TeamLiquid, All Hail the Emperor, Slayers_'Boxer
This interview was conducted by Manifesto7 and translated by yours truly, and made possible by the terrific coach of SKT T1, Hyung-suk Suh, better known as aficionado.
Enjoy~!
Hello and thank you for taking the time to talk with TeamLiquid and the English speaking StarCraft world. We have been following your career since the beginning, and we wish you good luck in your future.
These questions were made by the fans of TeamLiquid.net.
Who was your first pro game against, and what were your feelings when you were getting ready to play? What map was it on? Did you win ?
I don’t remember my very first opponent. Among many players, the one people will most likely know is Kim Il-jae, who used the ID Special Dra, who I played at the SBS tournament. I won.
StarCraft at the pro level has changed so much over your career, why do you think you have been able to be successful for so long?
I think it’s my constant renewal of new goals and sense of duty. In particular I think I had a sense of duty to change the social perception of e-sports.
You changed the way people played the game many times. What players caused YOU to change your game style?
First of all I learned a lot from players who scouted well. My strategic play was also aided by the exceptional play of progamers who were able to catch generational trends and flows.
If you could make one balance change to starcraft, what would you
change?
I wish the balance of protoss would be changed. I think that if zealots became weaker and dragoons were strengthened, tosses would be sufficiently strong against zergs as well.
Which player were you most confident to beat in your career? Which
practice partner was the most difficult to train against?
There is not one player who I thought was easy. But if I had to answer the question, I’d say Jang Jinnam, who I have a good won-loss record against. The most difficult training partner I had was Park Hyomin (Combi) during my IS days.
Over the next two years, which terran, protoss, and zerg players will be the best?
For protoss Song Byung-gu (stork), for Zerg Ma Jae-yoon (saviOr), and for Terran (and this is to encourage him to make more of an effort), Yum Bo-sung (Sea[Shield])
What do you think of the mandatory two years of military service for Korean men? Is it a good thing or bad thing?
Foreigners may see this and think Korean men must feel victimized but in reality Korean men don’t think this way. Mandatory military service could be seen as both good and bad.
How do you feel about being the lead person in e-sports? What benefit has there been, and what has been bad about it?
I do feel slightly regretful because many things necessary for e-sports will be put into place this year. However I think my juniors will be able to receive many benefits in the future.
What single moment from your career will you always remember?
My first major league victory as a progamer. Other progamers feel the same way because from that moment on, everything becomes very important.
How is Iloveoov's role on the team gonig to change now that you are gone? What is the "big change" rumoured that he was going to make?
The "big change" is something my coach mentioned so I don’t think I can answer that question. Iloveoov’s duty and role is to become the team’s Terran captain and to play his part as a senior and veteran gamer.
How does your team scout for new talent?
Pass.
How can StarCraft stay popular while newer games are always being
released?
New maps, new players, new ways of playing the game, and new things to attract attention. I think the popularity of Starcraft is due to constant change, development, and evolution.
If you had to give only three tips to a StarCraft beginner, what would they be?
A drive to win, effort, and rivalry.
What UMS maps do you play?
Mostly zergling blood, and Nexus.
When you are given a new map to play on, what steps do you take to
prepare for it? How do you examine a new map?
First I skim the map, then I look at the movement path for units, then the rush distance, then check to see if there are areas that are susceptible to bugs, then other general details such as the distance between main and natural.
Does the Korean army have scv suits? -_- (would you prefer a wraith?)
Pass. I have no idea.
What are your predictions for this years WCG? The current OSL? The current MSL?
The current OSL is hard to predict because many players are battling back and forth. But in both the MSL and OSL I think zerg players will show a good fight. In this year’s WCG, although Park Sung-jun (July) is a talented Zerg, the two Korean terrans are not easy prey and so predicting the outcome before the final will be difficult.
If you could play in another Superfight, who would you play against?
I’d like to play against Kang Min (Nal_rA). I think there would be lots of fun games if I could play against him.
How can e-sports move outside of Korea in popularity? Can you help with that?
I think there need to be more international tournaments. Politicians must take an interest and aid from many different quarters and sectors will be needed.
Thank you very much for your time. I hope the future is good for you, and that your service in the air force is meaningful. From everyone (28,000 people) at TeamLiquid, thank you very much.
All Hail the Emperor
