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No one knows the meaning of the unforgiving minute... -- Patton Pie is an enigma even to some vets. Long acclaimed as "underappreciated" Pie in fact has been, is, and likely will be (barring a few absences here and there for various reasons) one of the FPL's premier creators. While his brilliance and creativity are at all times apparent, sometimes I feel like we're speaking a different language. Such is the price of genius. Anyway, here Pie tackles many different subjects in one of the most verbose (and best) of Naze Nani's FPL interviews. Enjoy. Abdiel okay, never one to shirk tradition, my first question is probably pretty predictable. Which of your chars do you feel is your "greatest success" and why? Two I don't know that I've had a greatest success. I don't often pay attention to these characters after I make them, with exceptions of course. Tough question. The Swordsman, I would guess. I mulled a simple idea over in my head for a few class periods hammerred him out in an hour, and look at him. (Personally I think this shows in the character, but voters are polite enough to not mention it) Although I must say I represented myself well with First Blood, but that was hardly a great success. Due to...personal problems, I never updated him - so he died. Abdiel What's your take on the COMING and Dean's place in it? Two The COMING are...best described as taken too seriously by FEW, written off by many, enjoyed by some, and universal fun for a dozen people. I don't know that I ever "got" the COMING(goofy to keep using that name isn't it?) in as much as I don't have any real involvement with any other members, I just saw it as an excuse to represent myself in the League and not look TOO pompous. not TOO, no. yknow? Abdiel nods Abdiel I know exactly what you mean Two I/We still came off like jerks to some, but it wasn't done for them. Abdiel A lot of the COMING members fill certain "roles" - do you feel Dean does so, and if so, what exactly would you describe his niche to be? Two if I have a niche it's a good deus ex machina the others can use for a "Third Reel Horse"....Dean works best in moments and sparsely populated appearences. Like myself, like I said, I hit him on the head. Think of me, and said character, like Urkel, in that regard. Abdiel How important do you feel "story" is to a character? Two This is what I was saving up that pomposity all this time for. Deep breath, deep breath. I know what every character of mine ate for breakfast. I assign his parents names, upbringings, and jobs. I explore the character's movie tastes, music tastes, book tastes and when he was exposed to each. I don't ask that all "FPLers" go psychopath on their character's backstory but an oft repeated chestnut of writing is that "The writer doesn't have to tell the reader everything, but the writer needs to know it" or some variation of that. Get it down to a cereal brand, if you can. Specific things make for real characters you may not put this into a fic or character file but YOU will know it, and the FACT that the character has a history will show. My opinion, at least. Landon, Mack, Bryn, Marks, off the top of my head, 3D....all of them obsess about things like that in some way, so maybe I'm not far off. Abdiel so do you feel that this is the most important element in a character's presentation? Two I feel a character without a backstory is just a crayon drawing. It's like hearing the incredibly funny punchline but not the joke. Even if we don't see when the character has come from, he(I call all FPL chars "he") needs support, just like we need support. Pics are secondary if they matter at all. Powers should always go to theme/concept, not a wicked cool deathtrap combo(this coming from a man who has used quite a few of those)..... I may not be saying anything here... I may just be rambling by now, but a character should be a CHARACTER not JUST an idea. Now me, I've achieved a measure of success with just ideas, but that's not what I like to read. And judging by my loss record, it wasn't what my readers wanted. So, I reevaluated my methods and here I am now. Abdiel do you have any advice for newbies who are struggling to break through with a character? Two First off don't call yourself a newbie. Ever. I know it's harmless shorthand but this community is just like any other...there are pockets of "elite" players who are elite simply because they say they are and agree so within their own unit. Ignore them. Just keep going, and learn what you can. Also, don't think so much "Wow!.... "I had an idea! I'll make a character!" do a little free association, see where it leads you. Some of my best stuff, most of which will NEVER EVER see Khazan, has been produced in such a fashion. Surprise yourself. I am coming off rather dogmatic already in this interview, but still - I'm no better than ANY PLAYER who found the site JUST TODAY. None of us are, and we'd do well to remember that. Abdiel List in order of importance in terms of "getting your vote": powers (comparing powers and determining who would win ala the simulator), image, story, creativity (may tie in with other elements), creator is someone you know and like/dislike... and add in another element if I've missed one. Two I don't vote on even a quarter of the matches, because I take at least 30 minutes making up my mind. Truly and honestly? I imagine the outcome of the fight if I were writing it....and I try to imagine how I would write it for Side A to win, and then the same with Side B. And I go with whichever would make the better fight/story. This may get me trounced but it's how I've voted for a while. Although I flat out confess I do too much mindless voting for. I'm trying to stop voting on my matches at all, but that will take practice. (yes, I am really this long winded) That should be an editor's note [Editor's note: long winded bugger, ain' he?- Ab] Abdiel do you think there's a problem with ill considered voting? what I mean to say is, some people are of the school that voting just for the pic, or voting for your buddy is shallow and wrong, whereas other people think to each his own. What's your stance? Two If you want to back a fighter solely on preference, do so. if you want to back a fighter based on how many vowels their Background used, do so. Just....don't vote on the pic. The pic is complementary, and this site was concieved with the non-pencilling-inclined in mind if I recall. Leave the pic alone, focus on something that matters. Oh, and don't obsess about typos. Many, myself included, type straight to the FPL page and don't prepare many of our files in programs with spellcheck. Cut them/us some slack Abdiel Where do you think you are in terms of your "FPL career"? How do you think you're different as a creator compared to when you first started, in terms of views and preferences? Two when I first started, I was in it for the sheer fun. I'd only been online for about a year and this was incredibly cool. Now, it's still cool, but mostly I'm in it for the diversion and the people. The FPL is practice for me. Practice for what, who knows, but I like to "stay in shape" even if I don't "exercise much", if you'll pardon the annoying sports thing. As far as preferences I think they're much the same. Take Gelligaer. I didn't go from "one joke char" to sounding self-righteous about background content DRASTICALLY over these past years. Even the rock had a good backstory, and made me want to know more about said backstory. Abdiel who are some of your favorite characters, and if you feel up to it, favorite creators? (and why, of course) Two Landon has 3 of my favorite FPL characters, Original Devyn Soyokaze (Editor's note: couldn't find the link to the original, as far as I know this is the 2nd incarnation, sorry), 1st remake of Pajama Pockets, and Original SRP (Editor's note: Again, couldn't find original char sheet, apologies all around). Other than that, I'm fond of JOE more than some chatters feel is neccessary, and....really I like everyone, I try not to pick favorites, except in the chatroom. Two Pajama Pockets was much more than a sailor moon ripoff to me. To me, it was "this is how manga would be if Pie wrote it", in that it was very skewed and had a history I found intriguing, and was really just well written. Devyn would be a rant unto itself, but SRP....I like the idea of this karmic, force of nature-ish, Galactus type power player being an unassuming alcoholic critter. Abdiel what do you think about the IC component of Khazan? any favorite storylines? wish you could work with any particular author? Two I've gotten my "favorite author" thing out of my system with a few things I'm currently working on(I have no idea when any of them will BEGIN to see fruition), and as for favorite storylines...I would read Media Man's stuff whenever he put it out, and it would be quality work. And he's get massive attention. That's what I want....a mix of admiration and jealousy producing inspiration. But Khazan's IC is integral. Once it was peripheral, but I never liked it being so. A few early, big fics like the first major Quietus bloodbath and (toot toot)Mars Attacks! Khazan helped pave the way for major things like Gibbons Crusade and eventually Apocalypse, and other things like the Elwin Wedding and even low key add-on threads. The IC aspect is now so obese it's choking itself. It needs to continue to grow, but in a direction...like a tomato plant. Abdiel what direction would you like that to be, generally speaking? Two It's not really my say, not should it be. I must confess that, while I hardly think that's what we should have the majority of, I do miss the days when a straightforward superhero without a cosmic power oddity or a drug problem could show up and perform at least marginally well, in game and IC. I just want to be able to read anything randomly on the IC board and be able to take that as itself. two months into the launch of the IC board... it was already a mess, even then. Ask any two people how the marauders, maniacal heroes, SLJ, LOTMU, KOMBG, CPO Sharky, or whatever else...ask them how they work and to define the team as a concept and you'll never get the same answer. Abdiel If there was one thing you could change about the system, what would it be? Two about the system? You mean like how the scripts run? I would like to see Self Duplication and Commander take on a whole new dimension. Where there ends up being more than one opponent in a battle, with self dupe, show TWO COPIES of the duped character(with the power adjustments in place, of course)...and expand the Commander thing to include a seperate link to the backgroung of the animal/thugs/robots/zombies/whatever(this would be optional, not required. Both'd be impossible to script but it'd be cool. Abdiel do you have anything (books, movies, music, comics, internet site, pop culture musthave, etc) you'd like to plug while you have the attention of the FPL? Two I'm a Kevin and Kell fan, so I have to mention that. Music, I listen to mainly movie soundtracks, but my new favorite thing is this great jazz compilation album I bought....I have a few like it so I don't remember the name. To save me the trouble, print "Buy jazz", and of course a good album by Ludwig Van. Abdiel what no movies? Two specific titles? I'd be kicked for flooding. Abdiel gimme three or so: movies, directors, and actors Two I'm a fan of Thomas Harris, Ian Fleming, Orwell, and others as a rule, but I'm having a ball with nonfiction lately. I've amassed a small collection since early spring of criminology textbooks and true crime tomes from Barnes&Noble. Good stuff, good stuff. Comics I push: I tell anyone who asks to buy as much as they can of Groo, Usagi yojimbo, the extended Tick family, and Astro City; the only person who later complained was a die hard "Shadowman" fan, so you know.....I have a list of comics I'm reading now, but what I'm reading right now is an old-school avengers comic. Just a reminder, good stories were printed before last spring, despite what the comics media circus is telling you. Dig in your bins. On movies, FIE, I IGNORE your questions and tell readers to pick up screenplays anywhere they can. conventions, mail order, print them off the net. different drafts, if possible. Have at least 2 screenplays which you KNOW are bad so you can learn from them. Abdiel any great FPL scandals or stories you'd like to share? Two like gossip stuff? Inquirer? heh "Hush Hush", eh? ::) Marksman and I used to take great pleasure in convincing newcomers to the chatroom that MrGraves was indeed a woman. This was before DragoonT's thing became critical, also before Nyght, and Marksman was still feuding with graves over those Odd Gawful Whisper v Graves arguments, which challenged my standards of acceptable vomit inducing. I just thought it was fun. Some newcomers came and went without ever realizing the truth. Like mayflys, really. Abdiel are there any fights or matchups you hope to see in the coming CoC? Two really I got all my dream fights out of my system with the last Contest, helping set them up and all. I would like to see the Semi Rational Penguin vs my nonsense abomination in the refrigerator. The definition of coinflip match. Abdiel any battles you've had over the years that were real heartbreakers, or you wish you could do over? Two My first scarred me deeply...kidding. I had a superpowered mime on file who didn't translate to the FPL very well. I fought tooth and nail with Ryoko on that one and was beaten by a single vote. Our match had nearly as many votes as the big Death Match Challenge that had been hyped for weeks, if I recall. Also - I tragically lose interest in my own work at inhuman speeds. It takes a full year for anything I've written to sound good to me beyond the first couple of days. Any FPL char I've made, I'm usually tired of after a few weeks. I've had some characters purposely killed who could have done splendidly....big If, but they could have....but I'll never know. Abdiel who's the sexiest person on the planet? Two the fact that harrison ford is like a hundred and is still a box office draw is a testament to testosterone. That's my goal, to be a hot old guy. I think Christina Ricci is adorable but good lord she lost a lot of weight really fast. hardly looks like her any more. But her personality is nothing I'd be interested in, so it's little more than a schoolboy crush....long overdue really, I never had a solid schoolboy crush. Since it's also my goal to die celibate, I haven't given this topic much thought hehe. Abdiel If you could off one person in the world and get away with it, who would it be? Two I don't think the world has benefitted any from the life of Adam Sandler, but truly I would aim my gun at Jim Carrey. I liked the truman show, but not because he was in it. You could've put lou ferrigno in that movie and it would have been worthwhile. Also, the Man on the Moon junkies are generally so because of Kaufman, no Carrey, so no backchat on this. Abdiel so, Pie, do you suck or what? Two I think I do. I don't put much value to any of my work. I will defend it on occasion but only if I feel it is disliked for the wrong reasons. Lack of writing skill, grammatic tension, lack of female perspective, these are reasons to hate my characters. If you look at anything I've written fic-wise, it's mostly other people's characters with my characters being "Third Reel Horses" who only show if needed. any attempt for me to do otherwise has bombed. Even the Gestalt War was seen through the eyes of a 3-win vK character Abdiel do you always take my questions seriously? Two not generally, but I take this interview seriously. Moreso than I should really. No one cares what I have to say, but I care to say it and at least one other person cares to log and edit it, so that's enough for me. I just...like answering questions, and this is all formal-ish so I'm trying to be on my best behavior. 88D Abdiel Any last thoughts on the FPL, or anything else you'd like to say to the crowd? Two the FPL needs to be here simply because it affords me greater opportunities as a Scrounger for my customers. To the crowd, I'd like to say take nothing seriously. That's not a pass for nihilism, just for a sense of humor. Two And, off topic, I'd just like to say One Million Total is not as good as anyone says he is. Abdiel Any final words? Two I was hoping you'd ask this and I had a wonderful quote from "Patton" saved up, but I can't remember which one. Instead I leave you with this, something that needs to be said: I deeply and humbly apologize if I have ever come off as disrespectful to the personal opinion of another. Contact me for a personal apology. Interestingly, while the interview was going on, I had a copy each of Avengers, Entertainment Weekly, and Variety open on the floor ::P Number2 multitasks even when lazy, unlike HexxJo... Abdiel Unsurprising. Thanks for your time, Pie. ;) Previous Rants |
