Manager Spotlight: [tnt]-the newbie troop
Manager Spotlight: [tnt]-the newbie troop
Newsflash is very proud to be able to present an exclusive interview with one of the most illusive and mysterious managers in Scandinavia. Special thanks go out to Flat Out for paving the way for this interview.
Short personal facts about tnt:
Name: Göran.
Occupation: Studying for a Masters Degree in Computer Science.
Residence: Stockholm, Sweden.
Age: 24
Family: single
Pets: a budgie! I bought him when I was 13 and I'm starting to think he will outlive me!
Movie most recently seen (rate it too if you like): On tv it was Scent of a Woman, I'll give it a 4 out of 5 rating. At the cinema it was The Life of David Gale, which is a 5 out of 5 movie.
Book most recently read (rate it too if you like): Bokhandlaren i Kabul (Bookseller of Kabul) by Ã…sne Seierstad. It was a good book worth a 4 out of 5 rating, but the author has been pulling too many PR stunts for my liking...
Last album I bought: José Gonzalez "Veneer". A Swedish singer/songwriter.
Concert most recently attended: Christian Kjellvander at Chinateatern in September. Another Swedish singer/songwriter
Last vacation trip I made: I haven't been abroad in a while, but perhaps my summer visits to the Stockholm archipelago counts.
Favourite place on earth: The Stockholm archipelago.
Person I admire: Peter Forsberg.
When I was a kid I dreamt of being: a professional footballer at Everton FC. The dream is still alive ;)
Short WeBL facts about tnt:
Started playing in week: 106
Most valued WeBL accomplishment: Winning a WT undefeated with tnt-Thunderstruck and winning a WT within my first year of WeBL
Favourite fighter (own): tnt-Cowboy From Hell
Favourite fighter (other manager): Abrianna LaBianca (Flat Out).
Favourite manager: PityPart, imagine the Scandinavian community without him!
Most admirable non-Scandinavian manager: Prodigal.
Most admirable Scandinavian manager: DRoA, I'm still hunting him in the WT rankings.
Most "feared" opponent (regionals): Nick's Naughty Ninjas
Most "feared" opponent (contenders): Albino
Best WeBL moment ever: Winning my first WT with tnt-Phantom Lord. It can't be emphasized enough how much the first WT means. The joy I felt then, exceeds the feeling of winning a WT undefeated with Thunderstruck. I remember clapping my hands so hard they hurt :)
Most memorable fight: Probably beating Bartimaeus for a WT with tnt-Prowler. I had lost two fights against him previously quite badly, and I really didn't think I had a chance in hell. Bartimaeus was very difficult to handle for Prowler and obviously facing the Bobbleheads was always a major obstacle. I've never seen myself as a bigger underdog than in that fight, but I didn't duck him and I think I was rewarded for it. I won thanks to a last round KO and it made me believe in WeBL karma :)
Best fighter you ever fought: Hard to choose from the following: Jerri Maguire, Bartimaeus, Michael Tuck and IBF Welterweight.
Who is the man behind the mysterious newbie troop? (tell us a little about yourself)
I'm studying to become a computer programmer. I already have a bachelors degree in computer science, but I'm now working on a Masters degree since it's impossible to get a job. I work part-time as a football referee and as a web developer.
Do you have any other interests besides WeBL?
I'm a big football fan and I follow the English Premier League closely and especially my favourite team Everton. I like listening to rock music and going to concerts. I also like geeky stuff like programming, drinking Coke and watching The Simpsons :)
What made you start WeBL:ing?
A friend introduced WeBL to me originally. He trained boxing at the time and got a recommendation from one of his boxing friends who played WeBL. I had just quit playing Starcraft a few months earlier after being a major junkie for almost two years, so I desperately needed a multiplayer strategy game to fill the void. My friend's gym name was Urrah Box and he made quite a name for himself in the European region. Unfortunately he quit after about 6 months before he reached the top of contenders.
It was the FP writing that got me interested, because it resembles computer programming, so I got the hang of it quickly. I'm not a boxing fan at all.
Are you playing any other on-line games?
I started playing Hattrick a month ago. Team name is Evertonia FC if anyone fancies a friendly.
Do you have any real life friends playing WeBL?
Nope, unfortnately not. I used to have one, Urrah Box, like I mentioned earlier. I find it hard to explain to people what WeBL is and how it works, so I don't tell many people around me about it.
What's keeping you hooked?
Wanting to get better, I always feel I have to prove myself.
Do you have any specific WeBL goals?
Ever since day one I've always made myself goals to aim for. At first it was winning an RT and then I've made new goals as I've accomplished the old ones. Right now my goal is to win WTs in all weight divisions (I'm missing super-light, junior-fly, fly, and super-fly). I was hoping to achieve this before 2004, but it looks like I might fail. I also want to reach the 100 WTs mark. Those are the main goals, but I also want to win an Olympic gold medal.
How did you start out in WeBL? Was it instant success or did you have to struggle in the beginning like the rest of us?
I suppose I was a bit of an instant success. Looking back I wasn't very good when I started, but I wrote advanced FPs from day one and gradually got better. I found that KP dancers suited my FP writing style and so they did well right from the start. My winning percent has been almost constant in both regionals and contenders ever since I started.
Do you remember your first fighter? Who was he and how did he do?
Don't remember who it was, but I do remember creating dancers with 10 conditioning during my first week J
Are there any sharp turns, bumps or jumps in your WeBL career? If so, what caused them?
I think there are are two things that have meant a lot for my WeBL career. The first was about a year ago when the fight engine was changed, and inside was strengthened. I had been using 90% KP dancers up until then, but that change combined with people training more chin made me change to 0-KP fighters completely. I retired almost all my contenders and managed a new generation of fighters instead.
The second thing was when the Bobbleheads entered the frame. Fighting them was a whole new experience and it taught me a lot of stuff, and it made me a much better manager
Where do you see your WeBL career going in a year from now?
Hopefully I've achieved my goals and I can retire in peace or just keep very few fighters active.
Have you ever re-started?
Never have, never will.
What's your relationship with your fighters) Are they just faceless drones or do you feel for them?
They are pretty much faceless drones until they reach the top of contenders. The exception is if they're named after songs that mean a lot to me or if they have a special fighter build. The fighters that I smack with also become more personal.
You said earlier that tnt-Cowboy From Hell was your favourite fighter. How is that? What made him special?
Many reasons, the biggest one is his strong bonds to B.A.R.F. I like the name as well and he's got a good record with 17 WTs and still no AP loss.
Are there any other fighters besides tnt-Cowboy From Hell that you feel extra for? Why?
tnt-Phantom Lord for winning my first WT, tnt-MiniMe for winning my first RT, tnt-Prowler for being my first 0-KP world champ and tnt-Thunderstruck for winning a WT undefeated.
Most of your fighters are named after song titles, are you interested in music? What kind? Favourite band, song etc.
I'm quite interested in music, but I'm not a musician or anything. I just enjoy listening to it and I have a CD collection of 300+ records. To begin with I was all about heavy metal, but I've grown to enjoy low key acoustic singer-songwriter stuff like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Springsteen, Christian Kjellvander, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Tindersticks, Heather Nova and Sophie Zelmani. I still think metal is the best of all genres with music like old Metallica, Iron Maiden, Rage Against the Machine, System of A Down, Nirvana, Guns 'n' Roses, AC/DC, Godsmack and In Flames. And in between these two categories there's stuff like Pearl Jam, Live, Hellacopters, Backyard Babies and The Ramones.
A few prominent WeBL:ers and some others have accused you of being a robot, what do you think they meant by that and what's your view/response?
I don't know. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion and it doesn't bother me.
Just checked out CPW's gym description and noticed some praise for you. As I understand it, he was one of the managers who started the "robot debate". Looks like he swung around, why do you think that is?
He's been saying how he owns me, and how crap I am in the forums before. I haven't seen his gym page, because I have the 'block out HTML' box ticked, so I can't really comment.
If you could change any three things about WeBL, what would they be?
- First I would ban post fight smacking.
- Secondly I would like to see more managers playing the game. Not people on auto pilot, but managers who make an effort. WeBL is such a great game and it's a shame not more people have discovered it.
- Finally I would like to see more people writing for Newsflash.
What does it take to become a great manager? What are the most important traits?
A thorough understanding of the game I suppose. What I mean by understanding is hard to define, it's something that comes from experimenting, writing FPs, trying things in the sim and trying to learn stuff from fights you lose. It takes time and patience.
Why do you think you have been so exceptionally successful?
I'm the kind of person who when I find something I enjoy I want to become as good as possible at it. When I started I thought "hey, this is something I would like to be good at" and so I set my mind on going as far as I could.
Do you feel there is room for improvement with regards to your own skills and abilities? Any specific areas?
Definately, every time I lose I think I suck and feel I have to get better to prove myself. The great thing with WeBL is that there is no point where you can't learn anymore, because there are other managers who are also improving all the time and that keeps pushing the limits.
I need to get better at everything!
How much time do you spend on WeBL on an average day?
I have no idea, but a guesstimate would be an hour a day.
What's the main thing (if any) keeping you from being even more active?
I don't want to be more active, I think I'm spending too much time as it is.
How much time do you spend scouting before a fight?
Don't know. Anything between 15 seconds and 15 minutes depending on opponent, match-up and importance of the fight. On occasions I can spend up to an hour if I feel I need to play around in the sim before the fight. That doesn't happen too often these days, but I used to before.
Do you scout both stats and behaviour?
Yes, but I rarely scout anyone to the last AP unless there's KP involved or if it's in heavyweight. I try to get a feeling what my opponent's advantage is and what my advantage is in the fight, but that's about it. Behaviour is more important to scout then APs, but one without the other is no good either.
For how big a part of your fights do you write new fps? (completely new from scratch vs. making new by modifying old ones)
Generally I write new FPs or modify old ones. I believe in scouting your opponent and using simple short FPs rather then writing long stock FPs. Complicated conditionals have a tendency to backfire rather than be a help IMHO.
How many stock fps do you use frequently and around what "size" are they?
I only use stock FPs for fighting gyms on auto pilot. I have 4-5 of those and they are about 15-25 lines.
Have you set any rules / set any principles etc. for yourself regarding WeBL? (Like keep fighter active until a certain amount of losses/IPs, never reply to post-fight smack ;), never create a sissy, never create a flasher)
I never post fight smack. I never reply to post fight smack. I never create flashers. 2 AP loss means automatic retirement although it's only happened to one of my fighters so far. Usually I retire them long before that happens, if they lose too much or just don't have what it takes.
Do you have any ticks or oddities when it comes to WeBL? (like always spinning your chair twice before checking a fight card, never calculate your win %, never check h2h before a fight against a manager, always drinking red bull when writing FPs etc :D ) (Please say you do! Then I won't have to feel as stupid for having my own little ticks :) )
No, I don't do anything like that.
You seem like a guy who doesn't seem to get agitated easily or is that just on the surface?
I think my main characterstic as a person is that I'm very calm. I don't lose my temper or let people get under my skin. Nothing good can come from it really. Being angry and irritated is just destructive and makes other people angry and irritated, so I choose to avoid it.
Are there any WeBL "phenomenon" that irritates you? (Behaviour of other managers, Stupid judges, post-fight smacking ;) etc. )
Judging used to bother me but after a while you realise it works both ways and luck evens out in the long run. Robot judges who always agree with the commentator would not be good for the game either. Post-fight smacking is a drag and the better you get the more you receive. Random conditioning ruining your fighters is a bit irritating too.
What's your view on the Scandinavian community? How has it evolved and where do you think its headed?
I've seen a lot of managers come and go during the two years I've played. I feel the region has lost a lot of talent and characters during this time. More good gyms have left then come so to speak.
Talent wise there's a big question mark on who will be next to reach the top level of contenders. Community wise I think smack is better than ever, but forum activity could be better. I think there are quite a lot of up 'n' coming gyms who are keeping very quiet in PRs and in the forums, which is a shame.
In your view who are the most promising Up'n'commers in Scandinavia right now? Do they have what it takes to win WTs?
I knew early on when Rotmo and Nick's Naughty Ninjas started out that they would become WT calibre managers, but I don't see any newcomers of quite the same quality yet. I haven't fought some of the new managers enough to know how good they are, but I do know Hop-League has beaten me regularly lately and I'll put my money on him becoming the next WT winning gym from Scandinavia. Disposable Heroes could go far too, now that he's not all about sissies any more.
What's your best advice for newbies who wants to be as good as you are?
- First step: print out the rules and read them.
- Second step: Try many fighter types and see what suits your FP writing style. Take time to scout your opponents and play around in the sim if you're wondering about something. When you lose, ask yourself what went wrong and if there was something you could've done to prevent it. Every loss is a learning experience.
- Third step: Listen to advice, but rely on your own ability and don't just do what "top managers" tell you to. Don't imitate, innovate!
You have had your hand in a few other WeBL projects like the P4P, are there anything else cooking right now?
No projects right now, because I'm too busy with school. It would be fun to do another project like the P4P or WeBL for WAP stuff, but I don't know what it would be. If anyone has any good ideas drop me an e-mail :)
You're a dedicated reporter for the Newsflash and you write weekly about Scandinavian accomplishments on the contender scene. How would you rate Scandinavian talent compared to other regions? What regions offer us the toughest competition in your mind? Are there any regions falling behind or improving lately?
Scandinavia is doing well at the moment with 3-6 WTs a week. A new generation consisting of Rotmo and Nick's Naughty Ninjas have entered the top, and will most likely be there for a long time to come. It's been fun for me to follow these two, because they are the only ones who have started playing after me that have reached this level. So for the first time I've been able to follow a WT gym's development right from the start.
The South Pacific region is also very dominating in contenders with Kelm and Albino leading the way and others following. UK North are doing very well too with CPW, Kewari and Panther Strikes leading their charge. These are clearly the three top regions in contenders right now.
Europe has gotten some new talent at the top and seem to be the up 'n' coming region of WeBL at the moment.
Final words?
Thanks to everyone involved with WeBL for making it the great game that it is!
Thank you so much for this tnt. I know many WeBL:ers would have liked me to come up with more questions but I just can't right now. So keep the WTs coming and good luck with everything.
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