Greetings, Shroom readers! This is your host, Alex Trebek Superchao! This month, I'm interviewing Pi, also known as Kazooie, RandomYoshi, or more recently, Chiaki Nanami. Pi hasn't been around as long as most other active users - not only did he join the wiki back in mid-2011, he wasn't even very active in general until February of last year. And even then he disappeared for a few months. But since then, he's been quite the presence, even getting promoted to operator last September and joining the Shroom Staff only two months ago. But enough of my ramblings, here's the part you actually care about.
The Interview
Me: Hello, readers! Today I'm interviewing Pi, also known as RandomYoshi.
Me: (that's your cue)
Pi: Hello, readers! I am this Pi, or this RandomYoshi, or this Kazooie, or this Chiaki Nanami!
Me: As usual, let's jump right into the basic questions.
Me: How did you first find the MarioWiki?
Pi: I first found the MarioWiki when a friend of mine in 10th grade showed me it.
Pi: At first, I thought the idea of a Mario-based Wiki was a bit ridiculous as I thought that I already knew everything about Mario beforehand, but boy was I wrong.
Me: Do we know if this mysterious friend has an account?
Pi: As of the time of this interview, he does not have an account on the MarioWiki, nor does he plan to get one.
Me: Ah well. So considering Mr. 10th grader obviously isn't it, who was your first friend on the wiki?
Pi: Hmm, that's a tough question.
Pi: I feel that there was one time when I just, you know, became friends with everyone on the site, but if there's got to be someone, I'd say probably Smasher or ThePremiumYoshi (with whom I had a bunch of silly queries with).
Me: I was actually going to bring up Smasher! :V
Me: Namely, this is just my impression, but your best friends seem to be Rocker and Smasher. How'd you become friends with them?
Pi: That's an interesting question.
Me: are you implying something
Pi: With Rocker, I think that we got together because our playstyles when playing Mafia are so similar, and that we have the same opinions on pretty much everything.
Pi: That and he is just a nice guy to be around.
Pi: And with Smasher, he's very fun to mess around with. And in return, he messes with me. It's like an endless cycle of messing with each other, and it never stops.
Me: Rocker's pretty cool nowadays, a lot better than he used to be. No offense to him.
Pi: That's cool, everybody had their noob days.
Me: And that explains all the post-editing everywhere. <_>
Pi: Speaking of noob days, I was pretty godawful when I was in my noob days, too.
Pi: I remember using a ridiculous, green font on the forum in every post I made.
Me: Oh yeah, didn't you also constantly use... Courier New, wasn't it?
Pi: That's right.
Me: How often did people get mad about it? :V
Pi: Once, after which I stopped with it.
Pi: I remember the context of it, too.
Pi: I said that double spacing was stupid because it used up an extra space, and then Uniju (no offence to you, Uniju) quoted the post and said that it was a contradictory statement as I was using a font that was taking up more space than everyone else's posts, and there was some commotion on both the forum and #mwchat related to that. I stopped pretty much immediately, IIRC.
Me: Ah, yeah. I can see why that would be a shock to the system.
Me: Now, about #mwchat.
Me: You're obviously very active on IRC, as can be shown by you getting the three cyan stars. Why's that, anyway? Tell us the history. (including the part about the ban)
Pi: Ah, that's actually a very interesting story.
Pi: To kick this off, I've actually been banned from #mwchat — which I operate these days — two times before.
Me: He wasn't an operator at the time, of course! :V
Pi: My first ban lasted a week, which was because I flooded and spammed the channel like crazy.
Me: Was there any particular reason why or did you just feel like "LOLOLOL LET'S SPAM"?
Pi: It was partly because I couldn't restrain myself at the time, and partly because another troublemaker was involved — Noah.
Pi: This Noah person messed with me during the time I was banned the first time so much, and I will actually share what he did and said during my time being banned from #mwchat.
Pi: Firstly, he convinced me the ban was unjustly placed. Secondly, he was trying to get the Operators demoted for 'abusing their powers'.
Me: Ah, yes, Noah. I wasn't there at the time but I've read the stories. Quite the infamous figure, isn't he.
Pi: Indeed he is.
Pi: Anyway, as soon as I was unbanned, I was being very awkward in #mwchat and was told to leave, or else my ban was to be extended.
Pi: I pretty much immediately left, and I think I stayed out there for another week.
Pi: Then I rejoined, actually apologised for my behaviour, and told the Operators that I would learn from my mistakes.
Me: And so you did?
Pi: And indeed I did.
Me: Huzzah!
Me: Anyhow, wasn't the second ban requested?
Pi: It quite indeed was.
Pi: I requested that ban because I needed the time with school, and I wanted to be sure I couldn't rejoin #mwchat during that time.
Pi: The ban was set sometime in the beginning of April last year, and for 89 days from that day and until first of June the same year, I was on a hiatus from the Wiki, Forum and Chat.
Me: Well, I'm quite glad you're not on an 89-day hiatus this year.
Me: Would make it a bit hard to interview you
Pi: It would, wouldn't it?
Pi: During this period of time, I conveniently missed some very heavy drama on the forum and chat, which I am quite happy about.
Me: Yes, I can understand why you'd be glad about that. <_>
Me: To continue querying you about the chatroom: For some unfathomable reason someone decided to put you in charge of the chatroom.
Me: How could they ever make such an outrageous decision?
Me: (i kid, you're a great op)
Pi: That was because I was an unofficial Operator for three months.
Pi: From late June last year until late October last year, I reminded users of rules without actually being an Op and without mini-modding.
Pi: It was a skill I honed every day, and it got better and better and better, until I could blend in as a normal user who was very, very considerate about the rules of #mwchat and also wanted #mwchat to stay safe.
Pi: I also reported everything rule-breaking I saw to an Op in a query, and suggested changes to be made to the rules and whatnot.
Me: Yeah, I actually do remember that.
Pi: Eventually, the Ops all agreed that promoting me (thereby making me an official Operator) was the best decision they could make.
Me: That way you could actually enforce your reminders!
Me: So-o-o-o. Let's talk about the wiki some! Do you do much on it?
Pi: I don't do as much as I used to do, but I'm starting to do as much as I did when I was a newer face in the community.
Me: The forums and chat steal away another promising user. It's just as Wayoshi feared.
Pi: I am an Autopatrolled user there at the moment, though I think that becoming a Patroller could potentially happen.
Me: Do you have any particular areas you like to work on? <.>
Pi: Well, I mostly do stuff with Mario Party Minigame articles, but I also do Super Paper Mario things, and I also do random editing by hitting the "Random page" button and see if anything needs fixing.
Me: Ah, I see. Well, good luck with your wiki work.
Pi: Thanks!
Me: Now, there's one more area of the community left to talk about: you're quite active on the forums these days. Tell us about that, why don't you?
Pi: The forum is a nice way to spend my time, and I've become quite invested in it. Especially one thing, Mafias.
Pi: I can usually be found derping around in Mindless Junk or playing a Mafia game.
Me: Why, yes, you can. You're probably one of the best mafia players here. Why and how did you get so good/interested?
Pi: Well, I got interested when I tried Shoey's Shoey Mafia (I lost that one pretty badly...), and I realised how fun it was.
Pi: It's always fun manipulating the Innocents when you're Mafia, it's always fun scumhunting when you're Innocent.
Pi: Now, how did I become that good?
Pi: Well, for one, I always try to get as much discussion happening during a Day that I can, which makes me see patterns in how people post.
Pi: Then I analyse those patterns, analyse their posts, and try to make a conclusion based on that.
Me: And you often make some very accurate conclusions.
Me: except when you have to fakeclaim
Pi: I do? Mostly, I don't think I have that much time to scumhunt at all, but when I am given the time, I can catch the Scum pretty easily.
Pi: On the topic of fakeclaims, I can partly agree with you.
Pi: When I am asked to claim as scum, it'll rarely go my way.
Me: Like the time you claimed a Digimon that wasn't canon!
Pi: Yes, that was a very... interesting claim.
Pi: To honour that claim, I now have "Best Pawnmon" in my personal title on the forum.
Me: Oh god, I haven't even noticed that.
Me: But yeah, sometimes the general phase shortness gets annoying. Where I was from days were usually 72 hours.
Pi: I think 72 hours is way too short, though. I want Days lasting for 2 weeks.
Me: Well, the two weeks are regular for mafiascum, aren't they? You'll probably fit in great over there.
Pi: Yeah, two weeks is a regular thing on MafiaScum.
Pi: I've played a Newbie game there, and the host said I will fit in anywhere on the site.
Pi: I was probably the second best Townie during that game (sadly though, the Pi: And I actually learnt a lot from that game!
Me: Well, that'll be great, then! Just don't go deserting us, eheheheh.
Pi: Yeah, I'll keep playing games here, of course. c:
Me: Now, let's move off INTERNET for a bit. You're really good at math, and I've even heard you say you want to major in it. Why do you like it and how did you find out you liked it?
Pi: Math has always been interesting for me.
Pi: I like how there are general cases that apply to specific cases.
Pi: I like how you can say that you have something that applies, and then immediately conclude that you have something else that applies.
Pi: Though my interest piqued during 10th grade, when a teacher opened my mind about math completely when I learnt that you could do pretty much anything, as long as you said what you were doing.
Me: Perhaps you could explain that in a bit more detail. :V
Pi: Sure thing!
Pi: It was basically amazing to learn that, if you had a variable, let's call it x, you could introduce a new variable, let's call it y, and have x=√y and make an equation easier to solve.
Me: Yeah, it's quite useful for things like x delta x in limits and such.
Pi: I had thought math was something set in stone, unable to be changed by nobody special as I was at the time.
Pi: But then I was wrong, and it turned out to be amazing.
Me: Are you planning on going into a math-related career, then?
Pi: I think so, yeah. I'm studying mathematics at a University, and I'm going to keep studying there for four years.
Me: Well, I'm sure you'll do well!
Pi: Thanks!
Me: So, since we are on a Mario wiki, I should probably ask
Me: Do you have a favorite Mario game/character? And if so, why?
Pi: My favourite Mario character is Yoshi, with Daisy in a close second place. Yoshi is a very fun character, and Daisy is such a tomboy I cannot ignore her.
Pi: My favourite Mario game... I'm not sure about that.
Me: Well, do you have any ties for favorite then?
Pi: Super Mario World was a very solid title, Super Mario 64 has nostalgic values, Super Mario Galaxy's gravity makes it a very fun game, Super Mario Galaxy 2 has great level design, and whatnot.
Pi: Though Paper Mario is a very fun game, too.
Pi: Likewise, the Mario & Luigi games are incredibly fun.
Pi: I also greatly enjoy the Mario Party games.
Pi: In short, I like a lot of Mario games, but there are some I really don't like that much.
Me: So, looking at your list, I see the common theme of All Platformers among your most favorites.
Pi: Yup.
Me: Do you just generally prefer those to RPGs?
Me: Like not saying you don't like RPGs but that you don't like them As Much.
Pi: I do like RPGs.
Pi: But I played the Mario platformer games before I played the Mario RPGs, so there's some nostalgia imbedded there I think.
Me: Makes sense to me.
Me: You mentioned some you really don't like much. Any examples?
Pi: Mario Party 9 and Paper Mario: Sticker Star.
Pi: They're just... ugh, so bad.
Me: Changing the formula and Not In A Good Way.
Pi: Mario Party 9 destroyed everything that was good with Mario Party, and Paper Mario: Sticker Star had about 10 mandatory battles.
Me: Yeah, and there was no actual Motivation to not run from everything.
Me: At least in SPM you still leveled up by killing things.
Pi: Super Paper Mario is the best Paper Mario game IMHO.
Me: nice to see someone agrees with me re: spm being good
Me: high five
Pi high fives Blocky
Me: But I don't know much about MP9, honestly. What did it do again?
Pi: MP9 did bad stuff.
Pi: You are all in a car and you all move.
Pi: All the boards are linear, and have an end space.
Pi: Everything is determined with the roll of the Dice Block, the items only affect the Dice Blocks, and minigames aren't played that much, if at all.
Me: That doesn't sound anything like Mario Party!
Pi: You're quite right about that one!
Me: So, I assume you're not someone who limits himself to just one series.
Me: What's your favorite non-Mario game?
Pi: Banjo-Kazooie.
Pi: <3
Me: besides banjo-kaz-
Me: goddammit, pi
Pi: Besides Banjo-Kazooie?
Me: Yeah, because that one's really super obvious, Mr. Kazooie.
Pi: Um... Banjo-Tooie? *shot*
Me: :I
Pi: Um... hmm.
Pi: I have this weird likehood for Final Fantasy XIII that nobody seems to understand. I quite like the Final Fantasy games as a whole, and I want to play more than just XIII.
Me: Is XIII generally unpopular or something? I don't Final Fantasy sorry :V
Pi: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask are two games I really enjoy, too.
Pi: Yes, hating FFXIII is a new religion or something like that.
Me: I've noticed Skyward Sword also being... divisive.
Pi: Yup.
Me: Why do you like the Banjo games and FFXIII, then?
Pi: Banjo-Kazooie defined my childhood.
Pi: It defined my life.
Pi: When I play through that game, I see myself growing up all over again.
Pi: It's so goddamn nostalgic there is nothing stopping it.
Pi: I used to play it when I felt down, and it would never fail to cheer me up.
Me: Well, I'm glad it did that for you!
Pi: Anyway, on the topic of FFXIII, I like that game because of the battles being fast-paced, and the characters are actually interesting if you give it a chance.
Me: Well, holding your own opinions against the majority is, i don't know how to word it but it's a good sign?
Pi: Yup.
Pi: It's a sign you really, really know how to voice your opinions, which is always a positive sign.
Me: Not that having majority-opinions is necessarily bad.
Me: Really, you should just make sure your opinions are your own.
Me: So, if you don't mind me asking. what is life in Sweden like?
Pi: Oh yeah, I live in Sweden.
Me: is it true you live in snow huts and hate denmark
Me: I distinctly remember reading that Sweden has been rivals with one of the Scandinavian countries for hundreds of years.
Pi: Well, about that with the snow huts and all — that's obviously not true (or is it?!).
Pi: Nah, it's not true at all. But what you are saying about Denmark is correct.
Pi: Denmark and Sweden used to hate each other during the 1500s-1600s.
Me: So what is Sweden actually like, then?
Me: Non-stereotypically, that is.
Pi: Well, it's actually warmer than you'd imagine it being.
Pi: That's partly due to the Gulf Stream that keeps it warm and comfortable. Granted, you have to live in the southern part of Sweden for that to be noticeable, which I do.
Me: Do you guys have any ridiculous stereotypes about us? :V
Pi: Yup!
Me: Like what?
Pi: The most notable one is that you Americans sue companies for everything, no matter what.
Pi: It's even jokingly stated.
Me: Well, there are elements of truth in that.
Pi: And while on jokes, there are a plethora of jokes involving Norwegians being dumb in Swedish humour.
Me: What do you guys have against Norway?
Pi: Nothing at all.
Me: Oh, so basically it's like how we treat Canada.
Pi: It's also interesting to note that there are jokes involving Swedes being dumb in Norwgeian humour.
Me: well that explains a lot
Pi: But that's justified, because Sweden is the most "hated" country of the Scandinavian countries. Basically:
Pi: -Sweden had total control over Norway over the course of 100 years.
Pi: -Denmark and Sweden were rivals a long time ago.
Pi: -Schools in Finland once forbade the teaching of Finnish by orders of the Swedish government, and enforced the teaching of the Swedish language instead.
Me: Wow, you guys were jerks.
Pi: I know that we were jerks.
Pi: Also, if you say that you love Sweden and are Swedish, you will be labeled as a racist.
Me: ...Welp!
Pi: Yup!
Me: Why not tell us a bit of positivity for a change.
Pi: Well, it's the second best country to live in Europe, and it has one of the highest rates of democracy in the entire world.
Pi: It's better than USA in the last remark.
Pi: I think that Sweden is like number 4 on that list? Number 3? 2? IDK, all I know is that Iceland is at number 1.
Me: those darn icelanders, always outclassing everyone
Pi: mhm
Pi: Anyhow, Sweden also exports a lot of music.
Pi: Only the UK and USA exports more music than Sweden does.
Me: I should give Swedish music a try sometime.
Pi: Anything else you had on your mind?
Me: Not really.
Me: So hey, is this the last question?
Pi: Perhaps this is the last question of this interview, but nobody can know everything!
Me: But wasn't that the entire point you went into math, that you'd be able to know things?
Pi: Yes, know things. Not everything. Knowing everything would be boooring.
Me: But Pi, I just defined the answer to the question! Aren't you paying attention?
Pi: I am too attentive to my chocolate, it seems.
Me: RIP Pi
Pi: god i love chocolate
Me: Lost forever gazing at his chocolate
Pi: it's amazing <3
Me: It was nice talking with you until you fell under the chocolate's spell, though!
Me: Thanks for the interview.
Pi: You're welcome!
Conclusion
Pi's pretty cool. Despite not being here as long as most, he's definitely got a well-deserved reputation, and he's certainly easy to talk to. You should probably chat him up when you get a chance.
(spoilers I can't write conclusions either)
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