The 2005 QB Official Nominees Post (in General)

This post is Carnage Blenders permanent record for Quarter Blender 2005, Quarter 1. This post will remain locked. After 12:00 Noon server time emails will be given to each nominee. The email will contain 5 questions. When I receive the responses they will be posted here to help aid your QB vote.

Based on criteria that's been used since the days of CB1 to narrow down QB nominees only 5 from this list will be selected for the QB finals.

Bast
Chet
Drudge
Duke
Frod
GentlemanLoser
Gun
Nixon Jibfest
Ranger
Reyna
Sefton
Wildthing

Nominee Chet

I started CB in May of 2003, following a link off one of Jonathan's Slashdot posts. I think the main thing that hooked me was recognition that I could get in a lot of "play time" without having to spend a lot of "real time". Managing my BA usage became a part of my lifestyle, and strategy thoughts became a part of my every-day concentration. Also, the integration of chat and forums eventually became the main reason to stay. The people here are diverse in age, nationality, opinion, and fanaticism for the game. It is a great group, and it is tremendous fun to help people out and see people grow/change.

My CB persona on CB2 started out in anonymous fashion. I wanted to recreate myself to a certain extent and become differently-themed than the "Sutekh" persona I had on CB1. For a while, I stayed low-key and tried not to announce my presence, but soon I couldn't hide any more and still be a part of the community. So, I started posting my normal analyses and rants, and I think most people now know who I am. Overall, I try to be laid-back, unbiased, and respectful. My in-game persona is very much like my real-life persona, so it is pretty much "what you see is what you get."

I am not an official mentor, and I don't even feel I am all that helpful, but many players have mentioned to me that they appreciate my help. I guess at this point, game knowledge and tactics come pretty easy to me, so what may seem like a casual remark in chat to me can end up being very helpful to other people lurking there. I have the official mentor option turned off simply because I am only in chat during work (and even then, only sporadically), so I choose to do more of my mentorish activities via example and through the forums.

If I couldn't win, it would be a toss-up for me between Bast and GentlemanLoser. Bast is a very good friend of mine, and she is invaluable as a chat presence and helpful voice. She has learned a ton about the game since CB2 started (on CB1 she was mainly around just for chat) and has built a fantastic character, mastering side skills such as clans and fight techniques in the process. GentlemanLoser (GL) would also be a good choice because of his excellent forum presence and wide variety of characters he has grown and experimented with. His flat-out love for the game and for strategy is apparent in everything he writes, and he does it all in a very respectful and good-natured fashion. The list of people who catch my eye in long forum threads is short, and GL is definitely on it.

As I mentioned before, I started CB in May 2003. A large rescale and FOD were before my time, but I have been around long enough to remember cast rates on enchantments, AMF being a pure by-chance backfire, and the Lochaber Axe being the only Big Weapon in the game. I would say I have played a role in CB by being a voice of reasonable dissent. I lobbied hard to allow HP/STR/DEX to be unlearned and even paid for the programming change. I also helped bank-roll several other changes such as fighting by PR and merging ammo. In the pure CB2 world I have not helped pay for any changes, but have contributed in-depth analyses on dexterity, NW/PR linkage, CoBFs, and tattoos. Overall, I think my observations add a lot to the game simply because my knowledge of the game is growing at the same time the game evolves in new directions. That continuous dynamism results in a lot of fun and a lot of good discussions that people of all levels can get involved in. Finally, I think I bring a very approachable persona to almost every debate, meaning newbies asking "What does Archery do?" are just as comfortable doing so as Jonathan is when he asks my opinion on recent changes in PM. I am only as good as the people who decide to associate with me (and am nothing without them), and so far that audience has been fantastic.

Again, thanks for everything, and I have no doubt that the new QB will be a great choice and a great person!

Later,

JoeK (Chet)

Nominee Duke

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
REPLY:A friend have show me how to play that what have bring me here.Why i am still playing it allow me to use all my greatess skill logic leadership anticipation influence.

How would you describe your CB persona?
REPLY:I am not so sure you mean with that question.I act the same on Cb that i do in real life.

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
REPLY:I was a mentor i quit mentorship yesterday.I am much better at helping regular players make them reach full potential.I usualy take only a few players that i will help but after they are very good players with deep understanding of the game and the logic behind it.

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB adn why?
REPLY:I would nominate shade but he a sub admin.So my 2 choice will be jerry (ranger) he got more patience that me.

Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
I here since only 1 year so most of CB history as happen before i got here.My part in his success is i been very good so far to project Jonnathan next change and to explain them to useur.I done some post about few thing that should be change and a explaination about why i think so.I will prolly help Shade a bit on is website i have PM him once.Ill prolly will make some graph on NW-Pr thing EX if a COI +4 add 3K PR how much that 3K PR give you and is having a extra 3K of MPR will be better

Nominee Bast

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
I was a referral. A friend told me it was an excellent way to stay in touch with a few people I know, but do not see frequently. We pass in chat daily or leave CMs for eachother, as a means of getting to stay in one another's lives for 5 minutes a day, instead of an hour or two once a month. Now, of course, the CB2 challenge is to outplay the "strategy expert" boys. ;)

How would you describe your CB persona?
Like my actual personality, only with less derision for the world I occupy.

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
Nope, never have been. I do not feel I know enough about the game to be entitled to tell new people what to do or how to do it.

As a fixture in Carnage chat, I can answer function questions (how do I move money between my characters?) or direct strategy questions to people I _know_ have an excellent working knowledge of the game/math aspects, but that's really about it.

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB and why?
Ranger: he's only been playing since his December start in CB1, and has an excellent "mental aspects" comprehension of the game. He does the math, weighs the pros and cons, and has 3(?) times now come up with the "thoughtfully innovative" strategy that others invariably copy. He's very active, inasmuch as he has a high-maintenance Top 5 character and leads his clan to 1st place consistently.

Beyond that, he is a wonderful resource in chat. He will answer any question, no matter how many times. He's quick and factual. And has an almost unending patience for answering questions like "Why doesn't my DM work?". His posts are informative, concise, argumentative where necessary, and (on rare occasions when necessary) pithy in the Jon manner. :)

Frod: Frodbot. Single greatest contribution to the game barring Jon himself. Anyone who will take the time and personal initiative to give us that extraordinary resource is QB material. Hands down.

Chet & GL: excellent game knowledge, willing to add to the community's understanding of the game with serious analysis of how things _work_. They both put a great deal of time and thought into their postings, adding much to actual game play -- for the math geeks and strategy wonks who are really "playing" instead of just clicking.

I can't speak for GL, but Chet absolutely loves answering questions and making the new people feel welcome. He will be patient and "speak slowly" where necessary for newberts, and considers it something of a personal accomplishment when someone "achieves" in the game with his help. He also has no problem challenging Jon with data, when he finds an imbalance in the game -- and it's never a matter of self interest with him, but making the game better for everyone.

Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
First, there was Jon. Then there was CB. Then Ellis. Then Todd & Spydah. Eventually, there was CB2.
If I have anything to do with CB's success, I would say it is in keeping chat clean as I was "asked" to do. I do what I can to make chat something more than either nonsense or strictly about the 40% damage cap relative to NW against mages with an average damage of +/- 29,942. For Carnage, that includes letting the kids and the adults mix, trying to give a little balance and attitude to actual conversation or discussion.

Other than that, I just direct people with questions to people with answers. On occasion, I try to make it easy for the international crowd and those with no access to PayPal to get their supporter items -- to keep the playing field as open as possible. I have been known to CM people when I think they're doing something they don't know better than to do. (Hey, you, you are grossly underestimating the value of your camped rare ammo -- do not put a BIN of less than three times NW on them. If you make people bid, they'll always go up to at least two times NW, and a BIN should be more expensive for the convenience. FYI! )

Nominee Frod

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
I was reading Slashdot one day and saw a funny but insightful post from some "Jonathan Ellis" guy. He had an interesting link in his signature, which I followed and ended up here.

I can sum up my reason for staying with one word: "chat". I was playing a number of web games at the time (RockStarGame mostly, and a few others). While many of them had forums, only CB hd live chat, where you can easily and quickly get to know other players. The first few nights I met a number of people I really got to like (Saint, Stump, Trillian), and a number that I didn't (initially) care for too much (Mushu, Todd), but everyone was interesting and chat was colorful! I was also impresses by the "PG" standard--a total departure from the garbage that proliferated on other games.

How would you describe your CB persona?
Just like in real life, I tend to be a bit of a jokester. Lots of times I'll drop in to burn BA, get embroiled in a funny discussion in chat, and log off an hour later without challenging a single fight. I'm not a hardcore strategist like some, but I enjoy sharing what I've found. I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt far longer than I should, though--probably why I'm not good admin material.

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
Not officially, but I like sharing information around. I haven't signed up to be a mentor, because I've been afraid I wouldn't be on consistently enough to do a good job at it. On the other hand, I've always thought the same thing about clans, but I've been holding my own in the Corsairs of Umbar, so I'll probably try mentoring soon. I do enjoy teaching and mentoring outside CB, so I'd probably be pretty good in CB as well.

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB and why?
Probably Bast. I don't aways agree with her--probably under 50%--but she's honest and consistent. That's good op material, and good ops are half of good chat. Sefton would be a close second though, for his love of the game.

Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
You want an answer or a book? :-) I started on CB about two years ago, a little after the infamous rescale and before the forge and blacksmith queue. Most of the changes I've seen since then have made CB a much more deterministic and less random game (CF gone and AMF regulated, for example), and a friendlier game for the casual (non-hardcore) player. That is a Good Thing. It's also done a good job at avoiding convergent strategies recently--also a good thing.

As far as what I've done, I've evangelized CB a bit in my blog, and talked about some of the design problems there. I was behind the Swedish Chef April Fool's joke last year (not sure if that's a positive or negative, though...). In CB1 I made and distributed a tool to guesstimate "fair" market prices for auctions (lost now, but "View Expired Auctions" is somewhat of a help), and most recently I created Frodbot to fill the Lumpbot-shaped void in CB2.

Nominee Reyna

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
My friend Chris braught me to cb, his name was shinjiey on cb1 i think. Now as far as why i have stuck around. Im a loaner, yet i love having friends, kinda rendundant i know, Cb is a community in which i can flirt, be myself, and have fun without having to deal with everyday life. Always been a big fan of role playing games and as CB isnt that much of a role playing game i figured i could become a role, and that is the role of Princess of NP ( newplayers ). Also my virtual family kept me around, sefton, wldflr, lumaness, and JS. All the people that have loved me and cared for me since day one. /me hugs max, boo, sefton, mr chuckles, cuthbo, DP, tscm, DNG, and everyone else i didnt put down. And yes monty you too ^.^

How would you describe your CB persona?
Describe my CB persona?! Oiy, i am overly excited fun loving helpfull and most of all CUTE. I do what i can when asked, i would be considered the town entertainer/ merchant when i can get my hands on some gear.

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
YES!!! they show up " whats a mentor" and into PM's we go helping them with strat, gear, and heck even personal stuff. Im a mentor, its my job to make sure people are happy with being here, if i can't do that job then i will find sobody that can and get help. Most of all my service is to keep the game fun for new people when they get lost or frustrated at the little things like " why when i type in the bottom word on the bot check do i get a suspension" and yes we've all had that one befor

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB adn why?
i would nominate sefton because he is a sweet guy, ready to help the newbies from the start with free gear and strat help and he's a great mentor.

Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
Honestly i don't know much about the history, i know cb2 started at the new year, as a chance to give people a new start. i feel the part that i have played has been that of an entertainer, and sombody to talk to. people have come to me for advice simply because A: they can ask " what is a girls point view on this matter" and B: I'm one of those people that don't like to see people leave and will fight with them until they get all mad and give up and stay, it worked a month with Cuthbo, and even longer with mr chuckles!!

Nominee GentlemanLoser

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
I originally found CB1 from a link given in a post detailing free on line games in the "Other Games" board of a Website based on a Diablo II (among other games) Clan. Up until a couple of months ago, I had pleasure of still using an old PII 350 computer I built myself when working for a local council's I.T. department. Due to moving in with my girlfriend, planning and paying for our recent marriage and the fact she controls the purse strings (as I'm useless with money!) I couldn't justify spending anything to upgrade my computer. It got to the stage that Diablo II (and games of it's design) was the most up to date I could play. Even though I also own a PS2 and GC (But not an XBox, Claire put her foot down on two consoles!) Buying new games for these were also out of the question. After playing Diablo II for ages (since release, and the years of waiting for 1.10...) the game lost it's charm, and I just needed something else to play. CB1 came to my rescue!

I was instantly hooked! I'm a role player at heart. I was bought up on board and war games with my family, and moved into tabletop and live action role-playing games with friends from school. For me, I was drawn by the ability to create and name my own character, including options to name my characters items! That so many self-styled role-playing games these days don't allow these sorts of small options cuts their longevity for me. Although I needed a lot of help from my mentor when I first started, I couldn't even find a way of leaving the last tutorial screen!

I told my friends about CB, some came, some were turned off by the lack of graphics (but graphics don't make games, content does. I still prefer some of my old ZX Spectrum games to newer ones released these days...) but non of them stayed. I don't camp, I don't enjoy forging, I just fight. Someday I want to be number 1 and that's a small drive. But it's not the reason I stay. The community's great, just about everyone I've met here is wonderful, but that's not the reason I stay. I think deep down, I'm drawn to the strategy of CB and "theory-crafting". Especially looking for the 'perfect' strategy. I strive to have a rounded character, that's weak to no type!

I stopped playing CB1 when CB2 was announced, but remained waiting avidly for the release of the new version. The lack of updates ruined CB1 for me. Things got stagnant and there was nothing to keep my appetite for strategy discussion sated.

In pure indulgent masochism, I look forward to change months!

How would you describe your CB persona?
Too many winks! ;) But I try to be cheerful and helpful to everyone I talk to. I'm also quite laid back with economic dealings. I trust everyone, until they give me reason not to. I don't enter chat, (for two main reasons, It gets me into more trouble at work than just playing CB does, and my wife would divorce me as I'd spend far too much time regaling people with the useless facts and embarrasing stories that make up my life.) So I only really interact with the CB community through Chatmail or forum posting. If it's early in the morning or late at night, I might not make too much sense, but I'm here trying to squeeze in as much BA as I can! I think I'd describe myself as a lovable cheeky cockney geezer. One who likes to complain about imbalances! ;)

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
Unfortunatly I'm not a mentor, as I don't enter chat. All the help I can give would come from Forum posting. Evolving into CM discussions if people want to keep it a little more personal! I love discussing strategy, even if it helps someone beat me more easily!

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB adn why?
For me, this was the hardest question. It's not asking anything about myself, but what I think of others in the community. In all honesty, this nomination took me by surprise (And I'd like to buy a beer - or soft drink for the T totalers - for all those/the one who nominated me as a little thank you!). I didn't nominate anyone for QB, and won't put forward a name now. QB should be given to someone who really deserves it, and it's my loss that I haven't got to know everyone well enough that I could make my choice on who should receive this honour a fair and unbiased one. Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.

From what I can remember, CB1 started as something to do while friends talked to each other in a chat room and the game evolved from this basic design. More people joined, the game grew beyond its original conception and items and mechanics of the game had to be changed to keep it fun and challenging.

I started towards the end of the Sutekh/T-S battles for first place. I read each post from both parties avidly, gleaning what I could of the game from what was discussed. Spid never deterred me, one day I was going to take his crown! :P It's always good to have an aim! (I'm coming for you Sefton! Although it might take me a while!)

CB2 became a new game to master, one I leapt at. In both games, I have played the same part. I'm just one in a number of members vital to keep this game as successful as it has. All of us. I continue to fight, treat people with respect and open honesty, all I hope for is the same in return. I have become leader of a guild I am honoured to be a part of. Members have changed, but the camaraderie is undiminished.

The community doesn't keep me here, but it makes me love the game I play. And if only for that, I would like to say a big thank you! Now go out there and vote for one of the other 11 nominees' and I'll go back to complaining about imbalances. It's the ELBow this time!

;)

Nominee Ranger

1) What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
I initially found CB2 via www.cnet.com in November 2004. It sounded interesting so I clicked on the link and viola, I became addicted. I stayed due to both the people in the game as well as the non linear aspects of this game. It is a game that challenges me as much as a good chess game but is many facetted. Even though it does take a decent amount of time, its very enjoyable to buy/sell items, pick/find a good strategy, and talk/debate with others in the game/chat. Even though there are other games that are more vizually appealing, nonhave the cerebral aspects of CB as a whole.

2) How would you describe your CB persona?
Its very difficult to try to put a persona in discreet words but here goes. I try to be a non judgmental person in cb2. That is, I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I try to be very tolerant especially with new players and be very helpful when asked questions by both inexperienced and experienced players. When there is a debate, I try to visualize each persons point of view in an attempt to give the most insight I can without sounding condescending. Nothing can turn off a new or even old player more than being called an idiot especially in a public forum. I try to explain things/ideas to players without doing just that.

3) Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service. Yes, I happen to be a mentor.
The reason I do it is to help the new players that join the CB community. I find that the first few days/weeks are the most important in determining if someone stays or leaves. I try to be as helpful as possible without giving away too much. I try to answer their questions (my mentees) by making them think through the thought process. If they have to actually think through a question to come up with an answer they are more likely to enjoy the game as a whole and stay. And, as we all know, CB is best when there are the most active people in it. It keeps the game enjoyable when there are more people in it, who are active, to interact with.

4) If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB and why?
For me this was probably the easiest question. I would nominate either Bast or Duke. The reason I would nominate Bast its as follows: In the first few days of CB2, in early January, there was complete chaos in new players chat. People were getting kicked/killed without rhyme or reason. I almost left the game at that point. But I joined carnage and Bast was the main ops at that time. She (and YES, Bast is a she) was a voice of reason throughout the chaos in the early days. Even now, she is the best ops I have ever seen in any game. Occasionally she has a very biting wit but most of the time, lets chat operate in the PG mode as it should. I have seen her take this approach to many a new player and I suspect many have stayed in the CB community because of her. For Duke its as follow: I did not know him until March, but he is a great strategist with whom I frequently bounce my ideas off of. In chat, he is very helpful with others. I think the one problem he has is that English is not his primary language and people frequently misunderstand him. But once you get through that barrier, he is a very knowledgeable person who brings a lot to the table.

5) Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
Interesting question especially for me. I have only been involved with CB since November 2004. Therefore I missed all the brouhaha about IA, FOD, etc.. But I have seen a lot of controversy lately. Especially with the CBF's, the TOE, the NW/PR linkage, etc.. I think I have been a decent voice of reason in the chats/forums about the good and bad of each controversy. I hope, via my forum posts and via my chats, I have kept a few people from making a rash decision to leave CB. As I have said above, the most important part of the success of CB is its players. The more players in number and activity make CB a stronger game. If I have convinced just one person to stay and be active, then I feel I have contributed to its success.

Nominee [YG]Wildthing

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
I brought myself to CB. One day I was bored at home, and was thinking of a way to waste some time. I went to google.ca, and typed "great RPG games" and CB was the first to come up. At first I was reluctant to stay, as I didnt know much and didnt want to waste my time on a game. After about the second or third time logging in, I was starting to get the hang of the game, and found myself coming on more and more. I think the main reason for me staying was that I wanted to treat other people with the same respect I got when I first started. I liked the friendly people always willing to help. I have been here just over a year now, and just can't get enough of CB, and all the different people that play. I continue to play CB because I find it relaxing, just sitting in my chair chatting with friends I have made

How would you describe your CB persona?
My CB persona is exactly like my real-life persona.. I am friendly, always willing to help out where can, and I am very patient.

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
I was a mentor in CB1 for quite sometime. I left the mentor program because I was not able to get on alot. I was still actively helping new players, when I could. Often filling in for mentors who were not online at that time. I am not currently a mentor in CB2, but again am helping when and where I can. Making sure the new players I help have an idea of how the games works, and getting them to read the FAQ/Help. After I was confident that the new player knew enough not to get in trouble, I would try my best to get some weapons or armour (if that's what they wanted)

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB and why?
If I were told that I could not win. That would be alright with me. I would nominate Sefton. He is a great friend, always helping people out, and has a great attitude.. He is very knowledgable of the game (and many other things aswell ). Sefton is an awesome person to be around and chat with.

Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
I dont know alot about CB. I know there have been a few bad people, but many good. These good people come back often because they are addicted to the game. Not many games out there can keep people around as long as CB does. CB is constantly changing, sometimes people like the changes, and other times they dont. CB is about balance (and was about giving Todd an unfair advantage in CB1 =P). I haven't done alot to continue the success of CB, except be an OP. I monitor chat to make it more inviting to come back, which I think is important becasue when people come back, it keeps CarnageBlender alive and growing.

Nominee Drudge

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
Strum brought me over from Battlefaries, another one of these stat type games. Except this had way more things to fiddle with and change and check out and play with. I never realized how crippled battlefaeries was until I came over here; same with cheating; virtually no cheating on CB but it was rampid on BF. I pretty much stay to help out new players. I kinda lost interest in trying to be No. 1 in any category with ym chars/minions, so I figured I'd focus my energy and efforts back into the community with helping people in chat and making some reference sites to help others with short term memory loss =)

How would you describe your CB persona?
I like to think of myself as Jon's rottweiler in chat. I can be stubborn and brutally honest; but for the moajority of the time I'm trying to answer/help as many people in new players as possible while still enjoying random chat with others.

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
Not enough PR to be a mentor in CB2. I dont evne think I would make a good one at the right PR to be honest; I always feel like I dont know enough for it.

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB and why?
I'd nominate Shade, but then people would give me all that BS about him being sub-admin and doesnt count...but id still be like, whatever. Shade deserves it as much as BJ deserves it. If that still woudlnt cut it for an answer id would have to see a list of the nominees cause no one else stands out in my head right now.

Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
When I came around to CB the Finger of Death was just dieing off, Jon was beginning to put an end to Justice's bot problem of always farming the store for new grabs, Todd was the big Admin on the small 10 person campus, the Sling of David was the supporter item, there were roughly only 9 Cloak of Istaris in existence, Jason Bourne had an incredible THREE lochs on ONE char, no weapons had any sort of bonus, there were no "skills", there was only one CB, and when you wanted an item upgraded you had to pay for it for CBD! The only way I can see I've played a part in its continued success it by encouraging new players to continue playing, paying supportership and encourage them to recruit others to join. Keeping the new player enviroemnt friendlly and helpful may play a small role and maybe the video forge tutorial helps in a small way, but not as big as everyones combined efforts of staying, playing and recruiting others.

Nominee Jibfest

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
I came to CB from an ad placed on Fark.com. I like the game so much that I placed 2 ads on Fark.com as well to get even more players to join. At the time, it wasn't a cost effective plan. The two ads cost me $50 USD and made me about about 1.2M in referrals. Had I just used the $50 USD to buy CB1 cash, I would've had $5M. It didn't matter to me because my intention was to bring more people to CB. Those 2 ads brought in a lot of good players including Bolfen, Jaybuffet, Warchild, and a lot more. It was $50 well spent.

How would you describe your CB persona?
Some people would describe me as a shark, which as an optimist I interpret as a "smart player." In CMs, other have described me as generous. I would describe myself as "generously smart." Those who know me know that I'm one of the merchants who has crafted VERY profitable sales. Those who know me better know that I give away a ton of rares, CB2, no interest loans, and have forgiven a lot of debt owed to me... all at a great loss to myself.

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
I'm not an official mentor. This is the question that I feel most uncomfortable answering. When I catch someone buying Steel-Shod boots, chances are, it's a newbie who doesn't know better, and I take that opportunity to help in my own way. I don't want to take recognition for any "mentor" role I've had because I don't think it's unique for CB. Often, the newbies respond by tell me how appreciative they are because with most games, newbies take a beating. I always tell them that CB is all about helping newbies. That being true, I've done nothing special.

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB and why?
If I had to choose someone, I'd pick someone that *represents* the majority of the community: Hellblender. He's a low-keyed player. He minds his own business and doesn't cause trouble. I'm sure Jon loves players like him. For those who pay attention to my xfer log, you'll see that he's the #1 beneficiary of my rares. Why? Because he's someone I trust, which is the most redeeming quality you can find on CB.

Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
To answer the question directly, I think I've taken a positive leadership position on how the camping/merchant business is done on CB. Campers have the worst reputation on CB and are viewed as simply greedy people. I've lost track of how many times I've heard the phrase "Campers Suck." I think I've played a great part in dismissing that reputation. I'm a pretty decent camper and have gotten a few good rares in the last couple of months. I've given a good number of rares out for free or at heavily discounted prices (mostly unknown to the public because I didn't want to depreciate the market value of items). I've never sold my rares for USD until my charity drive. I believe I've helped alot of non-USD players acquire nice rares that they otherwise could not have gotten against USD spenders. Hopefully, my actions have changed people's perceptions of campers. Campers play a vital role in the CB economy, and I hope I've helped it in a positive way.

Nominee Gun

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
An ad at PCworld.com, because of the interesting atmosphere and fun time consuming clicks.

How would you describe your CB persona?
Comedic, Good Natured(Zen-like even), and Militaristic

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
Yes, very picky on who gets the major benefits from me but will give anyone the rundown if asked.

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB adn why?
Sefton, he's been giving away lots of stuff this month and is a nice guy

Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
I've rarely left NP for other rooms without reason. Temp oped on my 3rd day of playing. Was involved in this "scandal" I cause in my second week here because I wanted more ops in np and Jon ended up oping what seemed like a dozen ppl. Won't bore you with the details but it was partly planned. The other incident was calling killa an idiot in which case the room went nuts. Bast came in pissed and left the same, don't know what Jon was told but was deoped promptly. On CB1, frequently gave away quality items to newbs. Not so much on CB2 though. As an op I'm very active in my duties and always give warning. Got a notepad most call a bot. Helps me out a lot. Have seen many changes in chat,laugh smile at most the nerfs, and won't spend any USDs on this game cause I'm a cheap, offensive, kick-crazy redhead who beats the stepchild. Other than all that I'm an ok guy. ;)

Nominee Sefton

What brought you to CB and Why did you stay?
I came to CB from a link off of Fark back in July of 2004. I was an avid reader of Fark at the time. I haven’t been back much to Fark since. I stayed for many reasons. First off people like Rain Dancer and others saw my interest and gave me some great advice and nice gear to start my journey. Then I realized it was the ultimate turn based RPG. I was never big on 3D first person or even graphic based overhead shot real time RPG games. I come from the days of Dungeons and Dragons when the whole game came in one blue colored box, and they had Hobbits and Balrogs as monsters. I have been playing table top RPG’s since I was 13, and CB struck me as very much like those games I love, but yet the element of human competition. So many of the games I play, once you figure out the computer AI, you can pretty much win every time, but not so with CB. Your opponents are often more intelligent, and you have to constant adapt to them. I love that! Then there is the community. Well I met my wife on a chat based community, so suffice to say I was hooked three ways. I’m a naturally addictive personality that loves competition, yah CB is the game for me.

How would you describe your CB persona?
What you see is what you get? I think that’s about it really. Because I have had some much experience chatting and have been doing it for many years, I long since dropped any façade about who I am. So who am I? I think I am a nice helpful guy, who is not afraid to be proud of his accomplishments. Some people might say I’m a braggart, but my Grandma always said, do not be ashamed of your faults or you strengths. I love strategy, competition, and community. I love games that make me think, and people that make me smile. And I love to win. I always have opinions and I believe I am usually right. You can always ask for my opinion and I will give it, or my help and I will do what I can. I believe strongly that you only get what you give, and you must give in order to get. So that’s me I guess, the facts are I am a 36 years old, married to the wonderful wldflr, with 3 kids, and an 8-5 computer geek job. You ask why I add facts to a post about my CB persona? Because a lot of what you see here comes from what I have at home.

Are you a mentor? If so, describe your service.
I am not an official mentor. I do think I help out new players a lot, but to be honest, I am a little selfish with my help, so instead of letting random chance determine who I help, I go ahead and choose myself. I am very fortunate in the various stores, and I like to spread my fortune to new players. That usually leads to a little help to point them in the right direction so I mentor a little bit with it. If I am in new player chat I always answer a new players question and try to help out as best I can. In the end, it might be this lack of willingness to help everyone and become an official mentor that makes me a less than perfect choice for QB. I know it is the main reason why I choose the person in the next question.

If you were told you couldn't win, who would you nominate to be QB adn why?
Wildthing. Hands down. Unquestionably helpful, always willing, never complains, often around. You tell me what YOU want in your QB?

Give a brief description of CB's history and how you have played a part in its continued success.
Well, the CB I joined was pretty wild. I don’t have the long history many of the other applicants have, but it was a lot of fun. I saw IA’s disappear, and ranged in melee get nerfed. I saw clan bounties and a CB Icon leave the game. I had very little to do with much of that, other than to say I enjoyed the ride. I will say my influence may be greater here on cb2, whether it’s for the good I can’t say. I was most likely partly involved in tattoo’s being added to PR. Before they were added in I was getting rewards sometimes x2 greater than the cost to buy the BA. I still think ToE and ToA should be reconsidered in that. I was perhaps part of the impetus to add NW to PR. I had a lot of NW and lower PR and I was getting pretty good rewards tossing around with the big boys before it was added in. I hope those changes are for the better. I certainly did not mean to cause them if I did. I just play the game the only way I know how, all the way. If I do anything for its continued success I will make sure the race to the top spot will take a combination of skill, net worth, and lots and lots and lots and lots of clicking.

Well, there are your nominees. Emails have been sent to the other admins and I am waiting for the final 5 decision to come in. Note, that the making this list was tough enough. Each nominee should feel proud to have made it this far. Stay tuned for the 1st Quarter, 2005 QB vote...