Interviews
More interviews for you guys to enjoy, how pleasant. This issue, finisterra interviews Blingking502, asking many questions about his experiences attempting to crack the infamous secret forums. Another interview was conducted by i haveanidea, who delves into Kelly Girl3's RS life and work in graphics. Paddington conducts the last interview in this issue, this time with someone pretty darn famous.... Salmoneus! Sal's asked about how he got started with the site, his interest in RS, as well as general details of him in real life. So, I guess that's it for this issue, enjoy!
- Topdog (filling in for Prashanna in this intro)
Interview to Blingking - Finisterra
Are you the kind of person who is good at puzzles that apparently lead to nowhere? Well, Neo Avatars and Blingking502 must be, since they were the first persons to finish Cameron's latest treasure trail. In this article, we will be interviewing Blingking502.
What does it feel to be the first person to get into that super-secret forum?
It's pretty good. I've always done the trails since the first and I'm usually in the first few to get in, but this time being the absolute first with Neo was awesome.
So why did you and Neo decide to work on this together?
Teams just kind of fell together on the other trails and I had worked with Neo a few times on the others. Plus, he was the only one on #Novus doing it.
How much time did you spend on this?
I had gotten a start on it, not much, before Neo got on, but together it was about 4 hours on and off-ish.
Did you ever get stuck on a clue for a long period of time (if so, how long)?
Haha, the one after you get into the first Secret Forum we went in the completely wrong direction, then finally realised the vertical text and got it, but Cam had screwed up, so the pass was off a bit, which we luckily found without too much hassle. Not sure how long it was.
I tried sending you a private message, your inbox was full. Approximately, how many PMs did you receive asking for the password?
I just deleted those, there were 5 or 6 people who had messaged me, 1 person a few times.
What do you think of the multiple-subforums idea?
Great idea on Cam's part so someone can't just give away the pass.
What was your favorite part of the trail?
Oh there's a little surprise at the end to get into the final forum in the form of an odd crossword that's full of Cam's awesome puns and thinking that Neo and I had a good time with.
Changing the topic, where did you find out about Sal's?
Back in the first few weeks of playing I was stuck on Ernest the Chicken and a person told me to go to Sal's and use the guide there. I used the site all the time and then found the forum I've been kicking around here ever since, just a little less lately.
What do you like most about our community?
When I joined the community was a lot smaller, which was really nice. Everyone knew everyone else. I had join just a bit before the Christmas party, and that locked me in when I saw everyone coming together then.
Congratulations and thanks for your time! Would you like to give any advice on solving this kind of games to our readers?
Patience and a cool composure helps. Don't get frustrated when something doesn't work. Cam always works really logically and everything he says matters, don't over look anything.
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Interview with Kelly Girl33 - by ihaveanidea
Thank you for taking part in this in interview, Kelly Girl33. Now, for the first question, how did you find out about Runescape?
Ironically, I was looking for another internet pool site (I was getting sick of Yahoo! Pool) & I found Miniclip.com & they had an ad for RuneScape. I was just starting the Medieval Times in school, as well.
How long were you playing Runescape before you found Sal's Realm? And how did you find it?
I would estimate maybe, give or take, 3 or 4 years. I found it when I was searching for a guide (since I was also using the Zybez & RuneHQ ones, which didn't help me as much as I'd hoped they would).
Wow, quite awhile! Did you start making graphics before or after finding Sal's?
After. I've only been with graphics for a little less than a month. I'm not that great. Learning...But for using Paint.NET, I think I do OK :X
Wow, only a month, and with Paint.NET! So, do you enjoy making people their requests, or just do it for practice?
Eh, a bit of both. I mainly opened the shop because I enjoy helping people...I know that a simple free signature that takes less than two hours of my time (sometimes more) makes a smile. Why not? =) I also mess around with Paint.NET a lot when making the signatures, to learn a bit & hopefully improve. It's also good experience, learning the rules & ways of Sal's a bit more (even though I've read the rules about 5 times in the last month & half)
Do you mind the competition between your shop and others in the Digital Shops & Requests section, or are you glad that there are other shops so that you don't get overloaded with requests?
Well, I'm not glad that there's others. I don't mind doing signatures, because it makes people happy. I just wonder if that's everyone's outlook on signature-making. I mean, there's other people that make WAY better signatures & if a person likes their shop, all to them...I wouldn't blame nor be upset to their thoughts, but I'd like to try to keep the customer happy as I can.
Now, on a partly similar note, do you think the entire Graphics Section is gaining enough attention and activity, or do you think there is a definite inactivity?
In some areas, there's less activity than other places. However, generally it's active. The people are also nice, which gives it a higher chance of there being activeness.
Are there any signatures that you'd like to share with us?
(And, made by Runescaper4, Co-Owner of Kelly & Runescaper4's Gfx Shop)
Do you think you would have started graphics if it weren't for Runescape, and Sal's?
Well, I can't really say yes & I can't really say no...I don't really know where I'd be if I didn't have RuneScape. However, I can almost say that I wouldn't be into computers as much, thus maybe not into graphics either. But, I've worked very hard to keep...Away...From the things in life (drugs, etc.) & to stay towards things that are postive...One, being graphics. I have a lust for them. Because everyone could make the same exact render & background differently...Different text, colors, the amount it's sharpened. Every person is different with what they do with graphics...It's a beautiful art.
A great way to look at it I suppose. Now, looking away from graphics... What is your favorite part of Sal's (excluding, of course, the graphics part)?
Not including anything in the graphics section...Before I got addicted to graphics, I was very popular in the Screenshot Fakes. I rated them (mind you, very hard xD). Basically all of the "The Screenshot Place" I was active in.
Now, onto Runescape...How long ago do you think you started playing?
About 2003
Is Kelly Girl33 your only account, or do you have/have had more?
I have others. I had one before Kelly_Girl33, as well. I even remember the name of the account, oddly enough - Mah_Lago
Are you still playing actively on Runescape?
Yeah. I actually have a Goals & Achievements thread...A big part to why I still play.
Speaking of your Goals/Achievements thread, what are your most recent achievements and goals?
Since my internet has been in & out & I've been in the hospital recently, I've only had one achievement. Which is 94 Fishing. Here's what I have under my "current goal" place: Get 85 Slayer to camp at Abyssal Demons & get 99 Attack, Strength, Defence, & Hitpoints, whilst also getting some stats to 60+ (two to three at a time). Along with that, I'll be working on Fishing, doing clan challenges (Bronze, Silver, & Gold), which will leave me a bit more than 1M from 99 Fishing, which I'll then fish with Sharks.
What were you in the hospital for? And are you better now?
I was in the hospital because I was having heart attack like chest pains...Which was caused by a build-up of fluid around my heart, because my heart was infected... It takes 3-6 months to go away on it's own. But, I went today to the doctors & the fluid is almost gone, meaning the infection is slowly going away. The doctors are slowly waning me off of my medicine
Well, at least that's a good sign, and hopefully you'll get better soon.......
Do you play on FunOrb, and are you excited about Mechscape?
I played only one game on FunOrb. It was some type of Zombie game, it was last year. I'm slightly excited for Mech. I'm not expecting anything, nor reading anything. Simply because I want to be surprised with how it comes to be.
Do you think you'd play MechScape if it was equal to (or better!) then Runescape?
I'm unsure. I'm pretty into RuneScape. I do hope maybe they'll link, like FunOrb does. Where you can continue to talk to friends from RS.
Ok, thanks for your time taking this interview! If there's anything you'd like to add, or shout out to anybody, you can add it now.
Thank you for interviewing me!
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Interview with Salmoneus - By: Paddington
We all know the friendly salmon guy, the guy who started it all. And today, I will be presenting to you an interview with...FRIENDLY SALMON MAN AKA SALMONEUS, EXCLUSIVELY FOR SAL'S NEWSPAPER ONLY!!!!
Hey Sal! How're you today?
Hey Paddington, I'm doing pretty well today... definitely can't complain. With my final exams (and consequently the semester) being finished as of 9:33am on Tuesday morning, I'm happy knowing that I'll have more time to do things that I want to do (and the things that I've had to put off since the semester began).
How did you find out about Sals...oh crap. Why did you create Sals?
I found Sal's while looking for a ques... doh, you got me! Around the time I created the site, RuneScape itself seemed like it was surrounded in mystery. The information on the official RuneScape site was very basic - just enough to give you a taste - and it left the game's community feeling unsure of "what to do next." For example, when I started playing in 2001, there were all sorts of different foods you could make, but the official site lacked info on them. The average RuneScape diet consisted of cabbage and rat meat, since those things were readily available and didn't require any special instructions to make (unlike things like pizzas or cakes). Quests were another thing - a few quests always seemed to stump people, and they would spend all sorts of cash to get other people to help them out (thus defeating the purpose)! The main idea behind the site was to kind of balance out the inadequacies of the existing game documentation. In short, I just wanted to help create a friendly, helpful, organized and accurate center of information for people to use.
How long did you take to finally get Sals started?
That depends on what you mean by "get started." In 2001, I started a website on Geocities just to document the things that I had learned while playing - essentially just how to make certain foodstuffs, locations of NPCs and other basic info. It never took off (more or less because it was more or less a notepad called "Salmoneus' Realm of RuneScape") and I closed it down after awhile. In 2002 I re-started the project using Freewebs, and while it was pretty slow traffic-wise, I ended up getting the basis for the main site complete. I'd say that the site initially started picking up around the end of 2003 after its initial redesign, and really began to "get started" around February 2004, after buying the salmoneus.net domain and moving away from Freewebs. I'd like to think that the Realm was "born" in February 2004, because that's really when we started getting a larger userbase, and the site began to expand to include more than just skill guides.
How did people get to Sals, and make Sals not just those normal small fansites but one of THE biggest fansites?
That's a really good question, and to be honest I don't really have a good answer for you! My best guess is that our users passed our site link on to their friends and other RuneScapers who needed help, and it was essentially advertised by word of mouth at the beginning. It just goes to show how effective this method can be at getting the word out about something!
Now let's talk about Runescape! How did you get introduced to RuneScape?
I owe it to my friend James for introducing me to RuneScape. We were both in the same Computer class in Jr. High School and for our final projects had to present something computer-related. He did his presentation on RuneScape, and I thought it looked really interesting. It didn't have super-graphics or music, but the fact that it was an (MMO)RPG, it was free, and could actually play on my PC was enough for me to try it out. I was addicted the first time I played (even though I ended up lost behind Lumbridge Castle for over an hour).
From where did you get the name Salmoneus, and want to use it?
At the time I found RuneScape, I was addicted to the Hercules/Xena TV shows. I really wanted to use a medieval-sounding name, and both "Hercules" and "Autolycus" (the thief) were taken. So I thought of "Salmoneus" - the funny, kind guy who's always trying to make a quick buck and never able to - and here we are!
How old were you when you started Runescape? (hurray for off-topic!)
I was 13 (a couple months before turning 14) when I started playing.
Was anybody an inspiration to you in Runescape?
Piranha. I always wanted to mine head to head with him and see who could outmine the other.
Give me one paragraph about your addiction to Mining.
Mining is one of those simple pleasures that many people seem to take for granted. Mining takes skill, determination, dedication and patience, but if you put in 100%, you'll get something back from RuneScape. I think that John Locke from Lost sums it up perfectly "What I know is that this island might just give you what you're looking for, but you have to give the island something." What you're looking for could be a lump of Coal or a pile of Runite, but you may just end up finding a shiny Sapphire or a valuable diamond - you just never know. It's all about anticipation. If you look at it like that - not just a job, but an opportunity - nothing can stop you from reaching your dreams and aspiring to become one of the greatest miners in the [RuneScape] world.
Now let's talk about Real Life! Do you love Salmon in real life?
Well, it's alright. It's not my favorite dish, as I'd prefer something from AppleBees or Outback, but I like salmon too.
Are you a teacher's pet, a naughty student or just a normal student in school?
It depends on the class. During interesting classes, I'm more likely to ask questions, comment on what the professor has said, and generally get involved in the class. Otherwise, I'm either sitting in the back trying not to fall asleep, or browsing the net on my laptop. I probably fit the profile of the average college student.
When are you going to graduate and get 99 mining? (I know I said real life, but w/e)
That's on the top of my list of things to do when I start playing again, which might happen this summer. We'll see. If I ever intend to get 99 Mining, I'm definitely hosting a public "Push 99 Mining" party!
Do you like fast food?
Every now and then it's great, and I admit that it's saved my life a few times during those long days of classes, but it's not good for you at all! Don't get me wrong - there's nothing better than an extra cheese pizza or a couple of cheeseburgers while studying, but it's a bad idea to eat it all the time.
Do you think you're sexy?
Oh yes. It's all about attitude and confidence - if you have those two things, you're sexy.
Thank you for your time for this interview, friendly salmon man! Do you have anything else you want to say?
You're welcome - it was my pleasure! I'd just like to say two things:
1. Stay in school.
2. Don't do drugs.
Thanks for listening!
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