Gareth Watson
CMDR Name: CMDR Space Monkey
Ambassador duties: EGX 2014
- What’s your earliest memory/experience with the Elite franchise?
Elite on the Acorn Electron. Playing with my Dad and saving like crazy for the docking computer.
- What ship set-up do you go with when playing Elite Dangerous?
I have a Cobra kitted with friggin’ laser beams on its head. I am saving up for the Federal Dropship.
– What in-game faction, if any, do you align with?
The Federation.
– What’s your preferred method of play in Elite Dangerous?
I like to mix it up. Trading, exploration and a bit of bounty hunting in Resource Extraction sites. The Cobra lets you do it all. I just wish I could do it well!
– Do you have a favourite moment from Elite Dangerous so far? If so, tell us about it.
I loved my Adder. The Cobra was great but getting in that Adder was a real eye-opener. However, my best experience was becoming friendly with the Federation. Although I was part of the Beta and should have known better, I made some silly mistakes early on that got be a bad reputation. I worked hard, did my missions and paid my dues. Every time I see those stations in green on my scanner, I think “I did that”. Sorting out my rep was one of my first personal goals and it was great to achieve it.
– Why did you apply to become an ambassador?
I thought it would be fun! Thankfully my expectations were exceeded. I applied because Elite was a major part of my childhood that I remember with very fond memories. My son and I play together today and I wanted to feel closer to the game and the people who made it. In all honesty, I played a lot before being an Ambassador but having given something back, I feel like part of the community.
– What were your ambassador experience/s like? Any highlights?
Brilliant. Don’t get me wrong, it was hard work! My voice just held out but meeting all the people, especially the other Ambassadors was brilliant. The guys from EGX were a great group of people and it felt we all pulled together as a team even though we’d only known each other for a few hours.
The Launch Party we were invited to was amazing. I had no idea about how much effort was going to be put into it but it was a real spectacle. My friend and I had a great time and seeing behind the scenes made it even more special. Elite had prime spot for the baftas as it was the first thing that the public would see upon entering the game event. This one event made me feel like a kid again and I would do it again.