Hi guys and gals! You might suspect that since today is April 1st, I'm going to do something ridiculous and funny, or try to pull a fast one on you and interview Bill Gates or the ghost of a forerunner or something silly like that. Nope: I'm just keep doin' what I do. Which is talking to people worth talking to, about the stuff they do that's worth talking about. And if that's not good enough for you, we're BROKEN UP! *sob*
Today's guinea pig is Juanez Sanchez, recent featuree and future NBA Hall of Famer. Enjoy as I spray hair products into his eyes to see if they make him squirm or go blind or whatever...
[l-col]Nutduster: Welcome to the hot seat. Is it uncomfortable? Can I offer you a refreshing lemonade?[/l-col][r-col]Juanez Sanchez: 'Sup blood. Chair is fine. The leather feels good on my ass. I only drink coffee. You don't appear to have any so I won't stay long, 'cos I am already starting to shake from withdrawal.[/r-col]
[l-col]Nutduster: So, Juanez Sanchez. You don't sound particularly Hispanic. Where'd the name come from? Please try not to say something that will get Forge Hub shut down by LULAC.[/l-col][r-col]Juanez Sanchez: True dat, I am English born and bred. A Yorkshire lad. Oddly enough I went to on holiday with 'the Mrs' to mexico about 5 years ago, and was mistaken for a hispanic singer called Juanes. It just stuck out when I picked my GT I suppose. Derp.[/r-col]
[l-col]Nutduster: That is indeed a peculiar explanation - but hey, at least your gamertag isn't xXxomgItzJuanezKilla69xXx. So how long have you been forging? I feel like I've known you for years (and played on a couple dozen of your maps), but I assume it's been longer than that. Was it a long, hard (that's what she said) slog to get to the point where you were making feature-worthy maps?[/l-col][r-col]Juanez Sanchez: I started on Halo3 but the first attempts were pretty poop. The finished Halo3 maps I made were... also poop.
I used to play more MM back then. Halo Reach came along and it had a better forge, but more than that, I got sucked up into the *wonderful* community side of Halo. Forge Hub and all its users are a diverse and amazingly creative bunch; from 'In your base stealing your flags' to 'Kawk Blockin', though to finely tuned competitive maps.
Radiant was my best effort to date, and a map I actually enjoyed playing on myself which is almost a first. I hope others did too.[/r-col]
[l-col]Nutduster: I can only vouch for myself and the many guys who pass through TCOJ, and the entire population of the western hemisphere... but yes, we did. Speaking of feature-worthy maps, tell us about the planning and building of Radiant. How long did that take, and how many different bodily fluids were expended in the making? I refer here to blood, sweat and tears, not whatever gross thing YOU were thinking of.[/l-col][r-col]Juanez Sanchez: I almost made Radiant by accident. After coming up with a couple maps that had potential, I decided to make a map where a central corridor/bridge became a focal point, but also that a mancannon would blast a spartan straight through the centre of said corridor. That part worked but it was a goofy gimmick and had to go.
It took maybe 15 hrs total including re-builds, but really I owe everything to my heroic and patient, very patient, testers. TCOJ dudes in particular give great feedback, and I urge anyone who wants a map of theirs tested to get it into an established testing lobby, with serious and (almost) mature testers. With that help, your map will become its very best.[/r-col]
[l-col]Nutduster: Hey, that's what we're here for! Of your pre-Radiant maps, which ones are you most proud of, and which ones would you prefer to burn to the ground and salt the earth so that nothing might grow there again? Speak freely; you're among friends.[/l-col][r-col]Juanez Sanchez: Sigh. I made a few, didn't I? But to be honest I made a Covenant cruiser map called 'CCS Silent Barbarian' on Reach, and it played a passable game of Invasion. But it was a massive absorbing project. Bruising and immensely fun but not a build I would repeat. It's still on here under Reach Standard maps, go look. The thread is likely better than the map though.
I done several crap ones. The less said the better.[/r-col]
[l-col]Nutduster: No worries - all us forgers have a few maps we'd like to Eternal Sunshine out of our own memories. So, you hail from Great Britain. What's it like forging and playing Halo in that part of the world? Seems like all my British friends (I've somehow collected a number of them) are sleep-deprived from staying up until the wee hours to play with us Americans. Are we just that awesome that you prefer us over your fellow Euros? [/l-col][r-col]Juanez Sanchez: We love Halo over here! But I don't think its as popular as Call of Duty, so I only personally know one guy who is anywhere near as into Halo as me. There are a lot of guys from Blighty on here, too- staff and regular schmoes. I also play Halo when 'The Mrs' has gone to bed, from about 11 onwards. So playing with my Yankee chums is a pleasure, not a chore. And somehow the species 'Trollus Americanus' just isn't as aggravating as its British cousin.[/r-col]
[l-col]Nutduster: See also: "Berb."
You've been a regular fixture of TCOJ (the customs lobby I run) for ages now. Do you remember how you found us? 'cause I sure don't. And why do you keep coming back week after week?[/l-col][r-col]Juanez Sanchez: I think I wanted to find some mature and sensible guys to play customs with is all. And I'm still looking LOL JK
Nah. Yourself and GrenadeGorilla were running the fairest and most organized lobby I had come across. You got constructive feedback and the lobby itself ran like clockwork- two slots then passed along in the most gentlemanly fashion.
It's a testament to the managers of TCOJ how the lobby has become phenomenally popular, even though Halo customs in general have waned.[/r-col]
[l-col]Nutduster: I swear to you I wasn't fishing for compliments there, but thanks. And my immaturity is my greatest asset! You're also a regular presence at Blueprint, which is hosted on the old Bungie site last I checked. What's their story? I feel like they're a bit of a secret society, like the Freemasons or something.[/l-col][r-col]Juanez Sanchez: Oh those guys are brilliantly dedicated forgers and super professional - their regular testing night is also on a tuesday, and called TNT (tuesday night tests). Alzarahn runs TNT and does an amazing job too. The Bungie site suffers from severely reduced Halo-traffic these days since severing ties with the franchise, but the group, which seems to have the attention of several key forgers and CCs, is doing great business as usual - many fine MM maps have come from that wellspring of imagination. Go check 'em out, theys nice boys.[/r-col]
[l-col]Nutduster: Any parting words for our community? Today's April Fools Day, so be as sassy as possible.[/l-col][r-col]Juanez Sanchez: Forge Hub is still the biggest site for this fine hobby on the internet, and it's a greatly friendly and accepting place too. For the overwhelming majority of you it'll be the first and last time you hear of me - unless you see me robbing that bank on Crimewatch. So I will just say continue being NICE to each other. If you play a map that displeases you, don't call it 'a bag of shit', or 'a joypuke of awful'. Remember that everything you get handed to test or play in a lobby represents HOURS of concentration, hard work and effort, and lays the forger bare as a newborn babe. And almost everything can be chipped and polished into something awesome. Not very sassy, sorry.[/r-col]
[l-col]Nutduster: Aww. I'll have to find somebody who's more of an asshole next go-round. Thanks for being here, even minus the requisite sass![/l-col]
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