AN INTERVIEW WITH COMMAND AND CONQUER RED ALERT SUPER STAR: NIKLA

Sup homies, 

Here's an old interview I dug up from the archives, with one of the greatest players to ever play Red Alert. You may recognise his name from the map "4c Niklas", although ironically, it was his buddy and inventor of "Building" Nike1 who dominated on his map.

When you ask some of the old pros who their toughest challenge was, Nikla is often mentioned as being the strongest, at least during an early period of the game in the late nineties. 

May 23, 1997 With Nikla

About 3 days ago I had the pleasure of chatting with Nikla the current #1 ranked player on Case's Ladder. Unfortunately I screwed up my logging of the interview and had to drag Nikla back for a second try. Here it is.... Enjoy!

[Imperious-Rex] Not much, sorry to make you do this again.   :)

[Imperious-Rex] Logging is on..........

[Nikla] its ok

[Nikla] but i missed a 4 way thx to this :(

[Imperious-Rex] Ouch, sorry

[Imperious-Rex] You can blame me :)

[Nikla] dont worry i did :)

[Imperious-Rex] hehehe

[Imperious-Rex] Ok, let's rock!!!

[Nikla] sure

[Imperious-Rex] Just so everyone reading this knows, I screwed up the first Nikla interview

[Nikla] *sob*

[Imperious-Rex] He is being forced by myself and a grenadier to do another interview

[Imperious-Rex] Tell the world a bit about yourself please Nikla

[Nikla] well my real name is XX and im a XX yrs old guy from XX 

[Nikla] that is playin too much computer games

[Imperious-Rex] What games do you play besides RA?

[Nikla] used to play lots of civilization2

[Nikla] and warcraft2

[Nikla] but when i started with ra i found out that i could play this game over internet too

[Nikla] and thats what made me play this game

[Imperious-Rex] There is an interesting story behind how Nikla starting intoRA.  Care to tell the world about it?

[Nikla] well

[Imperious-Rex] If you don't want to I completely understand.

[Nikla] i didnt play ra much at start cuz i practiced lots of tracknfield and hockey b4

[Nikla] hey im a slow typer thats all :)

[Imperious-Rex] LOL

[Nikla] but in february i broke my left leg that was already stiff from an 8 yrs old wound

[Nikla] so i couldnt practice

[Nikla] and i love to win

[Nikla] and i found out that u could play somthing called laddergames on ra

[Nikla] so that was my way to compete when i couldnt practice tracknfield and hockey

[Nikla] and i got really stuck into it tryin to improve strategys and rank all the time

[Imperious-Rex] Are you as good in sports as you are at RA?

[Nikla] well im doin pretty fine actually

[Nikla] i can do same time in wheelchair on 1500 meters as the best runners in the world :)

[Nikla] about 3.25.00 that is

[Imperious-Rex] Wow, impressive.

[Imperious-Rex] Remind me not to race you. :)

[Nikla] use a bike then :)

[Imperious-Rex] LOL

[Imperious-Rex] What are you favourite maps to play RA on?

[Nikla] umm

[Nikla] now its my hate map that i finally got good at :)

[Nikla] 2 days ago i hated nc

[Nikla] but now i love it since i actually won games on it again

[Nikla] my usual favorite map is four corners

[Imperious-Rex] What maps do you hate playing on?

[Nikla] the one i lose on

[Imperious-Rex] There can't be many then. :)

[Nikla] path beyond

[Nikla] no just bout 100 maps...

[Nikla] all maps that are unfair

[Nikla] path is ok though

[Imperious-Rex] Have you made any map modifications?

[Nikla] yea but only one

[Nikla] on 4c

[Imperious-Rex] What did you change?

[Nikla] i changed start position on that map to make game faster and more fair

[Nikla] start position bottom left bottom right

[Imperious-Rex] cool.  I haven't played on it yet.

[Nikla] otherwise u get trouble with money or teslas having worse range

[Nikla] :(

[Imperious-Rex] I'll have to check it out

[Imperious-Rex] Who are your toughest opponents?

[Nikla] bfb is the toughest one

[Imperious-Rex] What makes BFB so tough?

[Nikla] until i got mad at him and decided to play him on nbnw :)

[Nikla] he got great tank control

[Nikla] and he use germany

***** At this point an "ExPERT" showed up *****

[TALON111] I'm undefeated

***** I think Nikla can fix that *****

[Nikla] i hate all german players

[TALON111] Never lost a game

*****  That he has reported.  *****

[Nikla] nike is also a tough one

[Imperious-Rex] I bet the ladies like his great tank control

[Nikla] lol

[Imperious-Rex] Doing an interview Talon111

[Nikla] ?

[TALON111] Oh

[Imperious-Rex] Do you prefer team or 1 on 1 RA Nikla?

***** I guess he didn't understand *****

[TALON111] 1 on 1

[Nikla] well team is far more funny

***** So I explained again. *****

***** This is the kinder gentler REX *****

[Imperious-Rex] Talon111 the interview is with Nikla :)

[Nikla] but its hard to get one running

[TALON111] Who is Nikla??

*****  TALON111 is obviously a heavy drinker *****

[Nikla] i cant see talon :(

***** At this point I consider Nikla very lucky *****

***** because I can see and hear TALON111 *****

[Imperious-Rex] Is it hard to find players to play in team?

[Nikla] he can take over if he want to...

[Imperious-Rex] LOL

[Imperious-Rex] He's gone

[Imperious-Rex] He was undefeated.  You should have shown him the way to his first loss.

[Nikla] its pretty hard to get ppl from u own team to play at same time as u too and u opponents have same trouble

[Nikla] :)

[Imperious-Rex] Ahhh, makes sense.

[Imperious-Rex] What leagues do you currently play in?

[Nikla] nowadays im in cases single ladder and team ladder

[Nikla] on ra

[Nikla] i used to be on campbadass

[Nikla] but it took too much time

[Nikla] maybe ill join gamestats tournament :)

[Imperious-Rex] Rumour has it you won their first tournament and the $500 prize?

[Nikla] yup :)

[Imperious-Rex] Laugh, yeah, uhhh, join that GameStats place.  I heard it's really good.

[Nikla] so i got my phone bill payed after all

[Nikla] yea me too its supposed to be great :)

[Imperious-Rex] Shameless plug....

[Imperious-Rex] Do you have any tips for the other RA players out there?

[Nikla] well

[Nikla] dont get too involved in rank

[Nikla] and play for the fun of it

[Nikla] thats the best way to get good at anything

[Nikla] and play many different maps

[Nikla] that make u develop faster

[Imperious-Rex] How long did it take for you to become "good"?

[Nikla] LOOOOONNNNGGGGG

[Nikla] it take time

[Imperious-Rex] How many games would you say you have played?

[Imperious-Rex] Please be exact.

[Imperious-Rex] We will be checking this out. :)

[Nikla] some ppl get good fast but then u need help from friends that are good

[Nikla] hehe

[Nikla] ok ill look on the ladder then :)

[Imperious-Rex] LOL

[Imperious-Rex] You have over 500 ladder matches

[Imperious-Rex] I already checked

[Nikla] ah man

[Nikla] i was supposed to say that :(

[Imperious-Rex] Ok, say it

[Nikla] i got over 500  games

[Imperious-Rex] Do you ever get tired of hearing   "Affirmative"?

[Imperious-Rex] Do you dream about RA? :)

[Nikla] YES

[Nikla] i do

[Imperious-Rex] Are they good dreams or nightmares?

[Nikla] no i dont dream bout ra

[Imperious-Rex] Ahh, ok

[Nikla] i had a dream to get no1 thogh :)

[Nikla] though

[Imperious-Rex] And you made it. :)

[Imperious-Rex] Is that your favourite RA moment?

[Nikla] after a great many games

[Nikla] no

[Nikla] i think it was when i won camp badass

[Nikla] it was really tough actually

[Nikla] ladder is much bout luck

[Imperious-Rex] Why was that a better moment?  What made it tougher?

[Nikla] well

[Nikla] cuz i made 500 bucks on it!!!!

[Imperious-Rex] LOL

[Nikla] and i knew a long time that i should get no1 sooner or later

[Nikla] so it was just bout time when i got there :)

[Imperious-Rex] What do you like and dislike about the current ranking leagues?

[Nikla] the ladder system that i know most bout doesnt work good at all when> u get like top 10

[Imperious-Rex] Why is that?

[Nikla] its too much bout luck to find the right players to play often if u want to achieve rank

[Nikla] like if u play no1 5 days in a row

[Nikla] u should win one of then

[Nikla] them

[Imperious-Rex] How would you change it to make it better?

[Nikla] but if u never find any of the top players u cant advance

[Nikla] well thats very hard

[Imperious-Rex] Is their a league setup out there that you like?

[Nikla] it should be more like netleague i guess

[Nikla] but i dont know all bout that one

[Nikla] i never started netleague

[Nikla] but i dont know all bout that one

[Nikla] but i think that u shall lose rank if u lose a game

[Nikla] and good ppl shall get u more rank than if u beat bad ppl

[Nikla] but its ok though

[Imperious-Rex] That is how Netleague and GameStats both work.

[Nikla] yup

[Imperious-Rex] I believe CampBadAss is the same as well.

[Nikla] but its not perfect either

[Nikla] since some ppl play 10000000 newbies and get good rank

[Nikla] thats not right either

[Imperious-Rex] The ranking systems on NL and GameStats both give you more for playing the higher ranked players.

[Nikla] yes i know

[Imperious-Rex] Playing Newbies only gets you a few points.

[Imperious-Rex] If any at all

[Imperious-Rex] Much like chess ratings.

[Nikla] but they are both bout play lots of games to get good rank

[Imperious-Rex] The downside of playing newbies is that if one beats you then you lose a large amount of points. :)

[Imperious-Rex] There is a risk involved.

[Nikla] but u dont lose to newbies

[Nikla] :)

[Imperious-Rex] I think any ranking system has that premise.  Play lots and move up.

[Imperious-Rex] The ladder is certainly like that as well.

[Nikla] yea

[Nikla] i played 200 games to stay in top 10 2 months

[Imperious-Rex] Wow,

[Imperious-Rex] How do you find the time to play?

[Nikla] not all was gainst top 10 of couse :)

[Nikla] i didnt

[Nikla] i played all too much

[Nikla] missed some of my shool

[Nikla] school

[Imperious-Rex] Ouch

[Nikla] :(

[Imperious-Rex] Too bad you don't get graded on RA

[Nikla] maybe i can get a scholarship out of it :)

[Imperious-Rex] Any other serious stuff you would like to say before the dreaded Silly Questions???

[Imperious-Rex] LOL

[Nikla] i don wanna be serious this is far more serious than last time

[Nikla] lets get silly :)

[Imperious-Rex] Ok...... here we go........   clowns and acrobats.....

[Imperious-Rex] Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear....Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't Fuzzy Was he?

[Imperious-Rex] OR Wuzzy?

[Nikla] ??

[Imperious-Rex] Ah  ha!!!!

[Imperious-Rex] Stumped you didn't I?

[Nikla] i wrote the right answer in background text....

[Imperious-Rex] LOL

[Imperious-Rex] Ok, you have watched Gilligan's Island right?

[Nikla] no

[Nikla] what make u think that?

[Imperious-Rex] gasp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*****  Enter Annoying Guy Part II *****

[Xylic] hallo

[Imperious-Rex] Hello Xylic

[Nikla] hey i dont watch stupid canadian shows

[Nikla] hej xylic

[Imperious-Rex] You should watch Hockey Night in Canada. :)

[Xylic] whats up here then ?

*****  Well, it's not Xylic's IQ now is it? *****

[Imperious-Rex] We're the world champs you know. :)

[Nikla] yea yea

[Imperious-Rex] chuckle

[Imperious-Rex] What shows do you watch?

[Nikla] u disconnected when u were losing and after 10 tries u made it :)

[Imperious-Rex] LOL

[Xylic] yeah yeah

[Xylic] Sweden rulez anyway

[Nikla] the weather :)

[Imperious-Rex] The weather?  The weather channel?  You watch that?

[Nikla] after the news ther are a short look at the weather

[Nikla] but it was a joke

[Nikla] i usually watch long movies

[Xylic] hmmm i am confused !

***** No really? *****

[Imperious-Rex] Name the person who does the weather in Sweden Televisionland.

[Imperious-Rex] Prozac is available by prescription only Xylic

[Xylic] His name is Jan Polman :)

[Nikla] john pohlman!!!

[Xylic] ohh John :)

[Nikla] hey john is the name

[Xylic] sorry nikla

[Imperious-Rex] Ok, suppose that Jan/John Polman/Pohlman was in a boat

[Xylic] fvrlet

*****  And he didn't even excuse himself *****

[Nikla] ok

[Imperious-Rex] And the boat capsized and he was on a desert island.

[Imperious-Rex] With a skipper

[Xylic] but that was a long timeago

*****  Yipes Man, this isn't real, It's TV *****

[Imperious-Rex] And a millionaire and his wife

[Nikla] zzz

[Imperious-Rex] A moviestar, a professor and Mary Anne.  That would be Gilligan's Isle

[Nikla] ah ok

[Nikla] i might have watched it once then

[Nikla] it sucked

[Imperious-Rex] Now.... How would Jan/John Polman/Pohlman get off the island?

[Nikla] he should say it would rain

[Nikla] and all the sea would get dry

[Xylic] He would ride with the wind :)

***** Stop it Xylic, you're killing me. *****

[Imperious-Rex] He would break wind?

[Imperious-Rex] Ok...... the question you have been waiting for..........

[Nikla] what does that mean?

[Imperious-Rex] REady?

[Xylic] yeah

[Nikla] YES!!!!

[Imperious-Rex] Break wind is to pass gas....   toot..... fart...... let one rip......

[Imperious-Rex] OK, the big question....

[Imperious-Rex] How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

[Xylic] hmm...

[Nikla] a woodchuck would not chuck wood even if a woodchuck could chuck wood cuz woodchucks doesnt chuck woods

[Nikla] i made it better last time

[Imperious-Rex] Ah HA!  What do they chuck?

[Nikla] trees?

[Nikla] :)

[Imperious-Rex] Trees are wood................

[Nikla] no a tree is a tree is a tree

[Nikla] wood is...

[Imperious-Rex] So how much Nikla.........?????  How much can they chuck?????

[Nikla] none

[Imperious-Rex] Do they chuck if they drink too much????

[Nikla] if they get more brew if they chuck...

[Imperious-Rex] That would be a brewchuck

[Nikla] oh sorry :)

***** It becomes a Swedish team meating as HubbCold drops by *****

[HUBBCOLD] :o)

[Imperious-Rex] Ok, any last words as I wrap up this fiasco? :)

[Imperious-Rex] Greetings Hubbcold

[HUBBCOLD] Greetings Imperious :o)

[Nikla] hey that wasnt nice

[HUBBCOLD] the meaning of life is still 47 ?

[HUBBCOLD] hehe

[Imperious-Rex] My fiasco not yours. :)

[Nikla] :)

[Imperious-Rex] The meaning of life is 42 dammit.

[HUBBCOLD] haha

[HUBBCOLD] I know

[HUBBCOLD] :o)

[Nikla] yes we know that :)

[HUBBCOLD] well I'll go kick some but

[HUBBCOLD] cu

[Xylic] Yeah but he will never learn :)

[Imperious-Rex] I see Hubbcold is wearing his team Canada hockey jersey

[Nikla] my final words would be dont play too much ra and try be polite

 and dont get messed up in rank like i did

[Nikla] ra is a game for fun

[Imperious-Rex] Good advice for sure.

[Imperious-Rex] Thanks alot Nikla for doing the second interview. :)

[Nikla] sure

[Nikla] but the other one was better

***** Xylic also had a last words. *****

[Xylic] Another one is If you play to much Ra you will go Bankrupt :)

[Nikla] i was too serious today :(

[Imperious-Rex] You are a very serious guy. ;-)

[Imperious-Rex] Well, I'm off to edit this and get it online.

[Nikla] yes i hate myself for that :)

[Imperious-Rex] It should be up today. 

[Nikla] try make it right this time :)

[Imperious-Rex] I'll do my best

My best is rarely adequate however. Good luck to team Sweden and see you all in the next interview.