Inside Crossfire returns this month to tell you more about the most famous community members of SWAT and Crossfire. Let's bring you once more behind the scenes, to show you hidden aspects about the game, the clans and the people. This month I interviewed one of the "old guys" around at SWAT, a friendly and famous Police Officer from CFPD, also ASF Commander, Gunny :
Interviewer : Vice-Admiral Sam Thomas (SA_ARROW) of the Silver Arrows.
Guest : Gunny
Thanks for accepting my invitation to answer these questions Gunny, let's begin.
Q: Who is the man behind Gunny ? What's he like in real life ?
A: Well I'm rather complex since my interests are wide spread. But to keep it simple, I'm retired from military and I currently run my own company, occassionally doing per diem work for the government. I have 3 boys, 13, 11 & 6 years old and they keep me very busy with their own needs and currently all the baseball games, not to mention the better-half and her needs too. I am an active mountain biker, hockey and soccer fan. I enjoy cooking, entertaining friends at the house and being active in my community. I think its obvious I enjoy online gaming too. I stay in excellent physical shape and encourage others to do the same and I'm a rather easy going guy.
Q: What jobs did you had in your life ?
A: Pretty easy for me to describe this, 19 years in the military, now doing government contracting.
Q: Does Gunny have a dream to realize ?
A: Just to watch the boys grow to be successful. I've accomplished most of what I have set out to do, but it would be nice to see commercial space travel before my time is up.
Q: What was your dream when you were a child ?
A: I think I fit the status quo here, where most young boys want to be a cop, pilot or astronaut maybe even a sports star.
Q: How have you been introduced to Freelancer ?
A: Well I was at Best Buy some years ago looking for a good MP game. I saw the cover of FL, read the possibilities offered and gave it a shot. Loved it ever since and I'm hoping someone at Microsoft wakes up and realizes the potential of a true FL2.
Q: When did you began being involved in the SWAT community ?
A: 2003. Right after I downloaded CF and started MP. BG_Wavey, BG_Nitro and OP introduced me to CF properly and I've been here ever since. I have been friends with all 3 ever since.
Q: Have you played any roles as staff member for the Crossfire series ?
A: Just as Server Police, which is a daunting task. People have no clue how difficult that job is until they experience it.
Q: What is your best moment in Crossfire ?
A: Too many to list. I have appreciated the people I have met and the friendships that developed more than I have the actual game play itself. I have been named one of the all time top-guns here or the best combat instructor by some, however I will point to those who are or have been just as good.
The success of CFPD was another and the fine people who made it so successful, those people were Kermit, Rover, Sev, Fixer, Michael, Ozy and Lone_Renegade (forgive me if I missed any of the original members). We were all truly good friends, strategists and creative thinkers. From all the effort of all our original members, we were able to succeed beyond any measure in several areas than any other clan in my opinion.
Q: How do you see the future of Freelancer ?
A: Honestly it's up to the players and their creativity. There are some modders out here with vision, who are the architects of creativity, who could easily make a FL2 that would rival any modern game. I put OP in the top of this class, of having true vision as to what this game could be.
Q: You lead one of the most famous clans of the Crossfire "server clans" : the Crossfire Police Department (CFPD). How did this clan started ?
A: Well that is the million dollar question, now isn't it? I formed CFPD right after my former clan, r39, left the server. Late 2004, CF needed a good police clan (since BG and DC were military) and I had 3 of the best pilots on CF on-board who shared the same ideas I had. We also formed as a security force for CF, since at the time we had some issues from rival servers and often times we found ourselves in combat here and abroad with players from other servers. It was fun too. We had dozens of rp ideas that made it interesting, thanks to some innovative thinking from our original members. We had informants in just about every corner of the server, so we always had good solid intelligence on what was going on, we had clandestine operations down to a divine science.
Q: Any advice you'd give to beginner clan leaders that hope to take their own place amongst the top clans ?
A: Know your RP and do it well. But more so, you have to like the players who are in your clan, you have to trust them and above all, you must be friends. Once those are established, there's no limit as to what you can accomplish.
That was much interesting Gunny, thank you.
Congrats G 
