An Interview with…
The most often drunk staff member of Mono! Death on Wings
Interviewed by TheAce22
Sup Dow!
Lets start off with the basics. Will you tell us about yourself IRL? Are you still in school? do you have a job? Location? Anything other generic information you are willing to share?
I'm currently a student at the University of York, in England. I'm largely a generic nerd, though that's not to say I don't also do sports, I play quite a bit of quidditch in my spare time!
Ahh Quiddtich, you a fan of the Harry Potter series? Im more a Percy Jackson type of guy. I never knew it was a real sport heh.
Yeah, it's a real sport, check out the wikipedia page. But Harry Potter, Pokemon, anything nerdy I've probably had a look at and enjoyed.
C'mon DoW your not supposed to directly say Pokemon is nerdy! So I was checking out the page and Im wondering what position are you best at or which do you like most, Chaser, Keeper, Beater, Seeker?
I'm a chaser, my job is to get the Quaffle into the opposing hoops while tacking any opposing chasers and avoiding bludgers, attempting to get the score to over 30 higher than the opponent's score so that even if they catch the snitch we still win. As you can tell, it's a very simple game. <_<
Also, go Slytherin!
I agree, seems easy! Alright, heres your chance to brag. Tell us something you feel is awesome about yourself.
This is always the hardest question, there's never anything for me to brag about u_u
If I had to pick something I guess it would be my position on the Monotype Council, I feel that I know the monotype meta pretty well and I enjoy spending hours playing or talking with the community when I have the time, but in general I'm just an average-ish nerd honestly x_x
Heh, well on to Pokemon stuff. What first got you into PS and why did you choose the Monotype room?
I was bored in 6th-form (which is the last two years of school for you non-English people out there) and found my way onto watching some competitive pokemon videos on youtube. I'd stopped playing pokemon when I was 12 or something, but they made me want to play again, and I found my way onto showdown after watching a video that had used it. This was back before either the room or the tier existed, but I decided monotype teams were cool so took to the OU ladder with one, featuring such incredible mons as Articuno, Scyther, and Yache Dragonite. Back then the main ranking was Glicko-2 IIRC, anyway you could get a score below your starting score (unlike now when it's a minimum of 1000). So I slowly fell to low enough that I'd face quite a few other people using monotype teams, and I eventually got into a community of them, led by a certain global voice named Evolved Conkeldurr (the facebook group is still there, Omega and I are admins of it now). We'd run monotype tournaments on Challonge in the lobby (the only room at that point), and although I never did particularly well I learned quite a bit.
Anyway, soon enough both rooms and the OU Monotype format were created, and I took to the ladder and just lurked in the room. After a while I got recruited into Biblia league, where I stayed for perhaps half a year, but I'd still lurk in the monotype room and keep up with certain things in the facebook group such as EvoConk leaving ("I'll be back when my internet's fixed" my ass). Eventually Biblia fell to pieces and I decided to spend more time in the monotype room, which happened around new years 2014, partially because of the monotype league there. And since then I've been a part of the chat.
Wow, I hear stories about Glicko, scary. So many people would like to know:
What is your favorite Pokemon?
What is your favorite type?
What type do you specialize in?
My favourite pokemon is Articuno, closely followed by Scyther.
My favourite type is Flying, and I specialised in it up until the Zard X ban, lately I haven't yet found a team that I like quite so much though. I guess I consider myself something of a freelance monotyper until I can finally settle on one.
Stun asks, if you could change anything in all of history, what would it be?
Uh... I guess I'd stop Stalin coming to power. The USSR was approaching something more like modern-day China until he stepped in, so I'd be helping the world a whole load as well as preventing what's probably a larger death count than Hitler caused <_<
Gratitude asks how did you come up with your name and Scpinion asks when will you get a name change on Smogon?
Death on Wings because that's a name that I decided would sound cool back when I started using a mono flying team on the OU ladder back in 2013. My forum name, Articuno I, is one I use on quite a few sites, and is intended to be a little more professional I guess. I'm not sure that I won't change it, but I doubt I'll bother within the near future unless there's some big reason that pops up.
With a more serious question MajesticSwablu asks what is it like being in charge of one of the most popular rooms on PS?
In terms of being in charge, at times I kinda wish I was a regular user. It's not uncommon for the mods to all be on alts, and there's a reason - everyone joins the mods' games, everyone wants to be friends with the mods, and it puts pressure on us to be something we're not. We're just people who like the community and were deemed responsible enough to look after it, but having a symbol next to our names puts us one step further away from said community. That said, it's great to be able to help the community grow and watch it thrive into one of the largest rooms on the server, and I certainly wouldn't want to give that up.
If you could change literally anything about the Monotype Metagame what would it be?
Hmm... well, being on the monotype council gives me quite a few opportunities in that regard, but honestly it's very difficult to balance the meta. In terms of the meta itself putting type bans back in made it extremely easy to balance but the meta itself less well-respected in the wider community. I guess if anything I'd unban Zard X, ban Zapdos, ban Aegislash, suspect M-Gallade and simply let Elec and Ghost struggle, however I'm not really happy with that outcome at all. I think it might be the best route to take in the future, although there's pressure on the council to look into other things before we can do anything of the sort. And honestly I'm not sure the meta will turn out that bad the way it's going, generally speaking we're in a very comfortable position right now.
As always we would like to know ur bae fam .3.
Just so long as I can ward off deg, I'll survive.
Alright DoW before we end any words of wisdom or sage advice you can offer out to the Monotypers out there?
Hmm... I guess I'd just reiterate a few old things, such as if you're struggling at the meta just keep practicing and it'll come to you eventually, and that if you want to join the room then feel free, we won't bite and if you do well there's a good chance of getting a + within the next month.
I'm a very introverted person by nature and I remember having to work up the courage to type "hello" into the chat, but it was most certainly worthwhile. The community is, by and large, very accepting and helpful, and if you can help it stay that way then you'll go a long way.
The most often drunk staff member of Mono! Death on Wings
Interviewed by TheAce22
Sup Dow!
Lets start off with the basics. Will you tell us about yourself IRL? Are you still in school? do you have a job? Location? Anything other generic information you are willing to share?
I'm currently a student at the University of York, in England. I'm largely a generic nerd, though that's not to say I don't also do sports, I play quite a bit of quidditch in my spare time!
Ahh Quiddtich, you a fan of the Harry Potter series? Im more a Percy Jackson type of guy. I never knew it was a real sport heh.
Yeah, it's a real sport, check out the wikipedia page. But Harry Potter, Pokemon, anything nerdy I've probably had a look at and enjoyed.
C'mon DoW your not supposed to directly say Pokemon is nerdy! So I was checking out the page and Im wondering what position are you best at or which do you like most, Chaser, Keeper, Beater, Seeker?
I'm a chaser, my job is to get the Quaffle into the opposing hoops while tacking any opposing chasers and avoiding bludgers, attempting to get the score to over 30 higher than the opponent's score so that even if they catch the snitch we still win. As you can tell, it's a very simple game. <_<
Also, go Slytherin!
I agree, seems easy! Alright, heres your chance to brag. Tell us something you feel is awesome about yourself.
This is always the hardest question, there's never anything for me to brag about u_u
If I had to pick something I guess it would be my position on the Monotype Council, I feel that I know the monotype meta pretty well and I enjoy spending hours playing or talking with the community when I have the time, but in general I'm just an average-ish nerd honestly x_x
Heh, well on to Pokemon stuff. What first got you into PS and why did you choose the Monotype room?
I was bored in 6th-form (which is the last two years of school for you non-English people out there) and found my way onto watching some competitive pokemon videos on youtube. I'd stopped playing pokemon when I was 12 or something, but they made me want to play again, and I found my way onto showdown after watching a video that had used it. This was back before either the room or the tier existed, but I decided monotype teams were cool so took to the OU ladder with one, featuring such incredible mons as Articuno, Scyther, and Yache Dragonite. Back then the main ranking was Glicko-2 IIRC, anyway you could get a score below your starting score (unlike now when it's a minimum of 1000). So I slowly fell to low enough that I'd face quite a few other people using monotype teams, and I eventually got into a community of them, led by a certain global voice named Evolved Conkeldurr (the facebook group is still there, Omega and I are admins of it now). We'd run monotype tournaments on Challonge in the lobby (the only room at that point), and although I never did particularly well I learned quite a bit.
Anyway, soon enough both rooms and the OU Monotype format were created, and I took to the ladder and just lurked in the room. After a while I got recruited into Biblia league, where I stayed for perhaps half a year, but I'd still lurk in the monotype room and keep up with certain things in the facebook group such as EvoConk leaving ("I'll be back when my internet's fixed" my ass). Eventually Biblia fell to pieces and I decided to spend more time in the monotype room, which happened around new years 2014, partially because of the monotype league there. And since then I've been a part of the chat.
Wow, I hear stories about Glicko, scary. So many people would like to know:
What is your favorite Pokemon?
What is your favorite type?
What type do you specialize in?
My favourite pokemon is Articuno, closely followed by Scyther.
My favourite type is Flying, and I specialised in it up until the Zard X ban, lately I haven't yet found a team that I like quite so much though. I guess I consider myself something of a freelance monotyper until I can finally settle on one.
Stun asks, if you could change anything in all of history, what would it be?
Uh... I guess I'd stop Stalin coming to power. The USSR was approaching something more like modern-day China until he stepped in, so I'd be helping the world a whole load as well as preventing what's probably a larger death count than Hitler caused <_<
Gratitude asks how did you come up with your name and Scpinion asks when will you get a name change on Smogon?
Death on Wings because that's a name that I decided would sound cool back when I started using a mono flying team on the OU ladder back in 2013. My forum name, Articuno I, is one I use on quite a few sites, and is intended to be a little more professional I guess. I'm not sure that I won't change it, but I doubt I'll bother within the near future unless there's some big reason that pops up.
With a more serious question MajesticSwablu asks what is it like being in charge of one of the most popular rooms on PS?
In terms of being in charge, at times I kinda wish I was a regular user. It's not uncommon for the mods to all be on alts, and there's a reason - everyone joins the mods' games, everyone wants to be friends with the mods, and it puts pressure on us to be something we're not. We're just people who like the community and were deemed responsible enough to look after it, but having a symbol next to our names puts us one step further away from said community. That said, it's great to be able to help the community grow and watch it thrive into one of the largest rooms on the server, and I certainly wouldn't want to give that up.
If you could change literally anything about the Monotype Metagame what would it be?
Hmm... well, being on the monotype council gives me quite a few opportunities in that regard, but honestly it's very difficult to balance the meta. In terms of the meta itself putting type bans back in made it extremely easy to balance but the meta itself less well-respected in the wider community. I guess if anything I'd unban Zard X, ban Zapdos, ban Aegislash, suspect M-Gallade and simply let Elec and Ghost struggle, however I'm not really happy with that outcome at all. I think it might be the best route to take in the future, although there's pressure on the council to look into other things before we can do anything of the sort. And honestly I'm not sure the meta will turn out that bad the way it's going, generally speaking we're in a very comfortable position right now.
As always we would like to know ur bae fam .3.
Just so long as I can ward off deg, I'll survive.
Alright DoW before we end any words of wisdom or sage advice you can offer out to the Monotypers out there?
Hmm... I guess I'd just reiterate a few old things, such as if you're struggling at the meta just keep practicing and it'll come to you eventually, and that if you want to join the room then feel free, we won't bite and if you do well there's a good chance of getting a + within the next month.
I'm a very introverted person by nature and I remember having to work up the courage to type "hello" into the chat, but it was most certainly worthwhile. The community is, by and large, very accepting and helpful, and if you can help it stay that way then you'll go a long way.