The Complete Interview - Issen Adtur

Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Here is the complete interview as seen in the Planets Newsletter - Enjoy!

PN: Tell us a little about yourself.

I:  I've been everything from a farm hand to a fry cook, educated in the school of life- I've had the pleasure of visiting such lovely tourist attractions as Germany, Belgium, and Austria with the US Army- and unfortunately Kuwait and Iraq as well- although everywhere I've been I've found something worth seeing or doing. Currently living the retired life and raising my family back in my Southern Ky home town.

PN: When did you first start playing?

I: December 2013- I'm no old skool vet from the olden days of floppy- but I've been playing strategy games since my cousin and I taught ourselves to play chess at 8 or 9 years old.

PN: What's your favorite race and why?

I: I can now say with surety I like most of them- although I'll admit nothing makes me smile quite like snagging a warship with a MCBR.

PN: What do you build on first three turns with them (or your general opening strategy)?

I: With privateer- MCBR, LDSF, MCBR

I usually send the MDSF in the likeliest direction of a neighbor, the first meteor goes toward the other neighbor- the LDSF follows it- the second MCBR follows the medium freighter. If I find good planets- I'll colonize heavily and tow the freighters back to get refilled and tugged off my new meteor builds later.

PN: How many games do you play at the same time?

I: I keep all seven or eight spots going- depending on the current diplomacy load in each individual game. I have lots of free time, I believe experience is the best teacher, and I love this game! 

PN: What types of games do you like playing most?

I: Standard games make up most of what I play, but I like campaign melees and team games just as well- there are simply fewer of them overall. I tend to choose games based on which race I plan on trying to improve with. 

PN: What's your most memorable game, and what made it so interesting?

I:  I resigned my most memorable game- a gridlocked, classic teams of three game I played from turn 1-266 before passing it along to a more dedicated and experienced commander- Cevius is STILL running- and nearing turn 400. What a grind!

PN: Name a memorable friend and/or a memorable foe, and what made them stand out.

I: I've played with many fine commanders, and remember them all!

PN: Give an example of excellent tactics you've used or seen (w/ details so readers can view it, if possible).

​I: I don't think I'm good enough to have been a part of any excellent tactics, but I've certainly been wooped on by some excellent tactics a time or three- fascist Shield generators still make me shudder when I see them in a stack with a carrier.

PN: What do you think is the most important skill for a Planets player to succeed?

I: Learning how to plan ahead and formulate a strategy without losing flexibility- thinking "big picture".

PN: Describe the process you use to make a turn.

I: I try and view it as soon as possible, check VCR's/combat reports, Reports in general- nothing explosions, distress calls etc. I'll do an initial run through with my ships- setting orders, then I'll check/cycle the planets- changing ship orders if necessary, and handle any outstanding diplomacy. 

Then I let the turn "cook" - I sometimes catch mistakes in my sleep and change orders in the morning, so I use the host to my advantage. 

PN: What is your favorite thing about Panets Nu?

I: The illusion of realism. I love light years and hyper speeds, warp wells and nebula- the details that make it seem like I'm building an actual working empire, and then testing that empire building skill against cunning and intelligent enemies.

PN: Is there anything else you would like to add?

I: If you love planets.nu- spend the three bucks a month to help ensure I'm playing this game 40 years from now!

-And a special thank you to the planetsmag team, keep plugging away!



Thank you to Issen Adtur!

You can view Issen Adtur's profile here.