Today I’ll present you an interview with a Greek mapper and driver known from his coast & canyon maps, Alex BF himself! You can find more infomation about the project here. Enjoy your meal!
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1. Could you tell us something about yourself?
My real name is Alexander, I am 42 years old and I have my own family (2 children) living in Athens, Greece, but I am born in Germany. I am biochemical instrument engineer (biochemical and Hematology analyzers). Besides TM have also another 2 hobbies, a cast car collection that needs more money than time and building plastic kits. And don’t forget I am a father. I like also listening music during mapping. Unfortunately I discovered Trackmania in relatively high age and list of personal and professional commitments, like that I travel a lot, are the reason that I make big pauses.
2. How and when did you find Trackmania?
From what I can remember there was a nations version in a Greek game magazine around 2006. I installed the demo and I was amazed. I was never good in stadium but the feeling of playing with players from many different countries was a very special one. After late 2006 or beginning 2007 I bought TMU, and had big issues with my wife… lol.
3. Are you a mapper or a driver?
In the beginning I was a only player. It was impossible to build anything, ok, maybe some ungly lol maps. I didn’t even have a account at TMX. In 2010, a period when I was feeling very lazy and I had a online break, I thought to give it a try. So I started with some short maps and then tried to build some maps based on what I liked to play online, e.g. speedtech maps. Step by step and with help of my clan friends I become an acceptable mapper. Now I like both mapping and playing, it depends from the mood. In any case an to other mappers, friends please play online, some maps can be 100% different online than offline.
4. Trackmania has such a big coast community. Many drivers drive mostly or only coast. Why is just coast so popular?
Although I play every environment whether am I good or bad on it, I agree. In an older interview, NitroGuY mentioned the reasons and I totally agree. Relaxing driving on most of the maps, driving feeling, the ability to have a big variety of jumps and drops, also the realistic scenery. Sometimes I feel I drive in a Mediterranean street. Ok, in Greece we don’t have loops, but we are close.
5. You are known as a coast mapper. Why is coast your favorite to build in TMU?
For the same reasons that I like to play coast plus that I can easily put into life my ideas in such a simple manner. I can easily make speedy maps with transitions without overusing the turbos that I don't like. I have tried also in some other environments, mainly rally and now canyon, but coast is my first love.
6. Yeah, also canyon seems to be good for you. The editor has some time ago got some new blocks. What do you think about them?
If you mean the underground blocks the answer is easy: I don’t like them. I don’t use them and I never will... Never say never, though. They don’t fit my mapping style. There is plethora (a lot) of other blocks so there is no problem. Maybe also a reason is that I don’t have so much time atm to try different thinks. At the same time I try a minimum TMUnlimiter using, it’s a big help but for example the ugly flicks can easily destroy a good map.
7. If you would have an opportunity to add one block to coast and one to canyon, what kind of blocks they would be?
To be honest blocks was never an issue for me. I try to create with what I have available. If there was something I would wish to add would be more deco (trees, houses etc.) in canyon and the ability to create lakes and the corresponding blocks, like the desert 6.x.x.Sometimes the offroad parts feels to empty for me. The coast editor is great and for me nothing is missing, please don't touch it.
8. What is the best coast track you have driven and why?
Omg this is a really hard question. There are so many epic maps from different great mappers and some of them are really underrated but OK I want to avoid the question. The answer is ”Fast Fingers “from sTeImOlO, Transitions, flow, tech, speed… everything included, and is the map that made me say: “Hey this is how I want mines to look like.”
9. Also, what is the best non-coast map in your opinion and why?
My second best environment is RALLY, so I would say…”drive me crazy” from MLP. I have also great respect in some MT works, some builders make unbelievable themes with it and I know that's a hard task, but in the other hand at the and what counts is always the map itself.
10. Who is the best coast driver in Trackmania?
Lik3D "Spee:D. Formerly we played much together, we ware on the same team and we have played countless hours together. He is incredibly in any environments and in all styles, from up lol to high tech.
12. Your top 3 websites, games, movies & songs.
Websites:
1. tmu fun
2. youtube
3. model building sites
Games:
only Trackmania
Music:
only Metal
TV:
History channel
13. What would be your dream holiday?
Near the Aegean sea, no matter where, with my family and good friends.
14. Describe yourself with four words.
Humorous, friendly, realistic, fighter
15. Greece has got some financial problems during the past years. Has this influenced to the local Trackmania community?
The financial problems my country faces are very intense. There is anger for the political system, anxiety for tomorrow if you will have a job, sadness for all the poverty around, sadness for the young people that try to start their career in such an environment. I think that everybody watches the news and besides any expedience it is clear that there is a problem. It is self-evident that besides the joy and calmness that Trackmania offers, there are times when you don’t feel like playing but not even powering on your PC. I strongly believe all Greek TM players have the same feelings.
16. If you have something else to say, please write it here.
Live the present, dream the future and learn from the past.
Thank you for your great answers Alex BF, and good luck to you and your family in the future! Now let’s wait if we will get more interviews in the future… Let’s dream about it! 
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