Today’s Featured Player is long-time community member Memnir, aka Paul. This Seattleite, artist and Bwest Fwiend is known for his ability to find the appropriate picture for every occasion and has been known to make us smile every now and then. A big thanks to Memnir for agreeing to be our first DDO Community Featured Player!

Where are you from?

I live about twenty minutes Southeast outside Seattle, in a town called Issaquah.

What do you do for a living?

I’ve been HouseDad to my two kids for the last ten years. Anyone wondering how come I seem to pop up on the forums a lot – there is the answer. lol  But, it’s been a great experience – and one I’ve really enjoyed.  Now, however, I am looking to get back into school and start working towards my career again.

What do you like to do when you are not playing DDO? Any interesting hobbies?

When not playing DDO, I like to work on my art – which consists mainly of photomanipulations, photography, and some painting here and there. I also love to write, and will own up to having the proverbial “novel in the desk drawer” that I work on when the mood strikes. I also play pen and paper D&D with my wife, kids, and a few friends as often as we can.

Other than that, I play a few other PC and 360 games.

Check out Memnir’s art!

What is the last book you read? What is your favorite?

Just last night I finished up a re-read of Zack Brooks’ “World War Z”, which is just an amazing read. I recommend it highly.

My favorite book is actually a series – and that would be Stephen King’s Dark Tower books. If I had to pick a favorite out of the bunch, it would be Wizard and Glass for sure.

What was the last movie you saw? What is your favorite?

The last movie I saw was The Hangover, and am still laughing.

My favorite is The Iron Giant. Brad Bird is a flat-out genius.

What kind of music do you like to listen to?

Is it a copout to say I like just about everything? My wife hates my iPod, because it’s very schizophrenic. I’ve got everything on there from Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin to Bring the Noise by Anthrax/Public Enemy to everything Tool has ever done. What I listen to depends a lot on what sort of mood I’m in. For instance, as I write this I’m listening to “All Apologies” by Nirvana…

Did you ever play the Pen and Paper version of D&D? Which editions?

I’ve been playing D&D since I was seven, and the Basic set had just come out. And, I’ve played every edition, and most of the settings at least a few times (I never got to Al-Qadim setting tho). For the majority of the years I’ve been playing, I’ve been the DM – choosing to make my own campaigns rather than rely on the published ones.

My favorite setting has to be either Dark Sun or Planescape.

The only edition of D&D I haven’t liked at all was 4th, and neither did my group. After two sessions, we gave it up and went back to 3.5.

How did you get interested in DDO?

Back in 2005, I was an Enforcer (volunteer) at the Penny Arcade Expo.  I was working in the Tabletop Gaming section, and a lot of folks coming in to play were talking about a new MMO that was D&D. The game was still half a year from release, and down on the show floor, there was a challenge set up (I think it was a Marut) – and if you beat it, your party member were given Beta keys. Sadly, I was kept too busy to get down there in time to check it out… and I was very bummed. But, at the after-party, Robert Khoo, Penny Arcade’s Business Director, let all the Enforcers know that Turbine was so happy with how the weekend went, they were extending closed beta invites to any Enforcer who wanted one – and my name was one of the first on the list.

I’ve been hooked since.

How did you choose your character’s name?

Thematically, usually. I don’t use any names I use in pen and paper, and I detest names for my alts that are not spelled correctly. So I think of what I want my character to be, and then spend a lot of time trying to find a word that sums that up. Then, if that word is taken as a name, I pop open Thesaurus.com and keep trying words till I find one that works best.

The only name I’ve taken on from Eberron was the name for my Ranger, Dolurrh. I like having enemies tell my party members that they are going to send their souls screaming to me. Hehehe Plus, naming a Ranger after the Realm of the Dead just seemed to fit somehow.

What race/class is your favorite?

I don’t really have a favorite race – there are aspects of all of them I like and dislike equally. So, I’ll  freely own up to metagaming my characters to going with the race that will get me the best results for the build I have in mind.  Now, this may not always be the typical choice – but I tend to enjoy off-kilter builds.

I like all the classes, except Clerics. And even then, it’s not that I dislike them - I just cannot play one to save my life (or anyone else’s, for that matter). I have tried many times to level one up. I just cannot do it. Which is odd because I do like Favored Souls… go figure.

I think it’s more a matter of me having not found a build I like enough to keep going with, more than anything.

What server do you play on?

Right now, I play on Cannith. Unlimited launched at a time when I was unsure of my future in DDO, I was beyond burned out. The idea of starting with a clean slate along with everyone else really jumpstarted my love for the game again, and I’ve enjoyed forging a new niche there.

My other main server is Thelanis by way of Xoriat. To all my Thelanis friends – I will be back! I just honestly don’t know when…

Are you a member of a guild? Which one?

On Cannith I am a member of Stonemeld Foundation, a very small guild of long-time DDO friends.

On Thelanis I am a member of Legion, which I am still honored to be in – even though I don’t feel like I’m on par with much of the guys I run with there.

Do you like to raid?

I do, but to me it’s not the end all and be all of DDO. It’s more of a love/hate thing. Raids are a lot of fun, but I’ve never been a huge fan of Grind. My loot-luck is ruinously bad – so farming for rare ingredients or a “needed” chunk of raid loot usually results in frustration for me. But I love running with a the twelve man groups, because it can be some of the funniest and most enjoyable times you can have in the game.

What do you think is the coolest looking place in DDO?

I’m a sucker for a stunning vista, so I still love Menechtarun a whole lot. But, with each new landscape Keeper and crew turns out, that question gets harder and harder to answer. The Three Barrel Cove reamp still stands out as one of the best zones in DDO.

Do you quest with people you know, a pick up group, or brave it alone? All of the above?

All of the above, and mostly depends on mood and RL constraints. Having a family, I don’t put the game first… so a lot of the time I solo just because I am unsure of how long I can be on and don’t want to bail on a group due to one of my kids needing the computer for homework, or some other domestic issue. But, when I know I’m going to have a long stretch of game time, then it’s time to group up.

Do you use any clickie items? What kind are must-haves in your inventory?

Who doesn’t have clickie items? lol The ones I consider must-haves are Flesh Render Guard goggles from Tangleroot, Planer Girds, and an Invis item with at least three hits on it.

Do you have a favorite snack to eat when you are playing DDO?

Does gum count? Beyond that, I’m perfectly happy with a tin of almonds and a glass of iced tea.

What is the funniest thing you have ever heard in general chat?

There were a couple of guys talking about a build over Gen Chat – and one of them asked “Halfling?” To which somebody else answered, “No thanks, I’m full.”

That one still makes me laugh.

Ever had an embarrassing party wipe?

Anyone who says they haven’t is not telling the truth. Hehehe The one that sticks out would be back in the Xoriat days, I was PUGing  with a bunch of guildies – and we got obliterated by Bloodletter in Water Works. We all were silent for a moment – then we all burst out laughing, reformed, and went back in to get a slice of vengeance pie. I don’t even know how we wiped to this day – but it was awesome.

If you could hang out in real-life with any of the NPC’s from the game who would you choose? Why?

I’d like to have a dinner party with Goldscuttle, a Succubus, Jeets, and Haywire – just to sit back and listen to the conversation…

What’s your favorite Adventure Pack or quest chain?

STK, hands down. It has a pacing to the encounters and storyline that just flows so well. Out of all the quests in the game, it still stands out to me as the one that feels most like it could have come from a classic module TSR put out “back in the day”.  Shan To Kor tells a good story, which to me is what sets it above other some quests that just seem like settings with a loose layer of plot sprinkled on top to give the players a purpose for being there.

Paul, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions. See you in game!

***If you’d like nominate yourself (or someone else!) to be a featured player, send us a quick email at ddo@turbine.com. Make us laugh, make us cry, and tell us why you (or they) should be in the spotlight!