Viperstrike - A man with a vision

Saransk was still misty early morning when I met Viperstrike inside the auction hall - staring, pondering, calculating, selling crafted items, buying up new ressources!

His name "Shadowsniper Viperstrike" suits him well but not because he's shooting anyone - but because he somehow manage to snipe around - being everywere and yet un-seen. Viperstrike is the type of guy who seems to have tried everything and he manage to store all his knowledge in nice little boxes and storage files in his brain, ready to be shared if you ask him kindly.

33 years old and in real life living in New South Wales, Australia - though for nearly 2 years he has been living in AfterWorld whenever real life time allowed it.

Standing there in the auction you find a very game-well-set guy who is eternally wondering how the game is put together and how to use it's possibilities the best way! I approach him slowly, but he seems to have eyes in the back of his head and before turning around he says "Oh hey Lykke - ready for that interview already?". Yeah, I know I bugged him for long, but did he have to be so obvious about it? Anyway, in lack of a café we decided just to stay in the auction and I promised to make the interview clean and fast!

There are many games out there and I was curious to know what made Viperstrike playing a game like AfterWorld which is - compared to other games - very special and still on it's way.

Viperstrike smiles at me - he doesn't seem to have to think long about this one "The non-casino aspects of AfterWorld as an RCE service where a stable RCE venture can be built around the system on offer. Also it is something new to explore" is his reply.

The game has developed quite a bit, did you experience major changes in the game since you start playing? "Oh yes, many changes for the better", Viperstrike nods "I feel it is a long experience process and learning curve the developers are undergoing to produce a fair & balanced environment where players new and old all have opportunities in not missing the boat for future years to come".

I know Viperstrike has nearly tried it all in game, and wanted to know about his preferred professions. "Revive spammer is my favourite" he grins and continues "Preferred is hard to say, I like to dabble in all areas since I primarily use what I craft at this early point in time of game development. Later I hope for shops to become available around the major city areas in Survival of which I shall concentrate on a select range of armour for all levels and mid to high end mining equipment".

"Do you believe in the *Real Cash Economy* this game claims to have?" Viperstrike looks at me seriously "Most certainly; It is still early days though I have seen much progression since joining in the unfolding potential of what AfterWorld has to offer as a fair and balanced economy for all at all levels to be involved in over the direct competition which I am also involved with, as many others are or have been".

I know Viperstrike also from Entropia Universe, and I wanted to know what he believes makes AfterWorld different from other RCE games (even though there's not many to choose from).

"Since AfterWorld is the only "direct" competition in the RCE MMO game market, your right as about not many to choose from", Viperstrike grins and continues "The main difference is the consistency of the calculated return rate and ability to calculate costs involved in producing kit in the environment for both personal use and to sell to others; This allows for a stable RCE venture to be established where accounting can be done in a manner that is un-complicated and not confusing. It also allows you to establish customer relations that the customer and you as the provider can bank on without casino factors disrupting this relationship and throwing it into chaos".

A man always on a mission and with a vision, but what is Viperstrikes future vision of AW?
"Oh wow, do you really have that much space in this interview?" I look down embarrased, but I believe the question is fairly important and Viperstrike nods again and continues "I have a "lot" of ideas; On occasion my mind races at night there are so many. Some of the smaller & simpler ideas you can already find across this forum to improve the current state of game-play and on economy based concepts to bring about a fair & balanced environment for all, at all levels of involvement, squashing perceived exploits which bring imbalance and create the potential for future participants to "miss the boat". Some examples - I will have to fix the coloured text in these: Viper's speculation & ideas for Survival concerning looting, vehicles & corporations, Evolving the method by which the participant progress in skills such as, avoids, weapons & tools.

I'm kind of thinking if I should have started this or not when he continues "The larger ideas are mostly far future ideas ranging from establishing space based combustion vehicles to travel to the AfterWorld moon to setup mining operations to mine for new resources and elements such as H30 Hydroxonium and T2O Tritium Oxide (super heavy radioactive water) to power new fusion based propulsion systems.

These new ion/plasma propulsion systems will allow for space jumps to new locations such as Mars of which the robots & cyborgs of AfterWorld have also progressed their own technology to reach and establish operations, furthermore venturing further out to space and bringing back some underground dwelling life forms which they let free to built their own hive like structures throughout the now terra-formed surface of Mars.

The robots & cyborgs built terra-forming platforms on Mars to support research and development of their own biological life-forms to help them wage the war against humans back home on AfterWorld (Earth).

The new resources gathered from the AfterWorld moon giving hyper-space capabilities also allows player based vehicles to be owned by each individual and not by just a select few which would give greater benefit to overall economic activity in AfterWorld.

These new alien and biologically engineered life-forms on Mars captured and released by the robots & cyborgs in undertaking their research to combat humans back home also providing new resources for new items & equipment.

The vision for the distant future is to see Dedicated Logic also progress this service to a platform architecture one day, opening up partnerships to develop new worlds within our known galaxy such as Alpha-Centuri.

Well you did ask for my vision, there are some small snippets :)

I laugh, yes I did ask because I wanted to know! "Viperstrike, will you recommend the game to others?" He smiles, "As time permits, I already do. Like HERE.

"Ok, but if you should advise new people about how to start in the game, what would you tell them?"
Hm Viperstrike takes a minutes break and replies "All good things take a lot of time and patience. AfterWorld or any RCE for that matter will take time and patience, especially if you expect to start out as primarily a non-depositor. I do however recommend making an initial invest if you are looking to commit yourself to a service and make something of it. Depositing a small amount will bring you light years ahead and make the game that much easier to play and enjoy" :)

"Knowing this game needs a lot of patience - how did/do you survive?"
Viperstrike laughs "You got that right :D I must admit I have had my moments. Belonging to something that is still in its early creation stage can be tough at times. Systems are not yet in place to make the environment user-friendly and this I continuously reminded myself when starting out and learning.

I also recommend people to become familiar with Afterwiki and not to rush things in these early stages of game development. I have made a number of mistakes by diving in and ploughing ahead only to have change come about. Even though most of the concepts being developed are starting to take a much more stable hold, please just take things slow and don't expect too much too quickly in these early stages of pre-release development work.

HERE is something to read which may give a little assurance to why some things "may" be the way they are at times."

There’s been a lot of soc wars going on in AW - a lot more than 'other games' - especially because of the possible PVP areas. I wonder how Viperstrike believes this affects the game play - and if he has any good ideas to how to prevent it! "The community is in its early stages of development, yes there have been some trouble makers and yes the PvP nature of AfterWorld present day is highly unbalanced for an RCE environment (non conducive to a large extent) to grow the game. The developers have acknowledged this and I believe we will see a much more balanced environment with Survival to support all levels of activity and game-play styles in the RCE environment which support the systems and developed concepts for activity within.

LINK > http://www.afterworldforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=362

When I ask Viper about his expecations with the vehicles and the new items and their possibilities, he points me to THIS thread of Viper's speculation & ideas for Survival concerning looting, vehicles & corporations.

A very important question I wish to ask is, what he loves the most about AfterWorld, and he replies "It's new, exciting and taking the RCE concept to new heights not yet explored in the competitors offering, Entropia. Not to forget the people here in AfterWorld are fantastic, very friendly & helpful. Sure there are some troublesome people like in all MMOs but they are far and few between", he smiles and shrugs.

"Anything you wish would be different/changed in game?"
"I wish not to comment too much on this as it is early days, the developer’s vision and framework is not all in place yet. Avoid skilling and armour use being my main concerns at present".

"Do you have any advice for the AfterWorld development team?"
"Yes, a very important piece of advice. Please, even though it takes time away from development work, make a concerted effort each day to answer support case emails and address their issues, even if it delays the development cycle a little. This I guarantee you is more important than all the development work you are doing for AfterWorld. Maintain your future potential clients.From little things, big things grow. If you knock about your potential clients at the starting point, this is where you establish "the basis" of the ongoing development of your future reputation. Please do not make life difficult for yourselves later to restore the image of AfterWorld customer support.

It would be quite interesting to know how a 'normal' day in AfterWorld look like for a guy like Viperstrike! But obviously it is quite 'normal' "At this time I am skilling MFCs (Manufacturing profession levels) and using up the items I craft; So most of my day is spent decaying items for both ASP programs & levels that I am progressing for the future." Ahh, so this is why you're so quiet :)

"Already investing a lot in AW, do you intend to keep playing - maybe even investing more in the game?"
"Yes I intend to continue playing" Viperstrike looks at the market terminal and then back on me "Currently I am at 4,000 USD invested with the intention to invest further in preparation before Survival release". Wow, I gasp .. "That's a lot ..."

"If people wish to invest in the game, do you - as an experienced player who knows a lot about how the game works - have any good advice you wish to share?"
"Start small and work with what you can afford only, do not go beyond your means because you feel you will be left behind. I do not believe this service will be developed in such a way that anyone will miss the boat now or in the future. A small amount goes a very long way here in AfterWorld in general terms of game-play."

I can tell that he longs to get back to business - the interview also lasted longer than I 'promised', and I will leave him with his auction, his speculations and his calculations - and I ask him if there's one last comment he wish to share...

"Eat your greens, be good to your family and live long & prosper - I had to be a smartarse somewhere in the interview" Viperstrike grins from ear to ear and I smile and know this is my clue! I thank him for being so kind to spent his valuable time on this interview and dust off back to the door, outside in the young crisp morning sun lots of wisdom richer.

:rofl: :D

glad you like it tho ;)

My mistake - fixed now, lawa ;) Sure feels to me you must have been in there for a lifetime ;) Not a major mistake if you ask me though! It's your great knowledge and spirit, which is important ^^