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INTERVIEW WITH tunnleram
 

Introduction:

tunnleram is owner of Tram Design and project leader of 'Crash Squad', a Kingpin Modification. He has contributed a lot to the Kingpin community and has been here longer than most people.

Interview:

1) Please introduce yourself

Im known online as Tunnleram. Project Leader and map artist for Crash Squad.

2) When did you start mapping and what other games have you mapped for?

I originally tried to map for Quake 2, but I had no idea what I was doing and thankfully never embarrassed myself by releasing a map. It wasnt until I played Kingpin that I tried again. Ive done some very limited mapping for SOF, Quake 3, and Unreal Tournament, but nothing that I would ever release.


3) Why Kingpin?

I started mapping for Kingpin for the love of the game. Kingpin has the environment, the grit, the grime, and a dirty back alley feel that I havent seen anywhere else. It just sucked me in. Ive looked at mods for other games like HL, UT and Q3 that are supposed to capture the same feeling, but I think they fall short.

4) What in your opinion is the best map you've ever made?

Right now Id have to say the maps Ive made for Crash Squad topple any of my previous mapping attempts. Since I like different ones for different reasons Id have to say Shortstop Bar (bom_shortstop), Lockaway Storage (bom_lockstor), or Lexington Warehouse (bom_warehouse).


5) Tell us about 'Crash Squad'

Crash Squad is a full modification to Kingpin with gameplay very similar to other mods such as Counterstrike or Tactical Ops. To date it includes 12 maps, 9 new weapons including the molotov cocktail and Uzi, team radar, team radio, respawnable entities, and many other additions.

As far as the story behind Crash Squad goes most people dont realize that its based on a very real life situation. Crash Squad is in fact a very real Los Angeles Police Unit created to deal with the growing street gang problems there. The Crenshaw Mafia is an actual street gang that Crash Squad would deal with all the time. The part I like about these two rivals is that there really isnt a good or bad side. Crash Squad was one of the most corrupt police organizations in history making them, at one point in time, just as bad as any gang they dealt with on the streets. Unjustified arrests, beatings, drug dealing, witness intimidation, illegal shootings, planting of evidence, frame-ups and perjury were just some of the things they were accused of.

Almost all of the maps I created for Crash Squad are based on real places in Los Angeles. For instance Shortstop Bar is the bar Crash Squad officers would hang out in while Lockaway Storage is a real Los Angeles business. San Pedro Bay and MacArthur Park are actual places as well.

When it comes to the team behind Crash Squad I have nothing but pats on the back to give everyone involved. TiCal and Snap have not only given up sleep and weekends at times, but they have shared the lead in making decisions on changes as well as bringing new ideas to the table. Theyre the people behind a lot of the work that people seldom mention. ALMost, a talented map artist, recently joined our team and RichieH did a lot of the documentation and sanity checks early on when the going was frustrating. Without these guys none of this would have been possible.

6) How much popularity did you expect out of 'Crash Squad' compared to now?

I expected it to take off slowly if at all. Ive found that the Kingpin community rarely flocks to mods that arent slight variations of Bagman and Deathmatch. I guess right now I dont see the mod as being popular, but I hope that it will grow in popularity eventually. I think if people give Crash Squad a chance theyll enjoy it and find its addicting.

7) How many mods have you made in the past?

Ive never been part of a mod team before. Ive done some mapping for mods like 3 Team Bagman and Assault but I wasnt part of those mod teams.


8) What are your plans for the future?

For the immediate future Id like to continue working on Crash Squad. In the distant future I hope to be a part of this team possibly growing in numbers and taking on bigger projects. If thats not possible I think Id like to keep mapping and possibly join other projects if I find one that I like.

9) Have you ever wished you could model, code, or skin?

I always do. Throughout the Crash Squad project Ive always tried to get involved in every aspect of the mod as much as I could. Its not only to learn, but to find ways to make things easier on the people Im working with. It also allows me to do what I do better, come up with ideas, see things from different points of view, etc. At this point I dont think Id try skinning, coding or modelling and if I did it wouldnt be seriously. I doubt I could code better than Snap or model better than TiCal. Ill leave it to them. Having a good understanding of the work involved is enough for me.


10) Thanks for your time. Do you have any last words?

Id like to say hello to my LooLoo :-D and say thanks to the people who take the time to give encouragement and praise to people who create.


