Community Spotlight: Magiko
By: Trent McCrow

The IDC is very proud to have a great community of players who support what we do and what WOTC did before us. The whole reason for the IDC is to keep producing set for its fans and the fans we have are great. I plan to talk to some of the more familiar characters within our community and get to know them a little better. A month or two ago I started talking to Magiko over IM and he graced me with the privilege to interview him. So today you can all learn a little more about the man behind the avatar and to find out what he has done for the SWTCG community.

Give us some background on yourself: where are you from, what do you do and what do you plan to do?

Well, my real name is Marcelo Medeiros, 31 years of age, living in Fortaleza - CE - Brazil, formation in telecommunications, but working with computers for more than 10 years now. And I intend to make my own business in this sector, programming, web design or continue teaching. I am not very sure on which area I prefer keep going.

At the moment I doing several things, but at same time, web design is my primary focus.

With my free time, I play many things, but since I was kid, computer games were the first influence.

I think everything started around 1997. Many TCG's pops on my mind, but I am sure "Rage" and "Jihad" (actual Vampire: the Eternal Struggle) were both the first ones at same time.

One time, me and my close friends had an group called "IECA" and use to play many RPGs (yeah, those from REAL books, lol). My 3 passions were "Vampire: The Dark Ages", "Werewolf: The Apocalypse" and "Mage: The Ascension". All of them were RPG's from White Wolf company as so their counterparts TCGs (Rage and VTES).

From that time I could never stop with TCGs and CCGs. Yugioh, Pokemon, Spellfire, Tomb Raider, Netrunner and many others, the latter (Netrunner) still my "eternal favorite" by nowadays I think StarWarsTCG, VS System, World of Warcraft, InuYasha and UFS are what I most play, so my favorites (but Naruto will be soon into this list, hehehe).

What is it about the Star Wars Trading Card Game that first attracted you to it and what keeps you playing it today?

For sure my love for Star Wars movies since I was a kid, was the cause. It was a natural step get into the TCG when I saw it the first time, but what keeps me playing now and ever is for the fun this game always brings to me. What can say? This game is fun!

As a good chess player, I am attracted to most card games by their strategies and mechanics, and StarWarsTCG gives me this and also the joy to see my favorite characters from the movies fighting each other. My favorite character? Obi-wan, but who can resist the seduction of the Dark Side? Vader is the best DS ever.

Living in Brazil, I wouldn't think there are many people who play the SWTCG in your area. Who do you play with and how?

Other cities here in Brazil have many players to many different card games, but in Fortaleza (my city), only the RPGs have many players. To avoid that, some years ago I started to search online programs and was at that moment (2002 I think, but not sure) I found LackeyCGG and all my friends and friends of my friends started to play as many card games as I could make plugins for them. And that’s why I could never stop to make plugins, because until now, many players kept popping up in Brazil to play online, not only StarWarsTCG, but many other card games.

Then for your question, Brazil has many players, but for MY city, to play online is the best option

I noticed you are quite a 'big' name when it comes to the LackeyCCG program. What role have you had in the development of the program? What should we be on the lookout for in the future of Lackey?

In this last 4 years, I've done everything I could to help Trevor, Lackey's creator and programmer, to improve his program. But my involvement on this matter is to just test his ALPHAS (usually before release) to find big bugs so he can fix them before release to public.

But for sure, I share all my experiences while making plugins, with him and anyone else who needs help. At the moment, I have made something around 40 plugins with at least half of them being online already. So ALL my knowledge comes from the practice, and chatting with Trevor and other plugin designers.

As a long time player of the SWTCG, what do you think about the direction the IDC has taken the SWTCG? Where would you like the IDC to go next?

I agree with all decisions and I must give congrats to the IDC for this hard work they have done until now.

I think after a few more sets, to satisfy the first wishes from the community, the IDC must focus on free marketing if they plan to keep this game alive for many years from now

People from the world MUST know about what they are doing, this is the only way to make more and more generation of players I think.

And just to finish off the IDC 10 questions in a minute segment:

1. What is your favorite Expansion?

2. What is your Favorite card?

3. Who is the best person to play with?

4. If you were part of the IDC and could create any unit card what would it be?

5. If you could be any Star Wars character who would it be and why?

6. You’re trapped in a room with only a custurd pie and a chainsaw. What do you?

7. What is your favorite deck to play?

8. What would be your ideal set for the IDC to create?

9. How many Jar Jar Binks units is too many?

10. Who is hotter, Padme or Leia?

1. From WotC RotS from IDC SAV (the best of ALL!).

2. Falcon Millennium

3. My big friend, Roberto (Deslock)

4. Is hard to say, there are so many Expanded Universe characters I love. But even so, I will choose Han Solo.

5. Obi-wan Kenobi because HE is the true hero of course!

6. hmmm what is a "custurd"? lol

7. Diplomats, Jedis and Force Drain.

8. Any EU set but If would choose one should be Knights of the Old Republic.

9. 4? lol

10. Padme AND Leia (hehehe)

Thanks for chatting with me Magiko! It has been great to lean a little more about you. How can other players get in contact with you to play a game?

by AIM: Mister Magiko or YahooIM: dukemagiko

and thanks to you

Well I guess that brings this interview to a close. Thank you for letting me pry into your life and I wish you the best with your work with LackeyCCG!

PLAY, LOVE, LIVE the SWTCG!

Same to you and for all IDC fellows....

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