EPTYou may think that SC is your passion, but if you haven't gone to college and experienced all the different fields and gotten an idea of what you want to do with your life, you won't know if it is your true passion in life. Use the money or at least save it for college. Good luck.
Chance of a life time - Become a progamer - Page 5
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GrayArea
United States872 Posts
You may think that SC is your passion, but if you haven't gone to college and experienced all the different fields and gotten an idea of what you want to do with your life, you won't know if it is your true passion in life. Use the money or at least save it for college. Good luck. | ||
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hypercube
Hungary2735 Posts
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Fumi
529 Posts
Having your parents' support for something you're passionate about is something a lot of people wish they could have. Parents who actually try to understand your dreams, instead of tossing them out for being either unknown or generally known as not very profitable. So like other said, accept your dad's goodwill and give your best. Stop for a month or so, play many many hours, maybe get coaching and all that. You're young, you have to at least try and experience it. It's not just a silly videogame for you, after all. You might reach your goal of being someone who wins a lot of tournaments. Or you might fail and turn back. Or, maybe, you'll discover you're actually really good at this when you put the right amount of effort and maybe even be able to compete in Korea. And I'm sure your dad will be there to help you however he can if that happens, assuming he's as nice as he seems to be. | ||
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Boonbag
France3318 Posts
Like, would you have been sitting A rank on iccup for 2 years prior the release and then while playing an hour or 2 be 2000++ okay then maybe. Ask your father anything but that. | ||
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Terranist
United States2496 Posts
you are much better off using the rest of the money for college because progaming typically ends in your mid tewnties and you are left working at walmart for the rest of your life. | ||
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DanielD
United States192 Posts
Be ready to discover you don't want to play for even just 6 hours a day. Personally I hope you don't find that to be the case, and I wish you luck. | ||
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neobowman
Canada3324 Posts
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Rekrul
Korea (South)17174 Posts
being pro means actually being good and having a shot at winning, which means you'll have a real sponsor but, then again, it would be fun nonetheless. you'd be nothing more than a fanboy though. | ||
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Snuggles
United States1865 Posts
It can be scary, even if you do manage to make a good living and have nice plan laid out for the future. Because once you start living out this sort of mundane life, you realize you really need to do something with your life. Because fuck I will fucking hang myself infront of a webcam for TL to see if I don't fulfill at least one of my dreams otherwise I'd regret it for the rest of my life, and that mid-life crisis crap would probably inevitably follow along too. You can be realistic and do something awesome in your life if you want to, it doesn't have to be such a far-fetched fairy tale sort of thing. Everyone is going to tell you to go to school and to screw this idea. That's actually the best advice out there, but it comes down whether or not you'll regret it later on. Thing is you need to do something with your life when you're about to get into your 20's, anything a little out of the ordinary is fine, even if its something as simple as helping out your school, or your community or joining some small local organization. For me it's simply just studying abroad for 1 semester, and with that I'll be satisfied. Right now you have an opportunity of becoming a progamer. You can be realistic about this. Go practice for 6 - 8 hours everyday for a month, and then ask yourself how you feel about it. If you can handle it, then play in some local tournaments, or online tournaments. Ask yourself how did you do? (all of this can be done by yourself without loads of money backing you up, maybe you might need some financial support if you can't deal with not working for the hours you practice) If you're satisfied with your results then you can make the serious move and ask your father to sponsor you to travel major tournaments so you can compete at the next level. If you do well there then obviously we can be more serious about you achieving this dream. Of course just don't expect a lot of money out of it, its extremely risky, but the experience may be well worth it. I'd be glad to try to achieve my dream, admit my defeat, and go on to live a mundane life afterwords with no regrets. It only gets depressing when people continue to strive for their dream for decades without success and not settling down for a normal life. Even with that all said, I'd still recommend you to just take the easy way out and go to college and get a degree. There's plenty of other life fulfilling things out there besides pro gaming. | ||
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ShaperofDreams
Canada2492 Posts
that is so cool good luck! | ||
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ProTech_MediC
United States498 Posts
Chance of a life time - Become an Ultimate Fighter or Chance of a life time - Become a Pro Bowler or Chance of a life time - Become a Pro Poker Player ...and it just sounds ridiculous, and rightfully so. Having 6 months off with lots of money to spend isn't going to get you any closer to being in the top 0.01% of players in the world. What a waste of money that could be spent on something more practical for your future... | ||
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Frits
11782 Posts
On October 29 2010 05:27 ShaperofDreams wrote: You can do it! don't listen to all the fools in this thread who project their own insecurity on to you. If you are sponsored and you have time you can at least make a small splash in the pro scene. if you know how to practice well and if you have the least bit of talent you can become E-famous! Later you will wanna find some good practice partners not just ladder. that is so cool good luck! What does being insecure have to do with anything, that makes absolutely no sense. | ||
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-HellZerg-
United States409 Posts
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Scio
Germany522 Posts
1.) Take a month off of all activities 1.1.) Play 10+ hours per day 1.2.) Get coaching for 2-3 hours per day 1.3.) Work out for 1-2 hours per day 2.) A.) You reach top200 in your reagion. You can now ask your dad for the sponsorship B.) You don't even reach 2k+ (or whatever will be the equivalent rating in 1 month) Choose what you actually want to do in your life, get to college and ask your dad to cover schooling fees. Treat SC2 as a hobby. Thats the way i would choose. But its your life and yea your Dad is really awsome^^ | ||
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Jonoman92
United States9110 Posts
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Snuggles
United States1865 Posts
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Deleted User 3420
24492 Posts
If you can't consistently beat top players, why would you possibly let him pay for this shit. You are going to lose at the tournaments, over and over. Practice first. Practice hard, get good. 1400 is not good. 2000 is not good. Top of the ladder is pretty good and probably good enough to do it. I am not telling you not to do it. I am just saying that you need to actually be good before you start. very good. Pro gaming is very, very, very difficult. The players who go pro are very talented. (so if you do want to do this, my advice is very hard work and a lot of dedication. and hopefully you enjoy the process, but you might discover at some point during it that it's not as much fun as you thought it would be.) | ||
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KurtistheTurtle
United States1966 Posts
@whether or not you should do this: fuck the naysayers. don't let other people get in the way of your own genuine desires. but do consider their reasons for not doing it..those are real problems and will help you prepare situations to combat them. I'll identify and address the ones I see -waste of money: if ever given a choice between a good experience or expedience, you should choose the experience. they're what life is actually composed of -waste of dad's money: parents want to see their children succeed. it sounds like your dad is aware of your passion and interest and willing to give you the opportunity to try. this is not a waste of money as long as its a legitimate effort -not enough talent: you don't really know until the cards are on the table. -not enough playtime: well obviously this would be the solution -motivation: coaching/knowing rl contacts/routine/professionalism/goal setting...discussed later I don't plan on just flying out randomly to tournaments, I know 100% that thats a waste of time. My plan that I thought of was like to practice straight for a month and a half and then start by making short trips out to LANs with a prize pool a little bit more than the cost of the flight there. And do this for like 3 months and see where I am at by then. This sounds reasonable, but I want to suggest something which has kind of popped into my head and evolved while reading through this thread Set out a definite and concrete plan now with reasonable goals and estimates. Show it to your dad and keep him updated on how much progress you're making. I suggest you start go to a larger LAN near your area immediately. Play as well as you can, get some experience under the lights and give yourself a taste but this is the important part: get as many phone #'s, gamer id's and contact info from as many people at or above your level as you can. Especially try to find better players in your area. Now hopefully you do well but you'll probably get creamed at some point, just remember the taste of victory and the thrill of competition. I know when I can imagine exactly what I want to win, and I imagine me winning it, it really motivates me. Give yourself this experience. This is just my reccomendation: Set up a 6-day schedule. Have it be rigorous and really put some thought into it. Like, here's a rough draft: Training Days (3-4 days/week) 7:30 am: Wake up, work out (jog, push-ups, sit-ups) 8:00 am: Eat, shower, stretch. Go through your plan for the day. Imagine yourself achieving your goal. 9:00 am: Macro/apm practice. 10:00 am: Ladder/Open competitive play 12:00 pm: Break. Lunch time 1:00 pm: Replay Analysis/Research (build orders, timings, w/e) Identify 3 things to be aware of 2:00 pm: Build Order practice 3:00 pm: Ladder/Open Competitive play 5:30 pm: Find the replays you'll watch tomorrow 6:00 pm: Monitor community. Identify LANS, get-togethers, keep up on pro-players, read/discuss strategy, network 7:00 pm: Dinner. Even if you don't feel like it stop at this point, go eat. post-dinner: Free time. Maintain your life, play custom games, ladder, do w/e. 12:00 am: Bed. Massgame/Laddering Days (1-2 days/week) 7:30 am: Wake up. Work out 8:00 am: eat, shower, stretch, sit down and identify what you want to do today. Viscerally imagine yourself achieving your goal. 9:00 am: Warmup runthrough of bo(s) + macro 10:00 am: Massgame/Ladder 12:00 pm: Lunch 1:00 pm: Massgame/Ladder Take 2 separate 20 minute breaks 6:00 pm: Monitor community. Identify LANS, get-togethers, keep up on pro-players, read/discuss strategy, network 7:00 pm: Dinner Post-dinner: free time 12:00 am: Bed Collaboration/Online Competition Days (0-2+ days/week) 7:30 am: Wake up. Work out 8:00 am: eat, shower, stretch, sit down and identify what you want to do today. Viscerally imagine yourself achieving your goal. 9:00 am: This day is meant for RL get-togethers, virtual get-togethers, or planned interactions with people who can help you. Plan multiple smaller ones or insert this into a massgame day. 12:00 am: Bed. Major Events: Sleep well the 2 nights preceding (no drinking) Maintain workout regimen regardless of where you are Eat healthy Bring brain-food/water/other sustenance to competitions Other things worth mentioning: You want 6 days of practice a week adjusted to your schedule (like closer to a lan you might want more training days). There will be holidays, events, and a lot of stuff which will get in the way. 6 is a good number because it gives you a 1-day break, you get practice in during times you're not busy which allows for flexibility when you become busy. At the start and end of every week, you want to review + plan and think about the big picture. Keep stats on yourself so you can track your improvement (w/l rate, mu stats, apm). Focus on 1 build order for 1 mu per week and rotate it weekly. Alter this based on your performance. Take Sundays off, and if thats the only day you can get together with somebody take the next day off. Much like working out you need to give your muscles a break. This is a deterrent against burnout and gives you mental rest. This day should involve no Starcraft in it at all, even if you want to. Set up an efficient replay management system. Have a folder for pro-replays, a folder for to-analyze replays, and a general folder where you save all your replays. I guess develop this more as you discover your needs. The physical space where you practice should be comfortable but bare. Computer, desk, lighting, and any amenities you may need. The point is no distractions, only things that will help you focus. This should be like an office, this place is work-only. When you play SC, treat it professionally. Wear different clothes based on what kind of day it is. Like training days, wear warmups, mass-laddering days dress up more formal. Have 2 performance outfits for when you actually compete in LANS and other competitions. Collab days just fit the situation. This may sound like bullshit but it will subconsciously accustom you and give yourself a routine to follow. The old adage dress for success. And when you get to a competition, you'll already have your competition clothes on--just a little extra competitive edge. Note-taking. Keep a notebook, sticky notes and pens on your desk. Write shit down, stuff you need to remember. Put up sticky notes to remind yourself to do things. Also keep a planner where you write out your schedules, contacts, events, just a place where you keep on top of everything. I also suggest you get one of those big officemax calendars and ever LAN you go to, put it on the calendar in bright colorful markers so you're always aware of how much time you have. Like write down your best times for certain stuff, the timings they're working against and just keep numbers and information flowing. Add comments so when you look at them later you know what you were writing down. Be meticulous and thorough with your scheduling...this is your career. 2 (3?) Computers, or 2 monitors. Play on 1 computer, track your stats in an excel sheet on the other computer (a little netbook) and use this other guy to take care of all non-sc tasks during your day. Your main SC comp should be sc-only. Minimize your distractions. This is kind of unrealistic but if you already have 2 comps which can play sc2 designate one of them for your office area and don't use it at all for anything but SC. Keep a goals sheet. Now I can't give specifics because only you know you, but set slightly (only slightly) unrealistic goals. In small steps. Like, this week I'm going to keep an average apm of 200+ and my w/l rate for a certain matchup at 60% or whatever. When you imagine winning, look at this sheet right after. Keep increasing your demands on yourself so you're always striving to get better. Document all these, when you achieved it and how long it took. Put stuff that resonates with you up on the wall where you can see it. You'll see it and read it over and over again over a long period of time, it will become integrated with you. Put up a good quote, or words...point everything towards your overall goal. Something that's worked well for me in the past was putting a 2nd place trophy in plain view. 2nd fucking place. I'd rather have never placed. But thats my attitude, I don't know about yours. Integrate peers/mentors into the process as much as possible. You're on b.net, so..y'know, set up your own practice community which will fit your needs. If possible, do this in RL as much as you can. Make sure to keep an extra table set up for another computer in your office area, like if inc is in your area for whatever reason--you put him up for 2 days in exchange for coaching. Keep your eyes and ears open for stuff like this. Remember to take breaks, keep up your health, and keep a routine of discipline and intensity. Professional. Sit down and brainstorm further ways you can improve yourself. Track your finances and plan accordingly. Check out Ramit Sethi's book I Will Teach You to be Rich if you haven't. Again, document everything. Treat your tournaments as your business. Better yet, on your off-days, maybe arrange a $5 buy-in in your area or something. Your goal here is to make money. Your goal as a pro-gamer is to make money. Fortify this area in whatever way you can. And I'd like to stress the importance of self-reflection and self-review. Also, the imagining winning part. These are critical areas you can't ignore. You need to do them. That's what will separate you from an average SC player. Have 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month goals. At the end of your defined time you want to decide if its worth it for you to continue. And remember, your dad is your sponsor. Give him periodic reports of exactly what you're doing, where you're at (goal-wise, money-wise) and keep in constant contact w/ him involving your flight situations. I'd advise doing the same for your step-dad and mom. Show them how serious and professional you are. Also, if you do start getting results, look for a sponsor. All your documentation will come in really handy. Treat this like the business you want it to be. You're your own brand and agent. I guess your method for this would be developing a portfolio based off your wins, goals-sheet, practice schedule, and anything else you might be able to add. Your goal here is to become increasingly independent and sustained off of gaming. If you get sponsored, be intelligent with it--you want upward mobility. I strongly suggest you develop an initial proposal to your dad, feel free to steal anything out of this post you want to as long as you keep me personally updated should you go through with it  And my final piece of advice: keep the game fun, whatever this means for you. For me that means dicking around with friends, 4v4's or whatever. Don't kill your passion, blow on the flame. I'm excited about this even though I'm not the one doing it lol. I'd be happy to proofread or help you in any capacity I can. Feel free to pm or ask me anything. Unfortunately, I don't own a comp which can play sc2 (bought the game though) so I can't practice with you. Good luck. I hope I see your name on the front page in 3 months | ||
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KurtistheTurtle
United States1966 Posts
On October 29 2010 05:49 travis wrote: Don't waste your dad's money. If you can't consistently beat top players, why would you possibly let him pay for this shit. You are going to lose at the tournaments, over and over. Practice first. Practice hard, get good. 1400 is not good. 2000 is not good. Top of the ladder is pretty good and probably good enough to do it. I am not telling you not to do it. I am just saying that you need to actually be good before you start. very good. Pro gaming is very, very, very difficult. The players who go pro are very talented. On October 29 2010 04:54 hypercube wrote: I would go for it 100%. Yes, it's competitive and you might not be able to make it. But just seeing how much more you can achieve with full commitment than a half-hearted attempt is going to be a huge life experience. It's probably going to teach you more than most other things you could do with the same time and money. exactly. that bolded shit is something I'd put up where I can see it for the first month [edit  wrestling in HS was one of the most educational experiences in my life. It was the first time I legitimately worked for something, hard, 24/7. It taught me the real meaning of work. I was only above average, not where I wanted to be, but I learned so much about my failure (1 match away from state) I don't regret any of it. Trying to go pro can be yours. | ||
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Aberu
United States968 Posts
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