RASpotlight - Salsa
By
meleu.
Intro
This month we’re start this new segment of our web-magazine. It’s a place where we know a bit more about a community member.
We’re debuting this segment with the most prolific achievement creator on this planet (and now retired):
SalsaInterview with Salsa
meleu
Let’s start with your background as a (retro)gamer. How and when did you start your gamer life? Which console and what were your first favorite games?
Salsa
I started my gamer life when I was 3 years old. It was in a summer and a travelling amusement park visited my hometown. I spent sunday afternoon there with my family. There was a trailer with arcade games there too. My brothers decided to make a fun of me and put me in front of the most violent game they could find. And it was the first time I ever played a video game. They laughed at me until they got bored, and I just enjoyed myself playing Vendetta. It was love on first sight I could say. Not this specific game, but arcade games and video games in general. I always wanted to have my own arcade cabinet, but never had a good chance or idea around it, and also was afraid that if I will get one, I will want to have another one and so on. From time to time I return to the idea of building my own emulation based machine, using Hyperspin frontend or something similar. I even have crt monitor I could use for that purpose.
I got my first console in the following year on my 4th birthday. Frankly, my parents tried to make me spend less time in the arcades, but that only made it “worse”, because I only played more video games. When I started the elementary school I had rather good grades regardless, so my parents wasn’t worried about my hobby as much as the fact I spent time in the arcades, where I could easily got bullied. It was one of the reasons why I started training karate. But, oops… I supposed to write about my first console here, sorry. It was a clone of Family Computer (original Japanese model of NES), called Fenix NT-102, very close in appearance. Very sturdy model, I used it a lot back in the days, and I still have it working in very good condition. It’s really really hard to bring my favourite games, especially the first ones. I could easily list tens if not even a hundred. I will bring some examples at least: Vendetta, Saint Dragon, Xexex, OutZone, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, Mystic Warriors, The Guardian Legend, Yume Penguin Monogotari, Samurai Pizza Cats, Duck Tales, Zen: Intergalactic Ninja, Bucky O’Hare.
meleu
How and when did you discover the RetroAchievements project? What was your first impression?
Salsa
I guess that how I discovered RetroAchivements is quite common. I knew that the concept of achievements/trophies exist on modern systems, and I was always more into retro games. That’s why, one day, I simply googled a combination of two words: “achievements emulators”. RetroAchievements was the first page on the list. It still is. The site looked a bit different than right now, mostly because there was “Global Feed” section showing most of the activity related to achievements in real time from the side of the server. I just loved the idea. I signed up immediately, and downloaded RANes emulator. Just playing the games was quite addictive, but only after a couple of months I started thinking about making my own achievements.
meleu
One thing I’m always curious is about the previous skills of the achievement creators. When you started playing with the Memory Inspector, were you familiar with concepts like bit, byte, hexadecimal, little endian, etc.?
Salsa
Of course I knew about such basics. I learned it in computer science class in high school. Still, I’m not an attentive student, and I barely learn anything if I am instructed… I basically need to learn everything myself, unless I really can’t do it myself. I also can use own names for terms that exist but don’t sound clear, especially in specific environment. In case of little endian, on RA I used my own term of “reverse-split value”… Sure you can laugh at that if the definition of LE is so well known to you (you are a programmer or other IT person), but I think how it is called is less important here than actual communication.
I learned developing by myself. Didn’t used any tutorials or instruction. I simply started doing experiments using the tool-set. Of course my first productions were simple, but it also depends on what game is providing, and what ideas you have in the first place. Regardless it is always the best to play with the game first before starting serious coding. I used to call it “getting close with the game”, and that also included doing background research, trying to find as many details about the game as possible.
meleu
In a previous issue of RANews I shared my process of researching a game to find interesting achievements. I think it’s a useful thing not only for actual achievement creators, but for any community member who cares enough about the games they love. They can use such steps to research the game and suggest cool achievements, and then a developer can implement those ideas.
Could you share with us your creative process? How did you do your research? What you used to do to get inspiration?
Salsa
I’m sorry but I’m not a person who respond to questions like “what is your achievement developing process” in a simple way, so if you want details you will get an essay… I mean it all depends on a lot of things, there is a core pattern though - playing a game, researching RAM, researching the lore, looking for graphics I could use for badges and the icon etc. But it’s different for games I know well, and those I don’t know at all.
meleu
Uhm… Now I’m interested in that essay! Sounds like a nice DevTip article for a future issue of RANews. The key concept of the DevTip segment is to allow achievement creators share their knowledge with a personal touch, without that cold/objective approach we usually see in documentation. So, if you could grace us with your tips with examples of your work, I’m sure many creators would benefit from that.
Another question… When I knew you, you were using Roll-chan avatars. At that time I noticed you were developing some sets for the Roll-chan hacks. What’s your connection with the character?
Salsa
After I joined RA I was switching between different characters I used for my avatars, and I liked changing my avatars quite often. Still I thought it would be the best to use one character per year. Roll-chan happened to be my pick for the year 2017. But yeah, I just adore her, and when I figured out those sprite swaping hacks I thought it will be super cute, and super challenging to tie those with some of more well done, but difficult hacks of Mega Man games. At the same time it was kind of emancipation for the character designed to be a weak support, and potantial damsel in distress. I could say this combination turned her into a real badass, for whom just casual danger is not enough. I could say one of my girls looks exactly like her… so bam! Here you go, some more solid connection laugh
meleu
Are you involved in any other kind of retrogame related project/scene?
Salsa
Right now I am not involved in any kind of project like RA, I mean. Some time after I retired from RA I started working on a hardware gaming setup, which would allow convenient way of streaming from my collection of systems. I also extended the collection from 3 systems to much more, and plan to add even more at some point. That emulation machine I mentioned earlier will be part of it too.
There is another invidual project I am working on from some time and it relates to video game music and demo scene music. I am a huge enthusiast of old video game music for quite awhile. I prefer not tell anything more until it will be initiated.
meleu
Oh, interesting… You know, there’s a russian guy who created some simple and and cool homebrews for NES. His name is Shiru. I’ve created some sets for two of his games (Zooming Secretary and Alter Ego), and from time to time I go to his website to check what he’s been up to. And, damn!, I felt delighted by the music he’s been creating for ancient hardware, specially this one.
Regarding your collection, you once showed that to me. Would you mind to share that with our readers?
Salsa
Yeah, why not?
meleu
Before leaving you did a long post on the forums listing your reasons. Talking as a maintainer of the project, losing the most prolific achievement creator was a big loss. But as your friend, I think that took a big burden off your back.
Looking with a hindsight, do you think it was better for you?
Salsa
It is more then 2 years since I left. I’m not back there, because I realised I don’t fit there, and didn’t change my mind. My creativity is a free spirit, and you can’t put a leash on it or close it in the cage. And I only felt less free. I still had my fun, and I will remember it well.
meleu
You know, this opinion you have is what made me have an idea that we should have a “Custom Set” feature. Where anyone can create an achievement set however they want and share with the community. And then let a group of curators decide which set (or even individual achievements) would be part of the “Official Set” that would award points to the player.
But well, only having ideas is cheap. Implementing them is what takes effort. And the effort required to implement such change would be huge. So probably something for RAWeb-v3. laugh
Salsa
In my opinion the creative environment of RA is still based mostly on reputation of inviduals, which creates too much of unnecessary distraction. But again I could talk about this matter for very long, and it could quickly turn into discusion about politics. Something I would prefer to avoid, because it usually it resembles an endless struggle, where everyone could have something to say, even though it might add nothing, but it would extend the flow.
This idea of “custom set” seems to be out there for quite awhile. Originally it was intended to be implemented in RAWeb v2.
Personally I think achievement creation process should be completely free and open to anyone from the very beginning. By this I mean not only have access to all the tools, but being able to exhibit own work on the site both elements and complete sets. Allowing to create not only own achievements sets (individually for any game you want regardless if “official” set exist), all kinds of overlays for those sets (like selectable sets of badges, icons, names and descriptions in different languages etc.) but doing it offline, and allowing to set up own leaderboards, and 3rd party online/offline bases, which later could be integreated with offline systems like NES mini, Retron 5 or even next generations of flashcarts (if someone would be willing to work on such support). Retroachievements as non-profit and community based intiative should only become more and more open. Of course like you said it’s much easier to have dreams than make them. Still there is also the matter of letting someone to make those dreams if they can do it. That include removing any obstacles that could exist in way that is resonable for both sides.
meleu
Yeah, that’s surely a goal to be pursued in the long term.
Now let’s try to know you better by going into some personal questions, if you don’t mind.
What is/are your favorite movie(s) and why?
Salsa
I could have many really long discussions about it… If I would really need to pick one movie, I mean if the life of my family would depend on it for example, I would pick Back to the Future. Why? It’s almost perfect mix of almost every genre - it has comedy, drama, romance, mystery, thriller, scifi and even some horror vibes. The setting is so rich and well done, and all of that with mostly traditional analog FX. The story and it’s background is so immersive, and the acting is so interesting, you can return to this movie multiple times and never get bored with it. I also just love the concept of time and dimensional travel. Very much into slice of life and movies with historical/non contemporary settings and costumes. I never met a perso who could say that they don’t like this movie (some can tell it’s overrate but still not bad), so I don’t think I can get wrong with this one really.
meleu
What is your favorite kind of music? Can you suggest something?
Salsa
You know very well I have wide taste in music, and it changes whenever I have keen for specific genre, and I just love to browse and explore the music. If I would need to pick one kind again, I already mentioned it - this would be video game music. Is it clever sidestep of an answer? It could be, but I think that is just expressing my test in music very well. But again if I would need to pick just one artist, there is one I wouldn’t feel too bad highlighting a bit like this. It’s a japanese band called Zabadak, and their music is something between artpop, progressive rock, acoustic celtic folk, and world music in general. It is very subjective thing though, so of course, please check it but don’t expect something universal, because it is a very niche thing.
What I could suggest? Maybe something I listened just recently, and it is related to video game music… One album I like a lot and refreshed just recently: aivi & surasshu - “The Black Box”. Really touching, cute and fun combination of quality chiptune and smooth/progressive piano jazz. Like all most of great albums it has a story around it, and you can feel it’s going on within the music, not a banal story. What’s the best, you can get this album in best quality for free on bandcamp.
I can’t just stop here yet. I can listen to and suggest music in many genres, and that include italo disco, japanese city pop, zheul, sythwave, melodic death metal, desert rock, progressive mathcore, guajira, morna, shoegazing, dark ambient etc. And I like to suggest as much as getting suggestions.
meleu
Yeah, I also have a wide taste for music and I must confess that since I knew you it became even broader. You made me a synthwave addict…
Next question: What is your favorite food and beverage?
Salsa
Another topic I can talk about forever. I love cooking and I try to be very consious about what I am eating. I’m not vegan, because I just like meat too much, but I don’t think veganism and vegetarianism are stupid. My favourite dishes are pizza (I only eat it once or twice a month) and rosół (polish broth-like soup made almost always from some kind of poultry, served with egg noodles). I love apples, I eat at least 2 per day. My bevarage of choice is tea (most often jasmine green, genmaicha and green rooibos), although from sometime I drink yerba mate, and it become my “pick me up” sort of thing. I drink alcohol occasionaly, but not too much. I prefer craft beer, cider, mead and long drinks. Would love to try all kinds of authentic foods from arround the world.
meleu
What is one thing you haven’t accomplished in life you are still aiming for?
Salsa
It’s not just one thing so I will tell about a couple.
I would like to live in home I took part of builiding myself. A home situated more close to nature, but still not too far from civilization. I have a savings account for that purpose, but also support I can count for. I would like to focus on being as much independent as possible (own sources of food, water, power and fuel).
There was one point in my life I wanted to move and live in Japan. Right now I think it wouldn’t be possible, but I still would like to visit for long enough to at least have a proper taste of it. I bet that would require at least a couple of months of stay and a lot of money to spend.
meleu
Thanks for your time and for sharing a little about yourself with us. Finally, would you like to leave a message for our readers?
Salsa
Of course. RA is still up, and the fact the community is growing bigger, and people are having fun there only proves it’s done right for what it is. The future shape of it will be determined by active members who are currently investing their time to support it. When I was part of the developer team I never felt like a fish in the water. That doesn’t mean I didn’t liked doing achievements, or it was just voluntary labour I was doing because I loved the idea. What I mostly mean is that I always thought something should change, and because of that I was able to influence the trends, common sense and standards in general. I still love this idea myself, but I had my fun there already and it was enough for me. Now it’s your turn, dear reader. If you love the idea, would like to add something from yourself, and especially when you think something should be changed there. Everything is in your hands now.