“Glory, battle, great moments, are where we give to the world. But we cannot give without receiving. We cannot share what we do not have inside. It is this quiet, the pause between breaths, that makes us what we truly are. Gives us strength for all our journeys.” ― Christie Golden, Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects
I’ve been a part of the Instagram gaming community for almost two years. When I first created my account I wasn’t prepared for what was coming. I found a family. A kind, loving, supporting, wierd family that has members all around the globe. I created this blog to thank some of them…hope all of them someday. All the people who make my life better each day with a comment, a like or a dm.
I will post here two interviews per month where I talk to some of the members of the Instragram community so me and you all will get to know them a little better, in order to make everyone know how wonderful and great a community can be and how much a simple account can change our lives forever.
Hello everyone and welcome back to my parlour! My guest this month is a highly requested guest, honestly I don’t understand why it took so long to get him here but I’m happy it finally happened! He’s a legend in the community, a gamer, a 360° nerd, a father and a husband, I’m talking about Nic aka Mr_casoria!! Welcome!! Thank you for accepting my invitation!
You are very welcome and thank you for letting me vote for myself multiple times.
Ahahaha shh don’t tell people secrets! Aaaaanyway as every good character background, let’s begin from the origins of your passion for videogames! Tell us everything!
Oh wow… From the beginning huh? Ok well let me get out my scrolls! A long long time ago, back before many of you were born. In the dark ages before the internet and cell phones were widely available. A little boy named Nic got his first console for his 4th birthday. That console was the Nintendo Entertainment System. The original Mario Bros and DuckHunt edition.For months that damn duck hunt dog would mock our hero, for he was a pretentious little twat. Every time he would miss a duck, that pixelated K9 would taunt him with his laugh. Then one day, our hero prevailed, he made it all the way through the game…. holding the gun directly on the screen and spamming the trigger (I was 4 come on). Ever since that day, the sense of accomplishment and pride he felt. It was glorious. He was a true champion. That was pretty much the start of it. We would go to the little hole in the wall “VIDEO RENTALS and more” down the street next to the gas station and I would rent a game every Friday. I would just play it until the next Friday when Mom would take me back to the rental place and we would swap it out. This continued for years. Many consoles, handhelds and PCs later. Here I am. Still chasing that same high and sense of achievement from accomplishing something in video games. My mom has a picture from that birthday with me holding the box. I’ll have her send it, because I was truly the most adorable child on the planet.The real ADDICTION to video games came when I was in seventh grade. I remember it like it was … 20 years ago.
It was Summer time in America. Me and the Boys had all just gotten that month’s Electronic Gaming Magazine and on the front page FINAL FANTASY IX. It had a picture of Vivi the Black Mage on the front and was the big reveal of Square Enix’s next masterpiece. It was incredible. We were looking at the review to greatness. It came out a few weeks later and I was so excited. Then I heard the most devastating words any kid with a dream could hear, “Ask Santa, maybe you’ll get it for Christmas “. Shattered, I went to the boys on AOL instant messenger. Oh yes, dial up noises and everything. 12 minutes later I was in, chatting with the boys. To my surprise, the boys had also heard the same heart shattering rhetoric from their parents. We were brothers in angst. It only helped our bond grow. This was before the days of YouTube and twitch, so we could only imagine what gameplay was like. Then finally, Christmas came, we were all elated. The thought of the jolly fat man bringing us Hironobu Skaguchi’s masterpiece into our lives was pure ecstasy. That morning came. Skateboards, bikes, clothes, CD players, it was all there. Everything my brothers and I had asked for. Except…. No. The presents were gone… There was nothing more to open. I had been tricked, betrayed even. The one thing I wanted. The SINGLE thing that I asked for alone. Wasn’t there. As the emotional devastation was taking its toll on me internally. My step father pulled the oldest trick in the book. “Nic… What… What is that over there?” . . . . “Over where?” I asked. Mildly panicked. “Right there. Behind the couch poking out.”
I ran over to the edge of the couch where a box was shoved just out of site. It…. It had my name on it. “To: Nic From: Santa”. Could this be it? I tore it open to reveal a chorus of angels singing Ode to Joy. A brand new Final Fantasy IX WITH the official strategy guide.
I nearly peed myself with elation. I said 1 million thank you’s. I cleaned up ALL of the Christmas trash. Took the trash out. Then ran upstairs and started my journey into what would be the next 20+ years of my life in video games.
I spent months playing that game. I read every line, did every quest, killed every boss, collected every piece of loot. I had played games before. Completed games before. Even really enjoyed games before. This was the first game I obsessed over. I even named the main protagonist’s love interest “Jessica”(a girl I had a crush on at the time). It was all I thought about. I woke up early to play it. I did my homework on the bus so I wouldn’t have to worry about wasting time at home. I followed the guide and found it all. That’s when I knew. I was a nerd.
There were a few games that hit me like Final Fantasy IX. Pokemon, Metroid series on GameCube, and a few more sprinkled in. My first dive into MMOs came randomly. I was 16 and I was dating a girl named Katerina. A girl from California that was living in Georgia at the time with a friend. We broke up and she moved back to California and we would keep in touch. She introduced me to a game called MapleStory. Cute little Korean MMORPG 2d Side scroller game. It was in its early days so it was a bit rough. It was a game you couldn’t really win. You would just grind monsters to level up, and get gear then you would grind monsters some more. It was simple, but there was something so interesting and soothing about just mindlessly smacking cute mushrooms and snails for multiple hours while talking to people from all over the world. Fast forward a few years and I am still playing it. Long after Kat and I stopped keeping in touch. My brother and I had gotten hooked. We were both in the higher levels and we had a guild of about 50 people (mostly kids) and we were DieNasty. It was great.
All good things must come to an end though. Like anything else, drama happened. My at the time girlfriend started playing and then we broke up and things happened and the guild fell apart. Nate and I stopped playing. We went on with our lives. Around that time Call of Duty 4 came out.
It was no life time again for the Casoria boys, but this time our dad joined us.
We set up in dad’s living room with 3 big screen TVs and we would play CoD4 for weeks at a time. Our dad was actually the best of us. While we were at work or hanging out with friends. He was no life-ing online. He beat us both to 10th prestige and would just wreck search and destroy.
It was around that time that a friend of mine that worked at GameStop, who had been hounding me about playing wow for all of vanilla and Burning Crusade, started talking to me about his druid healing in battle ground. How he was just this big tree throwing HoTs on himself and just live-lording through an entire horde of enemies pounding on him. He made it sound… SUPER cool.
So I finally, after years of him bugging me, went and bought the battle chest at Walmart. You know what I’m talking about: the big green cardboard box with burning crusade and vanilla in one pack for $49.99. So I took it home and downloaded World of Warcraft. That was it. It was over. There was going to be no other game that consumed more of my passion for video games than this one game.
oooo found a picture of our CoD set up
Me as a baby, just to prove how adorable i was
This is my buddy Avesneakz. He was the one that convinced me to play WoW. This was taken literally in the middle of our conversation about his healing druid. I saved this picture as it was the beginning of my WoW journey.
and me a few weeks later at the midnight release of Wrath of the lichking in that same parking lot
No idea if these pictures help or are even going to make it into the interview, but I have them and you are getting them.
Is it safe to say that WoW is still your favorite game?
You could say that. It is definitely the one I’ve put the time into. Even with the direction of the design philosophy going in a direction that I may not agree with, it is still the best designed game game out there. Sure some games can do one or maybe two things better, but there is not another game out there that can even compete with the level of success in the amount of areas in this genre. Period. There is no better end-game experience. There is no game that comes close to the combat smoothness. Sure other games can do the minor systems better, but nothing gets it as right as WoW does in the “overall” category. If that makes sense. Most importantly, there is no game that has Sylvannas…. long may she reign.
(Oh shit we can talk off the record by using these things…. I feel so sneaky)
Besides undead-momma, what else kept you in love with the game for so many years?
Wolf daddy! No! The game just feels good. The combat has weight. Regardless of how tone def the devs are on the systems of the game. The animators and design team are fucking world class, top tier, alpha and omega, chads. They have perfected that base mechanics of what makes a game feel good to play. I’ve played everything else. Every MMO that’s come out, I give them a month at least to impress. 90% of the time they fall short in one of the basic major areas. The few that did impress me, I would play to the end game and then they fell short… so short. So I guess what keeps me playing wow is just… Good game is good.
and that is why I have 1200+ days played.
Side note. For everyone that complains about the toxic community in X game. Welcome to the internet. As someone who was on the internet from dial up to fiber. It has always been like that. Anonymity is a blessing and a curse. It will always bring out the worst in some, but for every shithead there are that many more good people to connect with. Take the good and leave the bad. Be the good you want to see in others. The more that spreads, the better it will be for everyone.
What other games do you play at the moment?
I have a few Ol Faithfuls. They’re what I do when I’m just done with WoW for a bit and need a palette cleanser. Number 1 on that list I MapleStory. I STILL play it. 18 years later. I have over 40 characters, all over 140, most over 160, a few over 180, and 2 over 200. I don’t think I will ever stop playing MapleStory. It’s just a really good, blank out the mind and grind game. Watch 3 hour “Unsolved Mysteries” on youtube and just go. Real relaxing. Factorio is another go to. It’s FLIPPING FANTASTIC. I love it. It’s basically an infrastructure efficiency simulator/survival game. I picked it up like 5 or so years ago and never gets old. Once or twice a year I’ll boot it up and just put 80 hours into a new map in a week. So good. Looking forward to Valhiem Updates as well. That was super fun. My kid also gets me into some other games when I need my WoW break. He knows what to look for. If Daddy is staring at steam and not playing WoW… THAT is the time to ask about getting a new game, because that is when I’ll buy us both a copy and knock out a few hours. He gets frustrated though, because I am an efficiency expert by trade (literally in my job description at work) I will play the game for a bit… and then just go ham. I may take it overboard some times, but I will sit and explain to him in excruciating detail how to set things up and what needs to go where and how we should do this.
He is picking it up though. He does surprise me with how quickly he picks up my neurotic need for efficiency and adapts to my play style. His attention span is rather short though and well, I don’t require sleep to function. So we will start a new game, and I’ll get into it. He will play for a few hours and go do something else or go to bed….. 4 hours later I’m still at it. I get that from my Mother I think. Once we start something… We want it finished. He gets his attention from his mother, Vicki (shout out to my super-hot wife). She makes it about 12 minutes into any project and then goes and finds something else to do. HAHA. It’s cute.
Diablo 3 and PoE are also something I play seasonally. I always try to play for a few days at the beginning of a season. I love speed running D3, to see how fast I can hit max level then race to see how quickly I can hit a GR 100. Then in PoE it’s just about finishing the story and playing the broken meta build.
You aren’t only a gamer, you’re also a big D&D fan!! How did this passion begin?
That was actually a very random story. It happened about a year ago and it was thanks to big tech and their advertising bots watching everything we do that led to this new passion. So a buddy of mine Pehk, anyone who has been to my stream for more than ten minutes would know him as the one who bitches constantly, has played DnD for years. I never really knew he did until one Thursday another buddy and I were looking to do some arenas and needed a 3rd, but Pehk was busy saying “oh I’m playing DnD sorry”. I was like…” oh snap, DnD? You dudes like meet up at the house and play?” He responded “No dude, it’s on a VTT (Virtual Table Top) and we play through zoom.” Well that led into a conversation about DnD and some other stuff and I got him to stream it for me so I could see. It was pretty cool and I was like “man that sounds like fun”. So I just googled DnD. Well DnDBeyond popped up and I made an account and played around on it for like an hour. Then I saw an add for HeroForge, an app where you can make little miniatures for your characters. So I played with that for a bit. Then on YouTube just browsing around, I saw it. Those damn ad bots knew exactly what I needed. It was a One Shot with Marisha Ray as the DM and Felicia Day as a player at some event. Damn big tech knowing my weakness for hot nerdy redheads and demons. Well I watched that… and then watched another one…. and another one…. AND another one. These are all an hour or so long by the way. Then, the algorithm knew it had me, I saw “Critical Role Campaign 1 episode 1”. I started watching. 16 hours later I was hooked. Fast forward a few days and a few 4 hour long episodes later, I was talking to Pehk about DnD and he mentioned a buddy of his who wanted to try his hand at DMing and needed another player to round out the table. I agreed and that sealed it. From then I have been a serious fan of everything DnD.
What other hobbies do you have?
COOKING!!!!!!!!!
Oh god I love cooking. I love learning new recipes and cooking for people. My favorite is when someone goes “What are you cooking?” Then I tell them and they go “Oh ok…” and then they taste it and are like “ZOMG THIS IS THE BEST THING I’VE EVER TASTED.” I get that a lot from Vicki’s side of the family. They are very country and very conservative. So they don’t try much of anything ever. For 4th of July last year I made tacos, and they were all like….. oohh K. They’ve only ever had taco bell and a random hole in the wall mexican restaurant. So they were expecting basic ass tacos. No mam, I got this recipe from a friend of ours in Miami. Whose mother just happens to be a caterer and uses 100% authentic recipes from her grandmother. They were all slamming them down. I ran out of chicken and had to make more. Vicki’s grandfather, who had never once had a taco, and never ate anything but hamburgers and breakfast food ate one. He said it was the best thing he had eaten in his whole life and that I was the best cook he ever knew. That right there is why cooking is my hobby.
Ok we’ve talked a lot about you but who is Nic besides all this?
Wow, we’re just gonna dive right in aren’t we. Who is Nic… You know, I’ve spent 33 years trying to figure out the same thing. The answer I usually come up with is a scared little boy trapped in a giant scary man’s body. HA jk… Let’s see. Nic is a complex individual with a simple modus operandi. I live my life in a duality of sorts. The balance between Logic and Passion are a quandary I deal with on a daily basis. There are many paths in life one can choose from, I like to focus on those two specifically and I try to keep them in parallel as much as I can. The hopping back and forth between those two paths is where the complexities in my life arise. This sounds way more complicated than it is in reality, because I just want one simple thing. Now we come to my MO of sorts. I want my family to be taken care of. That’s it. All other things are secondary. If I am faced with a decision, I run it through my internal algorithm and find the most effective way to fulfill my primary object. Will this make my wife and kids happy? If yes, what is the most efficient way to achieve this goal? If not, is there a way I can change the situation or approach this differently to benefit my family? If not still, then abort the mission. It is not worth it. That is Nic boiled down into his most common parts. Everything I do can be summed up as this “algorithm for family happiness”. …. Or were you asking about… where I work? Did I go too deep?
No worries, it’s the perfect answer! How did you end up joining that crazy place we usually call the IG gaming community?
You know it just kinda happened. I’ve been on IG since 2012 when it first started to gain popularity and my 4th picture ever posted was of my Pandarin Warrior when MoP came out. Over the years, facebook started to get soapbox-ie and was just a huge turn off for me to exist there, so i moved to IG for my social activity. As far as my account goes. It messes with people sometimes in the community that I don’t have a “Gaming Page”. I have a me page. Gaming is part of me, so I post my gaming things there. I also post pictures of my dogs, videos of me cooking, dancing in the shower, and soooo many memes. That’s just me. I guess after a while of people stopped saying “Hey… I like you, but that’s your personal IG and not a gaming page.” They just gave up and accepted that well it IS a gaming page. For me personally, in order for there to be a gaming page, there has to be a gamer. That’s me. Hi, I’m Nic! I game AND exist outside of the game. Come watch me cook eggs or talk about science. Steal all of my memes and look how cute I look from this angle.
Do you have a message for the community?
Sup ya’ll, it’s ya boy, Asmong…. oh wait, no… That’s someone else. Oh wow! Kinda put me on the spot…hmm. As I have gotten older, I have learned to have more patience with people. The things I used to get upset about or worked up about, it seems in the big picture never matter. What I want you to do is realize, the person on the other end of that picture, avatar, or account is just that. A Person. Before you speak to someone else in any way, stop and think a moment about your worst day. Imagine that person has just had your worst day. Imagine them being in that head space and feeling those same emotions. Now imagine someone says to them what you just said or are about to say. How would that have made you feel on that day, at your lowest? You never know what someone is going through, so give everyone the benefit of the doubt and just be nice. It’s not hard to be kind.
You not only play video games, you also stream them. What got you into streaming?
I think I owe it to the world to give it as many forms to see my gorgeous face as possible. HA just kidding! There were a couple things.
A bit of boredom, a bit of needing it for the raid, and a bit of loneliness. It was a mixture of those things and the fact I worked in Television and setting it up was all really easy for me.
That’s really it. I never really expected to even get affiliate, but apparently people enjoy my slightly above average game play.
What are your hopes for the future?
Long healthy life. Happy family. That’s all I can wish for, really.
And lastly, who are three members of the gaming community you would like to see as my guests?
Beanmom, since she’s new to me, definitely Moceratops and Sajmon!
Oooooook and with this our interview has come to an end! Thank you very much for accepting my invitation and for being just the simple, crazy, nerd-self you are!!
You are welcome and I’m sorry.
For?
Being the best interview ever
Oh my gosh hahaha! Isn’t he just a crazy, funny, gamer? Thank you all for joining me for the most random and crazy interview yet! See you next month with a new guest and a new amazing story.
Hello everyone and welcome back to my parlour! My guest this month is someone I was really looking forward to having, and I’m sure you too wanted her here! She’s an amazing person and I am really excited for this interview! Thank you for accepting my invitation Chey!! You guys might know her better as Mettasyn!
Hello! Thank you so much for having me, it’s an honor and a pleasure to be one of your guests!
My passion began when I was a toddler! My Uncle and I are very close in age, he is like a brother to me and we grew up playing video games together and still do to this day even with our busy lives. He had a Sega Genesis we would play Sonic the Hedgehog on and the Nintendo 64 where we loved to play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64 and so much more! He was the one who introduced me to Vanilla WoW and ever since then I have been hooked. My cousins, my uncle and I would play video games at family occasions and we would play WoW together a lot. Gaming began to be associated with spending time and having fun with family, it has become a hobby that I love so much, especially now that I have made so many great friends in the community that I enjoy playing with as well.
Questing, transmog/toy/mount collecting, and dungeons for sure…and if I can do any of those with family or friends then that’s even better.
What kept you a fan of the game for so long?
The lore, nostalgia and meeting so many great people in the community is what has kept me hooked!
Are there any other games you play?
Oh, so many haha I do enjoy playing other games like Dragon Age, Sims, Planet Zoo, Call of Duty games, Diablo III, Stardew Valley, Kingdom Hearts, can’t go wrong with Pokémon or Mario games, and I’ve recently started fresh on FFXIV online and have been enjoying it!
Other passions I really enjoy are yoga, digital art, music, hiking, and traveling. The next adventure will probably be Glacier or Yosemite National Park here in the States, I can’t wait!
What brought you to start drawing?
Seeing all the beautiful WoW inspired artwork in the community really is what got me excited to start.
What’s your main source of inspiration?
Definitely the fantasy games I play as well as movies or shows I enjoy at the time.
This question is always kind of hard lol. Well, my full name is Cheyenne (shy-ann), I’m 28 years old and I work for Disney. I’m currently working on finishing my Bachelors Degree in Public Relations, finally (one more year!), it’s my next biggest goal. I live with my love, Luke, of 5 years and we both love our video games. I have a strong wanderlust so we’re always trying to plan fun adventures. I absolutely love animals, coffee, digital drawing, and good company. I’m an extremely nice/chill person, I hate drama, I love to laugh but I can be pretty shy until you break my shell.
Your name is absolutely amazing and unique, can you please tell us its origins?
No real great story, my Mom said she heard the name on TV one time, fell in love with it and so she gave me the name!
What’s your favorite thing about working at Disney?
So many things! Being a trainer is one of my favorite things to do, meeting new people, friends, just being in an industry that makes people happy every day. I truly enjoy every aspect about working at Disney.
What are your hopes for the future?
I just hope to live a happy, healthy, fulfilling, adventurous life with people I love and who love me back. I’m learning to be patient and proud of myself regardless of how long something takes and to stop comparing my progress to others, it’s all part of life’s adventure.
Now, to change the subject, how did you end up joining the IG gaming community?
I’ve been good friends with Ali_Vaera (Dani) for about 6 years now from an old guild we were in together, I’ve had followed her on my social media ever since then and I always saw her awesome screenshots and sharing awesome/fun posts from the community and I just got really inspired to join in, and I’m so glad I did because I’ve met so many amazing people in the community!
Do you have a message for the community?
Thank you guys for welcoming me into the community with open arms since day one, and I’m grateful for all the sweet friends I’ve made from all over the world. You all are amazing people and all your talent through gaming and art inspire me more than you know. Even when I go inactive for irl stuff, I’m always lurking! Haha. Just don’t get caught up in drama, keep doing you and posting content you enjoy/love and the right people will gravitate your way, haters are always gonna hate.
And lastly, who are three members of the gaming community you would like to see as my guests?
Ooo it’s so hard to pick just three! There’s so many amazing people I’d love to see get interviewed, but I would love to see mr_casoria, mirialani , and moceratops as a guest for sure!
And with this our interview is over! Thank you so much for your time and for being such a kind soul and a great member of our community!
Of course! You’re the sweetest, thank you so much for having me, it was a pleasure and an honor being one of your guests. I look forward to seeing more interviews!
And thank you everyone for joining me for another interview! See you soon, when we’ll get to meet yet another wonderful member of our community!
Hello everyone and welcome back to my parlour! My guest this month is a really highly requested guest! She’s an absolute sweetie and I’m sure you will enjoy getting to know her better!! I’m talking about Mer.nymphs!! Thank you for accepting my invitation!
Well thank you for inviting me! I’m really happy to be here.
As always, we start from the very beginning! What’s your first memory regarding video games?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always played video games. My brother used to have tons of them and of course, being the little sister, I watched him play all the time. There’s one memory I’m very fond of, though. I always hated car games because I thought they were very boring, but when I was little my brother would pretend, while he was playing, to take me on a ride and we would go to the beach or go shopping. So we would just ride in game forever doing nothing except talking to each other. I think it’s one of my oldest and favourite memories.
What’s the first game you played and made you fall in love?
I think the first game that meant a lot for me was Pokemon. I was already in love with Ash (Sacha in french) in the anime, and playing Pokemon on my brother’s DS, then mine, made me want to become a Pokemon trainer! I dreamed of being like Dawn, because she was pretty and resourceful, she had Piplup which was my favourite Pokemon. I played other games before this but none had this much of an impact, and helped me develop my imagination like this one did. I also think Pokemon made me want to become a writer, because I want other people to feel what I felt as a kid.
Obvious answer would be World of Warcraft. Even if I get tired and bored of it sometimes, it will always have that special place in my heart, forever. I could not play for years and still care about it. But close second you can probably find Pokemon or The Sims.
When did you start playing WoW?
When I was 9 or 10 I think! My dad has been playing since classic but he wasn’t a huge player, and when I discovered the game I immediately fell in love! I kept watching him play and one day, around MoP, I started playing myself! (my first real character with a story is my night elf, Mernymphs!).
The thing that made me truly fall in love with WoW is that at one point I couldn’t play for a few years. Just after I bought the game, I made something really stupid, and my parents punished me for it (I was only 10). I wasn’t allowed to play anymore, and it lasted for like… 2 or 3 years? All this time I couldn’t touch the game and I kept thinking about it. I think in a way I will always have this love for the game, because not being able to play it has only made me more invested. I will always have it in my heart, even though I can sometimes feel disappointed by it.
What’s your favorite in game activity?
My favourite in game activity is probably to level alts. I struggle with end game content, I don’t like the pressure it puts on me so most of the time I level my alts, trying to get all the zone achievements.
What are your hopes for the future of the game?
I don’t know, I don’t really think about it that much to be honest. I just hope they’ll know when to stop at the right time. Blizzard has been making decisions I don’t really agree with lately, and it makes the future of the game very blurry to me.
I draw and read a lot. I like to create things, in a general way. It can go from drawing to writing, to sewing or making jewellery. I’m sort of versatile so my interests are usually very strong but also they don’t last long.
What’s your main source of inspiration?
I try to take inspiration from everything I can find, sometimes it’s from someone else’s posts or a tv show, sometimes it’s a scene I see in real life with a vibrant colour palette that I like.
I feel like I will never get the right answer for this question. I’m just Elisa. I don’t think anything else matters really when it comes to this account, most people are here for the gaming stuff. Though I made some amazing friends thanks to this account and I would trust their opinion of myself better than my own.
How did you get to join the IG gaming community?
I had just discovered Vashj’ir in WoW, and I fell in love with the zone so I thought I had to share it with people. I created an account named world_of_screenshots and started to post my shots! Then I met some wonderful people and I never left.
Do you have a message for the community?
Don’t take Instagram or World of Warcraft too seriously. People aren’t always the nicest there, and if you put too much of yourself into it, it may end up hurting you. I think having social media to share content is amazing, but don’t forget it’s just a social media, it’s just a game, please take care of your mental health.
I don’t really have any to be honest. I just want to be happy, whatever I’ll be doing.
And lastly, who are three members of the gaming community you would like to see as my guests?
I’d love to hear from athiellana, flefani and letujan_playground !! They deserve so much more love!
And with this we’ve got to the end of the interview!! Thank you very much for joining me and letting us know you a bit better!!
Thank you for inviting me, and thank you to everyone who reads this interview! This was a real pleasure!
And lastly thank you all for reading yet another interview! And as always a big thank you to my wonderful sidekick Unidess! See you soon with another wonderful guest!
Hello everyone and welcome back to my parlour! This month’s guest is one of my favorite people, someone who came into my life at a very particular moment and she made everything better, I’m talking about the amazing Yukiki! Thank you for joining me and accepting my invitation!
Gosh, you’re too kind! Thank you so much for having me, I’m absolutely honoured to be here!
As always we start from the very beginning, what’s your oldest memory about gaming?
Well I was apparently turning on the computer by myself to play Reader Rabbit when I was 2 years old, but I don’t have much memory of that! So memories would have to be watching my big brother playing on the N64, and then the day he suddenly handed me the controller so I could try Star Fox 64 for the first time, since it was my favourite one to watch. I can still remember how excited I was!
What was the first video game that made you fall deeply in love?
Definitely a mix of Star Fox and Super Smash Bros 64. I could be in a ship in space or battle my brother as cool video game characters! I would even play through the single player mode of Smash over and over again to practice. Growing up I wanted to be just like my brother, so anything I got to watch him play I fell completely in love with. But I think Star Fox was the first game I got to experience myself and absolutely adore!
When did you understand that video games were always going to be an important part of your life?
Pretty much right away, I’d say. As a kid, video games meant spending time with my brother. Now that we’re grown up and don’t live together, most of our conversations still revolve around games. So I think I knew pretty early on that they would always be a big part of my life, for sure.
What does gaming mean to you?
I’d have to say gaming means friendship and community, a way to bond with people and a way to discover more about yourself.
Oh boy, that one’s tough! I’ve never been good at picking favourites for anything, haha. I’d say for the past 3 years it’s been FFXIV for sure, but when it comes to single player games, Age of Mythology is a go-to I play pretty regularly and have since I was a kid. More recently I’ve fallen head-over-heels for NieR Automata, though! I adore that game.
Speaking of FFXIV! How did you end up playing it?
After I met my best friend, Jesse, in college and we graduated, we started playing Tera online together to be able to hang out with the distance between us. Tera changed a LOT though and we lost interest and started looking for a new game to play together. Another friend happened to see that Twitch Prime was giving members ARR for free with the 30-day trial so Jesse and I tried it out! I ended up meeting some amazing people through the game and kept up my sub while Jesse wasn’t able to continue his, and now I play pretty much daily!
The friends I made and the story (past ARR) for sure! I think the story and development alone would have kept me playing but if it was only that, I’d be very stuck at end-game. The friends I’ve made keep me playing even when there isn’t much to do! There will always be toxic people in communities, but for the most part I find the FFXIV community is very welcoming and friendly and it keeps me around, too.
What are other games you play at the moment?
Most of my gaming time is taken up by FFXIV, honestly! Between getting all of my classes to 80 and raiding on my main, and taking my best friend through the story for his first time on my alt, it really is the main game I play right now. But I’m also playing through Hades, Genshin Impact, and trying to get back to working on my Animal Crossing island!
What other games would you like to try (either games that have been already released, or games that will be released in the future)?
I really want to play the Kingdom Hearts series! I’m a huge Disney fan and people are always shocked when I say I’ve never played or even watched them, but I never had the consoles to play them and it’s a series I want to experience for myself rather than watch someone else play. Since the games will be coming to PC I’ll finally be able to! Before the pandemic I had started playing the first game at my friend’s house, but I haven’t been able to visit with everything going on. FFXV is also on my list of games to play – I really want to play more Final Fantasy games in general.
Your Twitch channel is one of my favorites, how did you end up streaming and what are your hopes and dreams for your streams?
Thank you so much! I can’t work right now and haven’t been able to for a few years, so I’m always trying to figure out something to do with my time and feel productive. I had watched a few streams before but not that many – until one of my friends started their twitch channel. Watching those streams and hanging out with her community was so fun, I thought I would give it a shot! With the NieR raids in FFXIV a lot of friends had told me to play NieR: Automata, so I bought it and decided I would stream it for them to watch. It was so much fun being able to communicate with people as I was playing, so not only was I feeling productive, but I was also getting some social interaction. Being on cam meant I could play with makeup again, too! And now that I have a Vtuber I can still be “on cam” on days where I don’t really want to be seen. As for hopes and dreams, I don’t think I want to be a massive streamer – I’ve seen some people with chats that never stop moving and one of my favourite things about streaming is interacting with my chat. I want to build a fun and friendly community where people can come to feel safe and have some fun! I think that’s my biggest goal, growing a community. If I can make people happy, then I’m happy! It would be nice to make some money, of course, but I didn’t go into streaming with that as a main goal. I think if I did, I wouldn’t have so much fun with it. If I end up making some money with it while I’m having fun, that’s just a bonus!
We’ve talked a lot about gaming but who is the person behind the gamer?
Oh boy, I’m terrible at talking about myself. I’m a person who likes to make other people smile – entertaining others has been a big thing in my life since I started acting when I was 6, and it’s why I went to college for acting as well! Making people smile and laugh is why I decided to start streaming, too. I’m a big animal lover and used to volunteer at a shelter, so you’ll usually find me hanging out with one of my cats, Delilah and Jiji. I love to hang out with my friends, play board games, work on art when I’m able to, and spend a lot of time watching videos about ARGs, paranormal things, conspiracy theories, and true crime.
What are your hopes and dreams for the future? (obviously once all the madness is over)
The main thing is that I hope someday I don’t have to deal with all my health problems – I don’t know if that will ever happen, but I’m still going to work on it! I also want to grow my streaming channel and build up a friendly and open community where people can come to feel safe and just laugh. Eventually I’d like to get back into acting, voice acting especially, but I think my health takes priority right now. Then of course there’s the usual things, too, like getting my own place and spending my life with the person I care about. A big dream of mine has always been travel, though! I want to see the world, meet my friends from all over, and just…be happy.
And we all hope all your dreams will come true! How about gaming dreams?
Thank you! Gaming dreams….I’d like to survive this raid tier in FFXIV hahaha, the final fight is so hard on the healers! My static has just started progging it and my co-healer and I are still pretty new to healing with each other, so we’re working hard to figure out what will work best for our group. I’d love to try doing TEA and UCOB someday, though! Just for fun and the experience, the fights look really cool.
Speaking of gaming again, we’ve met thanks to the IG gaming community! How did you end up joining it?
I’ve always been addicted to taking screenshots in games, and when I was sharing some of my FFXIV ones with friends they suggested using an overlay program to enhance the look of my shots and give me some more room for creativity. I joined the discord for it and realized most of the community there shared their shots on instagram, so I decided to make myself an account just for my gaming shots! I’ve met a lot of great people through it and get a lot of inspiration from everyone – including yourself!
Remember to have fun – I see people take games way too seriously so often, especially in the MMO communities. We can all get a little competitive, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! It can give you a challenge, and challenging yourself is never a bad thing. But I see people get to the point where they feel like a game they’re playing is more like a job, and that’s when you need to take a step back. Games are supposed to be fun, don’t let other people or trying to be “the best” get to you! Life is already tough enough as it is, and games should be a way for you to take a break from real life stress. There’s nothing wrong with playing a game just to enjoy it!
And lastly, who are three members of the gaming community you would like to see as my guests?
When it comes to FFXIV, and screenshots specifically, I absolutely adore the work alysmyste does! They were actually one of the first FFXIV gposing accounts I followed when I made my insta, and their creativity is always inspiring. Cosmia_ffxiv also takes adorable shots of her lala, and so does theplushiealchemist!
And with this, our interview has come to an end! It’s been an absolute pleasure to have you here and to get to meet you a bit more! You are an amazing, inspiring and sweet bean and I hope life will treat you the best way possible! Thank you again!
Gosh, you’re too sweet! Thank you so much for having me, it’s been an honour and a pleasure! I look forward to reading your next interview and learning about more people in the community!
And thank you all for stopping by and reading another interview! See you next time with another gamersation!
Hello everyone and welcome back to my parlour! Today’s guest doesn’t need an introduction because you all know her and love her but I enjoy it too much! Please welcome the queen of pvp, the very definition of “badass”, the one and only, Jenesis! Thank you for accepting my invitation!
What an introduction. I’m honored by that and to be chosen as a guest for this great series. Thanks for having me!
As always we should start from the very beginning. What are your first memories involving videogames?
Wow… thinking way back haha. Well, the original Nintendo was released in the US when I was 5. I remember my dad getting us one and playing Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! and Ice Hockey with my little brother, and ofc Super Mario Brothers was our most played NES game but I’d say the original Legend of Zelda was my favorite from that era. I actually still have my NES and most of the games. Of course I went through all the consoles as a kid, but I also remember building a PC with my dad when I was about 12 and he got me DOOM and Wolfenstein as my first PC games.
What was the first game that made you fall in love?
That’s a really tough question! I’d say either Halo or my first MMO which was Everquest II.
WoW. 1000%. It’s kept my interest for what… 16 years now.
How did you end up playing it?
I was really into Everquest II. I was actually ranked number 2 in the world at my class and I came up with the strat for the world first kill on the game’s first contested raid boss and at the time I’m sure I thought I’d end up playing that game forever, but then WoW was released and people started migrating and EQ2 started to die out, so I followed my friends over and that’s how WoW became my forever game. As long as they keep releasing expansions I’ll be here.
What keeps you so passionate about the game?
It’s always been the social aspect. In early expansions it was my guild and how close we all were, then I took a little break during MoP and WoD when I had my son. When I came back I discovered the Instagram community built around the game, and all the people I’ve met here that come to play with me keep that social aspect going strong, and now I have a whole new family that is present across both mediums. I can’t say how much I love these people. Definitely the reason I look forward to logging in every day.
As I said at the beginning, you are the queen of pvp! Do you have any tips for the people that are at the beginning of their pvp journey?
I really don’t deserve such praise haha but thank you. My biggest advice is just play! Yeah it’s scary. Yeah you’re gonna lose. Yeah it’s hectic and overwhelming but the first step to improving is to overcome that hectic feeling which will only happen through experience. Queue queue queue. Find someone you enjoy spending time with and can laugh with and just go play. As far as actually getting better, find a streamer or YouTube creator that plays your class and watch. Read the guides. Follow the talent advice. Get the addons. And just go play! Nothing will teach you more than getting killed the same way a dozen times.
Are there any other games you play at the moment?
Occasionally I play Overwatch. My son likes to play it with me but really no, I dedicate nearly all of my free time to WoW. I know it appears from my IG page that I do nothing but arenas, but the DH actually isn’t my main and I spend a ton of time on my Pally who has been my main since the day BC released. I used to exclusively raid tank but now am more focused on Mythic+. Who has time for anything else when there’s so much to do in WoW! I think if I ever decided to check out another game it would be FFXIV because I see all the gorgeous pictures people take there and it looks really interesting, but as long as WoW has content and all these amazing people I can’t see spending time anywhere else.
We’ve talked about the gamer but who’s the person behind the monitor?
I really am not sure how to answer this one without being too lengthy. I’m just me. Most everyone knows me as Jen. It actually is my name. I’m just your average working mom gamer I guess. I’ll be 41 in June /gasp lol. My son is 8 and he’s my everything. I work full time and have custody of my son half the time so my game time is sort of limited. Admittedly I don’t sleep enough because I’m always staying up too late squeezing that extra play time in. Outside of gaming I really enjoy cooking. I don’t talk much about my personal life or who I am on my gaming page but really do spend a lot of time with my son. He loves outdoor stuff like parks and hikes and also art and crafting stuff. He’s also a little gamer and a super smart kid. I’m very proud of my son. Overall though I think I’m pretty boring and don’t really like to talk about myself so I’ll leave it at that.
Thank you for sharing this little piece of your personal life with us! Speaking of friends, so many people in the IG gaming community love you! How did you end up joining this crazy place?
As I mentioned before, I took a little break from WoW after my son was born. When he started school and I wanted to come back to playing, my ex-husband had suggested that I start streaming and find a social media community for WoW in order to build up a follower base. What actually happened though, was my Instagram page became my love and the reason I met so many amazing people, and my stream is just a minor side thing. Someday I might have the free time to really dedicate to streaming, but with a full time job and the kiddo it’s hard to also come home and play with the camera on, although I do my best to continue sharing my love for the game on Instagram and really enjoy making new friends because of it! Instagram is what led to me creating the current version of my guild as well. So many people I came across on IG, whether it was comments on posts or messages I got about people not enjoying playing the game solo, or dealing with high expectations in group finder or wanting to cancel their subs because they didn’t have any friends to play with just broke my heart. I found so many great people to play with thanks to Instagram, so it led me to create Squall as a place for all the people who were really looking for a home in game. And now a few years later I couldn’t be more grateful for this family!
Do you have a message for the community?
Be Kind. It’s a game – by definition it’s meant for fun and relaxation. Don’t allow it to cause you stress or become a job. Always do what makes you happy and play how you like regardless of what others say is best or required. You don’t have to compete with anyone. You don’t have to be top tier. If you are and that’s what makes you happy, then great, but what matters the most is that you enjoy what you’re doing and it makes you want to keep coming back. Play what you love, share what you love, be who YOU are and the joy will outshine all. It’s not about how many people like, follow or share your content… the one or few that you inspire or have a positive impact on make it all worth it.
Many people have expansions they don’t like or cite reasons to quit the game but I honestly don’t. I’ve enjoyed every tier I’ve experienced in this game. Ofc there’s things we all have little issues with, but overall I really can’t look back and say I wouldn’t have played the game for any of them. So what I hope for is simply that the game continues. New patches. New expansions. New content. Because as long as there is content for us here, we get to continue sharing a common love and finding the connections we long for as human beings. One thing I can wish for, but know is near impossible, would be a region unlock. If the day comes that we can all play together regardless of location then this truly will be one united game and community. But that’s just the dream.
How about real life dreams and expectations?
I think the only thing I’ll say about that is my main focus is to raise my son the best I can. My only goal is his well being and happiness, which is what determined nearly all of my decisions and what I’ve sacrificed to this point. He is a remarkably intelligent sweet caring young man and if I can help him grow into a better person than myself then I’ll consider my life a success.
And I’m sure all the community will join me in wishing you and him the best in life! Now as a last thing, the most difficult question of all, who are three members of the gaming community you would like to see as my guests?
You’re right it is the toughest question. I’ll choose @nazmirian @thewarcraftmom and @mortis_undead. I so appreciate you having me as a guest. It’s an honor. Keep up the amazing work!
Thank you very much and once again thank you for accepting my invitation! Please keep being the amazing woman we all appreciate and love!
And as always thank you all for reading this interview and for joining me while we got to know better such a wonderful and special soul! See you all next month for another interview with another absolutely amazing person!
Hello everyone and welcome back to my parlour, the first interview of 2021 is with a very special guest and one that is very close to my heart, I would like to add. She’s the queen of gpose and lalas, one of the most talented people I know when we’re talking about screens, an absolute sweetheart: the wonderful Aveline aka Pumpulipui!! Thank you for accepting my invitation!
Thank you for your lovely words and thank you for having me on Gamersations! It’s a real honor and joy to be interviewed by one of the sweetest people I know!
Starting from the very beginning, when did your gaming experience begin?
My very first touch to gaming was through my dad when I must’ve been around 5-6 years old. He bought a Nintendo 64 with F1 Pole Position 64 and Super Mario 64, later on expanding the library with such games as Banjo & Kazooie. Me and my brother would sit (more or less) quietly watching our dad gather stars and jump on evil mushrooms, or driving “just one more lap”, completely captivated by what was happening on the screen. I don’t think my interest towards gaming would’ve sparked in such a way if it weren’t for my dad.
What was the first game you played and felt completely in love with?
I think the one that had the most impact on me from my earlier days was Final Fantasy VII. Me and my brother bought it together but at some point he lost interest while I kept at it. I wasn’t that good in English yet so I probably missed a lot of the story, but something about it just fascinated me. The characters, magic, summons, breeding and racing chocobos… and of course the story as much as I could grasp it. It’s the first game I stayed up to play through the night, as well as spending hours looking through guides and scribbling all the info down in my notebook.
What is your all time favorite game?
That’s a damn hard question! I have many games I absolutely adore and love for various reasons, but seeing I’m pretty much a BioWare fangirl it’s a tough call between Mass Effect-trilogy (yes I count them all as one) and Dragon Age: Origins. I tend to lean slightly towards Dragon Age in this one, though! It’s the first game that really made me feel like I was playing my own character(s) with personalities and backstories I created myself, and the story and characters just blew me away. I do have to give some honorable mentions to such games as Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Journey, Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Final Fantasy XIV.
What videogames are you playing at the moment?
I’m currently bouncing between FFXIV, Rune Factory 4 and Stardew Valley with a bit of WoW thrown into the mix!
Through friends. I originally got talked into trying the game right as the revamped Realm Reborn was released. Sadly my friends were mainly from the US which ended up in me playing on my own most of the time so I quit. Fast forward to 5 years ago, my friend who got me into Guild Wars 2 originally said she’s testing the waters in FFXIV and roped me along for the ride. Thankfully I stuck with it and haven’t looked back since!
What made you stay in love with the game over the years?
There’s plenty of reasons, but overall the world in the game itself. The captivating story, the beautiful world, the enchanting music, the interesting characters… And of course glamour and gposing! There’s always stuff to do as well, whether it’s just chilling AFK in an RP-bar with friends or farming giant boss monsters for loot.
Going from one mmo to another, I’m sure the rest of the community is curious about your WoW experience! How did you end up playing it and what’s your favorite in game activity?
That story is a lot less boring: I saw the game on sale when I was a teenager and decided to grab it after quite a while of wondering whether I should try it or not! I was an active raider from WotLK to MoP, but since those days I’ve taken breaks and returned only briefly. Shadowlands is the first expansion that made me return for real, but I’m way more casual with my approach to the game and activities. My favorite thing nowadays is to run old raids for transmogs and mounts! I also love creating alts who I may or may not actually play at some point.
Are there any other games you would like to try or that you are looking forward to being released?
By far the game I’m most excited about right now is the Mass Effect-trilogy remake! I’m also looking forward to Monster Hunter: Rise and the announcement of the next FFXIV expansion which should be released later this year.
We’ve talked a lot about video games but what does gaming mean to you?
Games have a huge meaning and impact for me in my life. On one hand it’s a way for me to experience stories, create characters and to express myself. On the other hand it can also be a way for me to relax, or to get my blood pumping or a way to socialize with friends.
Gaming also brought us together, how did you end up joining the IG gaming community?
My first intention with posting on IG was just to have a place to post the massive amount of pictures I take, and eventually it all just kind of happened in its own pace. I’ve definitely met some amazing people through the community, some of them I even have the pleasure of calling my friends.
Do you have a message for the community?
You’re never too old to play games and meet new friends! And never feel bad for taking breaks, no matter how long, if you’re no longer enjoying gaming. It’s okay to take a step back and enjoy other things as well!
Your account is really one of the best looking ones. Your unique style is unmistakable and no matter what game you choose, they are always amazing. What is your main inspiration for them and what is your favorite game for taking perfect screens?
Thank you! As far as inspiration goes, it tends to differ from picture to picture. Sometimes I want to tell a story, sometimes I just want to snap a picture right then and there because my character looked cute! Right now I feel like FFXIV has the best tools for snapping screenshots, so it’d be my pick as a favorite game for screenies!
We’ve talked about gaming a lot, but who is mommabear Aveline in real life?
I’m currently a stay-at-home mom from Finland! I live with my boyfriend of almost 8 years and our two sons; older one is three and younger one will be turning two in February. I drink too much coffee and besides gaming I enjoy movies, especially horror ones.
What are your hopes and dreams for the future (both gaming and rl)?
With gaming, I hope I get to experience a lot more stories and wonderful journeys with interesting and captivating games! Right now for real life, I wish the pandemic would be over as soon as possible. I’m also praying all my friends and family stay safe and healthy during these times. That’s enough to keep me happy.
And lastly, the most difficult question of all. Who are three members of the gaming community you would like to see as my guests?
I’m mostly familiar with the FFXIV-community on Instagram, and there’s a couple people I’d be keen on knowing better! There’s plenty more, but from the top of my head I could name Cerise, Leo K. and Strawberry!
And with this our interview comes to an end. Thank you again for accepting my invitation and for just being the wonderful person you are!
As always thank you all for joining us and thank you to my trusted sidekick for his help!
Hello everyone, and welcome back to my parlour! This is a strange last interview for a strange year, so it’s all normal! Since the beginning of the year, with every interview, there’s always been someone who asked me to be a guest. I’ve always said no, but the people from my discord server insisted a lot and I can’t say no to them. They deal with my madness every day, I owe them this one. So here it is, the interview with me, Kylara aka Elena as a guest! I would like to thank all the people in my discord server for the questions and Unidess for…well asking me said questions and for all the work he always does for each interview. So let’s get right to business!
As for everyone else, let’s start from the very beginning. How did you find your way into gaming, and especially mmos?
Well in both it wasn’t something I chose to do! xD I got into gaming basically when I was born. My dad needed a player 2, so he made one. I don’t even know how young I was when I tried playing for the first time. I don’t have memories of a period of my life without video games in it. Dad got a second hand Atari 2600 from a friend and we used to play a lot. My cousins had one too, we’ve spent too much time playing Duck Hunt together. I’ve learned a lot of “interesting new words” because of that dog. xD As for mmos, it’s all Unidess’s fault. I was a single player kind of gamer. I hated online games because I didn’t think it was something for me. But in 2013 our relationship was a long distance one, we were always trying to find new ways to feel closer since we were able to see each other about once every 2 months. He was playing ESO at the time, it was basically just released but my pc was a potato one, so I could not play it. At that point he thought that World of Warcraft was a better idea and he convinced me to make a trial account. Less than two hours later I had bought the game. xD It was something important and really cute, being able to stay together even though many many kilometers apart.
We need the nerdy couple love story. (As a lot of them have said)
Well the fun fact is that nerd culture, or to be fair geek culture is what brought us together. Back in 2012 I joined a Resident Evil re-enacting group as a zombie, and Unidess was already a member. It was a big challenge for me, since I don’t feel comfortable in huge crowds, but being among geeks helped a lot. Also being dressed as a zombie and having a full zombie makeup helped me keep people away from me. xD Anyhow, me and Unidess started to talk in the skype group chat, we even had a special chat with only some other people of the group where we talked about geek stuff and guns. XD I was sure he was interested in one of my friends there, but he wasn’t. One really boring school day we started chatting, I was sure he was flirting, he was sure I was doing it, neither of us was but we ended up flirting anyway. From there things got more and more serious, we became an official couple some months later, moved together in the summer of 2014 and we’re still going strong. As I said he made me get into mmos, we have so many geeky interests in common. We love the same movies, we watch a lot of tv series together, we’re big fans of the Star Wars universe, we’ve seen Lord of the Rings so many times we know every line. Geek is what we are, and we’re proud of it.
What was the first game you ever fell in love with?
First one was definitely Tekken 3. I’ve spent so many hours on that game, either playing against my brother or my dad or by myself trying to unlock all the special videos (which I did). There were other games before that, like Transport Tycoon, on which I’ve spent so much time, even waking up during the night and playing it (I had one hour a day at the pc, wasn’t allowed to do that), but Tekken definitely will always have a really special place in my heart.
What are your all time favorite games?
The first Mass Effect. It completely changed my gaming experience. It was something so different from anything I ever played before. I still get massive goosebumps when I hear the soundtrack. Other favorites would be Final Fantasy XIV and Star Wars the Old Republic. WoW still has a little space in my heart even if my interest for it is really low right now, but I do appreciate it.
Tell us some of your best moments in your gaming journey.
First time playing WoW with Unidess. It was something totally different, a new gigantic world there for me where I could spend my time with the person I love. It was magical. Still to this day, after 7 years, playing together is my favorite thing to do.
As for any other guest, how did you end up on IG and in the IG gaming community?
I ended up here by pure mistake! XD I’ve posted some WoW screens on my rl account and a bunch of gaming accounts liked them. Some time later I’ve decided to create my own gaming account, basically only to have a place where to drop some of the millions of screenshots I take in every single game I play. Ended up finding much more than a place where to post screens. I’ve found wonderful friends, people who share my passions and interests. People who I cherish and I will forever keep in my life.
What do you enjoy the most about the gaming community?
The fact that we’re able to connect with people from around the world who have different cultural backgrounds, different faiths, ideas, lives and still we are all connected because of our interests. Special people who share their journeys with us, who make our days more interesting. And most of all, some can become really important for us. Some will stay in our lives forever and that’s amazing.
How did you have the idea of Gamersations? What did you want to do by creating it?
Gamersations was something that I had in mind for a long time, since the first “main vs. rl” challenges. It was so wonderful to see the beautiful people behind the characters and I got curious. I’m a fan of Hot Ones, for me Sean Evans is the best at interviews, he has such a unique style, I will never get at his level but let’s say I got the idea from there. I’ve started easy with Unidess since I know him so well but in my mind I was going to get to a point where I would have as my guests a lot of the “most beloved/interesting” people from the community. My idea was to give the community the opportunity to get to know the person behind the gamer with all my guests. I wanted to get to know them better myself and in doing so, let the others do it too. It was a fun year, 24 amazing guests, lots of interesting things, I’m glad I did it and I hope I managed to fulfill my purpose.
Who is Kylara outside of gaming? I’m a total mess. xD I’m a clumsy archeology student, struggling with basically everything. I can somehow cook without poisoning others (kind of), I kill a lot of plants, I try my best to get better at everything every day. I have many health issues, I’ve started my journey to figure out why my body is wasted just at the beginning of 2020, still a long way to go but I’m sure one day I will have my answers and I will stop feeling the way I do now. Besides that, I love books and music, I could watch tv series all day every day, and I love to make doughs. I have a beautiful 5 years old kitty that you all know and love and a 10 year old puppy that lives with my parents. Oh and I also love photography even if I suck at it.
What made you want to be an archeologist?
It’s in some way been in the back of my mind for all my life. I was the one getting behind the group in the museum as a kid because I was staring at paintings or objects. During the last year of highschool they gave us many infos about “what you could do once it’s over”. Universities were sending many depliants and one of those that caught my attention was the “history and archeology” one, but I wasn’t sure it was the right choice because I was just thinking about the fact that I had no chance of getting a good job after university. Unidess made me realize that nowadays there aren’t many universities that allow you to have a job as soon as finishing it, so it was better to do something that I was really interested in and let the job aspect out. And that’s what I did, and I’m happy with my choice. I love history and archeology, I will vomit historical facts at any time. xD At this point I’m one year and a half away from my master degree. I don’t know what life will bring me. I would like to win a doctorate and maybe work as a substitute teacher in schools while studying. We’ll see.
How does gaming help you relax with the real life stress and does gaming hinder you with your real life’s more important stuff?
I wouldn’t use the word “relax” xD I get a little too much into the game, I shout a lot and get angry A LOT. But it’s my way to unplug my brain for a little. My thoughts and worries are there but they aren’t my main concern for a little. Gaming and streaming has helped me a lot in real life. I have many health problems, both mentally and physically. I’m really shy in real life and I have agoraphobia so people in general scare me. Getting into online gaming, being able to interact with so many people can be overwhelming sometimes but most of the time it helps me get over my fears.
And lastly, a very special one. What drives you to be supportive of others?
Oh, the emotional question. Well it’s mostly because I know how it feels to be alone. I know how it feels to think of not being appropriate and the void that this feeling can create. I’ve always had my mom on my side, she’s always been my biggest fan and greatest friend, but I grew up without her for many years and that has left some scars. I’ve always been the loner, the one who doesn’t have many friends, I’ve always been the strange one. When I’ve met Unidess my life changed. He showed me what it means to be loved, cared for, to have someone who is there for you and helps you. I want to give something back to the world. I want everyone to feel what I’ve been feeling for the past 8 years. Having someone who listens to us, who truly cares, who supports us can be our salvation. That’s why I try my best to give something back. I’ve received so much from the community in the past two years, I wanted to make people feel special and instead I’m the one who is made to feel special and loved, and for this I thank you all.
As saidin the intro, thank you to the crazy people in my discord for the questions, thank you to Unidess for his hard work and support, and thank you all for sticking with us for this entire year. It’s been a long, strange and hard year. I know that things won’t get magically better starting with the new year but still, I hope that things will get better for all of us. We’ll see you all next year! Love you all! Take care!
Hello everyone and welcome back to my parlour for this last interview of this crazy 2020! Here with me we have a very special guest and I’m sure all of you are happy to finally get to know her better! She’s a sweetheart, a great gamer and an amazing friend! I’m talking about Fizzyelf! Thank you for accepting my invitation!
Aww thank you! Was so surprised when you messaged me. I didn’t believe it. I’m so excited to be here!
What is your first memory about the videogame world?
Hmm. That’s a bit of a hard one. Probably watching my brother play the playstation. Mostly Final Fantasy series. I remember him playing a game that had a green witch in it and it gave me nightmares lol.
Good question! When I was little I played games but mostly watched my brother play. I got more into gaming after my parents separated. I made friends with my brother’s friend’s sister so we all used to have sleepovers and play games and watch anime. Once I started working I got my own playstation and gaming laptop. Kind of took off from there.
My brother. He came home from a friend’s place with the game. And I watched him play it. Played it on his pc for a while when he was at work till I got my own pc.
What made you fall in love with the game?
The friends I made. The story! And all the things there are you can do. There is always something. Mount runs, transmog runs, pvp..
I sometimes play Rdr2, Swtor and Black Desert Online. I did play FFXIV but it’s not working anymore.
Are there any other games you would like to try?
I’ve wanted to check out Guild Wars and the Assassin’s Creed games. Especially the new one, Valhalla.
Getting from a thing to another, what other passions do you have?
Definitely travel, horse riding, animals, meditation, tarot. Trying to be the best version of myself. Learning something new that will make me happy. Watching things on tv about aliens and the universe. I could go on and on, lol.
As all my guests, you’re a member of the IG gaming community, how did you end up joining it?
I joined a while after I got back into WoW just before BfA came out. I had a personal IG for a while and was looking at people’s WoW pics, and decided to make my own and hopefully make some friends.
What made you stay in the community?
The people!
Everyone is so kind and supportive!
And I love seeing other people’s WoW adventures and pics!
Do you have a message for all of them?
You’re all amazing, friendly and so kind! Stay awesome! Thank you for letting me be a part of this! It definitely made me smile.
Also merry Christmas and have a safe new year everyone!
What are your hopes for this new year and for the future in general?
I try not to really think about the future. But if I had to, I would say to definitely have a new job! I’ve always wanted a job. I was excited about getting out of bed everyday. Also to work harder with improving my twitch. To become a stronger and more confident person.
And we all wish you the best of luck! Lastly the most difficult question of all, who are three members of the gaming community that you would like to see as my guests?
Not sure if you have had these people but. Rynzentv, gaming_alina, mirialani. Wish I could choose more people!
And with this our interview comes to an end! Thank you for accepting my invitation and for being such a wonderful person!
Thank you for asking me!
And as usual, thank you all for stopping by and thank you to my most trusted sidekick Unidess for the help. It’s been 12 months since the beginning of this project, 24 guests and so many beautiful and interesting stories. Thank you again to all my guests, thank you to this wonderful community for sticking with us this year and I hope you enjoyed this journey as much as I did. Before saying goodbye, I have a little surprise! Stay tuned for the latest day of the year, we might have a little last surprise for you all! Thank you all! See you all very soon!
Hello everyone and welcome back to my parlour! My special, wonderful guest today is someone close to my heart, she’s a gorgeous woman outside and inside! Some might know her as Taina the huntress but most of you know her as Jenn. I’m very happy to have her here! Thank you for accepting my invitation!
Aww, thank you for inviting me! It is an honor to be on here!
As for every single one of my guests we have to start from the very beginning. How did your gaming experience begin?
Oh man that’s taking me back! I started on the N64 playing Donkey Kong with my mom when I was about 5 or 6! After the N64 I got my very own gamecube. I was super excited and played tons of games on it like Luigi’s Mansion, Mario Kart, etc. I started playing online games around the age of 7, started with Call of Duty, Doom, I got into WoW at the end of 2006 at the age of 7 thanks to my sister and instantly fell in love with it.
What is your all time favorite game?
World of Warcraft related, Wrath of the Lich King, non WoW related, either The Sims 3, or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Tell us more about how your passion for WoW was born!
Sure! My passion became the most intense in Wrath, I remember going to Northrend for the first time and just being so in awe. That was the first expansion I explored Battlegrounds as well as Arenas. I tamed Frostbite and it has been by my side ever since. It was also the first expansion in which I started to do raids, so you could say it was when I felt the most important, ha! All jokes aside, Wrath truly was the expansion that made my passion for WoW explode, not only did I find amazing friends, but my mom had started to get incredibly sick around the end of the expansion and Wow became a gateway to a world that I wished I was in. It became my escape from reality.
What is your favorite thing about the game? And what is your favorite in game activity?
That’s a difficult question, as I have many favourite things about the game. I would say I love the community that is around the game itself. I’ve met some absolutely amazing people off the WoW community and couldn’t imagine my life without them, take yourself as an example. My favourite in game activity? Oh I can easily tell you my top three: battleground with friends, leveling up with friends/family and just helping my family out when they need it, mounts quests, dungeons, I always help.
Your fitness adventure is quite interesting, tell us more about it!
Absolutely! I was always overweight as a child/teen. My highest weight was 220 lb at 16. I remember trying the gym out when I was 13 and not liking it, for the typical reason. The guys looked intimidating and the girls there were so fit I knew I was the odd ball out. I never went back to the gym until I was 16. I had of course gained weight between then, and felt even more self conscious going in at 16, but I had to get healthy. My mom had cancer and being one of her caretakers I wanted to do everything I possibly could to prevent any type of health issue. While it wasn’t consistent, 2019 was the year I decided I was going to do a competition, and that’s when I started taking it seriously.
We’ve talked about your passions but who is Jenn besides all this?
I think this is the hardest question someone could ask. A lot of people know me as the girl who games and does fitness, and sometimes it’s hard to actually differentiate between that girl and who I actually am, but I’m a sister, a daughter, an aunt to the most amazing little boy that has ever lived, a best friend to multiple people. I’m someone who cares deeply for people and only wants to see the best out of them. I see both sides of people on the daily basis with my job, I’m a security guard who deals with needles, knives, the homeless, angry customers, but I also have met some homeless people, who are just the most amazing people, with the most amazing stories; I’ve met some people who are just having a bad day, but are absolutely phenomenal people every other day. My future goal is to become a police officer and truly help people who need it the most.
And we all wish you the best of luck! How about the gaming universe? What are your hopes and goals?
Hopes and goals for the gaming universe, I would say would be to start Arenas again and gain some saddles! It’s been a dream of mine for quite a long time now!
I had the great pleasure of meeting you thanks to the IG gaming community! How did you end up joining it?
Honestly the pleasure is all mine! You’ve been a bright and shining star this entire time. I joined the community by pure mistake actually, ha! I just wanted a place to post my screenshots! And then I woke up one morning and like 15 WoW pages followed me!
The people that I met. papamochi, rynzen, yourself, aiden, and so many more is what makes me stay. Also, seeing the different views of everyone who plays the game is quite interesting.
Do you have a message for the community?
Um, I would say to just remember it’s a game. Understand that people can enjoy it however they feel and if they enjoy something you do not, that is totally okay!
And lastly, the most difficult question of all, who are three members of the gaming community you would like to see as my guests?
Oh jeeze! I would say, Rynzentv, Papamochi, and Mich_royal!
And with this, our interview comes to an end! Thank you very much for joining me and for being such a wonderful person!
Hello everyone and welcome back to my little comfy parlour! We’re here today with an amazing person, she’s one of the sweetest people I know, she has a great sense of humor and she will always make you smile when you need it! I’m talking about the wonderful Emma aka Geeky.elica! Thank you for accepting my invitation!
Aww thank you! I was so surprised and excited when I got your DM! I’m still smiling every time I think about it haha, this is definitely one of my highlights of 2020!
Let’s start with the beginning of your gaming experience, how did you approach video games?
I remember I was really fascinated by my family’s first PC. My two older brothers soon installed different games on it and I used to sneak there to try to figure out how to start the games. If I remember right, my very first game was Minesweeper but I quickly moved on to a zombie game where I had to type letters showing above their heads to kill them. Later on I played games like Age of Empires and for some reason I kept clicking on “Nero Burning Rom” thinking it would be a similar game haha, the disappointment was strong every time I realised my mistake! Whenever I visited my cousin I played Donkey Kong, Tomb raider and Tekken. Since we were five people in the family sharing one PC and I’m the youngest, I didn’t get to play much until my brothers got their own PC. By then Diablo was out and I was completely hooked! I spent hours and hours in Diablo 1&2 and at times we connected the PCs at home to play together. I specced so I would have as many pets as possible and I would hear my brother yelling at me from the basement for lagging him out haha. Eventually I got recommended World of Warcraft, once again by my brothers, and it has been my main game since late vanilla! I’ve played a variety of games over the years but I always come back to WoW, there’s something special about that game!
Has to be World of Warcraft! I love the variety it has; you can be a hardcore raider or push the PvP ranking, but also very casual and simply having a laugh with friends while fishing or whatever. I’ve always had a thing for collecting items, I used to bring home stones and shells and even pieces of ice to save. Ever since achievements got introduced in WoW I started collecting in-game things instead of RL items, so it has also helped me save space in my flat. xD
What keeps you a fan of the game?
That it lets me choose what I feel like doing for that certain day or mood. Some days I want to run old content over and over for transmogs, sometimes I want something more unpredictable and competitive like PvP. I always find clear goals as well that I want to reach, they’re pushing me to continue and to improve, it’s such an awesome feeling to achieve it! Most of the time it’s the people making it fun though, either by keeping me company through chat or by teaming up. The game itself can keep me busy for hours but the friends and guildies are truly giving the game something extra.
Currently PvP but it’s constantly changing haha. I did quite a lot of arena and battlegrounds at the end of BfA and I’m playing a lot of Overwatch at the moment while waiting for Shadowlands to go live. I still feel a rush of adrenaline (always shaking after the first few matches of the day!) and joy from battling other players so I imagine I’ll continue to PvP a lot in SL, with a mix of m+. But who knows, maybe my mood will tell me to pick flowers and buy mogs from AH instead.
What other games do you play at the moment?
Mainly Overwatch (didn’t buy it until recently and I love it!) but occasionally Heroes of the Storm, Borderlands 2 and a mix of mini-games on Steam (puzzles, worms, some weird doomsday superhero fly etc). Actually planning on playing more Age of Empires 2, I got all hyped when I saw it’s on Steam and couldn’t resist buying it xD
Are there any other games you would like to try out?
Definitely FFXIV. I keep seeing amazing screenshots from that game and several friends are playing it. I thought about Among Us too, but I’m terrible at lying and I fear I wouldn’t be able to fool anyone, haha.
At the moment we’re doing this, Shadowlands is only a few days away! What are your plans and hopes for the new expansion?
It’s exciting! I didn’t play in beta and I haven’t looked up much about the expansion so I’m super stoked seeing the new areas and challenges. I have a feeling I’ll fall in love with the scenery and possibly (probably) die a few times from accidentally falling off a cliff while taking screenshots. My plan is to go back to my roots and main a healer again. Right now it looks like I’ll main druid but I have a soft spot for holy priests so I’m hoping that spec will be more valued in SL. Depending on how much I’ll curse in PvP for constantly being targeted as a healer, I might choose another class/role as the main for PvP. General goal is to push both m+ and kick some butt in arena, it’s time to get those PvP mounts!
What other passions do you have, besides gaming?
Nature and everything about it (except for deep water, it’s giving me the creeps). It’s been a huge part of my life and I finished my candidate degree in biology last year. We have old videos of me, barely able to walk yet, pointing at things outdoors asking what it is and as soon as my parents told me I would point at the next thing. Later on I could spend hours at a certain pond being fascinated by the dragonflies and the strange creatures in the water. I spent my first summer job salary on a camera and I would crawl around in the garden taking photos of details like the eye of a snail, texture of mushrooms and such. A few years ago I started studying at university to learn about species, habitats, conservation biology and so on. It also triggered my birding interest, so now it’s not enough to stare at the ground at mushrooms and bugs, but I’m also staring at the sky counting how many bird species I can see in Sweden xD Let’s just say it can be a challenge to take a walk with me in nature, there are so many things to look at!
At one point, my goal was to be a truck driver. I got the license and I worked as a driver for a few years but I realised I wanted something more, hence university. While I was studying I got a minor project employment where I looked for trees with higher nature value (old, holes etc), these trees are planned to be saved for a long time to help increase biodiversity (a lot of species need older trees to thrive and the forestry industry prevents this). This job helped me get employed in a bigger project which took me to a lot of new places in Sweden! Even went to “the bear zone” where we saw plenty of reindeers but no bear unfortunately. We checked what plants we found next to the roads and if an area had a good amount of different species or endangered species, we marked the area as important and reported it to the employer who’s in charge of the roads so they’ll take extra care of it. My hope is to get called in for similar jobs because I love finding these pearls and protect them. I’m overwhelmed by how much there is to learn and how much we have yet to discover, it’s a never-ending challenge to keep up.
Besides all this, who is Emma?
Oof that’s a hard one haha. I’m shy but at the same time not. I’m an introvert who craves social situations but at the same time needs alone time to recharge. Often awkward. Constantly overthinking and worrying about others. At times angry (I’m hungry like 80% of the day so make sure to feed me!). I love making others feel better, I love salty liquorice and chocolate. I enjoy exercising, but I also enjoy laying in bed watching a series. And lastly, I love cats but currently without a cat so I’m watching a lot of cat videos & photographs.
We’ve met through the IG gaming community, how did you end up joining it?
I made a personal IG account ages ago and happened to post a WoW screenshot a few years ago. It made me realise there’s a big gaming community on IG and I decided to make a gaming account to share & discuss games. I was blown away by the engagement and I soon used IG every day, connecting to people all across the globe. I’ve even met a few of these friends IRL and hope to meet more in the future!
Do you have a message for the community?
Continue to support each other (one of the amazing things in this community) and dare to ask for help or just a chat if there’s something bothering you, no matter how big or small it may seem. This year has been rough and I can’t thank people enough for making me & others laugh, or for offering an ear for support. You guys have definitely helped me stay sane!
What are your biggest hopes and goals for your future?
At this point I’m hoping for a job that can challenge me enough to stay interested for a long time, while giving me enough free time to explore and get new experiences. There are so many countries and places I want to visit! I want to find a good balance between my outdoor interest and online world, and maybe possibly Elegon can finally drop the Astral Cloud Serpent!?
And lastly, the most difficult question of all! Who are three members of the gaming community you would like to see as my guests?
Only 3! (add a 0 to it?). I would say @ x.papamochi as one, he plays a variety of games, has been a part of the IG community for a long time and always manages to make me laugh. Thanks to Overwatch being shared with all regions, we’ve been able to play together again @ x_frency_x is one of the most talented individuals I’ve ever met; she’s great in game and is an amazing artist, always pushing me to improve and an inspiration! @ zman_the_wizard is also an inspiration for me; he’s a creator, doing LARP and plays a variety of games.
And with this, our interview has come to an end! Thank you very much for joining me, and for being you! You are a wonderful person and you truly make the difference in the community! Thank you for spreading this afternoon together!
Thank you too! You’re such an important and caring person in the community and I love what you do!
And as always thank you all for joining me, it’s always nice to get to know such wonderful and inspiring people! As always a big thank you to my trusted sidekick for the help! See you all next month with the last two guests for 2020!
Kylara’s Gamersations
Kylara's Gamersations 