A Profile Of Mitchell

[tiltjlp]

I'll post this on the other forums in about a week, but I wanted to put it here first, since this is my site. Please do not post it anywhere. Thanks.

Mister Friendly

Profile by tiltjlp
© Copyright 2004


While there may be some debate about who the best author is, or who offers the best feedback, I can’t imagine anyone being any friendlier than twenty-nine year old Mitchell Hancock. So folks might want to lighten up on him, since he admits that sometimes the criticism he receives does bother him. But aside from that, he says that he really is every bit as nice and as friendly as he seems at VPF.

Mitch, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas, has hobbies and interests that include playing all sorts of games, not just VP/VPM tables. He also enjoys constructing toys and gadgets from spare parts he finds, and drawing. He also said that when the mood strikes him, he can be a party animal.

He first started playing Real Life pinball in the early 90s, but can’t remember which games they were. He found Visual Pinball in the Spring of 2002, and soon discovered VPM. Mitch said that he enjoys any table that is well designed, and that playability is the most important element in any table.

While he enjoys modding tables that he feels just aren’t exactly right, he does have a few authors whose work he admires. “Both Starman and Scapino do very good work, and I’m coming to enjoy PacDude work more with every release.†When I asked what some of his favorite tables by other authors were, he mentioned Fight Night, Blackwater 100, and F1.

Although he usually works solo, Mitch said he’d gladly team up with anyone who asked, or “if I could find someone willing.†A favorite among his own tables is BabyPinBot, which he thinks is his best table. “The hardest part of BabyPinBot for me was that extra ball. For some reason, no matter how I changed my script, I kept getting errors. Getting it to work really made my day.â€

The best advice he could give new authors is that if they have problems, not to be afraid to post the questions. “But do some searches first, to see if a problem or question you have might have been discussed before. Almost everyone will run into some problems they can’t figure out, so don’t be shy. Some of these guys are real experts.â€

“But even more important, is to make backup copies of all your work, and to save every few minutes, just to be safe. And take your time to make sure that your table plays as smoothly as it should. While sounds and graphics are important, they won’t be much help if your table isn’t fun to play.â€

“And get involved on the forums. If you’ve started working on your first table, show a SS of it, and ask for opinions about it. You don’t have to use anyone’s suggestions, but maybe you’ll find a way to make your WIP even better.â€

Mitch said that while he likes modding tables to fix problems he sees, that he also likes making originals, and plans to work on a few ideas he has. And he plans to continue updating his older tables as his skills improve.

In response to my final question, Mitch said that his favorite areas of VPF are the VP and VPM WIP, VP and VPM releases, and the modders section. “The Outanes can be fun at times, but it can also get pretty mean spirited too.â€

 

[StevOz]

Yes indeed, a great read and I think Michell is great and has the ability to often see things with a greater clarity then many of us, me included.

 

[tiltjlp]

Nice comments Steve. Although Mitch isn't always able to express himself as well as some others, doesn't mean he doesn't have a lot on the ball. I may have corrected his grammar, but I didn't add anything to the profile Mitch didn't say. I think some folks mistake his enthusiasm for a lack of awareness, and that simplu isn't the case.

tiltjlp

 

[Anthias]

Nice profile. Its a good taste of your writing style for those who haven't read the old ones before, and I think its a nice thing for the community. Will be looking out for the next one :) Mitchell is so friendly and entertaining!...thanks.

 

[tiltjlp]

Thanks RH, I think Mitch was the perfect fellow to start my new run of profiles with. Next up will be Mr Fixx, and in all I have close to a dozen lined up, and a few should really surprise folks. Not only what the guys say, but who has agreed to be interviewed.

I'm not going to reveal my list, because it takes a while to write them, especially now that I've killed my printer, but I got a few who had said no before to agree this time around. Now if I only had contact information on some of the people who have left VP, like Dorsoal, that would be great.

tiltjlp

 

[cowboy]

Nice profile John. Good to know you Mitchell