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Member Spotlight #1: Ask Shademp anything

Ⓐaron

Factiō Rēpūblicāna dēlenda est.
AKA
The Man, V
This is a new thing we're doing where we give a specific member a thread for a week in which they can share whatever information they want about themselves, then answer whatever questions the public asks them. It's sort of an expansion on the "Let's get to know each other" thread by, well, giving one member the spotlight. More information on the concept can be found here.

This week's participant is [member=66]Shademp[/member], who has elected to share the following information:
Family: Non-divorced parents, three older brothers and one younger sister.

Sexuality: Hetero

Employment: Cleaner at a charcuterie (slaughter factory). Fairly easy job.

Metaphysical views: Atheist. Holds no belief in an after-life of any kind.

Political alignment: Mostly indifferent, with the exception of having a great dislike for xenophobia and nationalism.

Goals in life: Continuous self-improval, living a peaceful life but not so peaceful to deter me from new experiences. Wants to learn expression through digital art and programming, to design at least one or two (pretentious in that indie-type-of-way) small games.


Miscellaneous:
- Excessive coffee drinker but I'm not too picky about the coffee type
- Was diagnosed with (a light form?) of aspergers in my teenage years. The syndrome does not describe me well but the diagnose allowed me the support I later needed when stepping out in society.
- Studied physics in the university for one year (2008-2009) before realizing it just wasn't my thing. Discontinued the studies. I was never good at understanding "science things", but I value skepticism and the scientific method.

Feel free to ask whatever you'd like. This thread will be up for approximately a week before we move onto our next participant. :monster:
 

Joker

We have come to terms
AKA
Godot
Why FFVII?

ed: perhaps I should elucidate - what is it about VII that hits you the way it does, as opposed to a different game (or something else altogether), to inspire the research, etc?
 
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Ghost X

Moderator
How is cleaning at a slaughterhouse an easy job? I tell you what, cleaning at a meat-packaging place and a chicken hatchery certainly isn't :P. Do hygiene standards matter less at slaughterhouses or? :P. Maybe you have a slaughterhouse cleaning gift.
 

Cabaret

Donator
Will you marry me? :P

Do you see yourself being married with 2.4 kids, white wedding and all that?Or do you see yourself with a more alternative romantic future? And don't give me that forever alone crap without a good (non-self pitying) reason - what do you see in your head as a perfect coupling future?

Also what brought you to TLS? And why did you stay?
 

Carlie

CltrAltDelicious
AKA
Chloe Frazer
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
 
Why FFVII?
I love this question. Though I have thought about this matter a lot, I feel somewhat guilty over not digging EVEN DEEPER on the subject over the years. Because I am not 100% sure myself (only about 95% sure) this answer is going to be very...rambly. To make the reading more inspired, I embed this FFVII track.




I think familiarity and nostalgia are the two biggest factors. FFVII was the first J-RPG I understood how to play (Chrono Trigger was my first J-RPG but I didn't understand the menu-based battles at the time), it teased at the time of games becoming more cinematic, it had interesting plot twists and details to the world.



I still remember the binder I had from the late 90s to early 00s, where I saved all my notes about the game: Story, characters, gameplay, passwords, items, records, important English words (every game was a learning experience in English and FFVII especially so), the structure of the Shinra company etc etc.

Completing games 100% was very important to me from a young age, but FFVII was special in that it didn't just warrant completion through running from point A to point B on Stage 1-4. Every facet of the game yelled out at me to be understood, picked apart, categorized and organized neatly. You don't get quite that level of complexity with the plot of platformers like Super Mario Bros, Mega Man or Metroid.

For many years my primary concern was to achieve a "Perfect Game" (or "Perfect Save") in FFVII. Max out collections, escape zero times, do each possible battle in Fort Condor etc etc. Each year from 1998 and onwards I revisited the game, convinced that the combination of my own experiences and the discoveries I read on the internet now constituted the PERFECT GUIDE TO THE PERFECT SAVE. Of course each year came with the revelation that I had missed something. That trend continues to this day, with new discoveries reshaping what constitutes a "perfect save" for those interested in that type of venture.

The last time I played FFVII for the purpose of achieving a perfect save must have been in late 2008 to early 2009, where I attempted to max out natural HP and MP for the characters. I failed in that endeavor due to the charts given to me being erroneous. After having played the game for three months, constantly resetting my PlayStation until the random number generator rolled the dice in my favor, I was DONE. Ten years of trying to achieve a perfect game and the final result constituted mostly of MADNESS.


I was done with the 'Perfect Save' adventure, but a different seed had been planted that would continue my FFVII obsession elsewhere. In 2007 (or 2008, I honestly don't remember) BrutalAl introduced me to 7mimic, the software that could display the FFVII backgrounds and their scripts. All the unused backgrounds, animations and most importantly the UNUSED TEXT made my FFVII-organizing mind drool. It astounded me that nobody had tried to thoroughly document EVERY ROW of unused text! I mean...it's right there!

Changes in circumstances, new friends and new software then allowed for the entertaining (though immensely troublesome) Unused Text Series to be born. On that topic, Part 10 has actually been mostly finished for over half a year now. :P All that remains there are the translations. I will contact my translator, Kusabi, again soon and see if he has the time and energy to complete that last piece for the article. Part 11 will cover the final parts of FFVII's main story.



Why the long history lecture? Because FFVII, to me, is like that friend or significant other whom you grow up and change with. Your new selves may be (almost) completely different from how you started out, but shared memories and mutual fondness keep you together and make the bond even stronger. You learn your own flaws and the flaws of your friend/partner yet in the face of that the bond is not weakened. There's no need to cover up the truth with cotton candy.

The friend/partner analogy is not perfect of course. FFVII is not an individual that can reciprocate emotions. It is JUST A GAME. Or as it is with the Compilation of FFVII: A series of stories told through multiple mediums. It is JUST THAT and only that. I was born in the right time and played FFVII at the right time in order for it to stick in my mind and titilate that part of me who wants to 100% complete and document a game.

FFVII holds endearing qualities, certainly, but if any other game experience had been my first to have a huge world and a compelling mythos, I reckon that other game would have become my HUGE obsession instead. The FFVII games and lore are far from alone in possessing the qualities that initially attracted me and has kept me hooked ever since.

Similar to how if you had not met that one friend or sexy gal/boy, you would have probably ended up meeting somebody else.


Final Fantasy VII did become that game/franchise though. I can truthfully say... I love Final Fantasy VII.



SUMMARIZING KEY WORDS:
- Familiarity
- Nostalgia
- Game Completion
- Discovery
- Organized Documentation
 
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How is cleaning at a slaughterhouse an easy job? I tell you what, cleaning at a meat-packaging place and a chicken hatchery certainly isn't :P. Do hygiene standards matter less at slaughterhouses or? :P. Maybe you have a slaughterhouse cleaning gift.
It's easy because I clean in the spaces between where the meaty stuff is going on. ;) Corridors and locker rooms.

I'm the guy who has it so easy in my work life that the majority, who are less privileged, most likely want to punch me in the face. *grabs protective gear*

The only bad part is that my right shoulder is often strained from the job. To amend this I exercise and visit the masseur of the factory (free massages for employees, YAY) but the shoulder annoyance has never completely solved itself.

what's your favorite type of candy bar it's important
The only type of candy I really like is chocolate, but my taste for chocolate has receded greatly. The cause is a long history of over-consumption of chocolate bars, to the point that they start to taste bad, mixed with living a healthier lifestyle that deters me from chocolate. I hate how it slows my mind.

If I HAD to pick a chocolate bar as a favorite, it would be Sport Lunch (which appears to be a Scandinavian + Netherlands + Italian thing). The taste would still be decent but I won't buy it anymore because of how my body/mind reacts to it. >__<

What do they kill for meat in the Pokémon world?
I was going to say that humans don't kill pokémon because it's not unreasonable to think that most humans would become vegetarian when it turns out the animals can speak, even if that speech is limited to their own name. Then I realized that it seems less intuitive to think that all pokémon are vegetarians. Surely pidgeys like to eat caterpies all the time. ...Then again I don't remember everything from when I was a pokémon fan. Is it ever stated in the pokédex that pokémon eat each other?

Alright enough of the silliness. I know the question doesn't have a good answer. :awesome:

Could turn that into a job cleaning up crime scenes. :monster:

Alternately, there's being a mafia janitor.
MY WELL-DISGUISED CRIMINAL LIFE HAS BEEN EXPOSED
 
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Gym Leader Devil

True Master of the Dark-type (suck it Piers)
AKA
So many names
I was going to say that humans don't kill pokémon because it's not unreasonable to think that most humans would become vegetarian when it turns out the animals can speak, even if that speech is limited to their own name.

The only Pokemon who do this are Pikachu. Seriously, the anime is lies.

Surely pidgeys like to eat caterpies all the time.

Also Magikarp, if they get caught splashing near the surface.

...Then again I don't remember everything from when I was a pokémon fan. Is it ever stated in the pokédex that pokémon eat each other?

Yes. Repeatedly. Constantly. Even some of the herbivorous/mineral-eating Pokemon are noted to do some terrible things to other Pokemon, let alone the carnivores. Go get the Pokedex entries for Scolipede and Bisharp, just for starters. Then check out the Ghastly family. Sweet dreams :monster:

Anyway, trying not to derail your spotlight thread too much with my obsessive Gym Leader knowledge and shizz, so... Starter Pokemon: Which do you choose? :trainermon: I'll seriously resist posting again till I think of more serious questions.
 

Cabaret

Donator
Are you close to your siblings?

Does the aspergers diagnosis help you or hinder you nowadays?

Are you happy where you work or do you want to do something different in the future? Like something sciencey maybe?

If you saw injustices happening, how would you react? (In my head you're a superhero :D )
 
@Pyro

I enjoy the fact that you are a huge pokémon nerd. :salute: Starter Pokémon: Squirtle. I am faithful to the blue cartridge and Squirtle -> Wartortle -> Blastoise.

Will you marry me?
I'm certainly tempted. ;)
Do you see yourself being married with 2.4 kids, white wedding and all that?Or do you see yourself with a more alternative romantic future? And don't give me that forever alone crap without a good (non-self pitying) reason - what do you see in your head as a perfect coupling future?
I do not want to have kids of my own. Ever. 'Maybe' in the far future (10-20 years), when I have grown more, I could date a woman who already has one or two kids and aid in raising them. But I can't see myself going further than that.

The worst part about having this perspective is that most will deny you the right to have it. "You'll change your mind" SHUT THE FUCK UP what if you voted blue and I constantly said "You'll change your mind and vote red. Everybody changes their mind to red". I have never wanted kids and have in fact always been adamant about not wanting spread my genes. Deal with it. That's just who I am.


The white wedding is not something I associate myself with. If my girlfriend wants to have a wedding and I love her deeply, I may agree to it either solely because of how much I love her or additionally because she makes me fond of the wedding suggestion.


I have no idea what the perfect coupling would be. With zero experience in romantic relationships the only purposes I can imagine are...
1) Confirming that I am romantically lovable
2) Confirming that I can love somebody else
3) Aiding and motivating each other in our respective projects and life challenges
4) Having a really good friend whom I can also have sex with

I suppose these points *should* be enough to constitute a working romantic relationship but without experience there is not enough data to confirm if I have fatal relationship flaws. Is my introverted nature and limited social needs a too huge handicap? There's also the question mark as to how many potential partners, especially in my age, who will feel a continuous sense of "meaning" when the relationship has no clear long-term goal such as having children, supporting these children and then spoiling the grandchildren.

A multitude of unknowns. All I know for sure is that I want to be loved at least once. Sometimes I fear dying before knowing what reciprocated love feels like.


Also what brought you to TLS? And why did you stay?
The FFVII-related guide and magazine translations brought me to TLS. I was happy to see ACF reborn into TLS, which ended up way superior.

Stayed for three reasons.
1) Recognized TLS as a platform for my own FFVII articles
2) The awesome members
3) The great quantity of awesome members who make awesome FFVII posts
 
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Joker

We have come to terms
AKA
Godot
Starter Pokémon: Squirtle. I am faithful to the blue cartridge and Squirtle -> Wartortle -> Blastoise.
Finally, someone with some real class around here. :oscar:

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Fish, poultry, "meat" (beef, pork, alternatives like venison, mutton, etc), or none of the above (vegan/vegitarian)?
 

Cabaret

Donator
I soooo know what you mean about the whole "You'll change your mind about having kids brigade" I hate people making those smug assumptions! :rage:

Why choose the name Shademp?
 

Pixel

The Pixie King
Who is your Daddy, and what does he do?

Do bald men wash their head with soap or shampoo?

If Superman was bitten by a vampire, would the sun still give him power, or would it hurt him?
 

Ⓐaron

Factiō Rēpūblicāna dēlenda est.
AKA
The Man, V
How much better is it living in a country where you basically don't ever have to worry whether you can make enough money to afford the basic amenities of life? :monster:
 

Tennyo

Higher Further Faster
If you were to suggest some good Swedish movies for the rest of us to check out, what would you suggest?
 

Octo

KULT OF KERMITU
AKA
Octo, Octorawk, Clarky Cat, Kissmammal2000
Who is your Daddy, and what does he do?

Do bald men wash their head with soap or shampoo?

If Superman was bitten by a vampire, would the sun still give him power, or would it hurt him?

This reminded me of Dr Seuss....the last part needs work though :awesome:


I like the name Sport Lunch better, I could eat one while drinking Football Special :monster:


@Shademp. If you could choose one location in time/space to go to, where would you go and what would you do?
 
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