Hey there everyone! Welcome back to Lv.1 Onion Knight - the Final Fantasy TCG blog that eats Gyasahl Greens not because they have to, but because they want to.
So it's been a few weeks since I've had a new post up - It's been a hectic few weeks for me with a lot of various things going on - the least of which because I'm currently preparing for my first trip to Japan at the end of October to spend allllll my money!
Otherwise I've been keeping busy with a variety of other FFTCG projects including:
1) Posting the new Opus VII Bingo on social media groups!
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| "But really, when am I not predicting Tastefully Exposed Pectorals?" |
2) I interviewed with the RVA Returners for their Cactuar Correspondence! If you haven't read it yet, definitely check it out! (Though if for some reason you're following my blog and not theirs, there are bigger issues going on here because they post a ton of really informative content unlike... whatever's going on with this blog.)
3) I've been helping out with the Envy Games Recovery Drive! There have been a ton of really amazing efforts from all across the community. The "Behemoth of a Benefit" Tournament hosted by various members of the NJ community had a lot of thought and effort put into it, and I'm greatful to everyone who participated. With the GofundMe, Benefit, and lots of other awesome people sending product to help Envy Games, we're raised a lot to help the store get back on its feet
Also, Nicola and I will be live streaming the winner of the Bahamut Bring Arts Figure Raffle this Sunday, October 7th! Seriously, this thing is gigantic and awesome, and I would honestly rather keep it for myself, but everybody has given so much to help that I want to show some love back to the community - be sure to tune in to Envy Game's Facebook Page for more details!
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| I've also been playing a ton of FF titles for uh... "research purposes"... |
Speaking of showing some love to the Community, today on Lv.1 Onion Knight, we're going to be interviewing Richard Brady, the FFTCG NA Community Rep!
As I mentioned in my origins post way back when, it was thanks to a chance meeting with Richard Brady (or RB as I'll be referring to them throughout this article) at my local card game shop that led me to being introduced to the NY FFTCG group. It was that genuine desire to help new players and engage with people that made me want to learn more about the game and become a part of the community. And now, a little less than a year later, I'm a blogger for the game. Dreams really do come true. But seriously, over the time I've gotten to know them, RB has also been super supportive of the blog and always has helpful feedback to help me improve and grow as a content writer, and is in general an amazing person all around.
Now most fans of the TCG probably know RB as the person who writes the Card of the Week articles in the days leading up to a new sets prerelease. In fact, besides Kageyama, RB is probably the most recognizable person and "face" of the FFTCG NA Community Team. With that being said, I thought it would be interesting to put the spotlight on RB to talk about themselves, shed some light on what it is that they do for the game, and their hopes for the future of the Final Fantasy TCG.
So without further ado, lets get on with the interview!
🔰 Let's start things off with a hard hitting question: If you were any Final Fantasy job, which one would you be and why?
RB: While my favorite Final Fantasy Job is Thief, I wouldn't say that best represents me.
Paladin is probably the best representation of "me." I try to always stay positive and inspire other people, while combating the "darkness" of negativity. As a kid I actually really looked up to Cecil. Paladins are leaders, so I think within the FFTCG community it makes sense, representing North America.
🔰 What are a few of the things that you do as a member of the Square Enix FFTCG NA team that most people might not know about?
RB: Um... everything. [laugh] As the sole coordinator in North America for FFTCG, I'm the person behind the social media posts, the official Facebook page, and Card of the Week articles. I handle website posts, I put together the Square Enix run events, attend all of them, and manage everything from the staff, to the stream, to tickets, handling all of the region specific packaging, prizes, etc... I also handle customer service, working with distributors for each release, checking out stores and speaking to store owners on their feedback.
I've also recently started to work with Hobby Japan on the English version of the cards starting with Opus IX as a localization editor. I work with our internal teams on a variety of things. Nearly anything that happens for FFTCG in North America has to go through me. It's probably easier to say what I don't do: I don't make the cards.
🔰 What do you consider your personal proudest moment with the FFTCG community?
RB: I could name individual events or moments, but honestly, James and Kayla Lockwood sent me a package with messages and pictures from the community about how I've been a positive impact on their lives. It meant a lot, and that kind of thing is why I seek these types of positions at all.
I love working in the entertainment field because I love to make people happy, and tabletop games are something I've been a part of for a long time because of the social interaction and friendships that are made. It's hard to see what value you have without seeing how others are impacted by what you do.
🔰 What are some of your hopes for the community in the future?
RB: I hope everyone can relax a bit! But seriously, I'd like to implement a ranking system at some point. I'd obviously like us to continue to grow, and I'd like to introduce events that are non-competitive, with times where everyone can get together and have a good time without stressing too much about winning.
🔰 What do you consider your personal favorite card in the game and why?
RB: It's pretty constantly changing as more cards are introduced. I think Y'shtola [5-068L] is one card I can't do without in a deck, though. She's strong on her own, being unaffected by a large number of popular cards, and then she can sacrifice herself to save your other Forwards which is not only an amazing ability, but really thematic to the character. She would totally do that.
🔰 Do you have a favorite element or deck archetype you like?
RB: Wind is my favorite Element - I can't seem to make a deck I absolutely love without Wind. Zidane is my favorite FINAL FANTASY hero, and Yuna is my favorite heroine, so Wind/Water is typically my favorite combination, but I've been on a Wind/Earth kick lately... Star Sibyl is just so good.
I also really love Edgar from FINAL FANTASY VI so maybe I'll pick up Fire eventually, I'll need to if I want to use him anyway.
🔰 What is an archetype or card that you think has potential but is currently underused?
RB: I would've said Valefor [1-198S] was underused, because outside of myself and Joshua Freeman-Birch, I never hear anyone absolutely loving that card... but he just shared his thoughts on Valefor in a recent article, so maybe more people will pick up that card soon. It's literally my favorite Summon in FFTCG.
I think a lot of players are picking up some of the stronger archetypes, as we have somewhere between 7-10 consistently viable decks seeing good results in major events. I'd have to come back to this because Ice/Earth was the one archetype I was surprised people were sleeping on, but then Brian Burckley won an event using it.
🔰 When you write your Card of the Week articles, how do you go about selecting cards to write about?
RB: When I see the set, I tell Kageyama-san which cards I'm most excited about, and then he puts together a schedule with me based on which cards he's also excited about. I also sometimes like to show off specific effects, characters, or art to get people considering what other cards might be in the set. All of this has become better for Opus VII with Kageyama-san joining Card of the Week, since our different perspectives and playstyles lend themselves to certain cards.
We also need to make sure that there are no issues with other reveals we'd like to do, so we actually plan out Card of the Week at the same time as planning out every other card reveal, like community spoilers and event spoilers.
🔰 Are there any final fantasy characters or spin off titles that are not in the game yet, but you would personally like to see in the future?
RB: Dead serious: Dangerous Ariana.
There are versions of characters I'd like to see, like other versions of Zidane, Terra, and Ysayle, or different dress sphere versions of the X-2 cast. I think the characters from the FINAL FANTASY Tactics optional side-quest would be really cool: Beowulf Cadmus, Reis Duelar, Worker 8, and an FFT version of Cloud Strife.
So there you have it! Big thanks to Richard Brady for taking the time to answer this Onion Knight's questions! I really hope that everybody appreciates all the hard work that goes into maintaining the NA community, especially considering that it's pretty much all done by one person! If there ever was a Paladin of the FFTCG community, it'd definitely be Richard Brady, so I hope this interview has helped shed some light on what it takes to maintain this wonderful, crazy community.
RB will be at the Square-Enix booth at New York Comicon from October 4-7th, so if you're a fan of the Final Fantasy Trading Card game, be sure to stop by and give them some love!
Until next time - Keep on Grinding,
