RoX.KIS Q&A: i-view with "Russian Korean" Mercury

Next in RoX.KIS Q&A is semiRussian / semiKorean terran Mercury. You may have noticed him here, when Kapa6ac said hello to "...Mercury, the man who should be best in Russia, but chose another way...". So is he really that good, and what affected him to "choose another way"? Hope you'll get answers here.

We have only bit of piecef of information about that player, as he barely played his real ID on ORG, NGI or PGT. Moreover, he was making another "main" IDs all the time: SlowMouseClick, MetalGear, Mercury, MC-Laren and the newest one RoX.KIS.Assault. But when he played, he made good. First, he is the "triple champion of regional WCG" - here in Vladivostok, which means he always killed A~A- players in finals. And a total newbie can't make it... three times in a row. He have also played few ClanWars for fAke.PeoOple (as fAke.Assault) totally crushing his opponent. Some online tournaments, like Reps.ru NewYear Championship, where he lost to Notforu and White-Ra in latest stages. So maybe this interview will be interesting for you.

Greetings, Assault.
If I'm not mistaken, it's your first i-view in StarCraft community, so get red for questions
Common start: your name, race, SC start (when and how)?

Hi there! I'm Sangwon Lee, the terran... First time I used the game was when I lost my exercises in at school. When I was ~12 years old (remark: now Sangwon is 22 [23 in Korean]). Can't remember the right year.
When I was 15 I got a PC. So I got SC, patched it to 1.09, found a reg-file whith ORG server (remark: starcraft.org.ru was a very popular Russian ladder of that time). So that is how I've started.

Why Terran?

Most of replays of these days were Terran ones

Oh! first good answer for this question!

^_^

15 years old. Now you are 22. Means it was 7 years ago. If you have been practising all that time, you would probably be a semi-pro. But it seems you played much less than others. What's the secret?

I remember it was right before WCG 2002, which I wached on satellite TV, tuned to Korean sats. The secret? There is no secret except extraordinary popularity in my native city of Vladivostok

But I really played much less than others. I watched replays, TV (what you now call VODs). I just tried to do what pros did. No "game plan". Just improvisation with some standart schemes.

Fluent Korean?

Um... yup!

8 years ago I could understand about 50% of what commentors say; now it over 90% with only some uncommon phrases left, which I don't know, as I did not live in Korea long enough to learn it.

So could that be the secret? ^^ Some korean tips, which you couldn't learn in Russia. Is commentators' level defferency huge? I mean Korean commentators comparing to fireighners.

Sure. Like we are babies comparing to them - fathers. But I think that's great we started. Koreans say: "The start is half-done". But of course any OGN/MBC pro-commentator is hundreds steps ahead of any foreighner.

Did all the commentators plyead the game? I mean they are retired pros, or at least semis.

All of them know the game. I remember IntoTheRain and TheMarine are commentators. You should know them. Nal_Ra is also a commentator now. But there are few, who did not play SC at all, like an MBC mid-guy Kim Chol Min (I said mid-guy, coz he sits in the middle, while real commentators sit right and left of him.

Did understanging of these comments help you at the beginning?

It helped a lil, but not too much. Because I couldn't execute what pros did. Not enough skills for that.
Here I can say about my periods of game:
First period, when I just played ORG, watched reps and TV. Just played-played-played, gaining some expirience.
Next one is when I took part in some regional LAN. And I won it! But few weeks later I've lost regional WCG to GaMeLaNdEr (I remember his name is Vlad), and my close friend СРОСТ in Loser brackets.
Third is playing for 3D clan. I played TfS.DRAG and Sm0ke (and someone else) for test. played two CWs: 3D vs 4p and 3D vs MiG. That was the time I realised APM and improvisation means nothing if your opponent has a good plan for game. Then PGTour was opened.

А+?

I've just started university (it was second half of 2004th), and I realised I'll be expeled, if I play the game, but not learn. So I made a C- rank in first season and left 3D. I thought there was no place for a newb like me in a team where Androide himself played.
And last period is a StarCraft on vacations

Same PGT (ICCUP now). As they say "for fun" game

And I've got to fAke team, being tested by Speed and Mamon.

Ok, so tell me how you manage to win fAke.Lester (now RoX.KIS.Lester), who was alread A+ that time in most of practise games; then you killed you opponents at ClanWars and last, you defeated Walker, an A-rank zerg at regional WCG. Best match-up TvZ? Luck? Some sort of preparations?

Even at WCG I really played "for fun".
Final games with Walker were very difficult though. I remember how I successfully bunkered him, canceling an exp-hatch, but then I run towards a hidden exp, while he had zounds of speedlings and two-three luras. That was my mistake - he broke through ramp and destroyed my main. Nevertheless, I was confindent in myself. Again, I had a game plan, and the final score was 3:2.
Games with Lester? Well, these were just practise games. Nothing to worry. And when I had A+ zerg ready to play in ICQ, why should I go to PGT?

Can you remember some tops from former USSR you played with? And results, sure

Ohh... Hardly. Hardly to remember such wins

But I played White-Ra and Notforu at Reps.ru NY Championship. Results? Of course I've lost

At least some chances to win? Or you've lost in a number of seconds?

I think I could have done something on RushHour with Notforu, if I was not trembling

And no chances against White-Ra. This guy should play in Korea!

Can you remember the most important and the best game in your life?

oO Need to think...
Most important should be the last one against Walker at WCG Vladivostok '06. Best... I had a lot. But I can remember a TvT at Neo-Gamei on LT. Was a very long game with BCs fighting at the end. Me and my opponent were ~1300+ pts on the ladder.

Best MU is TvZ?

I think so. The most difficult is TvT. But it all because of how I fell myself. StarCraft is nothing more but a thing to calm down for me now

Ah, I know how that fells
But can you tell me, how it happened, you won three regional WCGs in a row ('05, '06, '07) and never went to Moscow?

No sponsorship. WCG itself did not pay the tickets, and I did not want to spend that money.
Last time I wanted to take part, actually, but I had a choive: either go to Korea for two weeks for free or go to Moscow for $1000 + living + food etc.

Quite an easy option indeed

Why did you miss WCG'08?

I was working to pass my exams for "Korean language level" (remark: may be translated wrong, but that is like Korean TOEFL).

So BroodWar is just a hobby for you now?

I understand everyone should always do what they started, but the game is a game, and I can't bring me food in 15-20 years. And again Russian e-sport is 999999 steps behind Korean (or Scandinavian, if we mean CounterStrike). I chose a good life in future. It doesn't mean I cant play. Just no "play hard go pro" for me

Ah, and about Korean e-sport. They do want "white" players to play, as StarCraft is a show-busines.
I hope White-Ra or someone from USSR would go. Coz it's so pitty to see Americans: Grrrr..., Rekrul, NonY, IdrA.
Draco was interesting, but had not enough patience (or chose "non-esport" job, as I did).

And the question I cant miss
SC2. What can you say about it? What can you say about pro-Koreans? And what can you say about yourself?

As for me I won't play. No time for this

Moreover it seems like it would be a different game at all. Another speed, conltrol, multitasking, macro, etc. etc. I mean every C- player wants him to be better than thousands of newcomers instantly

Only coz "he played BroodWar a lot". And Koreans. Boxer said, KeSPA should accept SC2, but "accept" means not to "switch". KeSPA should add the new game. If it would be popular, then they can close BW scene.

Would you take part in WCG '09?

Maybe yeas, maybe not

I think I'll take part in Regionals again, but no Moscow finals for sure, because I have to go to Korea for postgraduate studying.

Thank you very much for this interview.
Your last words, please

First, thank you Brain, for the time spent. Thanks to RoX.KIS.Kapa6ac for the mention, which made players interested in my person

I would also like to say hello to everyone who knows me

I'm happy I played the greatest Game StarCraft. And I wish everyone to become as good as he wants to. But please remember, this Game is just a game, nothing else. Keep this in mind, and you'll be happy

Hello!

Please don't forget you may leave your Questions for the next Q&A here: TL.net, GG.net.
See you in next i-views!

RoX.KIS Q&A: i-view with "Russian Korean" Mercury

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