Somewhat short for today guys, sorry. Still, hope you enjoy!
mod edit: fixed formatting a bit
Erik: Well, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this delayed edition of Staff Spotlight! Joining me today we have ASM extraordinaire randomdude, who was somewhat recently promoted to manager of the ASM sections along with Telinc1. He's also helping with the Tools section, and maybe more. Maybe. Well leaving that out of the way, how are you today?
randomdude999: I'm good, thanks.
Erik: That's nice to hear.
Erik: Let's focus on the ASM sections for now. What got you started into programming and, specifically, doing ASM for Super Mario World?
randomdude999: I can't really remember when I started properly programming - I do remember my first projects were simple Javascript animations and the like. I got into Super Mario World because of Sethbling, actually - I used to watch his Minecraft videos, so when he started making SMW videos, that got me interested in SMW too. Soon enough I found SMW hacks and this website. ASM was just the logical thing to do since I had already been programming for quite a few years at that point.
Erik: Huh, that's quite the way to get into Super Mario World.
Erik: Well, taking into reference your SMWC registration date and your promotion, I take it you either started with ASM before registering here, or did you get the hang of it easily?
randomdude999: I hadn't actually touched any flavor of ASM before finding SMWC - I had known the basics such as what's a register and stuff like that, but I hadn't written any ASM myself. I just got the hang of it quickly, probably because I had written relatively low level code earlier too.
Erik: Quite impressive. Wish I could get the hang of stuff so quickly.
Erik: Any tips you'd give anyone wishing to start with ASM?
randomdude999: I don't think I'm qualified to give newbies advice because I wasn't really a newbie when starting out with ASM (for me it was a few basic tutorials and then straight into references (or something like that, I don't quite remember)), but I've heard a few people suggest reading some ASM tutorials (such as Ersanio's ones) and then just downloading something from the ASM sections and trying to figure out how it works. You can ask in the ASM channel on Discord if you can't quite figure something out.
Erik: Alright then, moving on. Before getting to the managerial position, how did you feel with the job as ASM and tool moderator? Was it easy, stressing; your thoughts on it and etc.
randomdude999: I always feel a bit uncomfortable when reviewing someone else's code because I'm afraid I'll miss a bug or something. Other than that it is pretty easy for me, although it does take a fair bit of time.
Erik: Yeah, sometimes I worry I let a bug slide or code unoptimized.
Erik: Now that you're a section manager, do you feel any different now having more power and all?
randomdude999: I don't feel any more powerful really - i just have a bunch more responsibilities now such as the patch remoderation and some other stuff that's less urgent right now. (Actually, being able to yell at the rest of the team for not moderating enough stuff is quite a power but Telinc does all the stats things so I don't get to do that often.)
Erik: I'd assume one would feel more powerful, but I see that's not the case.
Erik: Anything you want to tell the audience about the projects you have planned with the ASM sections? Maybe a bit about the patch remoderation for those that don't know, and some other stuff
randomdude999: Strictly related to the ASM sections are a planned retagging to, well, make the tags better and more accurate. Also we're planning to remoderate the ROM/RAM maps once the new fancy maps Telinc made finally get added to the site.
randomdude999: About the patch remoderation: we're remoderating all the patches since apparently nobody has done that since Asar became the standard assembler. We're also making more stuff compatible with SA-1 and move some stuff that obviously should be UberASM into actual UberASM. If you feel confident enough and want to help you can DM me on Discord about it.
Erik: Yeah, help would be appreciated boys. Looking forward to see what's done with the maps, specifically the ROM map.
Erik: Regarding tool moderation, I feel that's the lighter of your tasks, right? How does the process for that go?
randomdude999: Mostly just check that the program does what it's supposed to do, then try some nonsensical inputs too to see what happens, and if the source is available then read it to make sure it's not doing anything funny.
Erik: Sounds like a bit of work, but rarely anyone submits a tool so it shouldn't be so bad.
Erik: When it comes to SMW Hacking, do you have any hacks of your own or some stuff like that?
randomdude999: I am (very slowly) working on a joke/ASM demo hack of my own since I can't do any proper level design. I'm also working on some C3 projects that I'm not going to spoil yet (since I'm not sure I'll get them ready for C3).
randomdude999: I'm also working on a few tools and libraries and stuff, such as a version of Snes9x that intentionally doesn't write the echo buffer to ARAM (to fix old addmusics).
Erik: Well, good luck with that and hope to see some of them in action soon.
Erik: Anything you want to add?
randomdude999: Vote for me in the asm category of this year's mosts? Not much other than that
Erik: nice
Erik: Alright, I think that wraps up the interview then. Thanks to our audience for reading, and sorry for cutting it somewhat short today; still hope you enjoyed reading it.
randomdude999: I'm good, thanks.
Erik: That's nice to hear.
Erik: Let's focus on the ASM sections for now. What got you started into programming and, specifically, doing ASM for Super Mario World?
randomdude999: I can't really remember when I started properly programming - I do remember my first projects were simple Javascript animations and the like. I got into Super Mario World because of Sethbling, actually - I used to watch his Minecraft videos, so when he started making SMW videos, that got me interested in SMW too. Soon enough I found SMW hacks and this website. ASM was just the logical thing to do since I had already been programming for quite a few years at that point.
Erik: Huh, that's quite the way to get into Super Mario World.
Erik: Well, taking into reference your SMWC registration date and your promotion, I take it you either started with ASM before registering here, or did you get the hang of it easily?
randomdude999: I hadn't actually touched any flavor of ASM before finding SMWC - I had known the basics such as what's a register and stuff like that, but I hadn't written any ASM myself. I just got the hang of it quickly, probably because I had written relatively low level code earlier too.
Erik: Quite impressive. Wish I could get the hang of stuff so quickly.
Erik: Any tips you'd give anyone wishing to start with ASM?
randomdude999: I don't think I'm qualified to give newbies advice because I wasn't really a newbie when starting out with ASM (for me it was a few basic tutorials and then straight into references (or something like that, I don't quite remember)), but I've heard a few people suggest reading some ASM tutorials (such as Ersanio's ones) and then just downloading something from the ASM sections and trying to figure out how it works. You can ask in the ASM channel on Discord if you can't quite figure something out.
Erik: Alright then, moving on. Before getting to the managerial position, how did you feel with the job as ASM and tool moderator? Was it easy, stressing; your thoughts on it and etc.
randomdude999: I always feel a bit uncomfortable when reviewing someone else's code because I'm afraid I'll miss a bug or something. Other than that it is pretty easy for me, although it does take a fair bit of time.
Erik: Yeah, sometimes I worry I let a bug slide or code unoptimized.
Erik: Now that you're a section manager, do you feel any different now having more power and all?
randomdude999: I don't feel any more powerful really - i just have a bunch more responsibilities now such as the patch remoderation and some other stuff that's less urgent right now. (Actually, being able to yell at the rest of the team for not moderating enough stuff is quite a power but Telinc does all the stats things so I don't get to do that often.)
Erik: I'd assume one would feel more powerful, but I see that's not the case.
Erik: Anything you want to tell the audience about the projects you have planned with the ASM sections? Maybe a bit about the patch remoderation for those that don't know, and some other stuff
randomdude999: Strictly related to the ASM sections are a planned retagging to, well, make the tags better and more accurate. Also we're planning to remoderate the ROM/RAM maps once the new fancy maps Telinc made finally get added to the site.
randomdude999: About the patch remoderation: we're remoderating all the patches since apparently nobody has done that since Asar became the standard assembler. We're also making more stuff compatible with SA-1 and move some stuff that obviously should be UberASM into actual UberASM. If you feel confident enough and want to help you can DM me on Discord about it.
Erik: Yeah, help would be appreciated boys. Looking forward to see what's done with the maps, specifically the ROM map.
Erik: Regarding tool moderation, I feel that's the lighter of your tasks, right? How does the process for that go?
randomdude999: Mostly just check that the program does what it's supposed to do, then try some nonsensical inputs too to see what happens, and if the source is available then read it to make sure it's not doing anything funny.
Erik: Sounds like a bit of work, but rarely anyone submits a tool so it shouldn't be so bad.
Erik: When it comes to SMW Hacking, do you have any hacks of your own or some stuff like that?
randomdude999: I am (very slowly) working on a joke/ASM demo hack of my own since I can't do any proper level design. I'm also working on some C3 projects that I'm not going to spoil yet (since I'm not sure I'll get them ready for C3).
randomdude999: I'm also working on a few tools and libraries and stuff, such as a version of Snes9x that intentionally doesn't write the echo buffer to ARAM (to fix old addmusics).
Erik: Well, good luck with that and hope to see some of them in action soon.
Erik: Anything you want to add?
randomdude999: Vote for me in the asm category of this year's mosts? Not much other than that
Erik: nice
Erik: Alright, I think that wraps up the interview then. Thanks to our audience for reading, and sorry for cutting it somewhat short today; still hope you enjoyed reading it.
