dogao
Antalagor
Hitcake
Larreser
Lipfel
brane
mratin
Rorarimbo
enmipho
noobishere
Jeowaypoint
klavskisLV
mysted
RichNixon
esko
Dobbs & Chrazini: Outmicroing TheViper, goats and mature women.
Welcome, Dobbs and Chrazini, as representation of Denmark in the upcoming Nations Cup. Denmark is one of the teams with players who have improved the most since the last Nations Cup in 2017. No contender for the top 8 yet, but still a 2k+ team. So today we will have a look at your team and you in general.
A) Dobbs ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B) Chrazini: "It’s me on the left."
Why did you choose the AoE nicknames Dobbs351 and Chrazini?
My nickname “Dobbs351” originates all the way back to May 2009 where I created my Steam Account. A friend of mine was named odds, and I thought it sounded cool, so I made Dobbs, but that was already taken, so I took a random generated one based on Dobbs “Dobbs351”. Now for many years I used KennyMcCormick as a nickname on my Steam, that was until I started my first work, where the area code from the place was “351”. This to me seemed destined that I should use my Dobbs351 name, so that became my nickname anywhere possible, Xbox, PSN, Snapchat, Instagram etc. It became my online persona and still is to this very day, and will not be changed in the near future.
It is something I came up with when I was a tiny little Chrazini. I thought it sounded cool having the letter Z in the name, and it just stuck. I had a few earlier names before that, but I don't remember them. I have a few other aliases online.
How old are you and since when do you play Age of Empires 2, have you played Age of Empires 1/3? What are your expectations and wishes for AoE 4? If you could add one thing from AoE 1 and one from 3 to add to AoE 2, what would it be? For the upcoming AoE 2 Definitive Edition, what are your hopes? Did you play in the beta?
- I tried AoE 1 once and never tried the 3rd one, but watched some gameplay.
I have no expectations for AoE 4, like all the games have been completely different to each other gameplay wise, I expect the same for the 4th, which means I do not expect it to be a game for me, but would definitely try it.
- Currently I am 22 years of age. First time I ever played AoC was when I was 6 years old after spending a year or so watching my brother playing the single player. I now and then would jump back to play a game or 2 vs. AI, but when AoE 2 HD came out in 2013, I then started playing gradually more and more over the years online. I switched to Voobly early 2017 and started playing a lot.
- I did not play in the Beta, as I prefer to get experience from the final product where everything hopefully works proper. I do expect graphics enhancements, new civs, and well just like an enhancement of what we already got on Voobly, that would be a dream scenario.
That's a lot of questions in one go. I'm currently 27 years old. The reason I got into Age of Empires II, was actually because I found an old CD-rom in a second-hand PC my mother bought for me when I was a kid. So I used to play a bit of Age of Empires I back in the day. I later picked up Age of Empires II when my best friend at the time bought the game. We always went to his house to play over LAN and create custom scenarios for each other - I probably was around 10-12 years old. It was all extremely casual, and I only started to take the franchise, and gaming in general, slightly more serious when I started playing Age of Empires III a few years later when it came out. I picked up Age of Empires II up again once the HD Edition came out on Steam.
I don't have any real expectations or wishes towards Age of Empires IV at the moment.
I would take the gazelle from Age of Empires I as a deer replacement for my Africa themed maps. In terms of features, I don't think I'd carry anything over. For Age of Empires III, I think I'd take the whales that, when gathered from, gives the players gold. I just like the idea of having more than one resource on the water.
In terms of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - my hopes are high, but my expectations are meagre. I was in the beta.
In which clans have you been since you started to play AoE 2 online? In which tournaments did you participate?
- Major tournaments I participated years ago in some HD ones, where I did get stomped by some pros and as well as last Nations Cup, where we did badly.
I have not participated in many tournaments. Recently though I started doing, as I feel my level now is there.
- I participated in two smaller tournament events, one was showmatch against JonSlow in an Arena Bo7 where I won 4-1, price being Voobly premium for 3 months.
Most recently, was a month ago where I participated in JonSlow’s one day event called Clown Cup. Goal was to be the first of 3 players total to get 5 wins. The lowest rated players started out vs. each other and the winner would keep being seated for a game. I won that tournament with only one loss that was an admin loss.
- Only clan I’ve been in was DEN and still am to this day.
I have never really been one to join clans, though currently, I'm part of a guild called Anvil. I'm also unofficially in the Denmark clan, but without the tag as I can only carry one on Voobly.
I've played a couple of casual tournaments for intermediate players, but nothing too noteworthy. My Voobly account holds a gold trophy for a Black Forest team game tournament a few years back, but I'm uncertain whether or not I'm actually proud of that achievement.
It’s better than nothing, but actually only few of the tournament achievements are shown on Voobly. That would probably be a thing I would like to change on there. For example, SY Nations Cup has one, but II and III not.
How would you describe your playstyle and how much has it changed during the last years?
- I’ve always been a fast and micro intensive player. I excel in the late game when there is a lot of stuff going on. Early game I play comfortably with wallable maps. Arena was the map to make me jump into more advanced level of playing.
I have always been very good with my archer and mangonel micros, and have even out maneuvered players as the Viper when playing against him the very few times I've been vs. him.
What has improved over the years are my variety in strategies and definitely my macro, it used to be very poor, but now I feel super comfortable in any build I do eco management wise.
Also very recently my TG playing has been improved dramatically in sense of cooperating with players and analyzing opponents civ and map layout.
My playstyle used to be somewhat aggressive a few months ago, but I've been actively trying new strategies that I'm not comfortable with. I've expanded my arsenal a lot over the years, and I'm more comfortable with a lot more things these days. I'm a sucker for monks and any archer micro, so when I'm really trying my best, I tend to be very aggressive. No towers though. If you asked me, towers would be banned from this game.
Dobbs, you have reached a 2k2 1v1 rating. What in your opinion is the difference between a 1.8-2k player, you and a 2k3-2k4+ player? How much do you see yourself improve in the upcoming months and year?
- Late gameplays I see often goes way down for the lower levelled players as well as their scouting capabilities, that is the most significant which I have noticed.
I do not know, my level of players is very variable. Half the time I play I am stoned and that causes my rate to go down as I become slower, and when playing sober I feel like I play really top level. So my rate is a real rollercoaster.
You seem to be confident about improvement, do you see yourself reaching even 2k4 or 2k5 at some time. It depends on several things. Do you think you have the time for it and do you have the motivation?
- I expect to trying to reach 2k3 1v1 within a year and 2k tg as well. I think reaching 2k4 or even 2k5 would be possible with time, the motivation is definitely there as well as the time.
With which setup and at what place do you usually play? Would you add a photo of your gaming setup?
Am moving to new place soon, but as of now it looks like this: [Picture to be added later?]
I play all my games in my apartment at my desk using my lovely 4k resolution monitors, mediocre wireless mouse and keyboard.
Do or did you stream? What is your stream link, how often do you stream and what is special about your stream?
- https://www.twitch.tv/dobbs351
- I have been inactive since I moved from Copenhagen, Denmark to Krakow, Poland.
- In November I will start streaming again as I will get good internet to start doing that again, and I want to continue the way I did and try to make it more exciting for viewers to watch, so I have some ideas that I want to try, no further comment from me on this as of yet.
I used to stream a little bit now and then when I played tournaments and with friends, but it's been a while now. Admittingly there was nothing unique about my stream; however, I've wanted to do some kind of map creation stream where viewers could see the process of creating maps, learn some tips or even make requests.
https://www.twitch.tv/chrazini
Like any good streamer, I only have a donation panel.
Which city do you come from/live in? What do you like/dislike about it and where would you like to move to?
- Well, as stated in the previous answer, I moved recently from Denmark to Poland due to work offer with a friend, having a 3rd one joining us.
- What I dislike about my country is political state and general demographic behaviours and insanely high prices on everything.
- I liked friends and family from back home.
About the prices, my view on it is not so bad. If you compare it to Germany for example. The low-end incomes are just much higher in Denmark. And if you go abroad you can enjoy that everything is cheaper. The other way would be much worse, because you couldn’t afford much while travelling.
I live in a somewhat small city near Copenhagen. I'm pretty content with where I live though. I'm very close to the majority of my family, and I can quickly get to the city if I want.
What would you like to tell the readers about Denmark they probably don’t know?
- English is surprisingly good taken in consideration that Danish is the primary language.
- You would probably wonder the country isn’t called Denmarkistan if you visit major cities.
There is a lot more to Denmark than just Copenhagen.
Which Danish city after Copenhagen do you think has the biggest potential – in terms of growth, economy, life quality?
- As of now, none. Foreign investors might only look at Copenhagen for major businesses, I feel populations and growth possibilities in other cities are too small to create any notable business growth. If fish consumption would increase, then all the harbour cities in Denmark might get a nice boost, but that is the only possible thing that I can think of.
I have visited Copenhagen a few times, lastly this August. But I have grown up and spent more time in smaller Danish cities. There I felt like not too much changed in 10 years. Of course some new buildings and such, but the population and general availability of things stays the same. As I haven’t experienced the next-tier cities like Odense, Aalborg and Aarhus a lot (only been in each once), I wondered if you felt the same, that for foreigners and investors probably only Copenhagen is attractive.
I honestly don't know. Probably cities like Aarhus or Odense, but that seems like the obvious answers. I don't have enough knowledge to give a proper answer.
Baltic Sea or North Sea?
- Baltic, but don’t know to be honest.
How about Øresund? Can I pick Øresund?
Yes. I like both and wondered. The Baltic Sea is rather the peaceful relationship and the North Sea could be the stormy one, with lots of ups and downs.
Øresund - between Denmark and Sweden.
Favourite things:
- Stomping plebs in AoC and parties just from the top of my head.
What is your favourite food and drink?
- That changes so often, at the moment anything from Italian cuisine.
You can lure me in with anything cheesy. In terms of drinks, it's probably something like milk or soda - I know, how exotic. I like alcohol from time to time, but it's not something I crave. If you're looking for something with a higher percentage, I can easily drink a bottle of Jagermeister by myself - that stuff is good.
What about cheesy drinks?
Which foods from your home country/region and family background would you recommend?
- Frikadeller with brown sauce and potatoes, made properly tastes heavenly.
Frikadeller, stewed cabbage, tarteletter, smørrebrød (so-called open-faced sandwiches, but it's not defined as a sandwich here).
What can you cook well yourself and how often do you do it?
- I mostly do pasta mixed with various stuff like seafood, bacon, chicken etc. But cook like 3-4 times a week.
I can cook decently well, but I wish I could brag about doing it more often. I tend to cook somewhat easy things out of laziness. This includes pasta, stir-fries, oven-baked dishes, etc.
What would you put on top of a pizza?
- Jalapeno, feta cheese, tomato sauce, lots of mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, chicken and chili.
Extra cheese, pineapple or bearnaise sauce.
What is your favourite colour? (Does not need to be one of the 8 AoE II colours.)
- Red, although I really like dark blue clothing.
It highly depends on the context and relation with other colours, but if I had to not sound like a complete nitwit, I'd probably say green.
What is your favourite animal?
- Dog
Slow lorises
What/where is your favourite place on Earth?
- Krakow.
Probably my desk.
What is your favourite song at the moment, of all time (can be top 5)?
This best ever.
I listen to music a lot, so that's a tricky one for me. A rough top five would be:
What is your favourite recent movie, of all time (can be top 5)? Who is you favourite actor?
- I rarely watch movies, only when with the ladies
, so no not really at the top of my head.
I don't watch many movies at all, and I'm not a big movie guy. I recently watched Back to the Future, which I thought was good.
What is your favourite book?
- Me no read.
I don't read books.
Do you think it is common in Denmark or just coincidence. As I grew up with Danish and German, I had the options for books from both and always felt there were far more good German books, so my books now (probably 500 including the children’s books) are like 50 % English, 30 % German, 10 % Chinese, and for Danish less than 3 %, some Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Japanese, etc.
Both the German and Danish books we had to read in school were not that good though; still I think all people in Denmark usually read well.
Do you have a favourite sports team and/or favourite athlete? (football, handball, basketball etc.)
- F.C. København is my favourite club. The atmosphere at the stadium is very nice especially when in European competitions or against Brøndby. As I can recall I only watch F.C. København playing against Club Brugge in the stadium. I like Marco Reus, but that is basically only because of his hairstyle.
Couldn't care less about sports, unfortunately.
For such a small country, both the handball and football teams are quite successful. I don’t like playing or watching handball much, but love football. What are your thoughts on a European Championship in Denmark? DBU would like to host it in 2028, but needs collaborators – Sweden is likely, but I think with Norway and Finland too, 4 countries would be too many. In case 4 are not too many, how do you see the chances against the contenders Romania+Greece+Bulgaria+Serbia, Turkey, Spain+Portugal, England and Italy. I would love to see it in Denmark plus 1-2 other Scandinavian countries, but personally I see Spain+Portugal, England and Italy as more likely.
- Not much thought into to be honest, I just want them to perform good when I am watching, drunk me loves betting money and being passionate when the soccer team participates in major events. Handball I have no interests.
What are your favourite traits on a woman?
- Eyes and ass.
Backward-curving horns and the ability to make cheese. See the first photo for reference.
Now we really know why KotD Arabia had a goat added starting at the tc.
What time do you usually go to sleep? What do you like doing before sleeping?
- Work days is anywhere between 23.00 and 01.00 depending on how hooked I am playing. Weekends usually 02.00 - 04.00.
I try to go to bed between 22 o'clock and midnight. While it's terrible for my sleep, I tend to just lay and browse Reddit before falling asleep though.
If there was anything you could tell your 16-year-old self, what would it be?
- Don’t do the second year of high-school over, you twat.
Stop being so anxious about what other people think about you - also please get a haircut, shave your goatee and get some proper clothes, you emo.
Which countries have you visited? And where would you like to go to? Why?
- So far I have visited Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Greece, Switzerland and New York in the United States.
- I want to visit Ukraine next, and definitely want to see as much of the USA as possible. But I love exploring new stuff, was my life long enough, I’d like to see every country on Earth.
I've been to Sweden, Norway, England, France, Spain, Germany, Bulgaria and Turkey. I'd like to go to Asia someday - the food and culture are very intriguing.
Which languages can you speak and which would you like to learn?
- I speak fluent Danish, English. My Swedish is quite good, but need to be surrounded by them for a few days, then I can basically speak that fluently too. I can speak basic Chinese and know few words in spanish and french. I want to learn Polish and Russian.
How and why did you learn Chinese? What do you consider “basic”? A1? A2? Did you do an HSK test?
I had Chinese on A level in gymnasium for 4 years, but was not really my favourite subject and did poor scores in exams, even though my verbal grades throughout the middle of the course were above average. I simply lost interest in it. Basic is stuff like telling the clock, greeting people, talk about directions to go, stuff like that. I did not know what a HSK test is.
Interesting, when I went to school, I think there was no Chinese class available anywhere. I don’t know about Copenhagen, but probably it changed recently, since you’re 6 years younger than me.
I can speak Danish and English, and that is about it. I want to learn another language but simply lack motivation.
What are your hobbies beside AoE?
- Soccer with my friends, extreme workout like the ones I experienced in my military service. I also enjoy martial arts a lot, and have tried a little of each. Did karate for 9 years.
I like to play music, create illustrations and graphics and other creative things online.
Who would you like to meet once, who you have not met? One AoE player and one other person.
- JonSlow, so I can tell him his pleb supreme in person. But meeting the other big ones would definitely be fun.
T90 and Memb also much due to their contributions going all the way to when I entered the scene.
I've met a lot of the community as I was attending NAC 2 earlier this year, so I don't have a specific person I'd like to meet.
Do you have an AoE idol?
- I want to be my own, am trying to take the best of the major ones and perfect them, but it is easier said than done obviously. So my idol would be me.
My idols would be the incredibly talented people behind UserPatch, WololoKingdoms, CaptureAge and other amazing tools and expansions that have been released to the community. The amount of talent that is sometimes taken for granted is absurd. I have nothing but admiration for these guys.
What is your favourite civilisation, map and unit?
- Favourite map is Arena.
- Favourite civilisation is Celts.
- Favourite unit is Celt paladin.
Interesting question, but probably the most boring answer - my favourite civilisation are the Mayans, my favourite map is almost any Arabia variant without ponds near the player spawns, and my favourite unit is the crossbowmen with obsidian arrows.
What is your favourite in-game sound?
- 39 sound effect without a shadow of a doubt.
The goat sound is adorable.
If Arabia did not exist, which map do you think everyone would be playing as much as people play Arabia (and not Serengeti etc., which are just very similar to Arabia)?
- Arena most likely or maybe people would take up Islands, I recall loving that map some time ago.
Well, it would have to be something that was available back in the original game - therefore Serengeti would be excluded anyway. Maps like Mongolia, Coastal or Ghost Lake would be my guess - or one of my maps obviously
Make a ranking of the currently best 10 Danish players based on their 1v1 skills.
- Not enough for me to put top 10, but I would make a top 5:
1. Me
2. Bob
3. Good Luck
4. Kongensgade
5. Chrazini
I base this across all maps, on for example Arabia, it would be different.
I feel I can play comfortably on all maps, yes even water.
1. Good_Luck
2. bobthedestructer
3. Dobbs
4. Kongensgade
5. Chrazini
6. Streetpete
7. SaladEsc
8. Emillh
Who is your favourite and least favourite 1v1 opponent?
- Favourite opponent in 1v1 was Darknoob, but he hates playing me, so seemingly not gonna play him again. Other than him it would be Klavskis or Jupe, I love seeing them flame over me winning.
- Least favourite is Mr_Greed, I feel he is very annoying to play vs.
My favourite opponent is probably Collins. He's better than me, so there is always a good challenge.
Any person that prefers towers over any other strategy is my least favourite opponent.
Who is your favourite team mate for a 2v2?
For just playing: Bobdedestructor. Collins.
Also outside of the game: Bobdedestructor. Collins.
Would you live with him/her together in one apartment for a month or a year? With one bedroom or two?
- Maybe.
One year with one bedroom, baby.
In the new expansions (after AoC), what is your favourite new civilisation and unit?
- Favourite civ is Ethiopians, unit is Organ gun.
Ethiopians and Kamayuks.
3 questions especially for Chrazini:
You have been involved in many tournaments during the last 3(+?) years, not much as a player, but rather as co-admin, graphics/rulebook designer and map creator. We often forget about the behind the scenes work. In which tournaments were you involved and what were your contributions?
I've only been majorly involved in a few tournaments, but I've helped a dozen at this point in terms of maps and minor things behind the scenes. I don't remember all the events that I've helped at this stage, but the major ones would be King of the Desert 2, Mangrove Shallows Cup, EULC and Rise to Glory.
Which is your favourite map you created a) Which has been included in a tournament and b) which hasn’t?
Choosing a favourite map is like asking a mother who her favourite child is. It's so insanely difficult for me to pick a map, but if I had to try, I think one of my all-time favourites is a map called African Waters. It's been through numerous iterations, but it ultimately makes for some great and hilarious games in my very humble and unbiased opinion. This map hasn't been featured in any major tournaments as of yet.
Some of my more popular maps include Grand Bara, Mired & Sunburn - and out of these, I'm most proud of Sunburn as it shakes up the usual way of playing.
How rewarding did your work feel? I know that recently some admins and map creators sometimes received a small amount of money, but it really is just much less than minimum wage in Denmark and still takes a lot of time. If people like T90, Memb, Nili or even a company like Escape Gaming host events, they have an income too. But how about your situation?
I've done charity work and paid work, both in terms of maps and administrating tournaments. The money received from tournament administrating is a nice reward, as it can be a very time-consuming task that, as mentioned above, may include graphics, rule-writing, map-making, managing forums, scheduling and answering questions. In terms of map-making, which is a subject that I'm a lot more passionate about - it's a tricky one. Back when I created some of my first maps, the biggest reward was to get a friend to play the map with me. I also remember the first time one of my maps was played on a stream. It felt fantastic to be able to experience this live and get players and viewers reaction. I still create maps out of love for the game and the biggest reward is always watching others enjoy my work. There have been minor monetary rewards from map-making tournaments, and I have had a few clients that have asked for a set of specific maps in which I have requested a reasonably small payment for my time and work. In most cases though, I do these kinds of things for free if I have the time for it and the request isn't absurdly time-consuming.
To answer the question though, I receive very little from what I do in terms of money, and it's not something that could ever do full-time with how things are currently.
In addition, I've made numerous map packs that feature a set of unique special maps, and while these packs have gotten extremely little attention and playtime, I still make them today. I guess the biggest reward is my own odd satisfaction from seeing the final product. One thing that I find quite disappointing is the lack of credit or acknowledgement that often happens regarding maps. It's something that I think many people take for granted. Some of my maps are used in numerous tournaments, and rarely do I get any mention whatsoever. As stated earlier, my greatest satisfaction is not the acknowledgement, but I think it's a somewhat peculiar trend surrounding maps in general.
Which 4-5 players from your country do you think will form the A team in the upcoming Nations Cup? Which maps would you like to be included apart from Arabia, Nomad, Islands? Would you prefer the Nations Cup to be on Voobly or on the new Definitive Edition?
- Preferable on Voobly, as DE is too new to be suitable for top class performance.
- Arena and Hideout.
The obvious team will be Good_Luck, bobthedestructer, Dobbs & Kongensgade. Whether or not I've been considered as a fifth member, I'm not sure, 11.
Maps that reward a lot of preparation are very welcome. For now, the prefered platform is definitely Voobly still.
What is your goal for the 2020 Nations Cup? Which teams do you think will reach the top 8? Do you think Denmark has a better chance in 3v3 than 4v4?
- I have literally no idea, maybe 3v3 best with me Bobdedestructor and Good Luck would perform the best.
I'm afraid I don't have enough insight to give a proper answer for this one.
For a long time there was only one Danish player at 2k+, _L1k3_A_B0SS_, later Kongensgade/Kongen/longhairdontcare/2kSurfer at a 2k-2k2 level, now in the last few years that number has increased to 4. What do you think made Danish top players stick to the game now and not switch to different, newer games?
- No idea about the others, but for me I simply enjoyed the game, it is an amazing online, and it is easier to rise to the top and win money prices compared to games like CS:GO and League of Legends.
This game is super intense, while still being the most chilled community, that I love about it.
The community in general has grown over the years, and so has the Danish community. I think the fact that there is a broader Danish community these days also plays a role in why players may stick around longer.
Which 4 players would you like to see forming a team? (can include inactive players)
- Me, Odette, Memb and bobdedestructor could be very fun.
Lynx, Lynx, Me & Lynx.
Which 8 players would you invite for Nili’s Apartment Cup 3? [Question and Dobbs' answer before announcement]
- Me, Viper, Hera, Stefan, FAT_PIG, Metal, MBL and Klavskis.
Which roles would klavskis and you play? Stefan and to some degree Metal are probably quite far away from the others too when you assume Nili chooses the same type of maps again. What did you base your choice on? Some people wanted an “Arena player” version, some choose the player which they think are the best, yours is kind of in between.
The decision is not based on something really, I just think it could be fun to see in action. The skill level of all is quite different in between, but all players do know how to play the game at a good level. Had I wanted to see the top of the top I’d simply choose from the top 8 best performed players throughout AoC tournament history. But this I feel will make fun games. I do not understand the roles, it is not a tg tournament. Map layout I wish for an equal amount of open and closed maps for fairness, even throw in a few water maps.
TheViper, TaToH, TheYo, DauT, F1Re, TheMax, Nicov, JorDan23.
When you visit AoEZone and Voobly, is there something you really like or would like to have improved?
- Not really.
Yes, but I don’t really want to get into that.
What is the funniest moment in your life you experienced because of AoE?
- Once I beat klavskis whilst he streamed, he destroyed his table being extremely upset, I was very amused by that reaction.
Some of the best moments were back when I was young and just played the game however I wanted. There were no build orders - just me and my friend playing FFA vs. the AI. It may just be the nostalgia kicking in, but damn those were some good times.
Choose:
Chris or DauT? Chris DauT
Tim or TheViper? TheViper TheViper
Metal or DraCoNT? DraCoNT DraCoNT
T90 or ZeroEmpires? T90 ZeroEmpires
Lumberjack or Hunter? Lumberjack Hunter
Cow or water buffalo? Cow Cow
Elephant or boar? Boar Elephant
1v1 or 4v4? 1v1 1v1
Feudal Age or Imperial Age? Imperial Age Feudal Age
Black Forest or Islands? Black Forest Islands
What would you do to make the world a better place?
- Become number 1 in AoC, xD.
How?
I have nothing really to offer the world. Would I be offered to do something voluntarily which I think sounds fun for starvations, climate and what not, I might take up the offer if I have the time, other than that, it is a hard question, and my power as an individual is limited I feel.
Smiling.
If you were not in a relationship, and could date anyone, who would it be?
- Shakira.
While I admire her too, I think she is a bit too old now, right? You did not write your age, but she’s already almost 42.
Age is experience. She seems nice and genuine
.
When I was younger I used to love Britney Spears, 11.
Shakira 2019 (on El Dorado World Tour) .......................................................... Britney Spears in 1999. Like this?
Write a poem/rap of 8 lines (or more) about something AoE-related, either in English or your native language.
- Nah, that creativity is not.
I'm not a poet
But I can rhyme
I like my salmon
With lemon and thyme
This poem is pointless
And has no moral
I once made a map
And I named it "Coral" (sellout)
Not too AoE-related
.
Who would you like me to interview and what should I ask him/her?
- Yes, interview Darknoob and ask him why he is scared of playing again. Tell that he makes Arena die out because of this.
I would love for you to interview some of the creative geniuses in the community — the creators of WololoKingdoms, CaptureAge and some of the fantastic map makers we have.
As for the map makers, can you suggest one? Back in the days TheProphet was the most legendary one. Currently you are one who is involved the most in tournaments, then whenever there is a map contest, 10+ people participate. Some people have just adjusted maps for map packs. I don’t really know who I would choose. I wanted to interview @scripter64, but you can’t even send him private messages on AoEZone [If you read this and are interested, you can message me]. I will think about it again closer to the tournament, once I know more who is involved in the maps, if it its 100 % on WK etc.
As for map makers, there is HenkDeSuperNerd - he’s specially great with all those crazy Userpatch features. He’s created numerous maps that were used by T90 and other streamers. He’s created some amazingly complex and original maps over the years. Another person that are known for his creative maps is AlgernonR - I believe he’s created a lot of famous community maps as well.
A lot of the non-standard competitive maps we see today are made by Zetnus and TheMadCADer - they have a huge arsenal of maps behind them. T-West adjusted all the maps for ECL, but I don’t believe he has much original content, though I might be wrong.
There are many other great scripters.
Add one more comment or question for me or someone else.
- I have nothing more to add.
Why are you doing these interviews? I think I speak for the entire community when I say they're always great reads and super interesting, but what motivates you to continue?
In the beginning there were some reasons already:
It started, when I stopped posting recorded games, I still wanted to be involved in some way with something I can do well. I think it brings a bit more life to AoEZone too and any new player/viewer can easily read them later too, to learn something about his/her favourite players.
Thank you both for the interview and good luck for your team!
A) Dobbs ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B) Chrazini: "It’s me on the left."
Why did you choose the AoE nicknames Dobbs351 and Chrazini?
My nickname “Dobbs351” originates all the way back to May 2009 where I created my Steam Account. A friend of mine was named odds, and I thought it sounded cool, so I made Dobbs, but that was already taken, so I took a random generated one based on Dobbs “Dobbs351”. Now for many years I used KennyMcCormick as a nickname on my Steam, that was until I started my first work, where the area code from the place was “351”. This to me seemed destined that I should use my Dobbs351 name, so that became my nickname anywhere possible, Xbox, PSN, Snapchat, Instagram etc. It became my online persona and still is to this very day, and will not be changed in the near future.
It is something I came up with when I was a tiny little Chrazini. I thought it sounded cool having the letter Z in the name, and it just stuck. I had a few earlier names before that, but I don't remember them. I have a few other aliases online.
How old are you and since when do you play Age of Empires 2, have you played Age of Empires 1/3? What are your expectations and wishes for AoE 4? If you could add one thing from AoE 1 and one from 3 to add to AoE 2, what would it be? For the upcoming AoE 2 Definitive Edition, what are your hopes? Did you play in the beta?
- I tried AoE 1 once and never tried the 3rd one, but watched some gameplay.
I have no expectations for AoE 4, like all the games have been completely different to each other gameplay wise, I expect the same for the 4th, which means I do not expect it to be a game for me, but would definitely try it.
- Currently I am 22 years of age. First time I ever played AoC was when I was 6 years old after spending a year or so watching my brother playing the single player. I now and then would jump back to play a game or 2 vs. AI, but when AoE 2 HD came out in 2013, I then started playing gradually more and more over the years online. I switched to Voobly early 2017 and started playing a lot.
- I did not play in the Beta, as I prefer to get experience from the final product where everything hopefully works proper. I do expect graphics enhancements, new civs, and well just like an enhancement of what we already got on Voobly, that would be a dream scenario.
That's a lot of questions in one go. I'm currently 27 years old. The reason I got into Age of Empires II, was actually because I found an old CD-rom in a second-hand PC my mother bought for me when I was a kid. So I used to play a bit of Age of Empires I back in the day. I later picked up Age of Empires II when my best friend at the time bought the game. We always went to his house to play over LAN and create custom scenarios for each other - I probably was around 10-12 years old. It was all extremely casual, and I only started to take the franchise, and gaming in general, slightly more serious when I started playing Age of Empires III a few years later when it came out. I picked up Age of Empires II up again once the HD Edition came out on Steam.
I don't have any real expectations or wishes towards Age of Empires IV at the moment.
I would take the gazelle from Age of Empires I as a deer replacement for my Africa themed maps. In terms of features, I don't think I'd carry anything over. For Age of Empires III, I think I'd take the whales that, when gathered from, gives the players gold. I just like the idea of having more than one resource on the water.
In terms of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition - my hopes are high, but my expectations are meagre. I was in the beta.
In which clans have you been since you started to play AoE 2 online? In which tournaments did you participate?
- Major tournaments I participated years ago in some HD ones, where I did get stomped by some pros and as well as last Nations Cup, where we did badly.
I have not participated in many tournaments. Recently though I started doing, as I feel my level now is there.
- I participated in two smaller tournament events, one was showmatch against JonSlow in an Arena Bo7 where I won 4-1, price being Voobly premium for 3 months.
Most recently, was a month ago where I participated in JonSlow’s one day event called Clown Cup. Goal was to be the first of 3 players total to get 5 wins. The lowest rated players started out vs. each other and the winner would keep being seated for a game. I won that tournament with only one loss that was an admin loss.
- Only clan I’ve been in was DEN and still am to this day.
I have never really been one to join clans, though currently, I'm part of a guild called Anvil. I'm also unofficially in the Denmark clan, but without the tag as I can only carry one on Voobly.
I've played a couple of casual tournaments for intermediate players, but nothing too noteworthy. My Voobly account holds a gold trophy for a Black Forest team game tournament a few years back, but I'm uncertain whether or not I'm actually proud of that achievement.
It’s better than nothing, but actually only few of the tournament achievements are shown on Voobly. That would probably be a thing I would like to change on there. For example, SY Nations Cup has one, but II and III not.
How would you describe your playstyle and how much has it changed during the last years?
- I’ve always been a fast and micro intensive player. I excel in the late game when there is a lot of stuff going on. Early game I play comfortably with wallable maps. Arena was the map to make me jump into more advanced level of playing.
I have always been very good with my archer and mangonel micros, and have even out maneuvered players as the Viper when playing against him the very few times I've been vs. him.
What has improved over the years are my variety in strategies and definitely my macro, it used to be very poor, but now I feel super comfortable in any build I do eco management wise.
Also very recently my TG playing has been improved dramatically in sense of cooperating with players and analyzing opponents civ and map layout.
My playstyle used to be somewhat aggressive a few months ago, but I've been actively trying new strategies that I'm not comfortable with. I've expanded my arsenal a lot over the years, and I'm more comfortable with a lot more things these days. I'm a sucker for monks and any archer micro, so when I'm really trying my best, I tend to be very aggressive. No towers though. If you asked me, towers would be banned from this game.
Dobbs, you have reached a 2k2 1v1 rating. What in your opinion is the difference between a 1.8-2k player, you and a 2k3-2k4+ player? How much do you see yourself improve in the upcoming months and year?
- Late gameplays I see often goes way down for the lower levelled players as well as their scouting capabilities, that is the most significant which I have noticed.
I do not know, my level of players is very variable. Half the time I play I am stoned and that causes my rate to go down as I become slower, and when playing sober I feel like I play really top level. So my rate is a real rollercoaster.
You seem to be confident about improvement, do you see yourself reaching even 2k4 or 2k5 at some time. It depends on several things. Do you think you have the time for it and do you have the motivation?
- I expect to trying to reach 2k3 1v1 within a year and 2k tg as well. I think reaching 2k4 or even 2k5 would be possible with time, the motivation is definitely there as well as the time.
With which setup and at what place do you usually play? Would you add a photo of your gaming setup?
Am moving to new place soon, but as of now it looks like this: [Picture to be added later?]
I play all my games in my apartment at my desk using my lovely 4k resolution monitors, mediocre wireless mouse and keyboard.
Do or did you stream? What is your stream link, how often do you stream and what is special about your stream?
- https://www.twitch.tv/dobbs351
- I have been inactive since I moved from Copenhagen, Denmark to Krakow, Poland.
- In November I will start streaming again as I will get good internet to start doing that again, and I want to continue the way I did and try to make it more exciting for viewers to watch, so I have some ideas that I want to try, no further comment from me on this as of yet.
I used to stream a little bit now and then when I played tournaments and with friends, but it's been a while now. Admittingly there was nothing unique about my stream; however, I've wanted to do some kind of map creation stream where viewers could see the process of creating maps, learn some tips or even make requests.
https://www.twitch.tv/chrazini
Like any good streamer, I only have a donation panel.
Which city do you come from/live in? What do you like/dislike about it and where would you like to move to?
- Well, as stated in the previous answer, I moved recently from Denmark to Poland due to work offer with a friend, having a 3rd one joining us.
- What I dislike about my country is political state and general demographic behaviours and insanely high prices on everything.
- I liked friends and family from back home.
About the prices, my view on it is not so bad. If you compare it to Germany for example. The low-end incomes are just much higher in Denmark. And if you go abroad you can enjoy that everything is cheaper. The other way would be much worse, because you couldn’t afford much while travelling.
I live in a somewhat small city near Copenhagen. I'm pretty content with where I live though. I'm very close to the majority of my family, and I can quickly get to the city if I want.
What would you like to tell the readers about Denmark they probably don’t know?
- English is surprisingly good taken in consideration that Danish is the primary language.
- You would probably wonder the country isn’t called Denmarkistan if you visit major cities.
There is a lot more to Denmark than just Copenhagen.
Which Danish city after Copenhagen do you think has the biggest potential – in terms of growth, economy, life quality?
- As of now, none. Foreign investors might only look at Copenhagen for major businesses, I feel populations and growth possibilities in other cities are too small to create any notable business growth. If fish consumption would increase, then all the harbour cities in Denmark might get a nice boost, but that is the only possible thing that I can think of.
I have visited Copenhagen a few times, lastly this August. But I have grown up and spent more time in smaller Danish cities. There I felt like not too much changed in 10 years. Of course some new buildings and such, but the population and general availability of things stays the same. As I haven’t experienced the next-tier cities like Odense, Aalborg and Aarhus a lot (only been in each once), I wondered if you felt the same, that for foreigners and investors probably only Copenhagen is attractive.
I honestly don't know. Probably cities like Aarhus or Odense, but that seems like the obvious answers. I don't have enough knowledge to give a proper answer.
Baltic Sea or North Sea?
- Baltic, but don’t know to be honest.
How about Øresund? Can I pick Øresund?
Yes. I like both and wondered. The Baltic Sea is rather the peaceful relationship and the North Sea could be the stormy one, with lots of ups and downs.
Øresund - between Denmark and Sweden.
Favourite things:
- Stomping plebs in AoC and parties just from the top of my head.
What is your favourite food and drink?
- That changes so often, at the moment anything from Italian cuisine.
You can lure me in with anything cheesy. In terms of drinks, it's probably something like milk or soda - I know, how exotic. I like alcohol from time to time, but it's not something I crave. If you're looking for something with a higher percentage, I can easily drink a bottle of Jagermeister by myself - that stuff is good.
What about cheesy drinks?
Which foods from your home country/region and family background would you recommend?
- Frikadeller with brown sauce and potatoes, made properly tastes heavenly.
Frikadeller, stewed cabbage, tarteletter, smørrebrød (so-called open-faced sandwiches, but it's not defined as a sandwich here).
What can you cook well yourself and how often do you do it?
- I mostly do pasta mixed with various stuff like seafood, bacon, chicken etc. But cook like 3-4 times a week.
I can cook decently well, but I wish I could brag about doing it more often. I tend to cook somewhat easy things out of laziness. This includes pasta, stir-fries, oven-baked dishes, etc.
What would you put on top of a pizza?
- Jalapeno, feta cheese, tomato sauce, lots of mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, chicken and chili.
Extra cheese, pineapple or bearnaise sauce.
What is your favourite colour? (Does not need to be one of the 8 AoE II colours.)
- Red, although I really like dark blue clothing.
It highly depends on the context and relation with other colours, but if I had to not sound like a complete nitwit, I'd probably say green.
What is your favourite animal?
- Dog
Slow lorises
What/where is your favourite place on Earth?
- Krakow.
Probably my desk.
What is your favourite song at the moment, of all time (can be top 5)?
This best ever.
I listen to music a lot, so that's a tricky one for me. A rough top five would be:
- Micro Cuts by Muse
- Fluorescent Adolescent by Arctic Monkeys
- Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt by We Are Scientists
- Leviathan by Volbeat
- Barry White - Bo Evers
What is your favourite recent movie, of all time (can be top 5)? Who is you favourite actor?
- I rarely watch movies, only when with the ladies
, so no not really at the top of my head.I don't watch many movies at all, and I'm not a big movie guy. I recently watched Back to the Future, which I thought was good.
What is your favourite book?
- Me no read.
I don't read books.
Do you think it is common in Denmark or just coincidence. As I grew up with Danish and German, I had the options for books from both and always felt there were far more good German books, so my books now (probably 500 including the children’s books) are like 50 % English, 30 % German, 10 % Chinese, and for Danish less than 3 %, some Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Japanese, etc.
Both the German and Danish books we had to read in school were not that good though; still I think all people in Denmark usually read well.
Do you have a favourite sports team and/or favourite athlete? (football, handball, basketball etc.)
- F.C. København is my favourite club. The atmosphere at the stadium is very nice especially when in European competitions or against Brøndby. As I can recall I only watch F.C. København playing against Club Brugge in the stadium. I like Marco Reus, but that is basically only because of his hairstyle.
Couldn't care less about sports, unfortunately.
For such a small country, both the handball and football teams are quite successful. I don’t like playing or watching handball much, but love football. What are your thoughts on a European Championship in Denmark? DBU would like to host it in 2028, but needs collaborators – Sweden is likely, but I think with Norway and Finland too, 4 countries would be too many. In case 4 are not too many, how do you see the chances against the contenders Romania+Greece+Bulgaria+Serbia, Turkey, Spain+Portugal, England and Italy. I would love to see it in Denmark plus 1-2 other Scandinavian countries, but personally I see Spain+Portugal, England and Italy as more likely.
- Not much thought into to be honest, I just want them to perform good when I am watching, drunk me loves betting money and being passionate when the soccer team participates in major events. Handball I have no interests.
What are your favourite traits on a woman?
- Eyes and ass
.Backward-curving horns and the ability to make cheese. See the first photo for reference.
Now we really know why KotD Arabia had a goat added starting at the tc.
What time do you usually go to sleep? What do you like doing before sleeping?
- Work days is anywhere between 23.00 and 01.00 depending on how hooked I am playing. Weekends usually 02.00 - 04.00.
I try to go to bed between 22 o'clock and midnight. While it's terrible for my sleep, I tend to just lay and browse Reddit before falling asleep though.
If there was anything you could tell your 16-year-old self, what would it be?
- Don’t do the second year of high-school over, you twat.
Stop being so anxious about what other people think about you - also please get a haircut, shave your goatee and get some proper clothes, you emo.
Which countries have you visited? And where would you like to go to? Why?
- So far I have visited Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Greece, Switzerland and New York in the United States.
- I want to visit Ukraine next, and definitely want to see as much of the USA as possible. But I love exploring new stuff, was my life long enough, I’d like to see every country on Earth.
I've been to Sweden, Norway, England, France, Spain, Germany, Bulgaria and Turkey. I'd like to go to Asia someday - the food and culture are very intriguing.
Which languages can you speak and which would you like to learn?
- I speak fluent Danish, English. My Swedish is quite good, but need to be surrounded by them for a few days, then I can basically speak that fluently too. I can speak basic Chinese and know few words in spanish and french. I want to learn Polish and Russian.
How and why did you learn Chinese? What do you consider “basic”? A1? A2? Did you do an HSK test?
I had Chinese on A level in gymnasium for 4 years, but was not really my favourite subject and did poor scores in exams, even though my verbal grades throughout the middle of the course were above average. I simply lost interest in it. Basic is stuff like telling the clock, greeting people, talk about directions to go, stuff like that. I did not know what a HSK test is.
Interesting, when I went to school, I think there was no Chinese class available anywhere. I don’t know about Copenhagen, but probably it changed recently, since you’re 6 years younger than me.
I can speak Danish and English, and that is about it. I want to learn another language but simply lack motivation.
What are your hobbies beside AoE?
- Soccer with my friends, extreme workout like the ones I experienced in my military service. I also enjoy martial arts a lot, and have tried a little of each. Did karate for 9 years.
I like to play music, create illustrations and graphics and other creative things online.
Who would you like to meet once, who you have not met? One AoE player and one other person.
- JonSlow, so I can tell him his pleb supreme in person. But meeting the other big ones would definitely be fun.
T90 and Memb also much due to their contributions going all the way to when I entered the scene.
I've met a lot of the community as I was attending NAC 2 earlier this year, so I don't have a specific person I'd like to meet.
Do you have an AoE idol?
- I want to be my own, am trying to take the best of the major ones and perfect them, but it is easier said than done obviously. So my idol would be me.
My idols would be the incredibly talented people behind UserPatch, WololoKingdoms, CaptureAge and other amazing tools and expansions that have been released to the community. The amount of talent that is sometimes taken for granted is absurd. I have nothing but admiration for these guys.
What is your favourite civilisation, map and unit?
- Favourite map is Arena.
- Favourite civilisation is Celts.
- Favourite unit is Celt paladin.
Interesting question, but probably the most boring answer - my favourite civilisation are the Mayans, my favourite map is almost any Arabia variant without ponds near the player spawns, and my favourite unit is the crossbowmen with obsidian arrows.
What is your favourite in-game sound?
- 39 sound effect without a shadow of a doubt.
The goat sound is adorable.
If Arabia did not exist, which map do you think everyone would be playing as much as people play Arabia (and not Serengeti etc., which are just very similar to Arabia)?
- Arena most likely or maybe people would take up Islands, I recall loving that map some time ago.
Well, it would have to be something that was available back in the original game - therefore Serengeti would be excluded anyway. Maps like Mongolia, Coastal or Ghost Lake would be my guess - or one of my maps obviously
Make a ranking of the currently best 10 Danish players based on their 1v1 skills.
- Not enough for me to put top 10, but I would make a top 5:
1. Me
2. Bob
3. Good Luck
4. Kongensgade
5. Chrazini
I base this across all maps, on for example Arabia, it would be different.
I feel I can play comfortably on all maps, yes even water.
1. Good_Luck
2. bobthedestructer
3. Dobbs
4. Kongensgade
5. Chrazini
6. Streetpete
7. SaladEsc
8. Emillh
Who is your favourite and least favourite 1v1 opponent?
- Favourite opponent in 1v1 was Darknoob, but he hates playing me, so seemingly not gonna play him again. Other than him it would be Klavskis or Jupe, I love seeing them flame over me winning
.- Least favourite is Mr_Greed, I feel he is very annoying to play vs.
My favourite opponent is probably Collins. He's better than me, so there is always a good challenge.
Any person that prefers towers over any other strategy is my least favourite opponent.
Who is your favourite team mate for a 2v2?
For just playing: Bobdedestructor. Collins.
Also outside of the game: Bobdedestructor. Collins.
Would you live with him/her together in one apartment for a month or a year? With one bedroom or two?
- Maybe.
One year with one bedroom, baby.
In the new expansions (after AoC), what is your favourite new civilisation and unit?
- Favourite civ is Ethiopians, unit is Organ gun.
Ethiopians and Kamayuks.
3 questions especially for Chrazini:
You have been involved in many tournaments during the last 3(+?) years, not much as a player, but rather as co-admin, graphics/rulebook designer and map creator. We often forget about the behind the scenes work. In which tournaments were you involved and what were your contributions?
I've only been majorly involved in a few tournaments, but I've helped a dozen at this point in terms of maps and minor things behind the scenes. I don't remember all the events that I've helped at this stage, but the major ones would be King of the Desert 2, Mangrove Shallows Cup, EULC and Rise to Glory.
Which is your favourite map you created a) Which has been included in a tournament and b) which hasn’t?
Choosing a favourite map is like asking a mother who her favourite child is. It's so insanely difficult for me to pick a map, but if I had to try, I think one of my all-time favourites is a map called African Waters. It's been through numerous iterations, but it ultimately makes for some great and hilarious games in my very humble and unbiased opinion. This map hasn't been featured in any major tournaments as of yet.
Some of my more popular maps include Grand Bara, Mired & Sunburn - and out of these, I'm most proud of Sunburn as it shakes up the usual way of playing.
How rewarding did your work feel? I know that recently some admins and map creators sometimes received a small amount of money, but it really is just much less than minimum wage in Denmark and still takes a lot of time. If people like T90, Memb, Nili or even a company like Escape Gaming host events, they have an income too. But how about your situation?
I've done charity work and paid work, both in terms of maps and administrating tournaments. The money received from tournament administrating is a nice reward, as it can be a very time-consuming task that, as mentioned above, may include graphics, rule-writing, map-making, managing forums, scheduling and answering questions. In terms of map-making, which is a subject that I'm a lot more passionate about - it's a tricky one. Back when I created some of my first maps, the biggest reward was to get a friend to play the map with me. I also remember the first time one of my maps was played on a stream. It felt fantastic to be able to experience this live and get players and viewers reaction. I still create maps out of love for the game and the biggest reward is always watching others enjoy my work. There have been minor monetary rewards from map-making tournaments, and I have had a few clients that have asked for a set of specific maps in which I have requested a reasonably small payment for my time and work. In most cases though, I do these kinds of things for free if I have the time for it and the request isn't absurdly time-consuming.
To answer the question though, I receive very little from what I do in terms of money, and it's not something that could ever do full-time with how things are currently.
In addition, I've made numerous map packs that feature a set of unique special maps, and while these packs have gotten extremely little attention and playtime, I still make them today. I guess the biggest reward is my own odd satisfaction from seeing the final product. One thing that I find quite disappointing is the lack of credit or acknowledgement that often happens regarding maps. It's something that I think many people take for granted. Some of my maps are used in numerous tournaments, and rarely do I get any mention whatsoever. As stated earlier, my greatest satisfaction is not the acknowledgement, but I think it's a somewhat peculiar trend surrounding maps in general.
Which 4-5 players from your country do you think will form the A team in the upcoming Nations Cup? Which maps would you like to be included apart from Arabia, Nomad, Islands? Would you prefer the Nations Cup to be on Voobly or on the new Definitive Edition?
- Preferable on Voobly, as DE is too new to be suitable for top class performance.
- Arena and Hideout.
The obvious team will be Good_Luck, bobthedestructer, Dobbs & Kongensgade. Whether or not I've been considered as a fifth member, I'm not sure, 11.
Maps that reward a lot of preparation are very welcome. For now, the prefered platform is definitely Voobly still.
What is your goal for the 2020 Nations Cup? Which teams do you think will reach the top 8? Do you think Denmark has a better chance in 3v3 than 4v4?
- I have literally no idea, maybe 3v3 best with me Bobdedestructor and Good Luck would perform the best.
I'm afraid I don't have enough insight to give a proper answer for this one.
For a long time there was only one Danish player at 2k+, _L1k3_A_B0SS_, later Kongensgade/Kongen/longhairdontcare/2kSurfer at a 2k-2k2 level, now in the last few years that number has increased to 4. What do you think made Danish top players stick to the game now and not switch to different, newer games?
- No idea about the others, but for me I simply enjoyed the game, it is an amazing online, and it is easier to rise to the top and win money prices compared to games like CS:GO and League of Legends.
This game is super intense, while still being the most chilled community, that I love about it.
The community in general has grown over the years, and so has the Danish community. I think the fact that there is a broader Danish community these days also plays a role in why players may stick around longer.
Which 4 players would you like to see forming a team? (can include inactive players)
- Me, Odette, Memb and bobdedestructor could be very fun.
Lynx, Lynx, Me & Lynx.
Which 8 players would you invite for Nili’s Apartment Cup 3? [Question and Dobbs' answer before announcement]
- Me, Viper, Hera, Stefan, FAT_PIG, Metal, MBL and Klavskis.
Which roles would klavskis and you play? Stefan and to some degree Metal are probably quite far away from the others too when you assume Nili chooses the same type of maps again. What did you base your choice on? Some people wanted an “Arena player” version, some choose the player which they think are the best, yours is kind of in between.
The decision is not based on something really, I just think it could be fun to see in action. The skill level of all is quite different in between, but all players do know how to play the game at a good level. Had I wanted to see the top of the top I’d simply choose from the top 8 best performed players throughout AoC tournament history. But this I feel will make fun games. I do not understand the roles, it is not a tg tournament. Map layout I wish for an equal amount of open and closed maps for fairness, even throw in a few water maps.
TheViper, TaToH, TheYo, DauT, F1Re, TheMax, Nicov, JorDan23.
When you visit AoEZone and Voobly, is there something you really like or would like to have improved?
- Not really.
Yes, but I don’t really want to get into that.
What is the funniest moment in your life you experienced because of AoE?
- Once I beat klavskis whilst he streamed, he destroyed his table being extremely upset, I was very amused by that reaction.
Some of the best moments were back when I was young and just played the game however I wanted. There were no build orders - just me and my friend playing FFA vs. the AI. It may just be the nostalgia kicking in, but damn those were some good times.
Choose:
Chris or DauT? Chris DauT
Tim or TheViper? TheViper TheViper
Metal or DraCoNT? DraCoNT DraCoNT
T90 or ZeroEmpires? T90 ZeroEmpires
Lumberjack or Hunter? Lumberjack Hunter
Cow or water buffalo? Cow Cow
Elephant or boar? Boar Elephant
1v1 or 4v4? 1v1 1v1
Feudal Age or Imperial Age? Imperial Age Feudal Age
Black Forest or Islands? Black Forest Islands
What would you do to make the world a better place?
- Become number 1 in AoC, xD.
How?
I have nothing really to offer the world. Would I be offered to do something voluntarily which I think sounds fun for starvations, climate and what not, I might take up the offer if I have the time, other than that, it is a hard question, and my power as an individual is limited I feel.
Smiling.
If you were not in a relationship, and could date anyone, who would it be?
- Shakira.
While I admire her too, I think she is a bit too old now, right? You did not write your age, but she’s already almost 42.
Age is experience. She seems nice and genuine
.When I was younger I used to love Britney Spears, 11.
Shakira 2019 (on El Dorado World Tour) .......................................................... Britney Spears in 1999. Like this?
Write a poem/rap of 8 lines (or more) about something AoE-related, either in English or your native language.
- Nah, that creativity is not.
I'm not a poet
But I can rhyme
I like my salmon
With lemon and thyme
This poem is pointless
And has no moral
I once made a map
And I named it "Coral" (sellout)
Not too AoE-related
.Who would you like me to interview and what should I ask him/her?
- Yes, interview Darknoob and ask him why he is scared of playing again. Tell that he makes Arena die out because of this.
I would love for you to interview some of the creative geniuses in the community — the creators of WololoKingdoms, CaptureAge and some of the fantastic map makers we have.
As for the map makers, can you suggest one? Back in the days TheProphet was the most legendary one. Currently you are one who is involved the most in tournaments, then whenever there is a map contest, 10+ people participate. Some people have just adjusted maps for map packs. I don’t really know who I would choose. I wanted to interview @scripter64, but you can’t even send him private messages on AoEZone [If you read this and are interested, you can message me]. I will think about it again closer to the tournament, once I know more who is involved in the maps, if it its 100 % on WK etc.
As for map makers, there is HenkDeSuperNerd - he’s specially great with all those crazy Userpatch features. He’s created numerous maps that were used by T90 and other streamers. He’s created some amazingly complex and original maps over the years. Another person that are known for his creative maps is AlgernonR - I believe he’s created a lot of famous community maps as well.
A lot of the non-standard competitive maps we see today are made by Zetnus and TheMadCADer - they have a huge arsenal of maps behind them. T-West adjusted all the maps for ECL, but I don’t believe he has much original content, though I might be wrong.
There are many other great scripters.
Add one more comment or question for me or someone else.
- I have nothing more to add
.Why are you doing these interviews? I think I speak for the entire community when I say they're always great reads and super interesting, but what motivates you to continue?
In the beginning there were some reasons already:
- Promotion: FeAge used to be my favourite streamer. There are some AoE streams which often reach 500+ viewers or in case of TheViper or T90 even several 1000s, FeAge always had low numbers. He loved to stream, but there never was a financial compensation for him.
- Including players/knowledge about them: This is especially about the Chinese players I interviewed. They are always too separated from AoEZone and English discussions. No one really knows them as people.
- Supporting newer expert players, who are not always in the spotlight. Like AJ, chart, PROject_Belgium, etc. You can watch interviews with TheViper and other Secret/aM guys all the time after big tournament matches, in Talk of the Empire etc., but if you go below the top 10 or so, it is so different.
It started, when I stopped posting recorded games, I still wanted to be involved in some way with something I can do well. I think it brings a bit more life to AoEZone too and any new player/viewer can easily read them later too, to learn something about his/her favourite players.
Thank you both for the interview and good luck for your team!
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PROject_Belgium
Breakfast
[aM']MbL40C 
_TheYo_ 
[Secret]TaToH 
Tia_Harribel