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Go back to 2012 when ESO was first being revealed to the public. I& #39;m 20 years old and still a WoW addict. I see the first dungeon, Fungal Grotto, and am blown away with everything happening. I sign the fuck up for the wild ride ESO is promising. I am INVESTED in this. (1/??)
I splurge to my close but small group of friends. They talk about how hype I am for something and note how they almost are jealous of it. I& #39;ve easily logged over 1000 hours of gameplay in Oblivion/Skyrim past this point and another 300+ days in WoW. I know what I like (2/??)
Game informer drops a magezine that goes in depth about ESO& #39;s launch, and my best friend gives me a double copy he got by mistake of it. I treasure this and read it daily for months at my first job during break. I am a kid with stars in his eyes reading and eating it up. (3/??)
Fast forward a few years, 2014. I& #39;m a freshman in college at the time, 2nd semester (I started 3 years "late"). I don& #39;t have a lot of free time and I& #39;m still gaming on a 2008 mac book. ESO drops early access days after my birthday and I immediately sink the next 3 days in. (4/??)
I played in numerous closed and open betas for the game and loved everything I saw. I was there for the bug with the Amulet of Kings permanently damaging a Cyrodiil Keep wall that remained broken for the entire cycle. I had fun, but launch was truly transportive. (5/??)
I avoid guides, I want no spoilers. I& #39;m a solo player since I am extremely unsociable (Asperger& #39;s). I love melee focused builds and rogues. I roll a Nightblade Khajiit - because they got that Crit, and I KNOW Crit is BiS in RPGs (fun fact, Khajiit sucks at launch) (6/??)
I focus stamina since that seems to be focused on what I like. Fun fact - "Stamina builds" didn& #39;t exist at launch, there was no Weapon Damage or Max Stamina scaling on abilities. I obliviously problem solve my way through arguably the weakest class + play style combo. (7/??)
I take my time playing, I don& #39;t make many friends. I am 100%ing every zone, as I do with every game that holds a place in my heart. Level cap is raised before I can even reach there. Soloing veteran ranks (especially as my unknown weak build) is HARD. (8/??)
Flash forward, and Craglorn is out. New trials drop in. I see a pug group forming in zone chat, and I join. Aetherian Archive is my first trial ever. I do okay, ~600-800 DPS back when breaking 1k was a big deal. Everyone in the group is floored that I& #39;m doing this. (9/??)
Remember - I& #39;m still a Stamina build, before those existed in viability. I& #39;ve used my mind to push everything to it& #39;s limit but because I avoid guides, I have no base line. This pug group is a guild actually, and they are pretty good. They sit me aside to talk. (10/??)
This guild is impressed I am able to almost keep up on a "dead" spec. They show me the meta at the time and I reluctantly try it out. It& #39;s less fun but I put my brain on it and make it better. Over time I return to Stamina and find some viable stuff and make it work. (11/??)
I slowly become known for theory crafting, but I stay off the radar for a while- I& #39;m not big into publicity. I just wanna play stabby knife cat. Eventually some peeps talk me into making videos talking about the game. I release my first video, one of my "Let& #39;s Talk"s (12/??)
This idea grows and I spend more time breaking down abilities, sets, etc how they work, where you can use them, how mathematically powerful they are, etc. I grow and continue for a while, I really enjoy it and the discussion it encourages. (13/??)
Eventually after a year or so I become a relatively well known figure in the end game community, and even a champion for the end game community. Many jokingly mention I should get hired. I laugh at this and say I& #39;d never be capable of that, I have no background! (14/??)
I also realize how hard it is to be in charge of a nebulous team that controls the experience of so many vast and varying people. Casual players, min maxers, hard core, progression, PvE, PvP, group, solo, small scale, large scale - my mind turns at having to do this. (15/??)
After 2-3 years of being poked here and there to put in a resume, I finally do. Summerset is about to launch. So much has changed. There was more push back to put in a resume this time around. I give in. Things happen. I& #39;m accepted to take on an interview. (16/??)
The interview goes smoothly aside from some delays in the actual flight (due to weather, that was not fun) and I am offered a job. I take it hesitantly - I lack confidence, I& #39;m pragmatic. I know there& #39;s always someone better than you out there. But I take it. (17/??)
I& #39;ve been working on ESO for just over 2 years now. I still hardly believe it sometimes. I& #39;ve met so many people who& #39;ve bettered my life, helped me come out of my shell, and flourished. I& #39;m humbled to be apart of it all, and glad to be here. #TamrielTogether
