Interview with Revel
Today we bring you a special interview, from a guy very well known by the Rookgaard community. The Youtuber and gamer Revel became famous for his videos about Rookgaard, among news, stories about the island, and memes. Currently Revel has more than 20,000 followers on his YouTube channel, and he recently held an exhibition in Lutabra in partnership with the King of Coins, showing a little bit of Rookgaard’s history, which took place in the iconic Tibianic GuildHall!
1) Who is Revel in and out of the game? Tell us a little about yourself!
Revel: A lot of people watch my videos, they love the Tibia content I make on Youtube, but they know very little about me; That’s because I don’t say much about my personal life myself haha. My name is Felipe and my last name is Revel (hence the name of the channel). I’m 30 years old and I work in the health area, in addition to being an occasional storyteller on Youtube. I used to be a Tibian addict who played 10 hours a day (mostly just sitting around talking in the city centre), but recently I’ve been so busy working and producing videos that I barely have time to actually play Tibia.
2) What motivated you to start your YouTube channel, and especially to focus your content on the Rookgaard community?
A: Rookgaard has always been the part of tibia that I loved the most. Much of this charm did not come from the game itself, but from the posts about Rookgaard on the TibiaBR forums (topics by geniuses like Locke Cole, Professor Girafales and many other amazing Rookers). Of course, much of the initial interest for everyone new to Rook was to unravel the mystery of SOF; but what kept you playing there for years was the sense of community and a continual pursuit of new goals on the island. I use my videos to try to convey a little bit of how I feel about Rookgaard to people who haven’t had the opportunity to visit the island or who have been here years ago and didn’t pay much attention.
3) You are one of the Brazilian representatives we have on Rookgaard, what does this mean for you?
A: Rookgaard is like a religion and I’m just a messenger hahaha. A lot of people ask me: “when will a ‘legends of rookgaard: Revel’ come out?”. My answer is: probably never! I don’t see myself as a legend or anything like that. There are guys who are in fact symbols of the Brazilian Rookgaard community, like Sporro, Aron, Tarik… these guys are the heroes of history. I’m just the bard who tells the stories.
5) Recently you, in partnership with Rei dos Coins, made a video about the exhibition at Tibianic de Lutabra, with a decoration based on great deeds and moments of Rookgaard, how did the initial idea for such decoration and video come about? What were the biggest challenges?
A: Our original idea (mine and Miguel’s) was to set up an exhibition on Tibianic about Rookgaard. Exhibitions in Tibianic are kind of a big tradition in Tibia, and since Rookgaard is the thing we love most about the game, we would make one about it. But when we started assembling the rooms with items from Rookgaard, it soon became clear to us how boring rooms full of katanas would be. We needed to make something that evoked the same feeling we had when playing Rookgaard, as we walked through its ancient lands and reminisced about the island’s landmark events. So I gave Miguel the idea: “Why don’t we separate some prints and try to replicate them?”. We then started to choose which prints and stories we would replicate in each room. And this amazingly was the hardest part: choosing the prints. A lot of remarkable things happened in Rook. I think we made a good selection, but there’s always that feeling that we missed something from Rook’s story, some remarkable fact or event that deserved an extra room.
4) This year we witnessed some unexpected happenings in Rookgaard, such as the new bugged main items, as well as deletions of notable players (Dark Gladir, Jedynak and now Leaver), what do you think we can expect for the island /community now ? in 2023?
A: The exclusion of the island? HAHAHA I hope it doesn’t! But honestly I wouldn’t doubt anything at the pace we’re walking. So much apocalyptic stuff has happened recently on quiet Rookgaard that every now and then this little fear hits me (I think that Cipsoft frame from the 25th anniversary video didn’t help much either!). But seriously now, I believe that one time or another Cipsoft will turn its eyes to Rookgaard. Maybe not this year and not next year. Perhaps when there is a change in management in the company and it becomes more sensitive to the appeals of the community. Then we’ll have everything we deserve: a big depot to keep our treasures, comfortable houses to live in, new quests and interactions between npcs… Doing this is not difficult, it’s just not something that is in the plans of the current thinking head in charge of Cip today .
6) In view of the success of the exhibition in Lutabra, do you plan any future projects with the same theme as Rookgaard?
A: With so much going on on Rook Island lately it’s very likely that we’ll do a part two soon. We’re just waiting to see if the island doesn’t sink before 2023 xD
7) Among all the rooms and memories recreated in Tibianic, is there one that has a greater sentimental value for you or that you consider more important?
A: It might sound silly, but to me it was the replica of Potty showing the Spike Sword in Rookgaard’s “depot”. That’s one of the most powerful scenes in rookgaard’s history. Just looking at the original screenshot, you can feel the crowd’s shock as that guy pulled out Rookgaard’s most legendary sword and laid it carelessly on the wooden table. The whole Potty story is insane and I believe she was very well represented in our exhibition!
8) As a rooker, do you think that one day, CipSoft will implement Mainland features like houses, GH’s and depots in Rookgaard?
A: I believe so. As I said before, I feel like this lack of zeal for Rook comes from someone at the top who vetoes all cool ideas about changing the island. I think that one day there will be a change of management in the board and maybe from then on Cip will start to think more about what players really want to see implemented in the game. And when that time comes, the Rookgaard community will definitely show what they came for, demanding changes and new features on the island.
9) You have a special motivation that makes you follow and grow as a content creator for Youtube focused on Rookgaard, do you have any goals in mind?
A: Give Rookgaard visibility. That’s goal 1, 2 and 3. I’m very happy to see this coming to fruition, even more so after the Leaver delete. Rookgaard is a place that has been kind of cursed by Cipsoft: it’s an island doomed to never grow organically again. New players are prohibited from going there. My role then is to bring new players to the island and keep alive a legacy that is trying to be erased by the very company that created the island. It’s a paradox, but when you love something you have to fight to preserve it. Keeping the flame of Rookgaard alive and waiting for better days (from Cip): that’s my motto.
10) If you had the opportunity to change 3 things in Rookgaard, what would it be?
A: Difficult question. Sometimes I feel that if I were there at Cip in a position of power, I would change a million things in Rook. But then it would no longer be Rook. This is one of the problems they will probably face when they decide to move the island. Well, here are my three changes: I would put a DP on rook; I would change the rook bosses (I would put some differentiated loots like bone shield on Teleskor and add new bosses like a wasps boss) and finally I would open the accesses that were closed over the years (access to the entire south island of Zirella, northwest access and southwest blocked by trees, access to Rookie Guard quest locations). These are definitely not difficult things to do, they would take a couple of days tops.
11) Rapid fire question: If you could legally bring one item to Rookgaard, any item, what would it be?
A: A Yellow Rose! No… a Golden Helmet! No, a Warlord Sword. No… a Trophy signed by Mirade! I… I think it’s hard to pick just one!
12) A favorite store outfit?
A: Warrior retro female.
13) A Rooker to remember?
A: Rookguardian de’Bove.
14) New monsters in Rookgaard, or new quests?
A: New quests!
15) Depots on Rookgaard, or houses?
A: Depots!
16) Axe, sword, club or distance?
A: Sword!
17) A house on the mainland?
A: Sorcerer’s Avenue 1c and Sorcerer’s Avenue 1b. I know it’s technically two houses, but my friends and I saved up a few bucks and managed to rent both of them at the same time, making them a one-of-a-kind mansion. I think it was living in them that I had my happiest years in Tibia!
18) A special message for the players?
A: Don’t let anyone tell you where you should and shouldn’t play. At the end of the day, gaming should be a haven, a beach house for someone who has worked all day in a gray city. We rookers chose to make our beach house on a paradise and forgotten island, but ours. It’s okay for you to grind madly and collect xp during hours and hours of meta hunts, as long as this is your refuge. Play for fun and you will hardly be playing wrong, regardless of what others tell you!
Thanks to Revel for collaborating with our site by giving us this wonderful interview.
Long live Rookgard!
Lucas Heringer