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Participant Profile: PapayaChemist
Continuing our special series where we interview the streamers of Dosember, today we interview PapayaChemist!
PapayaChemist spent her childhood immersed in the adventure game worlds of Sierra and LucasArts, and retains an abiding affection for text parsers and EGA graphics to this day. She has worked in QA for several different game studios, both mainstream and indie, and somehow this has not dulled her enthusiasm for gaming. Outside of her video game hobby, she also enjoys baking, TTRPGs (mostly as a player, but recently started GMing as well), drawing, and karaoke.
How did you first hear about the Dosember event, and what inspired you to participate?
Someone on my BlueSky feed (unfortunately, I forget who it was) reposted a post from the DOSember account, and that reminded me that I'd seen a number of other streamers I knew participating in the event in previous years. I remember feeling some regret that I hadn't participated last year, so this year I decided to fix that!
Can you tell us a bit about the Dosember community? What makes it unique compared to other streaming events?
Since this is my first time participating in DOSember, I don't know that I have a good answer to this question. But at first glance, it seems to be focused primarily on the love of the games themselves, and on approaching them with an open mind and a non-judgmental attitude, and I really like that. That's why I got into streaming in the first place.
Was there a particular person or experience that inspired you to join the community of DOS game streamers?
As mentioned above, there were a few different people who I saw participating in previous years, and I was already familiar with them from just being part of the adventure game community as a whole. I believe TacoAdventure, BogusMeatFactory, and DecafJedi were among them, and probably others who I'm forgetting.
What are some of the DOS games you’re planning to stream this year, and why did you choose them?
I'm planning on streaming The Adventures of Maddog Williams(TM) in The Dungeons of Duridian(TM). I chose it because I've never played it before and I wanted to go into this event having no idea what to expect. I don't know how long it'll take me to get through it, but if I finish it with time to spare in the month, I might stream Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood or Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos. Those are two of my favorite DOS games, but I've played them a million times and I've streamed them both before, so I definitely want to prioritize the one I'm less familiar with.
Do you have a favorite MS-DOS game? If so, what makes it special to you?
If we're talking single game, it's the above-mentioned Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood. If we're talking game series, it's Hero's Quest/Quest for Glory (not all of which are DOS, I know). Those games featured heavily in my formative years, and Quest for Glory in particular played a big part in sort of shaping my mental landscape and the person I am today.
Have you encountered any interesting challenges or memorable moments while preparing to stream your chosen DOS games? How have you approached them?
In researching Maddog Williams, I learned that it is available to download for free on the game creators' website, which is great. So I went to do that, and discovered the following text under the download link (copy-pasted verbatim):
No strings attached. We just want you to play it and have fun!
(Well OK, one string: Please send us E-Mail with the subject
"Leoria" when you download it. That's it, thanks!)I thought that was cute; it reminded me of a time when game developers would encourage players to do things like mail in a postcard when they'd finished the game and then the developers would send the player a prize or something (and I hear some of them, like Richard Garriott, still do that). So I did what they asked--I emailed them and explained that I was downloading their game so that I could play it for DOSember, and included a link to my Twitch channel if they felt like swinging by to watch.
I have no idea if anyone actually checks that email anymore; the website says it was last updated in 2010. So I have my doubts that any of the devs will respond to my email or watch my stream, but it'd be a heck of a pleasant surprise if they did!
What’s one thing you hope viewers take away from watching your Dosember streams?
That there's a whole world of games out there, and that there's always something new and cool to discover if you take the time to look!
What’s a goal you’re setting for yourself during Dosember, whether it’s a streaming milestone, completing a game, or something else?
I'm not really going in with a goal in mind, but I guess it would be to just play a game I've never played before, experience something new, connect with like-minded people, and have fun! If I can get through the whole game, that'll be a good bonus.
Has streaming DOS games changed your perspective on gaming in general or impacted your approach to other kinds of games?
I grew up on DOS games, particularly adventure games, and I don't think I ever grew out of them, so that probably has shaped my mindset when it comes to gaming in general. They always encouraged the player to explore thoroughly and try lots of different things, and that's pretty much how I play every game now. They also encouraged using your imagination to fill in gaps and suspending your disbelief to really get immersed in the game world, and that's stuck with me as well. That's probably why cutting-edge graphics and the latest technology don't interest me so much, because they're not what makes a game good. A well-thought-out narrative, an intriguing setting, clever ways of dealing with obstacles or of operating within the constraints of a system--those are the sorts of things that make me excited for a game.
How would you encourage someone who’s never experienced MS-DOS games to tune into Dosember?
There was a lot of innovation in the MS-DOS days, when video games were still kind of the Wild West and the rules weren't nailed down. Risky, weird, niche games were all over the place, so DOSember is a great place to look for stuff you'd have a hard time finding in the modern-day gaming landscape.
Are there any moments or features in the games you’re streaming that you’re especially excited to share with viewers?
Since Maddog Williams is a brand new game to me, I couldn't say for certain! But I'm excited for people to experience this game for the first time along with me, and also for people who have played it before to experience it through a fresh pair of eyes, and join me on the highs and lows of my journey of discovery.
How does Dosember help you connect with your viewers differently than your regular streams?
It probably won't be all that different from my regular streams--my viewers already know me as a devotee of adventure games both old and new. But I'm hoping to expand my horizons and maybe meet some new people in the community to geek out with!
What’s the one thing you’d tell your younger self who first played DOS games about streaming them now?
You used to share your love of DOS games with only a few close friends. Now you can share it with the world!