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Garage Interview #14 With Excrucio


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#1 Bobmeister

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Posted 05 March 2016 - 10:32 AM

Hello my fellow Forum members and proud heroes! Journalist Drew here! As it is my first time behind the notepad, I have been almost bursting with excitement to announce this month's Garage Interviewee, Excrucio!
 
*crowd cheers*
 
Welcome to my chambers Excrucio! I hope you find yourself most comfortable.
Bobmeister            Excrucio
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Thanks for having me. Happy to be here.
 
It's my pleasure! Now, to give this a more personal feel, would you be willing to take off your helmet? I'm sure the viewers would love to see the face of such a player as yourself  :D 
 
Sorry, I have a lot of enemies so its better for me to keep my secret identity intact...
 
Apologies, I would hate to ruin one's reputation, you never know what villainous members could be watching us! But not to fret, this Garage has full proof security and hidden cameras all over the place, so it should be perfectly secured. Now, let's begin with our questions!
 
 
Firstly, I understand you were one of the first members to join Hero Zero, how did you find out about the game?
 
My account was still bound to Kongregate at that time and it was purely random I discovered the game. I started a little later than most (more than a week) after the server had launched so I had some catching up to do.
 
And you definitely succeeded in catching up! that's 100% sure xD I started a long time after everyone else (between several months and a year I would say) so I feel like my "catching up" is taking a bit longer than it might have for you hehe.
 
 
Catching up on it's own takes a lot of effort and determination...among other things. What would be your motivation to log on every day?
 
Funny that you ask that because in the beginning I wasn't all that impressed with the game. Gained a few lvls, did a few fights, and thought "meh..." but then I started getting targeted by a particular player much higher in lvl than myself. I was around lvl 19 or so and getting hit by a lvl 40. And at that time the players were very vocal in Kong chat. 
 
Said particular player seemed very proud of himself for being so "strong" so it was at that moment I decided I would make it my mission to beat him (and do it at a lower lvl). Long story short, this became a routine for me. Always looking to beat whoever was higher than myself. Eventually I found myself alone at the top. Getting stronger has always been my motivation.
 
I have actually made lvl 1 accounts on some of the older German servers to check on the stats of their top players to use as benchmark for comparison to myself. I actually keep screenies so that I can refer to them (goes back to what I said earlier about competition lol). My aim is to surpass them statwise when I reach the same lvl so it helps set new goals for myself. The older, more established servers have some very impressive players.
 
Awesome! I have to admit myself I have had this happen to me a few times with several players, so I know exactly what you mean xD . Yes, becoming stronger is indeed a perfect motivator! The feeling of solidly reaching the next stat colour is incredibly rewarding haha.
 
 
Speaking of experiences, out of everything you've gained from Hero Zero, what is the best thing you've gotten out of this adventure with your hero?
 
I've made some good friends along the way. A lot of former members who have long since retired are still on my FB list so I suppose thats been the best part of playing the same game for years.
 
Gaining friends is definitely an awesome addition to games such as Hero Zero. I too have a best friend that I originally met on here, sadly he also moved on but we still stay in contact!  :D 
 
 
In your opinion, how does making friends in Hero Zero impact your everyday heroic routine? As well as in the long run?
 
I'm not much of a chatterbox tbh so I am perfectly content to go for days in guild chat without saying a word but I know for a lot of people the social aspect is a big driving force for them. We have a couple members now who absolutely LOVE chatting away endlessly... not my cup of tea but hey, more power to them if they enjoy it enough to stay active. For myself, my friends don't particularly impact my routine any. If I were in a team by myself my routine would not stray any from what I already do now lol.
 
Of course chat in the team is vital to some players, but yes you are right it is not 100% required. I like to think of it as a way to keep in contact with your team and if possible, create a friendship here and there. Although it does look somewhat dreadful when there has been n0 chat for 24 hours lol xD .
 
 
Obviously you are one of the best players in Hero Zero (as far as the American servers go, I can't say the same for foreign servers  ;)) as well as the Leader of the top team in US1. Is it ever stressful maintaining such a successful team along with keeping yourself in check?
 
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As far as stress goes... not really. I suppose the hardest part of running a competitive team is trying to keep people active (something I am sure you know as well). As I have often said before in the past, time and boredom are the real enemies... Players stagnate, lose interest, and just drop off for whatever reasons. I dont like recruiting from any of the top 10 teams either since for the most part, player allegiances are set in stone. We've got a few newcomers added to our roster which is a first for me, something we usually never did in the past. I accept the fact though that the future of this game relies on new players so hopefully they will make the cut.
 
It really is a kick in the butt when one of your long-term team members leaves, (especially when it's without warning! :c ) but it's all about picking ourselves back up and moving on for the better!  :D . I 100% agree - even IF one were to try and recruit members off the top ten teams then chances are the only response would be a decline. These days everyone's locked into their own teams because of personal dedication, and that in itself is pretty admirable! Even the lower teams have dedicated players that will never leave their team  :) 
 
 
Being at the top has it's challenges, some say reaching the top takes away the thrill of, well...reaching the top haha. What are your thoughts about the concept of people not wanting to play anymore because they've "reached their primary goal"?
 
You have to set goals for yourself to help you stay motivated. We have some members who are dedicated "completionists" who literally are trying to unlock every deed available. We have others who focus on the weekly tournaments. That's the beauty of this game though because it really appeals to everyone.  Whether your are a casual who only logs in for 30 minutes a day or if you are a hardcore player who stays online 8-12 hours dueling and using up all available energy. There is always *something* to work towards: another lvl, another deed, a top 10 tourney rank, securing that last needed set piece, etc etc.
 
Oh, we also have a couple players who fancy themselves zookeepers lol. They have over 70 pets accumulated. So yeah, set goals for yourself and always take strides towards something to keep yourself motivated.
 
The game does have enough goals that one can set at least something for themselves  :D just about all these factors tick all of my boxes though haha. So much collecting is so addictive hehe.
 
 
In the past couple of weeks there has been a lot of chatter regarding the unfair advantage of training trophies. has this impacted your team in any way? (Regarding chatter through the team among other factors) 
Ever thought about handing some down to the other teams?  ;)
 
As I take a look at the current team standings I see 24 or 25 teams with full expansion (100%). We have 4 training, the other 6 currently split up amongst 4 other teams. When trophies were first introduced there was only a handful of teams at that time (none close to being maxed). Obviously times have changed since then and to me, the simplest resolution would be to just introduce MORE trophies (double, triple, etc the current amount). Everyone wins in this regard.  
Would we ever willingly hand off training to another team as a sign of goodwill? LOL, that would be a resounding no. If they want them, come and get them. Here's why: we worked hard to secure the ones we have and its been a collective effort over the years. As long as they remain a limited commodity then they will always be fought over. Simply put, if we were not in control of 4 then another team would be. Every other team has had the same resources and avenues to challenge and secure trophies as we have. We simply came out on top first.
 
An interesting theory, and totally understandable.
As for the trophy donation, I was kidding! xD Obviously you all worked really hard to keep those trophies and I respect that. Some sort of miracle will have to happen in order to take those trophies off you now though, you all are just sooo strong haha. 
 
 
Do you ever surprise yourself with what you've been able to accomplish?
 
Currently sitting at 1286 days active. Thats certainly a surprise lol. I'm notorious for having a short attention span when it comes to games. My Steam library is full of titles but only a few that I actually played to the end. So the fact that I have been staying true to this game and active after 3+ years still is probably my biggest suprise.
 
haha wow, that's a lot of days xD I've had a couple days off here and there and missed a day due to outside issues. But yeah my count has surprised me just as much. We are definitely alike xD I have games on my shelf that I've bought over a year ago and still haven't even touched yet! I guess Hero Zero is using up all of our gaming time, don't you think?
 
 
Hero Zero has recently decided to add a slot machine into the game! Has this made any impact on your daily schedule as a hero? I've heard many successes already with several players winning a whopping 40 training units!  (inlove) 
 
The slot machine is... interesting. I don't think its very f2p-friendly though to be honest. I used up all my energy yesterday searching for tokens and didnt even get enough to spin twice. At the end I decided to use donuts for remainder of spins (using all 30) and the results were a mixed bag. 4 skill pts, 8 training units, a junk item and the rest in miscellaneous amounts of gold and xp. Worth it? That's up to each player to decide for themselves. For me, not so much. Still, any new features are a welcome addition to the game imo so I am glad to see available as an option for donut spenders.
 
Any new feature is a welcomed addition in my book. There's nothing wrong with free stuff after all! The chance at getting almost everything that's available in terms of pets is pretty exciting as well. I'm hoping to get a new pet I haven't obtained yet from that machine aha *fingers crossed*.
 
 
There are a lot of heroes out there that are always striving to better themselves to become one of the best! What would you recommend be the best thing these players could do to help themselves in the long run?
 
1) Get into a team early on (there are plenty to choose from). The stronger you get, chances are others will take notice. Decide at some point if you want to stay with your current team or move on up to another team (full expansion ideally). 
 
2) Activity is the only real key to success. Even if you cant afford donuts on a regular basis you can still do well for yourself in this game. Try to hit as many triggers as possible to earn deed rewards (battles won, battles lost, team fight and gangs, etc etc.) You want to try and accomplish as many as you can while you can. As an example, try to keep a lvl 1 item in your inventory/vault (don't sell it). You can use this later to accomplish the whipstitch deeds for extremely cheap (the cost to whipstitch scales on item lvl). There are a plethora of useful hints and tips like this, just search around or ask someone who may know.
 
3) If you are on a budget then use your donuts for the premium mission booster when you know you will be active. This will get you the most bang for your buck so to speak in the long run. More missions, less time: whats not to love. Skill and work boosters are nice but a luxury, not a necessity. 
 
4) Early on, train all your stats evenly... you will want to do this so you can unlock the All-rounder skill deeds. I see so many ppl with heavily unbalanced stats skewed in direction or anothers (aside from tourney goers trying to drop honor). Use your gear acquired to plug in the holes as needed but keep your stats BALANCED. As an example, I see many high lvls have totally neglected their strength stat because they think its a dump stat... truth is, strength is VERY useful. Having high strength allows me to hit the Villains for 250K+ dmg consistently. I have more finishing strikes as a result than probably anyone else lol.
 
I could go on and on but you get the idea... the game while simple is complex enough to allow min/maxers like myself a lot of freedom to find optimal approaches to any given task. So my final advice is to learn the game, see what works for you, decide later if you want to focus on xp, coins, or take a balanced approach. Good luck and have fun.  :)
 
The list really does go on and on doesn't it xD I'm sure there are still tactics for this game that no one still knows about! It's always good to keep notes so you don't forget any neat tricks heh.
 
 
To finish off, what's your most accurate description of Hero Zero in three words? 
 
Three words eh...
 
Daily.
Time-consuming.
Routine.
 
You said accurate, lol. I would say those three fit. In closing, thanks to you for giving me this opportunity (I was offered an interview once long ago when they first started but chose to decline at that time). A big shout out to all current and past DW members. Rome wasn't built in a day but we've managed to stand the test of time thus far. Cheers!
 
I was referring as in a three-worded sentence haha. but that works just as well, in a way those three words still make a sentence xD would you like to try again or is that good enough for you?
 
That works for me, heh.
 
ahaa okay then! 
 
And that finishes our interview! I can't thank you enough for coming down and having this chat with me, I'm sure your fans will be thrilled! Don't be a stranger yeah? My base is just 2 blocks down the road, pop on by at anytime!
 
Thanks, enjoy the remainder of your weekend. Cheers.
*Excrucio walks out of my garage and continues on with his hero life*
 
And there you have it! I can't even fathom how much fun this was for me. I hope all you readers enjoyed a piece of this big cake   (lol) 
 
Until next time, this is journalist Drew, over and out~

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#2 LittleOne

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Posted 05 March 2016 - 09:55 PM

Really good interview.



#3 Feelingood2

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Posted 06 March 2016 - 01:00 AM

haha! im now workin on  coming for ya prisc.!  inspirational interview!



#4 DrTiko

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Posted 07 March 2016 - 11:16 PM

by the way Excrucio , there are some stronger players than in german servers, if you check all old servers you will find him

can't really remember which server or his exact name, and i didn't even check all servers yet. just few



#5 Bobmeister

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Posted 08 March 2016 - 11:00 AM

by the way Excrucio , there are some stronger players than in german servers, if you check all old servers you will find him

can't really remember which server or his exact name, and i didn't even check all servers yet. just few

 

Hi Tiko! Excrucio is well aware of the stronger players in other servers ;) he mentioned himself in this very interview that he keeps screen shots of those players as a goal to set for himself to get stronger everyday! 


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