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Kausie Coinflips   Table of Contents   TTAC Predictions

Moving up in the TTA Fun ranks, this issue I'm going with the main boss of Fun, one of the strongest players on the site, who still insists he's not that good, King of free roots for Trade games, and all around nice guy, Grat!



Name: Simon
Age: 24
Hobbies: music, swimming, games, meeting people, golf (well just driving range, very bad at it:P)
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK

Sachi: Like your co-pilot Shuriken, you're running quite a few different projects, what are they?

Grat: Well there is TTA Fun, where I'm currently issuing the weekly Fun challenges, where we offer points for completing our fiendishly difficult (well only the gold is really :p) tasks. Also, I'll hold any TTA meetings that take place (one should be due fairly soon- we will keep you all posted!) together with Shuriken and we'll discuss what's happening in TTA, and people can put their suggestions to the powers that be, since Dalamar and/or Balz are there, as well as some of the other mods besides myself. I've also run things in the past such as the Fun lottery, which I’m willing to bring back if people wish it, and helped out with clan league, as well as made the odd suggestion here and there for TTA quest.

Sachi: One of these things, TTA Fun, were you part of its creation? How long have you been kicking around in it for?

Grat: I've been there since it started! Originally it was planned to be one of several groups, led by one of the staff but mainly consisting of regular members of TTA. There was a graphics team and the TTA team, both of these since lost their way and TTA Fun almost joined them. Needless to say, I could not cope with leading a group on my own, so of course I'm thankful for Shuriken deciding to join us and work his magic, which has ensured the team lives on and indeed has grown to provide a regular source of well...fun to the TTA community!

Sachi: What are your duties in TTA Fun?

Grat: Posting Fun challenges, issuing points for those challenges and chat tournaments, which we run twice a week- Wednesday and Sunday, both 10pm GMT- 6pm TTA time, and nagging the members to play on the Fun accounts. And of course, I play on them myself now and then...am trying to get that account up to 2500 wins, you will eventually see why......

Sachi: How do you feel about all the new blood in TTA Fun?

Grat: Can only be a good thing, we have a variety of people from all over the place and they all have ideas to share...with a bit of encouragement there is a lot we can all offer you.

Sachi: Any ideas coming up you'd like to share?

Grat: Well far as Fun goes, I have a couple of tournament ideas but these will have to wait as Shuri is presenting our upcoming 'What's Your Poison' tournament. Also, expect more weird and wonderful Fun challenges and revamped chat trivia courtesy of Kiljan! I have also been a major fan of how TTA Quest has shaped up, and so constantly suggested little things to Balz about it, such as more monsters (and higher level card drops), more quest cards and such...obviously its up to him if any of it will be added :p.

Also since there is plenty of us in chat who are quite big fans of Conquer Club (online Risk, basically) it would be nice if we could get a league/tournament set up for that, if we can get enough interest, I’m sure it'll be worth a try.

Sachi: How about the game itself, how does it feel to have the highest number of wins, over 18,000?

Grat: Well...very mixed feelings there...on one hand, it feels good to have achieved something, but on the other its kind of a reminder of the times when I really did have little else in my life besides TTA (I’ll ramble on about that later on...). Obviously I’m still glad to be here and have made a number of good friends from all over the world, but thankfully now I'm able to balance it out at least SLIGHTLY more nowadays. That said, I'll definitely push for at least 20k :p. And no matter how many wins I get, there are far better players than me out there, remember that please. :p

Sachi: What would you say your favorite ruleset to use is?

Grat: I have a few...

1-3, same/plus
1-4, same/plus/pw
3-6, same/pw (think I became notorious for this one:P)
3-8, same/plus/sw/pw (sw to abuse the airship in it..hey, it took me like thousands of FFX packs to get it:P)

^all open, but I’m also partial to closed combo now and then (especially on TTN)

Sachi: What exactly brought you to TTA, and how long have you been here for?

Grat: I first heard about TTA from some friends on GameFAQs' FF8 social board, tried it out and well...here I am, 4+ years later. At first I only played at weekends, as I was still in college during the week and they blocked most gaming/chat sites, but amazingly not when I was in Uni later that year..and then I truly got addicted.

Now here comes the waffle.

I have a condition called Aspergers Syndrome which basically is a milder type of autism. Often people with it turn out to be very bright and capable of much things in life (and desire too) but lack social skills. Also people with AS often show obsessions with things they like, and its quite obvious that happened with TTA. Despite the ongoing university course at the time, I was pretty much always playing TTA when not in lectures (yes even in uni itself)- its quite clear now that my experience in uni was not a good one, I lacked friends, the confidence to make them and so I was thankful for TTA providing me with some means of contacting people (and keeping me entertained).

Well slowly but surely, things have improved considerably..I now manage to keep in touch with the many new friends I made when I first went away for a week in July 2004- I literally wanted to change EVERYTHING when I got back the morning after. It has been a horribly slow process, but at last there is variety and balance in my life, it’s still not perfect but its real progress. I'm glad for TTA getting me through some of the toughest times in my life.

Don't get me wrong there, I'm not blaming TTA at all for that..I still love it here and I feel I can share my life with many people here, especially with the people of Triforce and Avalanche..I'm just glad now I can balance it out now and can share with you what else I get up to (which thankfully there is a lot more of now- more later:P).

Sachi: What would you say is your proudest accomplishment on TTA? (Guest Question asked by Shuriken)

Grat: I have a few, in tournaments..somehow making the semis of SE Zell and Triad Wars V (still can't work out how:P)

Suggesting card drops be added to quest, and they were!

Being part of TTS’s clan of the year FOUR times o.O (KH, TK, Avalanche, and now Triforce)

Sachi: What about your Fondest moment at TTA, what would you say that is?

Grat: Well being voted into player of the year along with Unfixable for the 2003 awards (who was FAR more deserving of it:P) was nice, even if I refused to believe (and still do) that I am a good player.

Also, being part of Triforce and Avalanche, both with numerous good players but FAR more importantly good PEOPLE whom I can freely share my thoughts/stories with (oh I’ve had a few lately) and being able to have a major say in both, particularly the former as I’m one of its sub-leaders.

Sachi: I heard a tasty rumor that you're also a Moderator, what sort of duties does that entail?

Grat: Yep, I've been a mod here since early '04 I believe. What it is, is basically keeping an eye on chat/forums and games and making sure nothing bad is happening, also sometimes get a insight into things Balz/Dal are planning and get asked opinions/suggestions, as well as sometimes there are even staff meetings, when we're not infested by Laze-itis:P (Dal's nickname for fellow mod Kamikaze, if you didn't know!). The important thing about being a mod is that we all are able to get along (which we do, quite well actually!) and can be fair to all in TTA, but firm if its needed (which, touch wood, it won't be- as you're all being good so far:P)

Sachi: How about Graphics, or "Graffikking" as Rinoa calls it, how are your skills?

Grat: I have attempted making cards once or twice in the past, but its safe to say, it is not and never will be a strength of mine:P

Sachi: During the day, where can we catch you? School, work, or both?

Grat: Well I mentioned uni, that course was done 2 years ago..and I passed it (it was computer studies, which I lost all interest in a few months before I completed it). Since then I have been a part of a local self-advocacy group, which sets out to give people with learning disabilities (such as myself) the right to have their voice heard, and has given me a huge number of opportunities to do this. I’ve even been able to speak out in front of dozens and even hundreds of people at various events, something which I could never see happening a couple years ago. Its been an important step towards independence and gaining confidence, I'm also almost able to travel on my own after relying on my parents for so long (I still live at home) and hopefully will be able to learn more 'life skills' (cooking, cleaning etc).

I am also part of that group (called Cardiff People First)'s younger people's group and also hoping to resume work there as a trainer next month-hopefully this will involve going around various young people's groups and delivering a training course to them about how to include young people with learning disabilities, as it is important they get the right to join in the same activities as everyone else, should they wish to.

Closest thing I have to work currently is volunteering as a hospital radio DJ, which is terrific, as I get 2 hours to play basically whatever the heck I wish:P (well so long as its clean, it IS an afternoon show:P) that I do Tuesday afternoons, I go swimming that evening and the group mentioned above on Thursday evenings, so I can be quite busy now and then!

Sachi: What is your favorite song at the moment?

Grat: Kate Nash- Foundations and Timbaland- The Way I Are

Sachi: And finally, what do you think TTA has in store in the future?

Grat: Well, we've just been holding a meeting with Balz and I can tell you he is delighted that TTA is about to celebrate 5 years online (well next few months..)..what he, and we at TTA Fun, have planned though..you will have to wait and see. Needless to say though, I'm sure TTA can continue to deliver a great experience for all who play it, with more variety available through TTN (play it, damnit:P), TTA quest (I will continue to nag Odin about that, rest assured:P - and you can too, via me) and who knows what else we can offer, you will just have to stay tuned!

<^feelinglucky^> I am sure I can speak for many when I say that Grat is one of the best people around here and I know we would love to have him around for a very long time.