Interview w/ KnownUnown

Published Jul 11, 2015

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Today we are going to learn about a very special person to our communty, who goes by the name KnownUnown. After noticing how hard he works, I just had to have an interview with him. Let's get right into it!

Note: This interview took place before the release of Lifeboat v8. Some questions may be outdated as of today.

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What is your role on the Lifeboat team?

I am currently a developer with the Lifeboat team. I do random things around the network, such as bugfixing Survival Games, web design, and most recently improving the anti-cheat software.

How long have you been employed at Lifeboat?

I'm not sure "employed" is the right term... I can't really recall when I officially started working with Lifeboat. I would estimate around the beginning of 2015, though it can be much earlier than that!

What were your duties as a staff member at Mineplex?

I was a Moderator, which meant I did heavy-duty moderation work, such as server moderation and report processing.

Why are you no longer a moderator on the Mineplex servers?

I was demoted for reasons I do not want to go into.

Outside of your current job as a Lifeboat worker, do you have any others?

No, not at all! Unless you count being a student a job.

Do you enjoy playing Minecraft? If so, what are some things you like to do within the game?

I do enjoy playing Minecraft (doesn't everyone here enjoy playing it?). I like building small redstone contraptions and playing mini-games.

What are some of your hobbies in the real world?

Well, I do like legos! I have a collection of them. I also do robotics on the side, and of course, programming.

If you could implement one game mode into the Lifeboat Network, what would it be and why?

I would implement something like Mineplex Turf Wars. It's a really fun, strategic mini-game, and it looks like a fun project one can work on.

Who are some of your closer friends in the community?

I don't have many well-known friends in MCPE (aside from William and the SkyWars developers, Connor and MrARM). I would say Intyre (he is a former iOS modder and all-around MCPE guru), Jocopa3, and humerusj. I probably forgot many people, if so, please don't be offended.

What makes these friends so special to you?

Well, they're relatable people, I guess. We share similar interests, and it just goes on from there.

What feature are you most excited for in the upcoming Lifeboat update?

I'm most excited for Walls PvP! It's an exciting (relatively new to MCPE anyways) gametype that really showcases what can be done with MCPE games.

Which Lifeboat game mode do you enjoy playing the most?

I really liked Capture The Flag, though that's sort of fallen into irrelavence.

Who do you see to be the heart of the Minecraft Pocket Edition community, and why?

That's a complicated question. I don't see anyone to be the "heart" of the Minecraft: Pocket Edition community. This community is not dependent all on one person or one idol, which I like. It's more of a collaboration between people of all sorts, YouTubers, developers, content creators, and alike.

Do you enjoy playing video games other than Minecraft? If so, what are some of them?

I really enjoy Factorio. It's a beta indie game with a really fun goal: Automate all the things!

When do you plan on finishing the anti-cheats for Lifeboat?

That is also a complicated question. With anti-cheat, there are so many things that come into play. Currently, I'm done with the common "library" that anti-cheat detection would use, and I'm still working on anti-sprint. Anti-third person has been merged into the PocketMine codebase, so there's no more need for that in our custom anti-cheat solution. I'd estimate it to be somewhat finished along with the release of Lifeboat v8.

Is there any secret Lifeboat Survival Games features confirmed?

There are plenty of unannounced features that are being worked on for Lifeboat v8. I'm not so sure of them being "secret", though.

Who is your favorite Minecraft Pocket Edition game developer?

My favorite Minecraft: Pocket Edition developer is shoghicp, unsurprisingly! I've talked to him once or twice, and I feel that his recent hire will usher in a new era for MCPE, since he is one of the community and the developer of PocketMine. He really knows what the community/developers want in MCPE due to his connection, which really can't be said for the other developers, as excellent as they are.

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That was my interview with KnownUnown, Lifeboat developer. It was really fun! If you thought so too, be sure to leave a comment telling me, and/or share this with your friends! Also, please be sure to check out the links below, that cover everything mentioned in this interview.

Follow KnownUnown on Twitter!

Mentioned:

- Jocopa3

- Intyre

- MrARM

- Connor