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Avernite: Whoever they were obviously didn't expect these 'kids' to be as well coordinated or as clever XD . Javelin lamps and horse screens XD

Grubnessul: Also setting it up a little bit for the next chapter XD
 
I expected no less of you :p
 
Grubnessul said:
I expected no less of you :p

XD good . Alright interview going up now !
 
canonizedbingobrett.png


You’ve Been Canonized!: Bingo Brett​

Good evening everyone and welcome once again to this week’s installment of You’ve Been Canonized! our weekly interview segment here on Timelines where we take a patron author and get to know more about them, their thoughts on Timelines, and about their current project or AAR. If you’re new to the programme, I’m your host canonized author of Timelines: What if Spain Failed to Control the World? and today’s guest is a newcomer to AARland Bingo Brett author of Opening The Papal AARchives 1453-1792 . Let’s get it on!

Part I: B-I-N-G-O and Bingo was his name-o !
Bingo tells us a little bit about himself !

canonized: First , welcome to the programme ! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself ?

Bingo Brett: tapping.... is this on? Hi, my name is Bingo and I'm an AAR-a-holic. No. I guess that doesn't work. I'm usually known as Bingo on message boards and a veteran of a couple of gay sports fan boards. Since February is the "sport dead" month, I've been hanging out around here, reading some great stories, and writing my own. Live and work in Minneapolis, and happy to be here. I've been part of eQSpn (equality in sport network) for two years and was part of Outsports.com for a while before that. That's why I'm fairly adept at message board code

canonized: and how old might you be ?

Bingo Brett: 33

canonized: i see . already an old geezer by gay standards , then

Bingo Brett: ha ha, yeah we had my funeral three years ago. Even got the flower arrangements at work

canonized: So how long have you been playing paradox games ?

Bingo Brett: Let's see, I started with HOI 1, way way WAY back in the day. Then I graduated to EU, thanks to the used game bin. And I've been "upgrading" my games since second-hand. Except for EU3, which I bought at a store liquidation sale. I'm cheap, sue me.

canonized: Haha , and what brought you to AARland and writing AARs ?

Bingo Brett: Boredom at work one day. I had registered for the board when I first got EU3 and had some Vista problems. Well I bookmarked the site and ended up wandering around one day. Started to read the AAR's and said, maybe I could write one of these.

canonized: do you have any previous experience writing either on other boards or professionally ?

Bingo Brett: Outsports.com published a baseball preview I did a few years back in the mode of "Carnac the Magnificent" right after Johnny Carson passed away. Other than that nothing. I even mentioned on my AAR that I was once asked if English was my first language. So I'm a little self-conscious about writing. Spell check is my friend.

canonized: Being such a lover of baseball , it might seem strange to some people to see the connection between that past time and paradox games as well as AARs . Is there a connection of any kind or are both things random favourite flavours ?

Bingo Brett: No, I'm pretty random with my likes and dislikes. LOL. I've always been one of those people who like Stewie and The Brain, "wants to take over the world", but in case the viewers are interested my screenname also comes from my love of playing Bingo in Vegas (where I'm one of the young ones) and the Brett part is a homage to the late great Brett Somers of Match Game. We miss her.

canonized: As a relative newcomer , how did you feel starting your first AAR in the EU3 section ? Any first impressions of AARland or any of its inhabitants ?

Bingo Brett: I think EU3 is the easiest for me to write an AAR about. And I've really been impressed with a number of the different writing styles that other authors have. They should see it as a compliment that I probably will take little bits and pieces of their work stylewise and incorporate it into mine.

Part II: Looking for Love In All the Wrong Places …
Bingo shares some of his surprising thoughts about Timelines with us !

canonized: You're also one of our newer readers for Timelines . Could you tell us some of your first impressions of that as well ?

Bingo Brett: Well I'm only up to Chapter 29, so I'm not as far along as everyone else. So if someone out there tells me that Isabella is really a man, or Tom is Kaiser Soze' I'll beat you all down. But I must say it's a fun read, and you do a great job with each character's narrative. That's something I hope I can emulate.

canonized: Well thank you very much ! Any particular characters you happen to latch onto ?

Bingo Brett: Oh you're going to regret this... I am hopelessly in lust with Sweet. (just don't go there)

canonized: ROFL . Now I totally have to go there . Spill it !

Bingo Brett: It's that bonus picture... besides being what one could call a Rice Queen, I can't get that damn "Secret Asian Man" song out of my head.

canonized: ROFL ROFL good grief

Bingo Brett: hey you asked

canonized: haha but alright , next question: one of the things we both have in common as far as our writing goes is that we both enjoy putting references into our works and little Easter eggs (how appropriate !) for people to find . What do you think about these ?

Bingo Brett: Actually that's what I like the best about Timelines. Sure a few of the references might make you groan (Carmen in San Diego) or go over your head (for me it's Final Fantasy) but you really have to pay attention to what's written as well as follow the story. I try to throw things in that are subtle. Sometimes I think too subtle.

canonized: Timelines is an AAR with heavy narration . Were you intimidated at first and how does it feel now after so many chapters ?

Bingo Brett: At first a little. I even had to go back once or twice in my speed reading because I missed something "said". Hence, you have to pay attention. But after oh Chapter 10 or so, I let the voices in my head do the narration, and we were fine.

canonized: Haha that's interesting ; could you describe some of the types of voices you assigned for which characters ? Especially your crush ? haha

Bingo Brett: It's not like I have Isabella as portrayed by Deidre Hall or something! It's better that way. I can't watch a movie based on a book before reading the book. It's the same way here. If I gave a character a voice or a mannerism I would lose the story. Gotta go with the flow of the narration.

canonized: Being where you are , there's always been some twists and turns that are not in your run of the mill AAR . Any shock or surprise in the plot that you enjoyed the most so far ?

Bingo Brett: Nazi's (at least the hint of them) Didn't see that one coming.

canonized: Any guesses on what the Timepiece is ?

Bingo Brett: Let's just say that I think the timepiece is the gizmo from Sliders that Quinn Mallory is going to use to get back to the real Los Angeles. Tom is Quinn Mallory

canonized: ROFL ROFL one of the best guesses yet

Part III: An Archivist’s Dream
Bingo tells us a little about his current AAR !

canonized: Your first AAR is about one of my perennial favourites , the Papal States . Why did you choose to write about the states of the Church ?

Bingo Brett: They're not France. LOL. Actually I originally thought about playing one of the "big boys" but that seemed "too easy". The Papal State always seemed to get crushed and lose everything to the point where Navarra ended up as the Holy See. So I figured I could try to do a little better. Plus it's fun to excommunicate the world. :-D

canonized: Obviously , with your citations and what not , you've done your research on the history of the Papal States. Could you tell us a little bit about how you've been getting information ?

Bingo Brett: well it's not just wikipedia! I am trying to keep as historical as possible, and to do that, I'm relying on a website produced by Salvador Miranda through Florida International University (http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/cardinals.htm) It's where I got a lot of ideas as to who to make as the next Pope when the game selects an ahistorical pontiff. I just assume the same leaders in the Church would end up as at least Cardinals if not as Pope.

canonized: As we mentioned before , you do enjoy putting your own set of Easter eggs into your work . Why in particular do you do this and does it come naturally to you ?

Bingo Brett: Sometimes the random vision comes into my head and I just have to write it down somehow. That's how we got the musical number from the possible future Pope Julius II. And I also would like to keep some "community spirit" by referencing now and then other AAR writers. Otherwise you would never have heard the peace offer from Burgundy "Resistance is Futile" (in French of course!)

canonized: As oppossed to many Papal States AARs that quickly consolidate power in Italy and move forward to greater ordeals , yours has a very realistic bite of Italian power plays and reverses including a devastating war and capture . What is your philosophy behind this kind of exposition and allowing such disasters ?

Bingo Brett: Yeah. Well first, I suck at being Battle Pope. But really I want to keep the Papal State as close to historical reality as possible. Really the Pope can't do much by himself unless he has lots of Italian allies, or one of the "Big Boy" countries helping. But the best part is I know the game AI is "stoopid" and will accept White Peace or 50 ducats. Eventually I will end up back at square one or just a little poorer.

canonized: Tell us a little bit why you chose to write in Archive style . That is , why you chose to have different historical narratives through sources as your main vehicle for writing ?

Bingo Brett: Archive style is the easiest "voice" for me to use when I write. But I also like to transpose myself into the historical character once in a while. (hence the interludes) First person helps to convey what's actually happening, or give a little insight into a character. I just can't carry the narrative for more than a chapter; sometimes it's just a paragraph.

canonized: Do you have any plans for any other AARs in the future or concurrently ?

Bingo Brett: Well if this one craps out, I might try to achieve a glorious victory for Dr. Fu Manchu. (really I'm kidding!) I just want to say thanks to you and all the readers of Timelines for trying to keep up with my stream of conciousness, and I hope that people will stop by my AAR once in a while and say hi.

canonized: And we’d like to thank you Bingo for being on the programme ! Thanks to our audience for tuning in once more this week and please stop by the thread to find out who the next interviewee will be ! Good fight , good night !
 
Bingo!

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Oh, wait, wrong forum...

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Or maybe not...

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*leaves thread utterly confused*

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:D
 
Murmurandus said:
*leaves thread utterly confused*

Ahhhh my work here is done, excellent! :rofl:
 
comagoosie: yes you are correct XD

Murmurandus and Bingo: now you both have made me confused , Murmy ! :wacko:
 
Bingo, Murmurandus: Gentlemen, our evil plan is finally accomplished
 
Grubnessul said:
Bingo, Murmurandus: Gentlemen, our evil plan is finally accomplished

ROFL . Well you'll be happy to know i'm at least 20% done with the upcoming update !
 
Grubnessul said:
Bingo, Murmurandus: Gentlemen, our evil plan is finally accomplished

Well, you had it coming... :p

I for one am not plain evil and I'm willing to give you a real clue...

bingo.jpg


Bingo-2ss.jpg


:p :D
 
Murmurandus said:
Well, you had it coming... :p

I for one am not plain evil and I'm willing to give you a real clue...

bingo.jpg



nooooooo!!!!!!!

*ForzaA starts chanting "valse bingo" and "liedje zingen"*
 
The absolute silliness that goes on here is beyond amazing!

Not that I am not guilty of contributing to it from time to time. :D
 
grayghost said:
The absolute silliness that goes on here is beyond amazing!

Not that I am not guilty of contributing to it from time to time. :D
Silliness? THIS IS TIMELINES!!!

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...

crap... I did it again :(
 
Murmurandus: LOL . Gosh . I haven't played Bingo in forever .

ForzaA: what do those mean o_O

grayghost: this is very true XD

Bingo Hall: Haha don't they all usually look the same ?

Grubnessul: ROFL . Maybe it'll start its own meme XD . It's always people from benelux that make things crazy !
 
I've not commented in a while...
Another excellent update, and while I find it a little odd perhaps that Conrad wrote the same novel in Timelines' past :p it's good to see it crop up.

It surprises me a little that Hayato and Rodrigo are in such important positions so young, but it adds a little spice to the pot, and that's always good, right?
 
Incognitia said:
I've not commented in a while...
Another excellent update, and while I find it a little odd perhaps that Conrad wrote the same novel in Timelines' past :p it's good to see it crop up.

It surprises me a little that Hayato and Rodrigo are in such important positions so young, but it adds a little spice to the pot, and that's always good, right?

I'm so happy to see you comment again Incognitia !! Always glad to have you on board , sir ! Haha , why wouldn't Conrad be writing in the Timelines universe ? After all , the global empire that he was used to is still there haha . If he can learn English very well I'm sure he could learn Spanish just as much !

As for Hayato and Rodrigo , yes they are indeed in tough situations . Especially for younger individuals . I've often thought about it as to why I would have them in important positions . Considering their failures to do so I suppose it's a double edged sword . I kind of wanted to show that if the world were to have any good in it , the youth would have to mature . At the same time , though , as you can see from the various blunders , I suppose I'm sub-consciously also attempting to say that trying to think one is mature at that age is fallacious . We'll have to see how it goes XD

comagoosie: Haha , this is true . Though I'm not sure how many people are familiar with specific pokemon and what not .