Interview with Voar Tok

Today we will talk with Voar Tok, the winner of the EOTM for March 2006.

- When did you join Simtropolis?

I originally joined ST about a year ago - either in late March or early April.

I used to go by a different screenname back then, but I changed it because I got

really tired of it. Anyway, I've been using this name since early October, and

yes, I'm going to stick with this one. lol

- Why did you join Simtropolis?

I've heard that most people come for the STEX, but I actually came looking for

information on learning the BAT. I first came to the site back in May of 2004,

but I didn't register because of the cookie management issues on my computer.

Back then, the Essential BAT tutorial didn't exist (well, it wasn't anywhere

that I could find it) and DarkMatter had written the only tutorial that I could

follow along with. Unfortunately, I still couldn't really get the hang of what

he had written, and I gave up any hope of ever learning to BAT.

As luck (or whatever you want to call it) would have it, I decided to make one

last attempt to find some useful information on learning the BAT. Almost an

entire year had passed since then, and the Essential BAT tutorial had been

posted on the home page. ST was at the top of the Google hits, so I dropped by

and checked the tutorial out. When I saw the thing, I realized that I

absolutely had to get a copy of it, and I eventually ended up registering a few

days later.

- When did you become a member of staff?

I became a member of staff back on March 27 at approximately 10:15 PM local

time. I remember that really well because my open-jawed reaction to being

offered a job as a chat op probably gave some dude on the other end of the world

a nasty headache. lol

- Why do you think you became a member of staff?

I'm not entirely sure why it was that SkiGeek asked if I would be willing to be

a chat op. I guess that it will be one of those mysteries that only the

Dirktatorship knows.

- Did you ever expect to win the EOTM?

Heck no. I didn't even expect to win a hero's biscuit or something of that

nature - let alone one of the best awards on the site. I basically just wanted

to help give back to the community that has helped me so much in the year that I

have been here. ST literally changed my life in some ways, and there isn't

anyway to fully say "thank you" for all of the stuff that Dirk, the admins, and

the other members here have done.

- Why do you think the admins chose you for the EOTM?

I've been told that it has to do with the help I offered the rest of the staff

with the second phase of the upgrade. Other than that, I really don't know for

sure. On the other hand, I've never really thought of myself as a helpful

person. Primarily, I just try to be a decent guy who acts in a decent manner to

others. In other words, I try to follow the golden rule.

- Do you think winning the EOTM will inspire you to do more for Simtropolis?

That's rather difficult to answer in a coherent way. It will inspire me in the

sense that I know that I'm doing something right and I can continue to do that

and help the community in the process. Conversely, it's not going to inspire me

spend my time trying to dream up grandiose and impractical ideas just so that I

can say that I'm living up to my award. There are better and more practical

ways to be helpful than that.

- What do you consider your greatest contribution to Simtropolis?

I can't say that I've necessarily made great contributions to the site.

Basically, I just try to help where I can. But if I had to pick something, I

would say that my greatest contribution to ST would probably be working to help

convert the omnibus. The omnibus is near and dear to me, although the other

teams that I am a part of likewise hold a special place in my life. Heck, this

entire site is special to me.

- What are your favourite Simtropolis memories?

Well, I REALLY enjoyed the 2005 Trixies. But I think that some of my fondest

moments here are the ones that took place behind the scenes. I've gotten to

know some of the admins (one in particular ) and the late nights working on

stuff to help make the site what it is. The more that I get to peak behind the

curtain, the more I realize that there is a lot of stuff that has to go on in

the background to make what people see in foreground a reality.

Another good memory was the conspiracy to make Dirk the February 2006 EOTM. He

really deserved that award. (And for those of you who are wondering, EOTM

actually stands for Employer of the Millennium in this case).

- What are your main staff jobs on Simtropolis?

One of my jobs as a member of the staff is to keep an eye on the chat.

Basically, I see to it that everyone is following the rules, and if someone

isn't following them, then I do something about it. Otherwise, I just sit back

and have a nice chat with people.

As of this writing, I also moderate the Sound Room, which is where the

podcasters meet. I can't tell you any more than that though, as there is a

reason why it is a private room. lol

- What is your favourite part of being on the Simtropolis staff?

I'd say that it is definitely finding out how things work on this site. Getting

to go behind the curtain is a lot of fun. The extra responsibilities that are

necessary for the job also enforce the reality of how it's not something to be

taken lightly either. You do set an example for everyone else. The key to it

is that you have to know how to have fun and still be stern when you have to.

Also, the mutual respect that everyone shows each other is a real plus. I'd say

that the bond between the members of site staff is like that of a close family.

- Are there any other game you play besides SimCity and if so could you name us

a few of them?

Let's see, I play Halo, Halo 2, and when it comes out Halo 3. lol Actually, I

don't have any of those games (or even a system). Luckily, I have RL friends

who do, so when we get together, we frag the living daylights out of each other.

I do have some other games though, like Star War Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. One

of my friends just recently gave me a copy of Myst 3: Exile, so I'm going to

have to give that a shot soon. Since I'm also into strategy games, I have a

copy of Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 (which I would play if I could find the disc).

Oh well.

I'll play basically anything as long as we can play PvP on it. I have some

rather hilarious stories of times when I was playing with friends under some of

the most ridiculous conditions (way beyond the usual stuff of going late into

the night). They make for awesome memories. Whoever said video games couldn't

bring people together got that wrong. lol

I won't get started on all of the games that I would love to have but don't have

money for. If I did, this interview would need an intermission.

- What do you do as a job in real life?

Whether or not this counts as a job depends on your opinion, but my "job" is

that of a high schooler. Basically, I do homework and stuff like that. lol

- What do you do in your free time away from Simtropolis and SimCity?

In my spare time, I usually do stuff on my computer. Sometimes I chat with

people. Other times I work on stuff for homework or personal hobbies. And

sometimes, I play games.

- Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

I'd like to say thanks to all of ST. I can easily say that the last 12 months

of my life have been some of the best of my life, and I am REALLY going to hate

not having regular computer access this summer. This might sound a little

weird, but part of me wishes that summer wouldn't happen. Oh well, it's coming

up soon, but when it's done, I'll be back to cruising the most awesome site on

the web.

Thank you for joining us today Voar Tok!! You've been a great help around the

site!