Mortal: First off, tell us about yourself. Where you live, how old are you, what you like to do outside of gaming. What do you do to make a living, and what are your dreams?
TosspoT: I'm Stuart "TosspoT" Saw, 20, I'm currently at University in York, England. Home would be London for me. Outside of gaming, I errrm drink? That is about the sum total of my existance at the moment, study (a bit), game ( a bit) drink ( a lot)! My dream would be to never grow up, Peter Pan style. If I could freeze frame the past month and replay it over and over again that would just be fantastic :) Mortal: How did you get the nickname of TosspoT? Was that your only alias or have you had different ones in the past? TosspoT: Actually it is the only name I've ever had. The first time I ventured online (the day of purchasing RTCW), my brother called me a TosspoT, ever since then its just stuck. I was TosspoT in white and then I learnt how to put colours in my name and now I come in all shapes and sizes. Mortal: What does TosspoT mean? TosspoT: Well it has two meanings, both rather fitting! The true dictionairy meaning, means to be an alcoholic. There is actually an old and rather specialist beer called TosspoT ale. The other meaning...means to be a Tosser, a wanker, a plonker. You get the gist :> Mortal: So RtCW was your first online game? Explain why you took the leap from offline games to online games and why you chose RtCW to be that game? TosspoT: I think anyone thats ever played RTCW knows why its worth the leap! There was something about it, something that finally beat Goldeneye. I played the MP demo on the BlueYonder servers and then carried on from there, it was just fantastic, captivating and so enjoyable. Mortal: What did you do in RtCW, what teams did you play for? any championships or tournaments under your belt? What made you move on from RtCW to ET? TosspoT: I played RTCW truly hardcore. My first experiences online were rather sporadic, for example I didnt know what Ping was and in all honesty I still dont, because I'm not a connection whiner (at least not on my connection). I played in two state side clans first of all back in the day, RD (RedDragons) and MWK (Mid West Killers). Was great.I finally moved over to UK teams, time difference and just general convienience settled in. I learnt what Roger Wilco was, I learnt how to put colour in my name! Magic moments for any gamer. Eventually the peak of my RTCW career would have probably been playing in Eurocup with uC after that point I moved to ET.
Why ET? Well, By this point, RTCW as on its last legs. It had been 2 or 3 years, ET came along was a pleasent change, I had an offer to go and play in the dh side for ET, I already had friends there it was a logical move at the time. I moved to ET because of the change, new players new challenges.
Mortal: Did you fully move over to ET, or did you play RtCW aswell? Do you still play RtCW as a casual game, or have you fully moved on? TosspoT: For about a year I fully moved over, I played pretty intensely for dh, void and then pinkgorillas. I captained the nations cup team, I went the whole nine yards for a while. However, after May 2004 I had no desire to play competitively in anything any more. I played some CoD, some Source, Some RTCW and again some ET. I was a game whore, right now the only game I really enjoy going on a public and playing is RTCW, I only play ET when I do for the friends I have the in the game. Mortal: Do you feel ET took your competative gaming to the next level, or was the ET competition on par with what you first competed in in RtCW? Do you feel players that have played RtCW and move to ET have a long-term advantage over teams who move from different games, assuming the skill in both previous games is of similiar calibur? TosspoT: Let me go straight out there and be hugely controversial. If you were good at RTCW, you are instantly better than any "good" ET player. There I said it, and I'll say it again if need be! Sure there are exceptions and now there is no comparisson because ET has evolved from playing the player to playing the map.Of course, if you've FPS and Team experience coming into either rtcw or ET you're going to have an advantage over someone that hasnt. However, the difference between RTCW was you had, to have quicker responses, hand eye co-ordination all that good stuff.
Mortal: Lets backtrack and talk more about Digital Heresy. They are well known in both RtCW and ET, including their US RtCW division that competed in Qcon. Tell us more about your experience with Digital Heresy, who was apart of the team at the time, and where LAN / Tournaments apart of the ET team's agenda? TosspoT: Well, its kinda ironic that I played for dh. Because I had long not really got on well with some of their european RTCW team (water under the bridge now ofc), but to play for their ET team was kinda strange and cool? The team was lead by Mcmad and then it evolved around key his leadership and key players of H!ve, Traducer, Adreena and Nudey.Sure, every ET and RTCW team at any stage in their existance has had dreams of Quakecon, but realistically lan intentions werent on the horizon.
Mortal: Moving on to your shoutcasting career. Explain to us how you got invovled with covering matches, what companies you worked for, and how you found yourself working for Radio iTG? TosspoT: I been casting for nearly 3 years now, and its a constant learning curve. It started back in RTCW just as a favour to a friend to help his tournament and then sorta grew from there. Casting in RTCW was always in the shadow of one particular man though, I actually think that helped always knowing I'd never be able to compete? Because I'm quite a competitive personMyself and Kee_RinG joined iTG after getting owned by them when they got chosen for a final we'd done all the prelim's for, so we decided if you cant beat them, join them! Since there is been one huge learning curve as I've had the privilidge to work and cast with some truly phenominal people, who have made their names and reputations in the business for the reason that they are the very best at what they do, iTG very much helped broaden my commentating horizons.
Mortal: What games do you cover for iTG these days? Do you cover matches regularly? What is in the future for iTG and TosspoT? TosspoT: What games? Well, I'm a whore I wont lie. I cover so much at the moment, I got to love casting but was frustrated by the lack of exposure RTCW and ET get on the competitive circuit, so I've since picked up anything from Quake to CS to Warcraft to Console games.The future? Well the future is very bright for iTG, Quakecon was a phenominal success and television wise we've done the commentary for DirecTV's Championship Gaming Invitational aswell as many other TV projects across the globe like PrizeFight TV amongst others.
We've alot of dedicated people working hard behind the scenes making sure that we're ever evolving.
Mortal: Very cool. How was Quakecon? Was this year your first year going to Quakecon? How was it covering live at QuakeCon? What ET match was the best in your opinion? Did you only cover the ET tournament? TosspoT: This was my second Quakecon and it was simply...magic. Quakecon is unique in every way and just truly a brilliant experience. I was managing the Crossfire team at the event whilst casting for iTG and the matches there not only had an added incentive for me, but also were just PACKED with action.There was no way you could get bored at Quakecon.
I did ET primarily but also covered some Quake4, and there was some great Quake games also but for me ET will live on in the memory for the soul reason that it was just so exciting.
Mortal: How was this year's smaller QuakeCon compaired to the previous QuakeCon you went to? TosspoT: Not noticable, I think the venue was better to the Gaylord Ranch infact. Other than the aircon (typical dallas) I dont believe there was a single bad thing during the whole weekend....nope not one, one of the most memorable weekends of my life. Mortal: Did you meet alot of players from the community you were apart of? Did alot of people you met seem to not fit their online persona? TosspoT: Heh, well I've met alot of gamers through the various lans I've been too, people have their querks and theres always one whos mouthy online and quiet on lan, but such is life. Things are never what they seem! Mortal: Does Europe have alot more LAN's that involve ET, as the US only has QuakeCon and smaller player-made LAN parties? TosspoT: This has only really become an occurance lately, there are now maybe 3 more European Cash ET lans that i am aware of, which is way more than Wolfenstein has experienced previously before september of this year, it was always quakecon only now things are changing and ET is raising the stakes, too late argue some, but as a wolfenstein player I've waited this long, the fact that its come is good enough for me. Mortal: Do you think QuakeCon sparked alot of interest in the European ET scene? TosspoT: Not really, I think the timing was coincidental. Nothing happened after last years quakecon and there was even more money. Mortal: What teams do you consider to be the "dominate" teams in the ET EU scene? TosspoT: There is just idle, everyone else is currently a pretender to the thrown and until idle are over thrown nobody can argue with their record and their success. Mortal: What teams do you feel can match idle in skill? Alot of impressive teams have formed lately, do you think some of them will rise to contend with Idle? TosspoT: I believe that zeroPoint is that, and well I would as I'm involved with them. The biggest challenge facing the rest of them is staying active, many lose interest and lose faith too quickly, very few of them have the allstar cast to carry them when enthusiasm is down and therefore until they are as solid as a rock they are vulnerable to lose matches. Mortal: Alot of teams have manageres, including the Crossfire Qcon team having you as one. This is unherd of in the US scene. Explain the role of a manager, etc. TosspoT: The role of a manager is very much eliviate any mental stresses on the players, allowing them to do their job ingame whilst you do the rest of the work. No that dosent mean be the bitch of the team, although sure you do that role too :PAny problems within the team, tensions, tactics anything in the back of their mind. Its your role and responsibilty to make sure that they arent there.
It may not be heard of in the states for RTCW, but the greatest managers in gaming like Jason Lake and Craig Levine manage the two big US multigaming clans and they are more hands on than we were at Quakecon.
Mortal: You are invovled with the Crossfire Gaming site, one of the biggest EU ET community sites. Explain what made you become apart of that endeavor, how long has it been around, and what is the future for Crossfire as a name; being LAN's or teams, etc. TosspoT:I've worked for Crossfire for a few years, It was setup back in 2002 for RTCW. I bought it earlier this year and took over the running of it along with of course the very dedicated admins we have.Crossfire has alot of things up its sleave, we've achieved alot this summer. We've sent a team to Quakecon, We've run our own lan and our traffic has skyrocketed. Additionally we've a documentary soon to be released and we will be featured on Gameplay HD in the states, we're out there exploring lots of ideas and possibilities.
The future? Well, Goal number one is to get the new site up and running, thats very near to completion. Then its planning for our next lan or lans, we've got alot of strategic partners like PrizeFight and ATi that we've to thank for our success and making our dreams a possibility.
Mortal: Do you forsee yourself ever leaving the gaming community? TosspoT: Errmm, I dont know. I've alot of friends in gaming that have become more than just names on iRC (of course I've met many of them), I've had employment oppourtunities and I've had alot of fun in gaming BUT...Right now I'm having alot of fun away from the gaming world I got used to. Nights of 7-11 on irc and ventrilo playing clanwars and such are well and truly gone, I dont know if I could ever do that again. I still shoutcast online somewhat, but I'm not as active as I was thats for sure.
I'm just enjoying university life at the moment, I love going out, getting drunk and making a fool outta myself infront of hot chicks :P
Infact, I play more games at 6AM than at any other time, I come home load up all seeing eye and struggle to sit still let alone aim whilst wondering round servers abusing people :D Now thats gaming!
Mortal: Thanks for the interview m8, post your shoutouts here. TosspoT: I'd just like to thank anyone and everyone who has offered me support in the past :) There are alot of great people involved in every little corner of gaming, whether its via shoutcasting, playing or crossfire. I'd like to thank the community of Crossfire, they make that site what it is! Oh and hi mum (she reads these, and my uncle!) :)
