Personal Profile: Cinna Xaris and Karmel Kips, Part 2 of 2

Karmel hosting trivia at Lilly's

Lette Ponnier: So what do you both do in SL besides trivia? Karmel, you've mentioned being an MM [Midnight Mania] enthusiast?
Karmel Kips: Yes, I explore something for a while until I get my fill, and right now, still MM.
Cinna Xaris: Mainly I chat with friends, play Greedy or games like Zyngo and Gelliz. I'm a bit interested in learning more about creating things but still a total noob in that aspect of things.
KK: I think trivia is an enduring interest, though. Before MM i was checking out dance parties.
LP: Any you still go to?
KK: Yes, but less often than a couple months ago. My favorites are The Merry Pranksters, Alohas (Australian, not Hawaiian), and Club Arouse... very nice strip club.
CX: Yeah, I'm with Karmel on the enduring interest. So many places have trivia and each has their own style.

LL: That's a good segue, Cinna. What do y'all think about various styles? I have a question I've asked every time so far, but it seemed to make most people uncomfortable answering it the way I had it... so instead of asking what your favorite games are, I was wondering if you'd say which ones you tend to go to most.
CX: I think its nice having so many different trivia styles since each trivia goer is going to have a preference. I like the light hearted, slightly "crazy" ones best. DS, Inferno are always tops on my list. Zoobar and Monochrome are also on my weekly to do list.
KK: Hmmm, this is difficult because it is constantly changing .
LP: You try to make it to a range, Karmel?
KK: Yes, see how Double Standards has evolved just over the last month or so. So whatever I say about a certain event may be somewhat obsolete before it is read, with DS as only one example... Thorn's new formats, changes in hosting, changes in hours.
CX: That is one game I need to get too more, Thorn's.
KK: And other places change a lot too. The village – totally different than a month ago. New host, new room, new rules… new furniture lol.
CX: I haven't been over there lately either.

KK: I will say something in general about your question. The only thing that turns me off to a place is if I feel like it is always a typing contest. My computer is not that fast.
CX: I second that thought as well.
KK: It is frustrating to know the answer, type like mad, and be consistently 6th. Paying the first 3 is just salt in the wound. It is a combination of the difficulty of the question and who is there. When a lot of good players go, I probably won't attend much if the questions are like that. That is why I try to track who wins my questions and figure out why.

LP: How interesting! Have you figured out anything helpful so far?
CX: Investigative trivia hosting!
KK: Yes. But I'm not telling :) Just notice... a variety of people usually get my questions.
LP: Which is a very good thing!
KK: Uh oh, now I have to live up to that bragging.
CX: Same tends to be happening with mine, decent amount of spread on who wins.
KK: Great!


LP: You take a very organized approach to hosting.
KK: Basically I keep a lot of questions at the ready and do not have a set in order ahead of time.
CX: Ditto. I usually have them ordered before hand, but I've jumped around or totally tossed out a few questions at times.
KK: I think some hosts have a set and stick to it. I can understand because it is a lot going on to pick questions, too. I pull from the category I want at the time. Fast, slow, dull, funny, etc
CX: Tonight I won't have that option since I have a pattern I plan to follow. It’s just the red white blue. First question has something to do with red, and so on.

LP: Lotus recently posted in her blog about themed events. What do you two think of them, in terms of either hosting or playing?
CX: I actually just saw Lotus's blog today. I need to read her stuff. I like themes, but I wouldn't do every night as a theme.
KK: I agree with Lotus thinking they are generally not as good. I can't say I would never do one... mainly I think they turn more people off than attract people, but I could be wrong. I like to be inclusive. That is very important to me.
CX: I think Circe pulls off themes quite well at Inferno.
LP: For my part, I like loose themes... when all of the questions have a common thread but don't pander to any particular knowledge set.
KK: Yes, "theme" can mean different things.
LP: So for instance, I love how Sharon does themes... like it'll be "rats," but there aren't actually any questions about rats. Rather than confining the questions to a particular topic, the theme turns into a hint.
KK: Lotus and I had a bantering revolution theme today, but the questions were not exactly that subject.
LP: Yeah, that's a really good example of that sort of thing.
KK: Sharon is a master of the no theme theme, I think.
CX: I really need to check out Sharon's more often

LP: Which brings me to the next general question: if you have any role models or people you just generally admire around the circuit?
KK: Many.
LP: Heh... I should have included, "that you'd like to give a shout-out to."
CX: Ok, I have 5 to list. You Lette, since your events always are different - Bucc Bowl and Chaos are pretty innovative and have become staples.
Lette Ponnier blushes... thanks!
CX: Devin and Lucinda also, they are both pretty light hearted and I know their events will always be fun. Lou for always having a variety of questions that really make me think. And last but not least Circe - for pulling off the themed events so well and having such a way with words (even if her color trivias make my head explode).

LP: Excellent... well, that's everything I had planned.. was there anything either of you wanted to bring up?
CX: Please put the head exploding part in the blog. :P
KK: I think it is exciting how trivia seems to be exploding in popularity and there are many new events and formats. I am an explorer at heart and I think that is why trivia will be an enduring interest for me, since it continues to evolve.
CX: I have to say it is a TON of hard work. I really had no clue until I started hosting, usually I'm exhausted after the events.
KK: It is a surprising amount of work! Playing is easier and pays about the same.
LP: Oh... yeah, it is.... maybe we should start a Trivia Host Appreciation Day.
CX: Free vodka for trivia hosts!

Personal Profile: Cinna Xaris and Karmel Kips, Part 1 of 2

Cinna hosting at Double Standards

I thought I’d switch up the personal profile focus this time and talk to people who are new at hosting, rather than long-timers. Cinna Xaris at Double Standards and Karmel Kips at Lilly’s Pub began hosting on the same day a few weeks ago, so I thought I’d take advantage of the timing to talk with them both at the “front end” of the hosting gig. We headed to Artropolis, where we sat on deck chairs on the top of a hill, surrounded by open-air art galleries. The sim’s owner and renowned RL/SL artist Filthy Fluno flew in long enough to exchange hellos. The conversation had the tendency to veer off into lighter territory every so often, which meant I learned about Karmel’s kooking and the fact that Cinna and I have the same freezer contents.

Lette Ponnier: So let's start as we usually do, shall we? How did you both end up getting involved in trivia in SL? And that means as a player, since I know you were both playing and hanging out before hosting.
Cinna Xaris: Well during my first day or two in SL I stumbled upon Double Standards. I ran into two awesome ladies (Hummingbird and Lucinda) who were sitting there watching a movie. I was amazed by being able to watch a movie in SL, and sat down to join them. Right afterwards Luci was hosting a trivia and I stuck around....I got hooked.
Karmel Kips: I was exploring and found a place that paid 1L per correct answer auto trivia.

LP: Oh cool, so right at the beginning. And Karmel, that made you seek out other trivia places?
CX: Yeah, addicted young.
KK: So I was there and liked the auto trivia. I searched and found Double Standards. Lucky I found it since I love the smartass!
CX: Agreed!
LP: And then it was just snowball effect from there.
KK: Yes.

LP: And what eventually made you both decide to host?
KK: Lotus asked me!
LP: You hadn't thought of hosting prior to that?
KK: I was flattered to be asked to host at Lilly's. I hardly felt good enough to PLAY at Lilly's.
CX: I'd been thinking about giving it a try when I was off for the summer, then we found out Devin would be moving. Seeing as they needed someone to fill in I thought it would be a good time to try it out.

LP: Did you have any transition period or did you just jump in having an idea of what you were doing?
KK: Well, actually I really jumped because I was just experimenting with Sharon’s BYOT to see how I liked it. I had not thought about a real gig, just playing to see how to do it.
CX: Well I'd started thinking about applying to host at DS about 2 months beforehand, so I was watching the hostesses and how they handled trivias, and talking to Devin and Luci about it. However my first night I still was thinking, "Oh crap...how am I gonna pull this off!"
LP: Sharon's is kind of like an audition stage now.
KK: It is nice that she does that.

LP: Cinna, through observing others, what kind of things did you make mental note of in preparation?
CX: Well I picked up the idea that countdowns are good, and Devin gave me her gesture to use. Also since DS is a two hour event the host usually chats a bit in between questions.


LP: True, true... how about the content of the game? Question writing? Was it a struggle at all to start writing good ones?
KK: I thought a lot about the mechanics and practiced gestures and timing... but most important to me was the content of the questions. I have definite ideas about what makes good questions. 1) a range of categories. 2) include international questions. 3) make sure your questions are written so not the same person or couple of people get them all the time. 4) research so disputed answers don't happen. and 5) alternate easy and hard, so timing is fun.
CX: I saw different styles of content – sometimes there would be themes and other times random questions. I talked to people both at DS and other places about how they write questions – some use some trivia books and others use Wikipedia surfing or random knowledge they happen to know. I try to blend all that together when I'm hosting.

LP: That's an interesting last one, Karmel, because not everyone has a good sense of easy and hard, especially when it comes to stuff that is in your area of expertise or something you don't know anything about at all
CX: Yeah that is something I try to balance well in my games too.
LP: Are there topics that you feel more comfortable writing about?
KK: 5 was alternating fast and slow. :)
LP: Oh ok, not easy and hard?
KK: Kooking! Lotus suggested I pick a specialty Kategory, and I have a VERY large library of Kookbooks.

LP: Seems like people are increasingly developing signature... um... for lack of a better word, gimmicks, which I think is cute and fun. Do you cook (or kook) a lot?
KK: Every day :) Keep getting hungry every day.
CX: Yeah I'd be so done for at your trivias :P
Cinna Xaris is NOT domesticated.
LP: Is it what you do for a living? Or you just like preparing good stuff for yourself?
KK: I have my own business selling (not making) jewelry in RL.

LP: I used to cook all the time, but now I'm trying to balance a dissertation and an SL addiction, and I mostly eat frozen burritos.
CX: Omg Lette I live on those.
KK: When I decided what business to start in RL 15 yrs ago, I read some good advice: do not turn your hobby into a business or you will not have a hobby.
LP: Amy's, Cinna?
CX: Yes! The non-dairy ones.

LP: Same with me. That does sound like good advice, Karmel.
CX: Very true.
LP: Though I violate it all the time.
CX: Your hobby is your school project. As it’s becoming for me as well.
LP: Um, yeah... my dissertation is on SL. :/
KK: I thought your hobby was eroticism.
CX: I would love to read it someday when you have it done, Lette.
LP: Maybe I have many. Though that's interesting... didn't know I was "known" for that.
KK: I don't know what anyone else thinks
CX: You are.
KK: Only my own thought, Lette.
LP: Oh definitely, Cinna... with any luck, it'll be publishable, and I'll be trying to get everyone to buy it lol.
KK: lol