So heres the deal. I, like many others, have a dream. My dream is to become a professional Starcraft 2 player. I know alot of people are going to say my chances are terrible, forget it. save your time, I've heard all that. It's what I want to do, it's what I'm going to do, one way or another, because I refuse to do anything else. The more positive and optimistic of you will tell me to pursue my dream, and give me words of motivation and inspiration. Thank you, I <3 you guys . I am of the opinion that almost anyone can go pro at Starcraft 2 if they work hard enough. Hell, Idra wasn't born with any Starcraft talent at all, he just works really hard, so hes gotten really good. Problem is, how do you actually go pro at Starcraft 2? How does one go about achieving that goal? My main problem now is a lack of practice time, but in order to financially support myself financially in order to survive I need a full time job, which I feel limits my practice time and resulting skill level quite a lot. Any advice?
I know its enter tournaments ladder hard practice hard get known, my real question is how does one set up an environment where this realisitically can be done. Cuz i mean, you just dont have all that time to practice hard until you already are on a pro team, in most cases. I am willing to accept shitty grades, low pay, anything life throws at me as long as it doesn't interfere with this. I am willing to put the rest of my life on hold to become a pro gamer. THIS IS AN ALLIN
NOTE: THIS IS NOT A "SHOULD I DO IT?" BLOG. I AM GOING TO DO IT. THIS IS A "ANY TIPS FOR HOW TO DO IT?" BLOG.
Oh, 1 last question guys, bear with me. Is it better to go to college and practice in my spare time, work a low paying high school diploma job while living in an apartment and practicing in my spare time, or try to get into a team before high school is over so I can practice all the time? Or is there some better alternative I haven't thought of?
On March 21 2011 11:30 Drizzt3 wrote: So heres the deal. I, like many others, have a dream. My dream is to become a professional Starcraft 2 player. I know alot of people are going to say my chances are terrible, forget it. save your time, I've heard all that. It's what I want to do, it's what I'm going to do, one way or another, because I refuse to do anything else. The more positive and optimistic of you will tell me to pursue my dream, and give me words of motivation and inspiration. Thank you, I <3 you guys . I am of the opinion that almost anyone can go pro at Starcraft 2 if they work hard enough. Hell, Idra isn't super talented at all, he just works really hard, so hes gotten really good. Problem is, how do you actually go pro at Starcraft 2? How does one go about achieving that goal? My main problem now is a lack of practice time, but in order to financially support myself financially in order to survive I need a full time job, which I feel limits my practice time and resulting skill level quite a lot. Any advice?
LMAO. Please tell me this is a troll. If you have to ask questions about how to be a pro and say that Idra isn't "talented at all", then it means you're not even in the level/state where you should be thinking about becoming a pro.
On March 21 2011 11:30 Drizzt3 wrote: So heres the deal. I, like many others, have a dream. My dream is to become a professional Starcraft 2 player. I know alot of people are going to say my chances are terrible, forget it. save your time, I've heard all that. It's what I want to do, it's what I'm going to do, one way or another, because I refuse to do anything else. The more positive and optimistic of you will tell me to pursue my dream, and give me words of motivation and inspiration. Thank you, I <3 you guys . I am of the opinion that almost anyone can go pro at Starcraft 2 if they work hard enough. Hell, Idra isn't super talented at all, he just works really hard, so hes gotten really good. Problem is, how do you actually go pro at Starcraft 2? How does one go about achieving that goal? My main problem now is a lack of practice time, but in order to financially support myself financially in order to survive I need a full time job, which I feel limits my practice time and resulting skill level quite a lot. Any advice?
LMAO. Please tell me this is a troll. If you have to ask questions about how to be a pro and say that Idra isn't "talented at all", then it means you're not even in the level/state where you should be thinking about becoming a pro.
I think he's suggesting that idra wasn't born with starcraft ability, but instead practiced his way to the top.
On March 21 2011 11:30 Drizzt3 wrote: So heres the deal. I, like many others, have a dream. My dream is to become a professional Starcraft 2 player. I know alot of people are going to say my chances are terrible, forget it. save your time, I've heard all that. It's what I want to do, it's what I'm going to do, one way or another, because I refuse to do anything else. The more positive and optimistic of you will tell me to pursue my dream, and give me words of motivation and inspiration. Thank you, I <3 you guys . I am of the opinion that almost anyone can go pro at Starcraft 2 if they work hard enough. Hell, Idra isn't super talented at all, he just works really hard, so hes gotten really good. Problem is, how do you actually go pro at Starcraft 2? How does one go about achieving that goal? My main problem now is a lack of practice time, but in order to financially support myself financially in order to survive I need a full time job, which I feel limits my practice time and resulting skill level quite a lot. Any advice?
LMAO. Please tell me this is a troll. If you have to ask questions about how to be a pro and say that Idra isn't "talented at all", then it means you're not even in the level/state where you should be thinking about becoming a pro.
Actually, I would disagree. Saying that Idra isn't talented, but he's very good through hard work, is putting himself in the right mindset. Lots of progamers say you don't need talent, but hard work to be successful.
So I say best of luck, I don't play starcraft 2 so I can't give advice but I do wish you the best of luck.
i known its enter tournaments ladder hard practice hard get known, my real question was how does one set up an environment where this realisitically can be done. cuz i mean, you dont have all that time to practice hard until you already are on a pro team, in most cases
On March 21 2011 11:46 Drizzt3 wrote: i known its enter tournaments ladder hard practice hard get known, my real question was how does one set up an environment where this realisitically can be done. cuz i mean, you dont have all that time to practice hard until you already are on a pro team, in most cases
Every time one of these blogs comes up, a well-known player jumps in with the point that most of the very good players got good while juggling school, work, life etc. It makes sense, I think. Just work your way up to the top 200, like other people have said, while balancing real life. Because you're probably right: sc2 may be the game where you just need tons of hard work to get successful. Yet, if anyone can do that, why should any pro team care about you? You need to first prove that you can be successful even without all that insane training; prove that you have something special that is worth noticing.
Play as often as possible, get practice partners, focus exclusively on mechanics rather than trying to think up cool build orders on your own (just pick a couple solid already tested builds to use), learn as much as possible from your losses. The main thing is the first point, just playing as often as possible, all the time, trying to be extremely consistent in your playing.
Jellyfish, that's a good point, but for example Idra played for 5-6 hours each day WHILE juggling real life. Most pros I assume are able to play for at least 3-4 hours a day before becoming pro. I can only play for an hour or two at this point on a typical day, and I simply don't think that's enough time. Why? Because I'm a senior in high school, and my parents don't let me play more than that. If I go to college I will undeniably have more time to play, but then I'd already be fairly cemented into a non-Starcraft life path.
do you know koll? then research how he did it. How did he become the great player he was in the wcg 2010 in Bw. If you think you can get that far and you can do it then do it. Dont blog about dumb stuff like this just do it and prove it.
The ending of this video is particularly relevant:
Saying Idra isn't talented is the wrong mindset. Yes, it's important to work hard, but no matter how much I play BW, I will never be as good as Flash. I don't care if he didn't play for a month, and I practiced 8 hours a day for that month.
You think the top pro-gamers practice the most? Stork is infamous for having his tangential endeavors, like watching football or playing whatever other game that isn't Starcraft. Jaedong does shit like this: + Show Spoiler +
and both of them are among the best players in the world, consistently earning their spot in the top 10 in the Power Rankings here on TL.
You think whatever random B-teamers don't practice as much as them? I bet those guys practice more, seeing how they're only B-teamers, and they're much more motivated to practice than the guys at the very top.
And there's the story of what Nony and Idra did before that TSL2 showdown. Idra practiced like crazy with his CJ Entus team members, and Nony was just hanging out here in America, playing and practicing, of course, but without the rigorous schedule and input of other accomplished, professional gamers. And then they meet up and Nony beats Idra in a pretty memorable Bo5. He had the better natural skill-set that day - creativity, adaptability, situational awareness, etc. - as evidenced by how the set turned out.
So yes, you should practice hard at SC2 if you want to become better. Play a lot of 1v1s, but think critically about each game, watch each replay, and so on. You'll improve a lot, get into Master's League, and do fairly well. I just don't think it's reasonable to expect to make a career out of this. Maybe you do have the natural talent to go the distance, but most people don't, and it takes quite a bit of effort and time to determine if you do.
Hey, man, I think it's great that you've got a dream and are realistically working towards it. From my experience, that's not something you find in a lot of people any more. If being a professional gamer is really your heart's desire, go for it. I honestly believe that anyone can achieve almost anything with enough hard work, dedication, and passion. Make sure that this is truly what you want though, and then mentally prepare yourself for how much hard work and dedication it will take. Otherwise, you're just chasing the wind.
As the IdrA quote that is in so many signatures says, "Until the very very top, in almost anything, all that matters is how much work you put in; the only problem is most people can't work hard even at things they do enjoy, much less things they don't have a real passion for." I guarantee that if you play your cards right and work hard, you'll get there.
As far as practical advice goes, make this game your art and science. Study it. Practice it. Play the best players you know. Like was previously said, play in EVERY tournament you can, ladder HARD, and practice HARD and OFTEN. Make it into Top 200 and make yourself known. Create a name for yourself, so that when people see it, they'll think, "That's a guy on his way to becoming a pro."
Going to college doesn't mean you have to give up on becoming a pro gamer. Depending on your major, how many hours you take, and how poor of grades you're willing to accept, you can still have ample free time to practice SC2. The pros aren't exactly straight A students juggling active social lives on top of their gaming habits.
On March 21 2011 12:10 GriFy wrote:As the IdrA quote that is in so many signatures says, "Until the very very top, in almost anything, all that matters is how much work you put in; the only problem is most people can't work hard even at things they do enjoy, much less things they don't have a real passion for." I guarantee that if you play your cards right and work hard, you'll get there.
But that's exactly the problem. Idra himself gave that caveat: "until the very top." Look at professional athletes in the NFL. People focus on the ones that make it big - the ones that sign multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts. Do you know the percentage of NFL players that go bankrupt? I don't know it off the top of my head, but it is an astounding number. The majority of players sign short contracts for small amounts of money, amounts that are insufficient for sustaining their lifestyle.
So the same applies to SC2. You can make it into the top tiers, but you have to ask yourself, "How far up do I need to go to make a living off of this?" Top 10 in the world? Top 50? Top 100?
My guess is that wherever you need to get, it's a level that you can't get to on practice alone.
If its a level that I can't get on practice alone, how do I judge if I have enough talent? I'm currently ~3300 masters NA server practicing 1-2hrs/day. idk, is that enough talent, or isnt it?
On March 21 2011 12:10 GriFy wrote:As the IdrA quote that is in so many signatures says, "Until the very very top, in almost anything, all that matters is how much work you put in; the only problem is most people can't work hard even at things they do enjoy, much less things they don't have a real passion for." I guarantee that if you play your cards right and work hard, you'll get there.
But that's exactly the problem. Idra himself gave that caveat: "until the very top." Look at professional athletes in the NFL. People focus on the ones that make it big - the ones that sign multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts. Do you know the percentage of NFL players that go bankrupt? I don't know it off the top of my head, but it is an astounding number. The majority of players sign short contracts for small amounts of money, amounts that are insufficient for sustaining their lifestyle.
So the same applies to SC2. You can make it into the top tiers, but you have to ask yourself, "How far up do I need to go to make a living off of this?" Top 10 in the world? Top 50? Top 100?
My guess is that wherever you need to get, it's a level that you can't get to on practice alone.
You make a valid point, but how many Starcraft players aren't at the very very top (Most foreigners) and are making a pretty decent living? Several.
The minimum salary of an NFL rookie is $310,000, increasing to $460,000 for your second year (as of 2009). A lot of professional athletes go bankrupt because they made some very poor life and financial decisions (Drugs, bad investments, etc), not because they weren't one of the very best players.
On March 21 2011 12:40 Drizzt3 wrote: If its a level that I can't get on practice alone, how do I judge if I have enough talent? I'm currently ~3300 masters NA server practicing 1-2hrs/day. idk, is that enough talent, or isnt it?
There are thousands of players with the same ranking who dont play very much. Work on getting into the Top 200 first, and then see how it goes from there.
Personally, given that you are only able to practice 1-2 hours a day, is most certainly not going to help your cause, and probably prevents you from really excelling.
I know 1-2 hours a day is not enough practice time lol, I was just trying to use that with ranking to help give people a benchmark of where I'm at so you have a better idea of whether or not I'll concievably be able to be good
EPT
. I am of the opinion that almost anyone can go pro at Starcraft 2 if they work hard enough. Hell, Idra wasn't born with any Starcraft talent at all, he just works really hard, so hes gotten really good. Problem is, how do you actually go pro at Starcraft 2? How does one go about achieving that goal? My main problem now is a lack of practice time, but in order to financially support myself financially in order to survive I need a full time job, which I feel limits my practice time and resulting skill level quite a lot. Any advice?
