Back To Meet The Devs

1. What is your name and/or nickname?

Chris "Stormwaltz" L'Etoile.

2. How did you come to work at Turbine?

That's a story that's too long and not interesting enough. Suffice it to say this is my first "real" job, and it took six months and three interviews to get.

3. What other jobs have you had?

Mostly screenprinting. I spent three years at it. If I ever again have to slap an atrocious pun on a nudie bar t-shirt, it will be too soon.

Before that I built sets at my university's theater department, delivered papers, etc. You know, the usual crap jobs.

4. Do you work on anything else besides AC (and can you tell us about it)?

Not right now. I've done some basic story brainstorming for other projects in the past few months, but nothing that's actively being produced.

5. If you could add or change one thing in AC, what would that be?

It's not as simple as "one thing" - it's a bunch of interrelated things. I want a broad selection of useful craft skills. I want semi-realistic craft resource extraction and consumption using a network of resource "nodes" (lumber camps, iron mines, etc.) I want "housing" code, so you purchase or exchange control over access to these nodes. Finally, I want conditional PK, which would allow allegiances to take each others houses and resource nodes by force.

And as long as I'm dreaming, I'd like a pony.

6. What's the most amusing or embarrassing death you've had or witnessed in AC?

I don't recall offhand. I did enjoy watching Mythrandia's first hundred-man assault on the Behemoth of Tenkarrdun on the Thistledown server. Hardly anyone survived. Now, of course, he could probably take it down with two people.

7. Are you in an allegiance and do your allegiance members know you're at Turbine?

Sort of. I'm in an allegiance but I seldom see them. A couple of the high level people know I'm there. I only joined because I became a friend of the monarch.

8. Have you played any other MMORPGs and are you looking forward to any upcoming ones?

No. I'm interested in several upcoming games (AO, Atriarch), but I have so little time to actually play anything that I doubt I'll get involved in any of them. My first choice, however, would be the relatively obscure EVE.

9. What's the current in-office LAN game?

There's been a recent resurgence of Starcraft, and there's Counterstrike every night. Personally, I'm waiting for Starfleet Command II. Foster has an ass-whupping coming to him, that namby- pamby Feddie.

10. Favourites:

Music: The Moon Seven Times, self-titled.

Film: Fearless starring Jeff Bridges.

Food: Probably pesto cheese tortellini.

Sport: I don't enjoy any sport.

Game: Hard to narrow down... all time, probably Sid Meier's Pirates! Currently, Crimson Skies.

11. What was the first computer game you played?

Microprose's Silent Service on the Commodore 64. I played Atari 2600 games before that, but I don't consider game consoles computers. They're "home electronics." You know, like a TV or a microwave.

12. What would you like appreciative fans to send as gifts?

I don't know... I have everything I need.

13. Did you get your pre-patch Greater Shadow Armour in time?

I never wanted it. Too heavy for my poor Vagabond.

14. Fasten and then zip or zip and then fasten?

Huh?

15. Because of the lead- and asbestos-lined walls at Turbine's offices, you all survive the apocalypse - who'd get voted Supreme Leader?

Patricia. Aggressive, charming redheads always end up at the top of the heap.