Community Spotlight: Kimmo Proudfoot
Entirely dedicated to discussion and celebration of exploration in the Elite Dangerous universe, the Elite Explorers subreddit will soon exceed 3,000 subscribers. Exploration in Elite Dangerous offers an experience like no other, so it’s no surprise it caught the attention of the publication New Scientist when they were writing an article about exploration in videogames. When the writers of the popular science magazine approached Kimmo Proudfoot about the subreddit he created, he was happy to explain why he loves getting lost in the vast expanse of space.
That must have been an interesting moment, getting asked to talk to an international publication?
Yes, it was really cool. I read New Scientist, so when I was approached by Douglas Heaven for an interview I felt honored. He was very curious and enthusiastic about the topic, and I think this comes across in the article. He kindly offered to send a printed copy, and I plan to frame it for my office. From a broader perspective, it is interesting that mainstream media titles are starting to pay more attention to the cultural value of gaming titles like Elite Dangerous.
Why did you decide to set up Elite Explorers?
I think a lot of players enjoy exploring in games and I would suggest that most humans find exploring satisfying on some level.
Elite Dangerous has a whole galaxy to explore which realistically depicts our own Milky Way. For me, being able to travel thousands of light years to see our nebulae and what other planets might look like is endlessly interesting and meditative. I am also really looking forward to planetary landings in the game - this will be a fantastic thing for exploration and I can see myself drifting around the Milky Way in Elite for many years to come.
How long have you been playing for?
I got into Elite Dangerous during premium beta and I have been addicted ever since. Like many players, I loved Elite on the Commodore Amiga back in the day and I had been longing for a modern iteration of this wonderful game. Elite Dangerous is one of a few titles in my gaming history that has really captured my imagination, and I never tire of playing. I also played on the Amiga back in the nineties.
It must take up quite a bit of your time to curate Elite Explorers, how do you manage to keep up with it?
Truthfully, it doesn't really take up too much of my time. I check in daily to see if there is anything that needs my attention, but mostly I'm just reading through the many interesting submissions we receive every day. I have found that the community is very helpful and respectful, so I have never needed to moderate anything. It's a very helpful and warm community for explorers in Elite Dangerous and I never cease to be amazed at the great submissions it receives.
What are your plans for the future of Elite Explorers?
At the moment we have around 3000 subscribers, but I can see this figure growing significantly as new features are introduced to the game. I would be very happy if the subreddit retained its present atmosphere of helpfulness, wonderment and collaboration.
Visit and subscribe to the subreddit here.
Read the New Scientist article here.