Destructoid Community Interviews: The Navi is a Lie

Hey, listen!

Hello, beautiful people! I’m your host Chris Moyse and I welcome you to the latest Community Interview! This entry sees me chat with a member of our flock who has only been signed up for half a year! So let’s learn more about a newcomer who has already firmly planted themselves within the comments and Qposts of Destructoid.

Grab a drink, put your feet up, and let’s chat to our very own starchild: the navi is a lie

OL: Welcome to the interrogation chamber, where reputations are destroyed and minds are broken. Help yourself to a cupcake and tell us; who the fuck is the navi is a lie?

Navi: Well, thanks for the cupcake and may I say; I love the grim and hopeless look you’ve got going on here. Behind the name lies Jason, a pretentious and nerdy teen. I’m still in high school, live in CT, and want to get out of here as soon as possible.

OL: Gah, so young, It feels like every day I get older. What’s in a name?

Navi: Zelda and Portal are some of my favorite games so I melded them together. I also really hate Navi and everything that damn fairy stands for. It’s also a philosophical statement: Everything we know, like the Navi, could be a lie. Yeah, I just wanted to seem clever while referencing my favorite games. People seem to really like it, so I think I made a good choice.

OL: It’s quite the eye-opener when you step behind the curtain of the front page. Have you enjoyed your stay at Destructoid so far?

Navi: I love it! The people are super-awesome and I’ve been writing much more which I love. I also get to talk to some awesome peeps.

OL: Glad to hear you’ve settled in. Have any of those “awesome peeps” stood out to you as kindred spirits?

Navi: Well, a few people that stick out to me are Hypno Coffin, who’s super funny and nice. Orochileona may be the nicest person I’ve ever talked to over the internet. SrChurros for having the best damn icon. Greenhornet214 for being a fellow Star Trek fan, and all the other people whose posts make me laugh.

OL: Awww, thanks for the props (I’ll PayPal you the ten bucks later). As a newcomer, do you have any suggestions that could help improve the ‘Toid?

Navi: The private messaging system needs to be overhauled. There are a few other things in the mobile version that could be worked on, but overall there aren’t too many issues I can think of.

OL: So, will you be sticking around with us for the foreseeable future?

Navi: Yes, of course! I have tons of C.blogs planned!

OL: Let’s learn a little about your good self, Navi. WHO ARE YOU?

Navi: I am a human who plays way too many video games, reads way too many comics and books, and drinks lots of coffee. I work at Starbucks, and enjoy spewing my pretentious opinions all over the Internet. I have anxiety and depression which makes being a normal human pretty difficult, but I push through.

I’m an introverted person but also the type that smiles at grandmas. I like to think of myself as a bit of an intellectual chap. I consider myself a film & TV buff. A few of my favorite films are: 2001 A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, Rushmore, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Clerks. My favorite series’ are FLCL, Star Trek: TNG, Rick and Morty, and Twin Peaks. I’ve also been called a hipster on many the occasion, so there may be some truth to that. I have an amazing girlfriend whom I love more than anything.

OL: I love Twin Peaks too. Who is Best Girl?

Navi: The Log Lady, obviously.

OL: Well, my log does not judge. Any hidden talents?

Navi: I play piano and drums, as well as some other musical instruments.

OL: Piano and drums? Aren’t they two of the hardest instruments you could choose?

Navi: They are pretty difficult, but I’ve been playing them both for quite a while.

OL: I’ve tried to learn piano at various points in my life, but I think I’m done trying now.

OL: Speaking of practice, you’re currently working hard to become a game developer. How is that quest going for you so far? What is it that interests you in it as a career?

Navi: It’s going well! I have been working on learning how to code which I enjoy so much. I don’t know why, but it clicks with me; it can be really soothing. As for why this career path, it’s a mix of wanting to explore interesting mechanics and themes that haven’t been utilized yet. Gaming is a relatively new field, and there are so many new concepts to be unearthed, I want to help push it forward as an art form.

OL: It’s definitely a fascinating, if complex, avenue of interest. Are you working on any projects right now?

Navi: I am! A Twine game called You Clicked the Wrong Link. It’s in early stages but I’m really motivated. It mixes text adventures like the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Zork, and Depression Quest with some simple logic puzzles. It has cyberpunk themes and some Albert Camus-style philosophy. It’s been a blast to work on, I’m super excited for people to play it. Well, all two of them that see it.

OL: Sounds really interesting, and quite personal. I’ll definitely check it out when it’s done. What’s the next stage for your own development as a dev?

Navi: I want to go to college (continuing to create games until then) and then hopefully work independently or work within a small team designing games.

OL: If you could work on any current game series, or remake a classic game yourself, which would you choose?

Navi: I’d love to work on either Fallout or the Pokemon series as they are super inspirational to me. I’d also like to work with Edmund McMillen, Zoe Quinn, or Jonathan Blow as they are some gaming idols of mine. I’d like to make a sequel to Streets of Rage, because it’d be turned into an awesome parody whist keeping their tight game mechanics. That, or a remake of Live a Live because that is one of my favorite games – super underrated. More people need to play Live a Live. Go play Live a Live.

OL: Umm.. Well I can’t right now, but I’ll try to check it out later. If you had unlimited funding and talent, what would be your ideal dream project?

Navi: A remake of Live a Live. Just kidding. I want to make a pen-and-paper style sci-fi exploration, set in procedurally-generated outer space. I want to make it so that every last choice changes the way the ship, crew, and other factions see you. Basically a mix of D&D, FTL, Mass Effect, and Star Trek. Not the most original idea, but it’s a dream of mine.

OL: Let’s talk about your gaming history? What was your first console/computer?

Navi: I’ve been into video games literally all my life. I grew up with the PS2 and the GameCube which my parents owned, but I had access to the NES, SNES, and N64 as my grandparents had a bunch of old consoles. The first console I owned personally was the DS. Today I play everything, from low-key indie titles to modern AAA releases. Essentially, I’ve played pretty much everything, always.

OL: That’s quite a history of formats and a variety of games from all sorts of budgetary and stylistic backgrounds. What are some of your favourites?

Navi: That’s a hard question for me as I may be kind of infamous on this site for my top ten that I repeatedly rewrite. A few of my favorites are: Fallout New Vegas, Binding of Isaac, Diary of a Spaceport Janitor, Majora’s Mask, FTL, FF7, Depression Quest, Doom, Pokemon FireRed, Portal, Hotline Miami, Yar’s Revenge, Missile Command, The Stanley Parable, Don’t Starve, Quake 2, and Braid. I could list even more but those are the ones that come to mind.

OL: What does a game have to do to really “grab” you?

Navi: The first is uniqueness, whether mechanically, in its story, or otherwise. That is what makes me notice you in the sea of video games. You have to make me think – before, during, and after playing. There needs to be games that make you think, but there is, obviously, a place for fun. There has to be A Clockwork Orange and Starship Troopers, Citizen Kane and Monty Python’s Holy Grail. Games can be all of those things. Be interesting, different and/or entertaining.

OL: What do think of the industry as it stands today? It gets a lot of abuse from the internet, do you think it’s justified?

Navi: Both sides need a boost of originality. AAA games can just be FPS games with “deep narratives,” which just means dark and depressing, whilst indie games are devolving into, “Turn this genre into a Roguelike!” or, “Copy Undertale! That did well!”

This seems a cynical view but, in positive terms, AAA games are becoming unique and tackling new subject matter. On the indie scene, games continue to elevate the medium by tackling unique themes and mechanics, as in Papers Please, Darkest Dungeons, and Firewatch. It’s an amazing time to be into video games and it will just keep getting better.

As for the internet, I am all for criticism as it elevates the genre and keeps gaming on track. Everyone has a voice and that just means that better games will be made and we will have better connection with their creators. However, I do not like the harassment or the entitlement that can come with it. Overall, I think the positives in the industry are outweighing the negatives.

OL: I agree, there’s some serious negativity, but the good is VERY good. What one game is really underrated?

Navi: *Ahem* Live a FUCKING Live.

OL: You have an passion for science. What elements of the subject interest you the most?

Navi: My interests pertain mainly to space, astrophysics, biology, and technology. Learning was kind of drilled into me as a kid. When I went to my dad’s house, we would watch documentaries on any subject. My mom is an English teacher, so a love of learning was naturally instilled in me. I love using logic and scientific methods. Science is a major part of my life and I feel it always will be.

OL: You’re an amateur astronomer, right? What is it about star-gazing that fascinates you?

Navi: It’s just so intriguing to me, and it engages me more than anything else. It’s something I can understand, that I always want to learn more about. I love telling people about it as well. Astronomy gives me an intense feeling of optimism, and I need some optimism in this world.

OL: That’s a really cool concept. Your viewing of life, light-years away, can bring you personal joy here on Earth.

Navi: Yeah, I really feel like it gives me a “home.” I like how it makes all my personal issues feel small in the enormity of the universe. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it just makes me happy and gives me comfort that everything will be ok.

OL: No, I get it, I really do. So you would say it even goes as far as to help your with your mental struggles?

Navi: Oh absolutely! Learning and studying astronomy has helped me through my hardest times. It’s something to get my mind off of my troubles as well as being something that I’m genuinely intrigued with.

OL: Have you seen anything crazy-cool through your telescope?

Navi: I sadly do not have one yet, but I’m saving up. My productivity will dip, but it’s worth it.

OL: Would you like to go into space yourself, if the opportunity arose?

Navi: Absolutely. If we could develop the tech, I would love to see Neptune up close and personal. That would be a dream come true, it’s my favorite planet. Anywhere out there would be incredible.

OL: It’s not impossible, and you’re young enough that you could see such a reality in your lifetime. Does your interest in the sciences cause skepticism in you over spiritual matters?

Navi: Very much so. I am an atheist and I always look for proof or more logical solutions to things. I have found that using logic and skepticism have helped me through this wild life and helps me explain and understand things.

OL: Have you interacted with community members such as Gamemaniac3434? He’s a fellow science lover, even if he is covered in germs and microbes.

Navi: No I haven’t, but I shall have to. And it’s ok, I am a germ-covered man as well.

OL: You’ve told me in the past that you’re a big reader. What do you you enjoy reading?

Navi: I’ll read almost anything. I have found sci-fi, history, graphic novels/comics, dark comedy, philosophy, and poetry are what I gravitate toward the most.

OL: Just like your favourite games, that’s a real plethora of genres. What book do you see yourself re-reading forever?

Navi: I could re-read Cosmos by Carl Sagan forever because it is such an amazing and inspirational novel. It just makes me so optimistic and happy. I highly recommend it.

OL: You’re the first interviewee to mention a love of poetry. Who are your favourite poets?

Navi: E.E Cummings by far. My favorite poem it would have to be his Humanity I Love You. I also really enjoy Charles Bukowski, Emily Dickinson, Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath, and Langston Hughes.

OL: You clearly have a scientific eye for the universe and technology, but you’re also heavily inspired by poetry and fiction. You seem to have a pragmatic view of the world, but also a romanticism about fantasy and imagination. It’s almost a natural contradiction. Is that a fair way to describe you?

Navi: I would say so! I think I am both very left-and-right brained as I do think very logically and systematically, but I also adore art and I am extremely creative. It makes for a very interesting mindset.

OL: It’s time for the Final Five: Which fictional universe would you choose to live in?
Navi: Gotham, to see the exploits of Batman first-hand and argue with anyone who doesn’t like him.

OL: Disney ’90 -’95 or Disney ’11-’16?
Navi: ‘90-’95 because Fuck Yeah Toy Story.

OL: Are you confident in your life choices so far?
Navi: Yes, but I am not confident in that answer.

OL: Is the hot dog a sandwich?
Navi: Yes. But putting it in sandwich bread is gross.

OL: What’s the one ethical lesson everybody should learn at school?
Navi: Don’t be shitty to people, and if you are, they can be shitty right back to you.

OL: We’re halfway through 2017, how’s your year going so far?

Navi: I’d say it has been one of the craziest years of my life, but it has been an adventure and I love a good adventure.

OL: Navi, this interview felt like we’ve been buddies for ages. You’re warm, optimistic, and smart. I didn’t catch a glimpse of your self-professed pretension. Your contribution to the Qposts has been great and I look forward to your C-blogs and seeing where your passion for game design takes you. I’m happy to have met you and I’m glad that you’re a part of our community.

Navi: Thank you so much, sir! I feel like you have become a close, important buddy to me. I can’t thank you enough for that. I shall make sure I design good games for you and others to play! But that means so much to me I can’t put it into words.

OL: Well, the final words are yours, so grasp the mic:

Navi: I’d like to open up to you, Dtoid member reading this: You are awesome. Thank you. All the members of this wonderful website I have spoken to have been kind and have helped me in some way, small or large. There are comments I have gotten that have literally changed the ways I have looked at issues going on in my life. I don’t know where else I could have found that.

Thank you to the people who aren’t on this website that might be reading this. You know who you are. You rock and have helped me too. And I can’t thank you enough. I am not a religious man but I have no idea what blessed me with such wonderful people to interact with. So, thank you. And keep being rad. And keep playing games. And always remember…the navi is a lie.

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