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Blogs > Type|NarutO
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NarutO
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
Germany18839 Posts
June 13 2013 07:34 GMT
#1
Hey there.

I was inactive for about 8 month I guess, not playing Starcraft alltogether. I am getting back into the game because I also get more involved into higher-class tournaments once again and without playing the game on a certain level I personally don't feel like a good caster, because you cannot talk as much about metagame, strategies and consequences of builds etc.

So, I decided to play a lot and did about ~300 games starting with zero HotS experience. In the end I hit 1570 points or something along those lines. To me, thats not bad for being inactive for a long time but I'm obviously not satisfied with a below top 100 grandmaster spot, even if its aimed "high". I have so many mistakes in my play it pisses me off, but I try to work on my mistakes and not try to blame balance like I did in the past.

Certain things though piss me off. Right now in Terran vs Protoss I just don't seem to get a grasp on the match up. It feels impossible to play, because I lack the calmness to harass and tend to be overaggressiv. Its all my fault, but due to 'smaller' mistakes Terran vs Protoss gets extremely frustrating and hard.

BARCODE ACCOUNTS! Fuck, I hate barcode accounts. I can understand that there are certain high-level players who don't want to be revealed and as you cannot smurf, they are using barcode accounts. I am completely fine with it but all the other players while I agree can obviously and may obviously smurf as much as they want, personally coming from Broodwar I can say.

- No reason to smurf as long as you are not good anyways

Also, I feel the barcode players don't even want the benefit of not having them revealed, but benefiting the bonus you got. As a barcode playing against a non-barcode you have already encountered, you can remember him and his style. I personally like macro cc-first against Zerg, but I also do double 11 quite often because its a good-meta right now. If I encounter a barcode, I take risks in both. If I double 11, he might have encountered me before and do a pool speed opening and when I do cc first, I might encounter 10 pool.

Ofcourse my own fault for playing two strategies but with limited time etc, I feel like mastering 2 builds is more benefitial than mastering 10 only half as good. Other than that, I believe they are using barcodes to insult you and act bad mannered, because lets face the truth, still a lot of shit kids on the ladder.

End rant. Hope to get into GM and work hard on my game, but as of right now (top 30 for the start) I think I am doing so much mistakes that I am not worthy of a grandmaster spot.

/rant²

***
CommentatorPolt | MMA | Jjakji | BoxeR | NaDa | MVP | MKP ... truly inspiring.
Kfish
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Chile282 Posts
June 13 2013 07:51 GMT
#2
There is a reason to smurf under barcode accounts even if you are not good. It can have a psychological effect that helps people with ladder anxiety to play more. It can also reduce the rage for someone that loses because no one will actually know he did. Some people just have fun with it and like to experiment weird build orders or fuck around or offrace. I'm sure there are more reasons people can come up with.

Gl getting into GM
NarutO
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
Germany18839 Posts
June 13 2013 07:56 GMT
#3
That is a good point actually. So ofcourse there are people with different reasons for it. Lets just say some people do it because of the above named reasons.
CommentatorPolt | MMA | Jjakji | BoxeR | NaDa | MVP | MKP ... truly inspiring.
keimag23
Profile Joined May 2012
Germany20 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-06-13 07:59:35
June 13 2013 07:58 GMT
#4
I totally agree! Playing ~1k Master and those Barcodes I play are dicks. Mostly they dont even write glhf and follow this up with some greedy play. When this happens with a "normal opponent" I just remember it. Against a Barcode it feels like he is just a arrogant douche who doenst take me serious.
Pandemona *
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
Charlie Sheens House51493 Posts
June 13 2013 08:05 GMT
#5
Happy Birthday NarutO

Nice way to kick off the celebrations with a ladder rant blog :D
Barcodes are just the "cool thing" to do. Most barcodes are just scrubs pretending to look good, however there is a few that are genuine smurfs, but 90% on EU and NA are just scrubs pretending there good.

But like you said the best way to improve your casting is to have first hand experience of builds.

GL GL
ModeratorTeam Liquid Football Thread Guru! - Chelsea FC ♥
Passion
Profile Joined December 2003
Netherlands1486 Posts
June 13 2013 08:07 GMT
#6
I'd say the opposite, if you're good, there's no reason to smurf.
NarutO
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
Germany18839 Posts
June 13 2013 08:08 GMT
#7
Thanks :-)! birthday yay~~ :D
CommentatorPolt | MMA | Jjakji | BoxeR | NaDa | MVP | MKP ... truly inspiring.
NarutO
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
Germany18839 Posts
June 13 2013 08:09 GMT
#8
On June 13 2013 17:07 Passion wrote:
I'd say the opposite, if you're good, there's no reason to smurf.


What is the reasoning behind that? If you are good and want to prepare through ladder, you want to hide your builds or hide that its you. You can get information on your opponent etc. If you are not good, what is the point in smurfing besides ladder anxiety etc?
CommentatorPolt | MMA | Jjakji | BoxeR | NaDa | MVP | MKP ... truly inspiring.
Uncreative_Troll
Profile Joined October 2011
98 Posts
June 13 2013 09:13 GMT
#9
I use a barcode name on NA cause I was to uncreative to get a nice nick...
Passion
Profile Joined December 2003
Netherlands1486 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-06-13 09:29:41
June 13 2013 09:27 GMT
#10
On June 13 2013 17:09 Type|NarutO wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 13 2013 17:07 Passion wrote:
I'd say the opposite, if you're good, there's no reason to smurf.


What is the reasoning behind that? If you are good and want to prepare through ladder, you want to hide your builds or hide that its you. You can get information on your opponent etc. If you are not good, what is the point in smurfing besides ladder anxiety etc?

Well logically, wouldn't the lesser player have a greater need for such trickery?

Edit: That's obviously a bit simplistic ignoring the fact that no one would ever recognise the lesser player, thus being unable to associate builds or w/e.

Nevertheless, looking only at the very top players, the very best should be able to beat anyone anytime and have enough builds, tricks and skills up his sleeve to not care people have seen it before.
NarutO
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
Germany18839 Posts
June 13 2013 09:29 GMT
#11
On June 13 2013 18:27 Passion wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 13 2013 17:09 Type|NarutO wrote:
On June 13 2013 17:07 Passion wrote:
I'd say the opposite, if you're good, there's no reason to smurf.


What is the reasoning behind that? If you are good and want to prepare through ladder, you want to hide your builds or hide that its you. You can get information on your opponent etc. If you are not good, what is the point in smurfing besides ladder anxiety etc?

Well logically, wouldn't the lesser player have a greater need for such trickery?


The lesser player is not exposed to tournament play and opponent preparation. Why would he need this trickery? Also its not trickery, its simply hiding information about you/yourself against opponents you might encounter in minor or major tournaments that could potentially read you easily if they get their hands on replays etc.
CommentatorPolt | MMA | Jjakji | BoxeR | NaDa | MVP | MKP ... truly inspiring.
Passion
Profile Joined December 2003
Netherlands1486 Posts
June 13 2013 09:30 GMT
#12
On June 13 2013 18:29 Type|NarutO wrote:
Show nested quote +
On June 13 2013 18:27 Passion wrote:
On June 13 2013 17:09 Type|NarutO wrote:
On June 13 2013 17:07 Passion wrote:
I'd say the opposite, if you're good, there's no reason to smurf.


What is the reasoning behind that? If you are good and want to prepare through ladder, you want to hide your builds or hide that its you. You can get information on your opponent etc. If you are not good, what is the point in smurfing besides ladder anxiety etc?

Well logically, wouldn't the lesser player have a greater need for such trickery?


The lesser player is not exposed to tournament play and opponent preparation. Why would he need this trickery? Also its not trickery, its simply hiding information about you/yourself against opponents you might encounter in minor or major tournaments that could potentially read you easily if they get their hands on replays etc.

I pressed post a bit too fast. Feel free to fill in another word for trickery.
Irrational_Animal
Profile Joined August 2010
Germany1059 Posts
June 13 2013 11:07 GMT
#13
I think barcodes make little sense for progamer in EU anyways. For example it gets obvious rather soon ingame whether you play vs Happy or Lucifron and even if you only see the loading screen a experienced pro can identify you via your icon in many cases. Then there are other indicators like whether you talk a lot during the game etc. I´m not sure if it is true but TLO for instance claimed to know the real ID of every smurf account in the GM league.
endy
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Switzerland8970 Posts
June 13 2013 11:08 GMT
#14
You could become a barcode yourself. At least your opponent will not blind counter you because he remembered you.
ॐ
Race is Terran
Profile Blog Joined May 2013
United States382 Posts
June 13 2013 13:43 GMT
#15
barcodes are pro players smurfing, people from other servers (europeans), and snotty players who can flame without consequence, and hackers.
Sox03
Profile Blog Joined April 2013
Germany55 Posts
June 13 2013 15:19 GMT
#16
On June 13 2013 16:58 keimag23 wrote:
I totally agree! Playing ~1k Master and those Barcodes I play are dicks. Mostly they dont even write glhf and follow this up with some greedy play. When this happens with a "normal opponent" I just remember it. Against a Barcode it feels like he is just a arrogant douche who doenst take me serious.

What is the problem with that? There is no need to write gg or glhf afaik.
Most of the stuff lost its meaning already...
And if they play greedy whats wrong with that? Your play should benefit from that imo.

Whatson
Profile Blog Joined January 2012
United States5357 Posts
June 13 2013 15:57 GMT
#17
lol whenever I play some guy in masters with a barcode account, I kinda laugh a little inside.
¯\_(シ)_/¯
TriO
Profile Joined July 2011
United States421 Posts
June 13 2013 17:45 GMT
#18
Who the fuck cares what they do they pay 60$ for the account they have the right to do whatever they want. Until you pay that 60$ you don't have right to lecture them or even look down on them. To be honest what makes you better than them?
My dream is to tear up your dream.
Mortal
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
2943 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-06-13 18:41:43
June 13 2013 18:41 GMT
#19
Honestly whenever I see someone that I know is awful with a barcode it's almost amusing. If you're psychologically unable to play ladder (for whatever reason you conjure up), why not just play unranked? Or block the player at the start of the game if you're concerned with your ego? It all just seems unnecessary.
The universe created an audience for itself.
AxUU
Profile Blog Joined June 2011
Finland162 Posts
June 13 2013 19:13 GMT
#20
Didn't even know that pro's do that, always thought that barcode names are only used by people who just can't figure out a name and decide to go with that.
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
Therapist.
Profile Joined January 2009
United States207 Posts
June 13 2013 20:17 GMT
#21
In my opinion, the ridiculous amount of barcode accounts in SC2 removes all feeling of community and makes the game feel robotic and impersonal, especially since almost every barcode is as rude as possible, hiding behind not only the anonymity of the internet, but behind the anonymity of not even having a name the internet can remember you by.

Laddering is always a very lonely experience.
NarutO
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
Germany18839 Posts
June 14 2013 11:18 GMT
#22
On June 14 2013 02:45 TriO wrote:
Who the fuck cares what they do they pay 60$ for the account they have the right to do whatever they want. Until you pay that 60$ you don't have right to lecture them or even look down on them. To be honest what makes you better than them?


Are you a barcode? What makes me better than them is that I don't tell my opponents to die of cancer, burn do death or that I fuck their mothers. I used to be very bad mannered but nowadays I try to be as chill as possible and rarely insult anyone, if at all.

The last barcode I met did greet my glhf with "fuck you cunt" and left the game with "you are such a jew piece of shit fuck you cunt" . Thats what makes me better than them. Also; as I said its my personal opinion that especially barcode accounts should not happen. Smurfing is good and should be allowed, but if you can "identifity" the smurf as the smurf you played before, its all good. You have the chance to still play every strategy and you can remember what you played against him before. Like this I have no way of knowing if I ever played him and he can blindly counter me which gives him the edge in the game from the start - without me being aware of it.

I cannot understand your rage at me.
CommentatorPolt | MMA | Jjakji | BoxeR | NaDa | MVP | MKP ... truly inspiring.
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