Who are you, what do you do and why are you here.

I think there was a thread like this back in the day, but I can't seem to find it... and there are a lot of new people on here, soooo...

Who are you, and what do you do?

I'll start.....

My name is Mike, I'm 46 and have been gaming since the advent of pong <=== Dam that's old. USA Michigander born and raised, did 6 years in the armed service as a Fire Control Technician.... been all over the world, 37 countries to date. I got out, did aerospace, automotive, and now I find myself at General Dynamics... been here for over 10 years actually, as a Senior Technical Specialist.

I found MechSpecs through Smurfy when customization of mechs in game was even more dismal than it is presently, met a lot of good guys on here, and found what was lacking in game... community. Hit some rocky roads, got dispossessed (was skidog2k3 back then), but I'm back.... some are gone, and some are still here, some are back again like me, but this still holds..... lot of good guys on here.

Anyway, chime in

The Ski Dog

 

I'm Trevor. I'm 30 and have been gaming since I was about 5. Wizards of War on Commodore 64 was my first gaming memory in my cousin's basement. I've been an addict since. Doom, Quake, Command and Conquer, all of the Janes Combat Simulations, Mechwarrior I, II, and III, World of Warcraft, MW:O. Born and raised in West Michigan and DAMN proud of it!

I have spent 14 years in shipping/receiving in retail settings, medical manufacturing, and Automotive, as well as 16 years doing electronics technician work (circuit board layout and design, prototyping, board population, EMP, BCI, RF interference testing, failure analysis) I am currently the Midwest Director of Operations for an LED manufacturing company mainly dealing with Automotive lighting (we do the tail lights for the Charger, Avenger, Durango, Grand Caravan -Domestic and European - and all premium F-150s as well as Fog Lamps and Daytime Running Lamps for the Explorer and MKZ) We also make LED street lamps, traffic signals, and pedestrian signals (all of Toronto metro being our biggest customer - you're welcome Mason) Neat gig. I enjoy it.

I found MechSpecs through a few gaming buddies and have make a lot of friends through the community. I really enjoy the "family" MechSpecs has created.

Chatt.

 

I expected a better turnout..... BUMP

@Cpt Chattahah What company is that? I think we just dropped a crapload installing LED's in our parking lot.

 

Just saw this today, so.

Hi, I'm Desmond and I'm a 'Mechaholic.
36. Been playing vidya' games for a large portion of my life. There was always a computer in the house, the first one was older than I was, to give an idea. Atari 800 (The actual PC version of the Atari...), Nintendo, Playstation (1, 2, and 3), PC. I'm not a huge fan of PvP computer games, generally because I hate dealing with Tryhards who have to stroke their ePeen all the time, but MWO sucked me in because of Battletech. Been doing that since Crescent Hawk's Inception back in the 90's. Started there, and then went to tabletop proper.
Apparently three out of four posters here are from Michigan, same here. Mid-Michigan. Still here. (Don Zappo is also born and raised Michigander as well. We've known each other since high school.) Work retail at the local hobby shop, running the games and plastics department. (In theory I'm assistant manager, but I feel like I do more of the managerial work than the actual manager. Heh. Oh well.)

Why am I here? Because 'Mechs are cool. 'Mech design philosophy also cool. And I blame Don Zappo.

 

@SkiDog

Excellence Optoelectronics Engineering Incorporated... Mouthful... So we just call it EOI.

As I said, we mostly deal in Automotive in Michigan (big surprise) but our EOI-US branch in Cali does a ton in Traffic Signals, Street/Lot Lighting, Overhead Warehouse/Retail bays, Pedestrian signals, ect... We actually just got a big contract with the Grayling, MI base.

 

@Azakael Mechaholics -R- us
@Shock I remember those days, when companies paid you to Beta test their product...

 

Michigan > Everyone.

 

You mean like MWO?

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!

 

I'm Brent, I'm 29, and the road to both MechWarrior and where I am now in life are convoluted. The short version is that I'm chronically depressed narcoleptic in Virginia who discovered MechWarrior because of a teacher in computer class in middle school, but only really got into it back when a company called WizKids had the licence and was making a simpler but easier to get into miniatures game. Skipped right over MW3 (still need to go back and play it...). I'm an aspiring writer working retail (becuase it works and I'm not hitting burnout the way I have trying college and other jobs), playing way too many games, and gradually getting the discipline I need to learn another language, actually keep an exercise routine, and actually make progress on that writing thing. In terms of MWO I mostly use it to get my 'shooter' fix, and participating in regular events or the occasional drop seems to be about right.

 

Peter calling in.

35 years old and gaming since back when the animals still spoke. First memory in that specific field of entertainment are loading games from an audio tape on my Dad's ZX-81 and ZX-Spectrum. It only went downhill from there. I probably played every halfway good and up game that ever came out. But out of the many passed the revue, only the strategy and simulator games truly left their mark. Hence my still being a Mechwarrior, Star Citizen and Mech Commander.

Battletech and MWO
I discovered battletech with MechWarrior 2 and have played most games that followed with the exception of living legends (I think).I never played any online big stompy robots game until MWO came on the scene though so I had a lot of learning ahead of me. From my experience in EVE online I knew the best way to get that was being social so I sought out an established unit and applied to join them thus becoming a proud and very junior member of HHoD during closed beta. Following the 3 battalion’s exodus I logically followed the pilots I had come to enjoy dropping and having laughs with to seek out new horizons by starting Zulu-6. With Z-6s drop in activity I went looking for a new home for the remaining members, and now we live with the Dudes.

I seriously don't remember how I found MechSpecs. Probably just bumped in and out of here via google a number of times. Only after noticing some known faces here, did I dime in. Haven't regretted it since!

Real life
Born in 1980 in the marvelous city of Ghent. Aside being a biologist by training, my interests cover (military) history, technology old and new, international politics, SciFi, etc, etc. I am always in for a good discussion on any topic, but please be aware I tend to like playing devil’s advocate from time to time. Don’t hold it against me, I can’t help it. That having been said, I play games to have fun. I will not engage in arguing online. Sportswise I’m an avid boulderer and have the aspiration of running a Spartan Run in 2016. Musicwise I used to be a guitarist but now the instruments get dusted off only very rarely. My taste in music is quite ecclectic. From electro to metal over epic to pop. Don’t try R’B on me though.

I’m a Belgian, I will talk about beer. Live with it,...

Games I like(d).
-EVE online
-Wing commander series, X-wing series, UFO, Jagged Alliance, StarCraft series, Civ series, Total War series, SOTS, Space empires series, WH 40k,...

 

Hello everyone!

My name is Joshua, I'm 27 years old (28 soon!) and i'm from Germany.
I'm currently desperately attempting to finish my degree in Materials Science in a timely manner, while also working in a Call Center for the local public transport system. I actually enjoy the Job most of the time, as I get to help people in a small way and it pays the bills without completely burning myself out.

I first got into MechWarrior when my dad received a copy of MechWarrior 3 with his Joystick, and I played a lot of that with my best friend, making builds together and playing against the AI. We had no idea what we were doing of course, but had a lot of fun nonetheless.
Then when I learned about MWO, I jumped right into that, starting in late 2012. Being a filthy impulse buyer, I spent a lot more money than I care to admit, and haven't been playing very consistently, but I'm looking to change that now.
To a degree, I like coming up with mech builds more than i do playing the game, but since I'm slowly getting better that may change.

My other interests include military technology and strategy, science fiction and fantasy writing (I'm interested in writing myself, but have yet to make much progress) and video games in general.

Other games I've enjoyed... too many to name. Primarily I play RPGs and RTSs, some more niche and noteworthy games I enjoy are Command:Modern Air/Naval Operations and Invisible Inc.
Currently I'm also playing The Witcher, Killing Floor 2 and Hearthstone.

 

@Gneckes31 IMO coming up with builds is a large part of the fun of this game... well, at least this community as there really is no room for this part in Game (Kudos to Grimm and Smurfy for supplying this fix)

@Shock getting paid

 

Hello, my name is Jim and from Michigan adjacent (Wisconsin). I'm 36 and an engineer. Civil-structural mostly dealing with old industrial buildings with very nasty environments that tend to destroy buildings from the inside out.

Got introduced to MechWarrior 2 from a friend and played a good bit of 3 and 4. Really enjoyed it and liked messing around with in the mechlab.

 

Another Michigander....

 

Conspiracy!!

 

Hello all, my name is Benjamin, I was born and raised, and came back to Michigan. I moved to Colorado, high up in the mountains of Vail, working for the resort, much snowboarding is what did entail. Cooking on the mountain, a young chef I was, snowboarding at day, at night catching a buzz. Room service is my new profession! Bring food to the rich, and let the tips come in my direction. Summers are short in the mountains.. many activities, then smoke by the fountains. One day my uncle calls, your father has passed, suddenly taken by a terrible disease, he could no longer last... Loaded the car drove back down the line, 24 hours straight to come back to what was mine. Days past and time creeped by, deep wounds heal slow, but eventually, thing got better, and a close friend showed me MWO. So many mechs and such expansive customization, many long nights in the mech lab, searching for the perfect optimization. I found this here forum, abundant with many a build, lots of mech knowledge, so I drank till my brain was filled. Now my mechanical army is strong, and comfortable in my control! So if we meet on the battlefield, bring your best, or get peaced while I pack back a bowl