Meet The Team - Mark Turpin (The T)
Once a week our writers will give you a glimpse into their lives, to let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more Meet the Team. Above is Turpster, my main character in World of Warcraft, and his crotch-mounted parachute (What? Where do you keep yours?)
What do you do for Massively.com?
I am the host of Massively's number one rated video podcast 'TurpsterVision' I am proud to have won many prestigious awards such as 'Massively's #1 Video Podcast MMO Review Show' and 'Most improved odor'.
What's your favorite MMO?
Without a doubt it's World of Warcraft but that is a terrible answer; I feel like such a sell out saying it. It's the MMO equivalent of someone asking what your favorite band is and you giving the answer 'The Beatles' - everyone loves the Beatles, it doesn't say much about you. So in an extremely long winded way of saying it, I guess I really liked Lord of the Rings Online and Warhammer Online, but gosh darn it! I love the Beatles.%Gallery-33889%
What games are you playing now, and what are your characters?
Currently I am tanking my way through heroic instances in Wrath of the Lich King with the valiant Gnomish Warrior, Turpster. Now fully capped out at 540 defense, I'm now trying to focus on making everything on my character nice and purple (which, as everyone knows, means that my 'epeen' is so large that it even has its own Starbucks.)
Outside of the World of Warcraft I am looking at jumping back into Middle-earth and really explore it in some more depth. Hopefully that will be happening in a more visual form soon.
Why do you like MMOs so much?
I am a very sociable person, but the problem is, I don't like the outside...or people.
MMOs are progressive. Why spend an hour playing an offline game where you can pick up exactly where you left off a couple of days before when you can spend time in a world that is ever changing with n00bs getting ever pwned. It's awesome!
What accomplishment in-game are you most proud of?
I am very proud of the numerous world firsts of Nihilum - you didn't say they had to be my own accomplishments! Ok, well from MY own in-game accomplishments I'd have to say I am most proud of my level 70 Dingstravaganza. Over 200 people took part in an epic PvEvP player run encounter which totally blew me away; best, ding, ever!
What's the most terrible, drama-filled, awful thing to happen to you in an MMO?
I've had far more drama outside related to MMOs than in-game. Obviously I've had the normal guild breakups and mutinies, I've been hacked and I've ninja'd my share of loot. And evidently I've broken many a lady or confused young man's heart. If I had to pick one then I'd be the first time I was podded in EVE. I had been mining for months, trained up some seriously imba low level skills and then found myself dashing to 0.0 for some big money.
Unfortunately for me, my ship, and my cargo hold something happened on the way to the warp gate that ended my space exploration days. I, much like the fool I am, didn't have insurance, had an out of date clone and lost so much time and money from it that I couldn't bring myself to venture back into the spreadsheets in space. This experience taught me that I am the definition of 'Care Bear'.
If you had 10 more hours to play every week, what would you spend them doing?
Farming! I love being rich in games (back to the whole 'Starbucks' issue) It is something I enjoy doing, hate auction houses and player selling, too much hassle, I just want to get out in the world and gather up/commit mass mob genocide up some money!
When you're not playing MMOs, what do you do?
I am studying Animation at university (yes, I know, I quite literally have a 'Mickey Mouse' degree), which takes up a lot of my time. I also star and write Hollywood blockbuster movies, most of which are based on real events that have happened in my life, such as; 'Die Hard', 'Under Siege', 'Air Force One' and of course, 'When Harry met Sally'
