Official GTPlanet Member of the Fortnight [Member of the Week]

Oh my, I completely forgot about Charley Chalk's! Those places were awesome when I was 7. Also our local one was in a pub - kids play, parents get drunk!
 
I'm a bit late to comment on this thread, so I'm just going to say, well done, everyone. You won. You presumably deserved it for some reason. You're all winners. Unless you haven't won yet, in which case you are a potential winner. Unless you're not a GTPlanet member. Or something.

In all seriousness though, I always enjoy reading the member of the week interviews, and the comments that follow are often great.

:gtpflag:

Anyway, I'm just interested @Terronium-12, how many people have been nominated for member of the week? Does everyone nominated get the title eventually, or do you have some discretion? Is there a huge backlog of nominees, or are there not really that many? I am inexplicably fascinated.
 
Anyway, I'm just interested @Terronium-12, how many people have been nominated for member of the week?

A lot of people. I don't have a hard number at the moment but... a lot of people.

Does everyone nominated get the title eventually, or do you have some discretion?

No, I have some discretion and that's mostly one single question: "will anyone care to read anything he/she has to say?".

Is there a huge backlog of nominees, or are there not really that many? I am inexplicably fascinated.

At the moment it's winding down, but there's still enough to carry through several weeks.
 
I'm not sure how I was being rude. It was an honest question. I was asking whether or not the thread was merely on a brief hiatus, or whether the lack of updates was likely to continue into the long term.
 
I'm not sure how I was being rude. It was an honest question. I was asking whether or not the thread was merely on a brief hiatus, or whether the lack of updates was likely to continue into the long term.
Mate, I was just kidding. Joke refers also to T-12 "image" of "being rude"... (Which is obviously a lie.)
 
It is once again time to welcome a new face; someone that doesn't cower in the face of fame, someone that doesn't regress when presented with the opportunity to shout from a rooftop "I'm better than you... on the internet!", someone that loves Mario Kart perhaps more than anything else - these are the traits of the archetype known only as The GTPlanet Member of the Week

No matter where you go, people will know you. No matter what you say, no one will interrupt or correct you. No matter what you're wearing it will be fashionable for the next 10 years.

So let us welcome the newest member to the League of Extraordinary GTPeople, BlacqueJacques!

1. First and foremost, you're officially the Member of the Week so what were your thoughts going into this and how does it feel to be recognized amidst the hundreds of thousands of other members here?

Honoured and surprised; thank you to the nominator(s), and feel free GTPlanet Members to vote for my F1 Caption ; after every race.

2. What brought you to GTPlanet and what keeps you coming back?
Around age 45 when I first began with GT 5 Prologue and needed help with wheel set up and various how to’s; and it was mentioned by existing GTPlanet Members in online races as a good site to visit and join. The caption and fantasy leagues keep me coming back; also the Codemaster F1 2013 threads too. Also a hats off to the Concours Club; while it lasted (during GT5).

3. There's a lot to do around the forums so I have to ask: what sub-forums/threads do you frequent most often and why?

The F1 fantasy league (in limbo now) and Nascar fantasy league and the F1 caption thread.

4. What was it that sparked your interest in Gran Turismo?

Racing on real world tracks and using a wheel/seat.

5. I'm sure I know the answer, but just in case I'm wrong, how did you come up with the name "BlacqueJacques"?

I’s a mix of Black Jack Shellac and an ode to Jacques Villeneuve.

6. Controversial question time: Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport or both?

Gran Tursimo because I will not buy an x-box; PS 3 and eventually PS4.

7. Because it's finally occurred to me that the question above doesn't allow enough freedom, do you play any other racing games that you perhaps enjoy more than GT or FM?

I really enjoy the F1 2013 game.

8. GTP 12 is up and about, what are your thoughts?

I will check it out.

9. Gran Turismo 6 is finally here, what are you thoughts so far?

Not playing as much as I did GT5. I miss the racing seasonals in GT6.

10. Talk a little about what you think you bring to GTPlanet and how you think you can continue to improve.

Being polite and respectful in thread comments and bringing my sense of humour

11. How do you prefer the weather - hot, cold, or mild?

Mild is my preference.

12. If you could live in any video game which game would it be and why?

F1 2013, so I can jump in the pool at Monaco

13. Tell us something interesting about your hometown.

My hometown is Montreal, which is home to the Canadian Grand Prix (for another 10 years apparently) and hosted the Summer Olympics in 1976 (just recently paid off the debt too).

14. Family Guy or The Simpsons?

Simpsons; hands down.

15. Do you have any hobbies we should be made aware of?

I also enjoy sim flying and usually fly every day on MS Flight Sim X

16. Are you driving anything special at the moment?

In real life, no; just a 2003 Ford Escape

17. What's your favourite video game, currently?

F1 2013 and GT6.

18. What would you do if presented with the opportunity of being a moderator here?

Faint J They do such a great job.

19. Why did you choose that avatar, and why is it not a monkey? (Don't ask me, I had nothing to do with this!)

Homer makes me laugh and I see some of myself in his character.

20. Games, how do you like them?

a) Pre-Order, I want them on day one.
b) Sealed at first price drop.
c) Used.

A) and B) depending on whether there are any extras when pre-ordering.

21. With the next generation of all things video gaming upon us, have you made any plans to pick up a PS4, Xbox One or Wii U?

Not yet, need proof my G25 wheel and joysticks will still work and there are no PS4 games yet that I am interested in. Not wanting to pay to race online either.

22. If you were to indulge in the art of boutique car manufacturing what would your mission statement be?

“Chasing the open road”

23. What kind of movies have you been watching lately?

Science Fiction

24. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being likely to go to the nut house, how crazy would you rate yourself?

3; only some things make me crazy.

25. What is your favourite car, why, and what do you think that it says about you?

I do not have a favourite; always like Magnum P.I.s Ferrari though.

26. Where and when was your very first post here and how does it differ from your posting style used today?

Jan 25, 2010 and probably asking a how to question.

27. How many of your controllers have died because of heavy physical abuse whilst playing a PS3 game?

None, I have to work more than play.

28. Have you ever accessed the website during an unusual time and/or place?

Yes, when travelling for work; or during a boring meeting.

29. What's the longest you've gone without logging onto GTPlanet since joining: Years, months, weeks, days, hours?

Weeks, while on holidays at the cabin on the lake.

30. Who (in your own opinion) is the most inspiring person / people here on GTPlanet?

Those that manage league and fantasy threads-commitment plus demonstrated by those members

31. What's one significant change you'd like to see made to racing games in the next five years or so?

Not sure; custom pit stop work; more real world race tracks

32. Now it's time for the "Daniel Special": If you could cross a hippo with any other animal - what will the animal be, what will it be called, and why? (Bonus points for creativity! And it can't be another hippo because that's incest)

A hippo and a giraffe – a hipporaffe. So that friends can ride on back to the race and then take turns climbing the neck to get a great view of the race. And we can easily cross any rivers on the way.

33. You wake up naked trapped in a broken lift with a celebrity - which celebrity would you choose and why?

Bill Murray because we must have had a hilarious time.

34. Have you ever participated in any of the racing series' found here?

No, not since Concours Club closed; very hard in terms of when league racing takes place and time zone differences.

35. Have you ever considered developing your own racing series, and if you have where can we find it?

That is a lot of work, so no not yet

36. Anything else you'd like to say?

Thanks to all those that make GT Planet happen and vote for my F1 caption :)
 
It's just about that time again... time for some new submissions!

I'm also going to waive my own rule about us staffers not being eligible unless overwhelmingly favored, given the recent circumstances.
 
Submissions were made.

(Out of interest T-12, are you intending on promoting member of the week more heavily in upcoming rewinds?)
 
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It is once again time to welcome a new face; someone that doesn't cower in the face of fame, someone that doesn't regress when presented with the opportunity to shout from a rooftop "I'm better than you... on the internet!", someone that loves Mario Kart perhaps more than anything else - these are the traits of the archetype known only as The GTPlanet Member of the Week

No matter where you go, people will know you. No matter what you say, no one will interrupt or correct you. No matter what you're wearing it will be fashionable for the next 10 years.

So let us welcome the newest member to the League of Extraordinary GTPeople, Lloyd, er, I mean Moglet!


1. First and foremost, you're officially the Member of the Week so what were your thoughts going into this and how does it feel to be recognized amidst the hundreds of thousands of other members here?

It's exciting, and completely unexpected too! I mostly stick to a few regular sub-forums and barely venture elsewhere so it came as quite a surprise.

2. What brought you to GTPlanet and what keeps you coming back?

Originally I joined here to get involved with the Gran Turismo 4 Photomode community, as the official Playstation forums were a bit quiet on that front. GTPlanet immediately welcomed me with open arms and I stepped up my Gran Turismo photography to the next level and went a bit crazy with it. Nowadays I don't have much time for that but I still like discussing cars and driving and this seems like the ideal place to do it. The wide variety of people from all over the world helps, too. The community really is fantastic.

3. There's a lot to do around the forums so I have to ask: what sub-forums/threads do you frequent most often and why?

I mostly stick to The Infield and the motoring threads lately, but I like to venture out to other areas from time to time depending on what I'm up to. I mainly stick to The Infield as the conversation flows a bit more steadily and it suits my casual browsing style perfectly.

4. What was it that sparked your interest in Gran Turismo?

For as long as I can remember I've been into cars and when Gran Turismo came along I was instantly interested. I borrowed it from a friend and was immediately hooked on the race and upgrade cycle, but soon had to give the game back. I rented it a few more times before eventually buying it and playing it to death. I was never very good at it but I managed OK. I've owned every GT since although I have lost 6. Twice.

5. I'm sure I know the answer, but just in case I'm wrong, how did you come up with the name "Moglet"?

My surname is Morgan and so when my dad first set up our internet connection in 2000 he chose the nickname for me as I was a 'Mog-let' just as someone with the surname 'Smith' would be a 'Smith-let' or something along those lines. It never really made sense but it was quite unique at the time and so I stuck with it.

6. Controversial question time: Gran Turismo, Forza Motorsport or both?

Both! I'm very lucky in that my fiance is also a gamer and so we've got all of the consoles, so I usually buy every installment of both Forza and GT. I skipped Forza 5 as I didn't like the monetisation system but I'm really looking forward to Horizon 2. I think Forza, overall, suits my style of gaming more than Gran Turismo does these days.

7. Because it's finally occurred to me that the question above doesn't allow enough freedom, do you play any other racing games that you perhaps enjoy more than GT or FM?

I'm currently addicted to Spintires, although it isn't a racing game so I'm not sure if that counts. Besides that I don't play many straight up racing games any more, but racing in Grand Theft Auto Online remains a favourite way to pass the time.

8. GTP 12 is up and about, what are your thoughts?

I absolutely love it, but it did take a little while to get used to it and my phone still doesn't like using the basic text editor. Everything feels much more streamlined now and the way the forums have intertwined with the rest of the site is great.

9. Gran Turismo 6 is finally here, what are you thoughts so far?

Honestly, I haven't played a lot of it so giving a full opinion on it wouldn't be fair but I will say that it didn't really grab me like GT5 did. In GT5 I was eager to complete career mode and unlock new and exciting cars. With GT6 I completed a few races, took a few photos and then never played it again. I've lost the game since, and I've also lost the replacement copy my brother gave me. I should probably look after my games a little better!

10. Talk a little about what you think you bring to GTPlanet and how you think you can continue to improve.

I'd like to think I bring some interesting discussions about gaming to the forums but in reality I mostly post short messages about cars I want. Most Premium members probably know me as the guy who constantly talks about buying a different car but rarely does. In other words, I reckon I'm a bit annoying! I'd like to get involved in actual discussions more often, be it in the Opinions forum or elsewhere.

11. How do you prefer the weather - hot, cold, or mild?

Mild, definitely. As much as I enjoy the hot weather I tend to overheat very quickly and get quite ill from it. Despite this we still holiday in hot and humid places! You'd think I'd learn. I don't mind being cold and I love a good air conditioned breeze but then living in the UK I think mild is a nice mix of both as we're lucky to get mild weather, let alone hot. :P

12. If you could live in any video game which game would it be and why?

If I had to live in it full time then they'd all be pretty awful! Short term, Forza Horizon, because fast cars and partying would be awesome for a little while until I got annoyed with it all and wanted to go home for a lie down.

Failing that, GTA would be neat because you could just constantly do stupid things with your friends and then when you die you just re-appear moments later completely unharmed. That sounds like fun!

13. Tell us something interesting about your hometown.

My current hometown isn't a town, it's a Hamlet and it only has 20 houses in it. My neighbour has his own airstrip and at the end of the road is a huge mansion house that hosts a jazz festival every year. I also live on an island that's only 26 miles wide!

The town where I was born, on the other hand, is now a desolate wasteland where people get held up at knifepoint weekly and you fear to go out at night. I'm glad I moved.

14. With the recent influx of GT-related news, how are you digesting it all?

I'm actually completely failing to digest it! I know there was a Senna update recently but that's about it, outside of that I'm completely clueless when it comes to GT-related news I'm afraid. That probably sounds really bad but I just don't have the time to follow all the new anymore!

15. Do you have any hobbies we should be made aware of?

I'm a keen photographer as some people will already know (you can see my gallery in the Photography section), and I've just bought a new mountain bike that'll allow me to get out and start riding again. Both of these hobbies are something I need to devote more time to as I feel I'm not enjoying them as often as I should due to work. Hopefully having a bike again will allow me to get out to more locations for my photography! I'm also very lucky to live in an area with low light pollution and so I'll be experimenting with photographing the sky at night soon.

16. Are you driving anything special at the moment?

I'm currently driving a 2004 Honda CRV purely for practicality. Before that I had a 2007 Mazda RX8 that was great fun but it just didn't work living where I do, and so I traded it in for something that can handle the abuse these roads give it. The Honda is slow, handles badly and has no character at all but it's very, very useful for pulling into fields when the local farmer is coming the other way.

17. What's your favourite video game, currently?

Grand Theft Auto Online has had me completely hooked on playing with my friends, especially since the 'I'm Not A Hipster' update. I'm also nearly at the end of Max Payne 3 but that's on the back burner while me and my mates mess around in Smart Cars in GTA. :D
18. What would you do if presented with the opportunity of being a moderator here?

Fail. Definitely fail. I wouldn't have the time to do something like that and so I'd fail at it big time. I was a moderator on a forum I used to visit and it didn't work out at all, and despite learning from my mistakes it's not something I'd like to do again.

19. Why did you choose that avatar, and why is it not a monkey? (Don't ask me, I had nothing to do with this!)

If you look really carefully there's a monkey hiding behind the car. Except he's only a pixel tall and he's the same colour as the background.

I actually chose it because I like stanced MX5s and wanted to own one for a short while.

20. Games, how do you like them?

a) Pre-Order, I want them on day one.
b) Sealed at first price drop.
c) Used.

Usually c), but if there's a game I'm excited about I'll pre-order it and get a special edition if possible. Besides that I've got so many games left over from Steam sales that I can't justify buying them brand new every time.

21. With the next generation of all things video gaming upon us, have you made any plans to pick up a PS4, Xbox One or Wii U?

I bought the Wii U, my fiance bought the other 2! She pre-ordered the PS4 and totally forgot about it until it got delivered to work a few days after release. XD

So we've got them all but we barely play them due to lack of games at the moment, although I did enjoy Tomb Raider on the PS4 and Titanfall is good fun on the Xbox One. We've also got 2 of each of the previous generation of consoles (one for the cinema/game room, one for the lounge) and these are still our primary consoles.

22. If you were to indulge in the art of boutique car manufacturing what would your mission statement be?

'Make em loud and draw a crowd'
I'd make sleek, but bold, muscle cars that sounded like hell had come to Earth. I've got a real soft spot for big American muscle cars and the UK doesn't get enough of them. Probably because we can't afford to run them on our fuel prices :(

23. What kind of movies have you been watching lately?

Quite a varied mixture really, we recently saw Looper for the first time which was great but the week before that we watched Frozen and Super Size Me again. Neither me or my fiance are cinema goers for our own reasons but we do like to sit down with a film on every so often.

24. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being likely to go to the nut house, how crazy would you rate yourself?

3. I'm not a wild or crazy person at all, but I do have a very active imagination and I think some people might see my thoughts as a bit crazy. Luckily I work with people just like me so it's never a problem. :P

25. What is your favourite car, why, and what do you think that it says about you?

My favourite car is currently the MG ZT260 as it's realistically within my reach to own one. If we're talking dream car then a custom Singer 911 would be perfection. I love the way they look and they have a real sense of style about them while retaining good performance. I think both of those choices say to everyone that I'm having an early mid-life crisis.

26. Where and when was your very first post here and how does it differ from your posting style used today?

I can't remember when it was, I think it was around 2005 but it was a post in the photomode section showing off my photos if I remember correctly. It differs from my gallery posts today in that I tend to take more care of what I'm actually showing in my photos, but there wasn't a lot of discussion in those first few posts so I can't really compare my posting style too much.

27. How many of your controllers have died because of heavy physical abuse whilst playing a PS3 game?

Not a single one! I've destroyed a 360 controller by playing Call of Duty but my PS3 pads have all survived, albeit with one having the casing cracked open slightly. I'm not an angry gamer anymore.

28. Have you ever accessed the website during an unusual time and/or place?

Does the North West coast of Jamaica count? Probably not, that's the weirdest place I can think of. If I'm somewhere weird then I'm more likely to be taking photos than browsing the web.

29. What's the longest you've gone without logging onto GTPlanet since joining: Years, months, weeks, days, hours?

It's probably only weeks really as I tend to keep coming back. There may have been some downtime during periods when I was on holiday but even then I would have tried to get on the site from the hotel wifi!

30. Who (in your own opinion) is the most inspiring person / people here on GTPlanet?

F1GTR has been a huge inspiration by being such a damn fine photographer. When it comes to GT photography there have been a lot of members who have influenced me and will continue to do so. Namely TVR&FF, gtuned, Bram, Charger440 and more recently leeislee. But like I said there have been a lot of influential members and I don't have space to list them all!

31. What's one significant change you'd like to see made to racing games in the next five years or so?

A better quality of sound would be nice to see as I've yet to play a game that gets it right. They never seem to include enough pops and bangs in super high end cars and most of the time gear changes still feel very artificial. It would also be nice to see performance upgrades causing changes to the way the car sounds because even a basic air filter will change your engine note in real life.

32. Now it's time for the "Daniel Special": If you could cross a hippo with any other animal - what will the animal be, what will it be called, and why? (Bonus points for creativity! And it can't be another hippo because that's incest)

A Zebra, because then it would become a Zippo and the other Hippos would never be without a light.

33. You wake up naked trapped in a broken lift with a celebrity - which celebrity would you choose and why?

Jennifer Lawrence. Because if we're both naked then I'd get to see her naked. Even if it's just me naked we could both laugh about the situation as she's really down to Earth.

34. Have you ever participated in any of the racing series' found here?

I haven't, no, because I know I'm not fast enough. I used to compete in the old Playstation Forums 'race and photoshoot' series which I won because I got a decent time and a decent photo but they were nowhere near the speed of GTP members. You only have to look at my ghosts on the leaderboards to see that.

35. Have you ever considered developing your own racing series, and if you have where can we find it?

Everyone else is doing such a fantastic job of hosting existing racing series' that I don't think I'd ever need to! Part of what makes GTP such a great community is that people are willing to put a lot of time and effort into things like the race series. There's something for everyone out there, and I'm sure that if I did try and host one it would have already been done by someone else!

36. Anything else you'd like to say?

I'd like to apologize if any of my answers are a bit short or weird; me and my fiance had some pretty bad family news just after I received the PM about member of the week, but I couldn't let you guys down so decided to do it anyway. It looks like I'm going to have a fair bit of spare time this coming week so I might be around to post a bit more.
 
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