently got "Music Inspired by the Life and Times of Scrooge" (McDuck) by Nightwish's Tuomas Holopainen. I like Nightwih's stuff and this is a kind of folky, Scottish, symphonic rock meld that works really well.

28. What type of motor racing draws you in the most?

I never miss an F1 Grand Prix, but I'm more interesting in watching sportscars or touring cars. Aussie V8's are probably my overall favourite series.

29. What's the longest you've gone without logging onto GTPlanet since joining: years, months, weeks, days, or hours?

Before I new of its existance, it was years. Once I found it, it's probably only been days.

30. Are you illegal in any number of states or entire countries?

I've been in a few states in my time... Oh, you mean in America? I've never been deported or detained in any country (apart from one, but I don't want to go there.)

31. What's one significant change you'd like to see made to racing games in the next five years or so?

I would like the AI to be only able to do what a human player can do. Catch up rubber banding must die a hideous, fiery death.

32. Now it's time for the "Moderator Special": the entire staff has been away on leave for several weeks on business and you're the only active staffer left standing, what do you do?

Pour myself a Southern Comfort, sit back, and watch the carnage. Then I'd click the "ban user" button quite a lot. So, no different to usual then...

33. What was your favorite game show growing up?

Live! From Norwich! It's the quiz of the week!



I presume you mean an actual game show and not a computer game show 'cos they didn't exist when I was growing up...

34. How many electronic devices do you own, and is there anything out there that you've been eyeing for some time now but just havent' pulled the trigger on yet?

I can't count high enough without taking my shoes and socks off (and even then I'd struggle). As well as current stuff, I also have a load of retro games consoles and computers (Sega megadrive, Saturn & Dreamcast, Sony PS, PS2, PSP & PS3, Amiga 1200 & CD32 to name a few)

35. If the 90's were good to you for any reason, reminisce a little - what's your favorite memory?

Ah, you know what they say, if you can recall the 90's, you weren't there man, you weren't there.

I am known for having a ludicrously bad memory in real life and can never remember being places or doing things (although I can recall if we have had a thread on some ludicrously obscure GT topic that enables me to find and lock any duplicates.)

36. Anything else you'd like to say?

Wibble.

And when you see a bus with, "Sorry. I'm out of service." written on the destination board, I wonder just how sorry the driver is.

 

[Lizard]

Congratulations.

I agree Danny would be a great mod. Also do you remember the time a certain someone threatened to come all the way from America just to kick you in the nuts?

 

[Monatsende]

daan, the mod I idolise the most. He`s the best. (Oh, I will say that after each and every staff interview. Exept the "daan" part...)

17. What are the maximum number of points you've issued any one person for breaking the rules?
I gave out a few thousand at some point, but I can't recall who or why.

Not sure if it was me and you re-thought about punishment and downsized it to 10 or so...


Overall after reading your interview I think there is a possibilty of you being human.

 

[Danny]

Overall after reading your interview I think there is a possibilty of you being human.

No. Don't fall for it.

A nice read, DaAn. 👍

 

[Johnny1996]

Great read, @daan.

 

[TB]

@daan

Square sausage, black pudding, fried egg, hash brown & baked beans.

The last three things I know but the other two sound scary.

An adequate read, @daan.

 

[axletramp]

Nice one, @daan. 👍

Danny as a mod? He'd get a massive power complex and start insisting people call him Hilary! Think again.

 

[iainoflo85]

@daan

The last three things I know but the other two sound scary.

An adequate read, @daan.

Square sausage is sausage that's square shaped.

It's mostly found in Scotland.

Black pudding is made from blood and stuff but it's black when cooked, and is round like a sausage.

Which is found in both England and Scotland.

 

[TB]

He'd get a massive power complex and start insisting people call him Hilary again! Think.

Fixed.

 

[Dean]

Congratulations @daan

 

[sems4arsenal]

The last few interviews have been fantastic, very nice to read about the people keeping this site from turning into chaos, great reads gents

 

[Lizard]

Nice one, @daan. 👍

Danny as a mod? He'd get a massive power complex and start insisting people call him Hilary! Think again.

That is exactly why I would want him to be a mod.

 

[Daniel]

Nice one, @daan. 👍

Danny as a mod? He'd get a massive power complex and start insisting people call him Hilary! Think again.

He'll ban any images of spiders.

And the AUP will force people to watch Mean Girls.

 

[Brend]

...I can think of worse fates.


Mean Girls 2.

 

[Daniel]

Quiet, you.

 

[Terronium-12]

The recognition of new faces will continue, but this month we're going to put a little spin on the whole concept; and until the end of the month we're going to spin things more quickly as the number of interviews will increase to 3 for the next two weeks. There are only a select number of individuals capable of upholding this new concept; those that don't cower in the face of fame, those that don't regress when presented with the opportunity to shout from a rooftop "I'm better than you... on the internet!".

Those who live, breathe, and exhale the very essence of what makes GTPlanet the place that it has become and will continue to be - these are the approved traits of the archetype known only as The GTPlanet Illuminati, er, I mean the GTPlanet Moderation Staff and incidentally, the GTPlanet Member of the Week.

Two birds with one stone? Say it isn't so!

No matter where we go, people will either ignore or want to confront us, which is where our personal bodyguards come in. No matter what we say, everyone will interrupt and/or attempt to correct us. No matter what we're wearing, it will be made fun of for the next 10 years. So let us welcome the newest member to the League of Extraordinary GTPeople, and the second in the long line of staff interviews, Mike Rotch!

1. First and foremost, this is a most special month for all of us involved in the workings of GTPlanet and I thought it was time for us to bare it all, allowing the community at large an opportunity to see us for who we all really are - which of course means you're officially GTPlanet's Member of the Week! Are you excited? Explosions!

It's pretty cool that people like yourself T-12, are willing to run these sorts of things, and that the community is interested in it. I can't think of any other forum that does it or would make a success of it, so it's pretty cool to be a part of it.

2. What brought you to GTPlanet and was there ever a time before you took on the badge where you thought to yourself "I'd like to do that" only to then immediately regret said thought ever coming to mind?

The old cliche - I came here for GT related info (GT2) and then founded out that the parts of the forum not related to the game were more interesting and stayed on that basis. It was actually Pupik's formulanone.com site that lead me here. He had a treasure trove of detail which became the bible of GT2 stuff for my brother and I, GT2 being used for tuning tips. I spent a lot of time in the legendary "The Color Blue: An Argument" thread in the now erased test forum, shooting the breeze with a whole bunch of guys, all of which sadly are no longer active members Ahhh Alphagigo where art thou.

3. There's a lot to do around the forums so I have to ask: what sub-forums/threads do you frequent most often and why?

I kind of flit around depending on my interest's at the time, but mostly the Infield, Rumble Strip, Motosports, General Car flora and occasionally into the Photography forum.

4. What was it that sparked your interest in Gran Turismo?

When my brother took me over to his mate's place to play "this new game" and then showed me GT2, my reaction was pretty much:

Followed by:

.

The memory card battles we had were, are and will always be, my favourite GT memories.

5. How did you come up with the name "Mike Rotch"?

The reason I registered was because I couldn't find answers to the tuning questions I had, so in order to post up I needed a user name. I figured I wouldn't ever use it again () so threw Mike Rotch on the table thanks mostly to one Bart Simpson and well, it's stayed. It is a good laugh when people on the way to a banning refute their own indiscretions with "yew have a rud username, ur such a hypacrite".

6. There's no controversy here so what's your flavor: Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport, neither, both, or something else altogether?

I've never played FM so can't objectively compare the two. GT has in my opinion lost it's way heavily since GT4, so it wouldn't take a lot for me to switch over if given the chance.

7. What was your initial reaction when the badge was presented to you?

Back in the day the last person you wanted sending you a PM was Der Alta, so this probably summarises it:

Followed by:

It was pretty intimidating at first, but it was a supportive environment so didn't take long to feel part of the crew.

8. GTP 12 is up and about, what are your thoughts?

At first I was a whiney bitch about it 👍. Now it's so intuitive it makes one wonder how we coped with the previous iteration for so long .

9. Gran Turismo 6 is finally here, what are you thoughts so far?

Probably the most uninspiring game I've bought since Xenon 2 Megablast back in Sega days. I personally think KY has his head so far up his you-know-what that he can chew the food on the way down, again. In my eyes, the GT series has devolved since GT4 into some sort of idylistic mish mash of half baked and ill-implemented concepts. A driving sim shouldn't be releasing titles with fewer cars and fewer tracks than editions from a decade ago and don't get me started on the "monthly DLC and regular content releases" promised pre-release. It will take a lot for me to get back into GT.

10. Talk a little about what you think you bring to GTPlanet and how you think you can continue to improve.

GTP is very US and Euro centric, so some Oceanic diversity I think is good. Plus every forum requires a resident grumble guts.

11. A lot of fantastic-looking games are due out soon - as early as this month to be exact - what are you most looking forward to when it's all said and done at 11:59 on December 31st?

With the recent Soccer World Cup I was Jonesing for some Pro Evo (as I was a lifelong PES fan...but they screwed the series ala GT) so if I get another game it will be Fifa most likely. I play pretty rarely these days. I was tempted to get BF4, but I didn't want to be sinking as much time into it I know I'd inevitably end up doing to get scarely decent!

12. With the next generation of all things video gaming upon us, have you made any plans to pick up a PS4, Xbox One, or Wii U?

Nah, neither nor. I haven't switched on the PS3 in months and haven't been convinced that the new generation of machines is worth the cost of an upgrade =/.

13. Tell us something interesting about your hometown.

Johannesburg is:
1- the world’s biggest man-made forest, with over 10 million trees.
2- the world's largest city not built on a coastline, or on a lake or river.
3- home to the only two polar bear's on the African continent
4- 🤬

14. If given the opportunity, if even for a moment, what would you do with GTPlanet?

Give it back to Jordan.

15. Do you have any hobbies we should be made aware of?

Occasional golfer, cyclist and more recently learning about photography. More serious about reading and collecting music. And maybe watches.

16. You are producing a 12-episode drama series for the BBC. The show can be anything you want and you can cast any living actors you want. What would it be and who would you cast?

Anything? A BBC series? I'd phone up Charlie Brooker and tell him he just inhereted 12 episodes of airtime to fill with a new series of 'The Weekly Wipe'. I want Philomena Cunk to tell me the sun really goes when it gets dark, dammit!

17. What are the maximum number of points you've issued any one person for breaking the rules?

999 - I think at the time that was the maximum you could put in. Some member's deserve the extra few seconds to eliminate any possible chance that you haven't put in enough points. "You can never be too careful".

18. Some would say our position is a lucrative one, others would say it's an excuse for us to be internet "tough guys" - what would your response be to both of these assumptions?

Lucrative? I must have missed that part . We give time and apart from comeraderie, and a sense of helping, get nothing tangible in return. As for those who have a persecution complex, I never used to sleep over their claims. Although if they did, bonus.

19. If I recall correctly, you've been to the Australian GP for the final year of the V8 era as well as this year for the V6's, have you ever attended any other racing events?

Mostly correct ; I went to the Melbourne GP in 2013 for what turned out to be the final Aussie run of the v8s which I am so glad I got to hear in person. I met up with @Shaun which was great and shared a beer or two at the time. I didn't make it this year unfortunately. I haven't been to any other races, but am in the initial planning stages for a possible 2016 trip to either Spa or Monza.

20. With all the bickering about Forza vs Gran Turismo, how about we get to the real question; which is better, F-Zero or WipEout?

A what now

21. Have you ever been stalked or threatened with legal action because you're a moderator here?

Nope, I haven't had that pleasure thankfully.

22. If you were to indulge in the art of boutique car manufacturing what would your mission statement be?

"To not make this car look like 🤬".

23. You have an affinity for watches - and some fine ones at that - walk us through how this came about and why it continues to move forward without any real end in sight?

I don't why it kicked off, but I recall at the age of 8 or 9 being forever drawn to the watch display case at the local electronics department store when we were in the mall, where they had a huge array of Casio watches. My folks got me one I had been eyeing out for my birthday...and that started off the journey. I still have that watch, although the straps have long perished. A couple of years ago I was sitting in a hotel room in Beijing whilst working at a client there, bored out of my mind when I figured it might be interested to join a watch forum. That lead to buying stuff online and having it waiting for me when I got back home to Sydney. And then from there the tastes evolved. As did the price tags . I've got 17 now, 18 including the first one...

Which means two more spaces still in the watch box .

24. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being likely to go to the nut house, how crazy would you rate yourself?

0.8. /uncrazy.

25. What would you look for in bringing a new face into our elusive fold of moderator insanery?

Level headedness and too much time on their hands

26. Where and when was your very first post here and how does it differ from your posting style used today?

1 June 2002 - https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/lancia-stratos.10194/

Has it changed since then? No. Still to the point and usually full of inaccuracies .

27. When was the last time you listened to a soundtrack and was unexpectedly surprised by it?

Funny you ask this! Probably this weekend; of Montreal - Wraith Pinned to the Mist - really pleasantly surprised me

28. Who is/are your favourite fictional character(s), and why?

The fictional character known as Richard Hammond. Such a shamelessly irritating puppet who a diabolically brilliant commentary on how celebrity corrupts regular people and gives them delusions of importance.

29. What's the longest you've gone without logging onto GTPlanet since joining: years, months, weeks, days, hours?

A few years, somewhere around 2006 to 2009. I was proud to have remembered my password after that long!

30. Are you illegal in any number of states or entire countries?

Possibly Belgium. I was on a work-project there in 2007 and my work assured me my business visa was appropriate....turns out they were a pack of liars. I didn't get nicked, luckily, but it could have ended badly!

31. What's one significant change you'd like to see made to racing games in the next five years or so?

Get back to basics and nail the basics. Stop with the stupid cinematic introductions and lunar challenges. Spend time on things that matter, you know, like sound.

32. Now it's time for the "Moderator Special": the entire staff has been away on leave for several weeks on business and you're the only active staffer left standing, what do you do?

Ban myself.

33. What was your favorite game show growing up?

I've drawn a blank. (...that is not a show, but a figure of speech).

34. How many electronic devices do you own, and is there anything out there that you've been eyeing for some time now but just havent' pulled the trigger on yet?

I'm pretty loyal to my devices. I got my 8gb Sony Walkman in 2007 and still used it daily. My tablet is a 4 year old Samsung Galaxy 1 . It's still in mint condition, but it is just about time to upgrade to a new one. 👍

35. If the 90's were good to you for any reason, reminisce a little - what's your favorite memory?

After school video games with my mate. He lived precisely 30 seconds bike ride from my house, so we'd spend the entire day at school plotting what we'd do after school, and then after I had gone home to have lunch, I'd go to his place and bust out his MegaDrive. He always had the inside line to the best games; BattleToad, Sonic, Megaman, Road Rash. Good times.

36. Anything else you'd like to say?

Yea, thanks for taking the time to maintain this thread mate. 👍.
I don't post as much these days but not a day goes by when I am not lurking. It's a good community that keeps me coming back for seconds.