Featured CMDR “Limp Bzkit” MorallyGreyArea

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

I picked up Elite during the first UK COVID lockdown as I love flying in games and a friend recommended it. I started by working towards a DBX and used that for tourist missions.

The Fatherhood is one of the reasons I’ve kept playing – it’s a great group and there’s always something to do. Otherwise, it’s the flying itself that keeps me going; it’s fun flinging ships around!

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

It’s hard to pick, but the first time I joined a wing for a Combat Zone is up there. At the time I’d mostly avoided combat, or at least just took the odd low level mission. I was still in the DBX with a couple of Railguns, so not the most suitable ship, but joining in the destruction raining down on those poor NPCs felt very epic.

Tell the story of how you earned your callsign.

I was out hunting Thargoid interceptors in a hastily retrofitted DBS with Xpression, Legion_r917th and Marina97. We took down a Basilisk easily enough, with Legion tanking most of the damage. Later, I was under heavy fire from another interceptor. I kept pushing through and eventually I was on a small percentage of hull remaining.

Xpression came in to the “rescue” while I was narrowly avoiding the green tinted death, but his limpet bopped my hull a little too hard when it attached and killed me…

Tell us about your favorite ship in the game.

My favourite ship is TFS Altered View, my DBS. It’s a shieldless build I made for the Fatherhood PvP tournament last year, with plasma accelerators alongside a thermal vent beam and corrosive multicanon. I take it out bounty hunting and when winging up for combat zones now.

It’s a blast to fly – very quick and agile, no drift and it’s cold. No shield means more speed and more weapon capacitor! While its hull is pretty strong, no shield means the durability will eventually give in, which I find adds a bit of spice to combat.

What drew you to join The Fatherhood?

It was proving difficult meeting up with my friends in the game so I looked for a squadron. At the time I had 2 kids, one being about a year old, so I liked the relaxed ethos. I spend a lot of time gaming, but interrupted frequently. Everyone’s been very understanding of sudden disappearances!

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

I’m an accountant-ish working in the UK and I’m normally on between 20.00 and 22.00 if I manage to get on in the evening. Always happy to jump in if a job needs doing!

What is one thing most people don’t know about you that you wish they did?

I’m a socially awkward introvert. One thing that’s nice about discord is that I can watch conversations going on and join in without having to find that gap to interject. I tend to write messages 3 times before posting (or not); if you see my typing a lot, don’t assume it’ll be an epic length! (I do love to write a story though)

How did you come up with the name of your Commander?

I’m a fan of Iain M Bank’s Culture novels; one particular character that stood out was the ship mind Grey Area (also known as something less wholesome). Unfortunately, I had to modify it a little for Xbox live as it was taken.

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

Have fun; if it’s feeling like a grind then change tact or break it up a little otherwise you might just burn out and not enjoy the game.