Community Spotlight Aerosteam

Ever since The Escapist‘s Community Spotlight was under consideration to return from its rather abrupt hiatus, the one name that I knew I wanted to interview right off the bat was Aerosteam. I could think of no other candidate, given what this user had done for the community during its hiatus. In fact, it was partially because of Aerosteam that the Spotlight has returned at all. During the hiatus, Aerosteam began doing a similar project, on the forums, title “Creative Spotlight.” In these Creative Spotlights, Aerosteam would interview members of the community in a Community Spotlight-esque style. His targets were those members of the community who were creatively inspired — whether it be music, drawing, or anything else that’s creative in some way or another. It was these Creative Spotlights that proved how there was still interest in the Community Spotlight. That is the type of contribution to the site that earns its user a well-deserved interview. That isn’t the only thing that Aerosteam has contributed to The Escapist‘s community, however. He has also begun work on Super Smash Escapists, a blatant and joking riff on Super Smash Bros. It’s a (currently theoretical) game whose characters, stages, and basically everything else has been thought up by members of The Escapist. You may have seen one of its two threads. Here is the man behind these two projects. How long have you been a member of The Escapist, and what about the site brought you here? What is your favorite current Escapist feature? See? Not everyone was drawn by Yahtzee and his stallion-like charisma. Eventually I created an account and posted a thread in the forums about crossover fighting games despite having no interest in them. Since then my sanity slowly slipped away. During the official Community Spotlight’s hiatus, you started posting similar features on the forums called “Creative Spotlight.” What gave you that idea? You have also taken to designing a community Super Smash Bros. clone, Super Smash Escapists. How did you come up with that idea? Are you actually going to try to make a real game out of the idea, or will it stay in the conceptual stages forever? I’ll start getting more Creative Spotlights out soon! No, really! Do you feel like these types of projects have brought you closer to the members of The Escapist community? I’m going to be honest, I was originally going to take it as far as possible (this includes screenshots, trailers and stuff like Jim Sterling to do the announcer voice) without actually making the game. I wasn’t expecting them (hell, I wasn’t expecting nearly bloody a hundred character suggestions), but some people posted movesets with their character. Someone suggested assist trophies and bosses despite not even saying I’m making a thread for them. Someone else got confused as to if it was actually being made at first. I was so humbled I made the decision of starting development of the game. (Still in the concept stages!) Get hyped for the adventure of the millenium! Prepare to meet the Sub-basement Emissary! What other creative projects do you have in the works? What do you do in your spare time, apart from browsing The Escapist? Oh, and I didn’t forget about the audiobook version of your Papers, Please fanfic, erttheking. So to OutworldSorc, your efforts on recording your reading of the story and also making a variation of the game’s main theme won’t go to waste! 🙂 Do you have a favorite game/movie/band/painting/etc. that you’d like more people to be aware of? I don’t publish as much as I make, but I like to remix video game music from time to time. I upload some of them to my YouTube channel where the playlist is called “Audiospace” and I name all my songs after NASA missions. Music from Pokemon and The Legend of Zelda are probably the most fun to remix, they generally have simple melodies for easy de/reconstruction. I’m always open for suggestions on what video game soundtracks anyone wants me to remix. In five years, where do you see yourself? Is there some goal you want to have accomplished by then? Seriously, you don’t need to look very far for talent. 🙂 Also to Caramel Frappe for being the nicest guy ever. If you would like to nominate someone for an upcoming Community Spotlight, feel free to let me, Marter, know by PM. When nominating, please tell me why this user deserves to be in the next Community Spotlight, and provide links if possible. Also maybe release Super Smash Escapists.