Welcome to the first part of “Next Up”, a series in which we will seek to provide insight into the gaming community and e-sports in general. This will be through one on one interviews with community members, Team leaders, e-sports celebrities and other notable personalities. For a perfect start to the series we interviewed Drackk:>, leader of our Team Fortress 2 team and one of Team Colonslash’s oldest members.

1. Today marks 800 days since you joined your first Team Fortress 2 team. Care to share with us which team that is?

I joined Team Colonslash: Reditio, which is now the main TC team. That is now just called Team Colonslash and is currently acting as the “flagship” team for TC.

2. So let me get this clear. You are saying that you played for a single Team Colonslash team since you started playing competitive TF2? What or who made you stick with us for so long?

Well, when I first started out in competitive TF2. I had my first trial with Spike for a roaming soldier spot in Reditio, which went horribly wrong. I then improved myself through MGE and met someone who knew Spike and recommended me for a second trial. I had improved a lot since the first trial and was swiftly accepted into the team. I think I stuck with the team from then on because I had a lot of fun playing with them and the TC community. I also did feel a bit indebted to Spike at first, for giving me a second chance. But I’m glad that I’ve stuck with this community and seen it grow. The team has changed and grown too. I’m the only player left since I joined the team in Season 11 of ETF2L. But I feel as if Team Colonslash has become my home in the TF2 community and I don’t see any reason to leave it. Hopefully that explains it a bit for you.

3. Besides playing for our main TF2 team, you are also its leader since Will left us. How are you dealing with the responsibility of war arranging duties whilst still actively playing?

Honestly, since Will gave me leadership and then left at the end of season I’ve not had much to do as leader other than arrange trials to take Will’s scout place. I was scheduling PCW’s during the season due to Will not being around. That said, not much has changed for me yet. I can only guess that it will be more responsibility to schedule games properly and to make sure that people are available to play on the dates that are suggested. So, right now I’ve not really felt much of an increase in responsibility but I’m sure I’ll feel it when Season 17 starts.

4. Having a stable and loyal team sure helps with all of that. How is the team doing results wise? Do you think you have a shot at taking the division 2 throne?

I feel like we have a pretty good shot at it in Season 17. With last season we placed sixth out of the eight teams in our group. But I feel like our group was a lot harder than the other Division 2 group. We’d played against nearly all the teams in Division 2a and had beaten most of them convincingly each time. With that in mind and a combination of other things, such as being able to schedule games at 20:00 CET with a full lineup again and having two Division 2 seasons experience behind us. I’m feeling pretty confident. Our results after the season changed quite a lot as we were trialing several different scouts. However we finally settled upon W1nco. After we picked up a scout that we were happy with we were able to practice normally as a team again and good results steadily increased. As of right now we have had quite a long break over Christmas and New Year, but will be starting again very shortly. Then practice enough to take the Division 2 throne.

5. Does Team Colonslash plan to attend next summer’s Multiplay iSeries LAN?

I think that we shall be attending the next summer LAN as it is the biggest LAN for TF2. I’ve gone to every single iSeries since i46 and shall definitely be going to it no matter what. It’s a great experience and I’ve loved it every time.

You know people are expecting you to bring your gaming pants?

I will be taking my gaming trousers this time as I forgot to last summer. Other than attending I’m not sure about any plans. Our main priority right now is Season 17 and we’ll think about summer LAN plans when it’s closer to the time.

6. One of the best ways to see our main team playing is your own frag video series. You marked a nice anniversary just several days ago when you uploaded your 30th video! People are still getting confused and demoralised by your *quackk* hitsound. What made you use it and will you ever change it?

Ha ha, yeah it’s amazing to think that the first video was uploaded on September 29, 2012. The time really does fly by and it’s interesting to see how much I’ve improved over the course of the videos. I think what started off the quackk hitsound was just a joke. I used it for a bit and then used it whilst recording once. People seemed to really like it so I just stuck with it. I don’t really notice it as being a quack anymore. It’s just a sound that plays when I hit stuff. But other people notice it and get enjoyment out of hearing it so I don’t see any need to change it.

7. Now a trick question. Who is your favourite Team Colonslash medic? Be careful how you answer, hearts will be broken!

In response to your question I’ll ask you a question! Why do you think I changed to roamer?

What is this inception? Am I getting interviewed now? My conclusion is that the last medic you played with made you actually hate all other medics so you wanted to constantly bomb them. Now before we end this I would like to ask you some fast paced questions made by Bernard Pivot (Google that TC):

1. What is your favourite word?

I don’t have one.

2. What is your least favourite word?

Scouts.

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Asians.

4. What turns you off?

3D girls, unless they’re Asians.

5. What is your favourite curse word?

Fuck.

6. What sound or noise do you love?

Quackk.

7. What sound or noise do you hate?

My alarm clock.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I am not sure.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

Cleaner.

10. If Heaven exists. What would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Can you please sign my Strange Rocket Launcher?

Any last second shoutouts?

Shoutout to my Mum and Dad for watching every VanillaTF2 Twitch stream, every single LAN event just to try and watch me play. Fuck everyone else.

 

Thank you Drackk, this was absolutely brilliant. Feedback about the interview is well appreciated and so are the suggestions for the next one.

Stay polite TC.

Reservoir Dog.