Interview with RoMeK - Levels4you

NOTE: This interview, entitled "Interview : RoMeK (RF Mapper/Modder)", was originally posted on April 1, 2004 on Levels4you, which is no longer available.

RoMeK, a friend a flamer, a champion, and a genius. What other way can you describe him? Yes, he has done bad things in the past but he deserves this interview.

1. What is it about Red Faction that attracted you to the game?
Well, a long time ago, my cousin got it for Play Station 2 when it first came out. We were so excited, and we would always play multiplayer, over and over and over. What attracts me though is just, the geo, and when I found out about the editor, those 2 things kept me going.

2. What made you want to map for Red Faction and when did you start?
About 3 1/2 years ago I tried it on the computer and my buddy told me it had an editor, and so I sat on his moms computer, which was the slowest p-o-s ever!! Haha and I made my first map, which I called Revence. I never released it, but maybe someday I might.

3. Which mapper/modder do you most admire in the RF community?
The first favourite map I ever had, was from dskins. The (clk)Laundry one, I loved it! There were so many secrets and that got me so excited to make maps, it was him that made me really start mapping for red faction. W.r.e.c.k.s’s maps were just amazing, and I always wanted to have maps like that, so that’s what I tried to go for. I still haven’t gotten to that stage, and I’m not stopping until I do.

4. If you could fix one of RED’s bugs, what would it be?
Ohhh hehe, good question, hmm... I’d have to say, ps2 face limit thing, so you can fuse away with things and never ever have to worry about it crashing or anything like that. Then you could pretty much make the biggest map ever and never stretch the editor.

5. What made you want to start modding Red Faction?
Well, I just got a copy of 3ds max, and was trying to learn it and I remembered how the hive mod came out a while ago, and so I always knew it was possible, and I had a lot of ideas I always wanted in Red Faction. So I went for it. I literally spent ALL day on my computer, trying to learn how to do it. I almost gave up so many times, and then I finally got this really, really lame Knife into red faction from really far away, but I was so excited about it being in-game, it was ridiculous. It was really the worst looking thing I’ve ever seen. But, I did it, I got it in Red Faction, therefore, I was happy.

6. Have you ever asked for help when modding/mapping?
Of course. Who hasn’t?? I asked D2K for help on modding, and he was a big help, Red Frog helped me on Snow'd Out 1.2 a lot.

For mapping... Dskins taught me a lot, but it sort of just made me map worse it seems, and the rest I learned from other maps that came out, and new styles of mapping and I just sort of formed my own style.

7. Do you plan on mapping or modding for any games in the future?
I’ve already started for BF:1942, I made a few random things, weapons and such, but it wasn’t anything like modding for Red Faction, not as hard. I Tried for HL, but there isn’t much help out there, so I just gave up on that. I plan to mod for Half Life 2, only if I can.

8. Which game are you most looking forward to this year, and why?
Doom 3 the most, because I played the Alpha and almost **** myself. I love being scared, so I hope to be really scared, and World of Warcraft, and Half Life 2 if it even comes out this year.

9. Who is your hero and why?
At the moment, Tim Burton. it used to be Stanley Kubrick because of his Beautiful films. But now it’s Tim Burton because of his films, but I think Danny Boyle is becoming very much my hero because of his movie The Beach and 28 Days Later.

10. If you could change one thing about Red Faction, what would it be?
Support from THQ and Volition. If they were still around maybe we would have way more in RF, and much more things to do with the editor, and more mods.

11. If you could ask THQ/Volition one question about Red Faction, and get it answered, what would it be?
Why did you drop support, and give me an explanation.

12. Where did you learn to mod Red Faction?
D2K and the KrungKrille

13. Tell us something about you that no one knows.
I recently got out of a Very Big relationship and it was really hard on me. My parents are Divorced, I have a tiny Chihuahua named Betty. I really love movies, and staying out of my house. I sort of play drums. I’ve been playing Independent movies lately. Working on a new Screenplay. And I really really hope to be a Director when I’m older. I do home school because school was too hard for me, I couldn’t handle it. I’m in 12th grade, 17, I turn 18 in May. Sort of met a new girl, which is rad, I have a few friends, not much, but enough. I drive a Honda Civic, I Work in a Beauty Saloon. A brother, a sister. and my cousin is Nalshcbach.

14. Do you have any tips for mapping/modding in Red Faction?
Well, in my opinion, Red Faction is dead. I make my maps pretty much for myself; to be able to make a 3d world is amazing. So if your going to map, make the maps for You, and no one else, because trust me, when you make a map for the "people" you usually will only get put down. Everything I have ever released has been slammed on, but I believe that my maps are beautiful, because of how I see them before I make them, and then I make them, I’m always impressed. So just make the maps for you, don’t even release them if you want, I have a lot of maps I don’t plan to release, because I love them and I know everyone will hate them.

For the modders, please make more!! Haha, its hard to mod, but I think everyone should give it a shot. Not many people know how to mod, and I wish it was like mapping, where a bunch come in everyday.

15. What was your time like as a Staff Member here?
I liked it. It was pretty cool. But I don’t think that a few of the current staff members should be staff members. Power comes Corruption. And anyone who has power, abuses it. But there are some who don’t, and those deserve to be above the rest. Because people who can take a lot of power and use it wisely deserves it.

16. Do you have any regrets about what you have said/done here?
no.

I believe that you say what is on your mind. Never hide your feelings, never lie, and never keep anything from anyone. If it hurts them, tough, they will get over it, and in the long run it will make them stronger. Never keep things from yourself either. Just be open and honest, and your true friends will understand. Whoever whines and starts bitching about it are the people who cant handle the truth, the weak ones. If your strong, you wont get mad about it.

17. Anything else you would like us to know?
I think I’m about done with Red Faction. Once I get this State of Duty mod finished, I think I’m going to retire. Until hopefully Red Faction 3 comes along. and has support and online multiplayer with a nice new editor, then maybe ill come back.

Thanks for interviewing me, totally made me feel like everything I’ve done was in some way appreciated

Thansk for your time RoMeK.