Biomassed: Who are you? Who do you play DUST 514 with, and what style of play do you enjoy?
Darth Carbonite: I’m a beta veteran with extensive experience playing with and enjoying every role DUST has to offer. Most know me as a dropship pilot, and that is what I’m best at, but I greatly enjoying bouncing between different suits and weapons as the feeling strikes me.
In my time playing DUST I have met and forged friendships with more people than I ever could have imagined I would before I started. Now I play with anyone I can, whether that means engaging in a PC battle with my corpmates, running Faction Warfare with the amazing people of 0uter.Heaven, or just jumping into a random Squad Finder group.
My passion for experiencing all DUST has to offer extends to its playerbase, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Biomassed: Tell us a bit about the “real you”. Who is the man (or woman) behind the merc?
Darth Carbonite: Well first off, my name is Diedrich. I hail from South Carolina, but lack the strong accent most assume comes from being raised in the South.
I have a major in English, and currently pursue a career in History and Philosophy. My love for games started at a young age when my father introduced me to pen and paper role playing games. Since then, I have primarily enjoyed sprawling open world RPGs as well as deeper strategy fare like Civilization and X-COM.
Biomassed: Why did you decide to run for the CPM this year?
Darth Carbonite: I fully intended to run last year, but my personal situation would not have allowed me to fulfill CPM duties to the best of my ability. This year however, I am in a very stable place professionally, and ready to give it everything I’ve got.
The answer in short, is because I love DUST. After all the time I’ve spent with it, enduring its flaws and experiencing its peaks of greatness, I’m not sure how I couldn’t care about it. Its depth, its lore, but most of all, its players. Without the people that populate it, DUST would be nothing, devoid of the stories and distinct personality that has grown from nothing to something amazing in just a few short years.
As a proud member of this community, I believe we deserve to have our needs, desires and concerns addressed by CCP. I believe that I would do right by the community as a member of the CPM, acting not as an entitled, disinterested talking head, but as just another player of DUST 514 that cares about its community and the future we are building together.
Biomassed: What are the strengths you think you can bring to the CPM? What is your biggest weakness you’ll need to contend with?
Darth Carbonite: My strength lies in the fact that I enjoy interacting with other people more than anything else. CCP has gone a long way in improving communication between their developers and the playerbase they serve. I am confident that I can continue this upward trend of interaction, carrying out whatever tasks CCP requires while also being an omnipresent line of communication for the community, both in game and on the forums.
Patiently engaging with every player I can, whether they are a three year veteran, or have just started the game, I have the will and desire to be their representative.
My weakness is that I’m not technically inclined. I can’t explain my opinions with a single spreadsheet, and I will never amaze others with my coding skills.
This sort of practical knowledge would no doubt help me get a job in the game industry, or maybe even at CCP itself, but that’s not what I’m here for. I’m not looking for a job, but instead I’m looking to help make the game I care about better. I strongly believe I can do that best as a member of the CPM.
Biomassed: What do you feel is the role of the CPM?
Darth Carbonite: The CPM’s role is as a group of representatives to the players of DUST. Owing nothing to any single subset or faction, but with a duty to weigh every member equally and fairly, and in the end, improving the game that we all play.
Biomassed: How do you feel about the previous CPM? What was done well, and what could have been done better?
Darth Carbonite: Many people like to cast judgment on the CPM or individual CPM members in particular, but I prefer to look at the challenges each CPM group were faced with, and how they rose to the occasion.
CPM0 had it rough, experiencing what I can only imagine were confusing and trying times as DUST became an actual product. CPM1 then, were forced to deal with the fallout surrounding the Rouge Wedding.
There always have and always will be ups and downs, but I think that the fact that the CPM is still around as a player run entity is a testament to their perseverance and desire to get the job done.
Biomassed: What are your thoughts on communication between the players and CCP? The CPM and CCP? The CPM and the players?
Darth Carbonite: The communication between the players and CCP has always been strong, if perhaps one-sided at times. As long as there are ways for the community to converse with the developers of the game they love, they will do so. And as for CCP’s part, they have radically improved upon what we have experienced in the past from a communication standpoint.
The level of communication between the CPM and CCP itself is not something I can confidently speak for, as I lack any firsthand knowledge of this process. However, CCP consistently remarks on how invaluable the CPM has been in the developmental decision making process, so I can only assume they are doing something right.
Biomassed: Where do you hope to see the game by the end of your term?
Darth Carbonite: I want to see a DUST with a growing playerbase, invigorated by an overhauled and community driven New Player Experience. I would also like to see the question of “Why doesn’t CCP communicate?” completely eradicated.
I would be writing all day if I tried to communicate every change and improvement I’d like to see, so I will promise to continue to express my ideas and opinions as this election continues.
Biomassed: If DUST is able to be ported to another platform, which platform would you prefer, and why?
Darth Carbonite: If DUST is to continue to grow, we need a plan for the future that involves a new platform(s). If I were forced to pick just one, I would choose the PS4. Its playerbase is vast and growing, and it is simply my preferred place to play.
If I could choose multiple platforms however, I would want to see DUST come to PC as well. CCP already has a dedicated group of people on PC eagerly awaiting the next big thing, and that thing should be DUST.
Biomassed: How can players reach out to you if they have further questions for you?
Darth Carbonite: They can email me at: ohlandtd (at) yahoo.com
Skype with me under the username: Darth Carbonite
Or even contact my EVE character: Darth Carbonite Tokila
And they are of course welcome to send me a message in-game, or just shoot me a squad invite!
And as a final note, I would like to thank Biomassed for this opportunity, and say that I will be posting a far greater rundown of my position on the forums just as soon as it is appropriate for me to do so. o7
