Pilots!
If you've spent any time on the forums or in-game, there's a good chance you've seen Jinxed_Katajainen in the skies of World of Warplanes or answering questions in the forums. We thought it was high time we sat down with him and fired off a few questions that we're sharing with you here today.
How long have you been a gamer?
I've been gaming since I was five years old, so that makes it 25+ years. I grew up in the years of the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision for consoles, and had a Commodore 64 for a gaming computer.
What are some of your hobbies and activities?
I think I'm a very big nerd when it comes to my hobbies. Surfing the Internet, gaming, watching anime, researching history (mainly World War II), going to museums, airshows, listening to music, wiki surfing... I could probably go on for a while here.
Please, do go on!
I've won a handful of gaming competitions and tournaments. They were small ones held at the local game shop and video game rental places, but a $50 gift certificate was big money when you were a teen looking to get more games for his collection.
I've also participated in the Blockbuster game tournament tryouts but didn't get too far in that. The contests I've won were all console games.
I do play everything though: PC, console, board games, card games, tabletop RPGs, and war games.
Where are you from?
Born on Long Island, New York. Lived in many places in New England.
Do you have any military/ aviation experience?
None
How long have you been playing World of Warplanes?
I've been playing since March 2012. I was invited to the game with the Global Alpha group of testers
What are some recent accomplishments you've had in-game?
I'm not sure I've done much in-game recently that could be labeled an accomplishment. What may have been an accomplishment in the past such as getting 5-7 kills in a single game is becoming rather routine now. I suppose forcing somebody to crash by flying through the suspension wires on the Bay map may be one.
What are your favorite planes?
I like the highly maneuverable planes in general. I've taken a liking to the biplanes, the A6M Zero, P-36, I-16, etc. I'll definitely try out the Spitfire when the British line is introduced as well.
What are your favorite aspects of the game?
I think right now, the same thing that keeps me playing in World of Tanks. The introduction of prototype and paper designs that never saw action in the real WWII battlefield and usually don't see in other games either. The quick battles where you can join, fight, and win or lose in an average of 5-10 minutes... if you die, just jump out and rejoin another game in another tank or plane. There's no lingering fight or the need to search for the battle over a super realistic sprawling map. There's also the inherent danger of only having one life where if you're destroyed, you're out of the game.
Do you have any advice for new players?
Practice, practice, practice. Also, find a control scheme you like and can stick to it and a plane and role that you like and start from there. I have seen many people ask for opinions on what is the "best" but I believe it would be better if the new player stuck with what they like and are more comfortable to them than something that is to another person.
What’s your favorite map and why?
Not sure if I have a favorite at this time. I like them all.