Leaving aside moot questions like which is Nadal and which is Federer, or what it means to be the "Greatest of All Time" there can be no debate that Flash and Jaedong are two of the best players Brood War has ever seen, and have beenfor years. Their primes have been contemporaneous: they have combined to dominate bothStarleagues as well as the KeSPA ranking since early 2008 (9 of 17 Starleague titles, counting the current MSL); 26 of 30 months #1 in the KeSPA ranking [with Stork and Bisu accounting for the 4-month hiatus]). Their extremely close head-to-head record includes many high-stake games and several classics.+ Show Spoiler [classic] +
These alone would furnish plenty of reason for their rivalry to take its place among the classic rivalries of Brood War; indeed, if e-sports have any legitimacy, of all of sports. But there is something more to the rivalry of Jaedong and Flash: something that transcends the mere individual competition for glory, riveting as that may be; the same thing that distinguishes the truly great rivalries of any sport. Flash and Jaedong represent two different paradigms. They approach the game in two different ways; they play it in two different ways; they attract two different fanbases who appreciate their two different styles. It helps that they play two different races, of course, but this is more symptom than cause: more than anyone before them, Jaedong and Flash seem to exemplify their respective races. When we watch them play, we see more than two individuals playing a computer game; melodramatic as it may sound, we see nothing less than the primal clash of Terran and Zerg. (Perhaps that can provide an answer to the much-debated question of whether video games can be art.)
The Inexorable Terran
Unfortunately, the sobriquet Perfect Terran was assigned long ago, but if anyone ever deserved that title, he is certainly Flash: both for the perfection of his play and for its "Terran-ness". Flash is known for the careful, methodical, and above all safe nature of his approach to the game. Although in interviews, Flash likes to say that he takes one match at a time, his overall approach is almost the diametric opposite of this: it might be more correct to say that Flash takes one match-up at a time. Whether it's 14CC or one-rax CC, Flash goes for literally months at a time playing the same opening nearly every game, to the extent that to the untrained eye, it seems almost ludicrous to expect that he will continue to win each time, with his opponent knowing exactly what to expect. Yet win he does, with a consistency that is reflected in the astonishingly high winning percentage of 70.42% (as of this writing, per TLPD.)
The reason behind this counter-intuitive consistency is that Flash does not simply develop openings--he develops entire systems. Behind the bland, pre-fab facade of each of Flash's build orders lies an extensive, meticulously prepared system of tiny tweaks and adjustments that aims to account for every possible response his opponent can throw at him, at every stage. From his notorious double-armory build and later refinements on the Fake Double against Protoss, to his aggressive expansionism vs. Terran, to his early M&M groups and pressure attacks against Zerg, Flash has revolutionized more match-ups more times than any other pro-gamer in history. Stork is known for the outstanding builds he prepares for individual games, but Flash's preparation goes far beyond this: he designs builds that are meant to work for every game--no matter whom his opponent is or what he does. And, indeed, even when Flash is 'slumping', all but the very best players in a given match-up find it almost impossible to stop him. More than any other S-class progamer, Flash is known for consistently beating the players that he "should" beat.
The downside of such extensive preparation is that, if and when opponents manage to adapt to Flash's systems, he is slow to react. Except within the framework of one of his systems, Flash rarely improvises in games; if a hole has been poked in one of Flash's watertight builds, he will go down with his ship--at times he will even go into a slump until he manages to build an entirely new system from the ground up. The classic example of this happening was late 2009, when Flash's stubborn fast-expands and turret skimping against Zergs led to a string of losses to 2-hatch muta. But these vulnerable moments are few and far-between, and excepting those rare times when his system has been compromised, Flash's formidable, well-prepared gameplay is possibly the hardest nut to crack in all of Starcraft.
In his well-prepared, consummately "safe" approach to the game, Flash seems to exemplify the Terran race. Terrans are known and feared as the toughest opponents to beat, when they are entrenched. With their floatable buildings, repair ability, siege tanks, bunkers and turrets, Terrans who have had the time to set up defenses can hold a position against far greater numbers, and the strongest army in the game is a Terran army that has been allowed to build to maximum supply and upgrades.
Terrans are typically slower to expand than other races, but they make up for that by making the most of what they do have. If you were given just one base that you must hold on to at all costs, and told to pick a race, you could surely do no better than choosing Terran. In fact, Terrans exemplify the philosophy of, "Put all your eggs in one basket--and watch that basket."
"watch that basket!"
The downside of this philosophy is that if your basket breaks, or runs out of room to hold your eggs, then you are in trouble. The Terran weakness is immobility: Terrans are most vulnerable in transition, when they have just unsieged their tanks, for instance, and haven't had time to siege up again, or when a recall or doom drop hits their main when the army's away, or when they are trying to set up a new base, if they don't have map control. At those moments when their existing framework does not suffice to cover all their weak points, Terrans become vulnerable.
On the other hand, when things go well for a Terran, they can go very well. If your one basket doesn't break and you don't need another yet, you don't even lose even a single egg. When an opponent hurls armies against you time and again, and every one of them seems to break without doing anything, it's easy to see why Terran can seem overpowered. It's no coincidence that the most vocal outcries of "IMBA!" have always been heard against Terran--and against Flash.
The Volatile Zerg
Zerg are almost the polar opposites of Terran. If Terrans are a race of concrete and steel, Zerg are a race of...well, shifting purple ooze. Even in game lore, Zerg are the adaptable, opportunistic race, quick to evolve in any direction where they find a niche. This is true in game play as well: the strongest attribute of the Zerg is their flexibility. Destroy a base of theirs and they'll just set it up again somewhere else. Fail to scout for too long, and they'll have completely switched tech before you know it. Supply for supply, cost for cost, in a time and place that has been chosen and agreed in advance, a Zerg are no match for Terran, but in an actual game, the Zerg will never let the Terran pick his battles. They attack from unexpected angles, at unexpected times, whenever or wherever they find an opening; if they lose a battle, they will tactically retreat, and regroup again somewhere else.
The current leader of the swarm, Lee Jaedong, perfectly embodies his race's characteristics. In some ways he is the opposite of Flash, and of Terran: whereas with the former, you know exactly what is coming--and can't do anything about it--one of the most fearsome things about Jaedong is his unpredictability. His standard game is every inch good enough to make it a devastating threat in its own right, but if an opponent cuts corners to gain an economic boost against Jaedong's standard game, he runs the risk of dying to mass lings, or mutas, or hydras, or lurkers, or any of a dozen deaths that Jaedong is capable of inflicting with impeccable micro--and usually does at least once in any best-of-5 series.
On the few occasions when Flash cheeses, his cheese is usually exquisitely planned, and almost never all-in. Jaedong, on the other hand, will commit to a 4- or a 5-pool without ever blinking an eye.
ever
But Jaedong doesn't have to flip the all-in switch to destroy his opponents before they have the chance to react. Jaedong is famous for his peerless tactical game sense: if he sees even the sliver of an opportunity, he will decisively attack, without stopping to weigh pros and cons. Rarely, if ever, does hesitation cost Jaedong an opportunity to win. On the other hand, unlike Kwanro, who can technically boast the same thing, Jaedong's Starcraft transmission is not permanently locked on "attack": he is as quick to retreat, should the tide of battle run against him. No one--not even Flash--is quicker than Jaedong to reckon up a situation in the moment and act on it.
In the short run, the unpredictability of his play means that on any given day, Jaedong can lose to anyone, even a Hyuk. Even Jaedong's dominance of ZvZ cannot be relied on to save him if he goes 12-hatch against 9-pool speed. Yet Jaedong does go 12-hatch in ZvZ, frequently, even against lesser opponents, a fact that occasionally confuses people. What they do not realize is that the very fact that he cannot be relied on to go with a "safe" opening like 12-pool contributes to this dominance, even if here and there it loses him a game or two. And in the long run, "JvZ" has been the most one-sided match-up in the game.
In the same manner, though he frequently drops a game or two along the way, Jaedong almost never loses a best-of-five series. There may be many reasons for this, but at least one of them surely is that while Jaedong can (and does) prepare for his opponents, his opponents cannot prepare for him.
Flash, the consummate Terran, is a safe player. He likes to be in control of every aspect, both of his surroundings (his famous ruler-measured setup), and of the game: this is both his strength and his weakness. If Flash were Zerg, he would probably go 12-pool almost every game--but Flash could not be a Zerg. It is almost impossible to imagine him as such. Flash is the ultimate Terran.
The only man who can be mentioned in the same sentence as Flash, Lee Jaedong, stands opposite him in almost every way--their constant clashes in finals being the very least of these. Where Flash is a master strategist, Jaedong is a master tactician. Where Flash is inevitable, Jaedong is unanticipable.
Flash is steel; Jaedong is quicksilver. Flash is yin; Jaedong is yang. Flash is Terran; Jaedong is Zerg.
I started writing this three months ago, before the first JD/Flash MSL, but I didn't have the energy to finish, and I put it aside and didn't think of it again until today, when the upcoming final and hype surrounding it inspired me to dig this out and finish it. I did a rush job, I'm afraid and ordinarily I might have polished it a bit more, but I wanted to post it before the final tonight, and I won't have time to do it later. Sorry for the lack of pictures to break up the text, links to document it, spiffy things to spiffify it, and any other lack that resulted.
Credit to riptide and polgas for the pictures which I shamelessly stole for this post.
On August 28 2010 06:13 Exteray wrote: Epic write-up! I like the comparisons you draw between the two players. In the wake of SC2, this will probably be the last major rivalry in SC:BW.
This is a very well written piece. I like the contrast of the players and the races. I think it also explains why I am forever a Jaedong fan, and despite Flash being one of the greatest players of all time (and arguably technically better than Jaedong, although their head-to-head championship record is yet to be decided) I simply cannot be a Flash fan. Still, I totally understand how people could be. These are two truly dominant players.
On August 28 2010 06:13 Exteray wrote: Epic write-up! I like the comparisons you draw between the two players. In the wake of SC2, this will probably be the last major rivalry in SC:BW.
On August 28 2010 06:13 Exteray wrote: Epic write-up! I like the comparisons you draw between the two players. In the wake of SC2, this will probably be the last major rivalry in SC:BW.
What about ggaemo and mines?
There's no rivalry. Mines>ggaemo in the same way Boxer>Yellow in every competition.
Also, I'm predicting Flash will win because he's Flash. But I am rooting for Jaedong, as he has a far more interesting playstyle.
I hope Stork crushes Jaedong and Free crushes Flash. I am sick of Flash and Jaedong standing on the top with nobody being able to challenge their positions. It's like some people said, there is no top 3 in Brood War, only top 2. My boy Bisu and Fantasy failed. I am switching to SC2.
There is a huge difference between Flash/Jaedong and Boxer/Yellow. Boxer/Yellow were not mere gamers, but public idols that reached out to the fans with their out of the game booth personalities. Flash and Jaedong simply don't have the same level of charisma to captivate the same type of audience. They can't rally in and unite all demographics of brood war fans like Boxer/Yellow could. I, for one, am not excited.
On August 28 2010 06:13 Exteray wrote: Epic write-up! I like the comparisons you draw between the two players. In the wake of SC2, this will probably be the last major rivalry in SC:BW.
On August 28 2010 06:13 Exteray wrote: Epic write-up! I like the comparisons you draw between the two players. In the wake of SC2, this will probably be the last major rivalry in SC:BW.
On August 28 2010 11:27 dukethegold wrote: There is a huge difference between Flash/Jaedong and Boxer/Yellow. Boxer/Yellow were not mere gamers, but public idols that reached out to the fans with their out of the game booth personalities. Flash and Jaedong simply don't have the same level of charisma to captivate the same type of audience. They can't rally in and unite all demographics of brood war fans like Boxer/Yellow could. I, for one, am not excited.
Each player exemplifies the perfect usage of their perspective races.
The rivalry between Flash and Jaedong is far greater than the Boxer / Yellow rivalry. Boxer was always better than Yellow. He always won when it mattered. Everyone just knew.
This is a rivalry we've never seen before. Two players at the top of the game, practically even in their domination of everybody else. And to this date even in their important match clashes.
It does make me sad, though: where is the Protoss exemplar? What is the Protoss niche? I still believe in my heart that BeSt - for all his PvZ weakness - is the closest modern BW has come to perfection in Protoss, but he peaked too soon, and has never fully recovered from his string of thrashings by July, Stork, and Bisu in consecutive OSLs.
Stork is the best Protoss overall for the last few years, but he's never been consistent enough to challenge for the crown of Ultimate Beast, and he's never captured the brutal power of the Protoss like BeSt did, he's just really really good. Bisu's had the highest peaks, but he's had massive problems, and his style is unconventional, almost counter-intuitive for a Protoss player. Or so it would seem. If Jangbi had continued to improve, instead of falling off the map after his loss to Luxury, he might have finally attained that peak and challenged LeeSSang for dominance - but alas, it was not to be, and at heart Jangbi's too cute to earn the Perfect Protoss crown, anyway. There's a reason Reach still holds our hearts as the crown of the Protoss race: the Protoss attitude - and unit stats - scream testosterone and machismo. In short, maybe it's not surprising that the Protoss have never achieved the dominance of Terran throughout BW history, or the Zerg with the advent of the Maestro and improvements of the Tyrant. If actual history teaches us anything, it's that pure brawn will never win against sufficient brains (Terran) or mobility and flexibility (Zerg).
I hope Stork crushes Jaedong and Free crushes Flash. I am sick of Flash and Jaedong standing on the top with nobody being able to challenge their positions. It's like some people said, there is no top 3 in Brood War, only top 2. My boy Bisu and Fantasy failed. I am switching to SC2.
There is a huge difference between Flash/Jaedong and Boxer/Yellow. Boxer/Yellow were not mere gamers, but public idols that reached out to the fans with their out of the game booth personalities. Flash and Jaedong simply don't have the same level of charisma to captivate the same type of audience. They can't rally in and unite all demographics of brood war fans like Boxer/Yellow could. I, for one, am not excited.
Im with you. im happy for Jaedong and flash but we need to break the trend because it feels like forever since a Jaedong and Flash havent won a finals (cept Effort.)
This is an excellent write up, it needs to be at least spot lighted (which it hasn't yet). I'm glad you finished this piece. So satisfying to read.
This rivalry is so split, every time there's a poll it's almost always 50/50. So glad I'll get to witness such a rivalry. No other rivalry will be like Flash and JD's because of their skill level, which is what makes it so good. When an unstoppable force (JD) meets an immovable object (Flash)
On August 28 2010 13:21 Musoeun wrote: This is FE-quality work. Very nice article.
It does make me sad, though: where is the Protoss exemplar? What is the Protoss niche? I still believe in my heart that BeSt - for all his PvZ weakness - is the closest modern BW has come to perfection in Protoss, but he peaked too soon, and has never fully recovered from his string of thrashings by July, Stork, and Bisu in consecutive OSLs.
Ever since Bisu has fallen, it has been sad sad times for Auir.
Very nice writing, im not in the BW scene, but still got the idea and its very well written I definitely have to watch some matches of them...
There is a huge difference between Flash/Jaedong and Boxer/Yellow. Boxer/Yellow were not mere gamers, but public idols that reached out to the fans with their out of the game booth personalities.
I think that what you speak about was BoxeR and BoxeR alone. THE idol. His rivalry with Yellow was much less a fight of ideas, what the whole OP is about... the clash of play styles.
I am invariably skeptical of overly hyperbolic, histrionic, presumptuous and generally conceited pieces of writing. This case is no different, and while it is not a terrible plug (let's be honest here) it is certainly of that nature. (I am all for a bit of irony, however...)
I still like the article, for what it is, but I would never buy into its conclusions. Most notably, the segment about Flash/Terran, while ostensibly the most well developed - the Jaedong/Zerg section being but a small modicum in comparison - I find to be severely and fundamentally lacking in the way it ignores one of the oldest, finest, most esteemed traditions of Terran play - dating back to Boxer himself - which is, to this day, still realized by several contemporary practitioners. I find it difficult to believe this tradition would not characterize 'Terran play', nor do I think it can be completely synthesized with Flash's style of play. I admire Flash for what he does - he has indeed contributed more to the current body of trends and stratagems than just about anyone else - but to say he alone epitomizes 'Terran play' is to lessen the beauty and diversity of the wellspring that is Starcraft.
Seriously, this is going to be so awesome. I hope for an epic best of 5. Flash with the Map Pool advantage, but both players seem so ridiculously strong, I can't tell who is ahead. Also: HYPE HYPE
On August 28 2010 06:35 Jeremy Reimer wrote: This is a very well written piece. I like the contrast of the players and the races. I think it also explains why I am forever a Jaedong fan, and despite Flash being one of the greatest players of all time (and arguably technically better than Jaedong, although their head-to-head championship record is yet to be decided) I simply cannot be a Flash fan. Still, I totally understand how people could be. These are two truly dominant players.
epic. fantastic article... deserves to be front-paged, especially after the recent string of FvJ's...
on a side note, I love how we've "classified" Flash and Jaedong as different races. We compliment people like Stork for his PvT. But. We worship JvZ and FvT. And the matchup is no longer TvZ or ZvT... it's Freaking JvF or FvJ.
Two "of" the greatest players of all time? No. The GREATEST hands-down. Perhaps not the most influential. Perhaps not the most popular. But by far the two most skillful, strategic, powerful, monstrous beings in all of e-sports. You know you could have won against Boxer, Nada, Oov, Savior (if you paid him enough lol), but you KNOW you would NEVER be able to defeat the J and F.
I personally think everyone should stop picking sides and bow down to them both. As the writer here said nicely, Yin & Yang, Steel and Quicksilver... both of them together is what make up starcraft.
Very nice write up but I don't agree with the Terran stereotype. That said I'm curious what the OP thinks the protoss stereotype is even if no one is currently filling it.
On August 28 2010 06:13 Exteray wrote: Epic write-up! I like the comparisons you draw between the two players. In the wake of SC2, this will probably be the last major rivalry in SC:BW.
What about ggaemo and mines?
Lol, that's not even a contest. Mines > ggaemo anyday!
Wow... amazing writeup. After following Jaedong for years I have also learned to know Flash quite well and although I often curse at his safe and "boring" play I can not dismiss the fact that he has virtually no flaws.
and flaws, Jaedong has them.
So many games I've been dumbstruck in front of my screen trying to figure out why jaedong fails, being too cocky with mutas or going eco in a game where he should expect the opponent to rush and looking so tired and off even though the stakes are high.
noone punishes an enemy for mistakes like jaedong. not a perfect wall in? oh hai here comes the lings. bad turret placement? gg already.
in the end flash is the more solid player but jaedong the one that makes me excited.
um.. not sure what i wanted to say.. just thanks for the writeup i guess
This is really well written article, but I have to disagree with almost everything you wrote about Flash. Well, not with almost everything, but with substantial part of it.
Flash actually improvise a lot in his game, more than majority of other progamers I would say. He doesn't try to account for every possibility beforehand, he let his game sense and adaptability to cope with every situation when it arises. I've read probably every Flash interview, and something along the lines "situation X arised so I followed my instinct and luckily everything went well" isn't uncommon.
His builds are more like an outline, basic stuff to do, and he than let his incredible adaptability to expand on them. There is a reason no other Terran was able to copy Flash, they simply lack the game sense and adaptability. There is a reason no other progamer has so many seemingly impossible comebacks, they simply fall apart when their game plan is compromised (see fantasy). But with Flash, it's different. Even in very disadvategous position, he is able to read the situation and make on the fly decision, which will often allow him to come back.
Look at the game 5 in Flash vs Effort in last OSL finals. Look at the game 5 in Light vs Jaedong MSL semis. Now look at the game 5 in MSL finals and try to say that Flash is a player with safe approach to the game with straight face. He isn't. He can (and usually do) play safe against lesser opponent knowing his superior skills will win the game for him, but he can also take huge risks if he feels it's for the best.
Jaedong to me feels inferior as the adaptablity goes. His true strengh is his extreme mental fortitude.
On August 28 2010 06:13 Exteray wrote: Epic write-up! I like the comparisons you draw between the two players. In the wake of SC2, this will probably be the last major rivalry in SC:BW.
I think it may be not really, for there has been some move of osl or Kespa.
In September Osl final will be held in China for the first time,and the first oversea starleague. Some media has bagun to hype it now, so some game-liker originally not known osl or even broodwar (obviously not known sc2) will appreciate the feast and adore the really superstars. In face of rude invasion of today's blz, Kespa and starleague must survive from it and continue to prosper. It is what real fans of sc want to see! EVERstarleague!
Maybe you could be dazzled and puzzled by the hype and hue of sc2 for some months, but when you wake from it, you must love broodwar starleague more than ever and feel you are cheated by blz.
A true game is not valued by fashion and hype, it is by time and internal property. We play Chinese chess and go not less than chess, even if it has three dimensions.
Thanks for all the positive feedback. Makes the writing worthwhile.
On August 28 2010 11:30 Taekwon wrote: And a safe player is a severe litotes lol.
What?
On August 28 2010 13:21 Musoeun wrote: It does make me sad, though: where is the Protoss exemplar?
Yes, it would be so much more epic if the Protoss had a worthy champion of their own, but what can we do? At one point, Bisu could claim to be up there, but those days are long gone. Stork is always one of the best players in the world, but he's never been quite dominant enough to stake a claim of his own.
On August 28 2010 15:22 Prototype wrote: I am invariably skeptical of overly hyperbolic, histrionic, presumptuous and generally conceited pieces of writing. This case is no different, and while it is not a terrible plug (let's be honest here) it is certainly of that nature. (I am all for a bit of irony, however...)
I still like the article, for what it is, but I would never buy into its conclusions. Most notably, the segment about Flash/Terran, while ostensibly the most well developed - the Jaedong/Zerg section being but a small modicum in comparison - I find to be severely and fundamentally lacking in the way it ignores one of the oldest, finest, most esteemed traditions of Terran play - dating back to Boxer himself - which is, to this day, still realized by several contemporary practitioners. I find it difficult to believe this tradition would not characterize 'Terran play', nor do I think it can be completely synthesized with Flash's style of play. I admire Flash for what he does - he has indeed contributed more to the current body of trends and stratagems than just about anyone else - but to say he alone epitomizes 'Terran play' is to lessen the beauty and diversity of the wellspring that is Starcraft.
Thanks for the feedback: I always want to hear criticism.
For your first point: I do see what you mean about my writing sounding "presumptuous and generally conceited"; I've read pieces where I had exactly the same reaction, but this is something that makes me a little sad in general, because I'm not sure it's wholly in the writer's control whether or not the reader will view him as pretentious. For what it's worth, I was trying to use the best words I could find to say what I wanted, not to impress people with my vocabulary.
Your second point, that "to say Flash alone epitomizes Terran play is to lessen the beauty and diversity of Starcraft" is well taken. Maybe I should have given that more thought. Still, I would argue that in a certain way Flash's style epitomizes tendencies that are built into the Terran race, to an extent that Boxer's, for instance did not. One point that I didn't have time to work into the article was: if you want to know what the essence of a race is, look at its mirror match-up. TvT is the most strategic match-up: people have compared it to chess. It's very much about long-term strategy: choosing the right strongholds at the right times. ZvZ on the other hand, is nearly all short-term tactics and battle micro.
On August 28 2010 07:22 NeCroPoTeNce wrote: The Flash picture never gets old.
Really? I feel sick that FlaSh gets such a common picture and Jaedong gets a baller one. I'm kind of tired of that picture lol
I'm tired of it too, but what could I do: for better or for worse, that's the only picture that instantly comes to mind when you think of Flash. At least I tried to connect it to the article with the caption.
On August 28 2010 23:29 Wings wrote:on a side note, I love how we've "classified" Flash and Jaedong as different races. We compliment people like Stork for his PvT. But. We worship JvZ and FvT. And the matchup is no longer TvZ or ZvT... it's Freaking JvF or FvJ.
Small point here, but for my money, the only one of those acronyms that is legit is JvZ. First of all, that was the original, and wordplay becomes old when you reuse it too much. Secondly, Jaedong's ZvZ was different because at a time when ZvZ for everyone else seemed nearly a coin toss, when Jaedong played, it was the most one-sided match-up in all of Starcraft. Thus it was like Jaedong played a different race vZ than every other Zerg did. On the other hand, take, say Jaedong's vP: these days it's probably even stronger than his vZ, but JvP still sounds silly because there are other Zergs who also dominate Protoss. Same for Flash's TvT: yes, it's extremely strong (like all his match-ups) but there are other good TvTers out there, in a way that wasn't true for ZvZ when JvZ was first coined.
On August 29 2010 06:23 L0thar wrote: This is really well written article, but I have to disagree with almost everything you wrote about Flash. Well, not with almost everything, but with substantial part of it.
Flash actually improvise a lot in his game, more than majority of other progamers I would say. He doesn't try to account for every possibility beforehand, he let his game sense and adaptability to cope with every situation when it arises. I've read probably every Flash interview, and something along the lines "situation X arised so I followed my instinct and luckily everything went well" isn't uncommon.
His builds are more like an outline, basic stuff to do, and he than let his incredible adaptability to expand on them. There is a reason no other Terran was able to copy Flash, they simply lack the game sense and adaptability. There is a reason no other progamer has so many seemingly impossible comebacks, they simply fall apart when their game plan is compromised (see fantasy). But with Flash, it's different. Even in very disadvategous position, he is able to read the situation and make on the fly decision, which will often allow him to come back.
Look at the game 5 in Flash vs Effort in last OSL finals. Look at the game 5 in Light vs Jaedong MSL semis. Now look at the game 5 in MSL finals and try to say that Flash is a player with safe approach to the game with straight face. He isn't. He can (and usually do) play safe against lesser opponent knowing his superior skills will win the game for him, but he can also take huge risks if he feels it's for the best.
Jaedong to me feels inferior as the adaptablity goes. His true strengh is his extreme mental fortitude.
At least that's how I see it.
Well, two points. First of all, I pretty much agree with you that Flash has incredible game sense. I hope I didn't make it sound like Flash's builds account for every single possibility that might happen in every game down to every last detail, because that would just be silly. I agree with your analogy: his builds are like outlines. They cover general possibilities (e.g. opponent rushes, opponent expands quickly, opponent applies pressure while expanding, etc.) and Flash has to fill in the details with his game sense. The times I think Flash is slow to react is if a hole has been found in his build in general: e.g. this build comes up with turrets too late to counter super-fast mutas. Whereas other players might just change up their builds on the fly, Flash likes to have a one-size-fits-all framework that he can adapt to anything that happens in-game.
I feel that Flash and Jaedong both have amazing game sense, but in different ways. I think of Flash's game sense as strategic: he almost always makes a good decision about what to do to stay in control of the game--e.g. when to move out, when to turtle up, etc. When Flash is playing well, it seems like there is no way to wrest control from him. He plays a game start to finish--his game sense is an extension of his planning in general.
I think of Jaedong's game sense as tactical: no matter what has come before, or what his plan has been, if he spots an opportunity--say, to engage in battle, or for a zergling runby, or to quickly mass units and attack--he is capable of instantly spotting it and decisively going for it. So that's what I meant about Jaedong as the flexible one.
Second point is that: to some extent, I do think that what I wrote is becoming outdated: Flash used to use the same basic builds all through an event no matter what (at least since becoming successful), but in the last two MSL finals, Flash changed up his builds quite a bit. I would still say that Flash has a tendency to play safely--I don't remember the last time I saw him go all-in--but I do think that at least in finals he is becoming less predictable than he used to be.
On August 29 2010 01:47 mutantmagnet wrote: Very nice write up but I don't agree with the Terran stereotype. That said I'm curious what the OP thinks the protoss stereotype is even if no one is currently filling it.
On August 28 2010 15:45 Crissaegrim wrote: A very good write up. Its a shame that the very essence and traits of these legendary races failed to make it into sc2.
Quite curious to see whats your take on the somewhat despised ugly-stepbrother sorta way 3rd race.
I don't know.... It's an interesting question. I suppose that (as Musoeun hinted in his post) you could make a case for the defining aspect being the "heroic"--they have more potential "hero units" than any other race (reavers, carriers, both shades of templar), and that would also fit with the lore of the "noble Protoss". Still, I'm not sure I see that especially reflected in the way Protoss is played, although DTs can turn the tide of any game, and when Bisu was dominant, his DTs were particularly heroic.
On a different note, I like to think of Protoss as potentially the trickiest race--they have more spells, spellcasters, and cloaked units than any other, not to mention greater potential for proxies--but with the exception perhaps of Kal, I don't see trickiness being a hallmark of Protoss as it is played on the highest level today. (Horang2, sadly, is not on the highest level--and as he has gotten better, his game has gotten more standard.) Back when Nal_rA carried the banner for Protoss maybe we could have gone with this.
Then there's my theory that the best way to see the essence of a race is to look at the mirror match-up.... If you go with that, I think I would say that the essence of Protoss is to be found in the humble observer: Protoss is the race that sees all and stays one step ahead. Stork probably has the best observer usage of modern Protosses, but--:shrug:. I'm only theorizing. Probably we'll have to wait until a real "king of the Protoss" emerges to answer the question.
On August 29 2010 16:01 waffling1 wrote: for anyone familiar with meyers briggs personality theory, this probably points to flash being a J while jaedong being a P
most gamers are INT, so probalby flash as INTJ and jaedong as INTP. just a guess.
Interesting take. I had to look up what that refers to (J = judgment, thinking; P = perception, intuiting) but I agree: that does sum up what I see as their two approaches in a nutshell.
On August 29 2010 17:23 nihoh wrote: Flash is YANG. Jaedong is YIN.
Know your chinese. Yang is light - solid, concrete, yin is shadow - mercurial, shifting.
Well, I may have been wrong in my choice there, but believe it or not I did do some research beforehand. From Wikipedia's entry on Yin and Yang: Yin is characterized as slow, soft, yielding, diffuse, cold, wet, or tranquil; and is associated with water, earth, the moon, femininity and nighttime. Yang, by contrast, is fast, hard, solid, focused, hot, dry, or aggressive; and is associated with fire, sky, the sun, masculinity and daytime. The terms that I've bolded are the ones that reminded me of Flash and Jaedong, respectively. It's a tough decision, isn't it?
On August 31 2010 07:34 qrs wrote: I feel that Flash and Jaedong both have amazing game sense, but in different ways. I think of Flash's game sense as strategic: he almost always makes a good decision about what to do to stay in control of the game--e.g. when to move out, when to turtle up, etc. When Flash is playing well, it seems like there is no way to wrest control from him. He plays a game start to finish--his game sense is an extension of his planning in general.
I think of Jaedong's game sense as tactical: no matter what has come before, or what his plan has been, if he spots an opportunity--say, to engage in battle, or for a zergling runby, or to quickly mass units and attack--he is capable of instantly spotting it and decisively going for it. So that's what I meant about Jaedong as the flexible one.
yup! i 100% agree
this is reflected in games- sadly (for me atleast cause im a jd fan ) flash's game sense has more weight in long term macro games: which is where flash excels as he can always somehow hold off/survive early game and push the game into a later stage where he can simply out macro/out strategize/out play most gamers on any given day.
On August 28 2010 15:22 Prototype wrote: I am invariably skeptical of overly hyperbolic, histrionic, presumptuous and generally conceited pieces of writing. This case is no different, and while it is not a terrible plug (let's be honest here) it is certainly of that nature. (I am all for a bit of irony, however...)
I still like the article, for what it is, but I would never buy into its conclusions. Most notably, the segment about Flash/Terran, while ostensibly the most well developed - the Jaedong/Zerg section being but a small modicum in comparison - I find to be severely and fundamentally lacking in the way it ignores one of the oldest, finest, most esteemed traditions of Terran play - dating back to Boxer himself - which is, to this day, still realized by several contemporary practitioners. I find it difficult to believe this tradition would not characterize 'Terran play', nor do I think it can be completely synthesized with Flash's style of play. I admire Flash for what he does - he has indeed contributed more to the current body of trends and stratagems than just about anyone else - but to say he alone epitomizes 'Terran play' is to lessen the beauty and diversity of the wellspring that is Starcraft.
Thanks for the feedback: I always want to hear criticism.
For your first point: I do see what you mean about my writing sounding "presumptuous and generally conceited"; I've read pieces where I had exactly the same reaction, but this is something that makes me a little sad in general, because I'm not sure it's wholly in the writer's control whether or not the reader will view him as pretentious. For what it's worth, I was trying to use the best words I could find to say what I wanted, not to impress people with my vocabulary.
Your second point, that "to say Flash alone epitomizes Terran play is to lessen the beauty and diversity of Starcraft" is well taken. Maybe I should have given that more thought. Still, I would argue that in a certain way Flash's style epitomizes tendencies that are built into the Terran race, to an extent that Boxer's, for instance did not. One point that I didn't have time to work into the article was: if you want to know what the essence of a race is, look at its mirror match-up. TvT is the most strategic match-up: people have compared it to chess. It's very much about long-term strategy: choosing the right strongholds at the right times. ZvZ on the other hand, is nearly all short-term tactics and battle micro.
Thank you for the level headed response. It seems my self-ironizing did not go unappreciated (and if it did, I apologize if I came off as excessively haughty).
I see your point as to your reasoning, and I don't deny its validity. It is cogent to say Terran is suited to a more methodical playstyle than the other races, as per popular opinion and personal interpretation/analysis. My point was, rather, that this is not all there is to Terran play. Flash does have a tendency (outside of bo3/5's) of developing strategies based around variations of standard play - a combination of game sense and pure mechanical skill is what makes him so lethal.
However, I personally admire the masters of what I consider 'disruptive play' - Fantasy, Leta, Baby and Midas being the greatest proponents of such a playstyle. I remember Leta's early Vulture drops vs Protoss and Midas' Wraith-Vulture-Mines-Dropship (into double expand) opening in TvT are two of my favorite examples of non-standard finesse-based tactics and deep strategical thinking, respectively. And, of course, Fantasy has brought tech-switching on a Zerg level to the Terran side of TvZ, and that's something every Terran player (and Brood War fan*) has benefited immensely by, if nothing else because of the wealth of strategic options that have opened up as a result of this - dare I say - paradigm shift. (?)
*That isn't consumed with irrational hate for creative play/mech.
The fact that two such distinct traditions can co-exist is proof that there is more to Terran than what can simply be derived from Oov's principles of macro, but I think it is also evident, we can agree, that such play is standard for a reason.
My two favorite players to watch, it's watching both perfect and genius starcraft at the same time. Thanks for the writeup, they are the legacy of broodwar.
EPT![[image loading]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/puckman/jdflash.png)
Flash and 
Jaedong are two of the best players Brood War has ever seen, and have been for years. Their primes have been contemporaneous: they have combined to dominate both Starleagues as well as the KeSPA ranking since early 2008 (9 of 17 Starleague titles, counting the current MSL); 26 of 30 months #1 in the KeSPA ranking [with 
Stork and ![[image loading]](http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft/images/4/4d/FlashFace.png)
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/riptide/proleague200809/pl_sf_jaedongstare.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/puckman/jdflash2.png)
