[in no specific order]
[original interviews were made by Thunder/Squid, Claus and the Butcher one by AndrewFord]
robskate
Started Playing: I played RA from 1997-2011, then I stopped for 11 years and started playing again in 2012. I was surprised to see people sitll playing.
Favorite Tank: Medium Tank
Classification: Tanker.
Best Maps: Path Beyond(PATH), North by Northwest (NXNW), Keep Off The Grass (KOTG), Shallow Grave, Treasure Isle, and for customs; 4c Niklas, Ribbon and I'm also good on maps like M2.
Whats the best defense for a tank rush?: My best defense against tank rush is to meet them a little way out from base, and Q backwards with their tanks. But be careful not to let them completely pass you.
What's the best way to push in 2v2 p4?: As most people know, on P4, my strategy is almost always straight to 7 wars, or 6 with Allies.
What' have been your other nicknames?: I never really used other nicknames, even in the 90s I was robskate.
Who are the TOP 5 tankers of all time?: I think Ehy is also the best tanker, but in his absence, the next best would be Nastynate. Next best pure tanker at this moment would probably be RC. In the past I would have put JJFJR in the top 5. It's just so hard because so many players are not playing anymore.
Who are the TOP 5 builders of all time?: I think the top builder is Ehy, but since he is not playing at the moment, I would have to say the best is Katsh, then I know Herm is very very good. After that, it's really difficult for me to say.
PRO Tips: Just enjoy the game. I mean, really, you have to be a special player with dedication like RC, AndrewFord, who are both starting to get very good. Lauta is becoming Super Beast in 2v2 P4.
Personal SHOUT-OUT: I, of course, wnat to give a very big thank you to people like FunkyFresh for making CnCNet so great and free and just making such a great platform for us to play on, not just Fucnky, but all the guys who assist him, I do not know all their names, HIfi, nyerguds, Tore, those kinda guys, THANK YOU.
P.S. I'd like to say, that I wish ehy would come back. I considered him one of my very best friends on RA, if not my very best friend, and I wish he would return. We played hundreds of games from 2012-2016
Other games I play: None, I am a decent chess player but have not played in years. I do no play any other PC games.
[originally published 21/8/2016]
`Butcher`
Started Playing: 1997, Nov 2015
Favorite Tank: Mad Tank
Classification: Builder
Best Maps: Arena Valley Extreme
Hate about RA: People who are scared to lose, who act like kids. Hate that I can't see other peoples rooms when I make a game. I'd like to see less focus on tanking and more focus on strategy. Mostly there isn't much to hate, I really like playing RA.
Love about RA: Strategy, lots of good people here. It's a game that keeps challenging you to become better because there is always room to improve even at the highest levels. It's an immortal game, same like chess.
PRO Tips: Play stronger players to improve, don't be scared to lose. If you don't put yourself in a situation where you are having to catch up, then you never will. It's good to play players at the same level, but you should take time to expand your horizons and play stronger players. Try different things, don't stick to one build.
Favorite Tankers: AndrewFord, RC, Diga, Robs
Favorite Builders: Ninja, Yuzgen
Personal SHOUT-OUT: AndrewFord, Ninja (Katsh), Diga, Bart, ConQuer, fighter, home, motte, leigh, THNDER, the arena crowd that I mostly play with. I learned a lot from AndrewFord and Ninja. Although not playing much with Yuz..... but the advice he gave whenever we played helped greatly.
Other games I play: Warcraft 3 Frozen Throne, Chess (competitively) but not having much time lately.
[originally published 11/8/2016]
d0p3k1llz
Started Playing: I think 3 years but I was just messing around in the beginning
Favorite Tank: APC
Who are the best 5 players, before and now: Top 5: ehy, Nate, Rob, Atom and who am I forgetting
What sets apart the PROS from the SUPER PROS: I've noticed SUPER PROS don't ally right away on P4. They wait until they almost kill one of your infantry before allying. It's like their secret handshake or something. Nah, the SUPER PROS just know a wider variety of tactics/strategies. They know the appropriate counter to any offensive attack and the appropriate attack given the opponent's defense. They also execute it without having to hesitate.
Hate about RA: The fact that the majority of the RA community is toxic. The people here treat each other really poorly for the most part, and it takes a lot away from the fun of the game. This is the reason I will most likely retire soon. There's just nothing positive to gain from being around so much negativity all the time.
What's a good sign of a total noob?: TSaying "ffa" when P4 is loaded.
If you could change one thing about the game, what would you change?: Without a doubt I would do away with the hate and trolling. I don't think it's possible but a more positive RA environment would be great for future players. I'm not saying that I'm not guilty of ever engaging in an unproductive argument with another player. I think for the most part I keep it positive though. There are those that never promote a positive environment and are never kind towards others. I try to refrain from responding to those types of people but it's so difficult not to sometimes. Not responding to the negativity perpetuated by the majority of players on here is without a doubt the hardest thing about RA. It is way harder than any tank rush or base crawl. Oh, I also think that players shouldn't record and post videos of other players without that player's consent. So that would be another change I would make.
What's the best defense against a tank rush?: Best defense for a tank rush? Tank rush first. Again, to me the best defense is a good offense. That's why RA has stood the test of time. For every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. If you let someone crawl all the way to your base and you still only have one CY it's over. Basically, you have to match what they're doing but try to be better at it. If someone is crawling towards your base, you should already be CY-ing to counter.
PRO Tips: Watch others play. Learn to Q.
Personal SHOUT-OUT: Thanks to Funky and everyone who keeps the server running. Let's all be kinder to each other and not so quick to lash out at oe another overt this game. Try to be the bigger person and walk away if someone is trying to argue with you. We can tmake CnCNet less of a place of hostility and more of a place of tranquility. Peace everybody.
Other games I play: Texas Hold' em
[originally published 10/8/2016]
Gravediga
Started Playing: 2014.
Favorite Tank: Medium Tank.
Classification: Tanker.
Best Maps: P4, Ribbon, QM, Arena, and many more.
Hate about RA: People who think they are better than they really are do my head in. All of the one map wonders who are scared to play other maps and partners in 2v2s who talk shit and blame other people if they lose.
Love about RA: I love playing cool team games with good PROS I get along well with.
PRO Tips: Tanking should be the first thing you master. DO NO GET STUCK PLAYING ONE MAP! Play different maps and get good in all aspects of RA and all situations, Ask PROS to spectate their games and watch their builds, etc.
Personal SHOUT-OUT: TB for life :D shout out to H3zb, KiCkN, R0b1, LEB, K0ko and Harkit
Other games I play: Poker
[originally published 6/8/2016]
DocOldsStarted Playing: 1996-2000, then to 2013-present.
Favorite Tank: Heavy Tank.
Classification: Builder.
Best Maps: P4, V3, Ribbon, Gold Rush, and HJK
Hate about RA: Some players are only good on one map. I think it's important to be a balanced and well rounded player.
Love about RA: I love the real strategy and esprit de corps between players from all over the world.
PRO Tips: Keep practicing and don't be afraid to take advice. We were all noobs at one point.
Personal SHOUT-OUT: Our clan is based on friendship and camaraderie, so if you like to play and make friends, come join us!
Other games I play: Only Red Alert and Tiiberian Sun (Sparingly)
[originally published 25/7/2016]
LautaStarted Playing: March 2012
Favorite Tank: Mammoth Tank.
Classification: Builder.
Best Maps: P4, GTK.
Hate about RA: I hate when players have too much ego and when they think they are better than they really are.
Love about RA: I like having fun and playing with people who have a good level.
PRO Tips: Learn to play in team and spectate PRO games.
Personal SHOUT-OUT: Enjoy the game and play for fun.
Other games I play: Ikariam.
[originally published 21/7/2016]
RC1985
Started Playing: January 2014
Favorite Tank: Medium Tank.
Classification: Usually tanker but I build on P4 when needed.
Best Maps: Not too sure, maybe the other guys have a better view of what I'm good at. I'd say P4, Ribbon, North by Northwest, Path Beyond, and Ridge War.
Hate about RA: Too many players are playing only one map (P4) and not adopting a balanced approach.
Love about RA: Fun nostalgia game, a very diverse community - I like knowing peple from different countries and cultures. It's a close-knit community as well.
PRO Tips: Never be afraid of 1v1s. Too many people take losing so seriously and personally.
Personal SHOUT-OUT: It's been a very fun 2+ years with CnCNet and I thank all who made this possible - Funky and the admins, the PROS and the nubs, the good guys and the trolls.
Other games I play: Tiberian Dawn (Sparingly), a little StarCraft 1 a long time back. I'm not a regular or serious gamer and don't keep up with the latest games.
[originally published 21/7/2016]
AndrewFord
Started Playing: Almost 2 years ago in October.
Favorite Tank: Light Tank.
Classification: Tanker, Duelist.
Best Maps: Keep off the Grass (KotG), Path Beyond, Arena Valley Extreme, Ribbon Wid Ore, and I do well on many money maps and other standard maps. I alaways try to expand my map roster.
Hate about RA: The games' reliance on tanks, this is a love-hate relationship though. I also dislike how my Ford Brand Jeeps [Rangers] aren't use competitively. I don't like stupid feuds either.
Love about RA: The community is hilarious, it's actually fun to be in the RA chat and sometimes I'll read/chat instead of play. As for the game itself, I enjoy the fast-paced action and being able to out-play my opponent with good tank control or some unexpected tactics. Finding new ways to fastest loss people or just playing casual games on maps like Europe.
PRO Tips: Always accept the nicest and harshest of criticisms, it will improve your gameplay a lot. Also, don't be afraid to lose. Every loss makes you better. If you want to become better, practice what you DON'T know. Mainly, work on clicking things faster, pushing yourself and admit your mistakes. Trash talking is not the way to go about things.
Personal SHOUT-OUT: I'd like to shout out Bart, Mono, Butcher, Leigh, my Captain Boy (hes the general), the arena group i play with and the ORA clan and anybody else I missed that I enjoy playing with. Shout out's to all my haters out there as well. Fortunately I don't dwell on hate and animosity, and also Funky and the cncnet team for allowing RA to exist.
Other games I play: League of Legends, Warcraft 3, Red alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge and a bunch of other games.
[originally published 14/7/2016]
[croboy-DP]
Started Playing: Almost 3 years ago.
Favorite Tank: Medium Tank.
Classification: Both.
Best Maps: GTK, P4, Arena Valley.
Hate about RA: I wish someone would fix the lag that choppers cause.
Love about RA: I like all players who show respect. I like that this game has so many strategies and that you need many skills to play this game. You always need to think with your brain to destroy your enemy.
PRO Tips: "Noobs" must spectate many games. Then improve your skills on the PRO grounds, like P4 and Ribbon if you want to play with real PROS.
Personal SHOUT-OUT: CRO PRO BRO.
Other games I play: PES 2016
[originally published 13/7/2016]
Claus
Started Playing: November 2015. I played the missions when I was 7-8 in the 90's.
Favorite Tank: None yet, still mixing and practicing. But the truck is kind of funny lol. The TRUCK is my favorite.
Classification: I'm trying to become a good tanker, which is a difficult task.
Best Maps: I don't have one yet, I try to play a mixed variety. Finite ore maps helps me focus on mi micro, and Infinite ore maps are good for speed. Personally, I adore Bravo's hipster-designed new-old maps.
Hate about RA: Some people are too arrogant. Arrogance = Pride. A little is not so bad, but too much and too often is just bitch fighting, I personally don't like this. I would prefer to help each other out and share tips and staying C|ool and C|alm :)
Love about RA: I Love the possibilities of getting better in ANY aspect. And I love the people, helping you get to the next level. For example; in P4 PROS turn a game into a Q-Master challenge. When you are conscious of that, you know what to train in order to get better. This small aspect helps you in other games and so on, step by step. I love that you can play this game Chillaxingly.
PRO Tips: ANALYZE. Every situation has many different aspects. Ask yourself: What happened? Why did it happen? Too little defense? Too passive? Too much damage taken? What was it? Ask yourself such questions and find people who ask themselves these questions too and help each other find answers and a way to fix those problems, step-by-step :)
Personal SHOUT-OUT: I would love to see Atom1 and Funky join the website with TA and for H3ZB to join the website with TB :) Cheers and GG
"Instead of imagining what could be or what somebody could be thinking. You should just ask and be DIRECT :) Being direct is the best way and keeps peace together gents and ladies :)"
Other games I play: Pokémon GO lololol
[originally published 1/8/2016]
C|ommander
Started Playing: About 1.5 years ago.
Favorite Tank: When playing with Germany I like the Medium Tank. With the Soviets, I like to Hoard V2s in my base.
Classification: I see myself as a Tanker and a Builder.
Best Maps: GoldRush, Q-Maps, and a "Commando" map made by Bravo. It's a real strategic map which makes 4-Player FFA really fun.
Hate about RA: What I hate the most is the haters and trolls spamming trash daily in the lobby. The last few days have become even more problematic and this community should be kept safe from these toxic people. We are here to play for fun and respect each other.
Love about RA: I love that a game from my childhood survived for all these years and with the contribution of this community, programmers, "investors", we now have the possibility to play it online with a lot of nice, cool and funny guys.
PRO Tips: There are no "noobs", but only newcomers of this great community, which, should first learn the game basics and then develop their own game style; as a general tip, "KEEP CALM AND TANK".
Personal SHOUT-OUT: In the game, we might all be opponents/enemies trying to kill each other, but don't forget: This is only virtual and for fun; So after the game, we should all treat each other with respect and remain friends like before.
Other games I play: FIFA (PlayStation)
[originally published 13/7/2016]
[Crush-TA]
Started Playing: I played when I was a kid, casually, and in skirmish mode but I didn't play online until late 2012, early 2013.
Favorite Tank: Depends on map and situation. Probably medium tank overall.
Classification: A bit of both honestly. Probably known more as a tanker nowadays though. However, I like to be versatile which is one thing that gives me an advantage over other players.
Best Maps: Ribbon 2v2, HJK 1v1, P4 2v2
Hate about RA: All the cheating that has been going on and the complete lack of respect people have for the "Rules"
Love about RA: Saving your building with engineer at the last second. Beating a strong team in a 2v2 when your partner is not-so-strong. Causing panic with Grenadiers.
PRO Tips: Adapt to your opponent. If you find your opponent is always playing the exact same way then work out how to exploit and beat him. The best players have more than 1 strategy up their sleeve.
Personal SHOUT-OUT: Don't do something to somebody else that you wouldn't like done to you. Learn to have a laugh now and then.
Other games I play: Age of Empires 2, Poker.
[originally published 12/7/2016]
ORA-Break
Certified PRO: Yes.
" will it ever end? rossi says im banned at least 30 days. maybe 60 days. because it bothered me that someone could dare expect to be able to tell me "don't say my name again" and that i wouldn't retort back. apparently the retort got the response that Break was looking for out of rossi; his attention. the lobby's attention hopefully too, "hey guys look over here, this guy is about to get banned just for saying someones name." you think i dont have the right to say your f***ing name? seriously? guess what i'm going to do in response? im gonna tell you what to do and ill issue a ludacris threat too "don't say MY name ever again, or i'll rape your family then kill them." hard to even call that a threat, as i have no idea who he is or where he lives, nor have i inquired about either. i might be tempted to take a s**t in a box, put postage on it, and mail it to him, but thats all i would do if i knew his address. so, want to hire a volunteer editorial writer to your website for 30 days? or dont want to go down in a blaze with me? lol. the shit i got saved man. the double standards. the abuse of power. I must be the only one willing to stand idly by. i heard someone say they went to kali yesterday and there was 20 people online. I'd rather be in lobby of 20 than a lobby of 2000 with power hungry mods that squelch the freedom of speech at every given oportunity. then get mad for something you say when they tell you that you do not have permission to say their name in chat? are you f***ing kidding me? i will move to kali and recruit aggressively from cncnet when i get back. i will go ehy on his ass and start funneling players to a server that offers RA, ehy did it with tunngle for financial reasons i'm sure; my reasoning is not selfish tho, my reasoning is playing RA and talking in chat without fear of persecution shouldn't be an EITHER/OR thing. this s**t aint right. (and after he told me i couldnt say his name anymore, he had the audacity to use my name in chat? like you think im gonna let u say my name after u said i cant say your name? your fucked in the head man!) then i asked him if his real name was claudia or jenny? ill call you by your real name if that will keep me from getting banned. but to tell me im banned if i say ROSSI? who the f**k does ROSSI think SHE is? lol. the answer: an untouchable. he's untouchable from any justice. so are his cronies.
i'm going to offer you the message i was typing out to ferret while i was banned for hours. i never sent it because i knew it would be another ban. plus haven't heard a word from ferret since he did it. rossi, on the other hand, loves to chirp. lives for it. maddux was messaging me on facebook that i should just not talk to him. "it's like me and steel going back at each other for years.. after awhile it just gets stupid so i just say f**k it and don't even talk or acknowledge him anymore.. can't you do that?"
and putting every single admin on ignore seems like the only option when i get back. i shoulda just went rossi rossi rossi rossi rossi rossi rossi rossi rossi rossi until he banned me a day instead of a month.
what would you do? if someone said you will be banned for saying a name? I'd call bulls**t on that, whether i was the one about to be banned or not. maybe next step is banned for not tying your shoes? i mean come on, im not the type can let sycophantic psycho's just get by with anything. so ignore function is only hope.
First of all, Nyerguds[work], it was nice talking to you, and a quite refreshing change of pace to hear actual intelligence sporadically make its way out of the fingertips of an "admin" at this nazi institution you "guys" call CNCNET5...i use the term "guys" loosely, as u could probably tell by the airquotes...as to not accidentally infer the new number 1 target of my diatribes has any balls, cuz he just proved he has less testicular fortitude than Rossi...ferret, hither forth referred to as simply The Lil B**ch Admin: "Oh break, I know u have been asking for 3-4 hours if there are any mods/admins that could assist you in making someone comply with the CNCNET by-laws (hither forth refered to as "LMAO, you thought YOU were going to MAKE US? Do Something? Do ANYTHING? For YOU? Bahahaha. Those rules are there for US, not YOU, b**ch.) But Break, I cant ban anyone impersonating a member of your clan, i'm JUST an OP...oh wait...did u just tell me that i would have to s**k Rossi to be able to ban YOU?...oh REALLY?...WATCH this S**T...*Sound of Super Mario eating a mushroom* ferret suddenly transformed into Big,Bad Here-To-Serve-CNCNET-Justice Ferret^ with a Hammer (which looks strikingly similar to a Tiny,Scrawny Here-To-Service-Rossi-So-I-Can-Learn-Magic-IRC-Tricks ferret) and as his non-threatening punk self whispered something about 30 mins (which turned out to be several hours) I couldn't help but think, you f***ing yuppie f***tards...Maybe you could of done THIS to the a**hole that was "breaking the rules" and promoting impersonation / slander / harrassment of a clan (which someone else had already did just hours before and now look, because you did nothing about it the 1st time, it's catching on like wildfire now) And maybe you wouldn't have goaded me into saying something a bit corrosive? You guys had a blast watching me squirm while it pissed me off that u wouldn't ban somebody that was blatantly disrespecting the rules right in front of you. I cant believe i made it 3 hours of chat until i finally said something to ban me. You f***ing egotistical morons. Watch out ORA-RA168UK, you are in line to become this. I've met very few admins that didn't turn out to be total assholes. Lovehandles was right there at a friend level, but he has got tired of cncnet too it seems, he hasnt been on in forever. Nyerguds actually engaged in hours of discussion, but he too said he didnt have the ability to kick the guy faking an ORA- name. When in fact he did, he kicked me before ferret did. His kick was of the 1 min variety tho. The rest have been miserable little trolls their whole lives, up to the point when they were in a position of power over something that other people appeared to value and be thankful for. That's why I dont mind being made an example of, because maybe by example it will cause someone else to wake up. And say, um, are these admins serious? Oh! U got me good by playing Possum-Admin for hours and smiting me instead of dealing with the 1st asshole! Grow up. It's a f***ing game, and a f***ing chat room. F***ing pu**ys. And if you are going to aggressively enforce the rules of allowed speech in a chat room, do it with SpamServ, so that it is automatic and not biased. Oh wait you guys already are and its still not enough. because i didn't use one curse word in the sentence that got me banned 1-2 months. I guess when i return, MURDER and RAPE will be the new keywords that get you auto-banned? THEY BETTER F**KING BE. And you know what else? They better get EVERYONE else banned 1-2 months when THEY say it in chat. Otherwise, discipline in chat is based on favoritism (whether or not a ban-worthy offense actually gets enforced) and "record" i guess (Break's been banned alot, they are starting to make them progressively longer, watch out repeat offenders!) Enforcement should not be "you're banned a day, you're banned a week, and YOU, is that Break approaching the bench of my courtroom? SWEET JESUS, IT IS! The day I have been waiting for! Smite smite smite smite smite smite. Oh and ferret, I'm still ahead of both of you and Rossi in your poll with me, 2-0-1, looks like u banning me didn't overly impress anyone but maybe your boyfriend.
here's the link for that poll.... http://www.strawpoll.me/10599800/r break rossi or ferret?
this one should be ahead of it tho.... http://www.strawpoll.me/10599853/r dictatorship?
i think they should be front page on ra1guides
here's a few more (funky said we should poll the lobby and see...)
Does Break deserve 30 day ban...
http://www.strawpoll.me/10637532/r
Do you think rossi was correct to threaten to ban ORA-Breakdown if he said Rossi's name in chat one more time?
http://www.strawpoll.me/10637489/r
dope was beefing with me hard before i got banned, i think even we will get along when i get back. he was one of the ones that was saying it wasn't right what was going on when i got banned for more than a day the 1st time.
anywho, questions/comments/concerns? I give you permission to post any and all of this email as the answer to the last question of my interview for your website if would like. Or you could just put "KALI was and still is the best place to play Red Alert, it just has fewer players". originally, my response was going to be a chart with the places i have played Red Alert at (dial-up, Mplayer, GameSpy, Kali, Tunngle, CncNet) then pro's and con's about each. CNCNET was going to get some thumbs up's that the other places didnt, but most of those were due to updates in technology through time and not due to CNCNET being an awesome, cool, chill place to play. it was going to have a lot more thumbs down's than thumbs up's. and it gets more thumbs down's by the day."
- ORA-break (1997-Present)
[originally published 4/7/2016]
ORA-Boy
Certified PRO: Yes.
"This game has a big place in my heart. I started playing this game when I was only 8 years young and now I'm 28. I've seen ALL of the great players who have ever played this game and I hope the game never dies. That would be very sad and it almost happened 3 times. Another thing I want to to say is: Win or Lose, there will always be another game. But hopefully you will win more! GG's to all!"
- (ORA-boy (1997-Present)
[originally published 17/6/2016]
yuz|MAN|
Certified PRO: Yes.
"Being an ass is easy. Respect others and you'll be respected. Herm is the king, Sensei is the prince."
- (yuz|MAN| (2000-2003 Westwood online, 2003-2005 Kali, 2009-present CnCNet)
[originally published 14/6/2016]
[x]MafiA
Certified PRO: Yes.
[originally published 5/6/2016]
|NC|-Lauta
Certified PRO: Yes, LEADER OF |NC|
"Be a good player, learn to play in teams and keep the RA community growing. If you need a specialist in long games, let me know."
- |NC|-Lauta, (since 2012)
[originally published 4/6/2016]
{H8}Doc
Certified PRO: Yes, LEADER OF {H8TE}
"I was ranked #2 on casey's Red Alert team. It was an online ranking for Red Alert back in the day. Just because RA is an older game, doesn't mean it's not good anymore. RA is one of the best strategy games I've found and I love it. Never quit, never bail, and stay till last man is dead!"
- {H8TE}Doc, (Since 1995-200, then 2015-present)
[originally published 1/6/2016]
Col0
Certified PRO: Yes.
[originally published 28/3/2016]
[SP-Ph0t0n]
Certified PRO: Yes.
[originally published 21/3/2016]
ORA-P15ArMy
Certified PRO: Yes.
[originally published 11/3/2016]
C|SNiPE2K1
Certified PRO: Yes.
<C|SNiPE2K1> If possible, vs. much better players
