RQGG20 Stretch Goals - Ask Alex Anything (AMA)!

The last of our Gaming and Giving stretch goals, you sent us your questions and Alex has read them... it's time to get some answers! Welcome to Ask Alex Anything!
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[@nagydoraveronika]

Alex must not have heard MAG 200 because his performance in that was not "ok" it was fantastic and heartbreaking

[@askmartyn]

In case you're wondering yes Alex is just a floating head and floating hands

[@amniamin22]

Damn I can't unsee it now

[@iris8135]

Damnit martyn

[@thetasteofsunshine]

I _knew_ it

[@chaiky6556]

Thank you

[@Cera135]

I saw it as an evil mantle like Darth vader.

[@aliceb978]

I feel like Elias played by Alex would simply be too powerful-

[@Ella-gj7vr]

Or too evil

[@sincerelymaia]

Alex says he's only an okay performer but he has committed numerous voice crimes against us, so I'm taking that with a grain of salt. /lh

[@f_mva]

*side-eyes the entirety of tma and rqg* yeah no im calling bs on that

[@sugimama]

Alex: voice acting is probably what I'm least good at Me, after listening to mag 200: .... say that again

[@ZeroOhClock]

Maybe he's trying to say he's an absolute god at everything else

[@ayamarrow1383]

I think what we can get from this is that Alex needs constant chaos stimulation in the back of his head or he explodes

[@CBtheAdvancedDark]

Big mood

[@BackAlleyTANGO]

"I'm an okay performer", he says, while being one of the best voice-actors on RQ. He's made me cry multiple times with his performance as Martin. ;;

[@raven2269]

"I have delight in my life just give me a second" - Alexander J. Newall 2021

[@remmingtonreyburn8884]

Alex’s eyebrow being permanently quirked both vexes and amuses me

[@hannahrich9941]

Do you suppose he gets it permed to stay that way? 😂

[@SaaKaja]

It kind of looks to me like he's maybe compensating for slight ptosis? Maybe I'm just projecting tho. I have this problem and my eyebrow constantly looks like it's trying to crawl all the way up my forehead and escape to the ceiling.

[@hannahrich9941]

@@SaaKaja oh hell, now I feel terrible for making the joke. I did that thing where I forgot Alex is a whole real person, not a character he's playing. 😓

[@SaaKaja]

@@hannahrich9941 What do you MEAN Alex is a real person, what kind of crazy conspiracy theory is this?? In all seriousness, yeah, of course it's important to remember they're all real people with real feelings, but your joke was pretty harmless, I don't think you should feel terrible :)

[@carrietulip]

okay at performing??????????? OKAY AT PERFORMING?????? O K A Y??? With all due respect sir, my tears from simply the way you said the word “together” beg to differ.

[@Ella-gj7vr]

100% agree with you, fellow ella

[@carrietulip]

@@Ella-gj7vr Thank you so much Ella, and may I add, you have a truly delightful name

[@andrewthyme]

gasp alex isnt wearing a suit??

[@jamiehoward227]

the amount of nerd in that man is inspiring

[@andrewthyme]

alex talking about keeping track of props as if he and ben didn't completely forget zolf and wilde are still tied together /lh

[@hilaofek4426]

You're right and you should say it

[@valkyrie-randgris]

Can't wait for Wilde to get pulled along to where ever Zolf is slipping off too because of COURSE Alex or Ben remembers the rope, right?

[@thetasteofsunshine]

Rewatching this made me realize that it's less of "oh Alex is downplaying his performance skills" and more of "he's a goddamn _incredible_ writer and director"

[@BeautifulEarthJa]

Exactly 💯

[@chaiky6556]

The void respects his craft

[@vordreller6428]

How very correct "Sci-Fi used to look forward and used to see a future to aspire to. Sci-Fi now looks forward and sees a future to avoid."

[@kimballblack2668]

The best moments are the ones when Alex is in a position where the chair looks like some kind of villain suit. It’s so hilariously ironic.

[@lousutcliffe6713]

The void enjoys your work very much.

[@lousutcliffe6713]

Save points is a genius idea * takes notes *

[@eldritchbf8223]

3:44 alex what, and i say this with all the respect in the world, the FUCK

[@hannahrich9941]

Just imagining Azu with her neon pink mournful axe screaming, "I cast Cleave"

[@voidbean]

so i noticed that no one has made one yet and i was bored so here are timestamps for all of the questions: 1:02 - alex, how are you doing? 1:52 - how does alex create simultaneously the worst and best characters for oneshots? 3:19 - alex talks about the “ALL YOUR FAULT” voice from RQG 182 3:58 - advice on getting allies for creative projects 5:17 - what alex has learned about GM-ing and different playing styles from RQG 6:57 - alex talks about solarpunk 8:55 - how does alex maintain the ethos of which he started the rusty quill company? 10:12 - how many bees has menaced martin over the years? 10:38 - breekon & hope are the creepy chuckle brothers 10:59 - alex’s editing process 13:25 - did alex listen to the mechanisms before meeting jonny or because he met him? 14:23 - does alex enjoy thunderstorms? 14:25 - alex’s favourite waveform 15:04 - does alex feel like a celebrity? 16:04 - advice for someone who wants to try GM-ing for the first time 16:53 - bertie’s sword’s name 17:25 - alex’s netflix & chill 19:00 - alex talks about how he developed the aurora borealis as wild magic 20:18 - coming up with voices for NPCs 21:18 - how does alex feel about his time working with jonny drawing to a close? 22:34 - how does alex make sure the party connects the dots between the clues? 23:32 - how does alex take his tea? 23:54 - how long has alex been directing? 24:52 - if there was only one colour alex could see for the rest of his life, which colour would it be? 25:27 - if alex could change the outcome of a single dice roll in RQG, what would it be and why? 26:04 - alex’s approach to directing 26:57 - advice on getting into voice acting 28:03 - alex’s favourite lord of the rings character 29:42 - funny moments during recording (alex talks about the ship of theseus paradox) 31:16 - who would alex want to play in TMA that isn’t martin or jared hopworth? 31:39 - alex’s favourite character types 34:00 - campaign notes & advice on prep 39:12 - alex’s favourite words 39:56 - what would TMA characters dress up as for halloween? 40:07 - silly little things that bring alex delight 41:11 - alex brags about rusty quill employees 43:52 - internet holes alex has gone down because of TMA or RQG (alex talks about nuclear semiotics) 45:30 - the most unexpected thing a player has done in-character while alex has been GM-ing 46:09 - stupidest and/or smartest thing casper has ever done 46:51 - alex’s favourite RQG special 47:00 - favourite TTRPG character alex has ever played 47:54 - useful skillset for early career 49:21 - favourite NPC in hamid’s family 49:29 - “why do you keep making enemies with magic immunity or fire immunity? it’s so mean, alex” (question submitted by bryn) 50:44 - if alex weren’t involved with TMA at all, what would he think of it? 52:33 - what has alex learned about himself from writing and his characters? 53:52 - what should the plural of “alex” be? 54:07 - what would alex do if given a month-long holiday and an unlimited budget? 55:00 - alex’s supernatural experiences (aka alex is That White Guy in a horror movie) 56:20 - why does alex do art? 58:38 - why is alex always wearing a suit?

[@catnerdadrian7601]

People like you are gods among men

[@sweetie2363]

Super helpful, thank you 👏

[@kilarthmac]

Thank you for the timestamps!!

[@thetasteofsunshine]

I really love the idea of dressing up for someone is out of respect of that person, rather than, what me and many other people are taught, that you should dress up for others so that they think you look good or that you have to prove something. "I'm dressing up because I respect you" rather than "I'm dressing up because that is what I am expected to do" is honestly such a wonderful idea that should be more implicit in our society. The idea that clothing can be used as a sign of respect is kind of a little bit foreign to me and I think that has a lot to do with the way I was raised and my own personal anxieties, but I really _really_ like that and I'm gonna start thinking about that in future. (Maybe it's just a little thing and a lot simpler than that, or maybe it's because I'm someone who works in the medium of clothing creation, but the basic thing of "I am choosing to wear this nice thing because I respect you and not because I want you to like me or think I'm cool because of what I'm wearing" is a new idea to me that will very much stick with me for a very long time)

[@onechaoticbard]

okay, i thought there was more editing on the all-your-fault-voice. thank you, i am positively terrified!

[@ajaxbird2348]

It's times like this that I remember that Alex voiced Jared Hopworth

[@bloodiedXangel]

It was more terrifying here than in the show. I'm terrified. That voice is going to haunt me.

[@tybronx2446]

Impressive! But terrifying!

[@kellanlevi5663]

It legit made my heart drop, especially because I was absolutely not expecting that voice to come out of this man unedited

[@BeautifulEarthJa]

@@ajaxbird2348 the only character I couldn't hear lol. Still scary

[@rowann4714]

The comment of ‘Keep being yourself, you’re doing a good job’ hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting it to after all the laughs throughout the QnA, thank you Alex :)

[@Memorex120]

Yep that one got me

[@meadowb9124]

Me too

[@jordanhawk9949]

Same.

[@joschisaurus182]

The sound design of TMA S5 was one of my favourite things of that season. It's very well done and underlines the surreal change of the setting perfectly.

[@tinywitchfrogs_]

Cats sometimes want you to watch them eat because they trust you to protect then from any danger that may manifest itself while they're distracted and vulnerable 🤔 is what I've heard

[@SeraEllis]

the elizabeth sound design love is wonderful! thank you elizabeth for a the little noises that made me hair stand on end and my hands shake.

[@fmratio8327]

THE PIPER IS ALSO MY FAVORITE EPISODE I'm sorry I just jumped

[@helenabekele2765]

Okay, that whole dressing up because you respect others is so interesting to me. I'm constantly dressing up even if I'm just staying at home, and I never really knew why. I mean, I'll put on a skirt and button up just to watch netflix all day. I now think it might be because I respect myself. I respect my body and want it to look its best at all times. I can't believe I never connected the dots

[@obsessedme5484]

video summary: Alex has big brain

[@maryz9319]

Casper wants to social eat, just like his people do! He wants to sit and chat with yall when he eats 😁 My cat started doing the same thing during the pandemic, and I think its cause suddenly all occupants were home sharing all meals whereas before we were maybe having one communal meal a day - my cat Sunny even comes sit at the table in a chair when we're all eating.

[@druttercup]

Interesting analysis of Solarpunk and aspirational vs cautionary fiction :-)

[@ggggggg5987]

"How am I doing? What a heavy question" That's so in character lmao 😭

[@CO-wc8xh]

Alex gushing about RQ staff members makes my heart happy

[@tuesdaynext7370]

I want to see the toothpaste commercial he was talking about now

[@bernardoribeiro7652]

Frank's voice is as pleasant to look at as Frank themselves 🌚☺️ (said me a simp)

[@isabelchmontuenga]

Dont blame you. They are witty and beautiful, AND they have a good voice?? Some things are just unfair

[@wesmarinproductions]

I always felt like Alex and I were similar people, but almost every thing he said I was like “yeah me too”

[@valkyrie-randgris]

RIGHT? Alex stop being relatable challenge.

[@migle123410]

Listening to Alex talk is really interesting and inspiring, his voice and the way he talks makes me want to learn more and improve for some reason lmao

[@scout7046]

time stamps for maggie !! on voice acting 3:35 - 3:47 on tea 23:32 - 23:51 on double martin 26:18 - 26:30 on toothpaste and joy 40:08 - 41:10 on cats 46:11 - 46:50 on entrepreneurship 52:42 - 53:19 on ghosts 55:03 - 56:01

[@larsmeridian4312]

17:50 "And it's- it's Roooood!" XDDDD oh my god, moments to loop for the rest of time

[@virashrienaikare3926]

I'm not into gaming, but here to listen Alex's voice now that the MAG is over. The video is a bonus ✨

[@alexceptionalex]

Wait, wait, wait. Does this mean that if the medusa had petrified one of them, Sasha and Grizzop might still be alive?

[@artytalks3464]

The moment Alex said that he liked the word glint, it confirmed my suspicion that he’s read at least some Terry Pratchett books

[@wishuponrstarr]

A whole hour of Alex content? you're spoiling us ❤

[@jaybird6396]

Alex, your Christopher Walken impression is just a less german less old Einstein. You’re good.

[@taisgrim]

44:35 There was a Tumblr post about this a while back, iirc the particular site it talked about said "The danger is still present in your time"

[@mothmansboyfriend8021]

I may or may not have replayed the "All your fault" bit a couple dozen times by now. a video format of rqg would be even more intense I feel XD

[@Kointa]

It’s like straight up growling. He could start in a death metal band

[@holly9757]

.....alex....where's the suit?

[@nanoreo7098]

YAAAAAY, more collaboratives with Jonny and Rusty Quill!

[@kathmblair]

Loooove Alex talking about art, I completely agree! The safety of looking at / exploring scary things in a constructed context is really powerful.

[@Cat-lp1be]

Perfect thing to watch especially after episode 200 happened...

[@hannahismail9613]

It took me a while to realize that he was not wearing the chair nor on a green screen

[@duck2322]

I definitely spent the first ten seconds of this thinking alex was wearing some sort of Batman costume bc the shirt blended into the chair lmao

[@schmohobzsia7216]

That was a lovely Q&A 😊

[@courtneyb.9249]

I love Alex's face, lol

[@nidhi-nb7ws]

he's not wearing a suit,,,, Imposter!!! /j

[@maryz9319]

Alex sus

[@supergirlihateu]

His head is just floating there

[@cl0very]

the more i listen to alex describing his way of thinking, the more my respect for him grows 👀💕

[@hairspray242]

I was just chilling ! just drinking my tea ! just finishing breakfast ! and Alex hits us with 'keep doing you, you're doing a good job' ?!!!! no sir it is too early for me to burst into tears s t o p

[@taffeara6743]

This was s a lovely Ask Alex Anything! Thank you Rusty Quill for all the hard work that you have put into giving us this amazing content, you seriously bring me so much joy and wonder through all your various platforms. I am so happy to be a part of this community and appreciate everything everyone does. Thank you Mike and Rusne for another brilliant bit of editing! The glowing cat was *chef's kiss* and I love all of the graphics you guys included! (Please send my Love to Auto and the mods and the RQ Stream Team and all the Editors, you are all doing fantastic!)

[@kafka9905]

oooH I wonder how (or whether?) the Wilde Incident would have played out if grizzop had gone with the gang

[@johncaputo5261]

So is it now canon that Alex is just a head? Has the rest of his body been taken by the eldritch gods who *actually* run RQ to further maximize his productivity? #freealex

[@anamakovnik2641]

thank you alex :)

[@ebentaylor]

6:56 Thank you for the really eloquent answer! It gave me a lot to think about in terms of my own stories that handle solarpunk concepts and themes. Hopefully it becomes more popular so that you can definitely say whether or not you're a fan :^) I do wish that I asked about how you were able to reach the vocal range that you have, because it shocked me when you demonstrated it when discussing the "all your fault" moment. That, as well as how you were able to disguise your own voice as Jonathan Sims (character) so perfectly that no one noticed until you brought it up yourself. Overall this Q&A has given me a lot of inspiration to create things, even when you discussed things that I didn't quite relate to or understand (RQG moments)

[@chemicalstairs]

He disguised his voice as the archivist?when, more info please?

[@ebentaylor]

@@chemicalstairs he told us that we'd never be able to tell which episode and he'll never tell us!! I think it was during a season 3/4 q&a. Patrons got a clip of him doing a vocal warm up getting into Jon's character

[@eldritchmillennial]

Ooh I play a Cleric who spends most of his time throwing Fire Bolts (he's an Arcana domain Cleric, so he can borrow wizard cantrips) and has VERY LOW DEX so he topples over continuously. Great fun.

[@chemicalstairs]

Great questions from everyone, and thank you to Alex for the answers, and thank you to the editors for bringing it to us!!! I preesh everyone in this company so much.

[@BrainsArt]

56:24 I'm the exact same tbh.

[@gilanschultz6543]

The piper is my favorite too

[@labyinthoiospotnia]

but do you know the king of nuclear semantics, ea-nasir?

[@V3xxe]

Alex looks completely different to how I imagined for some reason!

[@aceofjacks7071]

I won't blame you if you imagined him like how Martin looks in fanon, cause I did too

[@mello-by]

He looks exactly how I imagined

[@82c30]

Alex sounds like a great boss 🥺

[@bloodiedXangel]

I feel bad for laughing at the suit. I've always thought you had the one blazer that you wore whenever you were being a Professional Businessperson and then just wore normal clothes the rest of the time. Does this mean there's more than one suit?

[@vordreller6428]

Like many philosophical arguments, Ship of Theseus is most useful when we apply it to real life examples that fits the same broad structure. Like, take a sentence and remove each word in it with a synonym, where possible. Read the entire thing again. Does it convey the same meaning? Really makes certain things stand out once you start paying attention to it. EDIT: Bonus, for some words, do it multiple times. Picking a synonym, I mean. Up to the point where the synonym you end up with isn't actually a synonym of the word you started with.

[@StarKnightly]

Can I request a second one of these with Alex? I missed out on this one! :(

[@kilarthmac]

22:35 - The look to camera 😂 23:22 - _Gasp_ 24:14 - That tracks lol 31:31 - "That could be... shittier ,';)"

[@f_mva]

good lord it is WEIRD to see alex's face

[@Noahhhhhhh10]

If there's not already a story of someone desperately looking for supernatural encounters out of sheer boredom, there absolutely should be. Kind of like that fairytale about the boy who wanted to learn how to be afraid, expect with less naivety.

[@marchienleopold8996]

Please, you may be kinder to yourself in the lightning of your face. I know you are exhausted after 5 years of TMA and all other things but it's okay to flatter yourself with some colour.

[@KenKen3593]

Jared is pretty low-charisma I guess