In this Community Profile we meet the terror of the Iron Legion, Pandaego. Anyone who has met his Warden on the fields of battle in our live phases has grown to fear and respect him. We chat with him below about his thoughts and experience in the world of eSports, and how that brought him to For Honor.
1. What’s your name (can be your real name or your online name) and where are you from?
My name is Jared "Pandaego" Fletcher. I am from Washington State near Seattle.
2. What faction do you align yourself with?
I am a Knight. I love the design and armor of the knight characters and apparently I enjoy playing them too! Warden has been my favorite warrior that I have played so far.
3. When did you first hear about For Honor and what was your reaction?
I am a pretty late passenger on the For Honor hype train. I did not even know the game existed until one of my friends at Ubisoft invited me to participate in a recent game test and I went in with zero knowledge or expectations. After a few hours with the game, I was like "This game was made for me". It has everything I love about games: strategic, team-based combat and it felt very innovative which is something that I had stop expecting from AAA titles. It also is visceral in a way that I have never experienced in any other multiplayer game. I can confidently say it is one of my favorite games ever and probably only have 50 hours in it from the betas.
4. What was it about For Honor that compelled you to get involved in our community?
The community involvement came pretty naturally. I haven't been this addicted to a game since World of Warcraft and you guys just took that away from me after giving me a taste. So instead of playing I cope by talking to everyone I can about the game. As an added bonus the community (obligatory Hall of Heroes shoutout) has been very inviting and friendly which can be rare in multiplayer focused games, so it was very easy for me to stick around and make a lot of new friends.
5. Are you active in other online communities?
Is this a special passion for you? I am definitely passionate about For Honor but am also involved in all sorts of different internet microcosms. I played Dota 2 competitively for a few years and have been a fairly active member in that community. I also work for Chrono.gg working with tons of cool Twitch streamers and Youtubers which allows me to find my way into awesome new online communities on a daily basis.
6. In a past life you have been an esports player, captain, and coach. What from that experience do you find you can bring to our game and community?
I learned a lot about esports, competition, and team dynamics from Dota 2 and they certainly apply to For Honor as well. My greatest hope is to see For Honors community continue to develop the way it has been because it has been a refreshing change of pace. There are a lot of good attitudes that I have come across in For Honor which is something that I, unfortunately, cannot say the same about Dota 2. I used to be one of the worst offenders when it came to a bad attitude due to my competitiveness, but now I hope I set a good example in For Honor for other community members and show them that you can be competitive and still be a positive influence on the game.
7. Do you have a favorite character to play with from the 6 that were available in the Alpha?
Why is that one your favorite? The female warden was my favorite from the alpha. I haven't quite figured out what drew me to that character so much, but I think it was a bunch of little things. I love her movements, both in combat and out, as well as the cosmetic choices for her. Also, the warden is the starter character of For Honor and I feel obligated to master her toolkit before I move on to other warriors.
8. What do you hope your biggest contribution to the For Honor community will be?
Someone has to be around to knock HandheldBrando down a peg. In all seriousness though I just hope to be a positive influence on the community as a whole. I would love to participate in or help facilitate a competitive scene in For Honor because esports is something I am very passionate about in just about every game that I play.
9. How would you describe For Honor, in your own words, to a friend who never played the game?
I would just tell them to buy it. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I will guarantee their purchase! If you can say you like even one of these things you need to play this game because once you do you will buy it:
- High fantasy
- Knights
- Vikings
- Samurai
- Tackling things
- Any form of martial arts
- Video Games
- Competitive sports/games
- Air, like breathing it
10. You were invited to the Montreal studio to meet the For Honor team and represent our community there. Can you describe the experience?
It was awesome to see the man behind the curtain so to speak. Meeting many of the people responsible for making such an awesome game took away a bit of the mystique behind it, but it more than made up for it by making the game a lot more personal for me. In hindsight, It was a totally unique and surreal experience and I just want to use this chance to personally thank all the people working hard at Ubisoft to make this incredible vision a reality.
11. Is there any advice you could give to a new warrior who wants to play?
Do it. It is such a blast to play and I am sure many of the people taking the time to read this are already giddy with excitement for this game. Trust me it will be worth the wait. In terms of gameplay, take it slow. Button mashing is the quickest way to get yourself killed in For Honor and defending is critical to the Art of Battle combat system. Focus on defense when you first start playing and take the time to learn the right moments to attack.
12. Is there any music you would recommend while playing the game?
I love all sorts of music but it is hard to go wrong with any epic music playlists. Just search for some movie trailer/game trailer music playlists and go to town.
13. Outside of gaming, what are your hobbies and passion?
Work and games keep me pretty busy but I try to occasionally leave my house to work out and hang out with friends. I enjoy sports(mostly soccer and football) although I exclusively watch as opposed to play nowadays. Aside from my obsession with gaming, I am relatively boring. Oh and anime. Ya I am just a nerd.
14. If you were a member of the Beatles, which one would you be?
Definitely the rhinoceros beetle. What a cool beetle.
For Honor will be available on February 14, 2017, for PlayStation®4 system, Xbox One, and PC. For more info about For Honor, please keep an eye on ForHonor.ubisoft.com and be sure to visit our official forums and Facebook.