WoWFanCon: Exclusive Interview with Roberto “Towelliee” Garcia

During my exploits at WowFanCon, I ran into Towelliee, one of the keynote speakers of the Convention. He graciously agreed to a quick interview with me, so thanks again!

Roberto “Towelliee” Garcia has been a hardcore gamer for the last 25 years.  He currently plays World of Warcraft and is among the top Tanks in WoW.  Roberto’s passion is gaming and he runs a successful twitch.tv channel and plays everything from WoW to Modern Warfare.  He grew up in the streets and takes his swag and attitude with him wherever he goes.

 Quote: ”I am the most real gamer out there and I keep it real for the fans and the public.”  

Twitch.tv/towelliee

 

Dustin: During your question and answer session you said you got started livestreaming two years ago. Do you have any advice for aspiring streamers or YouTube directors?

Towelliee: I believe social networking is key to get yourself out there in order to live stream. Basically, have an angle for yourself. Take me for instance – I am a raiding tank and I stick to it. But use YouTube to be able to show people what you are good at and then network yourself through Facebook and Twitter and other websites. And never give up if you are truly dedicated.

D: Very nice. Speaking of YouTube, how did you get involved with TGN.tv? Who are some of your favorite TGN directors?

T: I first created my own channel and the CEO of TGN caught me during the Cataclysm beta and recruited me into TGN. I then became a senior director after about 100 videos and I haven’t looked back since. My favorite TGN directors would include Big C, Rurikhan and Cromar.

D: Back to World of Warcraft – How do you feel the balance of PvE among the various classes sits right now? Is there any one class you would deem “overpowered”?

T:  Blizzard has never had an issue balancing PvE in my opinion. I think Arcane Mages have huge burst damage and sometimes can be considered overpowered in hard mode encounters.

D: That’s a controversial stance concerning Blizzard’s ability to balance World of Warcraft – especially during The Burning Crusade era. Do you feel that this is just QQ from the community or was there some basis in truth there?

T: PvE has always been easier to balance. There was an interview with WoWinsider where Blizzard states their issues with balancing WoW started when PvP Arenas were introduced. They actually stated that Arena was one of the biggest mistake sin WoW’s history due to the balancing issues. Burning Crusade showed how hard it was to balance for everyone to have a shot at earning an Arena title.

D: Star Wars: The Old Republic is coming out in just a few months – what do you feel the game’s strengths are compared to World of Warcraft? Do you feel that its gameplay is more or less compelling than WoW?

T: I have actually been in the Beta for SWTOR for a few months now, since it opened. SWTOR revolves a lot more around story and the lore than WoW does. The game has more of a Mass Effect feel to it where you control the Dark Side or vice versa [referring to choices made in the plot]. The game definitely looks amazing compared to World of Warcraft. The leveling is much more involved than simply questing with an avatar – again, a lot more story involvement than WoW.

D: Do you feel the PvE in SWTOR will be more enjoyable than WoW’s, especially relating to flashpoints and operations?

T: I do. The thing with operations is that they’re very flashy – even a little distracting at first. I will definitely be intrigued as long as there is some sort of hard mode mechanic involved.

D: Last question – do you feel like Blizzard is shifting most of its focus away from World of Warcraft in favor of their newer projects, as WoW is getting on in years?

T: They almost certainly are – one look at Blizzard’s hiring board will show you they are massively recruiting for a new IP. Certainly, they have to take focus away from the game.

D: Thanks very much for your time, Towelliee. We here at GameZone are big fans, and wish you all the best.

Folks, be sure to check out Towelliee’s Twitch.tv channel and stay tuned for more coverage from the WoWFanCon!

Dustin Steiner is GameZone's eSports Correspondent and Freelance Editorialist! Follow him on Twitter @SteinerDustin