Moderators Hot Seat now featuring Synthia (it's poll time)

Greetings denizens of Gamespot, and welcome back to the next instalment of what's to be an ongoing exploration into the strangest and darkest reaches of the internet – the mind of a moderator.

Important to note that this is not just an Off Topic thing, but a Q&A that encompasses all of Gamespot, with mods from across the boards and where all users are welcome to participate. There are sticky notifications in all the major discussion boards (General Gaming Discussion and System Wars) as well as the platform specific boards to brings every poster in every part of gamespot under one roof for this ongoing series. So you'll interact with the mods you're familiar with and get to know the others from different parts of the forums.

Oh you might think the life of a moderator is all champagne and caviar, fame & fortune, and prestige beyond measure. But let me assure you fine folks that nothing could be farther from the truth. For one thing we don't even get paid for what we do :P So now peer beneath the veil as you get to find out what makes us tick.

Each week (from Wed-Wed), one of us will assume the Hot Seat and take questions from you, the life blood of this community. Oh sure you could ask us what our favourite food is, or movie, or actor, or get our opinions on gaming. But why stop there? Want to know what super power we would choose if we could possess one? Where we would go if we could travel in time? Who we think would win in a fight between Wolverine and Sonic the Hedgehog?

Be inventive. Be imaginative. By all means push us to the brink of our sanity :twisted: And while some playful ribbing is permitted here (even encouraged ;) ), don't get outright offensive or insulting. TOU rules still apply.But also let me emphasise although you can ask about our experiences as a mod, this isn't about moderation inquiries, or a supplement to Ask the Mods. Also mods will reserve the right not to answer a question if it gets too personal.

Think of it more like we're all just chillin' at a bar, getting to know each other in conversation and just having fun. Take it as a social experience.

OUR BODIES ARE READY!!

Past hotseats:

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/29085854/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/29085854/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/29070395/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28971369/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28964263/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28956261/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28949272/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28942520/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28932739/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28923652/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28914138/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28903280/

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/topic/28894573/

First.

Also, what are your hobbies?

Other than video games?
I like to play Dungeons and Dragons, doodle, watch movies, cook, read, listen to music (metal), and spend time with my family.

And now welcome everybody our second Admin to join us, Synthia. Hold on a sec *tightens straps to chair*. Comfy? Good. Then let us proceed :)
---------

So in the case of how you came up with your name, I guess the answer is already obvious?

It is my name.

Where are you from?

Northern California

What are the boards you frequent most?

I like a bunch of Union boards, but of the thee I would have to say I enjoy PGD.

Before becoming an Admin, were you moderated, and for what?

Nope, too much of a lurker to ever get moderated.

As an admin, what are your thoughts on the new TOU?

I enjoy the freedom it offers users, before there were some who were too nervous to post because they were worried they would get banned.

In particular, being a female gamer how do you feel about the rules regarding hot chicks and other similar topics?

Boys will be boys, I understand the want and need for the threads and heck sometimes I find them entertaining.

Who's your favourite video game character (or mascot if applicable)?

I can't think of a specific favorite, there are so many of them, though I have been tempted to get a Samus tattoo that looks something like this:

If you could combine two game series from competing platforms (Xbox, PS3, Wii), which two and why?

Pass?

What do you think is the best vampire film series? Blade, Twilight, or Underworld?

Not really a vampire person to be honest. With Blade I can't get over his former role in "To Wong Fu", don't get me started on Twilight, and never really appreciated Underworld despite my attraction to Stana Katic.

The funnier comedy? Seinfeld or Friends?

Whichever one is more like Fraiser (didn't really watch either).

What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

With our without the coconut?

^shoot!

1st

Aww I don't get to be first in my own hot seat :P

Can you bake a burrito so hot Jesus can't eat it?

Nope, I'm a royal spice wuss.

What's your opinion on the last mission?

For ME3? I haven't gotten that far yet.

Can you bake a burrito so hot Jesus can't eat it?

Legendaryscmt

I think that takes the prize for most original question asked of any hot seat :lol:

Hi Synthia Favorite:

color?

Purple

movie?

Too hard! Pass, though I do have a long list of favorites.

tv show?

Right now it's Game of Thrones (WAR IS COMING!)

video game?

Skies of Arcadia (Dream Cast)

season?

Fall, I'm a big fan of the colors, smells, and of course Halloween.

food?

I'm a big foodie (can't ya tell :P) but my all time favorite thing I could eat forever is Unagi

What kind of car do you own?

Ford Taurus aka "The Tarrasque"

Best thing about being a CM?

Going to conventions, there is always a ton of work to be done for them but I love them all the same.

Synthia (or was it Cynthia?*) was the name of the doll the girl owned in Rig Rats.

*That's my question for you, but only answer without looking it up.

That Cynthia was with a "C". She even had a theme song.

Well that was a fast response from you. Looked up Unagi ad looks yummy. Ok...

Favorite: Vacation destination spot?

Disney Land in California

Fast food/restaurant?

Fast food = Panda Express, Restaurant = BJ's Brew house

Member of the GS staff?

They all have their strong points, but if I HAD to choose I'd say Kevin

Animal?

Otters

Who would win in a fight, Jody or you?

Depends on what we're fighting with and what the fight is over.

Cake or pie? o_O And what kind?

Pie (pecan or coconut cream)

Today I was told by someone behind me that my new jeans make me look like a skinny girl. Should I be offended?

If you think being a skinny girl is a bad thing than I suppose you could be, I'd be happy with a comment like that :D

When are you coming to Europe so we can party? (Bring Jody as well)

Hopefully soon, I've always wanted to go. (Bucket list item: Drink a pint in a tavern that is older than America)
What is the one song you always sing at karaoke?

Don't Speak by No Doubt
What kind of movies do you like?

Comedies, foreign films, documentaries, mockumentaries, animated films, anime films, dramas, and Kung Fu.
What is the crazies thing that you have ever done?

Dated a member of my WoW guild
Have you ever meet anyone famous? (Not game ratled)

Does Joss Whedon count?
If you had one Super power what would it be?

If its a universe with other super heros, Rogue from X-Men. If I'm the only one, mind manipulation.
Would you your super power for good or evil or both?

Both, I'm totally neutral good.

I dare you to poke Jody

Okay.

Today I was told by someone behind me that my new jeans make me look like a skinny girl. Should I be offended?

Elk

If you've got it, flaunt it! o_O

I guess mine was missed. Different question. Hopefully by the time I post this, it hasn't already been asked, either (see edits). Do you like pizza?

Yep, Chicago style with extra cheese, olives, and anchovies.

If you were to eliminate one musical instrument from the history of music, what would it be?

The recorder.

pics?

My editorial photo is http://www.gamespot.com/news/rebound-party-challenge-6368618">here.

What is something you wish you could do, but perhaps its too hard to acquire it or nearly impossible.

A few things come to mind, but since I have metal on the brain I'm gonna go with going to Ozzfest.

If the Average Human life span was 40 years, How would you live your life differently???

I'd spend less time worrying about "what will be" and perhaps be more impulsive.
What is the one thing you'd most like to change in the world???

The pre-established definition of feminine beauty.

What's your favourite Movie???.....:D

Fine, The Gamers II: Dorkness Rising

What are your political views?

Empire

What are your religious views?

Open minded agnostic

Leno or Letterman?

Conan

Favorite band?

Disturbed, they remind me of my youth.

Favorite TV show?

Game of Thrones, although my go to will always be Fraiser

Who will win the Final Four?

Jim, Justin, James, and Jessica.

Interesting! Going off your answer i guess your music taste is different from mine (i think i'm a little unique with my taste just ask GSAU).

What genres of music do you listen to and who would your favourite artist be.

Various types of metal (hard, epic, black, and classic), rock, from time to time pop (mainly classic American), I even used to be into techno and my iPod does have a few country, rap and even folk music. Not to mention various songs that I just enjoy. (in addition to the swarms of video game music, my all time favorite artist it's hard to say because I like so many for so many different reasons. Though for right now I'd have to say a tie between Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin.

If you were invited to be a singer or musician of that rock band would you accept?

Oh god no, no one needs to hear that, though I did have an EXTREMELY brief stint in a wanna be death metal band when I was in high school.

what is your favorite meme and why?

Two, "The cake is a lie" and "I for one welcome our robot overlords"

Is friendship really magic?

I used to think so, but you cant turn people into frogs with "friendship". ;)

What is your favorite video game genre and why? What are your favorite games within your favorite genre?

JRPG's from the 90's and earlier, the stories, characters, and music were amazing. There are still some JRPGs that I love (Star Ocean for example) I just seem to have a harder time finding them.

When playing video games, do you lose yourself in the experience or do you remain in full control of your senses until the end?

If I can I try to, for example the first time I played Bioshock I would turn off all the lights and use noise canceling head phones.

Amusement park. Going for the rollercoaster thrills or the happy merry-go-round?

The craziest roller coaster, my favorite style is boomerang type coasters. Also if you ever get a chance to go to Texas Schlitterbahn is a MUST!

Books. Ever heard of Jules Verne? If Yes - Read any of his books? If Yes - Any favorites?

Of course I've heard of him, I've read 20k Leagues Under the Sea, and Journey to the Center of the Earth (a long time ago) of the two I prefer Journey.

Cosplay?

As in have I or would I? Have I, not technically. Though I have gone to things like Ren Faires and various Cons. Would I? Totally, if I could ever settle on one to invest in.

Anything can be achieved through hard work or those without even a speck of talent are doomed to fail forever?

Depends on what one desires to achive, but personally I side on anything can be achieved through hard work.

Seeing how it's becoming a popular topic: WW3 - possible/probable/not happening? Predictions of players involved? Volunteer to fight/Protest against it/Life as usual/Hide in a fallout bunker?

I don't doubt that war is coming, hate is just something that exists. Players involved? Not sure who will start it but I'm pretty sure that the US will play a part one way or another (we have a habit of getting involved). I wouldn't be a good "fighter" per-say, also since I'm not sure what started the whole thing I can't say if I'd be a fighter or a protester. I could imagine myself as a protector of those in need, giving blood, donating food, volunteering, all that jazz.

Certain death situation choice: Save a few friends or a large number of unknown people?

Ooof that's a hard one, I'd have to think about that.

How much do you weigh?

I don't have a scale, but my measurements are 47", 32", 53" (I have what I suppose Sir-Mix-Alot would refer to as "Back")

How tall are you?

5'11"

How many hair colors have you gone through?

I've been every color of the rainbow and then some, I think I've colored my hair over well over 30 times. I started dying it back in middle school, my first color was Manic Panic Purple Haze.

if you just won 1 billion dollars but had to give half of it away, what would you disperse the $500,000,000 to? and what most importantly, what would you do with your half?

That's alot of money to give out, though I'd likely start splitting it up between some of my favorite charities (namely Childs Play and the WWF) I'd also make sure that certain people were set up with a home for as long as I could guarantee.

As for what I would do with my half, help kickstart a few indie games, travel the world a bit (Egypt, Italy, France, Netherlands, Iceland, and Germany are at the top of my list in no particular order). Get myself set up in a nice home to call my own. The list goes on and on.

I guess mine was missed. Different question. Hopefully by the time I post this, it hasn't already been asked, either (see edits). Do you like pizza?

Yep, Chicago ****with extra cheese, olives, and anchovies.

BranKetra

I don't get it either, it's AMAZING :D

Synthia, why are you so awesome? How do you handle being nice and polite beyond social standards?

LOL, I don't think I'm THAT nice, I just try to treat others the way I want to be treated.

Do you read a lot, and what genres/authors/mangaka/comic writers - anything that requires flipping through pages goes.

I used to back when I had more time. Books like Wicked, the Redwall Series, House of leaves. As far as books with alot of flipping I once had a pretty amazing comic collection. Strangers in Paradise, tons of Manga/Anime, Y the Last Man, Fable, JTHM, Calvin and Hobbes, I could go on and on. I also am a magazine lover, specifically cooking, table top, and video games.

Why was my officer rank taken from the FiM union?

I'm not an officer of that union so I wouldn't know

Mech or Tech?

Mech

Who do you think ultra's alt is?

Your guess is likely as good as mine.

Your avatar suggests you are a Guild wars player. Do you play GW and if so, what's your favorite class? Ritualist? Are you excited for GW 2?

I played a warrior in guild wars for a little while just to try it out, but never got too deep into it (due to time) though I really like their art style, hence the avatar. Though I am interested in what GW2 will look like.

Sup. GameFAQs user here. A friend told me that you were in a hot seat.

Who are your favorite gamers and why?

What game developers do you admire?


You have looks that can kill. What keeps you humble?

Do you like Iron Maiden?

Who doesn't like Iron Maiden lml ^_^ lml

Why did Jody pick you for admin?Blade-o-Silver

Well I had a pretty big back ground in event planning, I also knew a lot about games, and I had some good references. I think she also dug my creativity. As a part of my interview they asked what games mattered to me and I created these little playing cards with the game Icon, release date, what the GS score was, etc and all the staff that saw them were really impressed.

Do you like Iron Maiden?

Who doesn't like Iron Maiden lml ^_^ lml

BranKetra

Ever felt like you have an aura that attracks people to you? If Yes - Which kind? (servitude - you are asked to do pretty much everything /heroic - people look to you for guidance /domination - with only a stare, everyone kneels in reverence and fear /other kind)

Nope not really, though there was a time when I was younger where I felt like I had an aura of comfort and support. People liked to talk to me because they felt that I was a good person to share things with.

Do you get bullied easily?

Now? Not really. But back in the day I totally did.

Ever thought of becoming the president of the US? How about emperor/empress of a world empire? What about ruler of the galaxy?

Nah, I prefer the advisory role to a ruler vs being the ruler.

Do you plan on getting your own spaceship someday?

Depends on the price point.

Do you prefer guns or blades (or magic)?

Blades

Regarding superpowers, if i'm not mistaken, Rogue's ability had a big disadvantage. Are you sure you would be able to live with that disadvantage for a long time?

Are you referring to when she absorbs massive amounts of power she goes bonkers? I think it might have more to do with the mind than the power but since it's hypothetical we'll never know.

Any movies you're eager to see this coming year?

Brave and the Hobbit are two that are up top.

In some games i'm playing, i just can't find myself able of being evil. Ever had that problem?

Totally, for example I can never seem to bring myself to harvest a little sister in the Bioshock games.

Do you play team-based games? If Yes - Have you ever caused your teammates deaths/loss (intentionally)?

I used to be a big fan of TF2, and while I wasn't always the strongest player I never went out of my way to get my team killed.

And last (of the series... maybe) - When does the narwhal bacon?

According to "Know your Meme" Midnight.

Do you get bullied easily?

Now? Not really. But back in the day I totally did. eol_is

She means back in the day as in.... when we first hired her. I BULLIED her like crazy. ;)

My questions:

Why do you like ponies?

Because they're awesome

How come you don't like jalapenos?

Because they're too spicey for me, as I said before I'm a big spice wuss

What would happen if I dressed up as a unicorn clown. Would you be less frightened because I'm part-Unicorn?

Any ammount of clown would cause panic.

She means back in the day as in.... when we first hired her. I BULLIED her like crazy. ;)

JodyR

:o You big bully, I hope Synthia pokes you good!

[QUOTE="JodyR"]

She means back in the day as in.... when we first hired her. I BULLIED her like crazy. ;)

Sidburn19

:o You big bully, I hope Synthia pokes you good!

Hmmmm..... Synthia, Kaidan Alenko or Garrus Vakarian?

Garrus Vakarian, hands down!

She made it through her first week with her fancy shield!

Hmmmm..... Synthia, Kaidan Alenko or Garrus Vakarian?

Garrus Vakarian, hands down!

Deihjan

The most disappointing game you've ever played?

Final Fantasy X-2

Thoughts on tofu-imitation meat?

When done right it's pretty darn tasty.

Do you game while drunk?

Always

What is your quest?

To defeat the evil sorcerer king, rescue the princess, and save the kingdom from darkness!

What is your favorite color?

Purple

What is the velocity of an unladen swallow?

Didn't someone ask that already?

game of thrones sucks.

um

Do you like Fallout

I haven't actually played it. My mother had it and I've watched her play though, maybe I'll pick that up next.

Do you like Metal Gear Solid

Yah, he's dreamy

uh

if a glitch gave me admin powers, and I banned all the users of gamespot, would you be mad at me?

Did you do it on purpose or on accident?

why does adobeartist have bad taste in games

I dunno, ask him?

and finally

uh

OMG R U GON' BUY SOUTH PARK THE GAME?????????????????

Not sure yet, but I'm totally gonna give it a try