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motbob
United States12546 Posts
IPL isn't like any ESPORTS event that I've been to before. Whereas MLG Columbus was a place to meet cool people and watch awesome games on the side (and do little else), IPL was much more glamorous, and more broad in its focus. When walking around Bally's or the main stage, my jaw was on the floor for the most part. The production value of both the main event and all of the sideshows (sponsor displays, etc) was through the roof. It took some of the focus off of the Starcraft, which is probably a good thing because it's hard to focus entirely on SC2 for four whole days.
I worked at IPL as a "Match Reporter," meaning that my job was to make sure that the games in the open bracket were played out correctly before the results went on the IPL3 bracket site. Caucasianasian was working with me. It was, on paper, a really easy job (we just had to double-check the Referees' work; if they did their job correctly we theoretically didn't need to do any work at all) but our responsibilities eventually expanded to overseeing the bracket as a whole and making sure everything was working correctly. This eventually became extremely important because Playhem's losers' bracket software was completely broken (people who played each other in the winners' bracket were facing each other almost immediately in the losers' bracket.) We brought the issue to the attention of the managers and the engineers early on and the problem was solved before a single losers' bracket match was played.
When the internet went out, we really didn't have anything to do. A few TL staff members who were working busted out their copies of Broodwar and started the impromptu SC:BW party that culminated in Huk vs Boxer, which was a big hit on TL and in other places. So TL guys ended up having a really big impact on the success of IPL 3 in two major ways.
Gambling was rampant in the IPL staff ranks. I ended up with a net gain of $0 after four days of poker, but I heard of a lot of other people, both players and staff members, who lost a whole lost of cash. I spotted Boxer on the casino floor as I was leaving the hotel for the last time.
Everyone on IPL staff was really professional, from the managers on down. Everyone was really easy to work with and I was happy to spend some of my free time helping out where I was needed.
In the late hours of the night, we had a group of 20-30 playing mafia every night. I made some new friends during those sessions that I'm looking forward to seeing again at IPL 4 (if and when it happens). A highlight of the mafia games was engineered by Hot_Bid: he forced one poor soul to choose to lynch either his own girlfriend or an innocent man. He chose to kill his girlfriend.
The LoL interlude was as frustrating for the live crowd as it was for the online audience. The air sort of went out of the auditorium as game 1 of the LoL finals went on and on.
I don't really know what to say to sum up my thoughts about IPL 3. It was completely not what I was expecting. I'll probably have a more cohesive opinion about what the weekend meant to me after my flight lands in a couple of hours.
 
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motbob
United States12546 Posts
I guess I should talk about some of the sponsored stuff at the event. Samsung was a last-minute sponsor of IPL 3. On Wednesday night, right before the event started, we had to take all of the hundreds of IGN goody bags and move the contents into new Samsung branded bags. This created a funny "all hands on deck" situation where every staff member available was getting down on the floor and packing, unpacking, and boxing bag after bag. The room looked like a Chinese sweatshop.
During the event itself, Samsung had these really nice super-flat monitors set up in various places. They were advertising their 3D stuff as well; they had eight computers set up with Bloodline Champions (a simple DotA clone) in 3D, for anyone who wanted to play a 4v4.
AMD had a whole bunch of computers set up with the Battlefield 3 beta. I was able to get acquainted with how rough and buggy the BF3 server browser currently is for people trying to join servers as a party. AMD also had Street Fighter IV set up on a tri-monitor setup as an advertisement for their new 8-core processors. It looked great; it was at an absurdly high resolution and ran perfectly smoothly. It's nice that AMD isn't taking the fact that the i7 blew anything they had out of the water lying down.
You all saw the Visine stuff on the stream. There were young ladies carrying around trays of Visine, handing packets out to players and spectators. It was surreal.
TL got their own press room. I don't know the exact nature of the deal between TL and IGN regarding this event, but I'm pretty sure it worked out really well for both sides.
At one point I gave an interview to the people shooting a documentary about EG. They told me that it was nice to find an Idra fan. I guess those are rare among community figures? Come on, guys. Idra is awesome.
I met so many cool people at IPL 3. I'll list some of them here. If I forgot anyone post in this blog and yell at me. I'm sorry.
Flamewheel was my roommate and is a complete baller. He seems both more and less mature than his 19 years. More mature because he has a very wry, subtle sense of humor most of the time and doesn't talk just for the sake of talking. Less mature because he wouldn't stop telling people that I look like Scarecrow from "Batman Begins" all weekend, while simultaneously claiming that I'm the Batman. He never got to play Tetris on the main stage, which is disappointing.
I had met CaucasianAsian at MLG Columbus, but only really in passing. Working with him was a very interesting experience. He took the initiative in performing his duties, and without him the job assigned to me would have been overwhelming. He pulled through in the clutch with his impromptu Huk vs Boxer commentary.
There were a few guys I met in Mafia who I should mention here. Fake Chill (I don't know how to spell his screenname) made mafia a blast to play, with his wild accusations and incredible sense of humor. Bob (I don't know his screenname either) was pretty gosu at mafia, and was probably the MVP overall of the sessions, since Mango and Hot_Bid kept getting killed off immediately. Sheth was pretty gosu as well, despite having never played before.
I didn't see much of Tofucake because he worked the late shift and I worked mornings. We didn't really get to talk about EVE at all.
Shindigs was a nice guy who I wish I'd been able to talk to a bit more. Hazelynut and d3_cresentia, also. And of course, the TL NYC crew were there, Hot_Bid, Heyoka, R1CH, TheMango (thanks for dinner), Waxangel. P4NDemik was another guy who I couldn't really interact with because of shift differences.
No one was able to gamble with me. Why? I hope that changes in Vegas.
I was disappointed with the afterparty. It just wasn't my kind of party. At MLG Columbus there was a patio where people could go to drink and have a quiet conversation. As far as I could tell, there was nothing like that at this party. I left early. I'm sure other people had a blast, though, what with the kpop and SC2 karaoke. It just wasn't my thing.
There needs to be more live IPL events. With a first event that went pretty much flawlessly (except for things outside of IGN's control), how could further events not be even better? A major point of improvement would be keeping everything in one casino or, ideally, one floor. Of course, this does not depend upon IGN, but upon their casino partners.
As my flight lands in Atlanta, I've come to a conclusion about this weekend. Despite it not being what I expected, it was something I'm looking forward to experiencing once again. I got to know a few people really well, and I met a lot of people who I want to get to know even better in the future. And, really, that's what these live events are all about: the people. Here's to a successful 2012 for IPL live events.
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How big were the crowds there?
Was everyone like a typical gamer fan, or were there some non-traditional looking spectators there as well?
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Philadelphia, PA10406 Posts
Hahahahaha Hot_Bid is so ridiculous in mafia. The real question though is whether R1CH was playing, because R1CH is always the best at mafia. And Wax is the worst obviously. (lol)
Seems like a lot of the non-production staff for IPL were poached from TL for the weekend, makes me happy to see TL staff off the streets and doing something productive for a change. ^^
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I have to say that the production was so good that a part of me almost preferred to be home streaming the event and looking at the auxiliary channels.
The games of mafia were quite fun, thanks for being so open to hanging with randoms! Overall, I'm with you on needing a few more hours to collect my thoughts but I know they are 90% positive.
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So on my drive home from IPL3 I started arguing with my girlfriend about a supposed promise I had made to buy her coffee for the rest of the year. She claimed it was true, and finished with, "Yeah, remember that time you lynched me in mafia? I'm right." ... damn it Hot_Bid!
Oh well, it was an awesome weekend. I like the recap motbob, I was really curious why my loser's bracket changed completely by the time I showed up the morning of day 2.
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On October 11 2011 04:20 tree.hugger wrote:
Hahahahaha Hot_Bid is so ridiculous in mafia. The real question though is whether R1CH was playing, because R1CH is always the best at mafia. And Wax is the worst obviously. (lol)
Seems like a lot of the non-production staff for IPL were poached from TL for the weekend, makes me happy to see TL staff off the streets and doing something productive for a change. ^^
R1CH is always the best. Period.
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Braavos36402 Posts
On October 11 2011 05:05 deadz wrote:
So on my drive home from IPL3 I started arguing with my girlfriend about a supposed promise I had made to buy her coffee for the rest of the year. She claimed it was true, and finished with, "Yeah, remember that time you lynched me in mafia? I'm right." ... damn it Hot_Bid!
Oh well, it was an awesome weekend. I like the recap motbob, I was really curious why my loser's bracket changed completely by the time I showed up the morning of day 2.
if it makes you feel better its not like you chose a guy you just met over your longtime girlfriend
oh wait thats exactly what happened
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The mafia games were definitely the best during the late nite hours. Originally, the plan was to either lynch his own girlfriend or Sheth, but that didn't work when the town voted him out. Too bad I didn't find out about the last night of mafia, but oh well.
The twitch.tv afterparty was definitely a blast with the open bar. Seeing Select singing "I believe I can fly", to Temp0 giving a concert of songs, to getting R1CH to dance during "Never gonna give you up" was hilarious.
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lol mafia...I got found out so ezly when I was mafia and failed so hard. !! >.<
highlight of the weekend for me was seeing boxer play broodwar live. by far.
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Phelix is right... SeleCT actually has a great voice and the after party was really fun. I got stuck outside in line for an hour with 4 other people after going to the bathroom because I'm a normal spectator  . I understand it was for fire regulation reasons but it was so FRUSTRATING watching the staff line continually turn over and empty and watch the pros walk in and out freely... felt pretty second class.
I gave up trying after the hour mark, it's kind of sad that it was my lowest moment of my IPL3 and basically the final part of it.
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United States13896 Posts
I can't believe I won a game of mafia Saturday night. Overall I was sooooo bad though. Fun times guys!
On October 11 2011 06:25 BlueImpulseX wrote:Phelix is right... SeleCT actually has a great voice and the after party was really fun. I got stuck outside in line for an hour with 4 other people after going to the bathroom because I'm a normal spectator . I understand it was for fire regulation reasons but it was so FRUSTRATING watching the staff line continually turn over and empty and watch the pros walk in and out freely... felt pretty second class. I gave up trying after the hour mark, it's kind of sad that it was my lowest moment of my IPL3 and basically the final part of it.
Damn wish I knew you were stuck outside, could have taught you the Krukar way and had you in lickety split.
+ Show Spoiler +Past the bathrooms to the right and through the unguarded back door ftw.
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motbob
United States12546 Posts
I updated some stuff in the 2nd post.
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Sounds great. Neat write up 
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FREEAGLELAND26782 Posts
Yo R1CH change motbob's name to matbab.
You do look like the scarecrow though. I don't want to compromise your identity though since if you actually are the batman people will start gunning for you.
IPL was so sick. Real life sucks.
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Korea (South)11603 Posts
i wish every day was like IPL. so much fun!!!!!!!
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nice to be able to meet everyone and happy to work with yall too
ipl was just one of the best experiences of my life and ive had plenty
:D
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Great to see you all out there. :D Can't wait until IPL 4.
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Lack of photos is unfortunate ):
I'm really jealous everyone got to play BW and hang out while also dedicating a lot of their time to helping make this event work, it's practically a dream of mine.
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When the LoL final was on, did the crowd clear out? Did anyone stay and watch?
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EPT
