Featured CMDR Kik “Clipped” Ravendish

What was your first experience with the Elite universe and what keeps you playing it today?

I was introduced to ED by an acquaintance who mentioned off handedly that he was building a computer for “a game”. I asked, “A GAME?” He then told me about ED, being a 1:1 model of the Milky Way Galaxy. From there, he needed to say no more. While the game was downloading, I began absorbing tutorials and watching the myriad of content that was available. I remember being daunted, overwhelmed and more than exited. I was elated. This WAS the game that I’ve been waiting for my whole life

Tell a quick story about your favorite moment in Elite: Dangerous. Tough question.

I had been playing the game maybe a month and was out exploring in the SRV at a geyser site. There was a monster geyser in front of me and my Anaconda behind me about 500 meters. I sat there looking at the geyser, blasting into the sky and the roar of the material as it was escaping the vent while others burbled and belched around me, this one in front of me was epic. I thought to myself….. “Huh…, I wonder what would happen if I…” then I drove over it. I was blasted into the sky, tumbling higher and higher. Rocketing and tumbling higher and higher, I managed to fumble out my phone and take a video, then I saw my ship Take off uncommanded.

Now, looking back on the occasion, gyser jumping is rather commonplace, but being a new Commander, not knowing what would happen and then seeing my ship leave as I crossed the distance threshold that releases the ship to orbit as I careened into the sky, well, it was a thrill.

Tell the story of how you earned your callsign.

I wouldn’t say I earned it. Somewhere, there’s a video, documenting it in all its glory. But the short story is, I got “Clipped” by a “Clipper” 100 meters from the summit during a six hour team mountain climbing expedition.

Tell us about your favorite ship in the game.

It’s tough to answer this, each has her own application. I think the one I have the most enjoyment out of flying is probably my Fer De Lance, “Greenis Envy” She’s fully engineered with Super Penetrator Rail Guns and a huge Plasma Accelerator and a couple of efficient Thermal Vent Beams. Landing a trick shot on an enemy combatant at a fair distance is very satisfying.

What drew you to join The Fatherhood?

I heard about The Fatherhood, listening to a Sagittarius Eye podcast. Prior to joining The Fatherhood, I played mostly Solo or Private Group between my friends and I. I joined The Fatherhood Delta and brought with me all my friends, and my own Father, who goes by the name of Pops Ravendish.

What’s your day job, and how do you balance your home, work and gaming life (or do you)?

I am a traveling helicopter mechanic. I work for a company that builds and maintains power lines. The job keeps me on the road for the better part of a month at a time. When things are slow at work, i.e. helicpters aren’t broken, or if I no scheduled maintenance to perform I can be found in space. So, if I’m on the road, Elite: Dangerous-ing is what I do to pass the time. When I go home, my family gets all of my focus. I stay mostly in US eastern and central time zones.

Any fatherly advice for new CMDRs trying to make their way in Elite: Dangerous?

1. Play in open, and enjoy the social aspect of the game. Solo and PG’s certainly have their place. For example: going to Deciat in open, as a beginner assumes the risk of getting squashed by lonely scumbags who love nothing more than blowing up your ship.
2. Use the tools that were developed for this game, ED market Connecter, EDDB.io, Inara, EDSM EDtools.cc etc. I always run EDmarket connecter when I’m dangerousing, it helps keep the tools we enjoy up to date.