7th USFE Presidential Interviews

[BeckoningZebra1]

Hello 343i Community, potential voters, and future Presidents! 
 
Under Spyro's permission, I've conducted interviews with each of your Presidential Nominees to help you, the voter, more easily make your decision.

 

We will begin with the Promotion/Events team's very own D-38 Boss!

 

 

 

1. What was your first day as a member of 343i.org like?
Pretty cool. I met a few of the older members (Many of which are no longer here.) and I was informed that this was in fact, NOT 343's official site.
 
2. What do you feel is the biggest problem our Community struggles with today?
Activity. with many of the more prevalent members taking leave of the forum, a lot of responsibility is falling to the newer members. while this isn't a problem in and of itself, everyone feels the impact when a major member leaves.
 
3. Would you rather post in the General Discussion or Offbeat Topics? Why?
Offbeat. It's more free form, and better accommodating to my idiotic brand of humor.
 
4. Whom do you feel will win this election?
You should know better then to ask that. 

5. What's your favorite Halo game? Why?
Reach. I love the feeling of being my own hero in a game, and Reach delivered that feeling ten-fold.
 
6. What's your all-time favorite weapon in Halo?
The M6CSOCOM (Automag) from ODST. Everyone loves that dang thing.
 
7. If you were allowed a one time moderator action, what would it be?
Make my own award, and give myself ten of them.
 
8. If Twam were in the ShoutBox right now, what would you say to him?
"Yo dawg. I herd you leik forums."
 
9. Should Armor Lock return in Halo 5?
Let me thinNO.
 
10. Why do you feel you should be President? 

 
There you have it, good luck on your attempt to gain the office of Presidency Boss! If you haven't seen it yet, D-38 Boss encourages you to look at his promotional video in the spoiler below:

 http://youtu.be/vry92JmVBg4 

 

Moving on we have our next candidate from the Dedicated members group, he's a very helpful member, (and a pretty impressive driver ) everyone give it up for The Stig!

 

 

1. What was your first day as a member of 343i.org like?

 The first day I was a member was exciting. But also nerve racking... You know what I mean? I wanted to set good impressions (First impressions are everything) and I also wanted to become friends with everyone I could. I was really nervous I might screw it up.

 

2. What do you feel is the biggest problem our Community struggles with today?

The biggest problem we have to face I would say, would have to be the threat of us all becoming disunited, or a break in our unionization. Elections like this help bring us together. To me personally Its more about the community than it is about the election itself. Like the saying... "Its all about the journey, not the destination".

 

3. Would you rather post in the General Discussion or Offbeat Topics? Why?

Whichever one has the conversations I'd like to take part in that day.  

 

4. Whom do you feel will win this election?

 I don't wanna name names. But my vote is on any one but me. (But my guess as to who might win would be down to Legend, UNSC, Edward, Yoshi, Drizzy, or Azaxx. I don't mean any disrespect to the other nominees. I know that I for one don't stand a chance against those big six.)

 

5. What's your favorite Halo game? Why?

 I know this might sound cliche (and maybe it is) but I don't have a favorite. It's to hard to pick one, and saying one is my favorite means I like it more than the others. And that is not the case for me. 

 

6. What's your all-time favorite weapon in Halo?

The Needler. (Energy Sword, Fuel Rod, Assault Rifle, and Battle Rifle tie for second.) (The Pistol from CE comes third)

 

7. If you were allowed a one time moderator action, what would it be?

Ah... That's a tough one... Well, that's to much power for me, so I don't think I would be able to accept that much responsibility. Its best to leave it to the pro's who are worthy.

 

8. If Twam were in the ShoutBox right now, what would you say to him?

 I would ask him whats up with airline food. With a follow up question of why my jokes are so lame...

 

9. Should Armor Lock return in Halo 5?

Yes. (Custom games, Campaign, Firefight 3.0/Spartan Ops 2.0 for sure. For it being in Matchmaking? They should let the community decide that...)

 

10. Why do you feel you should be President? 

Hmmm.... That's a good question. I don't think I deserve to be presidnet. I bring nothing special to the table, and there is nothing I can do, that Azaxx, or Drizzy or any of the other nominees can't do themselves. And they would probably be better anyways.... But no need to worry, if by some miracle I do win, I promise to be the best president I can!  

 

All great answers Stig! Good luck campaiging!

 

Next up is one of the most prominent members of the Community and a senior Community Moderator, Drizzy_Dan!

 

 

1. What was your first day as a member of 343i.org like?

My first day on the site was very welcoming. I made my intro thread and felt like this place was something I had been waiting to be a part of for a long time.

 

2. What do you feel is the biggest problem our Community struggles with today?

The biggest problem within our community today is the lack of support for each other when in certain places. For example, putting down threads and OPs that people disagree with which leads to flaming and high escalating arguments and discouraging members from doing certain things that they want to do. 

 

3. Would you rather post in the General Discussion or Offbeat Topics? Why?

Offbeat topics because that's where all my interviews go and it's more for entertainment. I aim to please!

 

4. Whom do you feel will win this election?

There are a lot of good candidates in the running and I'm happy to be running again. I think Maestro could win this one!

 

5. What's your favorite Halo game? Why?

My favorite Halo game is Halo 3 because it was the golden age of competitive gaming and I used to love watching the MLG championships on a live stream as well as the Stride Championship Series.

 

6. What's your all-time favorite weapon in Halo?

My all time favorite weapon in Halo is the Sniper Rifle. It's my most used weapon on all of the Halo games haha

 

7. If you were allowed a one time moderator action, what would it be?

 If I could use a Moderator action other than the ones I have permission to now I would give myself permission to control 343iBot.

 

8. If Twam were in the ShoutBox right now, what would you say to him?

If Twam were in the Shoutbox right now I'd say "Hi Twam ."

 

9. Should Armor Lock return in Halo 5?

Armor Lock is actually kind of a fun and cool idea but no. Armor lock should stay exclusive to Reach and Halo 5: Guardians should keep it out.

 

10. Why do you feel you should be President? 

 I should be Forum President because I've been it before and I didn't fail us before so I wouldn't fail us now!

 

As usual a great job by Drizzy_Dan taking part out of his busy schedule to answer some questions, thanks D_D! 

 

Our next member is a former MoM, an excellent forger, and an overall great member of the community- SikSlik7! (Soviet Bear)

 

 

1. What was your first day as a member of 343i.org like?

 My first day as a member of 343Industries.org was Saturday April 14th 2012. It was a warm and sunny day, but there was a chance of severe thunderstorms that evening.

 

But concerning what happened on the forums that day, we need to back up a second here. Firstly, the forums was in a state of disarray. Some random member made a goodbye thread, and everyone went crazy and was all sad. However as it would happen, this member would be back and kicking within three months. This guy actually thought he was a dog (Absolute Dog if you guys haven't gathered already). People were genuinely sad, but there was an active and cheerful forum.

 

  At this time I was one of the last of my friends who played Halo regularly. I had gotten into forging and had made a few maps (more than a few). I was looking for friendly people to play Halo with, and I disliked the format of Halo Waypoint at the time. For some reason, most of it would not load. Yes, I joined knowing this was not the official Halo site. It was a miracle. 

 

When I joined, there were a few conversations going on in the Shoutbox at the time, one of which was about Computer programming between two members. Those of you who knew them would not be surprised to know that it was Luke and Twinreaper. I was welcomed and was able to enter into conversations that other members were having. It was great, and exactly what I was looking for. I had found some people I would be happy to play Halo with.

 

2. What do you feel is the biggest problem our Community struggles with today?

The biggest problem that faces our forum today is the lack of green. In the shoutbox it is Staff, purple, or silver. Very little green, and when there is, the green is only there for a few minutes. In forum posts, there is very little thought by many green members, or very little commitment. This is to be expected, but the forum is not drawing as many people who are going to stay on the forums. 

 

3. Would you rather post in the General Discussion or Offbeat Topics? Why?

 I generally prefer the general discussion section, as most of it requires thought and leads to interesting or important discussion, not just in the world of Halo. Offbeats is fun, but there are many members that basically live there, and I think that is hurting the forums.

 

4. Whom do you feel will win this election?

The forum will win the election if I get elected, simple as that.

 

5. What's your favorite Halo game? Why?

Halo 3, hands down, not even including the dlc. Great maps, gamemodes, and campaign. It is one of the most polished games I have ever played. The map DLC just made it better with a more elaborate form of forge.

 

6. What's your all-time favorite weapon in Halo?

BR55HB SR: Need I say more? Best multi-use weapon in Halo, other than the Plasma pistol.

 

7. If you were allowed a one time moderator action, what would it be?

Ban  Azzax

 

8. If Twam were in the ShoutBox right now, what would you say to him?

Well, This would be assuming that Twam showed up in the Shoutbox because I asked him to appear. I currently hold the record for any non-staff member summoning Twam to the Shoutbox (twice), and believe I am third to summon him to comment on a post (Zelda and Twinreaper definitely have me beat). I am ahead of most of the staff in this regard as well. Therefore, I would rub in yet again in everyone else's face. The real question here is, what was the sacrifice to summon him?

 

9. Should Armor Lock return in Halo 5?

Potentially it could make a return, but there would need to be some changes, as I assume there will be some of the new armor abilities and brand new ones in Halo 5. It was fine if the gametype and map balanced it in Reach, but I hardly see a great use of it in Halo 4, as the game is so much faster. Speed and movement is the key, and Armor lock in Halo 4 would have literally been a free kill for the enemy team once you popped out.

 

10. Why do you feel you should be President? 

 I should be the Premier because I have the best interests of the forum at heart. The social classes of this forum tear apart the interconnectiveness of the members to each other, as we are all Twam's children. For those who have heard the voice of Twam, you know this to be true. This would also fx the problem of not having enough greens, as all members would be of one color. 

 

Very well-written responses Slik, good luck on your quest for power!

 

Our next interview is with the Legendary Lenny Face! Maestro! An ever-existent shoutbox presence and a lifelong Trusted Member, here's his interview!

 

 

1. What was your first day as a member of 343i.org like?

Oh boy, that's going back. I was only a young Maestro back then, and I certainly did not behave like the man you see before you now. I talked about forge mostly in the shoutbox and spammed a couple emotes until Zelda asked me to stop. You may have been there too, back when you were a young purple zebra. Then I posted topics for my first two publicly released minigames: Halo Gear Solid and Tesselatorium, both of which have been removed from my file share.

 

2. What do you feel is the biggest problem our Community struggles with today?

Believe it or not, one of the biggest problems that I think 343iCF has today is an overabundance of playdates. While it shows that the members are dedicated to this community, which isn't bad at all, it lessens the impact of each playdate. Last year, when someone hosted a playdate, everyone got pumped for it. There were far fewer playdates than this year, but attendance was huge. Now that everyone and their dog (no offense, GSD or Dog or AD if you lurk in the shadows) have started hosting playdates, less people are getting excited; if they miss the one coming up this weekend, chances are there will be another one next weekend.

 

3. Would you rather post in the General Discussion or Offbeat Topics? Why?

Until I make post #500, I'll stay in Offbeats. The only reason being that I don't want to be a silver member yet.

Offbeats are more fun, and if you've attended a playdate that I've hosted or played Halo in general with me, all I want is to have fun. Offbeats offer fun. General Discussions aren't nearly as fun as Offbeats. Ever see a forum minigame in General Discussion?

 

4. Whom do you feel will win this election?

I'm really hoping that I make the march to victory, but I think that Da Boss is my greatest threat. He lost by one vote in the previous election, and since the current presidents aren't in the running again, there's a good chance he'll make it.

 

5. What's your favorite Halo game? Why?

Halo 3. It introduced a bunch of new weapons, vehicles, equipment, and greatly changed the Brutes from invincible Wookiees into a diverse bunch of strong warriors with different tactics, strengths, and weaknesses.

 

6. What's your all-time favorite weapon in Halo?

The Incineration Cannon. No other weapon can compare to scoring a one-hit kill on pretty much every type of enemy you see. Promethean Knights, Elites, enemy Spartans, the Mantis, they all fall the same when hit with the Incineration Cannon. Plus it's just so scary. Red bolts of death hurtling at you at breakneck speeds, then a red blast followed by bouncing red bolts and smaller red blasts. Did I mention red? And the sounds it makes.

 

7. If you were allowed a one time moderator action, what would it be?

Add a new rank above Dedicated, to give all members something to strive for when they join. I'd call it the Mythic rank, and it could be attained when a member reaches 5000 posts.

 

8. If Twam were in the ShoutBox right now, what would you say to him?

I'd ask him how the weather is out east.

 

9. Should Armor Lock return in Halo 5?

Not in its useless title update form, but not in its overpowered original form either. I'd re-release it as equipment like Invincibility or Bubble Shield, and make it a one-time use only item that lasts for five seconds when you decide to use it. You have your precious Armour Lock back, but use it wisely!

 

10. Why do you feel you should be President? 

I shall serve the forum well, under the guidance of Shrek. Plus, if I'm elected president, the people shall get a presidential playdate! Oh, and I'll save the economy and get big business OUT of politics once and for all!

 

Great job Maestro, we not only wish you good luck on your march to Presidency, we wish you happy Lenny face! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 

 

Yoshi1176 hails from the Dedicated Members group and has a very friendly presence in both the forums and shoutbox. I'm sure you'll enjoy his interview.

 

 

1. What was your first day as a member of 343i.org like?

My first day on the site was like most of the people that are no longer here, I left after the first ten minutes and disn't come back for a week or so. I then came back and saw how all the elder members acted and how they were like a family and I wanted that. And now I am here today with friends, and even a sort of family. Although I wasted my first day I make everyday here worth wild.

 

2. What do you feel is the biggest problem our Community struggles with today?

The biggest problem we struggle today would probably be communicating with the new members, there are a few that came in and made a name for themselves but others are still shy and don't get involved. It is the responsibility of the older more prominent members to welcome them and get them involved.

 

3. Would you rather post in the General Discussion or Offbeat Topics? Why?

 Personally I like the offbeat section, I love the games and topics that dwell within that forum. I do like the general discussion forum as well because its a bit more serious and a good place for learning stuff.

 

4. Whom do you feel will win this election?

I think while I would love to win this election, I belive Drizzy has a good chance at winning. He is very popular around the site and is a genuinly good guy. (I still want to win)

 

5. What's your favorite Halo game? Why?

Halo 3, The first game (including non Halo) that I played. I loved the story and the gameplay. And not to mention the countless hours of customs and forge with my cousins. Halo 3 delivered some of the most memorable experiences for me.

 

6. What's your all-time favorite weapon in Halo?

It's probably the DMR. Although it isn't a orthodox Halo weapon I enjoyed everypart of weapon it was balanced or so I belived and it was effective. Not to mention how cool it looked.

 

7. If you were allowed a one time moderator action, what would it be?

 I would probably give out some sort of award to all the loyal members of the forums, they work hard to keep this place the nice, friendly, and enjoyable place that we all dwell.

 

8. If Twam were in the ShoutBox right now, what would you say to him?

 I would probably discuss the ins and outs of the forums with him. See how it all works and how he manages it all.

 

9. Should Armor Lock return in Halo 5?

 I actually liked armor lock. Many people had other opinions on it but I enjoyed it, especially on BTB on Halo Reach. Whats more fun then taking down a warthog with armor lock? 

 

10. Why do you feel you should be President? 

I feel I should be president because I am one of the commoners, I see the members trusted members and dedicated members and I enjoy talking with all of them and I feel there voice is important. And I would be the mouth that there voice flows.

 

Thanks for the great replies Yoshi! Best of luck to you this election!

 

I remember meeting UNSC Spartan-II in the shoutbox for the first time last year, we hosted a spur of the moment Halo 4 Birthday event, and he has continued to be a helpful and active community presence. Here is his interview:

 

 

1. What was your first day as a member of 343i.org like?

 My first day was definitely one of the most interesting. I had so much to learn and explore about this Forum. So many friendly people to talk to and interesting topics to discuss. It felt like home. I was real happy to be here and since that first day I've loved this place. I was extremely active in the forum and enjoyed seeing all the replies and interesting ideas everyone had come up with. That day encouraged me to become an active Member here.

 

2. What do you feel is the biggest problem our Community struggles with today?

 I don't see many problems myself. The Staff here seem to have everything under control all the time. If I had to choose something, it may be a bit of site lang from time to time. Many Members suffer from this and I have before too. Sometimes it's a personal problem such as bad internet, not the site.

 

3. Would you rather post in the General Discussion or Offbeat Topics? Why?

Well, to me it really depends what the topic is about. Offbeat has some fun threads and games, but General Discussion usually contains some interesting information and news about the forum or Halo. I'll go with General Discussion on this one.

 

4. Whom do you feel will win this election?

I think that Ledgend1221 will win this election because he's always happy to help other Members out and is very friendly. He is always talking in the Shoutbox and making a few jokes here and there. How can I forget his roleplaying? He would make a great Forum President in my opinion.

 

5. What's your favorite Halo game? Why?

My favourite Halo game is Halo 3, but just by a bit. I choose Halo 3 because of the memories I have from that game. I remember first playing it, one of the best moments of my Halo History. It is definitely one of the most Memorable Halo games to everyone. It introduced so many new features and was loved by many. It was also massive for Red vs Blue. Halo 3 had a great Campaign, it's campaign developed on so much of the story and left us with a massive cliffhangar which brought up so many possiblilites and theories. It's multiplayer lasted what felt like forever and still entertains many today. Halo  had something unique about it, something that made it my favourite Halo game. It was full of new experiences.

 

6. What's your all-time favorite weapon in Halo?

Assault Rifle. I choose the Assault Rifle because it's one of your best friends when it comes combat. It's a standard issue UNSC weapon and is with you from beginning to end. It has many different models, some better than others in different ways. It's one of Halo's most iconic weapons and is well known to everyone who has played Halo before. I find it to be very reliable and is great for close to medium range combat. It's always used by Marines and Spartans and you learn a lot about the different models in the books. Your Assault Rifle won't let you down...unless it runs out of ammo.

 

7. If you were allowed a one time moderator action, what would it be?

I would probably create a section on the forum based on Halo Lore. This could be discussed anywhere, but having an entire section dedicated to Halo Lore could allow all members to learn so much more about Halo and spread their knowledge. Halo Lore covers many things, the games, comics, books, videos etc. A section for Halo Lore could have all these things compressed to one section and discussed there. Halo is full of things to learn and a lot of those things actually exist today or are being developed. We can learn so much from each other.   If that doesn't work out, I'll just have a Doge smile created.

 

8. If Twam were in the ShoutBox right now, what would you say to him?

 "Thanks Twam for everything you have done and are doing to make this forum what it is. Without you, we wouldn't all know each other like we do today and we'd be missing out on all of this. Thank you for all the time and effort you've spent for this forum. Your work is successful and we are all grateful for it. Keep up the awesome work Twam. :twam:"

 

9. Should Armor Lock return in Halo 5?

I personally think Armour Lock should not return to Halo 5. Although some liked it, the majority of Halo gamers developed a strong hatred towards it. Some people would agree that getting rid of armour lock in halo 4 was one of the best things 343 industries have done. If they bring it back, the game will only have a bad reputation for it and 343 may gain some hate, and trust me, they've had enough hate that they don't deserve. For most people's sake, I think that Armour Lock should not return to Halo 5. It would also make no sense if Halo 5 if set 5 years after Halo Reach and they bring Armour Lock back for no reason. It wasn't in Halo 4, no good reason to have it back in Halo 5. Armour Lock should be a one time thing.

 

10. Why do you feel you should be President? 

 I think I should be president because I'm a friendly Member and love playing Halo with others. I'm active and always welcome new Members that join. I never offend any other Members and always follow the forum rules. I respect every Member here and think that you are all awesome. I bring a positive impact to the forum. I'm generally a nice guy. I'm well educated in Halo. I try to help out others when possible. I get along with everyone. I will continue to support the forum no matter what.

 

Very good replies by Spart, good luck on your campaign!

 

I'm sure all of you will recognize our next interviewee. He's always in the shoutbox, and always cracking jokes, ladies and gentlemen... Ledgend1221! 

 

 

1. What was your first day as a member of 343i.org like?

 It was great craic. Baconshelf introduced me here to get stuck in Halogeek's forum RP, which I happily did. The first day was pretty much that forum RP and getting to know the members involved.

 

2. What do you feel is the biggest problem our Community struggles with today?

Well, personally one of the things that I see is wrong is the people who say they will attend an event, then don't without ever saying they can't make it. This is a somewhat common problem that needs to be rooted out and destroyed!

 

3. Would you rather post in the General Discussion or Offbeat Topics? Why?

Offbeat. Offbeat represents the ultimate freedom. Where you can say what you want and discuss it, no matter how goofy or thought provoking it is.

 

4. Whom do you feel will win this election?

Maestro. He carries the spirit of what makes this forum great.

 

5. What's your favorite Halo game? Why?

Halo: Combat evolved. Halo at it's purest, simplest form. It's the game that defines Halo.

 

6. What's your all-time favorite weapon in Halo?

Warthog. Prepare for ramming speed!

 

7. If you were allowed a one time moderator action, what would it be?

Shoutbox ban Azaxx. Justice for all!

 

8. If Twam were in the ShoutBox right now, what would you say to him?

G'day

 

9. Should Armor Lock return in Halo 5?

Yes, after it was refined from Reach. More content is always better.

 

10. Why do you feel you should be President? 

Because the people want a figure, someone to rally around as we rise up against the iBot. What the people want, I shall give. We will make the forums a better place for everyone.

 

Great job Ledge, very good answers (except for the last of course ;D ) I wish you luck on your run for for office!

 

Our last interview is with the King of The Shoutbox and former Australian President of the Forums, Azaxx!

 

 

1. What was your first day as a member of 343i.org like?

Don't remember from 3 hellish years ago.

 

2. What do you feel is the biggest problem our Community struggles with today?

The lack of praise I get.

 

3. Would you rather post in the General Discussion or Offbeat Topics? Why?

Neither, secret forums is best forums.

 

4. Whom do you feel will win this election?

Me, I have a 100% success rate in all the elections I've stayed in.

 

5. What's your favorite Halo game? Why?

Halo 3. Because it's the best.

 

6. What's your all-time favorite weapon in Halo?

Halo 4 Sniper, and the Halo 2 Needlers.

 

7. If you were allowed a one time moderator action, what would it be?

Able to edit admins without getting permission blocked.

 

8. If Twam were in the ShoutBox right now, what would you say to him?

 Hi Twam, your favourite member is here.

 

9. Should Armor Lock return in Halo 5?

Sure, no reason why not.

 

10. Why do you feel you should be President? 

Because I actually use my term, unlike the others who are all talk but take no action.

 

Thanks for your time Azaxx.

 

Well there you have it, I hope this has helped you better know your candidates. Remember voting ends this Sunday, and if you haven't already cast your vote, you can do so HERE.

 

(For Drizzy ;D)

 

ALL HAIL TWAM!

[Ranger Intel]

Awesome! Great answers everyone.

 

Don't worry Azaxx, you have my praise.

[Caboose The Ace]

I would just like to say....

#Stigforpresidant2014.

[Composite Armour]

It appears Mr. Soviet bear also knows what needs to be done with the great moderators powers.

[Is not JL]

I honestly believe that question 2 deserves to be in a topic of it's own, and one whose OP is a community moderator.

[Yoshi1176]

Hey, theres a problem with the question six on my interveiw. probably just a copy/paste error if you could fix that when you get a chance that would be great. no big deal though. Great interviews by the way.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Yoshi1176

[BeckoningZebra1]

Hey, theres a problem with the question six on my interveiw. probably just a copy/paste error if you could fix that when you get a chance that would be great. no big deal though. Great interviews by the way.

Ahh, I see what happened now...Fixed!

 

Thanks for showing me!

[Spyro]

Thanks for the help BZ. I enjoyed every second of reading each of the interviews, and I think I finally have my vote aimed at a certain member.

[Drizzy_Dan]

How on Earth did I miss this? You're right I've been getting too busy lately... Anyway this was really run to be a part of thanks for the interview BZ! And this was posted very well!