Please realize this is a slight rant thread, I still enjoy them for the most part but at the same time I can't help want something new and fresh. So please take my complaints lightly =).
After watching some youtube videos and just in general all the casting. I realized that I am now pretty much tired of all the casters. Here is a list of them and why I felt this way
Artosis and Tasteless- People deemed these two as the ultimate duo (though day9 and djWHEAT is coming up). I enjoyed them for GSL1 and onward. But now they have just gone to extremely repetitive and also very biased, especially Artosis. People were commentating on the GSL Season 2 Final thread enough about Artosis' zerg bias but it just doesn't end there. They are heavily geared towards foreigners especially those among their friends. Whenever TLO or IdrA was playing everything became centered around there play. Another bias fail- Clide. I could go on but in general I think the point was made. I love Tasteless and the jokes but his foresight has just not been so good lately. Things he has been calling have not been going correctly.
HD and Husky- I loved them at first, Defended them later (because TL primarily dislikes these guys, lol). And now I might have to say I joined the latter of the case. I could say the flaws of them but I'd be repeating what TL already says everywhere. My problem with them recently is just that their content is just not worth watching. They were worth watching during HDH but now everything is just taken from MLG and I already watched MLG so it's a waste to watch again. HD is definately more knowledgeable about the game but now has much less subscribers. Husky's enthusiasm and humor is fun to listen to but without the knowledge its kind of useless. He's fun for play by play but why bother watching games that are uninteresting in the first place.
Day9+ (whoever)- Day9 is who I love the most, I am not going to lie. I understand his daily differs vastly from his commentating but I feel like they've meshed too much recently. When I was watching MLG I felt like there was soooo much crossover. As much as I love day9 and the nerdy commentating, sometimes I just want it straight! I cant really say much else but just some mannerisms are getting old to me. I don't really watch his daily anymore to be honest. Him with DJ wheat are probably my favorite combo so far, Honest commentating from wheat and play by play analysis. Not too much joking around and a high level of professionalism not showing bias. If anyone I'm not tired of this combo yet. Just being real. But I feel like I could get there.
Though there is Crota and Psy and others that I watch these were the casters I felt like covering. I just feel like I want something new and more professional and that these casters could attain it easily but at the same time I just want something new like Justin Lee again... Though this goes against a lot of what people go against, which is change. It'd just be nice to know that I'm not alone in my thoughts.
Why not kick it old school with CholeraSC on YouTube? Watch some of his commentaries of Reach, the Mantoss... those are amazing. Also of Bisu vs. Pokju (the best cheese ever) and the famous Boxer vs. Joyo (never surrender, never give up!) match. He was my favorite SC commentator for the longest time... and then he disappeared
Although I think your criticisms are valid I choose to not look at them as something negative. They are humans and bias and emotion adds to the excitement and personality.
As for HD and Husky I never liked them, didnt like them when they started and dont like them now, the only good thing they ever accomplished was the HDH and that happened in fuckin beta...
I definitely agree the mainstream casters are outplayed and sold out; I myself only listen to more obscure unknown casters because they're more independent. I use semicolons.
Yeah your HD dislike is no strange comment on the forums. I await HDH2 but I feel it's not coming anymore lol.
Honestly, what would be perfect is tastosis without the Bias (and less of the bad phrases like so handsome). Which is basically Day9 and DjWheat. And maybe a little less nerdy-ness and more Jason Lee like sports commentating? This is just me being very picky. Like I said overall I still enjoy them its just... yeah maybe I do need a break from them but it's not like we are going to see different commentators in the GSL for a while lol.
On November 15 2010 14:35 shindigs wrote: I definitely agree the mainstream casters are outplayed and sold out; I myself only listen to more obscure unknown casters because they're more independent. I use semicolons.
Whatever happened with HDH2? lol... it kinda just died.
I think Artosis does a good job. Like you said, he just need to be more neutral, but slight bias adds color. Tasteless is really overrated as a caster. inb4 "why don't you cast if you think you're better". I'm just saying that he's not as hyped up as he's made to be. Artosis delivers jokes and commentary much more smoothly than tasteless, who stutters and makes fail jokes (the delivery on some of them were so bad, I felt embarrassed).
If the commentary straight-up diminishes your viewing enjoyment, just listen to something else (Korean commentary, music, talk with your friends, whatever). If you enjoy the commentary but are just constantly annoyed by flaws in it, the most practical solution would be to produce it yourself, since you're technically most able to control your own habits and thus fix the flaws that annoy you specifically.
I've actually never enjoyed english commentating (not to imply the people doing it aren't good/etc). I don't know why, but it kind of irritates me. I actually had an issue with it earlier today when I was digging up an old vod (non-nevake, RIP jon747), and couldn't find any without english or chinese commentary.
On November 15 2010 14:35 shindigs wrote: I definitely agree the mainstream casters are outplayed and sold out; I myself only listen to more obscure unknown casters because they're more independent. I use semicolons.
You're placing too much importance on the roles of casters. The casters should be like background noise while you personally watch and analyze the game. You don't see NFL commentators explaining every single caveat in a team's strategy. You see them give background on the players and then basic analysis of each play. There's no point for a caster to go into an in-depth analysis as the people who actually understand or appreciate it should already be able to see it for themselves, while most will not even understand it. The bias isn't so much bias as it is incorporation of information outside the current game, which is also fine.
Maybe it's just me, but I never really pay attention to casting. It's not like they are saying anything groundbreaking. All I enjoy is to hear the intonation and excitement of the casters. This might be because I watched so much Korean commentating. But in my opinion, the role of the caster is to get you excited, not enlightened.
I agree. However the role of caster is heightened in strategy based games. Especially when you can't hear the crowd like you do in sports games. And if you noticed in my criticisms I'm not asking for deeper analysis or anything I'm just interested in having new voices mainly
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tasteless and artosis are by far the worst commentator's right now, one gets everything he says wrong, and the other simply doesnt pay attention to the game
I feel you. Often I mute the stream because I can't stand the commentary. I still absolutely love Day[9] and djWheat. My only gripe with Day[9] is that sometimes he tries and forces color commentary, which just doesn't work out. He's great at being funny and insightful but not good at showing intensity and suspense. djWheat is so talented and experienced at casting that I probably listen to him all day.
I think that Artosis ridiculous bias makes him even funnier to listen to. In the interview that just came up with him and Incontrol I was laughing pretty hard throughout the entire thing.
Husky I can't stand. HD is ok, but hes nothing special for me.
Day9 is great, but his commentating would get old for me if he was alone. djWHEAT is amazing always.
I have to agree with a lot of what has been said here. I personally feel there has been no consensus through the caster community on their chose of casted games. I have skipped and unsubbed from one person on youtube so far as their casts were too similar to their own and they were recasting games that were already casted by a better person/duo. Also, I feel that the chances of watching someone new cast is slim as it always is the same people being casted, idra, TLO, etc. Not the worst thing in the world but I can almost predict each move they are going to make as the games are being casted.
One of my biggest pet peeves of casters is how often many of them drone and are unable to make getting into the game interesting. And when something interesting happens they tone and volume of their voice only changes ever so slightly. I don't think you have to go Husky big to increase the excitement of the game but please make it more entertaining.
Sorry for rantiness, just something I felt I needed to get off my chest.
I really appreciate the casters and they offer great insight into many things I would have otherwise not noticed. However, there is one thing I would like to mention about them. Whenever I listen to Korean commentators I don't know why but I just feel energy flow through me. The casters on TL I think are great for learning and listening for insight, but for pure excitement I think they are lacking just because they do not get as worked up as the korean commentators do. I remember back in the day when I listened a lot to Cholera and Klazart, although the content of their casts is arguably not as deep and insightful as the casters mentioned here, they really had moments where you could hear a hint of korean style commentating (PLAGUUUU REAVER REAVER REAVER REAVER!).
One of my favorites has always been NukeTheStars, his input may not be as in tune as some of the other pro casters/players-turned-casters, but his sense of humor and voice I could listen to for an eternity, plus it's clear that he just plain loves BW.
It could just be a sign that your getting better at the game. The more you know the less interested you are in people telling you things you already know.
Personally if I'm watching a cast i want 100% color. I want casters to be entertaining not particularly insightful about the game.
EPT
