1.) What’s your most favorite and least favorite things about the game of Grifball?

My favorite thing about the game itself is how faced paced it is. It requires a great amount of quick thinking and good decision making. I love the way that each round of the game is similar to game of chess. Each round will have either team using the opening they are most familiar with. They may even try to counter their opponents’ opening. If teams aren’t prepared it is easy for them to get Flowers’d on, a fool’s mate if you will. One team will come out of the opening a man or two down, perhaps losing the ball. The mid-game involves both teams vying for possession and trying to get a good set-up for that check-mate. Some teams will try to draw you in and make you think you are in control and then all of a sudden they mix it up on you with a launch. One has to be ready for anything and expect everything. Sooner or later one team is going to slip up and allow the other team to score. You can only score if the other team makes a mistake.

What I dislike about the game most is the presence of host and any other connection issues for that matter. It is like starting the game with an extra queen, it makes it really hard to lose. Neutral host has reduced this advantage to a pawn or two but it is still apparent.

2.) How do you feel about the difference in skill between the Pro and Amateur leagues? Did it effect your team’s decision when choosing which league to register and play in?

The skill difference is an extreme one. There a probable 3 or 4 Amateur teams that have the capability to even compete with the Pro teams. We must realize that other factors than skill go into a teams decision to be in one league or another. Some of the better Amateur teams chose that league simply due to availability. I was not with my current team when they made the decision to play in the Pro league so I cannot speak for them. I can say that I was originally going to play in the Amateur league due to my own availability but eventually chose to play in the Pro League because I wanted the challenge.

3.) Which do you think is the most difficult position in Grifball to play? Tank, Defense, Hybrid or Runner? Why do you believe so?

There should be no positions in Grifball. Other than Running, you need to be able to do everything well. Which brings me to my next point, Runner is the most difficult because they need to be able to do all of that and run the ball. Running the ball is extremely stressful. Players need to be extremely aware and able to react with split-second decisions.

4.) Do you feel like you could still improve upon your skill as a Grifball player? What part of your game do you feel still needs improvement?

There is a lot that I could improve upon. I tend to get a little nervous at times and will screw up when isolated with the ball carrier, although I am not as bad as I used to be. I really need to improve upon my hammer skills. More specifically my actual swing timing, not so much with my footwork. At times I can get a little aggressive with the ball, not necessarily going for extra kills but trying to make plays out of nothing.

5.) Which has been the most epic game your team has played in? What made it so special?

Hard Liquor Chasers vs. Crayola Magic (5-4). I went -27, my team combined for a -69. I joined the team about 45 mins before the start of this game. I started playing with the team the night before. I had been looking for a Pro team to join and realized that my former team-mate, II Chupa II, was on the team and started talking to them about the roster. Next thing I know, we are up 4-2 trying to close out the win. I had gone two long rounds with maybe 5 kills or so. I was getting absolutely pummeled by Prospect’s host. Crayola Magic was starting to mount a comeback. Thankfully, when it came time to be clutch I was. I had eleven bomb stops that game, stopping the majority of their pushes on the goal line. We finally ended up winning the game and pulling off the upset.

6.) What is your opinion regarding neutral host? Do you believe it makes the game more fair?

I have not been involved much with Neutral Host. I believe it makes the game a lot fairer, but not totally perfect. I think that neutral host should be required in all Pro League games. This is not going to happen as it makes scheduling even more difficult. I think that a little more effort could be put into this though. I am sure that there are people that will pull host more than 90% of the time. We should figure out what nights those people will be most available and schedule around them.

7.) How do you feel about switching to Nokyard’s GrifCave map on Sandbox for the Fall league? Have you spent much time playing on it?

The only part of me that wants to stay on foundry is the one or two wall hops a game that I use. I haven’t played on it too much but I have played enough to realize that the ledge is ineffective and difficult to use. Other than that I think that there is no reason to stay with Foundry.

8.) Are you happy with the way the Grifball league is currently run? If not, what specifically do you not like?

Yes. Although I think that there should be more games in the season and all the playoff games should be series’ of three games.

9.) What would you like to see in the future for Grifball? Would you like for it to become more professional, similar in style to how MLG works or would you like for things to stay mostly the same?

Grifball will never become more like MLG. In MLG individual skill is more important whereas in Grifball team skill is more important.

10.) If it were to ever occur, what’s your opinion regarding an occasional ranked grifball playlist in double XP matchmaking? Do you think it’s necessary?

I do not think it will happen. I think it would be worth it if it made DXP Grifball less… um… easy. It really does get really repetitive though.