Meet the Team: Tara "IronAngel" Jennings

Pay no attention to the woman behind the forums – no, wait – come meet her!  She’s the power behind the forums, the organizer of the contests – meet Tara “IronAngel” Jennings.

Q: What do you do on Champions Online?
A: I work in the Online Community Relations department, where I get to interact with the Champions Online public and beta communities. I get to hang out in the forums, on IRC, and help get as much feedback as I can to the devs from the Beta Community.

Q: How long have you worked in gaming, and what did you do before Champions Online?
A: I’ve been an avid gamer (console, PC, card, board, etc.) for most of my life, but working on Champions Online for Cryptic Studios is my first job in the gaming industry. Before this, I worked in the IT and Software Development fields.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in Champions Online?
A: Seeing all the players! Right now it’s an impressive world in its own right; I can’t wait to see it populated with players.

Q: Who is your favorite Champions Online character?
A: Probably Foxbat. I can identify with his love of ice cream and ping pong balls...

Q: What is an interesting fact about you that players would be surprised to know?
A: I hate the weather in California! I grew up in the Northeast and lived in Austin, TX before moving here. I miss seasons changing, and wrath-of-God storms. The weather around here is so…boring.

Q: What was your first favorite video game?
A: Probably a tie between two games I played on the Commodore VIC-20 – one was Whack-A-Mole, which was exactly what it sounds like, and the other was a game that ran on the cassette drive where players had to calculate optimal hotel room prices based on demand. Yes, I am a dork.

Q: What is your secret superpower?
A: Keeping my superpower secret.

Q: Which is cooler: monkeys, robots, pirates, or ninjas?
A: From a strategic standpoint, pirates. Good on land and at sea, and they really know how to party!

Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into the gaming industry?
A: Besides the typical “play lots of games,” I’d also say don’t be afraid to try. Find aspects of what you are currently doing and apply them to gaming. There are so many aspects to the industry – Design, Art, Community, Quality Assurance – if you really want it, go get it!

Q: Is there anything you would like to add?
A: Umm…Hi, Mom! That’s about it.

Talk about it in the forums!