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[Mairu]

Not even sure what the point is anymore. Why bother making this league system and divide it by regions if the regions are fairly meaningless? It's like they failed to notice what was exciting and what worked about last year's WCS. I can't believe we're going to have GSLs that Mvp isn't attempting to qualify in or already a part of :|

The old Magic guy who moved to Riot >>>>> this new Blizzard esports guy

I so totally have no idea what are you talking about. I was refering to the WCS list.

I don't even play this stupid game!


I also like the notion that NA/EU just should play in the KR league, now that everyone is gone.

It's not even possible. There's no equivalency. To play in NA/EU - you can live anywhere to play online for most of it and just have to travel for one weekend. To play in KR - you have to be in Korea the whole time.

 

[Deadman]

Its strange that blizzard didnt see this happening. I predicted it would happen when the announcement happened, I even got it right that mvp and nestea would go foreign.

Maybe they just dont care.

 

[mbmonk]

I think that a better plan would be to attack on timings. For instance, as Terran simply strike when Stim is done. You should have a few widow mines and a decent bio force at that time and while stim is researching simply send out a drop to pressure him a bit. Often, Stim finishes just as his 3rd is finishing so you can really bring the pain to him as he was hoping to get his economy up. Timings that are inconvenient for your opponent are much more efficient than just plain aggression and will also make it easier on your end to keep your macro up.

Thank you. That makes much more sense. I think I am going to experiment with either fast DTs or a slower build that gets HTs to compliment my mostly sentry army. I will probably play around with both to see which is better.

 

[Mairu]

Its strange that blizzard didnt see this happening. I predicted it would happen when the announcement happened, I even got it right that mvp and nestea would go foreign.

Maybe they just dont care.

I don't even know why they bother with a region lock with the format that they decided with

 

[mbmonk]

I think Artossis (sp?) mentioned on State of the Game podcast that next season it will likely be required for the pros to live in the region that they select to play in. This season, allowing online was an attempt to smooth out the transition to this new format. At least that was my interpretation of it.

 

[Mengy]

I wish all ZvZs were like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmdVIf9uEKM&feature=youtube_gdata_player

That was actually a nice game for a ZvsZ. I like this new series from Husky, but I'm always left confused afterwards. I'm a bronze league player, pretty much always have been, but I never get pitted against players like the ones in these vids. I'm pretty confident I could beat any of the players in his Bronze League Heroes vids, but in my experience I always get put up against players who are much, much better than this.

Where are these scrubs when I'm playing?

 

[f0rk]

That was actually a nice game for a ZvsZ. I like this new series from Husky, but I'm always left confused afterwards. I'm a bronze league player, pretty much always have been, but I never get pitted against players like the ones in these vids. I'm pretty confident I could beat any of the players in his Bronze League Heroes vids, but in my experience I always get put up against players who are much, much better than this.

Where are these scrubs when I'm playing?

Post replays, it can be hard to tell how good the person you're playing is until you look back and see he was floating 2k minerals the whole time

 

[Ketch]

I hate not having time to play. I can feel myself getting worse at the game. I'm gonna try to get on for GAF night but I have a lot of school work that takes precedent.

 

[Yoshichan]

I hate not having time to play. I can feel myself getting worse at the game. I'm gonna try to get on for GAF night but I have a lot of school work that takes precedent.

Yup. I take literally every free minute I have to play HotS ._.

 

[Mengy]

I hate not having time to play. I can feel myself getting worse at the game. I'm gonna try to get on for GAF night but I have a lot of school work that takes precedent.

Eh, just be happy "sucking" at Starcraft 2. I've come to terms with it, and it's the only way I can enjoy playing to be honest, because I get to play at most a few hours per week, and this is not a game you can excel at playing a few hours per week. It's why I play a lot of cooperative games versus the AI and team ranked games, basically I just play for fun and don't care at all where my ranking goes.

 

[-COOLIO-]

That was actually a nice game for a ZvsZ. I like this new series from Husky, but I'm always left confused afterwards. I'm a bronze league player, pretty much always have been, but I never get pitted against players like the ones in these vids. I'm pretty confident I could beat any of the players in his Bronze League Heroes vids, but in my experience I always get put up against players who are much, much better than this.

Where are these scrubs when I'm playing?

there's still a fairly big skill gap from low bronze to high bronze.

 

[IAmtheFMan]

Eh, just be happy "sucking" at Starcraft 2. I've come to terms with it, and it's the only way I can enjoy playing to be honest, because I get to play at most a few hours per week, and this is not a game you can excel at playing a few hours per week. It's why I play a lot of cooperative games versus the AI and team ranked games, basically I just play for fun and don't care at all where my ranking goes.

I feel the same way too. I started in 1v1 Platinum right after WoL came out, but then, work and my other duties caused me to stopped playing for 6-7 months. When I played again I re-placed in Silver, but then went down to Bronze for a while since a lot of the nuances had escaped me.

I play for a few hours per week at most, and again mainly to have fun. When I was doing placements for HoTS, I was playing somebody who was Diamond (I'm somewhere between low Gold/High Silver at best) and he kept going on about how I need to stop playing random, and how I wasn't going to get better, and etc. I told him I really didn't care and I played for fun and his response was basically an incredulous, "what's the point of playing then" response.

 

[f0rk]

MLG applying their backward ass Halo experience to the WCS and charging $20 to enter

 

[Mairu]

Of all the things done wrong with WCS, I don't think removing an entry fee is much of a priority

 

[Chris R]

there's still a fairly big skill gap from low bronze to high bronze.

Is this still true? Back in WoL I'd think this is the case, but with Bronze only accounting for 8% of players now I don't know.

 

[Yoshichan]

Got some games in and now my wrists are killing me... sigh.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Its strange that blizzard didnt see this happening. I predicted it would happen when the announcement happened, I even got it right that mvp and nestea would go foreign.

Maybe they just dont care.

Honestly i think this will force western players to get better. Kinda like the aba players joined the NBA, or like when the negro league players joined MLB.

 

[Mairu]

Honestly i think this will force western players to get better. Kinda like the aba players joined the NBA, or like when the negro league players joined MLB.

I don't. We've had Koreans playing with NA/EU players in their big tournaments (MLG, IEM, DH, IPL, NASL) for the past three years.

 

[zargle]

I dont think it will have a large impact on the EU WCS. There is only a few Koreans entered into it, so there is still plenty of room for European pros to make some noise.

I cant blame them for stacking a lot into the NA group. NA sponsors have signed a lot of Koreans lately and honestly the NA's local talent pool is quite lacking. I am all for trying to get NA talent to improve, but they havn't shown any ability to do that yet.

 

[celestial body]

This is from TL:

16 of the 24 invites are going to North Americans, the remaining 8 invitations are going to people who are not North American. That could be both Europeans and Koreans. The last 8 spots are coming from online qualifiers. That's your 32 for this season.

Broadcast Schedule: (All broadcasts begin at 8pm ET)
Monday, April 22 – Thursday, April 25: Qualifying Tournament (four matches each night)
Monday, April 29 – Thursday, May 2: Premier League, Group Stage 1 (one group each night)
Monday, May 6 – Thursday, May 9: Premier League, Group Stage 1 (one group each night)
Monday, May 13 – Thursday, May 16: Challenger League Bracket
Monday, May 20 – Thursday, May 23: Premier League, Group Stage 2 (Four Players LIVE in the MLG Studio each night)
Monday, May 27 – Thursday, May 30: Challenger League Bracket
Weekend of June 1 – Premier League Regional Finals (details TBD)
Monday, June 10 – Thursday, June 13: Challenger League Group Stage
Monday, June 17 – Thursday, June 20: Challenger League Group Stage

 

[-COOLIO-]

Is this still true? Back in WoL I'd think this is the case, but with Bronze only accounting for 8% of players now I don't know.

i suppose so. it's true in masters and that's only 2%.

 

[Aylinato]

i suppose so. it's true in masters and that's only 2%.

They made bronze smaller to make people feel better about themselves.

 

[Mr Swine]

How nice, just beat a Zerg that had 6-7 bases, 20K minerals/9k gas while I had 1k minerals/3,7k gas!

 

[Ketch]

They made bronze smaller to make people feel better about themselves.

=(

Thought I was actually getting better.

 

[fatty]

I feel the same way too. I started in 1v1 Platinum right after WoL came out, but then, work and my other duties caused me to stopped playing for 6-7 months. When I played again I re-placed in Silver, but then went down to Bronze for a while since a lot of the nuances had escaped me.

I play for a few hours per week at most, and again mainly to have fun. When I was doing placements for HoTS, I was playing somebody who was Diamond (I'm somewhere between low Gold/High Silver at best) and he kept going on about how I need to stop playing random, and how I wasn't going to get better, and etc. I told him I really didn't care and I played for fun and his response was basically an incredulous, "what's the point of playing then" response.

I think that's a great attitude to have. It's not like I'm going to ever reach 'pro' level anyways, I've got wife, kids and other things on my plate that are much higher priorities. Although I do try to stick with one race and get better, it's good to have perspective on why we are actually playing.

I remember on WOL, I had won a match and then my opponent later looks at my profile and messages me trying to make fun of my for playing so many games and only being platinum. Really, you're going to go there, lol?

 

[giri]

I get that people want to see players from "their region" playing. IT's always nice to see local players.

BUT.

It would be absolutely terrible if, lets say, the Americas, got to the WCS final and all lost 2-0 or 3-0 or w/e, and were wiped out in the first round. That would be incredibly embarrassing for a whole "scene".

I don't have such a problem with the rosters for the tournaments. If anything, i think it's going to make other scenes stronger and better. They're going to be forced to lift their game if they want to compete with the best. And they now know, they're not going to be able to just cruise along.

I mean, EG has been a shit show, and i can't even remember the last MAJOR tourney won by anyone who was, at the time, on EG.

 

[ZealousD]

I bet all of these are going to be cheese matches. I can't see anyone actually pulling off a 1v4 in the late game. Even against bronze leaguers. You are effectively going 200 supply vs 800.

If it's something like muta ling a 200 army could still do some damage to split armies, especially considering how fast you could replenish.

But yeah, cheese would probably happen too. I'm imaging a team game where the three teammates give a zerg their initial 50 minerals and the pool goes down immediately.

 

[Mairu]

I get that people want to see players from "their region" playing. IT's always nice to see local players.

BUT.

It would be absolutely terrible if, lets say, the Americas, got to the WCS final and all lost 2-0 or 3-0 or w/e, and were wiped out in the first round. That would be incredibly embarrassing for a whole "scene".

I don't have such a problem with the rosters for the tournaments. If anything, i think it's going to make other scenes stronger and better. They're going to be forced to lift their game if they want to compete with the best. And they now know, they're not going to be able to just cruise along.

I mean, EG has been a shit show, and i can't even remember the last MAJOR tourney won by anyone who was, at the time, on EG.

What makes it any more embarrassing than going out in the first round of the regional league? What is even the point of having separate region events if you're able to play in any of them?

Did IPL/MLG/IEM really make the NA/EU scenes stronger by adding Koreans? This argument doesn't really work when you consider that Koreans have been playing in international tournaments for 2-3+ years.

 

[Ketch]

Are we doing a GAF night? I might actually be able to play.

 

[Wedge7]

If it's something like muta ling a 200 army could still do some damage to split armies, especially considering how fast you could replenish.

But yeah, cheese would probably happen too. I'm imaging a team game where the three teammates give a zerg their initial 50 minerals and the pool goes down immediately.

Isnt their that beginning timer limit where you cant trade resources with your allies for the first x seconds? Like the first 2 minutes or something.

 

[ZealousD]

Isnt their that beginning timer limit where you cant trade resources with your allies for the first x seconds? Like the first 2 minutes or something.

Is there? Booooooo

 

[Mr Swine]

If it's something like muta ling a 200 army could still do some damage to split armies, especially considering how fast you could replenish.

But yeah, cheese would probably happen too. I'm imaging a team game where the three teammates give a zerg their initial 50 minerals and the pool goes down immediately.

I won a 4v4 being me the only one left in my team. Built 200 supply worth of BC and beat the opposing team. But that was about 2 years ago that happened

 

[giri]

What makes it any more embarrassing than going out in the first round of the regional league? What is even the point of having separate region events if you're able to play in any of them?

Did IPL/MLG/IEM really make the NA/EU scenes stronger by adding Koreans? This argument doesn't really work when you consider that Koreans have been playing in international tournaments for 2-3+ years.

Well, how is it different now? The koreans having going to IPL/MLG/IEM and winning them for 2-3 years and the local scenes are still there? I mean, thats the kicker. This has been going on for years. Just because America is in the name, doesn't mean the country actually owns it. Its just where the tourney is based out of.

And the players in those regions now have no excuses, they know who they're going to be going up against, and the skill level that they need to obtain to compete. What it SHOULD be doing, is sending all sorts of warning signs to all large foreign teams that they really need to get their shit together and start practicing on much much better schedules.

If that means they need to look at hiring an ex kespa player to come in and coach them, then so be it.

 

[Mairu]

Well, how is it different now? The koreans having going to IPL/MLG/IEM and winning them for 2-3 years and the local scenes are still there? I mean, thats the kicker. This has been going on for years. Just because America is in the name, doesn't mean the country actually owns it. Its just where the tourney is based out of.

And the players in those regions now have no excuses, they know who they're going to be going up against, and the skill level that they need to obtain to compete. What it SHOULD be doing, is sending all sorts of warning signs to all large foreign teams that they really need to get their shit together and start practicing on much much better schedules.

If that means they need to look at hiring an ex kespa player to come in and coach them, then so be it.

I think you should be thinking a bit more critically as to why foreign teams (other than EG) haven't been able to "get their shit together"

 

[Crimsonlink]

Are we doing a GAF night? I might actually be able to play.

Just go on Mumble and join NeoGAF chat. Escaping Jail can't always be around for us you know. So just invite people into the group when you get on SC2 and play whatever. I won't be able to play this week thanks to extra work so you guys have fun.

Edit: Make sure to specify a time and how long you plan on making it last. Also the time zone is important!

 

[giri]

I think you should be thinking a bit more critically as to why foreign teams (other than EG) haven't been able to "get their shit together"

Such as?

And thats not really my job. If your team has a flaw, thats on your team to fix, not me to make excuses for.

I get the idea behind the complaints, that if sponsors see local players playing at a similarly high level, they will get sponsorship money. Making it a viable career choice in those countries etc etc etc

But that's not a good enough reason to exclude someone just because of their race. Particularly not when a lot of the "local" teams have foreigners in them anyway. And those local teams got their sponsorship for playing in their local market first and foremost.

I think the "zoning" has created this thought process that players are competing to represent their country, or their, zone. They aren't. It's not the Olympics. They're competing to represent themselves, and their team. i.e. the people who pay them. Not their country.

 

[AppleSmack]

Such as?

And thats not really my job. If your team has a flaw, thats on your team to fix, not me to make excuses for.

I get the idea behind the complaints, that if sponsors see local players playing at a similarly high level, they will get sponsorship money. Making it a viable career choice in those countries etc etc etc

But that's not a good enough reason to exclude someone just because of their race. Particularly not when a lot of the "local" teams have foreigners in them anyway. And those local teams got their sponsorship for playing in their local market first and foremost.

I think the "zoning" has created this thought process that players are competing to represent their country, or their, zone. They aren't. It's not the Olympics. They're competing to represent themselves, and their team. i.e. the people who pay them. Not their country.

Because of their race? Who is excluding anyone for their race? The only thing people are saying is that it is unfair that the GSL maintains residency requirements in their league while WCS NA has no such requirements. If you are a Korean living in NA like Polt you should definitely be able to compete in NA but if you don't live in NA you shouldn't. Regions outside of Korea should be offline as well.

 

[giri]

Because of their race? Who is excluding anyone for their race? The only thing people are saying is that it is unfair that the GSL maintains residency requirements in their league while WCS NA has no such requirements. If you are a Korean living in NA like Polt you should definitely be able to compete in NA but if you don't live in NA you shouldn't. Regions outside of Korea should be offline as well.

ARE there still residency requirements for GSL/WCSKR now?

And i agree on the offline thing, but that would be very difficult considering the size of Europe and america to run GSL style groups, one a night.

I don't like "tournament' style for this stuff. I prefer it when players have prep time.

 

[AppleSmack]

ARE there still residency requirements for GSL/WCSKR now?

And i agree on the offline thing, but that would be very difficult considering the size of Europe and america to run GSL style groups, one a night.

I don't like "tournament' style for this stuff. I prefer it when players have prep time.

You dont have to be a korean citizen, but basically yes. It is simply moronic to complete in a tournament like the GSL and not actual grab an apartment and stay there. The plane trips back and forth will be far more expensive and will cut deeply in your practice time and ability to play due to jet lag.

 

[Deadman]

Polt playing NA. A preview of WCS.

The invite list for each region is out now. 24 for NA and EU, the other 8 spaces to be filled by koreans a qualifier.

http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/9447314/Season_1_Premier_League_Player_List-4_10_2013

 

[StayDead]

Polt has been playing on NA for months since he's living in Dallas for Uni. WCS NA will only look like that if the other teams don't all group together and plan to snipe them with builds and stuff. Koreans all help each other to beat the better foreigners, you can't tell me that not even 20 of the better American players cannot beat Nestea for example.

Jaedong is maybe going to clean house, but his team is based in NA mainly, so it's no surprise he's playing there and if he didn't try to play NA he'd miss out on the entire first season due to not being in code S.

It's better for the game that koreans are going outside of Korea for WCS. I know I sure as hell wouldn't want to watch an NA only tournament, it'd be like watching two children playing tennis in their backgarden instead of the Wimbledon finals.

 

[Ikuu]

It's better for the game that koreans are going outside of Korea for WCS. I know I sure as hell wouldn't want to watch an NA only tournament, it'd be like watching two children playing tennis in their backgarden instead of the Wimbledon finals.

No it's not, it's not going to help the NA/EU scenes at all, Blizzard have made a complete mess out of the whole thing.

 

[mr stroke]

Just picked this up and after not playing SC2 multiplayer for the last year I am getting my ass handed to me


Can anyone point me to some HOTS Terran build orders/strategies for noobs?

 

[AppleSmack]

Polt just lost do Demuslim
Also, GAF night tonight?

 

[StayDead]

No it's not, it's not going to help the NA/EU scenes at all, Blizzard have made a complete mess out of the whole thing.

It'll force the players outside of Korea to actually improve and then the ones who actually beat the Koreans may finally get some recognition by being the best in that region. Being the best in NA when there's no Koreans there is like saying you were the best NA player in Broodwar, it means nothing.

The best from NA/EU and Korea go to the mid season finals and the world finals. If someone from NA who got to be the top by beating just Americans got in, all that would happen is they'd get crushed first round in the finals and nobody there would improve.

It encourages build sniping/player researching which currently due to lack of teamleagues the western players don't often partake in. Also the prize distributiion means just getting into premier gets you atleast some money.

 

[celestial body]

Snute on NA?? and no DeMuslim, who's been laddering really well..
I must say the European invites look sweet.

 

[StayDead]

To say how much of a joke the last WCS was in terms of players, Scarlett won WCS NA with dropping only a single map. That's how good she was compared to everyone else and take a look at her now, she took out MVP in GSTL last weekend.

 

[SamuraiX-]

Polt just lost do Demuslim
Also, GAF night tonight?

DeMusliM fightiiinnngg!!

He's been looking pretty solid in HotS. At least on the ladder anyway. C'mon, Coach Park, give him a chaaannnce!

 

[f0rk]

and no DeMuslim, who's been laddering really well..

That's what the foreigners need to realise, laddering means nothing. The Koreans didn't get good off of ladder.

 

[celestial body]

That's what the foreigners need to realise, laddering means nothing. The Koreans didn't get good off of ladder.

He deserved it over some of the others, i mean maker..come on. Same for Qxc he deserved a slot.