Interview with Stainless

[Jeff]

This time I had the pleasure of interviewing another DAC legend, something that I always relish because I like learning about the site's history for some perverted reason. Stainless has probably been around the longest for a cool decade or so now, and I've always looked up to him in this weird filial piety kind of way; to me he's part of the core group of people that made up the Cool OG Fallout Squad or some shit, so he's up there with Kreegle, Killian, Saint, Rosh, etc as far as I'm concerned. I always preferred people who just posted a lot instead of building wikis and stuff (sorry Ausir), I guess because I'm not much of a contributor myself and shooting the shit is what I enjoy, as well. Thanks for sticking around. Like a moth to a flame, burned by the fire.

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Gimp Mask: As with every interview, I've gone through a lot of your posts and realised that we never really interacted on the forums. Is it because you don't like me, or am I just pretty uninteresting?

Stainless: Probably the complete opposite - I reached a point in my forum posting (and internet interactions in general) long long time ago where I felt I had nothing to contribute and people weren't interested in what I had to say.


GM: When did you join DAC, was it even before GSA? How does it feel to be the town elder pretty much?

S: I joined when it was at GSA. I don't really know how long it was at GSA at the time when I did (somewhere between FO2 & FO:T), but I remember becoming a top poster/spambot pretty rapidly so might not have been up for too long. DAC has been around long enough with the current cohort that I feel like we're all members of the same retirement home yelling at kids to get off our lawn.


GM: Can you give us a brief history lesson on what the old DAC community was like, compared to when the site moved to duckandcover.net/cx?

S: It was pretty tame. Bunch of people from the Illuminati fan fiction community (whatever happened to that place?) were the main posters and the influx of people following the release of Fo:T. Once GSA cracked the sads and nuked the website our cynacism was truely born anew.


GM: Were you ever one of the Unwashed Villagers? What was that about anyway?

S: Nope. From memory it was a core group from the Vault 13 website.


GM: You mostly seemed interested in posting about games (and maybe movies), and I got the impression that you were very much a hardcore gamer. Has the magic worn off or do you still play games a lot (relatively speaking, we all have more reponsibilities and all that)? A lot of DACers were into drugs it seems, but feels like you were pretty addicted to games.

S: My wife probably says I am and I'm inclined to agree. I don't really have the time to deep dive into RPGs like I used to though so tend to just play shitty multiplayer games with people that fuck my mum.

I tried to avoid the drug scene as I had enough issues with alcohol. I enjoy the social ritual around both, but don't particularly enjoy getting stoned, drunk or losing days to a hangover. Unfortunately I love the taste of beer and scotch too much to ever give it up.


GM: Sort of related to the previous question, since you were an avid gamer were you as active on other gaming fansites as well? Does Fallout / DAC have a special place in your heart?

S: DAC is probably the longest community I ever contributed and lurked with. I posted randomly on a Dune forum and Classic Trash. I used to play an online browser based game called TDZK with a bunch of old DACers too and spammed that place to hell too.


GM: What do you think were the worst moments of DAC history? Like I usually didn't care when any two members had a long feud or some shit like that, but the whole retlaw83/MR Snake thing really made browsing the forums a bit unbearable. Also Dreadnought's shitposting really dragged down the quality of the forums. And the bots I guess.

S: The TALPS/PYRO shit was annoying (was that back on GSA?) and sometimes some of the shitposting in general would put me off but I kind of had reached a point by then that I'd filter through it pretty quickly. I'm probably the laziest mod that DAC ever had which probably shows how much stuff didn't bother me.


GM: Amis was asking this on Discord and I thought you might have a good answer: why was there a common opinion on DAC that NMA was a place full of a bunch of pussies?

S: I think after V13 closed and DAC left GSA NMA stepped into that void as the family friendly inviting community that engaged with developers and media outlets. DAC at that point was pretty vocal on it's disgust on the treatment of the franchise and never really abated outside of FO:NV.


GM: You're a big BattleTech fan right? I don't know much about it, are the video games kind of like Fallout franchise, a few good ones and a lot of shit ones? Which one is your favourite? Have there been other big-robot games to satiate your needs in this department?

S: Pretty hit and miss and like Fallout had it's share of "Lets make it arcadey on Console!" moments. The latest releases in the franchise have been more targeted at the core audience with BattleTech and MW:Mercs. I personally just want something akin to the original MechCommander which I think has as much chance as an isometric Fallout RPG.


GM: "Fuck this shit. I shouldn't have to deal with bitchass dickheads like you guys. I ain't doin this shit no more. You got beef, you can come to my front door. By all means, I ask you to. Because the second you see the door open you can be sure I won't stop ripping and tearing away at your flesh till you're nothing but a bloody pile of mush and broken bones in my driveway. I'll gladly add just another name to the list and bury you shallow in my back yard, you insolent, pestering little fucks. You wanna fuck with me, ask me later for my address, and I'll gladly give it to you. And next time I check back, I sure as hell hope to see someone's asked."
Do you think anyone ever asked?

S: DogMeatLives totally did, I even got him to send Danny some of his art bits he was selling after he got burgled. I was too afraid to ask for his address.


GM: Why did you call Kashluk nazi boy back in the day?

S: When GSA allowed custom avatars Kashluk had a photo of his (grand?)father in his WW2 uniform batting for the AXIS. I was terrible at remembering names and often recalled people by their avatars. Add a dash of being a bit of a cunt and you get me spouting that dumb shit.


GM: You have sheep on your family crest.

S: From memory I think they're actually rams, so that's at least a little more badass.


GM: I've spent a silly amount of time going through old posts and threads, the funniest part is the number of "DAC is dead" threads. I mean sure it kinda is, but a bunch of Nostradamuses we are not; the first ones I came across were from 2007 or so, but I'm sure the phenomenon can be dated even further back. Why does this place refuse to die?

S: What's dead may never die? As long as the lights are on and people want to post about some random funny shit it'll probably be around for another couple of decades.


GM: Could you send me $500 as well?

S: Sorry all my money is in GME.

[Jeff]

What's dead may never die? As long as the lights are on and people want to post about some random funny shit it'll probably be around for another couple of decades.

This has to be the best answer to the fate-of-DAC question thus far

[SenisterDenister]

That gamestonk joke at the end killed me. As for the necromancy keeping us afloat I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Somebody up (down?) there is still looking out for us. Praise Nyarlathotep. Ia Dagon.

[Amis]

I think it boils down to us being too bitter old fucks to die.

[Mismatch]

GM: You have sheep on your family crest.

S: From memory I think they're actually rams, so that's at least a little more badass.

So, Stainless is the true heir to the throne of Derby? Has he got a broken sword?

[Hyacinth]

"Fuck this shit. I shouldn't have to deal with bitchass dickheads like you guys. I ain't doin this shit no more. You got beef, you can come to my front door. By all means, I ask you to. Because the second you see the door open you can be sure I won't stop ripping and tearing away at your flesh till you're nothing but a bloody pile of mush and broken bones in my driveway. I'll gladly add just another name to the list and bury you shallow in my back yard, you insolent, pestering little fucks. You wanna fuck with me, ask me later for my address, and I'll gladly give it to you. And next time I check back, I sure as hell hope to see someone's asked."

Hilarious, I remembered that, why did I remembered that.