Real Life First Name: Laurent
Forum Handle: StrangeReporter
Main Character Handle: StrangeReporter
Main Character Bluepill Name: Ewan Stanford
Server: Syntax
Organization: Zionist
Where in the real life world do you live?
I live in Paris, France.
How long have you played The Matrix Online?
My first jack-in was in April of 2005.
What other MMOs have you played?
I have tried a lot of MMORPGs like Lord of the Rings Online, Eve Online, and Lineage II. My favorites are MxO for its storyline and SWG because it's a complete MMORPG.
What type of work do you do?
I make software. First, it was only applications in C++ for the assembly lines of factories, and then I decided to become a freelancer. At the moment, I have some open source projects and a quite substantial RP game. Yes, I secretly dream to work for a video game studio in France.
What got you into gaming and what sort of games do you like the most?
My first game was Space Invader on the Atari 2600. Curiously at that moment, I dreamed of 3D games playable with other guys around the world. A few years after that, I fell in love with Diablo and its multiplayer mode. Now, I like some FPS games, like those with an interesting story like Half Life or original games like In Memoriam.
What other hobbies or activities do you take part in, other then playing The Matrix Online?
Most of my free time is dedicated to coding, but I also love to write guides and reviews about video games on French websites.
What is your highest character level in The Matrix Online?
I have 4 level 50 characters on Syntax, one in each organization.
How or why did you choose your main character's name?
My first character was Walmy, but for a private event, I wrote a story with a bluepill who worked for a newspaper called Strange Megacity. This unofficial paper (not approved by the government) had articles about strange events in the City, like men jumping on the building roofs, or vampires in the streets, burning guys, etc… This bluepill's nickname was StrangeReporter and he was supposed to be killed at the end of this event. I became attached to his background and he quickly became my main character.
What Branch (Coder, Hacker, Operative) and ability tree is your main character?
As a bluepill, this character always had a revolver hidden in his jacket so he naturally became a Duelist.
Is your main character in a faction, if so, what rank is the character?
Yes, StrangeReporter is one of the captains of The Brotherhood faction. It's the last Zionist faction active on Syntax with only French speaking members.
What was your favorite chapter?
There were some awesome chapters in The Matrix Online story and some others I found quite boring. My favorite is the first one, when Morpheus dropped bombs in the City. I remember when we were guarding the bombs to prevent the Machines from disabling them. I also have memorable moments in the lasts chapters with the Intruders, like the night when Carlyne met the Merovingian in a club to claim the BIP, or the battle in Southard with Carlyne trying a code to expel Halborn from the Matrix.
What is your favorite neighborhood?
My favorite neighborhood is Sai Kung. You can find all you need here: a great dojo, a sushi restaurant, access to the Merovingian construct, and some cool bars. I also really like the architecture of international!
Who is your favorite NPC?
Without hesitation, my favorite NPC is Francine, because she has wonderful cakes from a French recipe! I also like the Merovingian's composure, in spite of the fact, that for a Frenchman, he doesn't speak a lot French.
What is the most $info you have ever spent at one time and what did you purchase?
I collect rare items. So I have had to disburse a large amount of $info several times. The biggest deal was 400 million $info for a set of Override bits I used for private events.
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?
Yes, I have had a special rare item since the invasion of black kitties in the City thanks to the mission contact Beryl.
What do you like best about The Matrix Online?
The Matrix Online is one of the best MMORPGs in which to create private events, principally thanks to its storyline. We can easily imagine an original background for our characters and make them come alive in the Matrix. There are also some good content in the game for private events like prop items, the RSI captures, or some open buildings, though a few more tools would be appreciated (like the possibility to generate a spawn of hostile NPCs).
How would you describe your best experience playing The Matrix Online?
I had lots of great experiences participating in private events with French players (in particularly The Brotherhood and Les Affranchis faction mates) since 2005. Even better though, I'll never forget at the beginning of the game, when we could speak with the official characters of the game and movies. I still have some screenshots of conversations with Morpheus a few days before his death.
Do you run or work for an MxO Fan Site or Radio Station?
Yes, Ouranos and I are responsible for the section dedicated to The Matrix Online on the JeuxOnLine French website. We try to write guides and translate content from the game, such as the official events, news, cinematics etc… Some other French players occasionally help us, so thanks to Uhlek, Memech, Ednix, Atrabile and the others I'm forgetting. Sometimes, we also try to organize massive private events for the French players.
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