Welcome, good sirs, to the Forge Hub Community Spotlight. It's been a while, hasn't it? Don't worry, the CS is under new management, now left in the (in)capable hands of BuddhaCrane ... oh wait, maybe you should be worried!
Here we highlight some of our community's shiny stars, as well as under looked talents, using anything from inquisitive interviews, to map highlights, and whatever else we feel has gone without enough due attention. This week on the Community Spotlight we have Mongoose, the guy in charge of the Forge Hub:RPG game created especially for you guys. See what he has to say about this RPG and other Forge Hub stuff below.
Mongoose would also like me to point out that the RPG is currently experiencing long-term downtime due to reconstruction, but it will return!
- How did you come across ForgeHub, and was it the magical land of inter-species locking and geometric volcano merging that the "save a quitter" advertising posters depicted?
If I remember correctly, I had downloaded a map from someone’s fileshare with objects miraculously floating in the air, and I was completely dumbstruck as to how the person who made the map had done this. After several Google searches, I was directed to a tutorial here at ForgeHub. I found out that not only were there tons of tutorials on Forge here, but also plenty of maps and a very active community. So to answer the second question, yes. Eventually I made an account, and after several name changes, and handful of map posts, and a few infractions, here I am now.
- What aspect of the site and/or the ForgeHub community did you enjoy enough for us to trick you into remaining in our domain as a willing slave of the corrupt staff machine?
I’d have to say that the energetic community convinced me to become active on the site. Back in the day, I remember people giving helpful, thoughtful constructive criticism and reviews on every map, regardless of who made it. By the time I started making maps, I was lucky enough to get more than a page of garbage replies less than two sentences long.
- So, you are responsible for the ForgeHub:RPG. For those ignorant swine among us that know nothing about this awesome project (like me), can you describe it in a few words?
The ForgeHub:RPG is a small MORPG that was originally designed to be a place where members of ForgeHub could get to know each other by hanging out in the Hub Pub, leveling in the forests, and fighting the infamous Dragon Queen (formerly known as Dragoncoals). I myself was originally a normal player in the game, until it was shut down, that is.
- If my sources are correct (my trained monkeys never lie), FBU began this project and then you took over. Just how much was already in place when FBU handed over the reins, and what funky additions have you made since then?
Yes, Fbu had originally built the game from the ground up, and then released it on ForgeHub. Long story short, the game was abandoned and it slowly died. A year later, Fbu decided to give me the game server simply because I’m able to monitor the server and work on the game much more often than he was. Apparently Fbu liked my work enough or didn’t care about the game anymore, because he handed ownership of the game over to me.
When he handed the game over, Act II was in a releasable state and Act III was nearly finished (Act = partition of the game). I’ve added quite a few new things to the game since then. To name a few, there are new quests, new weapons, new spells, and even a cute little Guilty Spark plush toy to place in your house, courtesy of stouf761. Right now, I’m working on squashing a particularly nasty bug that is interfering with my work on the game.
- I have to ask: What makes this ForgeHub:RPG particularly "Forge Hubby©"?
For one, the game contains many references to particular things on ForgeHub. One such thing is the storyline, which isn’t quite as obvious in the game as it should be. It involves ancient ForgeHub history, back to the times of TDF.
- Are there any major influences from classic old-school RPGs in your game? Like perhaps some stereotypical anime male lead characters that look like women and cause me to have sexually ambiguous dreams at night?
None that I can think of. I can barely tell the male sprites from the female ones with these outdated graphics….
- I have some nit-picking to do about this RPG of yours: There appears to be a hub pub, as a reference to our own secret forum here on the site. You've placed a bartender in there. I would like to point out that he is actually BarKeep and he died recently (it's sad I know). Would it be possible to replace the bartender in your game with "Zombie BarKeep", and maybe include a memorial?
Sure thing. That’ll be something to look out for when the game is re-released.
- One more nit-pick: I see references to high-ranking members of the site in this game, such as "Rusty Eagle" (very clever). Are there other member references such as this, and is it true that there is a secret end boss who is that awesome BuddhaCrane guy, has an intelligence level of over 9000 and destroys pesky mortals with his incredible wit?
Yes, there are references to many other ForgeHub members, both high-ranking members such as Shock Theta and the low people like sp3c0p5grunt.
And how did you know about the BuddhaCrane final boss in the Temple of Trials!?
- Final FH:RPG question: Is there any specific feature of the game that you really like, or are proud of? I must say the "houses" concept sounds pretty neat.
Oh and yes, the houses are pretty cool too.
- So, this is Forge Hub after all, have you Forged any maps yourself?
I used to forge racetracks but all of them were severely neglected so I didn’t bother to create more.
- Is there a map out there, forged by this community, that you really like and that will forever hold a special place on your hard drive...and in your heart?
I rely on other people for customs nowadays. That being said, I don’t have any ForgeHub maps on my hard drive, or any maps at all besides my own creations.
- Apparently there's some little game coming out called "Halo:Reach". Are you planning on getting that? If so, will you take advantage of the new Forge to create some fancy new maps?
Yes and yes.
- Is there any feature of Halo:Reach you're especially excited about? Campaign, Multiplayer, New Vehicles, Arena Mode, etc.
Forge, Race Gametype, Forge, Forklifts and Forge. Did I mention that I’m excited about Forge? Also, Firefight is back, I hear that’s pretty insane.
- Since you and I are now intimately familiar with each other, what can you tell me of your life outside of the site? Any hobbies and such? Where would be the best place for me to take you out on a romantic date? Purely hypothetical of course!
I enjoy drawing, playing Xbox, hanging out with friends, and almost anything that involves women. As for the date, P.F. Chang’s please.
- To finish, I'm doing something new: for the next Community Spotlight, what question would you like to ask the subsequent Spotlightee - it can be absolutely anything! Obviously you don't know who the next guy will be (nor do I) but that just adds to the fun!
This question only implies to people who have watched the Forge World ViDoc.
-What was your first impression of Forge 2.0 after watching the Forge World ViDoc?
And if the next spotlight is after Reach is released:
-What was the first thing you created in Halo:Reach’s forge (if applicable)?
It will be a while before you can afford that house.
The only time It's OK to introduce a minor to your shaft.
The Dragon Queen should "fire" her interior decorator.
Bartender - Soon to be replaced by Zombie BarKeep.
Evergreen Trail - A track by a Mongoose for a mongoose.
Mongoose likes anything involving women - Pic unrelated.
A big "Thank you" to Mongoose for his work on the FH:RPG and an engaging read. Be sure to try out his RPG, once it is back up and running, or give him some congrats if you haven't already. Also make sure to keep an eye out for the next Community spotlight.
If you feel you know someone who deserves a spotlight, send a private message to buddhacrane.
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