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The year is 2029 and I’m nearly forty years old when I finally set foot on South Korean soil. StarCraft IV has just been released and is being broadcast across the nation as yet another whirl in eSports constantly rushing ebb and flow, but it is not what I’m here for. I am over a decade late to see living what I’ve come for, but for some reason I can’t ignore the calling of my past, of what I wanted to do but failed. I am here to see the spectres, ghosts and eerie grounds of which Brood War once thrived and the minds of many practiced in earnest to be worthy of.
The feeling is overwhelming and nostalgic. Places I have never been but have seen many times swell with memories of my youth. It is early morning and misty, but resting on a bench by a river I can see where Kang Min fed his ducks and dreamed of dreaming again. At new buildings where studios have long since been torn down, I can see the crowds of excited fans claiming seats and writing words of heartfelt encouragement to their heroes. I can hear the footsteps of foreigners nervous with excitement heading up the halls to the little place where nerds fought battles. With an almost teary breath I think how they were not too late, but here I am looking at an electronics store and pretending a large TV is playing Brood War, pretending the customers are not trapped in their study of pricey phones, but absorbed in the clash of two magnificent minds. I put my hands in my pockets and walk away alone.
Twenty years too late, but not too late for PCBangs. Why they’re still around I can only guess, they are like the failing businesses of arcades which serve only to amuse their owner’s childhood dreams. I walk in and ask a weary looking man with stubbled neck if he has Brood War. “Sure.” He leads me to the second of four rows of computers and I notice only three other people sitting down, wearing baseball caps and hoodies and absorbed in games not my own. “Can I get you something?” the owner asks. I ask for tea and he goes.
Every day for a week I go to that PCBang, not precisely knowing why. I order my tea, sit down, and play Brood War for three hours. Not much of a way to see a country, but for some reason I find myself unable to escape its draw. The steam of my tea floats into my face and I perspire pleasurably in my efforts to conquer. It’s amazing anyone still plays this game, let alone are still so good at it.
On the third day I begin to think of other Brood War players from the past who would be in Korea right now. StarCraft IV is big money and Day9 and Tastosis are big names here to cast it. They’ve really made a life out of eSports, haven’t they? Somewhere in the recesses of my being I hang onto the brief hope that they still think of Brood War sometimes. That with their names so big and bright, untouchable as stars, maybe I would meet them in this dank little hut of a PCBang. I knew it was ridiculous, but as I thought about it more, I hoped more truly that they really would. I could imagine it now. They would be walking in this part of town after some routine shopping and see the PCBang. They would say “Hey, I can’t believe these still exist!” and joke and laugh and suddenly become serious. “Do you wanna go in and play a few games?” “Why not?” Then they would see my white skin sitting in the second row (I’d become accustomed to my seat) and say “Weirder and weirder! A foreigner in a PCBang!” and head over to me to see what I was playing. And they would see that it was Brood War. Brood War, of all games! A foreigner, in a dying Korean PCBang, playing Brood War. Such a peculiar set of curiosities was almost never seen. They would be so moved by nostalgia that they could not help but challenge me to some games.
I think that fantasy is what keeps me coming day after day in spite of a whole country to explore. I want it to happen so badly, that as I sip my tea and teach the owner how to say my name, I come to believe that it must happen, that it is inevitable. As each day passes and I pay the owner his money before I leave, I think, tomorrow will be the day. Tomorrow someone will come, and challenge me to a game.
For four days I think the same thing. By the end I feel foolish that I have been wasting my whole vacation in a nearly vacant PCBang. Even the few Koreans who seem regulars themselves do not engage me. Perhaps they are too young to remember Brood War, for it has been so long. Perhaps they are a little afraid of the aging foreigner who sits alone in the second row.
When I realise that tomorrow will be the eighth day I have wasted in this PCBang, I determine that it will be the last and I will finally see the rest of this country. I can’t make it today, for some reason. My heart does not allow me. So it will be tomorrow, my last day at the PCBang that I will cut the strings of my naïve dream.
I arrive early in the morning, as I usually do, and order my tea for the last time. I tell the owner that this will be my last day, and he tells me that it was good to meet me and know that there are still people who play this old game. I wonder if I should challenge him before I leave. I play my first game and when I’ve finished I begin sipping on my warm tea. The chime at the front door rings as a man enters the PCBang. My heart flutters strangely. White skin, thick glasses, the man himself. Day9. He looks amused that such a place still exists. His jaw slacks a little when he sees me and he grins. He walks toward me to see what I’ve been playing, and sees the lobby of a Brood War game. Words cannot describe the energy that seems to exude from him. The man is radiant; shouts: “oh my god?! Is that Brood War?!” Everyone in the PCBang turns to him. They are already beaming from their recognition of his television face, and become more curious of who the Hell I am by association. Of course he does not know me in any way, but it doesn’t matter. I am an aging foreigner playing Brood War in a Korean PCBang, after all.
He immediately challenges me to battle. The map is to be Lost Temple, most classic of the classics. I tell him sincerely, “I am going to do the best strategy I know” and he laughs and says he is too. I have warped in as Protoss at 6, and he has landed Terran at 9. He scouts the wrong direction and by the time he finds me a Dragoon has blocked my ramp and my own Probe is harassing his SCVs. A quick StarGate pumps out a Scout directly to his main across the tiny chasm. He is sitting across from me and I see him tilt his head and smile incredulously.
 
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Radfield
Canada2720 Posts
The Stove!
...and a wonderful read as well!
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He scouts the wrong direction and by the time he finds me a Dragoon has blocked my ramp and my own Probe is harassing his SCVs. A quick StarGate pumps out a Scout directly to his main across the tiny chasm. He is sitting across from me and I see him tilt his head and smile incredulously.
yessssssssssssssssssss
5/5
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Nicely written, made me smile. Chef for #1 bw fan!
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"I'm going to use the best strategy I know." The Stove starts here my friends.
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Nothing like pulling off the Stove on Day9 himself!
I can't do that. I'm Korean, so no one would look at me like that when I play BW at a PCBang in 2029.
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chef I will go to korea to play BW in a PCbang with you in 2029.
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The Stove Shall Be the Build That Revolutionizes the last season of Proleague. ( I wanted caps for emphasis  ) Chef is a hero lol
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Broodwar was the biggest opportunity for a game to transcend beyond just a game but no one gathered behind it and in the end it faltered . I know that when the year is 2029 I will make grand children play with me the grandpa broodwar and I hope I can still turn on to tl.net stream and see some one still streaming bw and iccup is still alive so I can go back and play some broodwar even if it means that the level of play has been deteriorated in to e- level.
I want to get the chance to meet my favourite korean bw players and see the next gen pick up the game . Games like cs and bw should always be played as a old time classic and the classics like they said never gets old . Sure it's a little archaic in terms of limitation of functions and visually not appealing to the younger generation however . The graphics are clear not corrupted with the complexity of eye candy that now 3d rts/fps games are most infected with . It is more of a welcoming site that any old gamers will nod to and enjoy the simplicity of it .
The map looks just like a map, The marines looks like marines,Back grounds are merely just decoration to serve it's purpose to show the players and spectator it has grounds and rocks and all the thing there is for players to play around and navigate on it .3d maps in contrast with bw the units and the back ground colours are so similar that there is no distinguishing factor between the two . For a person who walks past and sees sc2 playing he may find it difficult to determine the two however if he did past through a person playing broodwar the units stands out on the map clearly there is nothing to obstruct the viewer eyes it is completely clear and the unit is there to see at it's full glory.
There's no blob or huge orgy of units on top each other, broodwar is always proud to display its unit space out to show it's glorious formation of units and depending on the player skills this formation can be rapidly change to suit the play of the moment .Making arc of units and flanking from each site for each movement that the zerg player is monitoring that huge mech ball which is incoming to attack the zerg main hive . Currently I feel broodwar is much superior in everything right now even from the smallest thing such as visual clarity that has stand the test of time.
I am not sure that the rts genre should explore itself with 3d rather than using the old 2d/3d hybrid to breath life in to this old genre that young gens are having tough time to adjust with. I have always thought that 2d/3d was the most excellent combination ever made for a computer game and broodwar being one of the games that have this feature is one of the most proudest thing I ever wanted as a fan of pc gaming and rts .
I just want to say that broodwar has been fun and always will be . Viva la broodwar.
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And then Nal_rA will come in with his ball mouse and will take you down in the most epicly nonssensical Bo9 ever.
This blog is just so good.
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United Kingdom14464 Posts
I don't know how/why Sawamura turned this lovely blog into an attack on SC2, but he managed it.
5/5 for the blog though, let all Scout users stand proud (until my icon changes!)
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The ending made me laugh. 5/5 for the Stove.
Awesome blog.
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I'll be waiting to make your dream come true.
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Korea (South)11575 Posts
oh i love this. chef!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ALLEYCAT BLUES50107 Posts
we ride together, we die together.
BW4LYF
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I've been playing around with the dark side more and more recently. The future of Brood War...ah... T_T
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Holy. Shit.
10/5 if I could, man.
Perfect blog. Seriously, absolutely perfect.
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*slow clap* Nice delivery.
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Never die, Broodwar.
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Fucking awesome blog.
Why the fuck would you make a scooooouuuuut ?!
I was thinking that the owner of the PC bang could be Lee Seung Won like in the MSL cartoon !
5/5
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Fuck you man, you doin THE STOVE?!
Well played, well played sir.
5/5 for sure.
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Genius.
5/5 keep doing what you do.
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STOVE THOSE TERRANS!!!
thank you for giving me another thing to do before I die
i must play with Shin Sang Moon in BW!!!
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That ending got me haha
On June 05 2012 10:04 MCDayC wrote:
I don't know how/why Sawamura turned this lovely blog into an attack on SC2, but he managed it.
5/5 for the blog though, let all Scout users stand proud (until my icon changes!)
Because he see's it as the muderer of his fantasy?
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That was so heartwarming. A man can dream.
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Awesome blog, could not be better. I would go beyond 5/5 if i could. The ending was so perfect.
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On June 05 2012 07:44 Chef wrote:
A quick StarGate pumps out a Scout directly to his main across the tiny chasm. He is sitting across from me and I see him tilt his head and smile incredulously.
you so bm psychotemplar T.T
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THE STOVE!!!!!!!! :D Awesome read
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5/5, this was awesome to read. I hope PCbangs aren't extinct in 2029, same for BW players.
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Lemme guess... next up is a DT, then a Dark Archon into Metal Recall into his own base. Golden.
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God save the Broodwar.
5/5
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Definetly a dream. No way SC IV would be released before 2029.
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So awesome Chef! Looks like I'll have to start planning my Korea 2029 trip now :D
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I almost shed a tear. 5/5
BW WILL NEVER DIE
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On June 05 2012 11:57 BLinD-RawR wrote:
we ride together, we die together.
BW4LYF
The stove will forever be remembered.
5/5 for the blog by the way, read it at work with a big smile on my face.
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Not sure what to say.
But I enjoyed reading this very much.
I could say well written and such. But my emotions aren't about that right now.
But I can say that I am smiling.
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AWESOME BLOG.
But .... scouts .... this is so ... protoss ...
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This is an amazing blog. Delivered as always :D
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made me tear up a bit and chuckle :') <3
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@chef I have always know you to be very optimistic person even the days when sc2 fans keep flooding the mbc game funeral and people on both side were flaming each other . You were optimistic enough to say that there is a chance msl is will sprung up sooner from the grave in the future and for that I think it kept looking more towards the future during those dark days and when we were all bw starved . The problem is last year proleague finals and the standard games weren't enough and this year abomination league was really bad enough that I refuse to watch proleague any more .
Osl is going to turn in to sc2 everything is turning in to sc2. I am sure I would not likely visit tl.net as I used to before because I just enrolled myself to college again and I am sure that I would spend more time on improving my career than soap over bw . Is there a place for bw fans to talk with each other just to keep in touch for old time sake ? . I don't see anything here reminiscent of the old days it's either sc2 or e-sport .
What hope is left for bw fans ? some kind of under ground revival of the scene ? I am not sure but I do know that whatever is coming I hope fans will understand bw was unique and sc2 was never close to it despite huge technological improvement to the game. Let's just say that it's good that proleague and osl bw at it's conclusion and at it's final chapter so I personally would use this opportunity to improve the predicament I am facing right now because of my own mistake and I want to tell you Chef, It was always enjoyable to read your blog be it about topics about broodwar and the other issues you use to cover.
I don't care if there is no more broodwar but I will be always a bw fan till the day I die.
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On June 06 2012 18:36 Sawamura wrote:
@chef I have always know you to be very optimistic person even the days when sc2 fans keep flooding the mbc game funeral and people on both side were flaming each other . You were optimistic enough to say that there is a chance msl is will sprung up sooner from the grave in the future and for that I think it kept looking more towards the future during those dark days and when we were all bw starved . The problem is last year proleague finals and the standard games weren't enough and this year abomination league was really bad enough that I refuse to watch proleague any more .
Osl is going to turn in to sc2 everything is turning in to sc2. I am sure I would not likely visit tl.net as I used to before because I just enrolled myself to college again and I am sure that I would spend more time on improving my career than soap over bw . Is there a place for bw fans to talk with each other just to keep in touch for old time sake ? . I don't see anything here reminiscent of the old days it's either sc2 or e-sport .
What hope is left for bw fans ? some kind of under ground revival of the scene ? I am not sure but I do know that whatever is coming I hope fans will understand bw was unique and sc2 was never close to it despite huge technological improvement to the game. Let's just say that it's good that proleague and osl bw at it's conclusion and at it's final chapter so I personally would use this opportunity to improve the predicament I am facing right now because of my own mistake and I want to tell you Chef, It was always enjoyable to read your blog be it about topics about broodwar and the other issues you use to cover.
I don't care if there is no more broodwar but I will be always a bw fan till the day I die.
Cool, the thing is, 10s of thousands more people watch Sc2 than BW. SC2 is the game now. You many be a BW fan but there is no need to come into this topic and bitch like a little girl about it in here.
Fantastic blog btw. Makes me wonder if starcraft and esports as a whole will still be about in 20 years time.
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On June 07 2012 00:04 pStar wrote:Show nested quote +On June 06 2012 18:36 Sawamura wrote:
@chef I have always know you to be very optimistic person even the days when sc2 fans keep flooding the mbc game funeral and people on both side were flaming each other . You were optimistic enough to say that there is a chance msl is will sprung up sooner from the grave in the future and for that I think it kept looking more towards the future during those dark days and when we were all bw starved . The problem is last year proleague finals and the standard games weren't enough and this year abomination league was really bad enough that I refuse to watch proleague any more .
Osl is going to turn in to sc2 everything is turning in to sc2. I am sure I would not likely visit tl.net as I used to before because I just enrolled myself to college again and I am sure that I would spend more time on improving my career than soap over bw . Is there a place for bw fans to talk with each other just to keep in touch for old time sake ? . I don't see anything here reminiscent of the old days it's either sc2 or e-sport .
What hope is left for bw fans ? some kind of under ground revival of the scene ? I am not sure but I do know that whatever is coming I hope fans will understand bw was unique and sc2 was never close to it despite huge technological improvement to the game. Let's just say that it's good that proleague and osl bw at it's conclusion and at it's final chapter so I personally would use this opportunity to improve the predicament I am facing right now because of my own mistake and I want to tell you Chef, It was always enjoyable to read your blog be it about topics about broodwar and the other issues you use to cover.
I don't care if there is no more broodwar but I will be always a bw fan till the day I die. Cool, the thing is, 10s of thousands more people watch Sc2 than BW. SC2 is the game now. You many be a BW fan but there is no need to come into this topic and bitch like a little girl about it in here. Fantastic blog btw. Makes me wonder if starcraft and esports as a whole will still be about in 20 years time.
There can be 10 of thousands playing cod and I don't give a damn about it . COd is the game now .
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On June 05 2012 09:33 corumjhaelen wrote:
And then Nal_rA will come in with his ball mouse and will take you down in the most epicly nonssensical Bo9 ever.
This blog is just so good.
With a ball mouse in one hand and a roll of toilet paper in the other.
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United States1059 Posts
So well written. Are you a professional? Loved it.
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This was a really nice blog.
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On June 07 2012 00:04 pStar wrote:Show nested quote +On June 06 2012 18:36 Sawamura wrote:
@chef I have always know you to be very optimistic person even the days when sc2 fans keep flooding the mbc game funeral and people on both side were flaming each other . You were optimistic enough to say that there is a chance msl is will sprung up sooner from the grave in the future and for that I think it kept looking more towards the future during those dark days and when we were all bw starved . The problem is last year proleague finals and the standard games weren't enough and this year abomination league was really bad enough that I refuse to watch proleague any more .
Osl is going to turn in to sc2 everything is turning in to sc2. I am sure I would not likely visit tl.net as I used to before because I just enrolled myself to college again and I am sure that I would spend more time on improving my career than soap over bw . Is there a place for bw fans to talk with each other just to keep in touch for old time sake ? . I don't see anything here reminiscent of the old days it's either sc2 or e-sport .
What hope is left for bw fans ? some kind of under ground revival of the scene ? I am not sure but I do know that whatever is coming I hope fans will understand bw was unique and sc2 was never close to it despite huge technological improvement to the game. Let's just say that it's good that proleague and osl bw at it's conclusion and at it's final chapter so I personally would use this opportunity to improve the predicament I am facing right now because of my own mistake and I want to tell you Chef, It was always enjoyable to read your blog be it about topics about broodwar and the other issues you use to cover.
I don't care if there is no more broodwar but I will be always a bw fan till the day I die. Cool, the thing is, 10s of thousands more people watch Sc2 than BW. SC2 is the game now. You many be a BW fan but there is no need to come into this topic and bitch like a little girl about it in here. Fantastic blog btw. Makes me wonder if starcraft and esports as a whole will still be about in 20 years time.
Not in Korea.
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DT first IIRC, but in any-case, you'd have to convince him that the real TvP metagame was MnMnF all along, and we just didn't have enough time to see Flash destroy everyone with it.
It's so sad, the realities are just becoming memories, and those memories are dying, getting lost, and being buried by Legion of new 'Fans'. Fuck that, I wanna see some high level Brood War, I wanna see people not screwing up their macro, but still pulling off strategies and levels of control I can (and do) only dream of.
So, also in response to your community vibe Sawamura, I wanna put it out there again that although the pro-scene is dying, that doesn't mean the game itself is dead - let's do things together and MAKE MEMORIES - much more satisfying and meaningful than simply mourning their loss.
This summer, old map tours. Revivng imballanced map competition, actually using iCCup's "build your own tourney" system in place, and above all, regular filling of OP Teamliquid for some good ol' racewarrrs!
I am sad too, BW4LYF
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United States996 Posts
oh im going to miss bw so much
awesomely written =]
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I love you... 5/5 any day!
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Haha excellently written, and The Stove ftw!!!
Although Day[9] would be playing Zerg of course 
A wonderful read though
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2029 and still Lost Temple is being used?
I believed you until then.
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Awesome dream!
It might just happen you never know
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On June 07 2012 00:04 pStar wrote:Show nested quote +On June 06 2012 18:36 Sawamura wrote:
@chef I have always know you to be very optimistic person even the days when sc2 fans keep flooding the mbc game funeral and people on both side were flaming each other . You were optimistic enough to say that there is a chance msl is will sprung up sooner from the grave in the future and for that I think it kept looking more towards the future during those dark days and when we were all bw starved . The problem is last year proleague finals and the standard games weren't enough and this year abomination league was really bad enough that I refuse to watch proleague any more .
Osl is going to turn in to sc2 everything is turning in to sc2. I am sure I would not likely visit tl.net as I used to before because I just enrolled myself to college again and I am sure that I would spend more time on improving my career than soap over bw . Is there a place for bw fans to talk with each other just to keep in touch for old time sake ? . I don't see anything here reminiscent of the old days it's either sc2 or e-sport .
What hope is left for bw fans ? some kind of under ground revival of the scene ? I am not sure but I do know that whatever is coming I hope fans will understand bw was unique and sc2 was never close to it despite huge technological improvement to the game. Let's just say that it's good that proleague and osl bw at it's conclusion and at it's final chapter so I personally would use this opportunity to improve the predicament I am facing right now because of my own mistake and I want to tell you Chef, It was always enjoyable to read your blog be it about topics about broodwar and the other issues you use to cover.
I don't care if there is no more broodwar but I will be always a bw fan till the day I die. Cool, the thing is, 10s of thousands more people watch Sc2 than BW. SC2 is the game now. You many be a BW fan but there is no need to come into this topic and bitch like a little girl about it in here. Fantastic blog btw. Makes me wonder if starcraft and esports as a whole will still be about in 20 years time.
I think so due to the nature of planned releases for SC2 by Blizzard. That would keep at least a core audience going for the next decade with ancillary -newgame- players joining in for a while as each game comes out. After LotV is patched to the last and done though.. It's too soon to tell. My gut says that SC2 just doesn't have the power of bw and it won't last as long without new games coming out to bump it back into the limelight. But that is a completely unqualified opinion as we're still elbow deep in the first game and not even into HotS yet. Too soon to tell!
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A great read.
BW SHALL NEVER DIE
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It's well established that dream scenario in fact follow expectations of the dreamer. Thus, I can deduce that your belief of day[9] encounter was stronger than your belief that all your effort has been for nothing; quality of optimism I feel quite jealous about.
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If some will going for The Stove against me today, I will know why .
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Amazing read, keep going <3
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EPT
