An interview with BurgerMan.

BURGERMAN: A Pretentious W@nker? You decide.
( My personal observations are in bolded orange. These were only present in my own head during the course of the interview. I felt that if I revealed these thoughts that the interview may not have been as candid as it could have been. Based on my own observations see if you come to the same conclusion about Mr. Moderator that I did. )

Kets:
Alright first question...Are you a dude or a chick?

Burgerman:
I'm married to Bunny and she is ALL woman, so that makes me a guy for sure. IRL I mean, as in married to the owner of the avatar called Bunny. LOL so complex so soon in the interview.

Kets:
Great. (I meant, â??Damn!â?) Are you currently on any kind of medication...prescribed medications of courseâ?¦or unprescribed the kind that may affect the way you answer questions or perceive reality?

Burgerman:
I'm on painkillers for some aches I have but nothing major, and no I do not take other substances so I am very clear headed. As to reality, hmm that is a scary thing to perceive no matter what state a person is in I think. He-He. (Prozac is a "painkiller"â?¦of sorts, too. Hmmâ?¦)

Kets:
True. You speak a lot of Bunny (and Why wouldn't you, I know I would if she and I ....) Is she a dude or a chick?

Burgerman:
She is a real woman, we met in Microsoft Comic chat, which was a graphical chat program, years ago. I used the avatar Hugh, a fat furry cat, Bunny was an avatar called Susan, a southern Belle, which was most appropriate as she was living then in a Southern US state. After a lot of chatting, Bunny moved to Australia to be with me. And yes she is a real woman IRL.

Kets:
Interesting. ( I meant â??Great!â?) After the release of the forum picture of you and Bunny the talk is that you only showed one foot because you only have one foot, or leg. Do you care to comment on the growing controversy?

Burgerman:
HAHA Oh dear, I didn't know or expect that one, yes I have 2 feet, ten toes, two hands etc.

Kets:
Will there be proof provided later? You see my credibility is on the line here.

Burgerman:
We are both reserved about posting our pictures only from habit, used to being online and needing to retain some security on our identities etc. I expect I will be in some photos from the upcoming Expo in Perth in August, if not as an ambassador then as a visitor. (Reserved? Are you wanted by the law? Now Iâ??m curious.)

Kets:
I see... My picture was sort of a disguise as well. (and not from the law mind you.)

Burgerman:
Was it you under the white costume?

Kets:
Yes, actually it was. ( Better change the subject fast. He may want some kind of positive ID.) Did Bunny like the coat you got her for Easter? I never see her wearing it.

Burgerman:
Yes I think she likes it, certainly hope so, she wears it in most of her spamming global screenshots LOL it has many vertical orange stripes on it. I thought of posting a semi disguised pic of me, or one of me in some action pose or holding a toy gun pretending to be tough, but I thought I would look more like a pretentious w*nker then -- ROFL-- so eventually will just post a pic of me sitting at the computer or similar.

Kets:
Okay, I'll take your word for it. How did Bunny come about becoming the welcoming committee for the forum? Is it correct to assume that you just didn't want it and you dumped it on her to do? (Poor girl, she really needs a friend. Perhaps Iâ?¦?)

Burgerman:
Incorrect, Bunny was creative and typed in that title herself. I used to welcome every new member at the forum, but gave up when many turned out to be spammers. Now I wait until they make a first posting, and if they are genuine then I make a nice fuss to welcome them.

Kets:
Ok. (So he controls her with flattery. Works well on me, too. Iâ??d better be careful)

Burgerman:
Also it is Phunksta's forum and so any special titles are given by Phunksta. But with the ability to edit your own avatar title we see some people with grandiose titles also LOL

Kets:
But that offers some insight on them as well, don't you think? ( By Moderator, does he meanâ?¦Bunny controller?)

Burgerman:
Yes indeed in some cases. Sometimes a lot can be learned or guessed about people even before they post anything, just based upon the avatar info they provide.

Kets:
(Letâ??s get to the real point of this interview.) With the perceived animosity that exists between you and Bunny, the flying skillets, etc is there some underlying competition between you two that perhaps may become insurmountable at some point, perhaps to the point of separation?

Burgerman:
HaHa very far from it, because Bunny and I often used to be online with no other Soc mates online, or in the early days of the forum making the only posts some days, we tease each other for fun, hoping it adds a little spice to the chats/forum to encourage others to join in or become interested. IRL Bunny left her nice heavy skillets behind in the US, and I think her mentioning that she missed them one day was what prompted me to start up the skillet stories.

Kets:
(A likely story. Okay He wants blunt, letâ??s give him blunt.) Does Bunny ever talk about me, you know, just nonchalant inquires, long lonely stares, stuff like that? LOL

Burgerman:
I dream about you Kets --ROLF-- but I'm afraid Bunny only has eyes for me, and the Armax. :-)

Kets:
Does she ever plan on visiting the U.S...alone? Perhaps in the near future? East Coast, maybe? Will she need a place to stay? Does she mind cats?

Burgerman:
Bunny does not like flying in planes, so I doubt she will fly again, and she loathes boat cruises even more. She might say Hi in teamspeak sometime so you can hear her soft, silken velvet southern accent, but other than that I am afraid you are stuck with the cats for company.

Kets:
(Dreams about Me? With a hole in my head, probably! Was that a threat? Just because heâ??s a CoatKiller he thinks he can do that? Well...Perhaps he canâ?¦they are a pretty ruthless Soc afterall and powerful. Perhaps I should back off a bit. Letâ??s seeâ?¦Oh, I knowâ?¦Iâ??ll pretend to be indifferent.) What do you expect from MA in the future? Do you think that the CryEngine changes will reduce the number of players at the onset or do you feel that most computers will handle it?

Burgerman:
I see some real genius in things from PE, small details such as mob sounds, behaviours, the vegetation in some places matching the silhouette of mobs from a distance, and little quirky fun things in PE that helped make it the most interesting, enticing, fun game I have ever played. Since PE became EU I haven't really noticed anything new appear that struck me as magical, just functional new things. I really hope that MA can never lose that slightly unusual humour and fun in the EU universe. As to the CryEngine, I am concerned that many people will have a hard time playing EU, similar to the improved graphics that some people are still unable to see properly due to graphics card issues. --Yanick especially I feel for here, she was making such good progress and then the graphics upgrade really halted her gaming experience in EU-- :-( I have my fingers crossed --- and my toes, of which I still have 10 ---that when MA introduce the Cry update it will have enough options so that existing computers can still run it ok, just with reduced visual details etc.

Kets:
(Heâ??s got a thing going with Yanick, too. Man this guy is goodâ?¦real good. Iâ??ll need to up my game for sure if I expect to win either of his two trophy girls.) I wasn't a player at the time of PE, but I have to agree with your initial experience. I really enjoy the whole environment myself. I played a few online games in the past but nothing like this. Science fiction has always been dear to me...Not to sound like Talkerbot, but who are your favorite authors, not necessarily science fiction but any genre?

Burgerman:
Brb-- running to the lounge room to check my booksâ?¦

Kets:
( Checking on Bunny Iâ??m sure. Sheâ??s been alone too long and may be preparing for a quick escapeâ?¦I can see right through him. Iâ??ll pretend to be bored.) Doo, dee, Doo-doo-dee...

Burgerman:
Alistair MacLean, Wilbur Smith, Carl Sagan, John Wyndham, Thomas Harris are the main ones, Some Stephen King as well, and Michael Crichton. The only Frank Herbert I have read is the Dune novel, which PE reminded me of a little bit when I first arrived here.

Kets:
What do you do when you're not in-game, if you don't mind me asking? (Torture those poor girls with your empty promises and false accusations, Iâ??m sure.)

Burgerman:
sleep?

Kets:
LOL How do you find the time to sleep? ( With one eye always open?)

Burgerman:
Yes sadly sleep tends to lose in the list of things to do each day. Oh, well I am a big music and movie fan, quite a wide and eclectic range of music, and soundtrack music, so I enjoy listening to that, also reading books. For work, I am in charge of the lighting department in a theatre. The theatre is attached to a 5 star International Resort Casino, which is probably why I sometimes grumble/whine/bitch in the forum about MA and the EU experience sometimes, because I do have some background in customer service/integrity/presentation. And it does frustrate me sometimes to think how much better EU could be for MA and also we players if there was a teensy bit more customer service provided.

Kets:
Awesome. ( Who cares? ) My brother had a stage lighting company for a bit, mostly for band lighting and the like, my other brother was sound and I let them showcase their talent. LOL

Burgerman:
Are you one of the Partridge Family? Or..... Donny Osmond? actually no, I don't suppose either of those shows really revealed any technical crew, only the musicians in the families.

Kets:
(PARTRIDGE Famâ?¦?DONNY FREAKIN, OSMOND? You lousy, no-goodâ?¦Ugnnnhhhâ?¦.) Neither, actually I was trained in operatic voice and spent 30+ years singing rock and roll, being a high tenor I go to do some awesome music. I also play bass, guitar and piano so I have spent some time in orchestra pits as well, when I wasn't working that is. (TAKE THAT You Pretentious W@nker!)

Burgerman:
Fantastic :-)

Kets:
My income comes from computers though, unix and system administration, it pays better than music for most. (HA!)

Burgerman:
I think anything pays better than music, or entertainment generally, unless you hit the big time. HEHE

Kets:
( SO , You think Iâ??ve got no talent! Enough of this! Iâ??m done!) Thanks for your time Burgerman and I hope we can meet up post Cry Engine.

Burgerman:
Out of questions already? HEHE Well it has been very nice to chat with you in-game, and thank you very much for offering to interview me. I actually doubt that many people will be that interested, I think they would rather look forward to seeing Bunny threaten me with the iron skillet again. HEHE

Kets:
I know I do. (HEHE) LOL

Burgerman:
LOL Yes post CryEngine will be a whole new EU to explore, so although I have my concerns, I am also really looking forward to seeing the new-look of Calypso.

Kets:
It's time to feed the kids lunch so until later...Later. (LATER!)

 

'B'ob & 'B'Bernstein....'B'unny & 'B'ergerman. Coincidence? I don't think so.