Darkelfa has long been known as one of the premier compilers on FPSB and on the entire internet. The legend himself took the time to respond to some of my questions. Now, I bring his coveted answers to you.

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions DarkElfa! How's it going? You've been customizing games for quite some time, where did you get your start?

Actually, I got my start doing stuff for Star Trek Armada and Armada 2, then I tried my hand at player skins for Jedi Outcast. Of course all of these were for my own personal usage but its where it all began.

What made you take interest in customizing games?

Well, I was simply searching for patches to Armada and found out there was customizable content available and wanted to try my hand at it. It took a while to learn where things went and how to modify them and it became second nature after a while.

What was the first thing you've ever released?

It was a modified light saber blade pack for Jedi Outcast but the site it was on is history now as is the skin.

Most people know you as a compiler, but you have many great skins as well. What is your favorite submission that you've done the texture for?

Wow, if you mean from scratch, I love the Kabar I skinned which PHP modeled. I also love many of my player skins, so its hard to choose just one.

Which games have you developed for?

Boy, it depends. I've released stuff for HL2, DOD:S, CS:S, GTA:SA, Jedi Academy and Jedi Outcast. Now stuff I've just modified would include nearly a dozen more games, but I do a bunch for myself and friends that never gets released.

I'm sure you love all of those games, but do you really play all of them? Which is your favorite?

Well, I love TF2 and DOD:S, but CS:S has a special place in my career and will most likely be my favorite until the next one comes along.

2 years ago, you created Dark Caliber Studios, which quickly rose to number 1 in the rankings. After a number of name and roster changes, Avenger Corp. is still ranked number 1. How did you manage to keep your studio preforming at such a high level for this long of a time?

Ha, no secret there, I went out and got my hands on the people with the most quality releases and recruited them. Nearly all of them are still there though they aren't active much anymore. I figure at current release levels, we'll be overtaken for good by Damage and that will be that. Its all in fun so, as long as we enjoy ourselves, it was all worth it. ;)

In the customization community and on FPSB, you have attained a certain amount of celebrity. I have even joked in a thread of mine that FPSB members regularly get on their knees at night and pray to you. Do you ever get tired of the constant attention and adoration that all of your loyal fans give you? Do you ever wish that people would ignore your name on a submission when rating it?

Ah yes, the fame. Well, fame is a 2 edged sword and its hard to say whats more over bearing, the love you get or the hate. Honestly, you get used to the love, but the hate always burns deep. Every negative comment I get stings like the first one.

Honestly, I just do this for fun and while the notoriety can be fun, if you let it go to your head, you can be sure your head will soon go right up your butt. I've been there many times. You have to take it with a grain of salt and move on but never grind on your fans or you'll lose them.

On your many skins, you've worked with many great people including Mullet, Stoke, and Twinke Masta; is there anyone who you haven't worked with that you would like to do something with in the future?

I never did squat with ModderFreak as an actual collaboration, so that would be fun to do. ;)

With your skill and influence, I am sure you could convince all of the best of the best to work on a mod with you, which would make it something special. Why have you never gone through with something like that?

Unfortunately, many of the best have been burned before in collaborations and are hesitant to try again and too many of the best have become restrictive about how and where their stuff is released so along with time and scheduling issues, its darn near impossible to make things work out.

Being someone who has their work rated regularly, what do you think of the CSA feedback system tom has implemented, specifically the exemplary feedback system?

Well, it has its ups and downs. I mean I understand that competition can be beneficial to the working environment, but too much competition can be down right damaging. I think it would be nice to be able to opt out of the CSA system, with penalties of course.

As far as the CSA system itself goes, it can both help and hurt the author. I've seen first hand how crazy it gets. You get people who insist on giving you 10's for everything and haters who do their very best to trip you up. Its give and take.

Your submissions are mostly for Counter Strike: Source, why have you stayed away from some other games like TF2 or UT3?

I've honestly never done anything for UT3 and don't have plans to since its a whole different community and I hate being Terra Incognito. As far as TF2, I'm actually designing a complete weapon skin replacement pack for it as we speak. It going to be Avenger themed, so get ready for nano craziness. ;)

Speaking of games not CS:S, what future games do you plan on releasing work for?

I know I'm going to be doing stuff for L4D as soon as its released. As far as other games go, it depends on how difficult they are to work on. I'm really looking forward to the next installment of CS and I'm there when it comes out.

FPSB distributes your submissions to everyone for free, and your submissions are high quality, why have you never tried to sell any of them for a profit?

Well, much of my work is collaborative, so selling them is out of the question. Those subs aside, I've enjoyed doing things for free and I always will. I'm in this for the community and I'll never charge for what I do.

When I try to learn about a new subject, I always try to get a teacher who knows what he is talking about. That being said, have you ever thought of releasing any compiling tutorials?

I did release one and I've thought of doing others but trying to make time in my schedule can be a chore in itself. That and I'm a sucky teacher.

Can you tell the masses something about yourself that the normal elfa-maniac doesn't know?

Hmmm, that may be hard. I've forever been an open person and that's also come back to bite me in the butt more than once. Let me think, I'm a marijuana advocate. ;D That may not be news though and I only support it for people who have reached drinking age.

Do you have any advise for the up and coming compiler?

Sure, never try and do the work for anyone other than yourself. Its OK to release what you make, but do it to please yourself first and foremost and above all, never try and please the public; you can't.