Interviewing ThePhantomCatan
My interview with ThePhantomCatan is the fifth in a series of interviews on the Colonist Blog. ThePhantom is the fastest growing Colonist YouTuber, and is well-known for his strategic mind and beautiful thumbnails. I had the pleasure to speak with him, and we covered topics ranging from his opinions on Colonist-specific topics, to his life offline. Enjoy!
If you have anyone you'd like to see interviewed in the future, please contact me at [email protected].
How did you first discover Colonist?
I started playing Catan Cniverse quite alot during covid here in Australia. It was extremely difficult to play with friends and very laggy/glitchy. My friend then found colonist.io and we started to play on colonist and soon realized how much better it was to play on.
What made you decide to start making YouTube videos?
There was no Youtubers uploading consistent everyday videos, which was what I was looking to watch. I then took it upon myself to rather then consume videos, start creating them myself.
What is your favorite video that you made?
Probably the first few videos I ever made because they remind me of how far I have come since then.
What is the easiest & hardest thing about making YouTube videos?
There is no easy thing about making the videos, lots of things go into creating them. You have to play a good game/get a win, then you have to edit 30-50 minutes of footage down to around 15, and there are plenty of other small details that make videos really special. That said, the most fun part of making videos is creating the thumbnails.
What is the biggest advice you have for someone looking to start creating their own content?
The best advice I could give is to just start. Once you start creating what you love, or are passionate about, things will snowball and before you know it you will have built something you’re proud of.
What is your favorite game to play other than Catan/Colonist?
I have been playing lots of chess lately. Although I’m not great at it I enjoy playing. One of my all time favourite games growing up was Monopoly.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I am from Melbourne Australia. I’m 22 years old. I've always had a passion for strategy games and am super competitive. I am also huge on self improvement and strive to always be better than the day before; I wake up at around 4:30am most days, go to the gym before work, and work from 7:30-4. When I get home that is the time I usually edit my videos. I also love anime and movies.
What is the first thing you check when picking a placement in a game of Colonist?
Which spots I think will be available for my second settlement.
What is the biggest piece of advice you have for a new Colonist player?
Have fun and enjoy learning the game and improving.
What is your favorite Colonist custom map and why?
I love the black forest map, it's cool to see all that wood on the board and have to uncover the fog to build on more resources.
What is your favorite resource and why?
Probably ore, it's the resource that everyone wants to monopoly and always the rarest in the game. When that ore rolls for you it feels amazing.
I hope you enjoyed reading my interview with ThePhantomCatan! If there are any questions you would like to see answered by future interviewers, please email me at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!