[TSL] Pre-Ladder Interviews

What was the first thing that popped into your head when you knew TSL2 was happening?
Oh god, I'm going to have to get active again!

Why now though? You've not really been active for most of the other foreign tournaments since the original TSL, have you?
I only had a really brief couple of weeks playing for the SCL and then about 3-4 weeks of full activity right before WCG USA. But, well, the TSL is different. It is the absolute greatest event in the world. I really hope I have time to play in it again.

How much work did you put into the ladder last time, and what sort of preparation would you like to do for this November / December?
I believe I was 1st or 2nd on total time logged, 2nd on games played (with TERRAN, yeah beat that nerds), and Top 1 or 2 with % played vs Koreans so basically I put every moment into the last ladder. If possible, I'd like to get 1st in all those categories again, but alas, I am really REALLY busy with my job, so I don't think that will be doable :D.

This TSL has a bigger prize pool, but what else has changed since the first TSL? Do you think anything is going to be different about this incarnation?
I think this time, people will take it more seriously. The prize pool is bigger yes, and people know now that the TSL is LEGIT. Top 3 qualifies right into the next one, which is huge, sc2 is coming, so these last events mean better sponsorships in the future. This event could be even better than the last.

What will people remember most about the TSL this time?
It's great commentating?

Haha. Is the open ladder a good idea? Especially with Ret and IdrA in Korea and so many top foreigners around?
Absolutely. Winning the TSL isn't everyone's goal. New players can strive to just qualify for top 48, or even make top 100. Things like that are quite an accomplishment for a new player. Just testing yourself, seeing how far you can go amongst the best, its totally worth having the open ladder.

Who are you gunning for, and what sort of builds should people be expecting from you? What's likely to be your signature play this season?
Well, its a hard spot for me really. I only like to play when I can really put in the time to compete with the top players. Even though I don't think I will have that time, I probably will still attempt to play the ladder. In the ladder stage I would probably just play only koreans again, so normal play. If I make it into the playoffs, my signature will be targeting my opponent's style. Each good foreigner has a really specific style, and knowing that style can give you a great edge.

Any specific players / styles you think you're going to enjoy watching?
My favorite player to watch play has to be G5. I'll be looking forward to the crazy stuff his broken mind concocts. It's also really fun to watch people try to beat IdrA, so he's another player I'll certainly keep an eye on. Aside from that, I really like to watch the play of HayprO, Nyoken, InfeRnaL, XiaOzI, Dreiven, and JF.

JF has been off the radar for quite a while. What do you make of his chances in TSL, given that he's defending champion?
JF has been really busy with "real" life, so he just hasn't had time to practice like he used to. Hopefully he gets over that. If he really goes hardcore mode during the next month or so, he could do quite well, but definitely not win the tournament. IdrA and ret are just too high level at the moment I think.

Any parting shots? Who are you going to down in the ladder stages, let's see some trash talk. Who will play the least Koreans this time?
Mondragon or lastshadow.

Who will knock out IdrA?
OctZerg or ret.

With Artosis busy with work, who will have the most games?
LzGaMeR or GosI[Terran].

Which player will pretend they are inactive yet play enough to qualify?
Testie or Skew.

Who will win the Zotac Cups during TSL ladder?
NarutO or MorroW.

As a TL staff member you obviously knew the TSL was happening before everyone else. When it first started taking shape though, what were your first thoughts?
Well, given that the first one happened over a year ago, I was confident a second Brood War TSL was never going to happen. As SCII got pushed back again and again and the pieces started falling into place with Poker Strategy, I got really excited to see another TSL. TSL is basically when all TL staff showcase their best work, so I'm excited to see what everyone is going to do.

We know that you'll be casting this year, but what about your play? Will you be laying out the ownage during the ladder stages?
Of course. The most active I've ever been was during TSL - I think I played over 200 games if I remember correctly. That was also the highest rank I've ever achieved. It's just a fun time for everyone to be active. Ironically, despite being on vacation, this is probably the best shape I've been in now so I'm definitely going to play when the ladder starts.

[Editor's note: To all those strategy forum newbies that have been brutalized verbally by Chill over the past few years, here is your chance to get back at him. "You are B-? Link to account please."]

What is your personal goal for this TSL?
Haha, I guess top 48. Realistically I just want to be on the final list of positions, which I believe was top 100 last time. I think I can eaisly do that, but I seriously doubt I can achieve top 48. Shoot for the stars I guess - I'll try for top 48. Either way I just want to get past the ladder stage, whatever that requires.

You were one of the voices of the original TSL. What did you take away from that experience?
I took a lot away from that. The positive feedback is great for an ego boost, but the negative feedback was the most valuable. Improving my casting is a problem of habit and mental block, and the first step to fixing that is realizing the problems. Ever since TSL I've wanted another chance to do a big cast so I can force myself to sound more enthusiastic. I'm really going to push myself in TSL2. Above all else, it's fun. I'm looking forward to casting again.

Do you like casting Broodwar as much as you like playing it? Would you ever consider doing it for a day job like Artosis or Tasteless, assuming it paid enough?
I actually prefer casting to playing right now, but that's probably because of the rarity of opportunities to perform. I read once that you shouldn't make your passions a job because then they cease being passions. I tend to agree with that logic, so I wouldn't cast for a living if I had the opportunity. Realistically, there are enough talented people already better than me that I won't have to worry about turning that offer down - I'm lucky I slid in with TSL at the ground level.

What are you most looking forward to about the PokerStrategy.com TSL?
To be selfish, I'm looking forward to casting. There isn't anything like the TSL for foreign casters and it's rarer than Christmas O_O. Outside of that, I'm looking forward to what the graphics team is going to bring to the TSL this time. The style of the TSL is something that immediately comes back to mind when I remember it, so it's excited to imagine how it's going to evolve. Also, I want to see what new (new to me) players are going to show up. Last time Brat_OK appeared out of nowhere and became my personal hero, so I'm hoping for unknown players to use the TSL as a launching point for Starcraft fame.

As someone who has been in Korea for the past few weeks, you've probably been more tuned into Starcraft in general than most of us. Which players will you be looking out for in this TSL?
Idra is really, really good. There was this period after Idra got to Korea when everyone was hyping him up and he was getting no results. I was pretty skeptical of his skill at that point, thinking it was all hype. But he's way past that point; look at his results - He basically goes as high as Koreans will let him at every tournament he plays in. He's the man to beat in this TSL without question.

Which new faces do you hope to see make the qualifiers?
I can only reference the hype that I've heard while being here in Korea, and the majority of that coming from Artosis. Without naming names, I'll just say there are three young players I'm hoping to see do well in this TSL - one from Europe and two from the western hemisphere. I want to see if Artosis' hype has substance.

The last TSL ladder stage was notorious for Mondragon's ling runbys in response to Protoss FE. Since that TSL however, we've seen some fairly big shifts in how certain matchups are played. If you had to guess, which builds or styles do you think are going to be most popular during the ladder and during the TSL itself?
Haha, I'm not one to predict huge shifts in gameplay, just my own play. I've seen 2 fact is becoming popular again in both TvP and TvZ, although mech seems to be dying these days. Expect to see a lot of Mutas in ZvP, as they are the pivot for that matchup these days. Outside of that, I don't expect there to be another 44-1 build, but don't make me eat those words.

Any parting shots? Who are you gonna take down in the ladder stages? Who will suffer the wrath of Chill?
Well, if LBH somehow gets out of Chinese IP restriction, I'll be sure to send him packing again. Shoutout to Psyonic_Reaver for having a mental breakdown in the last thread we had exchanges in! Take care of yourself man.

As an Administrator of TL, you were one of the people who decided the time was right for another TSL. Tell us a bit about why the PokerStrategy.com TSL is happening now!
The stars realigned I suppose. We had actually played with the idea of doing a 2nd TSL back in March but it didn't really go anywhere. Things just have to click - I think it was Rage who said that PokerStrategy.com may be interested in sponsoring it and after talking with them we knew it was time.

You worked actively on the last TSL. What lessons did Team Liquid learn from hosting a tournament of that size, and how has that experience shaped its approach to organising this TSL?
So much just went right with the first TSL, but that was mainly due to the man hours put in. I remember some days Hot_Bid and I would talk about TSL from the moment we woke up until we passed out. Everything you see as a viewer has had countless hours of decision making go into it but if we do our job right, you shouldn't notice. Because of that time investment the first time around, we are now able to focus on a better work flow and organizational structure. It's still A LOT of work, haha, but we at least know our way around the block this time.

What are TL's goals for the PokerStrategy.com TSL in terms of reach and impact?
You hear gamers on forums talking about Starcraft as something of the past pretty frequently - "oh yeah i used to play BGH back in 200X." Those are the people we really want to reach out to. I know members of the SC community will love the PokerStrategy.com TSL but one of the main goals is definitely to reach out to that "casual" audience. We have no idea when Beta is coming out but I imagine this will be one of the last TSLs before Starcraft 2, so we are working under the assumption that this is the last major starcraft tournament so we want to blow people's minds with it.

You wrote a funny article that used "science" to predict when the SC2 Beta would arrive.
When I wrote that article hundreds of people started emailing and calling Blizzard to ask where their beta key was for July 17th, and that some large gaming sites got mad that we had the exclusive announcement and they didn't. So... sorry Blizzard!

If this is indeed the last major SCBW tournament the foreign community will see, what does the TSL want to leave them with? After more than a decade of Broodwar, a final goodbye cant be easy.
So many games fade away and I feel that we (TL Staff) have a responsibility to do something epic like this - if not us then who? Then again, the "farewell" to Broodwar has been much like the farewell to Manifesto7 (happened 3 times and he's still here). Hopefully we time it right that as we hit our explosive finale, the SC2 beta is starting up. We want to leave the community with sense of pride that they have been part of something so great - even as a viewer you are part of the PokerStrategy.com TSL experience. For our new members you'll think a few years down the line "oh yeah I remember that, it was fantastic!"

Finally, I guess the question to ask is - how do you guys do it? A team of volunteers running a tournament of this size is almost unthinkable. What's your secret?
We just staff really good people who bring a variety of views and ideas to the table. The intrinsic motivation of having thousands of people enjoy the product you create is more valuable than any amount we could pay staff... within reason haha. Because we are a community site and not a company, there is no feeling of "we have to do this to survive." We could sit on our behinds all day long and TL would probably still chug along at a decent pace. There is no glory in that though.

What went through your head when you first heard this TSL was happening?
I was really excited for the new TSL because I was told that TSL2 would not happen until SC2. It's always great to have more tournaments around and I think this TSL will be even more exciting than the previous one given that the prize pool has more than doubled since TSL1.

It's also a tournament you're directly seeded into. Given your absence from many foreign tournaments over the past few months, will you be preparing for this TSL, and if so, how?
School has been pulling my SC career down immensely as I average one to three games a week now. I try playing as much as I can but my inactivity has caused my skill to drop so it would be pointless for me to participate in tournaments. My personal rule is that I only compete when I'm at my best. When winter break comes along I'll play as much SC as I can to prepare for TSL. I'll aim for the 10k first place prize although I highly doubt I can win given the current rise in skill level on the foreign scene.

The rise in skill level, it's funny you should mention that. Apart from Idra and ret who are both in Korea, who are the players you'll be watching out for during the qualifiers, and who do you think are most likely to join you, Draco, BRAT_OK and Nony in the final stages of the TSL?
Well I mentioned the rise in skill level because I saw that the foreigners did quite well in IEF and WCG so I'd assumed the average skill level has risen. In terms of specific players I don't know who's actually good apart from ret and Idra, maybe white-Ra? But really I havent been following the tournaments and clan wars lately so I can't say who will make it to the final stages of TSL.

Have you seen any changes in PvX (and might we ask, specifically in PvZ) and if so, how do you think you'll adapt your playstyle to match them? Like the perceived PvZ imbalance that is being spoken about so much, particularly with reference to 3hatch spire into 5hatch hydra that is making it so hard for Protoss to keep templar alive?
This is the killer strat that ret used on me during our practice games in the past, I always dreaded the day that this BO became popular. To be honest I've never found any specific counter to this strategy, the only way I deal with such strategies is to do weird things myself and throw the zerg's timing off.

You said that it's hard to predict who will make it through the qualifiers. How about we phrase that question this way - who do you most want to play against?
I want to play against someone who I've never heard of, that way I can make it further into the tournament. Hehe.

Any shoutouts/trash talk? Who are you gonna take down this TSL?
I want to beat Idra's ass down because he would say something ridiculous and it just ends the game in a high note! Other than Idra I do not any other specific players that I want to beat. I hope you all have fun and good luck in TSL2!

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us JF. GLHF yourself, and hope to see some great games from you.
Thanks.

What went through your head when you first heard TSL2 was happening?
Instant dilemma. Should I come out of retirement or not? Completely selfish reaction really But there was also a sense of awe that TL came up with a $23k prize pool. Unfortunately it won't be a full commitment back to eSports but I think that participating to whatever extent I can will be worthwhile.

As the 4th seed, you only have to play the winner of the TSL Ladder. Will you be playing the Ladder anyway?
I'm still deciding that. Right now I'm leaning toward not playing the ladder.

If so, how will you prepare for the TSL itself?
I'll play iCCup on a private ID. If I get in good enough shape (so that I don't waste their time) I'll seek games with some eStro players.

That's interesting. I know your time with eSTRO has been mostly hush hush, but if possible do tell us a little bit about how your time in Korea has affected your gameplay and how you approach SC in general. How will the Nony we see in this TSL be different than the player we saw in the first one, and why?
I think outwardly there won't be much difference. But my time there helped my practice habits. I can sit down at my computer and get quality practice at any time. It's very easy for me to drop back into a productive state of mind and start pounding out some good games.

Who will you be watching out for this TSL?
I think IdrA is my biggest threat. My PvT style is difficult against his TvP style. But we'll see if he can survive a gauntlet of "cheesey newbs" before facing me.

Let's look a bit at the bottom of the ladder. There are at least a few new faces that have emerged since the Razer TSL. Who's the rookie you'd most like to see do well in this TSL?
Gotta admit complete ignorance here -- I haven't been following the scene. I did hear about one fellow that did decently at IEF despite his TvP being smashed by G5 and white-ra. Boxer I think? Maybe he'll edge in. Or Chill. Come on Chill, you can do it!

OK, now by popular demand - PvZ IMBARITE? We know you've already had your say on the Liquipedia cast, but tell us in brief what you think of the PvZ situation at the moment, and also maybe a bit about how it affects your preparation for the the PokerStrategy.com TSL.
In Korea, the Zergs are playing a safe system (based off 3hat spire 5hat hydra) and the Protoss, lacking time to invent a whole new system, are taking stabs at Zergs on a match-by-match basis. To the fans, it looks desperate and it imparts relatively little knowledge to Protoss players. But I think it's balanced. For the PokerStrategy.com TSL, I think the Zergs will be relatively more predictable and I'll actually have an easier time in this atmosphere.

Any player you want to play against?
I would loooove to play against Eriador Awesome old school player that I never had the pleasure of playing against in an important match. So come right up and let me squash your creativity with my iron fist of conservative play. :D

Thank you for your time, Nony! It's been fun talking. Good luck!
Thank you!