I know you have all been anxiously awaiting the next in the ever-expanding interview installments. This week I sat down with another very important member of our little group. It took a bit longer to produce between my post-trip hysteria and my crumbling pc. In any case, I got it up and out for your enjoyment, and here it is!
On my way back to Las Vegas from Wisconsin, I swung by Austin, Texas to visit the headquarters of the feared uT clan. My private jet was cleared for landing and I was told to await my host. I was given a stack of papers to sign, and I had to present two picture id's in order to enter the compound. I understood this measure, for it is no secret I am a member of uT's rival clan, RiP. Though I was here as a diplomat, representing vadavaka.com, this was simple procedure and I was willing to endur it. When everything was cleared, a man in a black suit appeared from the guarded door accross the platform.
Cloud Fuel shook my hand and apologized for the formalities. He escorted me first through the Hall of Members with full size detailed statues of each uT member past and present. While this open room was massive, overwhelming in size and magnitude, I had to scratch my head because even though each member was given a sculpture, they were all of the standard Ricochet model! Sure, some were red and others blue, but how do you know which member is which? I chose not to ask. :huh:
Before winding down in Cloud's office, I also toured the incredible play room with its four story imax pc monitor and a sound system to match. He shattered me with a freeze decap and the ground shook, it was intense! I let him win, for it would be impolite to own him in his own lair :P. He spoke also of another room, where construction had begun on a fully functional ricochet arena. Gravity was undoubtably the biggest physics obstacle, but incidently Stephen Hawkings had been called in to work the job. I drifted off into thought and imagined a man flying a wheelchair, maneuvering s-jumps and backflips. In any case I was not shown this room. Apparently it was tight under wraps.
Now face to face with Blake, 18, at his desk, I pulled out my material and he whipped out a guitar. I was a little suprised, but while he played around with chords and riffs I let in with the questions.
Beastie: Mr. Cloud, the high leader of uT! Please tell me about the clan and how it came to be. How did it originate?
Cloud: Well *thinks back long, long ago* It all started after the demise of the great clan [K.I.A]. I was kind of restless, trying to decide if I wanted to continue downthe solo road or possibly join the ranks of |APS|. Many other players were attempting to convince the likes of Davion, Hylander, and Gemakk that they deserved to be in and well I wasn't too sure that was how I wanted to go out, so I tried out, but never asked to join them. I did, however, meet up with the wonderfully awesome Shakira and after she promptly kicked my ass I was like wow you're the first girl to ever beat me that badly. She just smiled, laughed, and left me standing there speechless. From that day on I had the utmost respect for her as a player and, as I got to know her better, a person. We both got tired of waiting on APS, so one day she said "Hey cloudy, why don't we just make our own clan?" I, of course jumped at the oppurtunity and after a week or so of trying to come up with a name, with the likes of USA (Universal Squad of Ass-kicking) and other retarded names she said unTouchables and it fit. The rest, as they say, is history...
I seem to remember envying uT's membership and even considered trying out for a period of time. I always wondered how that process worked. Of course the process is now a bit more visible with the forums and all.
Beastie: What are some of the important factors in the recruiting process? If I am an up-and-coming regular who can casually beat some of the clan guys, what must I do to get noticed, and further considered?
Cloud: One thing I stressed from day one was the fact that we as a clan had to be able to get along and enjoy playing against each other. I did not want to end up like the preceding clans who got too big and just fell apart. We made a pact that we'd always vote on any issues and if we had a clear majority vote in a certain direction that is what we'd do. So as far as recruiting goes, typically one of us sees or hears about a player (usually me, since I'm kind of always on the search) and then we relay the information amongst ourselves. Sometimes players ask to join the clan and usually I don't consider them unless I know them and they've been around for awhile and are rather consistent. I personally look for a player who has some skill, but more importantly can and will get much better and is willing to practice to do so. I also want someone who will be easy to get along, has some type of personality (isn't a stiff or such), and isn't a trouble maker. I couldn't really ask for much more than that. If you look at most of the clan, any of them could honestly become an admin. I just wanted a "classy and professional" clan if that's even such a thing. Basically if you follow that criteria then you can't go wrong. Another thing I also fussed over, especially to newer players who'd scream "I beat you g-boy or I beat you RWS...I am teh pwn!", that beating a player means nothing. I can beat virtually everyone in the game, but on that same token they can all beat me. There are some I consistenly beat, but I honestly feel that once you get to a certain point, it's hard to say who's the better player and I personally don't care if you can beat me or any of the other players or not, the skill level is the least important factor to getting in. As long as you strive to become better then you're golden in my eyes.
Beastie: You have taken some heat about previous recruiting decisions. How does this pressure affect your leadership role?
Cloud: I try most of the time to do what's right and as many people know I'm very much an idealist. I tend to be a bit overzealous about making everyone happy and well we all know that's not always possible. Anyways, I always stick to my guns in the end, unless I realize I am in the wrong, then I go and crawl into a corner and beat myself with a keyboard. Hah, seriously though, I just look at it all in the end and analyze it and if I'm still happy with the decision of the clan, then that's all that really matters.
Beastie: On the same note, how does the position affect your casual play? Also in matches, I understand RiP is currently ahead in the standings? What is the current score and how important is it to you as the head of uT?
Cloud: Well I used to be one of the only people who wouldn't ever go "undercover" as some call it, but recently I've found ricochet to become a slight "soap-opera" if you will. It's very odd at times and many newer players emerge and pester me about joining the clan, so now I'll go in as an erratic name, but if I see players I want to consult with I'll either lead them on to who I am or just out and out change my name. I honestly have no idea what the score is. I'm sure I could go find it, but I really could care less. RiP is an awesome clan and they totally deserve credit for being as badass as they are, but as I don't always agree with some things that are done over there and they don't see eye to eye with us at all times, we've been thrown into this heated "war". I really never wanted it to go this way. I simply wanted one match and it be done in a manner that was somewhat weird, but it is hard to do clan matches on ricochet, so you have to cope sometimes. Many problems arose, however. One being the fact that we both have so many players. So of course someone came up with the idea of having mini scrims between the clans and while that's all good, you'll notice I have not taken part in this yet. I tend to not want to 1 on 1 very much, unless it's a good friend or something, but that's just how I am. I don't want to know that I can beat someone in a match of 10 rounds and then they ask me for a rematch and claim they had a bad day or visa versa. It doesn't seem important to me to be able to beat someone and then be considered a better player or a member of a better clan. I don't want RiP and uT to be in an arms race where we try to gather the best players to stock up our armies and fight a long and daunting war. Shakira and I wanted the clan to be merely a club of members who kicked ass and had fun playing and I still believe that's the way it is today, although I know some of our members are restless and want some of that RiP flesh. I don't mind as long as it doesn't get out of control. Hell, I've even noticed in-clan duels lately, thanks to the likes of Reciprocity, so it seems all good to me right now, let's just hope it stays that way.
Though I had already gotten answers on how Blake felt about his own competitive outlook, I felt the need to beat the topic a little harder anyway. I was curious to know more about the clan view on competition.
Beastie: It seems that while many players lobby to joinclans, they then fail to participate in the challenges. Some even play less and less altogether until they have been nearly forgotten. How important is it to you that your members participate competitively against other clans? And also, are all members basically permanent? How long can a player go inactive before he is replaced?
Cloud: As I mentioned before many of our members are super competitive and while I respect that, I don't require it. I love to see a good fight, don't get me wrong, but it's not the sole purpose that I look for having a newer set of members. Recently I've noticed a bunch of our members had gone inactive for a long period of time and at first I wasn't sure if they should be removed or not. After consulting with the clan, the general consensus is that if you are inactive that's fine, just come play when you can and by all means wear your tag. We've also noticed our numbers are rising into the deadly ranges of the high teens, but then again not everyone plays, so we take those numbers with a grain of salt.
I wondered whether there was another way to show clansmanship and skill without direct challenges. Maybe Blake had some fun alternatives.
Beastie: Standing based on individual challenges is certainly better than no standing at all. Are there some other ways for the clans to demonstrate their skills?
Cloud: I absolutely believe so. Clans can be traced back very far in ricochet, but how many have stuck it out and kept themselves together? Ignore [CAKE] and we're the longest running clan in Ricochet history, clocking in at over a year now. I think that clans also can be role models in a way for the rest of the players of the game. We strive to play by the rules and not cause trouble and as such do not tolerate these things in any way shape or form at any place or time. Now I'm assuming you mean skills like knocking the stuffing out of your opponent or carefully removing his/her head from his/her body and while individual challenges can display this, I also know of many times when I've stumbled upon a heated server where many awesome players, not necessarily in clans, are playing. I absolutely love to play on these occasions, because it's pretty much like being in a live tournament. You constantly play against awesome players and you can totally test your skills and knock heads with them. I really don't know how far skill can be traced, but as I've seen up to this point, you really can only measure it by the amount of players you can consistently beat, so unless you have tons of individual matches, then I'd say stick to playing in open servers and just own everyone here...or try your hardest to do so.
With all of this clan talk out of the way, I was curious to know more about Blake, his life away from the uT headquarters, and this guitar he was now handling pretty skillfully.
Beastie: Tell me about Cloud Fuel apart from Ricochet. What other games do you play, online and off? Do you play any sports?
Cloud: I started playing Counter-Strike about 4 years ago, but soon got tired of the cheaters and annoying noobs who'd join and ruin a fun game. I also regretted the fact that I tried to lead a bunch of players on an open server to a win and I was either laughed at or ignored, so I headed to Team Fortress Classic. I found the maps to be quite enjoyable and still play them to this day. I used to be involved quite heavily in baseball, but after I found band I really had no time for it anymore, what with marching band, concert band, and professional drum corps. I am very much a music enthusiast and am about as much of a computer ###### as there can be. I play my tuba and guitar constantly, to the cries of my parents and neighbors. I'm also a big time warez freak. I constantly download the latest movies, music, programs, games, etc. My parents think it's just for fun, that I love the process of downloading, but I swear I use the things I get...sometimes atleast.
Beastie: What are your aspirations in schooling, career, and beyond? What is your most sacred long term goal?
Cloud: I plan to attend the University of North Texas, located in Denton, Texas, which is slightly north of Dallas. They are one of the leading colleges in the nation when it comes to musical programs. I am attempting to snag a major in performance and a minor in either education or composition. I plan to join a drumcorp this next summerb and it's something I'd need quite a few pages to explain, but I'll save space and tell you all just to go here (www.dci.org). I hope to possibly join a symphony and maybe teach either high school bands or drum corps. I also want to continue with my computer skills and potentially have some side cash from freelance oppurtunities. I currently delve in the world of 3d graphics and animation as well as video editing, audio remastering and editing, networking, website design, C++, C, and C# programming and 2d still imagery. I don't plan to let these "talents" waiver or decline, so I'm going to put them into use as much as possible and continue to hone my skills. My most sacred long term goal would be to feel like I, in some way, helped this world or atleast some of its people in some way and to also feel like my life was not pointless. If I can simply enjoy my life and not become bored with it, then I've done my job properly and I an die in peace.
Cloud already has himself a life size statue of himself in the Hall of Members, but apparently that alone is not enough. Programming, music, good will... he is truly a renaissance man!
Beastie: uT vs RiP in a jousting tournament... on skateboards with plungers... dirty plungers! Who wins?
Cloud: Jeebus, that's a toughie. I'd have to say uT takes the cake, simply becuase we've got some runners and bumpers that are in a league of their own. Take a look at RWS...I mean come on, the kid runs with scissors how could he not kick some ass? I personally am quite coordinated with the whole jousting concept, thanks to the many players who attempted to defeat me in that way. So, sorry RiP, but this is just our category!
I thought for a few minutes about the first time Cloud approached me about possibly playing in a clan, and how content I was to be solo. Then I turned towards how broke I am now after my recent vacation.
Beastie: If I were to accept bribes and consider betraying my clanmates to join uT, what kind of propositions could I expect?
Cloud: You know I pushed for you to join the clan and although you denied me and took up the crown of RiP, I'm sure the clan would love to have someone as talented as you in our ranks. I know Shalk left us for RiP, so I see no reason why you can't come join the unTouchables, unless you'd prefer to Rest in Peace...
Hehe, nothing personal! B) But no price? No Dice.
Cloud Fuel continues to seek members for uT, and will head up the clan as long as he remains interested in the game and its wonderful community. He has the respect and admiration from his clan, and also remains a feared competitor to opposing clans and non-clan members alike. Look for him on the Vads servers as well as on uT's own server.
As for me, look for another exciting episode next week. This of course unless my pc implodes and I am stuck doing these at some lame cyber cafe <_< Then I don't know how long they will take! Let's just hope that doesn't happen. Happy Decapping!
On my way back to Las Vegas from Wisconsin, I swung by Austin, Texas to visit the headquarters of the feared uT clan. My private jet was cleared for landing and I was told to await my host. I was given a stack of papers to sign, and I had to present two picture id's in order to enter the compound. I understood this measure, for it is no secret I am a member of uT's rival clan, RiP. Though I was here as a diplomat, representing vadavaka.com, this was simple procedure and I was willing to endur it. When everything was cleared, a man in a black suit appeared from the guarded door accross the platform.
Cloud Fuel shook my hand and apologized for the formalities. He escorted me first through the Hall of Members with full size detailed statues of each uT member past and present. While this open room was massive, overwhelming in size and magnitude, I had to scratch my head because even though each member was given a sculpture, they were all of the standard Ricochet model! Sure, some were red and others blue, but how do you know which member is which? I chose not to ask. :huh:
Before winding down in Cloud's office, I also toured the incredible play room with its four story imax pc monitor and a sound system to match. He shattered me with a freeze decap and the ground shook, it was intense! I let him win, for it would be impolite to own him in his own lair :P. He spoke also of another room, where construction had begun on a fully functional ricochet arena. Gravity was undoubtably the biggest physics obstacle, but incidently Stephen Hawkings had been called in to work the job. I drifted off into thought and imagined a man flying a wheelchair, maneuvering s-jumps and backflips. In any case I was not shown this room. Apparently it was tight under wraps.
Now face to face with Blake, 18, at his desk, I pulled out my material and he whipped out a guitar. I was a little suprised, but while he played around with chords and riffs I let in with the questions.
Beastie: Mr. Cloud, the high leader of uT! Please tell me about the clan and how it came to be. How did it originate?
Cloud: Well *thinks back long, long ago* It all started after the demise of the great clan [K.I.A]. I was kind of restless, trying to decide if I wanted to continue downthe solo road or possibly join the ranks of |APS|. Many other players were attempting to convince the likes of Davion, Hylander, and Gemakk that they deserved to be in and well I wasn't too sure that was how I wanted to go out, so I tried out, but never asked to join them. I did, however, meet up with the wonderfully awesome Shakira and after she promptly kicked my ass I was like wow you're the first girl to ever beat me that badly. She just smiled, laughed, and left me standing there speechless. From that day on I had the utmost respect for her as a player and, as I got to know her better, a person. We both got tired of waiting on APS, so one day she said "Hey cloudy, why don't we just make our own clan?" I, of course jumped at the oppurtunity and after a week or so of trying to come up with a name, with the likes of USA (Universal Squad of Ass-kicking) and other retarded names she said unTouchables and it fit. The rest, as they say, is history...
I seem to remember envying uT's membership and even considered trying out for a period of time. I always wondered how that process worked. Of course the process is now a bit more visible with the forums and all.
Beastie: What are some of the important factors in the recruiting process? If I am an up-and-coming regular who can casually beat some of the clan guys, what must I do to get noticed, and further considered?
Cloud: One thing I stressed from day one was the fact that we as a clan had to be able to get along and enjoy playing against each other. I did not want to end up like the preceding clans who got too big and just fell apart. We made a pact that we'd always vote on any issues and if we had a clear majority vote in a certain direction that is what we'd do. So as far as recruiting goes, typically one of us sees or hears about a player (usually me, since I'm kind of always on the search) and then we relay the information amongst ourselves. Sometimes players ask to join the clan and usually I don't consider them unless I know them and they've been around for awhile and are rather consistent. I personally look for a player who has some skill, but more importantly can and will get much better and is willing to practice to do so. I also want someone who will be easy to get along, has some type of personality (isn't a stiff or such), and isn't a trouble maker. I couldn't really ask for much more than that. If you look at most of the clan, any of them could honestly become an admin. I just wanted a "classy and professional" clan if that's even such a thing. Basically if you follow that criteria then you can't go wrong. Another thing I also fussed over, especially to newer players who'd scream "I beat you g-boy or I beat you RWS...I am teh pwn!", that beating a player means nothing. I can beat virtually everyone in the game, but on that same token they can all beat me. There are some I consistenly beat, but I honestly feel that once you get to a certain point, it's hard to say who's the better player and I personally don't care if you can beat me or any of the other players or not, the skill level is the least important factor to getting in. As long as you strive to become better then you're golden in my eyes.
Beastie: You have taken some heat about previous recruiting decisions. How does this pressure affect your leadership role?
Cloud: I try most of the time to do what's right and as many people know I'm very much an idealist. I tend to be a bit overzealous about making everyone happy and well we all know that's not always possible. Anyways, I always stick to my guns in the end, unless I realize I am in the wrong, then I go and crawl into a corner and beat myself with a keyboard. Hah, seriously though, I just look at it all in the end and analyze it and if I'm still happy with the decision of the clan, then that's all that really matters.
Beastie: On the same note, how does the position affect your casual play? Also in matches, I understand RiP is currently ahead in the standings? What is the current score and how important is it to you as the head of uT?
Cloud: Well I used to be one of the only people who wouldn't ever go "undercover" as some call it, but recently I've found ricochet to become a slight "soap-opera" if you will. It's very odd at times and many newer players emerge and pester me about joining the clan, so now I'll go in as an erratic name, but if I see players I want to consult with I'll either lead them on to who I am or just out and out change my name. I honestly have no idea what the score is. I'm sure I could go find it, but I really could care less. RiP is an awesome clan and they totally deserve credit for being as badass as they are, but as I don't always agree with some things that are done over there and they don't see eye to eye with us at all times, we've been thrown into this heated "war". I really never wanted it to go this way. I simply wanted one match and it be done in a manner that was somewhat weird, but it is hard to do clan matches on ricochet, so you have to cope sometimes. Many problems arose, however. One being the fact that we both have so many players. So of course someone came up with the idea of having mini scrims between the clans and while that's all good, you'll notice I have not taken part in this yet. I tend to not want to 1 on 1 very much, unless it's a good friend or something, but that's just how I am. I don't want to know that I can beat someone in a match of 10 rounds and then they ask me for a rematch and claim they had a bad day or visa versa. It doesn't seem important to me to be able to beat someone and then be considered a better player or a member of a better clan. I don't want RiP and uT to be in an arms race where we try to gather the best players to stock up our armies and fight a long and daunting war. Shakira and I wanted the clan to be merely a club of members who kicked ass and had fun playing and I still believe that's the way it is today, although I know some of our members are restless and want some of that RiP flesh. I don't mind as long as it doesn't get out of control. Hell, I've even noticed in-clan duels lately, thanks to the likes of Reciprocity, so it seems all good to me right now, let's just hope it stays that way.
Though I had already gotten answers on how Blake felt about his own competitive outlook, I felt the need to beat the topic a little harder anyway. I was curious to know more about the clan view on competition.
Beastie: It seems that while many players lobby to joinclans, they then fail to participate in the challenges. Some even play less and less altogether until they have been nearly forgotten. How important is it to you that your members participate competitively against other clans? And also, are all members basically permanent? How long can a player go inactive before he is replaced?
Cloud: As I mentioned before many of our members are super competitive and while I respect that, I don't require it. I love to see a good fight, don't get me wrong, but it's not the sole purpose that I look for having a newer set of members. Recently I've noticed a bunch of our members had gone inactive for a long period of time and at first I wasn't sure if they should be removed or not. After consulting with the clan, the general consensus is that if you are inactive that's fine, just come play when you can and by all means wear your tag. We've also noticed our numbers are rising into the deadly ranges of the high teens, but then again not everyone plays, so we take those numbers with a grain of salt.
I wondered whether there was another way to show clansmanship and skill without direct challenges. Maybe Blake had some fun alternatives.
Beastie: Standing based on individual challenges is certainly better than no standing at all. Are there some other ways for the clans to demonstrate their skills?
Cloud: I absolutely believe so. Clans can be traced back very far in ricochet, but how many have stuck it out and kept themselves together? Ignore [CAKE] and we're the longest running clan in Ricochet history, clocking in at over a year now. I think that clans also can be role models in a way for the rest of the players of the game. We strive to play by the rules and not cause trouble and as such do not tolerate these things in any way shape or form at any place or time. Now I'm assuming you mean skills like knocking the stuffing out of your opponent or carefully removing his/her head from his/her body and while individual challenges can display this, I also know of many times when I've stumbled upon a heated server where many awesome players, not necessarily in clans, are playing. I absolutely love to play on these occasions, because it's pretty much like being in a live tournament. You constantly play against awesome players and you can totally test your skills and knock heads with them. I really don't know how far skill can be traced, but as I've seen up to this point, you really can only measure it by the amount of players you can consistently beat, so unless you have tons of individual matches, then I'd say stick to playing in open servers and just own everyone here...or try your hardest to do so.
With all of this clan talk out of the way, I was curious to know more about Blake, his life away from the uT headquarters, and this guitar he was now handling pretty skillfully.
Beastie: Tell me about Cloud Fuel apart from Ricochet. What other games do you play, online and off? Do you play any sports?
Cloud: I started playing Counter-Strike about 4 years ago, but soon got tired of the cheaters and annoying noobs who'd join and ruin a fun game. I also regretted the fact that I tried to lead a bunch of players on an open server to a win and I was either laughed at or ignored, so I headed to Team Fortress Classic. I found the maps to be quite enjoyable and still play them to this day. I used to be involved quite heavily in baseball, but after I found band I really had no time for it anymore, what with marching band, concert band, and professional drum corps. I am very much a music enthusiast and am about as much of a computer ###### as there can be. I play my tuba and guitar constantly, to the cries of my parents and neighbors. I'm also a big time warez freak. I constantly download the latest movies, music, programs, games, etc. My parents think it's just for fun, that I love the process of downloading, but I swear I use the things I get...sometimes atleast.
Beastie: What are your aspirations in schooling, career, and beyond? What is your most sacred long term goal?
Cloud: I plan to attend the University of North Texas, located in Denton, Texas, which is slightly north of Dallas. They are one of the leading colleges in the nation when it comes to musical programs. I am attempting to snag a major in performance and a minor in either education or composition. I plan to join a drumcorp this next summerb and it's something I'd need quite a few pages to explain, but I'll save space and tell you all just to go here (www.dci.org). I hope to possibly join a symphony and maybe teach either high school bands or drum corps. I also want to continue with my computer skills and potentially have some side cash from freelance oppurtunities. I currently delve in the world of 3d graphics and animation as well as video editing, audio remastering and editing, networking, website design, C++, C, and C# programming and 2d still imagery. I don't plan to let these "talents" waiver or decline, so I'm going to put them into use as much as possible and continue to hone my skills. My most sacred long term goal would be to feel like I, in some way, helped this world or atleast some of its people in some way and to also feel like my life was not pointless. If I can simply enjoy my life and not become bored with it, then I've done my job properly and I an die in peace.
Cloud already has himself a life size statue of himself in the Hall of Members, but apparently that alone is not enough. Programming, music, good will... he is truly a renaissance man!
Beastie: uT vs RiP in a jousting tournament... on skateboards with plungers... dirty plungers! Who wins?
Cloud: Jeebus, that's a toughie. I'd have to say uT takes the cake, simply becuase we've got some runners and bumpers that are in a league of their own. Take a look at RWS...I mean come on, the kid runs with scissors how could he not kick some ass? I personally am quite coordinated with the whole jousting concept, thanks to the many players who attempted to defeat me in that way. So, sorry RiP, but this is just our category!
I thought for a few minutes about the first time Cloud approached me about possibly playing in a clan, and how content I was to be solo. Then I turned towards how broke I am now after my recent vacation.
Beastie: If I were to accept bribes and consider betraying my clanmates to join uT, what kind of propositions could I expect?
Cloud: You know I pushed for you to join the clan and although you denied me and took up the crown of RiP, I'm sure the clan would love to have someone as talented as you in our ranks. I know Shalk left us for RiP, so I see no reason why you can't come join the unTouchables, unless you'd prefer to Rest in Peace...
Hehe, nothing personal! B) But no price? No Dice.
Cloud Fuel continues to seek members for uT, and will head up the clan as long as he remains interested in the game and its wonderful community. He has the respect and admiration from his clan, and also remains a feared competitor to opposing clans and non-clan members alike. Look for him on the Vads servers as well as on uT's own server.
As for me, look for another exciting episode next week. This of course unless my pc implodes and I am stuck doing these at some lame cyber cafe <_< Then I don't know how long they will take! Let's just hope that doesn't happen. Happy Decapping!