Post by PuNk! ™ on Apr 28, 2011 15:01:48 GMT
PuNk!'s Official Interview #1 (28th April 2011)
[/b][/center]Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy reading this special interview I made on a personal basis between myself and Seejay as the first interviewee. Not everyone will be interviewed on Issuing Orders and for those who are interviewed, you can hopefully grasp a better understanding of the person and their history here upon Issuing Orders. So let's start our first interview shall we?
Username: Christopher J. D'Dario[/b]
Nickname: CJ / Seejay[/b]
Question 1:[/b]
Welcome to the very first official interview on Issuing Orders Seejay and I'm proud to make you my first candidate for the 2011's interviews, because it's a bit like starting something at the very beginning. You were Issuing Orders very first staff member and amongst it's first members at the birth of this forum, so it only feels right to start with the person I had to personally rely on back in those days to help me develop and maintain this forum...
How does it feel knowing you were one of the very first staff members on Issuing Orders?
- First of all thank you for choosing me for your first interview. I'm honored. To answer your question; I was quiet excited when you first added me to the roster way back when the site was Obeying Orders. I felt that I was a part of something, gave me responsibilities that I took to heart. I know most people wouldn't understand that. I tried telling people how proud I was to be a staff member of this site and how much it meant to me, but they would always downgrade it. Saying it was just a Role Play site and it wasn't that important. No one could grasp how much it meant to me, and I was heart broken when life dragged me away from the site. I actually went into a depression for a while. But I'm glad to be back in the action again.
Question 2:[/b]
At current, you aren't a staff member because you left the forum for a considerable amount of time. I think it must have been two years? Obviously within that period, the forum has changed a lot to how you once remembered it and you had to be removed from the staff roster.
How did you feel upon returning to the forum and was it hard to adjust back into the realm of Issuing Orders once again?
- For a while I was confused by the new system of the site, the maps where a new thing that really got me since before all we had to do was describe the area and go from there. Plus all the new certs and rules, the new factions and additions to the shop. It all blew me away. 2 years is a long time to be away from anything (I wont go into the details of what happened in those years), and to be honest I didn't think I would be welcomed back. But when I logged in with my Italian character and found him still active, it was like a weight was lifted of my chest. The welcome back was more then I expected. Plus I was quiet happy to see others in the staff seats, I never expected to remain as a staff member when I came back, and I'm quiet happy that the current staff are as good as they are.
Question 3:[/b]
It was a long time ago and I'm not quite sure if you was or wasn't, but have you ever been a member of the predecessor to Issuing Orders, known as Obeying Orders? The original forum.
- Indeed I was, In fact D'Dario was the very first Italian Character to the site, and I'm still boasting about that to anyone who asks. I was lost for a while when I was trying to come back because the site had changed its name. But I got here eventually.
Question 4:[/b]
Back in 2008 you were at the peak of your activity with role playing, staff duties and general activity on the forum. If you can remember, what was the highlight of that period? Did you have a particular thread that has always stuck in the back of your mind? Perhaps there was an occasion on Issuing Orders that you embraced the most? What was it for you...?
- Well, to be honest receiving the staff and activity medals is what stand out most from that time. I remember I had almost 6 characters going at the time in both the Allied and Axis sides in order to try and get as many threads up as possible and get new people playing... I think at one point I had a thread that I was doing alone with some of my characters. I was trying to show people (who didn't know all the characters where mine) that there was activity on the site and a reason to stay and play. I actually don't put this site into the category of a Role Play site... I think of more as a Progressive Story site. Other role plays have you using first person references, but here its all third person. I think that's what I love most about the site.
Question 5:[/b]
Over a period of time, you have known to have had a few characters in your grasp to play with, but I've always noticed that you've preferred to portray the Italian aspect during the world war. Is there a reason behind you always wishing to portray characters with Italian backgrounds?
- The answer to that is simple. My father is Italian and my great grandfather on his side fought in the war. But, aside from my heritage I want to make it more known that the Italians fought in the war as well. I was sick of every one using Germans. "Zig Hail" this and "Hail Hitler" there, the Italians played their part, and if this site ever brings the Aussies into the game you can bet I'll have the first Australian Character too. I love the whole underdog thing too, the Italians where unduly looked down upon, mainly because of their equipment. When I was researching the weapons for the Book of Armaments I found out that the Italians where at a massive disadvantage equipment wise. Yet their skill and courage still enabled them to put up a decent fight. I'm still proud of my Italian characters and aim to make them a bigger part of the site.
Question 6:[/b]
In connection to Q2 & Q4; looking back at your time here on Issuing Orders, has there ever been anything you would have done differently if given the chance?
-I would taken steps to avoid my 2 year absence. Plus looking back I think I could have done more... Added more to the site, put more effort in. I'm not sure what I could have done and I'll never know now... but If I could go back I defiantly would have avoided the absence at all costs.
Question 7:[/b]
For the longest period during your inactivity, I personally made sure your main account (Christopher J. D'Dario) was never deleted from the dozen activity checks and clean-ups we had over the years. Perhaps it's because I knew you would always return one day or I lived in hope you would, but what did make you come back to Issuing Orders after such a long stint of inactivity? What pulled you back into the game...?
- Well, as I said in one of the other questions, I missed the site terribly. I went into a depression and that just made things worse. I don't think I can ever portray just how much this site means to me. I can sit on my laptop for hours on end just reading through the archives or trying to come up with a new thread or battle. Seriously, I'm addicted, and the whole time I was away the site was never far from my mind. I took every opportunity I could get to come onto the site and just have a look to see what was happening. But those opportunities where few and far between. But that's all changed now... I'm back for good, not as active as I would like to be... but I am back.
Question 8:[/b]
Now that you're back and hopefully for the long-haul, do you have any aspirations or goals you wish to achieve on Issuing Orders now and if so, why?
- I don't think I could bare being away from IO again for that long... it was hard enough the last time. I do have some goals, my first one is with Pelican company. I'm planning to make it a company to be reckoned with. The largest infantry support company on the site (If possible). I'm planning to get every support unit available to me and forge a name for the Italians. No more will they be looked down upon, people can laugh but when they see just how powerful my company will be their laughter will cease and the sound of steel raining down will take its place. Plus, I have some radical idea's for combing some units in ways that have yet to be done.
I also have a goal with my Allied and Axis pilots, I would like to make them active support characters for other members by supplying bombing runs or equipment drops... something like that. Plus I want to have an aerial battle with Nathan that isn't three pages of flying in circles before someone manages to get a shot off.
Question 9:[/b]
In regards to your famously notable character Christopher J. D'Dario, what lays ahead for him? Do you have any current plots planned for him? Anything you feel like sharing that you may or may not have in store?
- I'm planning to make him the commander of Pelican company (Heiko permitting). He will be an Icon for the Italian forces, someone to look up too, follow and admire. Well, that's what I would like to happen. Basically D'Dario is my combat character. He's standing in the front trenches with his men, shouting out orders and laying down a wall of bullets. He hasn't been involved in many Neutral threads since I've been back, and those he has been in haven't gone very well. Still, as always my plan for him is to rise the ranks of the Italian forces and command a company to be feared... something like the 3ID only without the tanks.
Question 10:[/b]
Well, this is the tenth question and I could ask many more, but I'm going to start closing this interview with any last words you may have to share with myself and Issuing Orders, that I haven't quite covered.
So is there anything you'd like to add to the interview on your own behalf? Anything you'd like to mention or say to cover something that I've missed our or you have missed out?
- I can't think of anything, I've detailed my answers as well as I can and I hope I've been a good first interviewee. I'd just like to say again how great it is being back on the site and I look forward to being around for a lot longer. Thanks for everything.
-=[SeeJay]=-
Closing Statement[/b]
As a closing statement, I would like to thank you Seejay for answering these questions and giving your view during your time here on Issuing Orders. I would also like to thank you for being one of the oldest and loyalist members here on Issuing Orders and we all enjoy looking forward to what you may have in store here in future on Issuing Orders.
~Danny
Think I only noticed one incident in the text where I could have either used "was" or "were" during a question? Not sure whether I've actually make a proper mistake or whether it's just a possible use of either that could fit into the sentence. Could be wrong. 
