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We love seeing the many varied guides Haswell posts on the forums, such as his how-to edit your .xml guide and wanted to know a bit more about who he is as a pilot, and a person. We asked him a few questions via email, and this is what he had to say:
How long have you been a gamer?
Contrary to most folks today, my childhood wasn't one of a normal gamer's. I used to spend more time buried in my personal library of books and models than watching television. In fact, it wasn't until the age of 12 did technology started seriously corrupting my delicate sensibilities! No longer did the stories of children exploring the jungle strike my interest, for my mind was long lost to the wonderful world of StarCraft. Alongside of that, I've always been a big fan of the Super Mario series, even going as far as staying up all night for several days straight, just to collect that final star!
What are some of your hobbies/ activities?
My favorite activity is video gaming, of course! Aside from that though, I do enjoy my job as a tech support personnel, since that means I get to sit around mountains of so-called "broken" computer hardware, many of which are entirely functional after a good cleaning. Most people enjoy upgrading new computers; I enjoy breathing life back into the old machines. There's a certain accomplishment to living on the edge, always hoping for someone someone to trade in their old products in favor of new releases. There's no greater feeling than to acquire a 40" TV screen for nothing but legwork, all because the previous owner decided they absolutely needed a new 60" screen.
Note: always be honest and respectful, ask people for their trash before you take it for yourself.
Tell us something interesting that happened to you on the job!
Aside from the usual reformat/reinstall, program troubleshooting and dreaded dusting duties, I can't really say my job is that interesting...
I once had the good fortune of receiving an old IBM ThinkPad, probably around 8-9 years old dating back from 2002-2003. The machine wouldn't boot at all, no POST codes nor indicator lights, it was fairly obvious that it's dead for good. However, the owner was apparently very attached to this beaten up laptop as he was almost begging me to repair it. It was a confusing moment for me to see an 18-20ish kid with an iPod lugging around this piece of history, but I took up the challenge anyway (it's pretty hard to find decade-old hardware for service now).
Took the RAM out, pulled the HDD, detached the monitor, it still wouldn't boot after I stripped it down to the bare motherboard. The power circuitry must be the issue then, which means it's pretty much dead beyond any repairs, and I couldn't find a matching model of the motherboard anywhere, not even eBay. This happened in 2011, mind you, so I was opted to tell the owner to replace the entire machine instead, as well as returning the reassembled machine to him. I backed up the 20GB HDD on a couple of old USB sticks and also gave them to the owner, though it was kind of silly for me to hand him the sticks when he probably didn't have another computer to use them on anyways.
About two weeks later I received a letter from a local law firm, which rang all of my "oh crap" bells in my head. Turns out it was a letter of gratitude from the owner, since the laptop belonged to his father who passed away in an accident. The latest revision of his will was stored in that HDD apparently, so needless to say I brought closure to the kid without actively knowing so. I do feel guilty for not being able to revive that dead ThinkPad though, seeing how much that meant to the kid and his family. The most I could do at that point was to send him my condolences.
Where are you from?
Toronto, Canada.
Do you have any military/ aviation experience?
Nope. None at all.
How long have you been playing WoWP?
I got accepted into Global Alpha Test back in April 20th, 2012. Been involved with the game every since, so it almost marks a full year since I joined the game.
What are some recent accomplishments you had ingame?
True accomplishments are hard to come by in-game, especially when the standard has been set and you have to live up to your reputation and record. I suppose being able to out-match other ace pilots ingame may count as accomplishments, as there are many others who perform better than I do, with greater experience and knowledge of the game mechanics and air combat maneuvers. I'm merely an average pilot being pit against the best of the best, and I consider it a great accomplishment when I manage to down a recogized ace, since I'll be hunted down in the same fashion by the enemy ace.
What are your favorite planes?
How should I start, I can't really say I dislike any plane in particular! If I had to chose though, I would chose the J4M1 Senden and the J7 Shinden series, because they greatly reward skill and experience and are able to to hold its own against opponents from ranging from tier 5 to tier 10. They are not for the lighthearted though, since they all demand great discipline in energy management and marksmanship. Should your airspeed venture above or below the optimal speed envelope, the plane becomes unresponsive and sluggish in maneuvers; fire your weapons too often and they will easily overheat. The Japanese carrier-based fighters are planes that require great finesse in patience and control.
What are your favorite aspects of the game?
The graphics and rendering engine of the game is perhaps one of the most mindblowing aspect to be, seeing highly detailed planes fly and react against an excellent lighting system. I daresay the visual impact of the game can very much rival more sophisticated engines, such as the Cryengine and Frostbite engine series. Of course, there are nitpicks to be found, but the overall graphics are absolutely comparable and leaves a very positive impression in me.
In my opinion, WoWP managed to craft a very fine balance between arcade and realism, following the motto of "easy to learn, hard to master." It is very easy for new players to have a firm grasp on basic game mechanics, but the more advanced tactics and knowledge will come along with experience and time spend learning the game itself. Never mind about air combat maneuvers, which I will leave to Glenn King (GeorgePatton) to explain in detail, but being an avid mouse and keyboard user myself I still find much to learn in refining my techniques and control of my plane, as constant twitch corrections are needed to perform minute adjustments to my flight path and aim. Truly, mastering the controls itself is an accomplishment that yields great reward and enjoyment in the game.
Do you have any advice for new players?
Don't become frustrated and lose your focus! Becoming good at the game is all about learning and experience, and with time comes knowledge and wisdom. It's easy to say the game is too difficult for first timers, but you will get the sense of accomplishment once you understand the game mechanics and manage to apply your experience in actual combat, being able to out-fly your opponents and shoot down targets with ease. Reward does not come without labor, and being able to see your performance slowly increase as you learn more and more about the game is about as rewarding as the game gets.
What’s your favorite map and why?
In terms of gameplay versatility, I believe the current Arctic Region map impresses me the most. The airspace is large enough for high-speed movements of jets, while the landscape provides ample opportunities for more agile prop planes to engage in terrain-oriented maneuvers during dogfights. It is a map that requires teamwork to maintain aerial supremacy in critical sectors, all the while protecting your friendly ground assets from enemy attack aircrafts and escorting friendly planes to destroy enemy ground targets.
Twitch TV URL?
http://www.twitch.tv/haswell_wowp/
Now that I have some free time on my hands (and my desktop up and running), I'm looking forward to streaming some community events and contests.
