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<Starrk enters>

What is your username and what does it mean?

Jacob might be interpreted as meaning "holder of the heel" or "supplanter."

What was the first doom you ever played? (Doom, Doom 2, Final Doom, Doom64, Doom3)

DOOM shareware was passed around middle school in 1993 on 3.5" floppy disks. I didn't own a computer but was able to play DOOM on two friends' computers at their houses. I was drawn in by the unique music, sounds, environment, and game play. I always tried to fit in a game of DOOM when I could. During my freshman year in H.S., I was able to get a dose of DOOM at the end of every school day for the 2nd half of the semester when I took typing. I finished the exercises early every day and the teacher let my friend and I reboot the 486 DX33 machines to play single player DOOM. During my sophomore year (1995) my parents bought a computer which allowed me to start exploring DOOM on my own terms. I played single player DOOM and DOOM II as well as multiplayer DOOM II with H.S. acquaintances over the modem. It was often difficult to setup smooth running games over the modem. I recall spending time tweaking configs, dialing and re-dialing in search of a solid connection, and having issues with playing against people using DOOM for MAC. Soon after, I learned about bulletin board systems (BBS) and began playing more organized duel dm, 4 player ffa, and dog tag (old school 2v2 team game) on the BBS. While that took place ~1995, I have since reconnected with several players from the BBS including Katana Man (Duke 3d world player) and FooRaw. (BBS system operator) I became real life friends with several of the players from the BBS in those days.

What was the first (unofficial) source port you ever played and when?

I believe the first DOOM port that I played was DOOM95, a port created by Microsoft in 1995 to help push Windows 95 as a gaming platform. I don't recall playing any other ports in that era. (However I do recall the many versions of DOOM and DOOM II that floated around) Did you know that Microsoft may have considered buying up ID Software back when DOOM was installed on more computers than Windows 95? By the way, DOOM95 never caught on with me. I was highly sensitive to the differences between DOOM95 & vanilla DOOM.

What was the first (unofficial) pwad you ever played and when?

I am not sure what the first PWAD I ever played was. I do recall playing PWADS that were distributed on CD-ROMS or the WWW in single player mode. After I became a BBS member, I began to play classic PWADS you still see played today such as Danzig, Dweller, and Dwango. I am sure that we played some COOP wads as well but I don't recall any names. ODIUM rings a bell - I'll have to look that up. Reading thick books at the book store while my mother was shopping inspired me to learn how to create my own PWADS early on with tools like WADED and NWT. I made a D5M1 FFA edit and a 2-4 player FFA map from scratch using WADED.

What is your favorite game mode?

My favorite game mode is probably duel deathmatch. There is a player named DemonSphere who has helped me get back in touch with my roots as a duel DM player and learn the ropes of modern duel DM play, which is slightly different than OS due to features that modern ports offer like aliasing. The reason that I like duel deathmatch is because I see it as a 1-1 psychological challenge. Every split second counts and every thought and movement impacts the outcome. It is so with any game mode, but perhaps it is more apparent in duel deathmatch. It's interesting to me to see how players use strategy. I think that a good duel deathmatch player has to be a chameleon in ways, always sensing their opponent's state, approach, style, actions in situations, reactions to situations, etc. and adapting to them accordingly, like water over rocks.

If you are in a clan, what clan and why are you in it?

I am not in a clan. I run -=FATE=- but it is not a clan. FATE is a "will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do" such as FATE 001 and FATE 002.

What is your fondest memory of multiplayer Doom?

My fondest memories of multiplayer DOOM are the times during which there was fantastic competitive multiplayer action paired with fun and friendly social interactions. In the days of the RAG BBS, players connected socially through in game text chat, BBS forum posts, phone calls, and for some, in person meetings. There was an annual RAG FEST that offered players a chance to meet each other in person each year. Several of us became real life friends. Some players that I became friends with on the BBS included Blizzard, Devastator, and Moogle. My fondest recent memories of DOOM are also of times when there was great competition paired with great social interaction. I have enjoyed chatting with and getting to know players like DemonSphere who take their game seriously but know how to have fun and play nice.

I remember you DJ, Krash, Katana Man, Alice in Chains, Blizzard, Devastator, Moogle, FooRaw, Buzzo, & Interceptor.

32 bit color is an awesome feature addition! DOOM looks and feels great. Darker areas look less "hazy" to me. Things look more crisp and clear.

It seems to me that Odamex renders quite nicely in general. I've noticed quicker rendering on large complex maps than with other ports.

Keep up the great work!