Starcraft II

[Ekkebus]

Apparently PoltPrime is pretty good.

Dreamhack is currently streaming. Big day for Starcraft II

[Voctor]

Just watched Huk vs Moon, that game was insane. If anyone missed it and cares about SC2, hopefully there will be a VOD because it was amazing.

Edit: Here's the VOD if anyone's interested: http://blip.tv/day9tv/huk-p-vs-moon-z-g ... -e-5293398 This is, in my opinion, one of the best played games of Starcraft 2 I've ever seen.

[Wood]

So the mobile site for GOM TV works on iPhone! Heck yes! I haven't been able to play much at all recently, and I'm horribly out of practice. Speaking of which, there's SO MANY GAMES being played for at GSL! Team league, Code A and Code S at the same time! Also, I got a text saying something like you ranked up?

[Ekkebus]

There is A LOT of GSL going on right now with the new schedule. I'm not even trying to watch everything, just picking out the games I'm most interested in and I figure I'll just read battle reports to see if there was anything awesome that I missed.

And yes, I officially have been promoted to Platinum status on the NA ladder. I've been playing a lot since MLG Columbus and I had been on a pretty good roll as of late, opening a 200 point lead on everyone else in my Gold division. It still feels great though having come all the way up from Bronze to get here. Next stop Diamond?

Also, sup Voctor. I didn't know anyone besides me and Wood was still playing SCII. Huk has been on a sick roll the past few weeks and I really hope he can bring that play back to the GSL with him. Would love to see him make a really deep run this month.

edit:

Apparently my promotion was not a moment too soon. The end-of-season ladder locks are coming down on Tuesday in anticipation of Season 3 starting on July 18th. The map pool is getting reshuffled again as well. Hoping to say goodbye to Slag Pits, Backwater Gulch, Delta Quadrant and/or Typhon Peaks.

[Voctor]

I actually haven't played since the game came out, but follow it the same way "normal" people follow "normal" sports. I've been watching the Day[9] dailies and the big tournaments like GSL (Formerly the Avertech-Intel Classic), MLG, or Dreamhack since a about a half year before SC2 came out. I figured I'd join in the discussion here since despite not playing I can easily hold (and enjoy) a conversation about the game.

Huk has always been a solid player but watching that first game against Moon he was at a whole other level, and he kept it up the whole tournament. I was especially impressed when he hit feedbacks on a whole group of infestors before they could fungal and turning what looked pretty close battle into a rout.

Congrats on making Plat. Working your way up like that has got to feel rewarding. Do you use resources like the the Day[9] dailies or just grinding on the ladder and learning as you go?

[Ekkebus]

I've picked up a lot just from watching tournament VODs (mostly GSL) and paying close attention to the commentary (mostly Tastosis). I'm well over 1000 games on the ladder now at this point so volume certainly helps as well. I don't watch a ton of the Day[9] Daily but I pick out select episodes here and there, generally if they're zerg related.

Making my way to Platinum definitely felt really good, especially since I initally started in BRONZE. Occassionally I go back and look at some of my older replays and I'm constantely amazed at the absolute gulf between where I was then and what I do now.

The pro scene for this game so far has been really excellent and I could easily see myself watching tournaments long after I've lost interest in playing, though I can't imagine that happening anytime soon. There's just so much stuff to watch, you can never have time to see it all. Going to MLG in Columbus last month was just an amazing time and I certainly hope I can go to an event again next year.

[Voctor]

Yeah, I got into the watching pro SC with Tasteless and Super Daniel Man casting SC1, and now with SC2 it's gotten too big to watch it all. That's alright though, since it means I can always track something down when I feel like it, unlike traditional sports with their "seasons". Bah I say, I want awesome competitions year round.

Going to an MLG event sounds like a ton of fun. I'm kind of jealous, since I don't expect them to ever come Oregon. Perhaps they'll go to Seattle at some point and I can figure out a trip up there.

[Ekkebus]

See I played a lot of Brood War but very little 1v1 and I didn't follow the competitive scene at all. I mostly just did custom maps and comp stomps with my friends. But Starcraft II got its hooks into me early and Blizzard did a really good job of having the game ready for the e-sports scene on release.

MLG was a fantastic time, as Wood would also attest. Its a different experience getting to see games live with hundreds of other people. It was also great to see and meet all the pro players in person. Its not like they were gated off or anything either, most of them were just wandering around the floor watching games with everyone else. Morrow and Thorzain plopped right down next to me when July was supposed to play the main stage on Saturday morning. Most unreal was actually getting to see some Korean pros. I never ever would have expected that I would be standing 3 feet away from MC or July in a million years yet there I was. Highly recommended if they ever bring themselves up to your neck of the woods.

[Wood]

I also played very little brood war back in High School/College. Though I haven't the volume of SC2 games, and such I'm in Silver at the moment. But I'm really liking the e-sports scene quite a bit, and also the day9 dailies are fantastic videos/streams to watch. I need to set aside more time to play SC2, even if it's just trying to perfect a build. Still working out that Marine/Tank/Medivac style, though seeing more Mech builds makes me want to try that style as well.

At the end of this month is MLG Anaheim. I'm still salty over the fact that I don't have enough leave to go, as it's in my homestate, and it's not far from my grandparent's place. I wanted to compete this time, even though I would have gotten destroyed. I could have been destroyed flat out by Boxer! But it gets me in the player pit, so I'd be pretty much surrounded by all of the pros there. But MLG Columbus was a lot of fun. Also it was comforting for me to find out that the pro players were all tiny men (except InControl...that dude is friggin huge). And we didn't just see the Korean pros. We kept running into them over and over again. It could have been because of the size of the convention center, but it was a crazy feeling. Also, being there live for the Idra vs Losira rematch was AMAZING, if only because it was the Gracken coming out, the one we all know and love. Even the in jokes was pretty awesome. Finding out that InControl trash talks in good fun (typed to LiquidTLO "Hey! Wanna play before my match with some loser Team Liquid player?" Yes, they faced each other). Also TLO losing not only to a proxy pylon in the main, but also writing "I will have nightmares about this. Every night, I will check my bed for pylons."

What I'm getting at is the nearest one to you will be MLG Anaheim, and I HIGHLY recommend you try to make it. As a fan of ESports, you'd have a lot of fun. If not, well, I'm sure there will be another time to go. I'm definitely going to try to make another one after my deployment.

[Ekkebus]

Platinum is pretty freaking hard. I opened my play in the division winning one game to ever four that I lose. Its definitely a whole different level of play from Gold.

I'm watching the Puma vs MC NASL finals right now. The games have been so good. Insane EMPs out of Puma.

edit: Seriously, MC vs Puma is a must-watch match. Probably the best finals of any Starcraft II tournament to date.

[Voctor]

So I've started watching Destiny's stuff, he may be the most entertaining SC2 pro around right now. If you haven't seen the 4 infestor hit squad you should check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVcpbwGZtVE

[Wood]

I need to start following that. That was hilarious! I can see that as really devestating game changers.

[Wood]

FInally played another match to qualify. Friggin TvT, long ass game, and I ended up losing. I'm afraid to look at the replay to see just how far behind I was. But I was placed back into silver, so that's good.

[Ekkebus]

Man, TvT has changed sooooooo much since you last played.

I'm still slumming it in gold but I'm gradually making my way back to the top.

[Wood]

Yeah, I've been trying to work on my mech build that I've been doing for 3v3's, and putting it into 1v1's. Just, I saw a tech lab on a barracks, and knew instantly he would go Maruaders. I panicked and went back to Marine/Tank. No medivacs, tried throwing in vikings when I saw banshees, but yeah, I was on the ropes the entire game.