Real Life First Name: Nicholas
Forum Handle: phi
Main Character Handle: phiAU
Main Character Bluepill Name: Nick Phipps
Server: Recursion
Organization: Zion
Where in the real life world do you live?
I live in Melbourne, Australia.
How long have you played The Matrix Online?
I have played since the first day of Pre-launch. I signed up when I was living in London and if I could have played earlier, I would have.
What other MMOs have you played?
I have tried EVE Online for the free two week trial and a few other browser-based MMOs such as Ikariam. The Matrix Online is the only MMO to have ever really captured my imagination.
What type of work do you do?
I'm the National Systems Administrator / Head of I.T. for a major print industry supplier. (I.T. in a paper and ink world has its challenges).
What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?
Well I was born the year space invaders came out (1978), and ever since I started programming for my first MicroBee CP/M console I've been hooked on technology and ways to use it for entertainment. Typically, I like First Person Shooter games with an element of strategy (Unreal Tournament, Half-Life 2, etc...) but I also play games like Ikariam a browser based empire builder, Real-Time Strategy, puzzle games, snowboarding games (SSX series), and games with epic stories like Halo, Half-Life and the StarCraft series. So basically, if it's not Dance-Dance Revolutions, I'll play it.
What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other than playing The Matrix Online?
I'm an avid Skier/Snowboarder. I'm also a born and bred engineer, I love to tinker. I recently finished running an Audio/Visual network in my house. The plan is to have back yard audio, Christmas lights out the front, whatever I want as a modular setup. Just plug it in and run it via one of my servers-Yes I have a data rack in the study.... nerd alert! I also do computer upgrades as a little business on the side.
What is your highest character level in The Matrix Online?
My main character phiAU is level 50.
How or why did you choose your main character's name?
Well it started as the first 3 letters of my surname (phi) but then I had to add the AU because phi was used during beta, and has never been released from the clutches of "THE DATABASE". I feel the name works well in a Matrix setting. "Phi" represents the "golden ratio" that appears everywhere in nature, representing where the world of the natural and organic meets the world of the measured and manufactured. The Greek letter phi also works well in this complimentary duality context that we see all through the stories of the Matrix. It is essentially a 1 overlaying a 0, representing the old yin-yang, good-evil partnership. Also 0 and 1 are the digits of binary math, the language of computers.
What Branch (Coder, Hacker, Operative) and ability tree is your main character?
My main character is an Operative with Martial Arts - Kung-Fu, with Karate Power attacks and Aikido defense buffs, but I originally started out as a hacker.
Why did you choose the archetype and ability tree that you did?
Initially I started out as a hacker with submachine gun support, because of my location. When I'm online most of the world is in bed or at work. Originally, hackers were somewhat overpowered and enabled me to play solo comfortably. Eventually, I switched to Martial Arts with rifles, because it provided the best balance between self-sufficiency and that good ol' Matrix feel.
Is your main character in a crew, if so, what rank is the character?
Yes, phiAU is the captain of the Isimud, named after the Sumerian messenger-god with two faces. The two faces enabled Isimud to see into the future with the benefit of hindsight. Constantly improving and advancing while learning from the past is something I try to strive for.
Is your main character in a faction, if so which one and what is their faction rank?
Yes, phiAU is a rank 1 captain and the head technician for the Kings of Never.
What was your favorite chapter?
Chapter one - The Race for the One is hands-down my favorite chapter. There were red-eye agent spawns, main character events all over the place at random times, and the number of RSI fragments collected actually affected the organization artifacts. "Neo's Insight", "Glimmer of the Source", and "Merovingian's Boon" actually changed the bonus it gave you depending on which organization was coming in first, second or third. I have to give a special mention to the Blue-Sky first anniversary event for having all those player-made movies displayed all over the place. That was so very cool.
What is your favorite neighborhood?
I can't say I have a favorite neighborhood. Given the current lack of a truce I spend most of my time in Richland and whenever I need some down-time I tend to hang out in Debir Court. I guess I tend to have favorite locations, not neighborhoods. Everywhere in the Matrix is beautiful when viewed in the right way.
Who is your favorite NPC?
I don't really interact with the static NPCs in-game. There is however one or two I don't like...such as Mr. Black, the manipulative scumbag. If we include event characters, then Veil is always fun to hate and Niobe is a captain I respect and have had the honor of fighting by her side a few times. Also, a special mention to Molly B. the first NPC I remember running any missions for.
What is the most $info you have ever spent on purchasing a single item for one of your characters?
The most I have ever spent on a single item was 100,000,000 $info for the Organization Key. I wasn't able to afford it until just recently, courtesy of the new Datamine construct.
Do you have an item you no longer use but keep around for nostalgic reasons? If so what is it and why do you keep it?
I am somewhat of a hoarder, if I can keep it I will. I have holiday masks, tickets, flit gun, and the fly in amber-which I regularly use...handy when you're out of Inner Strength. Other than my beta clothes, my oldest collectables would be RSI Fragments, Neo's Insight, and a few audio recordings from Morpheus (I think you can get those again via the archive missions).
What do you like best about The Matrix Online?
The community is what I like best about MxO. I have never before met a community that gives so much, with such passion. Sure there are dramas and upsets, however they are but fleeting twitches on the fanatical grin of enthusiasm that is the players. The ongoing storyline enables everyone to develop their characters. For example Riac from Syntax and Cap0ne on Recursion have the assassin masks from the Death of the Destroyer event. They are known for those masks and thus the part they played in that event. It's not a case of being recognized for a week and then forgotten i.e.: "I soloed a dungeon boss for 5 weeks to get this rare drop that lets me beat everyone", but rather "I was rewarded with this rare item for my participation in a community event". The buffs are near non-existent but the recognition is worth it. Not to mention all the out of game content that the community produces; games, fan sites, films, comics, art, stories. I love being a part of it.
How would you describe your best experience playing The Matrix Online?
I couldn't begin to decide what my favorite experience was. There have been some great player run events; Misfit on Recursion produces some of my favorite role-play events where fan fiction on the forums is tightly interwoven within game events. There have been more moments made of win and awesome than I can count. Rarebit and the LESIG do a fantastic job, but maybe I have no specific favorite Live Events due to my time-zone. It's been a very long time since I managed to catch one. Definitely one event in particular that sticks in my mind was on the first day of prelaunch when the founding members of the "Pir8 Ninjas" met in the bar across the road from Horace the Bells collector. After about 40 minutes of chat we managed to agree on renaming the faction "The Exodus" because we were the first wave of the new exodus from the pods and it fit with the religious allegories that so commonly appear in The Matrix stories.
Do you run or work for a Matrix Online Fan Site or Radio Station?
Not presently, unless you count the Kings of Never faction site (www.thekingsofnever.com). I have dabbled in many such projects in the past; Radio Free Zion, Radio MegaCity, The MegaCity Times, MXO Resource, and RMC:Terminal. Real life always seems to eat up my available time, but I do try to help and contribute where I can. I'm currently working on a few little things, a portrait for Misfit and a few little tools for the community. Probably my longest serving commitment would be helping out in the Tech Help forums here on DN1. You only get out what you put in and I have huge amounts of respect and gratitude for the players that set up and run these community resources. Without them The Matrix Online would be a far less vibrant place.
Discuss this article here.
