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I kept saying I'd do a vlog/blog on Dreamhack and I simply couldn't find a good way to do it without being awkward, so I'm going to talk about why I started casting, and why I love it so much.
Most people who have followed my stream since the beginning, or at least late 2011/early 2012 know that I tried to be a professional SC2 player long before I even dreamed of casting. I practiced 8-10 hours every day for about 8 months, especially during the summer of 2012. I spoke to many small clans and other streamers about ways to improve, but often found myself lacking direction or help in making my practice efficient. Trying to be a progamer is easily the most frustrating task I've undertaken in my life, far beyond giving speeches in a courtroom or playing in a championship Basketball or Football game.
I would often message pro players and teams simply begging for a chance to be on a practice squad, so that I could get some help or be told what was wrong with my mindset that made my practice so inefficient. I tried a variety of different hardware setups, thinking I could fake enough confidence to play better naturally, but ended up hurting myself by using equipment that didn't really fit my smaller hands (Switching to a steelseries Sensei is the worst thing I ever did to my micro ;-; ), and led me to making excuses about how hard it was to get any help.
I had casted a few cups for my managing organization when I was growing as a streamer(the organization being Realm eSports), and was told that I had potential. I disregarded these statements as the competitive side of me yearned for far more than simply chatting about the game. I didn't really want to cast, until I saw it as my only way to succeed in eSports.
I spent most of my income from streaming/playing on rent/food while I was in university at the time, taking care of my immediate costs while insurance/financial aid covered my tuition(My house had burned down a few years back, took a long time to settle the claim, and I received a lot of government aid for financial issues). Basically I was told something went wrong with how we were being paid so the rest of my tuition could not be covered, and I had to take time off of school to figure things out. (I feel very ashamed of this part so I prefer please no questions about it, far too much to explain here)
I saw an opportunity to support myself while still being involved with StarCraft, which had become a very large part of my life and brought me joy in a time where I was quite depressed. The IPL Caster competition seemed like a very difficult but possible way to do what I loved without too much financial burden, so I submitted a cast from one of the cups that I casted over the Summer. As I was eliminated from yet another loser bracket match at MLG Dallas, I received an email saying I made the top 16 of the 60+ applicants. Suddenly it seemed there might be a chance I could seriously make something of myself with casting.
After finishing top 4, I was quite upset that I could believe in myself so much and not make the final hurdle. I put on a smile for the rest of the event, and went back home to continue my quest to become good at StarCraft 2. I didn't receive many opportunities for casting, just a small cup here or there thanks to an unlikely friend I made at the event, the person who beat me for the job (lol).
I'd say the biggest move I made toward casting was one night where I decided I would try to cover the audio of the SPL stream, since many people didn't favor the casters and I was surprised no one else offered such an alternative. That weekend would change the course of my SC2 career forever. I had 5 times the viewers than I had ever had while playing the game, and many large personalities complimented me on my casting and dedication as I covered week after week of Korean StarCraft.
It was very difficult for me to accept that I was a much better caster than player. I tried to keep playing but could never live up to my expectations while everyone else pushed for me to find casting work. Eventually I would cover the RSL and the Acer cup, and then community streams for tournaments like Dreamhack.
At first, I despised casting. It served only as a means to push myself further into the scene so I could befriend players and learn how to make myself as good as them. But something started to change as I became more engrossed in the scene. I started to notice trends in the players' styles, I saw matchups unfold and knew what would happen before games even started. I felt myself rooting for one side, and while I tried to keep my bias quiet I could feel myself in the chairs of the players, fighting for every inch in an intense game with honor on the line.
I grew a serious admiration towards the players and over time looked forward to seeing what new tricks they would bring or what I could learn from them next. Casting went from a chore to something I relished every day, with feelings and emotion I could experience even though I wasn't one of the players.
The peak of my career so far has undoubtedly been Dreamhack Summer 2013. As long as I live I won't forget the fire I felt watching Sjow defeat Life, seeing myself in him as the underdog I've always been, toppling an established hierarchy of Korean dominance. I felt a sense of pride like no other as Jaedong fell to Stardust, a player I'd lost to in online tournaments and on ladder in my own quest for greatness.
I love this scene, and I love StarCraft 2 very much. What went from a desperate way to stay involved became the hallmark of my existence in this community, and ultimately something I love to do every day. The passion the players show as they micro their hearts out in the final moments of an eliminating match, the weight of defeat sinking on them as reality sinks in... all things I've felt my fair share of, but played out on an incredible scale. No other game has made me feel so alive, no other community so happy to be a part of. I will continue to do everything I can to push this scene and support its players, and even though I might never reach Grandmaster league, I will never stop supporting those who are willing to pursue their dreams in this incredible community that I've become a part of.
TL;DR: I fucking LOVE totino's pizza rolls. Also thanks for reading and to all who support me in my journey to grow eSports <3
 
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Nice insightful blog. Keep up the good work.
With your kind of dedication who knows what might be possible day.
Also, I love the underdog story.
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And how long ago was your "It's so hard to go anywhere as a caster" blog? 
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Nice story man. Keep on going!
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Really enjoyed Nathanias casting i hope the best for him in the future. Hard work <3
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On June 24 2013 01:33 DusTerr wrote:And how long ago was your "It's so hard to go anywhere as a caster" blog?
not long enough ago  I still have a long way to go, casting Dreamhack has not scored me a real job just yet haha
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Keep up the good work. <3
Live long and Kappa
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Before Dreamhack I'd heard of you but never heard you. I really enjoyed your casting, ya dun gud.
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On June 24 2013 01:47 GGQ wrote:
Before Dreamhack I'd heard of you but never heard you. I really enjoyed your casting, ya dun gud.
yeah likewise, i really enjoyed DH because of you and apollo casting
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I enjoyed your casting aswell.
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On June 24 2013 01:37 ROOTNathanias wrote:Show nested quote +On June 24 2013 01:33 DusTerr wrote:And how long ago was your "It's so hard to go anywhere as a caster" blog? not long enough ago I still have a long way to go, casting Dreamhack has not scored me a real job just yet haha
Well you did an awesome job there and I'm sure you'll find something full time soon :D
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You've come so far in only a few years, congratz!
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Keep up the good work! Didn't know who you were before DH but I really enjoyed your casts!
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Congratz on what you've accomplished so far. Don't give up on the GM goal though! I remember watching hours of you streaming and enjoying it thoroughly - you even switched the meta game back towards banshees for a period of time on NA-ladder and NA-based tournies. Seeing your continued success in the scene is inspirational, and I hope one day you have the courage to talk about even the embarrassing stuff (that's part of why we <3 day9 so much).
Will there be a blog on Dreamhack? Hopefully at least a behind the scenes photo gallery! 
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Nice blog mate, I love your casts both in the ACER team cup and in Dreamhack, now that everybody got to know you I think you will get more jobs and gigs.
Also have you thought on putting some more content except your usual casting and laddering?
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Ah, you did the alternative casts of SPL, I knew I knew your name before dreamhack, I just couldn't remember! I gotta say, I've been watching/playing since the beta, and out of all the casters I've seen you've already become one of my favorite casters :D
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On June 24 2013 01:23 ROOTNathanias wrote:
I spoke to many small clans and other streamers about ways to improve, but often found myself lacking direction or help in making my practice efficient. <3
I think there are a lot of people who either feel this way or THINK they are being efficient. Its kind of a big deal.
On a brighter note, I enjoyed your casting for DH and everything that preceded it, keep it up.
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Keep being awesome Nate, are you going to cast at DH Valencia by any chance? :D
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I should be doing a community stream for it :D
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Are you going to bring back your headband during a professional cast?
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I think you used TLDR wrong.
Pizza Rolls?
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Nice blog Nathan 
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Awesome blog! I really enjoyed your casting at DreamHack Summer 2013. You really put a lot of heart and soul into your casts, which only hypes up viewers more. I have never been more pumped up for a probe killing an extractor in my life and it was all due to the enthusiasm of your cast. Great job and I hope to see, and hear , more of you!
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Hey Nathanias. Great blog. It was a bit painful to read about how you feel not being able to pursue your goal to become a progamer, but I'm really glad you've come to enjoy casting. I remember checking you out during some of your SPL casts and thinking you were pretty good, but I've really enjoyed seeing you rise further and further in your actual casting abilities. even moreso than just your rise to popularity.
Thanks for being a great inspiration. On behalf of every commentator trying to make it out there casting ZOTAC cups, GO4SC2 Cups, semi-pro team leagues, small LAN's and online tournaments, I salute you. I think you're a great example to show that it's not just dumb luck to rise up. Hard work, dedication and passion do pay off in this industry.
Don't stop pushing forward on your success. During Climbing the Ladder you sounded out some concerns of how Dreamhack would be an unrepeatable event that raised expectations for future events you cast. But you should be no stranger to knowing that as long as you keep working to improve, you can still push it further and continue amazing people.
Nathanias fighting!!!
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I wasn't a huge fan of your casting when you first started with the SPL stuff. Still better than the usual SPL casters, but at the time I thought it wasn't anything special. But, holy cow you were PHENOMENAL at dreamhack. The passion was there, the wisdom was there, the play by play was better than any other English language caster. Good for you Nathanias for going the distance.
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Enjoyed reading this very much, as I really enjoyed your casting at dreamhack recently. I would really like to see you cast more major tournaments. Hope that all goes well in the future and you continue with the great job you are doing.
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I just want to let you know that this is amazing to see. I've watched you since I first saw your SPL coverage, and instantly took to your casting style. Keep working Nate
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I've really enjoyed watching you grow as a caster. You've come a long way in the past year. I say this with the slightest bit of jealousy as I remember hitting you a decent bit in WoL and considered you my Terran nemesis Best of luck though. I look forward to seeing you more in the future!
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I think all casters start out as players, yearning for a top 16 finish here or even a championship one day. I can't think of any right now that didn't to be honest. Obviously a good caster has to have a lot of knowledge of the game and the best way to get that knowledge is to actually play that game, but I mean that you don't just go from a high masters player content with high masters, into being a caster.
Reading all this would have brought a tear to my eye if I had not known bits and pieces of it before, lol. It just reinforces my believe that getting into eSports is ridiculously hard, especially if you set really high standards for yourself.
Your freak out moment at DreamHack when SjoW was beating Life will always be one of my favourite moments in all of SC2. You very rarely freak out, especially as much as you did at that moment, so to hear you freaking out that much when I was freaking out just as much at home, was very special to me as well.
You're one of my favourite casters, not only for your casting, but for all the hard work and passion you put into your casting :D
Just keep doing what you're doing, it seems to be working :D
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EPT
