Q:Tell us about yourself. What are some of your hobbies outside of gaming?
A: I'm a college student living in Austin, Texas. Outside of gaming, I enjoy literature, history, film, and weightlifting.

Q:What was your inspiration for New Vegas Bounties II?
A:The popularity of New Vegas Bounties I surprised me, and I was so energized by player feedback that I immediately delved into the sequel with relish. After playing a number of tremendous quest mods for Fallout 3 and Oblivion, I also felt an urge to contribute to the Nexus as an author. As a whole, the series is inspired by my ardor for the Western genre, particularly films like Lonesome Dove, A Fistful of Dollars, and The Great Silence. I always viewed Fallout as a gritty, sci-fi Western with a touch of humor, so I try to ensure my mods reflect this vision (though I've probably set a record for profanity in quest mods in the process).

Q:What was your favorite part of creating New Vegas Bounties II?
A:Outlining the plot, characters, and setting is always enjoyable, but penning dialogue is far and away my favorite element in modding. Writing lines for a character like Joaquin can help offset more tedious elements like scripting, lip-syncing, etc. Crafting random and scripted encounters is also blast, particularly with the knowledge that it will add repercussions for a player's decisions.

Q:What was the hardest part of creating the mod?
A:Scripting and planning for arbitrary behavior can be challenging (as I try to accommodate both samaritans and sociopaths), but there is no activity more taxing for a quest modder than lip-syncing. It is a mindless, laborious exercise that requires a good soundtrack and alcohol.

Q:What was the first mod you ever created, and how have you progressed from it?
A:My first mod was entitled The Duelists and was an NPC mod for TES IV: Oblivion that added dozens of irascible characters eager to engage the player in single combat. As the title would suggest, it was inspired by Ridley Scott's film of the same name (which I heartily recommend). My next project was an over-ambitious quest mod for Oblivion that ultimately failed. I was able to take away numerous lessons from both these projects and implement them in New Vegas Bounties. It's fair to say the progression from The Duelists to New Vegas Bounties II was substantial, thanks to player feedback.

Q:How long have you been interested in bounty hunting?
A:In the context of Fallout, probably since encountering The Regulators in Fallout 3, especially their bounty on Junders Plunkett (inspired by a historic pirate). After playing "Three-Card Bounty" in New Vegas, I thought the developers were on to something, but it deserved to be expanded (and made available to players of every faction). One of my goals was to make interesting targets that would imperil the player, and also reinforce consequences for their decisions.

Q:What is your favorite game to play?
A:At present, TES IV: Oblivion (out of anticipation for Skyrim) and Fallout: New Vegas. I also enjoy Rome: Total War (modded, of course), Mount & Blade, and even older titles like X-COM and Jagged Alliance 2.

Q:How do you feel about the new forum for recognized modders?
A:I just now glanced at it and hope to utilize it in the future. Kudos to Dark0ne for implementing it!

Q:Do you have any advice for aspiring mod authors?
A:Stay within your abilities, and try to improve with every project. Having produced both successes and failures, I must stress the importance of planning and organization (especially for quest mods), as well as promotion and polish. The Nexus is a phenomenal community replete with talented individuals who can assist you with any number of issues, so don't hesitate to ask other authors if you can utilize their work. Imagine playing the original New Vegas Bounties without "Sweet Revenge" - it was only made possible because of another talented modder (davidriggs) who agreed to share his creation.

Q:Is there anything else you would like to say?
A:I can be a single-minded, obsessive insomniac (qualities conducive to quest modding) prone to mod for hours on end, so I must thank my wife for patiently enduring my marathon modding sessions. The Nexus community has been tremendous, particularly individuals like Fonger, Quetzlsacatanango, and others who help out with comments, technical issues, etc. Also, New Vegas Bounties II would be a completely different and lesser mod without the contribution of voice actors, most of whom originated right here on the Nexus site. Thank you for helping me bring the characters to life with such tremendous effect. I want to thank the players who offer feedback, encouragement, and endorsements. Quest mods tend to be highly subjective (and bring out passionate opinions), so it's incredibly rewarding to see this project get such a positive response. Finally, I'd like to thank Dark0ne, as well as the administrators and moderators for making the Nexus such a hospitable platform for mods and their authors. I'm eager to continue producing quest mods for the Nexus community (whether it's Fallout or The Elder Scrolls). Thank you for conducting the interview, Yoba333!