SF Interviews - Nomination for #38

[Original Alear]

Pride, your avatar reminds me of Lupin III.

Edited November 19, 2014 by Severlan

[Lord Raven]

HOW DID YOU SURVIVE GRAD SCHOOL

[Specta]

HOW DID YOU SURVIVE GRAD SCHOOL

and here we hear the call of a desperate man

[Integrity]

does elementary thermodynamics suck or does my professor suck at teaching it

[Starman]

Pride, your avatar reminds me of Lupin III.

I thought was because it is Lupin III

[Specta]

staggeringly important question for dr. b:

in your opinion what is the cutest animal ever

[Loki Laufeyson]

Hey OP, nice Oberstein.

If you had the chance to commit an incredible heist with someone you worked with, with no consequences, would you do it?

[Makaze]

Hey OP, nice Oberstein.

Why, thank you.

Credit goes to Marthur for creation.

[Parrhesia]

this

is actually a good thread idea

fuck

Balcerzak how do you feel about the fact that I still tend to associate you with vaguely effeminate elven clerics

[Bluedoom]

Maaaaaaan, Eli you beat me to it! Was gonna ask those same questions lol

[Percivalé]

how gay are you on a scale of one to incredibly

(also ilu)

[Lord Raven]

and here we hear the call of a desperate man

i'm not desperate i'm just sad :(

[Prims]

1) Top 5 mafia moments and why

2) Top 5 Rance girls and why

3) Top 5 Rance boys and why

4) Top 5 Rance ryoumas and why

5) seriously did nano drop off the face of the planet or what, he never got back to me about how turn order is calculated :<

[riariadne]

This is a surprisingly good thread idea.

Simple one- what's your username origin?

[Balcerzak]

I'll try doing this five questions at a time, to avoid getting burned out. I had a few answers typed up already, but firefox just crashed on me and I lost the answers, so my second time trying to cover them might not be as good/thorough. My apologies if that is the case.

I barely know anything so I guess, I dunno, what's your favourite movie?

A very good question, and there are many fine contenders for the title. I'm going to have to settle on Memento, however. The first time I saw it, I was hooked, and I felt the immediate need to rewatch it. Anyone who's seen it should be able to sympathize. The narrative is compelling, the story interesting, and the way it unravels itself is unique and an absolute artistic masterpiece. While I know some people will fail to appreciate the "gimmick" (my own family for example), that won't stop me from recommending it to anyone who has yet to experience it. "Do I lie to myself to be happy?"

Why don't you play mafia any more?

I made a comment about this in the last game I was in, but it's basically I was finding the pressure overwhelming and my nerves not being up to the task. I can do alright if I stay up to date and on pace, but it seems whenever I go to sleep and 8 pages or some bullshit sprout up, the fear up being unable to catch up makes me want to curl up, hide, ignore the problem, and hope it goes away. Needless to say, this is nothing but counterproductive, and I become a burden to my team, and would be better off as an empty playerslot. Or maybe that's just the low self-esteem talking.

Favorite video game franchise?

Also what would you say your trademark favorite meal is?

I think I'm going to go with Zero Escape on this one. While there are plenty of good contenders (Etrian Odyssey, Shin Megami Tensei, Fire Emblem, Phoenix Wright, Metroid, Castlevania, Megaman, Starcraft, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, etc.) the Zero Escape franchise combines in its puzzle segments my ages-old love of Adventure games, dating all the way back to the Sierra classics such as Quest for Glory, with its novel segments my fine appreciation for the more Japanese phenomena of the visual novel. Not only does it do that, but its thematic direction is impressively dark, yet it doesn't manage to go so far over the line as to be offensive or grotesque. The way each new ending will thrust the player with an unexpected twist or reveal, that keeps them thirsting to find out more, up and until they are fully satisfied at the climax is just another point in its favor, and is a hallmark to be expected from the man behind Ever17.

My trademark favorite meal would have to be tuna hotdish. Cook up some elbow macaroni with a can of tuna and a can of cream of mushroom soup, stir in some cheese and milk, and treat your tastebuds to a taste of paradise.

Hm... What do you like to do for fun?

Mostly reading and gaming. I'm sorry, but I'm having trouble springboarding off of this question for some reason. Maybe if you can narrow in on something more specific I'll be able to help you out a bit better?

Ohai oberstein! Anyways, Balcerzak...I seem to remember someone telling me you had a PhD in something physics related. Assuming this is true, can you shed some light on what drew you to your field and, if you are now a professor, scientist, or whatever, can you give any info on what you do with enough drumming down that someone uninitiated like me might be able to understand?

Also, I remember you saying that you have played arkham horror and loved it. What is your favorite board game?

That would be correct, I received my Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. My specialization was in high energy particle physics, and my dissertation was on the production cross section of Z bosons that decayed to pairs of muons at the LHC. I'd originally hoped to do it on a search for the Higgs boson in its decay channel to a pair of W bosons (with each W decaying to a muon and muon neutrino), but the explosion incident in 2008 led to excessive delays for me to focus on that and still graduate in a timely manner, as there wouldn't be enough data collected. I'd always had a strong interest in the sciences, to be honest, and even in grade school I would have to correct people by telling them I wanted to be an astronomer, not an astronaut. Things got more narrowed down in undergraduate, and a scheduling conflict forced my hand between Chemistry and Physics. I don't regret my choice in the least however. In graduate school, it came to to a choice between astrophysics and cosmology on the one hand, or high energy particle physics on the other. I see both as opposite sides of the same coin, really. Investigations into the infinitely large and incredibly distant, or to the infinitesimal. In both cases they're probing the most unexplored reaches of mankind's knowledge, delving into the final frontier, as it were. I went with particle physics in the end because the research opportunity was more appealing, or maybe it was that the professor I contacted for a summer research partnership in the first year of grad school responded quicker. Anyway, my dream job is to be that cool faculty member that serves as your nerdy club's advisor, but so far the job market has been too competitive, and I haven't managed to land a spot yet. I'll keep you posted if things develop though.

Arkham Horror is an amazing game, and one of many that I would not ever turn down a chance of pulling up my seat at the table and joining in with (a distinction is shares with games like Race for the Galaxy, Battlestar Galactica, Civilization, and the like). However, if I had to pick a single favorite game it would have to be Shadow Hunters, which in my opinion combines just the right mix of cooperative and competitive elements, allows for an incredibly flexible number of players (and works well with most ranges, instead of being purely inferior with a suboptimal amount), and best of all can be completed in a very reasonable timeframe. There are 3 factions: Hunters, Shadows, and Neutrals. The Hunters and the Shadows goals are to see the opposing faction eliminated, while the Neutrals each have their own independent goal, such as "be alive when the game is over (Ally)", "collect so many/certain equipment (Bob/David)", "be the first to die (Charlotte/Daniel)". Everyone's identity is a secret at the start of the game, so you have to tease out who your partner is and who your enemies are through hints obtained at the Hermit location, or by observing interactions between other players and drawing inferences. There is a RNG element in terms of cards drawn and damage dealt when attacking, but it isn't overpowering or unfair in most cases, and certainly not systematically so. Further, each character has a different health total and special power. To use your special power you have to reveal your identity, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. It would stop accidental collateral damage from your ally, but also paint a giant bullseye on you for your enemies. I highly recommend checking it out if my description sounds at all interesting to you, or if you want more information I'd gladly enjoy rambling on about it further.

[Prims]

I'll try doing this five questions at a time, to avoid getting burned out. I had a few answers typed up already, but firefox just crashed on me and I lost the answers, so my second time trying to cover them might not be as good/thorough. My apologies if that is the case.

the usual tip of "write long posts in wordpad, then copy-paste them afterwards" applies

[eclipse]

Balcerzak, will you stick around during the holidays? And the rest of the year?

[Ein]

These are going to take forever. Or just take a while.

[Makaze]

These are going to take forever. Or just take a while.

Next you'll say QOTD has been running too long.

[Original Alear]

Thanks Bal, those answers were way more in depth than I was hoping for, but that is a good thing. Shadow Hunters sounds really interesting. I don't think I will go and try and pick it up anytime too soon, because right now times where I have a nice group together to play board games are somewhat limited. But, if that changes, your description makes me feel pretty sure that the game would be a good choice.

[Balcerzak]

1.) Can you think of one of your greatestest accomplishments and if you can what was it? =D

asifthiswereajobinterview

2.) Do you prefer the more gaudy flashy/bold/radiant stuff or the more modest subdued/dim/faded?? (no preference is an acceptable answer)

3.) Do you find yourself good at taking criticism???

4.) Would you rather visit the Australian Outback or the Antarctic............ uh.... some region in Antarctica???? (the point is two deserts ;u;) (also the reasoning can be based off of anything from temperature to aminals you wanna see or any sight you'd like to see etc.)

5.) Do you consider yourself ambitious?????

1) One of my prouder accomplishments is probably achieving Eagle Rank in the Boy Scouts. I'm not sure if it's the greatestest thing I've ever done, but it's definitely an enduring contender. Continuing the general subject, I was actually really involved with the scouts for quite a long time, and not just within my own troop. I was OA chapter chief for a year, which was probably more responsibility than I really wanted, but hey, it worked out in the end, and was almost certainly a factor in getting nominated for the Vigil Honor. Being out of things for about a decade now, I feel I have enough distance to fairly say that the program has a couple of stupid policies, but is still on the whole a very worthwhile and important program for growing youths.

2) I'm going to weigh in on subdued, but I think 'dim' and 'faded' are perhaps biased adjectives, especially when compared to 'bold' and 'radiant'. (At least 'gaudy' is appropriately negative and 'subdued' is firmly neutral.) 'Calm' and 'relaxed' is certainly my style, rather than 'busy' or 'energized'. I have a lot of plaid in my wardrobe, but it's mostly cool colors and low density, so I wouldn't qualify it as outside of the descriptors mentioned. But then again, my only experience with fashion comes from Style Savvy, so, take my comments with a grain of salt.

3) I'm probably better at taking criticism than some, but it still rankles from time to time, and I have a tendency to get defensive when pressed, perhaps moreso than warranted. I try not to overreact, but I can blow my lid at times.

4) For a visit, probably the Australian outback, almost entirely for the unique wildlife. If you were asking me where I'd choose to live, though, I'd choose something like the Alaskan mountains over an Amazon Jungle or African Savannah any day of the week. (Okay, so I departed from the realm of deserts, but kept the comparison to similar temperature extremes).

5) When I was younger, I would have considered myself ambitious. As I've aged I've grown more jaded and complacent, however, so I don't think it's really accurate to continue to describe myself that way at all.

If i recall correctly you said you had to shave for something on Halloween

what was the occasion?

I was dressing up as Riff Raff for a midnight Rocky Horror Picture Show screening with a bunch of friends. He decidedly lacks facial hair, so it had to go. Sadly, I still managed to do a decent enough job on the rest of the hair without needing a skullcap/wig.

Why are ships coming out of the base?

Also, which Touhou game is your favorite?

A bomb has been planted at the base.

I've always been extremely fond of Imperishable Night.

Piggybacking onto this, "why is your favorite boargame Twilight Imperium?"

My only game of Twilight Imperium was at the CERN games club a few years back. I believe it was the 2nd edition, and it took something like 10 hours, and I think I lost. However, it was a lot of fun, and I'd love to play something like it again in the future. If you're inviting me to a session, just tell me when so I can clear my weekend.

Also would like to add; What do you do for a living

Various odd jobs while I hunt for real employment.

arkham horrors is sooo good.

what is/was your area of study--what are your interests?

This was pretty well covered in my reply to Severian, I think. If you still want elaboration, hone in on something and try again? Edited November 19, 2014 by Balcerzak

[Phoenix Wright]

This was pretty well covered in my reply to Severian, I think. If you still want elaboration, hone in on something and try again?

sure! this time it'll be two questions:

1. what was it like living in ann arbor?

2. how do you feel, personally, about the theory of supersymmetry?

bonus: what was your experience at cern like?

does elementary thermodynamics suck or does my professor suck at teaching it

eh, it's okay. it gets exciting when you get to learning about entropy (or at least that was my favorite part). the carnot cycle is pretty cool too, i guess.

i dunno, i find thermo interesting to think about but not really to work on.

[Jedi]

I think I'm going to go with Zero Escape on this one. While there are plenty of good contenders (Etrian Odyssey, Shin Megami Tensei, Fire Emblem, Phoenix Wright, Metroid, Castlevania, Megaman, Starcraft, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, etc.) the Zero Escape franchise combines in its puzzle segments my ages-old love of Adventure games, dating all the way back to the Sierra classics such as Quest for Glory, with its novel segments my fine appreciation for the more Japanese phenomena of the visual novel. Not only does it do that, but its thematic direction is impressively dark, yet it doesn't manage to go so far over the line as to be offensive or grotesque. The way each new ending will thrust the player with an unexpected twist or reveal, that keeps them thirsting to find out more, up and until they are fully satisfied at the climax is just another point in its favor, and is a hallmark to be expected from the man behind Ever17.

My trademark favorite meal would have to be tuna hotdish. Cook up some elbow macaroni with a can of tuna and a can of cream of mushroom soup, stir in some cheese and milk, and treat your tastebuds to a taste of paradise.

I will definitely have to check out Zero Escape. We seem to also share alot of favorite series, I love pretty much all those you listed. Haven't had the chance to try Etrian Odyssey though.

That tuna hotdish.. despite me not liking tuna much sounds really awesome.

[Esau of Isaac]

My only game of Twilight Imperium was at the CERN games club a few years back. I believe it was the 2nd edition, and it took something like 10 hours, and I think I lost. However, it was a lot of fun, and I'd love to play something like it again in the future. If you're inviting me to a session, just tell me when so I can clear my weekend.

I never played the 2nd Edition. However, the 3rd Edition is marvelous, and after two expansions has like 13 different races to play with a huge amount of optional content that makes it an incredible space epic. As compared to more clinical games such as Eclipse, it's really far more colorful and so more fun to play. Games generally take around six hours, rule of thumb is generally an hour for each person at the table.

Also, you ever play Game of Thrones? It's another really good strategy game, rather Diplomacy-esque.

[Makaze]

1. What is your greatest weakness?

2. What is your greatest strength?

3. What is your highest ambition?

4. What is your strongest conviction?

5. First and current impressions of me?