Biomassed: Who are you? Who do you play DUST 514 with, and what style of play do you enjoy?
Zaria Min Deir: I am Zaria Min Deir on DUST, currently the CEO of 0uter.Heaven. I’m a long time logistics player with an active history of involvement in Planetary Conquest. I’ve been a (Minmatar) Logi since I started playing the game and first got out of my starter fit. Over the years of playing DUST I have added to my bag of tricks, including a couple of assault suits, a scout and a commando, and even some vehicle skills (SP, that is, not actual skill). However, I will always be a Logi and a support player at heart.
I have never wanted to nor felt the need to limit myself to playing with any specific group. Thus I have met many incredible people playing DUST, and I end up playing with a lot of different people on a regular basis.
Biomassed: Tell us a bit about the “real you”. Who is the man (or woman) behind the merc?
Zaria Min Deir: Not much to say that isn’t boring, really. I am 28 and I live in Finland. In short, I am a total nerd, into games, science fiction and music. I studied International Business Communication with English as my major, and do occasional translating and copy editing work while looking for an actual grown up job. I am also part of the production team for a small folk music and culture festival, currently gearing up for our 10 year anniversary.
Biomassed: Why did you decide to run for the CPM this year?
Zaria Min Deir: With almost three years and 5,000 hours on DUST, I can safely say I am addicted to the game. With all that time spent, I’ve definitely seen a lot, and I want to provide a voice from the perspective of not only an organizer but also someone who is in actual battles day in and day out.
And also, because people whose opinions I value asked me to run. I take it as a show of faith from the people I play and interact with that they think I would be able to represent them and convey their opinions and experiences to CCP. I have been told by current and past members of CPM that they think I have what it takes to be an effective and productive member of the Council, and I hope I get a chance to prove them right.
I have an honest desire to see DUST continue on and grow if at all possible, and I want to do what I can to help.
Biomassed: What are the strengths you think you can bring to the CPM? What is your biggest weakness you’ll need to contend with?
Zaria Min Deir: I believe I am capable of debating a point without being entrenched in emotional bias, and able to consider actual information, not just my personal preference. While I can get passionate about something I feel strongly about, I can do so without needing to resort to trolling or hysterics.
I would say I have considerable in-game experience within multiple contexts. However, I am also more than willing to admit I am not an expert on most things, and more than happy to seek out more information and perspective from players who I see as more knowledgeable on a specific topic.
Biomassed: What do you feel is the role of the CPM?
Zaria Min Deir: To act as the intermediary between the community and the developers is, in my mind, the main role. I believe one of the more important aspects is not only being able to approach CCP with information from the community that they might not get in a timely manner otherwise, but also to filter and convey that message so that it is easily received by the developers. As in, removed of the trolling and the histrionics, when necessary, so that actual valuable information doesn’t get drowned out by the “noise”.
Of course, being able to function as a sounding board for any and all ideas that CCP Rattati and his team have but are not yet ready to share with the community at large is another hugely important aspect.
Biomassed: How do you feel about the previous CPM? What was done well, and what could have been done better?
Zaria Min Deir: Here I will share what a lot of people have and continue to tell me. Some of the CPM members seem far too removed from the actual game, and for a lot of the community this is a major problem. More visibility in general, in game and on the forums, would help more of the community not feel like the CPM really doesn’t do much, as not everyone is in the Skype channels were the Council members spend time. On the other hand, some of those Skype channels are a valuable tool for the CPM as well, so maybe we just need to encourage more of the DUST community to join in…
I personally have had many fruitful interactions with various CPM members over the last year, and I know they collectively have done a lot. And I also know that the NDA makes it difficult for us outsiders to gauge exactly what that is.
Biomassed: What are your thoughts on communication between the players and CCP? The CPM and CCP? The CPM and the players?
Zaria Min Deir: Communication between players and CCP… Well. We have seen, thankfully, that Rattati has started opening new avenues of direct communication with players, and I hope he continues to explore that.
The CPM and CCP? From my understanding, the communication between particularly Rattati and the CPM is very active and spontaneous, and I hope it continues in that vein for CPM2.
The CPM and the players? Skype channels in particular are very active, and I have personally participated in and witnessed very engaged and informative discussions and even debates on various topics between CPM and community members on DUST comms, and I would personally hope to continue to have those discussions, whether as a member of the community or the CPM.
Biomassed: Where do you hope to see the game by the end of your term?
Zaria Min Deir: Still kicking. Really, that is the least I can and do hope for. I wish I could say I believe we can get the community to start growing again, but I do think it is possible, likely or not.
Biomassed: If DUST is able to be ported to another platform, which platform would you prefer, and why?
Zaria Min Deir: As primarily a console gamer, I would love to see DUST on PS4, or PS4 and PC both. Now, I think the game deserves to move to another platform, PC or console, simply because I think it has a future, and staying on the PS3 would mean it doesn’t. If DUST gets ported to PC only, it is better than not being ported at all, though that would mean I would have to say goodbye to a lot of dear friends.
Biomassed: How can players reach out to you if they have further questions for you?
Zaria Min Deir: I can be reached by email (zariamindeir (at) gmail.com) or on Skype (anyfreescreenname), and of course by in-game mail, though no questions that require long thoughtful answers over DUST mail, that’s just a pain with the character limit. Also, if you don’t get an instant response even if you see me online, don’t be insulted, I might actually be enjoying the game and not checking my mail every five minutes 😉
