About me, and my writing philosophy

I know that the name "Vercingetorix712" sounds rather mysterious, so my goal here is to provide some information on myself, my writing style, and my philosophy behind these matchups. I'll answer some basic questions first:

1. What does your name mean?

A: Vercingetorix was a Gallic Celt chieftain who lived during the time of the late Roman Republic in what is now France. He was a true leader of men, unifying the Celts in their resistance against Roman encroachment. Before Vercingetorix, the Celts were made of scattered warring tribes, but under him they united to find a common identity and fought together against the armies of Julius Caesar. Though Vercingetorix was ultimately beaten by Caesar, he was by far the Preconsul's most worthy opponent and very nearly ended Caesar's rise to power before it was fufilled. Most importantly, he gave the Celtic people a sense of national purpose and today he is remembered as a hero by the Celtic nations, but particularly France and Germany.

Thus, my name is a tribute to this leader because I think he was what a warrior should stand for: someone who was noble in combat, chivalrous to his subjects, and who fought to the end for what he stood for. The numbers don't mean anything, except that they are a reminder of my old username.

2. Why do you write and comment about DW?

A: Because I love the concept, if not always the show itself. There are many things it does well, but also plenty that it gets wrong, from using incorrect equipment to taking the identity from the warriors. This, I feel, is the show's greatest shortcoming, and I'll explain it more later.

3. Who are you personally?

I am a young college student who enjoys several hobbies, but most of all the Japanese sword art of Kenjutsu (five years experience), current events, armoring, and video games. I also like to write, but only when I'm really inspired to get off my lazy ass!

My blogging philosophy:

I wouldn't be writing if I didn't feel that I could add anything new to the blog community, and I very nearly stopped for this very reason. However, I now have a unique style that I follow to make my blogs the best I possibly can.
Let me preface this by stating that there are several writers whom I owe a tremendous debt to, most notably iHonk and monopolyman aka afanofsparta. They got me started on this, and though my style is slightly different than theirs I strongly urge you to check out their blogs as well:

Warrior Cultures by iHonk: http://mikezglr.blogspot.com/
DW Matchups by Monopolyman: http://necromoprhvsfellowship.blogspot.com/

Each writer has his own philosophy, or the things that they emphasize when they write. Here are several examples:

Historical Detail: Through painstaking research, every nook and cranny of the warrior is probed and tested with a precise scoring system. The simulations are detailed, but mostly just set up the warriors to do battle. Simple, and effective. (iHonk)

Historical Immersion: The combatants' martial arts, history, and ways of life are examined in a way that tangible and intangible aspects of the warriors are compared. The simulation is often long and elaborate, with a variety of characters who fight for different reasons. The main focus of this style is making you feel like you actually have travelled back in time. (afanofsparta)

Direct Comparos and Tournaments: Two warriors are compared in very direct ways to quickly establish a winner. They can be very detailed, but the simulations read like a comic book more than a novel. The advantage to this style is that matchups are both easy to read and to make. (Marek, Arieshuls, thecowgoesmoo)

Television Immersion: The warriors are compared as though they are on the show, and experts grade and judge their weapons. In general, these follow the format of the show. (masteroftheboot, scarecrowsmainfan)

and my style:

Artistic Immersion: My style is similar to Sparta's, but I like to focus on the stories, styles, and motivations of the competitors. Like I was mentioning earlier, I feel DW has its greatest failing here in that they ignore what a Warrior is: someone who chooses to fight for their beliefs, good or bad. The show assumes that its combatants are robots, and in my mind this is downright wrong. Warriors such as Vercingetorix showed us that having a reason to fight is a true measure of a warrior. This isn't the only one, but I like to focus on this aspect by  creating simulations that are immersive and using things such as music and videos to create the sense that these warriors are actually people who fight rather than rock-em,sock-em robots. Though I know a good deal about history, my knowledge is by no means complete so I like to differentiate myself by creating matchups that I'm passionate about and using my writing abilities to bring the battles to life.

None of this is to say that any style is superior, but my objective in writing is to create something that is hopefully fresh and exciting, a match that you'll remember for a long time.


and the last question:

Why is your writing schedule so irregular?

A: It's irregular because I consider these to be an art, and inspiration doesn't come easy to me. Plus, real life gets in the way sometimes, but most often it's just that I lack the passion to write at the given moment. By moving in between matches I can avoid burnout and work on what fascinates me the most at the moment.


Well, if you have gotten this far I would like to thank you for expressing an interest in my blog. If you like it, please be sure to share it with others, and also check out the work of my fellow bloggers!



Vercingetorix712