Shoot for the Moon, Find a Star

It all started when I was thirteen years old. Shortly after beating Final Fantasy 7 for the second or third time, after hours of grinding battles for limit breaks and levels to beat the ultimate weapons, I was thirsty for a new game to master and love. The next day at school my friend brought me a demo CD from PC Gamer. It had a new game on there that he said I had to try, and it was called Starcraft. Some space based strategy game. Okay, I thought, I will give it a try. Little did I really know, that this game would envelope the next decade or two of my life.

After playing the demo about a million times, obsessing over Siege Tanks and Goliaths, I was hooked. Shane and I would dial into each others computers, and play long drawn out turtle fests. Each game started out with buzzing, booping, and beeping, only to come to an end by a mined out map, nuclear explosions, hundreds of tank shells, or a haze of cloaked wraiths. The next day at school after playing, my mind was always encumbered with ideas and thoughts of different strategies. After weeks of the demo, I just had to buy the game. I went to the local store in my small town, and promptly purchased the product. Little did I realize, I could now play a deeper story line, and play as two different races. My heart raced.

Delving into the story was incredible. For some reason it just stuck with me. It had me. It owned me. After playing the story at least two times, I started to get into comp stomps with my friend. Then BGH. Then mini tournaments with more friends. Now my school-day strategizing turned into classroom map making, designing maps I thought looked fun. After that, I turned to wanting to create a Final Fantasy 7 RPG in Starcraft. It never came to fruition, but it also never seized to make me happy, just thinking about which unit would be which character. Broodwar enhanced my love, with a fresh story and new units. My friend Richard and I would spend hours seeing how fast we could DT or Lurker rush. I always returned to this game after finishing others. It was truly the definition of replayable.

It was around this time that I decided I wanted my own computer. I had been working summers and saving money every chance I could. I went to the same small town computer shop, and told him I wanted to build a computer. I only had $700, so I didn't get much. Windows 98, Celeron processor, crappy video card, and some ram. I told the owner, that I wanted it built and tested, and then taken apart. I did my research, and was ready for the challenge. It was my technological lego. After assembling it back up, I was ready for Starcraft again. Later, this skill and passion with computers would translate into my current job, as a computer technician.

Fast forward many years, after numerous revisits to the campaign, and the ever so popular fastest map ever, it was finally announced. The only thing that could possibly excite me more than a Final Fantasy 7 remake for PS3, Starcraft 2. I drooled over the Battle Reports.

When the beta hit, I needed to get it. Needed. I watched all of the lucky peoples videos....Rise, Husky, Day9. Oh how I was jealous. When I got in the beta, roaches were still one pop with two armor. It was an unrefined, unbalanced game, but I knew it would be my game for years to come, just like the original. After watching what I considered to be mediocre casts from random people, I decided, I can try this. I did my research, practiced a few times, and casted my first game. Two weeks later, I had emails from companies wanting me to cast their sponsored tournaments. Being on the Day9 Countdown video, Steelseries America vs Europe, Co-pro casts with my home-country hero Huk (then on Millenium), and Morrows map making showmatches. It blew up, and I had the most exciting year of my life. Casting was clearly my new passion, which fed off my Starcraft and computer passion quite nicely.

Unfortunately, my time came to a bitter end, and I had to make the extremely uncomfortable decision to stop casting. Work, family, relationships, all obstacles I knew I had to balance with my dream of casting in the big leagues. The next year I was distant from Starcraft. Never missing a Day9 daily, or a single GSL match, I kept my eye and heart on the scene as much as possible without thinking too much of my failed dream.

My now fiance, then girlfriend, soon wife, has been the most supportive person in the world, and I cannot thank her enough. Attending Barcrafts, local tournaments, and giving me the courage to apply for the IPL 3 volunteer call (never got the opportunity), she hasn't missed a beat. When we talked about marriage, I made the joke "You don't get a diamond until you reach diamond league". That was her cue. She started playing the campaign to get into it. She shared my passion, and I knew I'd never share her, she had to be mine. As she worked off the missions, I purchased the ring. We went to a concert, and she had five missions left. I knew it was time. I told her she could put the remaining missions on IOU if she'd marry me. That was over a year ago. We leave in four nights to the Dominican Republic to get married with a dozen or more friends and family.

This year she bought a pumpkin and wanted to carve it with a theme. Somehow, she picked Starcraft. After she finished the Terran logo (my current race), I wanted to make 3 more. The Teamliquid logo, and the other 2 races. Here they are.

[image loading]

Recently I was on local TV for a Starcraft tournament, that shows episodes weekly. In January I will cast the King of the Prairies tournmanent. I can't wait. I still dream Huk could attend.

I used to have one passion, now i have two. Even though I never reached my dream of casting for a living, I have my dream girl, and still have my dream game. We both eagerly await Heart of the Swarm, to play the missions and laugh and kill Zergs. (This may pose a challenge for her, cause she hates those ugly bugs). Though, shes proven she can tackle anything. Maybe one day I will get to work with esports, and do some casting.

Here is a picture of us. It really makes me cherish the saying, shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you will still land among the stars. April is my Star, Starcraft, you're my moon.

Last edit: 2012-10-31 12:37:14

www.youtube.com/Schickysc - Shoot for the Moon, Find a Star

Aerisky United States. October 31 2012 12:35. Posts 9164

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This is glorious ^^

Congratulations you two!! Enjoy the trip

sigh

pigtheman United States. October 31 2012 13:24. Posts 325

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wow congratulations and gl with everything, the pumpkins are just to beautiful
you guys are a cute couple ^^

*rawr* d(^_^d)

firehand101 Australia. October 31 2012 13:30. Posts 3000

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It appears you have the perfect life <3

The opinions expressed by our users do not reflect the official position of TeamLiquid.net or its staff.

hp.Shell United States. October 31 2012 13:46. Posts 1616

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That rock is huge! Gj

►AKA Raddmiral | Turtle power! | 우정호 セバ順 DJM S | 水樹奈々 ♥ | El. Psy. Congroo.

JLew Canada. October 31 2012 15:20. Posts 350

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Awesome blog Schicky! Congrats and can't wait to do King of the Prairies and more events with you in the future.

@Triumph_eSports . www.Triumph-eSports.com

Schickysc Canada. October 31 2012 23:04. Posts 315

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Thanks everyone. It was both of our first times carving pumpkins.

www.youtube.com/Schickysc - Shoot for the Moon, Find a Star

meteorskunk Canada. October 31 2012 23:37. Posts 546

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I thought your name was schticky sc at first. You know, the schticky, that's good for removing pussy hair? Anyways I enjoyed hearing your story.I have never seen your casts, but now i'm curious.

I liked your younger days when your passion for starcraft would come to you uncontrollable. It's nice to read stuff like that because i came to the game online aorund 2001-2002.

Great pumpkins. I would totally love to lounge in their starcraft inspired mystique. Nice lady you found there too.

-all the best

Girl Blog Credentials: Comfortable talking to some women. Tried the sex once

RZAMazz Canada. November 01 2012 09:59. Posts 23

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This is..... beautiful ='( . All the best you bouse's =D

U get not even 1 G not 1!

myRZeth Germany. November 01 2012 23:02. Posts 806

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awesome

SOCKE

MstrJinbo United States. November 01 2012 23:12. Posts 777

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Cool blog. Congrats to both of you.

EvilTeletubby Baltimore, USA. November 02 2012 02:23. Posts 21020

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Awesome! Spotlighted.

Also, 'grats on the future wifey. She is a cutie! Make sure you remind her every day that you know how lucky you are.

My wife loved that she was also wearing a TL shirt.

Last edit: 2012-11-02 04:12:06

http://carbonleaf.yuku.com/topic/408/t/So-I-proposed-at-a-Carbon-Leaf-concert.html ***** http://www.twitch.tv/jojosc2/b/315014581

Apom France. November 02 2012 02:51. Posts 551

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Most amazing ! Many cognratulations :D

n0ah United States. November 02 2012 02:57. Posts 177

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Like a boss. I'm currently in the process of getting my girlfriend to play StarCraft 2. She's tried it before, but never really committed to it (not really her fault though)...

I told her the only thing I want for Christmas is for her to learn how to play the game so we could play together.

When there is nothing left to burn, you must set yourself on fire...

Probe1 United States. November 02 2012 03:18. Posts 16445

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Dude there's no way to easily express how flat I read most blogs. Read title, scan blog, scan comments, mostly move on. There's just so many long and useless blogs that.. anyway, I skipped back and read from the top when I saw your signature matched the title. It was an anomaly and it interested me. By the end you had me grinning by myself. From remembering when we were kids and computer games had complete surprises that were in every sense wonderful (two more races!) to making the analogy that building your first computer was like picking up where your last lego set left off, to the end.

Great blog man. Thank you for sharing it.

우정호 KT_VIOLET 1988 - 2012 While we are postponing, life speeds by

Arcanefrost Belgium. November 02 2012 03:21. Posts 1119

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Woooow

Valor is a poor substitute for numbers.

Al Bundy November 02 2012 03:23. Posts 7167

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5/5, story is heartwarming, and the pumpkins are perfect. Especially the Protoss one ^^

Once it's about the money, it's never quite as pure.

Sinensis United States. November 02 2012 03:34. Posts 2503

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Great pumpkins, I knew we'd see some Sc2 themed pumpkins this year. Your fiance looks like Jennifer Aniston in that picture.

Last edit: 2012-11-02 03:35:13

Ethoex United States. November 02 2012 05:59. Posts 142

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Great story and good luck with your marriage and trying to cast again. ( I loved the pumpkins)

"We're a community of geniuses because we've found how to extract 95% of the feeling of doing something amazing without actually doing anything." - Chill

Aber Sweden. November 02 2012 07:48. Posts 201

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wow that liquid pumpkin was the most awesome thing ever! shame you live on the other side of the water or i´d ask you to do one more

gongrats and gl

Trying is the first step towards failure

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