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Good reads on TL (Part 1)

Blogs > GMarshal
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GMarshal
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States22154 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-07-13 17:24:59
July 13 2012 16:50 GMT
#1
Good reads on TL


Well, after the fiasco that was my last blog, I thought I'd write something a little less bitterly angry, and a little bit more useful and entertaining. I have collected here a number of pieces on TL that I think are worth a read. Many of you will have already read the articles, threads and blogs linked here. That's fine, these are of such excellent quality that I suggest reading them again. The pieces included here are in no particular order, I've tried to stay away from the well know "funny" threads, in favor of articles I consider are more overlooked. That's not to say that the day[9] plane story or the underwater basket weaving thread *aren't* good reads, this is just geared to the opposite side of the spectrum, articles which are first and foremost informative or impactful, with humor taking a backseat, I did include a couple of reads that I found personally amusing which are less well known. Without further ado, have some of the best things TL has cranked out over the years. (This is part one, there will be more.)

1. Ver's How to Improve

Summary: Ver has written a lot of very excellent works, and at least a couple will make it to this list, but this is, in my opinion, one of his better pieces. Even though this was written before SC2 was even a glimmer in people's eyes, much of the general principles he writes about here apply to both SC2 and BW. Download it and read it. I keep a pdf of it in my e-book collection.

2. I Loved Victory by Plexa (part 2)

Summary: Plexa is another of the tl authors who pretty much only writes gold, but I Loved Victory has a special place in my heart. Oov is perhaps my favorite player in the history of BW, so I may be biased, but my bias makes this Final Edit no worse. Its a masterpiece of a tribute, its a damn shame the tribute video at the end no longer works (if anyone happens to find it anywhere, PM me), but this is well worth the read. More so if you know nothing about who iloveOov is.

3. riptide's Mind Over Mechanics

Summary:Continuing my trip down Final Edit lane, we get to a FE by Riptide (a man who deserves his typewriter icon). I always enjoy pieces that are timeless by the nature of the topic they discuss. This is one such piece. This talks about things that are better than build orders and APM, it talks about the true defining traits of champions, their comprehension of momentum, not just in games, but in whole series. Reading this article changed how I looked at series played between high caliber players, if you've ever sat there and wondered why your favorite player was doing something strange in a Bo5, this article will probably give you some insight.

4. Mind Games by RaGe

Summary: I can't talk about Mind Over Mechanics and not touch on the closely related Mind Games. This is another timeless piece, instead of talking about momentum, experience and handling pressure, this talks about single games, preparation and the battles that occur at the highest level levels of starcraft, battles not of units, but of psyches. Read this and understand the true beauty of starcraft, the battles that take place not in the game, but in the minds of the players.

5. Plexa's Apple Pie

Summary: Moving away from starcraft for a moment, this is one of my favorite blogs of all time. Its a simple reflection by Plexa. Many of you won't find it that significant, but this blog really got to me for some reason. It was sort of like seeing a reflection of yourself in a rippling pond. Give it a read, if nothing else, Plexa is an excellent author.

6. Before ESPORTS by Heyoka

Summary: Wow, six articles so far and all are by staff. That actually wasn't intentional. Anyway this is an excellent look at the very early days of "esports" before it had even gotten that tag. Knowing your history is important, so read this. Its interesting even on a "neat, old history" level, and there is a lesson to be learned from it.

7. Rekrul Breaking the Savior Scandal

Summary: This still stands as one of the moments that defined starcraft for me. The whole thread is a must read if you want to know how damn hurtful the Savior matchfixing scandal was. This is actually a very sad thread to read, it brings back bitter memories, but if you want a fascinating portrait of what people were thinking when Rek broke the news, this is the thread to read. Skip it if you'd rather not be reminded.

8. On the Shoulders of Giants by Riptide

Summary: While I'm linking history of the pro scene, I thought it appropriate to also link to the history of TL news. This is a tribute of the greatest contributors to TL FE/Articles/News from the earliest times up to 2009. Notice that most of them are still around. Its written in riptide's awesome narrative style, and it gives a interestingly candid snapshot of the people who made the articles section of TL what it is.


9. Trozz's blog

Summary: On a much, much lighter note, a really great blog by one of my favorite posters. For those of you who don't know Trozz always posts in hiaku. This blog impressed me both with the amount of commitment someone I knew relatively little about put into TL, and by the fact that it only used hiakus. Is it an epic read like some of the other pieces here? No, but it is one of the blogs that really impacted me, so it has a place here.

10. Blogs by Zatic

Summary: I picked one of Zatics blogs about traveling abroad, but really his entire series on Germany is awesome as well, and I suggest reading all of them. It gives a honest first person perspective of both working abroad and of living in Germany. Besides the entertainment value, I found these to be genuinely informative, and the style they are written in makes them a light read.

11. onepost's Stay One Step Ahead

Summary: If you haven't noticed yet, I really enjoy reading about mindgames and the like. This is a down to earth guide on the mental/tactical aspects of starcraft at a less than pro level. Its chock full of examples, and is one of my favorite threads ever. Its not long, its not arduous to read and much of what it says seems obvious, but its still something that is well worth reading.

12. A Legacy of Distinction by Arrian

Summary: Read it. Its about endings, and legacies, and how, no matter what happens to BW, its legacy will remain. I know I keep linking FE's here, but thats because they are so damn good.

13. Colbi's How the Cards Have Fallen

Summary: Ok, this will be the last FE I link in this list, I promise, but with all my talk about history, I'd be remiss to skip over a piece that looks at non-korean teams just as we saw SC2 peeking over the horizon. Give it a read and see where the author was right, and where he was wrong.

14. Bittersweet Symphony by Rekrul

Summary: If you read no other piece here, read this one. This is another of those blogs that formed my view of TL. This is Rekrul's story as a Pro Poker player in Korea, and its a story that merits being listened to. Read it, trust me, its worth it.

15. TL's Requiem for a Mani

Summary: At one time Manifesto said he was retiring from tl. This is his sendoff thread. Its one of those threads that cements the fact that tl is awesome, and its one of those threads that is probably worth reading in full.

This ends part 1, part 2 will be here soon(tm), feel free to suggest threads/blogs/posts which you think are overlooked but awesome/informative/interesting.

****
Moderator
Cokefreak
Profile Joined June 2011
Finland8095 Posts
July 13 2012 16:52 GMT
#2
Why you never answered me on the penis thread?
corumjhaelen
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
France6884 Posts
July 13 2012 16:59 GMT
#3
You really did not choose my favorite FEs at all... Well I'm harsh, I loved victory is good, Plexa's best work by far at least. Rekrul's thread is amazing though.
I've missed a couple of those threads though, thanks.
As for suggestions, I have some I guess, but I'll wait to see if they are in your part 2^^
‎numquam se plus agere quam nihil cum ageret, numquam minus solum esse quam cum solus esset
Black[CAT]
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Malaysia2589 Posts
July 13 2012 17:01 GMT
#4
This is a really good blog
Sad thing is, I was about to go to sleep when I saw this blog and now I'm going to read some of those things listed. T_T
You mean ESPORTS isnt a synonym for SC2? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ -Proud owner of a Filco Majestouch 2 with Cherry Blue Switches- BW or SC2? Why not both?
lastprobeALIVE
Profile Blog Joined October 2004
United States973 Posts
July 13 2012 17:22 GMT
#5
oh man that requiem for a mani, so many old names you don't see around too often on that card, lol brings back a lot of memories
when in doubt DT out
TheAmazombie
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States3714 Posts
July 13 2012 17:34 GMT
#6
Oh G, you forgot to mention the entire Headphone scandal. That was hilarious!
We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. -Charlie Chaplin
Bunn
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Estonia934 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-07-13 17:38:51
July 13 2012 17:38 GMT
#7
God of the Battlefield is the best.
"There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level." - Bruce Lee
Xxio
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
Canada5565 Posts
July 13 2012 17:54 GMT
#8
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=100047#1

One of my favorites.
KTY
OpticalShot
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
Canada6330 Posts
July 13 2012 17:54 GMT
#9
Everyone should read the R1CH quotes thread.
[TLMS] REBOOT
remedium
Profile Joined July 2011
United States939 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-07-13 17:56:02
July 13 2012 17:54 GMT
#10
The Rekrul thread is pretty crazy.
Stay positive!
sc4k
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
United Kingdom5454 Posts
July 13 2012 18:00 GMT
#11
Now this is worthy of a featured blog!!!! Great stuff
Mattchew
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States5684 Posts
July 13 2012 18:32 GMT
#12
No mafia threads TT
There is always tomorrow nshs.seal.
rredtooth
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
5459 Posts
July 13 2012 18:38 GMT
#13
you forgot the greatest thread in the history of teamliquid
[formerly sponsored by the artist formerly known as Gene]
Waxangel
Profile Blog Joined September 2002
United States33340 Posts
July 13 2012 18:47 GMT
#14
no honesttea?
AdministratorHey HP can you redo everything youve ever done because i have a small complaint?
corumjhaelen
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
France6884 Posts
July 13 2012 18:49 GMT
#15
On July 14 2012 03:47 Waxangel wrote:
no honesttea?

This man knows his stuff.
If you ever been the fan of anyone, this is the best write up on teamliquid :
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=61851
‎numquam se plus agere quam nihil cum ageret, numquam minus solum esse quam cum solus esset
salle
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
Sweden5554 Posts
July 13 2012 18:50 GMT
#16
Damn you GMarshal, I had things to do today, not spend the whole afternoon/evening reading awesome TL threads/posts!
Administrator"Ambitious but rubbish!" - Jeremy Clarkson
iGrok
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
United States5142 Posts
July 13 2012 18:58 GMT
#17
Trozz's limerick commentary - it's been so long since i've seen that.
MOTM | Stim.tv | TL Mafia | Fantasy Fighting! | SNSD
humanimal
Profile Joined June 2010
United States151 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-07-13 19:12:43
July 13 2012 19:08 GMT
#18
Welp. Time to go through and read pretty much every TLFE.

Also, I really liked Finale in Five (probably my favorite) and God of the Battlefield (probably 2nd)

EDIT: Can someone direct me to the FE homepage? I can't seem to find the list TT_TT
Talin
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Montenegro10532 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-07-13 19:21:39
July 13 2012 19:21 GMT
#19
Obligatory God of the Battlefield nomination.

Also, semi related to the thread - Once, I think right around the time T1 won the Winners League in the penultimate PL season, an article about the history of the team way back from Boxer and the Orion days popped up. It was pretty long, fancy and well written. I looked for that article on several occasions, but I wasn't able to find it ever again. I would appreciate if somebody could link me to it. And it should also be in Part 2 of this blog obviously!
Chargelot
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
2275 Posts
July 13 2012 19:56 GMT
#20
Honestly I really liked this: http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?id=231400

Shameless self link, but the interview portion with Day[9] was incredibly informative. Even after doing the interview, and transcribing it all, I read it and still learned about stuff. And not exclusively SC2 stuff, but real life stuff. Sean really knows how to give a speech.
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