VITAL STATISTICS Date of Birth June 29, 1981 RPGamer Hire Date January 15, 2006 RPGamer Position New Updates Co-Editor Forum Administrator Location Hamilton, Ohio Personal Homepage N/A Hobbies 1) Reading 2) Writing Books 3) Watching Cartoons Favorite Animation 1) Fushigi Yûgi 2) Futurama 3) Azumanga Daioh 4) Blue Seed Favorite Non-RPGs 1) Startropics 2) D&D Arcade 3) Mario Tennis 4) God of War Favorite RPGs 1) Final Fantasy II/IV 2) World of Warcraft 3) Bahamut Lagoon 4) Chrono Trigger 5) Disgaea: Hour of Darkness

Myself, and my son, who no doubt is upstaging me right now.

   Howdy (I'm from the South, so I'm allowed to say that). Welcome to the bio; I'll try not to take up too much of your time. I first came to RPGamer back when I found it on a search engine that doesn't even exist anymore (back when "Google" was still just a mathematical term), and it's truly a pleasure to be associated with a site I've come to enjoy so much over the years. I've been using the moniker "Shuemais" or "HunterShuemais" around the web on alot of different sites and forums; if you've seen the name, that's me. Just don't feel bad if you don't know how to pronounce the name. Few people seem to know how, either (go on, try it, you know you want to ^_^).

   I originally applied for an Editorialist position for the website, but when all of the available spots filled up unexpectedly, I was offered a spot in the News Department instead. I jumped at the chance, and I've been enjoying myself capitally ever since. Not long after, I volunteered to help manage the RPGamer Message Boards, as I have experience with managing web boards in the past, and I once handled forum moderation for a living. This summer, I took over as co-leader of the New Updates division, which handles news and weekly columns on the site. Things are a little rocky from time to time, but don't lose patience with us -- I truly want the site to be the best it can be. Whatever the work involves, I'm thrilled to be working for RPGamer, and hope to have many merry months and years ahead of me.

   Lately my life has been a topsy-turvy affair, involving four different moving dates in less than a year, and just as many employers. I currently work in the health insurance industry, handling claims and explanations of personal benefits, which basically boils down to deciding who gets paid, and how much. Not exactly a career I'm pursuing, but the company offers tuition reimbursement, and that is what I'm shooting for. Thankfully my wife and son have stuck it out with me -- he's the one in the picture. Yes, I'm working on an updated version, so be patient. Eventually I'll be getting a degree in English, Creative Writing, or Journalism, with a final goal of working as a writer in the gaming industry, or as a journalist covering games. RPGamer has been a great first step for me in that regard, and I'm going to stick it out here until they drag me out kicking and screaming.

   It's scary to think that this year will mean two decades of gaming for me (talk about an obsessive hobby!). On the RPG front, the very first RPG I ever played was Dragon Warrior, but the first RPG I ever truly fell in love with was Final Fantasy II/IV, and I've been hooked ever since (you haven't lived until you've played it on a 72-inch TV, too; I swear Cecil was a foot tall on screen!). I probably own too much stuff as is, although a part of me wishes I'd practiced collecting at a younger age, so I could enjoy my older games with my kids when they get old enough to start playing. Still, there's no time like the present to start!

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   Last Updated: November 2, 2006