Arma 3 hails people of every flavor from all over the world. To get to know them a little better, we're hosting a series of mini-interviews with some of our amazing community members. These aim to give you a personal insight into their backgrounds, why they got into Arma, and how they typically experience the game. In this issue, we interview community member and content creator Chewie.
BIO
Name: Adam, but everyone calls me Chewie.
Nickname: Chewie / ChewieGames
Age: 35
Location: Sunny, southern England.
Occupation: I work in a Pharmacy, delivering medication to people. One day I’ll be an environment designer!
BASELINE
Can you provide us with one random fact about yourself?
I have ADHD, so asking a question like this literally sent me into a meltdown. What do you mean there are no facts about me?
So what is the origin of the name Chewie?
My friends started calling me Chewie about 18 years ago, apparently because of my resemblance to a certain Wookiee sharing the same name. I have a lot less hair nowadays, but the name still stuck!
What's the first Arma game you played?
Arma 2. I started out playing things like Wasteland, Epoch and the DayZ Mod. My laptop could barely run them at the time!
What is your current Arma 3 playtime?
3,512 hours. I know those are rookie numbers compared to some!
What is your favorite game of all time?
Aside from Arma 3? Fallout: New Vegas
Outside of video games, what other hobbies do you enjoy?
A lot of my time is spent in pursuit of video game related activities, but when I do drag myself away from the computer - I like to make scale military vehicle models, I play drums, or I read books! I sometimes go airsofting, too.
Can you show us your PC setup?
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
How and when did you get into Arma?
I’m not even sure how I first heard of the Arma franchise. I know before I was playing things like the older Call of Duty and Battlefield games. I think it was my shift from console to PC gaming that I discovered a game like Arma even existed. It blew my mind that such things were even possible in games. The rest is history!
How do you play or engage with Arma 3 nowadays?
I still play Arma 3 very regularly. I run a community for people who also enjoy playing Arma and other similar games, and we do at least one big session a week (something like Mike Force or Antistasi), and just generally hang out and play video games during the week.
I’m also part of another community called “The Void,” who run a session every Saturday for an amazing curated Arma 3 experience.
What is your favorite piece of Arma 3 user-created content (mod, addon, scenario, game mode, tool) and why?
Antistasi. I love how the game shifts from you being gearless rebels in the start - where you have to be sneaky, careful, and avoiding enemies - to building up arms until eventually you’re going toe-to-toe with the invading armies in a tank you stole. The fact that it’s a huge, dynamic, persistent campaign that you can play with a bunch of mates, is great too. I’ve done so many Antistasi campaigns over the years now!
I also love S.O.G. Prairie Fire’s co-op Mike Force scenario!
Can you share your #1 pro tip for any Arma 3 player?
Unbind your “G” key.
Learn how to use all of the launchers and you will become everyone's best friend when there is mention of enemy vehicles.
With the release of Arma Reforger and modding tools for Enfusion Engine, what are you looking forward to with the franchise as we move along the road to Arma 4?
I’m really looking forward to seeing what else the Enfusion Engine can do as we get closer to, and after the release of, Arma 4. Having spent a considerable amount of time making maps for Arma Reforger, I can say I’m really excited for the future of the franchise. (Go check out Worthy Islands!)
BONUS: If you had to choose an animal that best represents you, what animal would it be and why?
The Sea Turtle from Finding Nemo. I like to take everything in my stride, not let things phase me too much, and try to have a good time with everything. I think his name was Crush?
CLOSING
To finish the interview, do you have anything you'd like to share with the Arma community?
I’d just like to say thanks for all of the opportunities that this game has given me over the years. Aside from just getting to play the game in all its glory, I’ve been very fortunate by getting to take part in closed betas, official live streams, playing with actual veterans, playing with developers, and a whole bunch of other really cool things!
Thanks Bohemia Interactive, and thanks to the community! You are truly the best in all of gaming.
Lastly, If you’re looking for a pretty chill place to play Arma 3, all skill levels welcomed - consider joining my community!