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VeraLynn; GM fraud

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
 
 KawaiiRice   United States. September 25 2012 05:10. Posts 2807
Profile Blog # 
+ Show Spoiler [VeraLynn's reply] +

+ Show Spoiler [DeathAngel's post] +

Hi Starcraft community,

Today I am writing to expose a fraud in our community, VeraLynn. VeraLynn is a self-proclaimed Irish Grandmaster zerg player and streamer that streamed pretty regularly. Vera has also recently been playing showmatches with certain known players such as desRow (2-4), Ziktomini (5-3), Cytoplasm(2-5), Tarson (4-3), and Sjow(5-4).
All these showmatches have been occurring as of August. Vera also competed in the AGL August Invitational where she took third behind Hyun and Tod, winning $60. Her Grandmaster status and performance in showmatches and the AGL tournament have given her credibility as a knowledgable coach, appearing on a recent Pro Corner with LiquidSheth and the amazing ChanmanV, as well as being an instructor over at SixPoolGaming and head of z33k.tv


I have several pieces of evidence to bring against VeraLynn. Unfortunately, she caught wind of what I was doing before this post so all stream vod links I had no longer work, but I still have screenshots.

1. Hotkey analysis. I have replays of her showmatches against Sjow, Tarson, Cytoplasm and Desrow. Gretorp and others have analyzed her hotkey usage in the showmatches against some of DeathAngel’s replays (TSL4 qualifiers, IEM Guangzhou qualifier vs livezerg) and confirmed that DeathAngel played on VeraLynn’s account for the showmatches.
+ Show Spoiler [Vera showmatch hotkeys vs DeathAngel h…] +

i. Both players hotkey 5 at the same time around 1:30 – 2 minutes.
ii. 09 for hatcheries.
iii. Hotkey spam is similar in each showmatch to DeathAngel.


2. Streaming. In Vera’s stream vods there were two types of vods; one was laddering and the other was purely replay analysis of her own games and viewer interaction/(coaching?).
+ Show Spoiler [Stream quality comparison] +
As you can see, there are two completely different setups (and these are consistent throughout the 57 vods which are no longer available).

i. Normally, VeraLynn has a webcam when she streams (ONLY replay analysis). When DeathAngel streams, there is sometimes a picture of Vera, sometimes no picture.
ii. When Vera streams, control groups are visible, but not when DeathAngel streams.
iii. Different streaming resolutions (note the black bars on sides in 2nd pic, and one black bar at top on first pic)
iv. VeraLynn has higher graphics settings than DeathAngel (look at creep)
v. When VeraLynn streams, there is an overlay and scene switcher. After she exits a replay it goes right to her VeraLynn overlay. When DeathAngel exits a game it goes to the normal SC2 interface.

+ Show Spoiler [Scene switcher differences] +


3. Instance of talking in stream chat while playing with no visible interruptions in gameplay (stopping actions to reply, alt tab pop up, pausing in game). This skype chat log was provided by someone who wishes to remain anonymous.
+ Show Spoiler [Skype chat log] +

i. In the chat log Vera is very defensive about the matter and avoids the matter entirely at the end.
ii. In various laddering vods (now no longer available), it is clear that her using a second monitor is a complete lie. Why would anyone using a second monitor to talk in stream chat open the stream chat in the main monitor on a different stream vod? Unless this is a third computer with no dual monitor?
iii. http://sv.twitch.tv/veralynn_sc2/b/326796781 (0:42:45)



4. “A” from the previous point also confronted Vera about the differences in her stream quality while going over replays and laddering.
+ Show Spoiler [Stream quality explanation by Vera] +

i. Even if a person streamed with different computers, what kind of GM level player plays with two different sets of settings (graphics, displaying hotkeys)?
ii. What kind of streamer would stream on multiple computers regularly and not even have their overlays on each computer?
iii. What kind of streamer would coincidentally ladder ONLY on a different computer with inferior settings ONLY with no webcam?
iv. What kind of person in general hops around different spots in the house to stream on different computers? That makes zero sense.


5. During one of VeraLynn’s ladder stream vods she had Grooveshark opened and received a Romanian advertisement. This means that the streamer is probably in Romania.
+ Show Spoiler [Romanian Grooveshark ad with translati…] +


6. At the start of one of Vera’s ladder stream vods she also had Adobe Flash Player crash. Her error message is in Romanian, not Irish or English. This means that the computer is in Romanian language(DeathAngel is Romanian).
+ Show Spoiler [Romanian Adobe error message] +



7. On reddit, “wants_to_die”, accused VeraLynn of being a fraud as well. Although the comment is deleted from this thread you can find the picture below.
+ Show Spoiler [Reddit quote from founder of Girls of…] +


8. Stream vod statistics as of September 22, 2012 (which can no longer be verified)
38 VeraLynn vods with a different setup, laddering, no commentary, no webcam, no overlays, no scene switcher (total time: ~40.5 hours across 3 months; June 2nd to September 19)

18 VeraLynn vods with VeraLynn replay analysis/coaching/talking with stream, webcam, overlays, scene switcher, higher quality. 0 ladder games or team games.

1 VeraLynn vod with the text "HI MORROW IM NOT A FANGIRL IM A GRANDMASTERS ZERG NOT MASTERS : )" running across the screen for 8 minutes … yeah okay.


So why does it matter whether or not VeraLynn is a fraud?

VeraLynn has been getting attention recently through her performance in showmatches and the AGL tournament and was in a position to profit from the scene through her deceit. If this had not been the case obviously I would not go into such detail. I hope the community can take this as seriously as I have and shun her from the Starcraft community altogether.
As previously mentioned, Vera is a SixPoolGaming instructor, making training videos and tutorials for them. Being an instructor there myself I contacted SPG management about the matter, and they had this to say.


An investigation by one of our staff has revealed undeniable evidence that VeraLynn was using leveling services in order to build her own reputation. We take these matters very seriously at SPG and do not condone, support, or endorse that sort of behavior in any way and as such we will not be featuring VeraLynn's content any more on our site.



I also reached out to Z33K and here is the opinion of their founder, Lane LaRue.


“Vera Lynn is a successful manager in the z33K.tv casting organization, a coach on z33k.com, and her extracurricular involvement in the community extends behind the scenes touching dozens of gaming organizations and teams in a positive way. The accusations of account impersonation come as a complete shock to me. As startling as this is, Z33K.tv and Z33K.com are dedicated to furthering competitive gaming. That will not change - regardless of how this shakes out we will persevere. Vera Lynn has temporarily unpublished her coaching profile from z33k.com and we will continue to evaluate the situation.”
- Lane LaRue, Z33K Founder, 9/23/2012



Special thanks goes to:
Gretorp for analyzing the hotkeys from VeraLynn’s showmatch replays.
desRow for being my Watson helping me gather screenshots and information from VODs.
Other sources which chose to remain anonymous.

Thanks for reading.
Last edit: 2012-09-25 13:26:12
っ( ≧▽≦)/ Playing T and Z~ \(≧ω≦ ) || @MYiKawaiiRice
Old Post

 
 Badfatpanda   United States. September 25 2012 05:11. Posts 9259
Profile Blog # 
Hi, my name is Chris but I go by Badfatpanda on these forums and in other endeavors in this industry. I have been a caster for z33ktv over the past 5 months, and as with anybody who knew Vera, this came as a shock to me. Our professional relationship lasted about 4 of those months, and during this time I was in contact with her for various things often multiple times every day. From an objective viewpoint, what she is accused of in this post is condemnable and calls for severe repercussions given the wide scope of people, at every level of this community, that were wronged by her actions.

I have been asked not speak publically on this matter, but as there is no NDA restricting me against such, I believe it pertinent to do so. It goes without saying but I must be clear about this, what I am about to say are my own opinions and do not reflect those of either z33k.com or z33ktv in any way.

Vera was the head of z33ktv, a casting organization for which I was a main caster. At the time of this being posted I will have unfortunately parted with z33k, as do not agree with their stance on this matter and we have different views on the future of z33ktv.

Under her lead, the brand grew a lot, although much of this was due to the diligent work of my fellow casters (all of us contribute on a purely volunteer basis without any compensation), it is undeniable that she was instrumental in this growth. I can speak with 100% certainty that nobody at z33ktv had any knowledge that these allegations took place before a fellow caster and myself were approached by Kawaii.

Until I saw the evidence against her, I was under the impression that this might have been just another witch-hunt (as the Reddit post Kawaii mentions was posted not a week before he came to us [which had absolutely nothing but circumstantial evidence at best]). It quickly became clear this was not the case, and after the connection was made to DeathAngel specifically I took it upon myself to check DeathAngels replays from the past few months in each matchup against the showmatches played by Vera (I had the replays as I literally casted every single one).

The resemblance is staggering, hotkeys are one thing, especially as Vera had told me on a few occasions prior to this that she and DeathAngel were friendly, but apm, eapm, and the pregame spamming etc that SC2Gears is able to show is something else entirely. I won’t go over the other evidence mentioned, as I’m sure you’ve read it (you should really thank Kawaii for the time and effort he put into making this document as concise and easy to read as possible, as well as the others who invested their time in this matter to set things right). There are a few other points that I think add to this discussion but are rather circumstantial, and others that unfortunately are unable to be brought public discussion of this that anonymous parties wish to remain undisclosed.

As I believe that the evidence Kawaii compiled is ample to irrefutably prove that Vera and DeathAngel are guilty of this fraud, I am including the following points that I have come across, as I think they add to this topic. Vera uses 2 account, 1 on NA “Veralynn” one on EU “Vixen”, her NA account went from top 8 platinum to GM in 1 season, and was only active since last year. Time wise I can understand, she lives in Ireland and EU would be her main server. Platinum to GM that fast though?

Her EU account, which would have been her primary server, is only 2 SEASONS old, both of which she ended up in GM. For someone who is attempting to make it in the scene, and gain recognition to play tournaments, ladder, and showmatches on a smurf is quite strange. Yes, I can think of many players that enter tournaments or play on other servers with different names as long as their contracts allow it, but the majority of them are well established in the professional scene. In addition, I have asked Vera multiple times to add my email (realid) so I can join games/she can join mine, as I am the one primarily responsible for setting maps during her showmatches, she has always shrugged this off or just changed the course of the conversation (very weak point, but I believe it deserves mention).

Now with the sheer amount if information you readers have received at this point is still being processed, but a major point of contention for me to believe any of this was true was regarding motive. With this paragraph I hope to shed some light on this. The initial contact made between Vera and DeathAngel was via a third party, specifically an account leveling service that DeathAngel was a part of. After they had made contact, DeathAngel went on to cease working for the third party, around the time he left his latest team, Absolute Legends. DeathAngel has yet to rejoin a team, and obviously would have needed some method to support himself financially. Nobody but Vera and DeathAngel can confirm this but it does all seem to fit.

At this time Vera has been approached by multiple parties to come clean or disprove these allegations, and she intends to fight them. There is nobody that benefits from this if they are true. As a paid coach, someone who placed highly in a respected tournament, the head of a casting organization, someone with fans who look up to her, and someone who was supported through multiple showmatches with well-established pros in this community, what Vera is accused of affects a lot of people.

I did not write this post with the intention of stirring the “drama” of the matter. Instead I posted this as someone who has volunteered hundreds of hours of his own time working with Vera to help grow z33ktv as well as Vera’s reputation in the community. If these allegations are true, her actions directly affect many of my friends and colleagues at z33k who were only trying to help her as co-workers and friends. I’m sure z33ktv will only continue to grow following Vera’s departure; as they are a group of hard-working people dedicated to making a positive impact on the community.

I’m sorry for the wall of text, I cannot really offer a TL:DR, it just wouldn’t fit with the reasoning behind my post. It’s simply an elaboration of the OP with personal details and my perspective on things. In closing I want to deeply apologize to those these allegations affect if true, especially Sjow, Desrow, Cytoplasm, Ziktomini, and Tarson (I refused to cast any of her future showmatches if she continued to BM the way she did to you that series, it was uncalled for). I will try and find sponsorship to host showmatches for all of you in the future if it’s something you would be interested in to try and make up for these past transgressions.

To Vera: If you’re reading this, and you aren’t guilty, please play against DeathAngel on stream with a camera positioned to see your head, hands, and give confirmation that you are legitimate. Otherwise, no hard feelings, you’re a hard worker and very dedicated, you just chose the wrong path and it snowballed. The community blowback however is reprehensible.



Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. -Beethoven | Mech isn't a build, it's a way of life. -MajOr | Charlie.Sheen: "What is sarcastic, kids who have no courage to fight?" | #TerranPride #yolo #swag -Naama after 2-0'ing MC at HSC VI
Old Post

 
 Xpace   United States. September 25 2012 05:11. Posts 2040
Profile # 
Oh boy here we go!
Old Post

 
 SixPoolGaming   United States. September 25 2012 05:12. Posts 4
Profile # 
From the initial conception of SixPoolGaming, we wanted to provide a platform where people would be able to learn from players who are currently playing at the professional level. Regrettably, we have recently encountered a situation that we did not anticipate.

There was an investigation opened into VeraLynn this week by a member of our staff who had the suspicion that VeraLynn was engaging in unethical conduct. While SixPoolGaming is not liable for the actions of third parties, we take the possibility of fraud or unethical conduct by those with whom we do business with in the SC2 community very seriously. After many hours of reviewing the details provided on the above situation, it became clear to me that VeraLynn had engaged in inappropriate, unethical behavior in order to increase her standing in the SC2 community.

SixPoolGaming recently reached out to VeraLynn upon the assumption that we would bring mutual benefit to both parties. In light of the recent events, we realize this was not the case. We at SixPoolGaming value leadership; I feel each member of our team should uphold the highest level of integrity and ethical values in order to work well within the community. Cheating is an immoral act that should never be condoned in any way as it detracts from those who have put in countless hours of hard work into becoming legitimate successes. In order to uphold these values I cannot, in isolation, support the continued publication of VeraLynn in any regard on SixPoolGaming.com.


After consideration, SixPoolGaming will continue to support our z33k.tv Pro League sponsorship to honor the teams, casters and community members that have provided countless hours of support and work thus far. I believe that the individuals at z33k.tv should not be put at a disadvantage due to one party’s actions. I deeply regret that this issue has arisen, and it is my hope that the many fans and spectators of this community will show continued support for us at SixPoolGaming as well as z33k.tv.

-Krystal Steininger, Director, SixPoolGaming.com
Old Post

 
 Jellikit   Sweden. September 25 2012 05:13. Posts 233
Profile # 

On September 25 2012 05:11 Xpace wrote:
Oh boy here we go!
it's so tragic
Old Post

 
 ROOTT1   Canada. September 25 2012 05:13. Posts 5630
Profile Blog # 
how happy is sjow right now?
ab = tl(i) + tl(pc), the grand answer to every tl.net debate - Remember KT.Violet 23/08/12 - ROOTMajor: "U put the tone and i add the symphony."
Old Post

 
 Cokefreak   Finland. September 25 2012 05:13. Posts 5662
Profile # 
Another week of drama filled discussion to go through.
I am the 4%, http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=17208214 Also known as Heather~ a cancer to teamliquid and probably a terrible, possibly bed wetting, person.
Old Post

 
 sekritzzz   September 25 2012 05:13. Posts 1257
Profile # 
bi-weekly bombshell by starcraft 2 is on time. Also whats with these long posts at start..... *going to read em now*
 
Old Post

 
 Xacez   Sweden. September 25 2012 05:15. Posts 2358
Profile # 
Ok guys we are now done with the TargA - iNcontroL drama, this is the next one. Christ, never a day huh?
Essence. Gotta Collect 'Em All. Zergmon!
Old Post

 
 Quakie   Norway. September 25 2012 05:16. Posts 580
Profile # 
Always been a little sceptic as to how she suddenly popped up and did so well against pretty good players.
Old Post

 
 YourBestFriend   Canada. September 25 2012 05:17. Posts 64
Profile # 
can someone explain more clearly pls dont really understand ( i am french)
thx
Sc2 And Dota 2 All Day
Old Post

 
 ZAiNs   United Kingdom. September 25 2012 05:17. Posts 3467
Profile # 
Pretty damning evidence, shame on both VeraLynn and DeathAngel.


On September 25 2012 05:17 YourBestFriend wrote:
can someone explain more clearly pls dont really understand ( i am french)
thx

VeraLynn got DeathAngel to play all of her tournament/showmatch/high-level ladder games.
Last edit: 2012-09-25 05:18:41
 
Old Post

 
 KiWiKaKi   Canada. September 25 2012 05:18. Posts 604
Profile # 
popcorn time
ur pro or ur noob , thats life
Old Post

 
 Pjorren   Sweden. September 25 2012 05:18. Posts 495
Profile # 
well...
ThorZaIN | Naniwa | Sortof | Taeja | Jjakji | Ryung | MMA | Jaedong + Terran fan!
Old Post

 
 Lumi   United States. September 25 2012 05:19. Posts 1025
Profile # 
Sickest nerd investigation, points Kawaii. Now to find my popcorn!
KT_Violet 1988 - 2012 | n.Die_aSam 1992 - 2012
Old Post

  Waxangel   United States. September 25 2012 05:19. Posts 19072Profile Blog # 
NightEnD is ashamed

hopefully he will carry out a mission of justice on behalf of the SC2 community
Last edit: 2012-09-25 05:19:49
Hey HP can you redo everything youve ever done because i have a small complaint?
Old Post

 
 Sabre   United Kingdom. September 25 2012 05:19. Posts 939
Profile Blog # 
it's a real shame as she was such an icon for aspiring female starcraft players...
LucifroN | VortiX | Bunny | Karont3 | Invictus Gaming | http://www.twitter.com/SabreSC2
Old Post

 
 dAPhREAk   Nauru. September 25 2012 05:19. Posts 8698
Profile Blog # 
fucking sherlock holmes over here. ;-) and i thought your osu was just awesome. lol
*
Old Post

 
 MerdaPura   Brazil. September 25 2012 05:19. Posts 147
Profile # 

On September 25 2012 05:18 KiWiKaKi wrote:
popcorn time


Dont forget your soda of choice!
 
Old Post

 
 Rif_king   Canada. September 25 2012 05:20. Posts 47
Profile # 
I want to take a moment to represent the majority of the casters here at z33ktv. Lane (The head of all z33k related things) does not properly convey the shock/disgust/awe of this hitting us. Although I can say in the past some fishy things have happened now and again, most of us brushed them off because nothing this serious was even considered. Not a single one of us saw this coming, and I hope that the reputation z33ktv has built up over the last few months is not damaged by this.

We are aware of what has transpired with Veralynn, and none of us condone it. We plan to continue the best we can without her, but ultimately the community will decide our fate. Thank you all for reading my post.
Old Post

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