Opinions that Count!

An Interview with Blogger Aggro Me

by: Paul "SLiDE" Shortt

EverQuest 2 news, content, and lore, while consistently fascinating (lol), can eventually lead to dehydration and blurred vision. That is exactly why I need a place to go where I can see that our troubles are all the same.
I want to be where everybody knows my name. :: piano interlude ::

Aggro Me's blog spot is where I choose to go. Ok... so maybe the people that hang out there don't know my name, but it's oddly comfortable, and I don't like to leave. When given the oft chance, Aggro Me writes his blogs in an honest, upfront fashion about EQ2, other MMO's, and general news that revolves around the community. It was a pleasure collaborating with Aggro Me to put together this wonderful interview.

SLiDE: Thanks again, for sitting down with me. Why don't we start with the basics? How did your interest in MMOs start?

Aggro Me: I was big into playing door games on BBS’s since the first day I ever got a modem.  I still remember the sweet, wonderful sound my external modem would make upon connecting successfully.

But then I became interested in other things during my college/law school years and I kind of left the world of computer gaming for a while.  It wasn’t until I played City of Heroes when it was released that I got hooked again.  Now I find it hard to get into a non-MMO type game.

SLiDE: Rumor has it, that sweet wonderful sound is actually the screams of dying fairies brought on by a connecting modem. We should save the fairies. It's the high speed era folks... throw out the modems. *Ahem* sorry... What was it that motivated you to start a MMO related blog spot?

Aggro Me: I’ll let you in on a secret I don’t think I’ve ever stated publicly.  It wasn’t money (good thing because there isn’t any), fame (haha), or the desire to get a job at a game company that got me started with Aggro Me.  I conceived the idea for a novel, entitled “Aggro Me” before I ever started the site.  The blog was really a research tool to help me with that novel and maybe act as a launching pad if I ever finished it.

Of course, things change.  That novel is still mired in the second chapter and the blog has several hundred lengthy posts.  I started to really care about EQII and I wanted to change it for the better.  That normally took the form of blasting perceived imperfections in the game, and believe me there were plenty in those days.  Lately, I have taken on a more positive note not because I’ve changed, but because the game has.  I’m as honest now as I was then and if I tried to be negative just for the sake of it, I would be doing myself and my readers a grave disservice. 

Along the way I’ve read a bunch of game design books, learned a lot and met plenty of cool people so that’s been a great bonus.

SLiDE: Even if the novel has become somewhat stuck in it's current state, I still wish you luck on completing it.

Congratulations on your recent level 60 ding this month. Between working as an attorney, writing in your blog almost daily and playing the game, do you have time to do anything else? Any hobbies?

Aggro Me: Thank you.  It took me a while to hit 60.  Work keeps me pretty busy as does writing the site and being the co-leader of a raid guild (though we keep it on the casual side).  But I do read plenty of fantasy novels as well as modern literary fiction (I was an English major). I play in live draft fantasy football and baseball leagues and always finish in the money.   I also enjoy hitting the New York nightlife with my friends and hanging out on the Aggro Forums, where we have a role-playing game going, amongst other things.

SLiDE: Ah, it's good to hear that you get a chance to relax and get out on occasion. I personally work for a lawfirm, and it's hard to imagine adding a regularly updated blogspot, EQ2 and other interests to such a time consuming field. Have your real life job and MMO gaming ever intermingled in some way or another?

Aggro Me: I wouldn’t say intermingled as much as interfered with each other time-wise.  The only time my knowledge as an Attorney has affected my views on MMO gaming is when I see people making ridiculous statements on legal issues such as the taxation of virtual property.  But I try not to get into that because I don’t want to be seen as giving legal advice.  Oh, and my work on my guild’s DKP spreadsheet has helped my Excel skills which in turn helped me on a project I was working on at work.

SLiDE: At least you've never mixed up and faxed out a DKP spreadsheet instead of those 706 forms you were supposed to send to your client. Right? :: uncomfortable silence::

According to your profile linked to your blogspot, you play a Wizard.  Do you play this exclusively or do you have other alts who help pass the time?

Aggro Me: I’ve messed around with a few scout classes as well as playing a Guardian but I never took them higher than the 20’s.  Playing an alt in EQII is very fun, but I usually prefer to spend any down-time trying out other MMO’s.  Since I started with EQII I’ve played CoH, WoW, Eve, the DDO beta and recently SWG.  I like to see the way different game companies try to do different things.  Hey, I’ve even played Neopets and I’m not afraid to admit it.  And yes, I've even tried Toontown.  I do intend to put in significant time on a Troubadour alt I will be rolling on the EQII PvP server.

(please click on "Next Page" to continue the interview.)