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Flying you around while you are a 1400 player is a huge waste of cash. If you want to seriously try to become a progamer explain to your dad that all you need is time to train (for now). If you don't start to become an accomplished progamer in the future you can go and do whatever it is you plan on doing. But throwing money at a problem (not good enough at Starcraft) isn't going to do anything but waste money.
The advantage of something like this though is your expense really is just living expenses. So long as you have your bases covered + computer + internet connection you're good to go. So if you do it for a few months and don't think it's something you can accomplish you really haven't lost much.
Realistically there's a lot of stuff you can't just develop in a matter of months though. If you look at the pro-gaming scene you'll notice one common trend. Almost every accomplished player comes from a long history of RTS gaming or at the very least some other competitive gaming experience.
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intrigue
Washington, D.C9934 Posts
be fair to your dad - show him this thread and give him an idea of how difficult it is to become a progamer. he should be aware that you are doing this primarily to have an interesting experience. motivation flags very easily when you're working alone, so i would advise joining a team or taking lessons (incontrol maybe?)
really though, if you've been playing this long and still are 1400 diamond, i don't know... try out hardcore training for a few weeks and see how much you've improved? i'm extremely skeptical but not entirely disapproving of this idea.
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If I was in your position I would train hard for a month or so, try to find some local lans, and if not try to host your own. Remember, playing at a lan is way different than at home. If you get some decent lan experience locally then you can get more comfortable. You can try signing up for the MLG events as it's only $60 plus your flying/traveling costs. Have a back up plan as well. Do not go balls in 6 pool if you are facing a terran (that was a metaphor). If you can get around 1600-2000 and some lan experience, you should do fine and will learn most by just playing at the events.
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Honestly you have a tiny chance if you are only 1400 after 400 games. I'm 2100 after 450 ladder games and I wouldn't take that offer. However, doing something like this can give you a great opportunity to enjoy new experiences through training, travel, etc.
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Personally I think if youve played 400 games and your only 1400 then this is a bad idea.
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I can only echo the previous comments: train really hard for a month or so and see how much you've improved. You'd have a responsibility to win if your father paid for you, so you would need to make sure you can do it. Maybe you can, maybe you can't. Play 30 games a day every day for a month and see how you feel about it.
That said, I respect your decision. I think we all know what happens to a dream deferred(read: baneling).
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Unless you are really really motivated to be one you obviously need to work very hard especially since you're starting at 1400 which is very low to begin with.
You need to train like a real progamer in either a team or ladder 12 hours MINIMUM a day.
Practice goes far but it won't get you to the very top without talent.
I'd say if you're free for a whole year then it is doable if you ladder 12-16 hours a day (damn I'd love to do that) for atleast a couple of months (I'd say 4-5 months minimum).
The best way to improve is ofcourse to play vs gosu's and be coached by gosu's. If you get crushed each time by someone who has flawless mechanics a coach (like incontrol) will be able to point out all your flaws and you would be able to improve much quicker working on these flaws of yours (probably you're mechanics first).
But a life of a progamer is very hard and short so my own advice would be if you're really motivated to do this and have the discipline to train 12+ hours a day then you should be able to become atleast a top200 player but a top progamer you'll need talent to get you even further with that.
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More impressed that you have parents that don't think video games are something you do for fun after you turn 20.
But yeah, try to make the top 200 in a few months of dedicated gaming if you have the ability. Otherwise, it's really unlikely that you have a shot as a progamer, you might just be someone who's pretty good at video games.
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moktira
Ireland1544 Posts
What are the reasons not to?
I mean if it doesn't work and it turns out you find out your not very good and can't make it what will be the repercussions? I presume your father won't mind if it doesn't work out. You'll have tried. If there's no major reason not to, go for it because otherwise you'll regret it for the rest of your life.
"You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'."
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Since the title of this is become a "progamer", I'm going to assume you want to play Starcraft as an occupation that provides you with enough of a salary to live on. I have to be frank with you that you are probably not anywhere good enough to be a progamer and will end up wasting most your dad's money, because right now even some of the best progamers have a tough time making a living. And progaming might seem awesome from the point of view from someone who plays 1-3 hours a day for fun, but it really loses some of its fun when you're practicing 8 hours a day. The key word here is "practicing". You're not playing, you're practicing. Right now you play for fun, but if you were even to dream of being a progamer, you would have to practice constantly. I'll give you an example in my life. I've studied piano for a really long time. I think it's really fun to just sit down at my piano and play some music randomly(I'm not bad). But when I get a new piece to learn, and I have to practice like the same thing and the same part over and over, I get really sick of it after like an hour. It's really hard to enjoy something while you're practicing.
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i dropped off of university 2 weeks ago. i study in the netherlands and have a small room there with super fast internet. so naturally until i start studying something different i have alot of free time. i spent 1 week playing sc2 super competitively and for extended periods of time.
let me tell you ... its physically and mentally challenging as fuck to play for 4 hours straight. now imagine practicing for 10 or 12 hours like korean dudes. although its fun it takes a lot of dexterity and will :o
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Use the money to retire and play SC at your own pace! That's what I would do.
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Austin10831 Posts
I'm rather shocked and somewhat disheartened by some of the replies you've received so far. Rarely in the course of our lives are we given such a gift as you've been offered, and it would be a low down dirty shame for you to not accept it. In fact, with a bit of hard work, you could turn this little enterprise into quite the profitable venture.
Now, to do this, you're going to have to be a little fast and loose with your traditional (see: outdated) sense of morality and ethical behavior. It is easier to shed these figurative sandbags than it is to shed a literal 15 lbs from your body, so don't get too worried about this. Once the money starts pouring in, you'll quickly re-evaluate your stance on the value of morals. The adrenaline alone will keep you going (when combined with other things, but we'll talk about that in a few minutes).
The first thing you'll need to do is to acquire capital. For many people, this is the major hurdle to financial success after motivation. They simply can't raise the funds required to get their dreams off the ground. You, on the other hand, have been given a golden goose in the form of your dad's inheritance and subsequent willingness to fund your new lifestyle. Hop into Word (or whatever word processing program you prefer) and whip up an initial budget to get you started. Itemize the list and prices, working in as much fluff and padding as you can. Things you can include: New CPU/GPU, more RAM, bigger monitor, new mouse, mechanical keyboard, mousepad, headset, Gamer Grub™, AMP energy drink, prescription gaming goggles, another monitor, heated gaming seat, and any peripherals with APM technology that you can get your hands on.
Now, at this point I know what you're thinking: "wtf, I don't need any of that shit lol". Well, you're right, and that's why you won't be buying any of it. You'll just be telling your dad you will, so that you can get a little start-up money. Once you've got this cash in hand, head to the shadiest neighborhood or part of town you can think of so we can begin step two.
Step two: buy drugs. This is where you think, "ok, lol he's trolling" and say, "huahhauehauehauha xDDD gr8 post brood," but I'm serious. Selling drugs can be a great way to turn increase wealth with relatively small risk, if done correctly. When you arrive in your choice lower-income area, cruise around until you see some intimidating minorities hanging out on a stoop or street corner (they may be caucasian, but they will be dressed like minorities either way). Pull up next to the crew and roll down your window (if you have power windows, make the "rolling down the window" motions anyway so they don't think you're rich) and ask casually but forcefully, "Pardon me, but do any of you guys have drugs that I can buy?" (feel free to substitute a more hip word for "drugs" but you get the idea). They will have some, and they will let you buy it. Already react to the initial price with an "Aw hell naw" and a disgusted look. They will try to rip you off; don't let them. Put them at ease by talking about casual things like, "Hey, did you guys hear the mcrib is back at mcdonalds," or, "I would do unforgivable things to Halle Berry." Achievement unlocked: They are now your friends and will give you good deals on drugs going forward.
Now that you have some product, you can start moving it to generate cash flow. Since you're going to be spending more time selling and pushing to increase revenue, you're going to have to optimize your SC2 practice schedule for maximum efficiency. Most drug dealers will tell you not to dip into your product, but this is an exception. You're gonna want to get real high on methamphetamines before you start to game, so that you're super wired and attentive. The natural APM boost, combined with the heightened sense of self-confidence and manic aggression, will result in quick development leaps. The only grinding you'll be doing from no on is your teeth! Just kidding (although you do need to be careful with your teeth, because you will be doing a LOT of meth at this point to stay competitive).
With the extra income from your drug-dealing and your hyper-efficient meth gaming, you'll be able to build up significant cash reserves while you also slow-drip money out of your dad. You'll be earning enough that you can start outsourcing the drug-selling to subordinates. These foot soldiers will be more "crips & bloods" than "baker street irregulars", but you can keep them in line by rubbing one out early (no, I don't mean jerk off infront of them, because who knows what will happen if you do that, I mean take one of them out). Gather your whole crew and, after a nice dinner at TGIF's, take them outside, pick a random guy and scream, "this is what happens to people when they try to fuck me!" Then, stab him repeatedly. Whether he has actually wronged you is irrelevant as you're just trying to prove a point right now. Your employees will now equate "screwing with the boss" to "im gonna get stabbed".
People from the neighborhood might start to get on your case about your "criminal lifestyle" (the drug dealing, not the SC2 progaming). You can resolve this one of two ways: with fear or with kindness. If you want to be kind, just pull a Nino Brown and start handing out Turkeys on Thanksgiving. If you want to instill fear, let the whole neighborhood know that you're so bad ass you can murder law enforcement officers without reprisal. Of course, you're not going to actually do that because that would be crazy. You're just going to rap about it. Rapping is a great way to build a rapport with your local community as well as build up a great network for your drug business. Rapping is really easy, just talk normally but make sure the last (or 2nd to last) word in your sentence rhymes. You can rap about anything: killing cops, making tons of money, having sex with impossibly gorgeous women, selling drugs, and the best part about it is that as soon as you rap about it, it's basically true (well, true enough for our purposes).
Now that you're a financially stable, well-respected member of your community, you can start playing some online tournaments and local lans. Constantly imply that if the game were balanced, you'd win most of the time. Congratulations, you're well on your way to becoming the next big Starcraft 2 pro gamer!
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If you are not planning on going to college next fall, at least finish high school. Then, practice alot at home. I don't mean play bunch of ladder games, but enter online tourneys and find good players to practice with them. Find a regular partner, become better than him, then find someone better to practice with. Then, if you are really meant to be, you will start winning some tourneys and start to get recognized as a good player. Only then, I would advice you actually do this.
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If becoming a progamer is your mission in life, go for it. Otherwise the chances of success are too small for it to be worth it. It just depends on how serious you are about it, you have a great opportunity here to give it your best shot. Until you are top 200 I wouldn't bother flying around the world or anything.
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huahhauehauehauha xDDD gr8 post brood
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Well if I was in your place then i would train harder to gain some experience and go straight for Korea and try out for 2 GSL tours. If you cant even make it through the qualifiers then you get a nice 2 month vacation in Korea.
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Try it, but tell him to wait a few months. Play straight for 3 months, compete in ALL online tournaments you can, and see.
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Calgary25981 Posts
Having met you, I feel I can say you're an idiot. Get a job or go to school; you won't make any money.
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1400 is way too low and 6 months is not enough time. If he said 2 years, then yes, go for it. If you're motivated enough for two years, then you could do it. But 6 months is a crap shot. You would have to be nothing short of a genius to catch up to everyone now.
After after 6 months you're on your own. That's a big problem... And only half a year... But I'm relatively certain that you could do it if you trained for two years. If he can extend it to a bit, then I would go for it.
If you do go for it, the first thing you should do is try it for a week. If you aren't practicing 10-12 hours a day after a week, then you don't have the motivation to practice that way for months or years. Good luck and I wish you the best.
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EPT
