Tell us a little about yourself and what are you passionate about?
I’ve never been good with introductions but I’ll do my best. For starters my name is Luc Marceau, I am a twenty-four year old male living in the small town of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

In the game World of Warcraft I currently play a mage by the name of Ramdas on the server Illidan-US and am an officer in the guild Blood Legion Spec Ops. I am currently employed by McDonalds Canada, although making the career switch soon to take professional gaming on as a second job.

In my spare time you could often find me weight training at Goodlife Fitness as I am also an aspiring powerlifter. Other such hobbies include film viewing (as I am an admitted cinephile), spending time outdoors (whenever my schedule allows me to do so), and discovering obscure music in the genres of ambient, indie rock, pop, dubstep, and often combinations of them all. One of my biggest passions by far outside of gaming has to be the ever growing, and vast world of Psychology. This really begun to take off within the last maybe four years, ever since my early years of being a child, spending most of my time with my brother gaming, or simply observing company during family gatherings, I have pondered that one question “Why do people do what they do?”.

Obtaining a University degree in this field is one item that is permanently placed near the top of my bucket list. My only other passion outside of academics would have to be gaming. Playing video games is something I have been doing ever since my days of Super Mario Bros. on the NES around its release date. This hobby of mine has seen both its hardcore and casual days, although these coming months/years might be the most driven yet for my career.

The idea of being part of a growing community, being able to work with some of the best in this field, and eventually giving back to causes worldwide is what’s pushing me to continue this path being laid out for me.

In your years of gaming, what three games inspire you the most creatively and why?
Out of all the games I have played over the years, it might be difficult to only choose three but here we go!

#1: Final Fantasy 7
It may seem cliché to bring up this game, but Final Fantasy 7 was probably the first of the Final Fantasy series (perhaps even first RPG) that I managed to sit down and complete from start to finish. For many years since its release the hours I have placed in this game have trump any others since my first session. The story line was the first of this genre that really was able to grab my attention, and was comprehensible even for my ten year old mind.

The battle system from its use of ATB (Active Time Battle) along with the Materia mechanic was the first of its kind for me to experience and has since helped pave the road through my role playing game journey. The many optional activities or side quests available in Final Fantasy 7 that I had spent endless hours finishing is partially responsible in creating the completionist that I am today.

#2: Runescape
The game that most people in the MMO scene despise, but for me it was my first online multiplayer experience. When I first joined in January of 2002, the idea of a free online RPG was absolutely fantastic to me, and I knew then that outside of the console gaming I did, the world of Gielinor is where my hours would be spent. What attracted me most about the game was that they had a database which was able to track the stats of all players in real time, so I knew that all my hard earned stats acquired from the mind numbing grinded I was oh so addicted to, would be noticed by the community. Over development, the game has shown me how the importance of questing/side questing, interacting with other players, using game forums, and overall doing my research will benefit my efforts in reaching higher rankings. This tactic has since been proven successful in other games over time to enhance my experience both in-game and out.

#3: World of Warcraft
Finally the game that has influenced me the most in the last nearly six years, World of Warcraft. Since my first steps in Azeroth, this game has never failed to completely enThrall me (no pun intended) with each passing moment. I started playing World of Warcraft when patch 2.0 was released back in December 2006, and still play regularly to this day. I first was introduced to this game from my younger brother who started an account, because of the famous South Park episode he ended up viewing a couple months prior. This is the first MMO where I was ever able to be a part of a guild or raiding roster.

Unfortunately due to lack of sufficient hardware, or real life coming in the way of my gaming, I was forced to often take breaks ranging from weeks to many months at a time throughout the more recent years. Because of this, I was unable to play the game at a higher level as my fellow raiders were at the time. I think it’s safe to say that my favorite feature to be implemented has been the achievement system, as I have always looked at it as more of a “resume” and showcase of true game progression. My current and ongoing goal has and might always be to complete every achievement introduced in the game each content patch. Achievements in World of Warcraft (at least for myself) will always be a testimant to improving oneself as a player, and pushing your skills to the limit in diverse situations.

Do you think video games are meant to be played solo or would you rather experience a video game with a group of friends?
In my years of playing both solo, single player games, and playing MMOs, it is hands down a preference overall to play any game with a group of friends, and I am going to explain why. This could simply be because of my social nature, or the basic human need to be around other people, but the feeling of camaraderie, and completing tasks as a team (whether it be a couple of friends or an entire guild entering a raid to conquer any foe who stand in their way) has always been an overwhelming sensation for me. With the increase of multiplayer games being released on the market, I think game developers are beginning to learn that the gamer stereotype of an anti-social shut-in is now a thing of the past, and it’s becoming increasingly important for these players to be immersed into a world with other gamers like themselves. With the ability to play with a group also brings a level of competitiveness to any game, especially in scenarios where players could be ranked based on the skill level of the team and their ability to achieve accomplishments whether it be who does it first, or who does it in a particular manner the best.

Who is the most famous person you have met, and why did you want to meet him/her/them?
The most famous person I have ever met would have to be a childhood friend of mine Amber Sharp. She’s an actress, a model, social networking guru, and vegetarian. There actually was no specific reason for me wanting to meet her, it was just by chance one day when we were on our way to Michigan. Both of us being high school dropouts, we used to spend a lot of time together and even some of that time hitchhiking across the province. Our love for music at such a young age brought us to travel to places like Sudbury Ontario where we spent most of our time enjoying live music and Amber would often go on the road with bands. In recent years however we have lost contact, although she does visit seldomly and it is nice to see her from time to time to catch up.

Have you ever attended a convention (which one(s)) and what was your experiences there?
Unfortunately, I have yet to attend a convention as traveling funds have always been limited. Blizzcon 2013 (Let’s hope this happens) will be the first time I attend a convention of any sort. There is much anticipation to finally meet many of the World of Warcraft players/Blizzard enthusiasts I play games with on almost an everyday basis.

Is there anything that you wanted to talk about that I haven’t asked you?
If there is anything it will have to be a few shoutouts I would like to make towards some World of Warcraft players. The first being Riggnaros (Raid Leader/Main Tank of Blood Legion) because without him, I would not have the opportunities to do what I do within the game, and he’s been such a great help with guiding me through leading the community guild known as Blood Legion Spec Ops.

Other shout outs to both Blood Legion’s professional streamers Yapi, and Affiniti for being close friends of mine, introducing me to the world of live streaming, and the great connections I have made because of them. To every member of Blood Legion Spec Ops, both past and current, for making my home on Illidan much more pleasant. Finally to every World of Warcraft player I have ever had the opportunity of interacting with; I sincerely thank you, for without you, I would not be playing this wonderful game today.

In closing, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to participate in this interview and answer a few questions that I have never had the chance to talk about.