GA Ronin Interview
BattleCry: Although you've always been in charge of the EH fleet, could you please explain your past career during your time in the EH?
GA Ronin: I joined/started the EH at the Rank of General back in December 1994. General is the Rank at which most folks finish off after playing TIE Fighter (disk version). I was the first "member" of Emperor's Hammer...I came out with Newsletters 1 through 3...the rest is history...
BattleCry: Why did you make the Emperor's Hammer? Also, why did you make it Imperial based, unlike many of the other Star Wars clubs?
GA Ronin: The Emperor's Hammer was created for people to "continue on" where TIE Fighter (disk version) left off...A place where an Imperial pilot could always be welcome...and play NEW edited TIE Fighter missions (we have a couple thousand NEW ones now...and actually had the FIRST ever edited TIE Fighter (disk) missions...!) The EH was based on Imperials since (to be blunt) it's the easiest form of "online government"...MANY clubs are managed by committee, where every major decision needs to be voted on. Hence, nothing gets done...:) Although I tend to take most of the heat and it isn't a perfect system, it suits us well...and it allows me to manage the EH as I see fit without having to answer to many "shareholders"...:)
BattleCry: Did you eve imagine that the club would ever get as big as it is today?
GA Ronin: Never...the
EH continues to surprise me daily...I thought I would get 30-50 people
initially. That's the reason I started the EH with one wing (7 squadrons)
of fighters...
BattleCry: As the Fleet Commander, what does your job
entail?
GA Ronin: Mostly managing daily emails (~50/day),
updating the EH Domain WWW site and making club-related decisions. Also, I
review A LOT of new proposals almost daily...some wacky, some really good...:)
BattleCry: How can you see the EH moving forward? Do you have any plans in development to make the club even better?
GA Ronin: One of our most problematic issues was/is maintaining activity and retaining membership. Unfortunately, problems all too familiar to most online clubs. However, with an active Command Staff and Subgroups, I feel the EH will only get bigger and better...As for future development plans, the EH will continue to provide the best 'online home' for Star Wars gamers and attempt to stay on the "cutting edge" of SW gaming. I would also like to keep pursuing better relations with other online clubs and our presence in the popular media.
BattleCry: Apart from creating the EH, and building it up to what it is today, what else are you most proud of during your time in the club?
GA Ronin: That's a tough question...considering all the our Membership has accomplished. Some things simply amaze me...For example, we have Members on 6 continents and close to 50 countries worldwide. In fact, you would be surprised how many people have learned the English language just to understand our club. We have had people meeting and marrying (so they tell me anyway...:). I guess what I am trying to see that the Emperor's Hammer is more than simply an internet club, it has become home and haven for thousands of people of worldwide and I am honored to have been able to start the club and have the time and privilege to continue managing it...:)
BattleCry: Do you still find the time to fly the free-missions, write fiction and do all the things that ordinary members do, or is your workload now too big (in the EH and RL)?
GA Ronin: You're kidding, right?
BattleCry: Are there any EH "special projects" that you are working on now (i.e. new sub-groups, competitions, projects)?
GA Ronin: Well...the EH is always trying "new things"...Some of the more interesting projects to cross my desk lately are the EH WAP and EH Movie projects. Both are cutting edge and new for the EH.
BattleCry: Lately there were some problems with the Rebel Squadrons club. Although I don't want to bring up the little feud again, I would like to ask, how close are we to being good friends again (well, as much as an Imp and a piece of rebel scum can be)?
GA Ronin: Yes...! Please review the EH Alliances Page. The Rebel Squadrons are once again EH Allies...:)
BattleCry: Lately, a lot of the EH subgroups have been suffering of a lack of members, lack of game platforms to play, low morale and a number of other problems (such as the HF, and to a lesser extent, the IW). How closely have you been monitoring this, and do you have any plans on how to improve things?
GA Ronin: Without new and decent game platforms from LucasArts (XWing Alliance being the last of the best), the EH is having to scrounge a bit to retain people's interest. But our core Membership is going strong and some of our Subgroups have taken to designing their own games...The Directorate Diplomacy game and Imperial Naval Corps come immediately to mind, among many others...As the remaining Prequels are completed, the EH Membership will only continue to grow...We're here to stay...Also, we now have the infamous SA Kawolski on the job as our new XO...He'll whip the Command Staff into shape...:)
BattleCry: What is your favourite Star Wars computer game?
GA Ronin: XWing
Alliance...hands down...
BattleCry: With the release of SWE1: Obi-Wan not being
released on the PC (but being saved for the new consoles that can
"handle" it), do you fear that LucasArts are giving up on PC gaming by
just giving us the crap like Super Bombad Racing? Do you think that the "AppleMac
Release Quality" that is now affecting the PC will effect the EH club in a
big way?
GA Ronin: Let's hope "they" get Larry Holland of Totally Games back into making flight-sim based SW games...:)
BattleCry: If you could pick about half-a-dozen incredibly brilliant officers from the fleet, who have proven themselves to you time and time again, who would they be?
GA Ronin: I won't even go there...there's MANY more than a Half-a-dozen" to give credit to...:)
BattleCry: When did you first get hooked on Star Wars?
GA Ronin: When Episode I came out and was simply called "Star Wars"...I was 12 at the time...:)
BattleCry: How big a Star Wars fan are you? Have you just watched the films and played some of the games, or do you buy anything with a Star Wars logo?
GA Ronin: The
former...but I have played most of the games...more than "some"...LOL
BattleCry: If you bar Star Wars, what are your other
hobbies? Also, what music do you like, what films do you like, etc?
GA Ronin: May I suggest my personal bio WWW site for that info...?...;)
BattleCry: And finally, do you have anything else that you want to say to the members of the Emperor's Hammer? Perhaps a little morale boost for the troops?
GA Ronin: "Serve the Emperor above all others...!"
[o]||\||\||\||\||[x]))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
GA Ronin
Fleet Commander/Founder - Emperor's Hammer
FC/GA Ronin/CS-1/SSSD Sovereign
MoH/IC/GoE/OoR/PC/MoI-dc/ISM/MoT-rhx2/MoT-ghx8/LoC-CSx5/DFC/CoS/OV-6E
[DJP(Sith)/Overlord of Alvaak, SL] {IWATS-Core}