EPT
In the past...
Q: What is the story behind the name “ZerO”?
A: At first, I wanted to use “hero”, but it felt a bit too common. So I changed one letter and used ZerO. At that point in time, I was in middle school (approx. 15 years old) and did not think about what it meant. It just sounded cool.
Q: Tell us a little about how you started playing StarCraft.
A: I first encountered StarCraft when I visited another family with my parents. One of the younger kids in that family showed me the game. I then started playing “infinite maps” (Korean lingo for resource-rich maps such as “Fastest Map”) with my friends in PC bangs. I got more into StarCraft after watching Starleagues on television.
Q: What made you decide to seriously pursue professional gaming as a career?
A: I gradually became good enough to seriously consider it. Seeing players shed tears of joy in various Starleague finals had a strong impact on my desire to make it happen. I gained confidence by participating in guild matches and playing against top amateurs and B-teamers who streamed on what would later become AfreecaTV.
Q: Why did you choose Zerg as your race?
A: At first, I enjoyed playing all three races. Eventually, I chose Zerg for the simple reason that I seemed to play best as Zerg. Perhaps I should have put more thought into it.
Q: How many times did you have to go through Courage to get your license?
A: It took me three tries. I got beaten in ZvZ the first two times.
Q: Did you ever feel like quitting pro gaming during your KeSPA days?
A: Sometimes, the harsh practice schedule took a harsh toll on me. This was likely true for most gamers. However, the sweet taste of victory in official matches helped keep me motivated.
Q: What do you think you would be today if you had not become a pro gamer? What did you want to be?
A: I think I would have been a plain old office worker after going to college like everyone else. I really had no dreams before deciding to become a pro gamer. If my grades were good enough, I think I might have enjoyed being a teacher.
Q: Who are the people who most influenced your game style and development as a player?
A: When I first joined Hanbit Stars (later Woongjin Stars), my seat in the practice room was next to a player named Shin Jeong-min. He taught me many things including how to best use group keys and adjust game settings. Because he played an “affluent” macro-oriented style that I liked, I naturally gravitated toward him.
Q: Which players did you consider to be your rivals?
A: I really did not have rivals, but leaping over Jaedong was a personal goal. Rather than comparing myself to players who were similar to me in stature and skill like Effort and Calm, I wanted to overtake the very best (i.e., Jaedong).
Q: How would you evaluate your own mental fortitude? Do you think that it had any impact on your play in league games?
A: Most people think that a player lacks mental fortitude based on the emotions that show on his face during and after a game. This is somewhat inaccurate in my opinion. Expressing emotions and being affected by them are two separate things. I think that my own mental fortitude was pretty good in the sense that I could focus on the next game after an upsetting loss. I believe that this is true for most players. However, I believe that my mentality in practice could have been better. Some of my contemporaries approached practice as if it were a matter of life and death. Perhaps I should have done so as well.
Q: What were the mistakes you made in the Tving 2012 semifinals against Jangbi?
A: In Game 4, I made one fewer drone than I did in practice using that build. I wonder how many more hydras I could have made if I had that extra drone. Also, the two-lurker drop I attempted near the end of the game was a total failure that gave Jangbi the timing to attack. Other than that, I knew that I was in trouble once he started moving out with his “hanbang”. In Game 5, I should really have finished him early with hydras. Also, because so many fans showed up for that match, the game booth was literally steaming from their collective body heat. I could not see because my glasses fogged up. I was also distracted by the thought of pausing the game and possibly being forced to forfeit if defogging my glasses was not a KeSPA-approved reason for pausing. I believe Jangbi was fated by the heavens to win that match.
Q: How much did Hanbit/Woongjin front office personnel interfere with build order selection in Proleague games? Did you feel any resentment about the fact that losses due to build orders selected by people with amateurish knowledge of StarCraft led to lower salaries and undervaluation of your skills as a player?
A: They often dictated parts of build selection, but I often deviated from such directives because winning was too important to me. After all, it was my own win-loss record at stake. However, I feel that this may have put me in the doghouse, especially when I experienced slumps. I could ignore such orders because I had gotten a “big head” after achieving good results, but B-teamers would not have dared to disobey.
Q: Were the coaches good at StarCraft? Were they as good as Coach January from Samsung Khan?
A: Our coaches would have been the equivalent of E-level (on a scale from A to F) players back in the day...so not very good.
Q: What was Soulkey to you in the past and what is he to you in the present? Is he just an uglier version of you?
A: He was the most trustworthy player on Woongjin. On Woongjin, he was the only one with whom I could discuss strategy. My trust in him was so absolute that if he told me that a particular strategy or build was good, I could follow his advice without testing it myself. Today, he is just like a cute little brother. A cute brother who is uglier than me.
Q: What was your favorite StarCraft pro game, not played by yourself?
A: I think that StarCraft in the early days was the most fun to watch. I loved to watch Boxer versus Yellow.
Q: What was your favorite memory from your progamer days?
A: I miss living in the team house with my friends. We shared many good and bad times together. It did not hurt that they fed us three times a day.
Present StarCraft & Strategy:
Q: It appears that TvZ has tilted too far in favor of Terran. How much of an advantage does Terran have these days? Why?
A: I think that there is no way to beat a good Terran as Zerg. This is mainly because good mutalisk micro just cannot beat good marine-medic micro. It is almost natural that this is the case since marines have longer range. I actually think that TvZ balance was worse back in the KeSPA era because everyone’s physical abilities were at their peaks. That was why leagues kept trotting out maps unfavorable to Terran in those days. I think that TvZ balance is actually okay these days because marine-medic micro is not as sharp as it used to be.
Q: What do you think are the map features that are necessary for balancing the TvZ matchup?
A: First, Zerg needs spots to safely place overlords for vision. Second, rush distances cannot be too long or too short. They must be just right. Third, it should not be possible to wall in the natural expansion. There must be more expansions with gas. In particular, it should be easier for Zerg to take the third or fourth gas. Aztec is a map that has many of these features. A backyard mineral-only expansion, like on Neo Electric Circuit, helps Zerg as well.
Q: You are surprisingly effective against Protoss on Paradoxxx. Why do you think that is the case?
A: I think that younger gamers just don’t know how to play on Paradoxxx and island maps in general. I find that it is difficult to beat players on Paradoxx if they have experience with island maps.
Q: It seems that, when given a choice, you prefer macro-oriented maps that are slightly unfavorable to Zerg over strategy-oriented maps that are slightly favorable to Zerg. Are you that confident in your macro game?
A: I do not lack confidence in my mutalisk control, but I feel uncomfortable staking the outcome of the game on that, which is often the case with games on strategy-oriented maps. I would rather play a macro-oriented game instead.
Q: How did you come up with the strategy of using Infested Terrans against Kal on Holy World?
A: I saw the command center in the middle and figured that this was what the map maker wanted me to do. I wanted to play a game that would leave an impact on fans.
Q: How did you come up with the strategy of using queens in your games?
A: When no one else I was thinking about queens, I often consciously thought about ways to use queens in games because I was nicknamed “The Queen’s Son”. It started out as a way to leave a good impression on fans and turned into something more.
Q: What do you think are the stylistic differences between ZerO, EffOrt, hero, and Jaedong?
A: Hero’s style is very similar to mine. Jaedong is the most aggressive and his style is the complete opposite of mine. Effort is aggressive like Jaedong, but less so because he is a bit more flexible. If hero and I play in ways that make the game easier for us, Effort plays in ways that make the game more difficult for his opponent.
Q: What is the best way to use the function keys (saved map positions)?
A: I use them for the main, natural, and expansions. For Zerg, this is all that is needed since all of our units are produced from hatcheries.
Q: How do you use less group hotkeys than other Zergs and still become known as a fundamentally macro-based player?
A: This question is a bit puzzling. I actually use all of my group hotkeys. I use 4~0 for my hatcheries. I often keep 4 hotkeyed to a hatchery even when my army gets large because I don’t like re-assigning the key if I can avoid it.
Q: In the current Brood War scene, the rich seem to get richer and the poor seem to get poorer. Why is it impossible for the players to get together systematically and planned (as opposed to improvised) content and split the profits?
A: I think that everyone is too scared to try something new. If we were to organize a league, I feel confident that many people would watch. However, you have to understand how terrifying such an attempt would be for most of us. Our experiences are so limited.
Personal Questions Regarding the Present & Future:
Q: Could you explain, in as much detail as possible, the reasons behind your non-participation in ASL2?
A: The main reason is that I did not want to perform in front of fans when my condition was terrible. It takes at least four hours to travel from my home to the studio. By the time I arrive, I am usually very tired and sometimes ill. I experienced severe headaches during the last offline league. I want to show the fans my play when I am not handicapped by poor conditions.
Interviewer's Note: Although he does not mention it here, it also costs him almost 200 dollars to make the round trip. His fans have offered to pay the cost of the trips, so it does not seem to have been the main reason. Another fan offered to pay for hotel expenses so that he could travel one day early to games. However, according to ZerO, that would prevent him from practicing as much on the travel day. Perhaps one solution would be for Kongdoo to set up a bedroom for travelling players. Bisu has often streamed from the Kongdoo studio in the past, so it seems like a space where players could practice the day before an offline game and get a good night's sleep.
Q: What needs to be done to make league participation more attractive for the many skilled low-income players residing far from Seoul?
A: I honestly think that there’s not much that can be done at this point. The distance and the toll that imposes on gamers is the main culprit here.
Q: When will you start fulfilling your military service requirements?
A: I will start my service on May 11, 2017.
Q: At what point will it be impossible for you to stream or play in tournaments?
A: I will play in the next offline league if the finals will be played before I begin my service. Since it would be the last offline league for me, I would like to participate regardless of my condition or how far I must travel.
Q: What do you think that you will be doing in 10-20 years?
A: Honestly, I have no idea what I will be doing in three years, let alone ten. I would like to try new things, but my life experience has been narrowly confined to areas related to professional gaming. When I try to imagine what I would be doing in ten years, I just draw a blank. Most progamers are in the same boat as me in this regard.
Q: How are you preparing to make a living for the remainder of your life?
A: I am not preparing at the moment because I have no idea what I might be doing in the future. For now, I will try hard to make the most of the opportunities available to me today.
Q: It has been rumored that you have a beautiful girlfriend who is 10 years younger than you. How often do you go on dates and what do you usually do?
A: She’s actually only 6 years younger than me. We do not get to go on dates as often as we would like because she and I are both busy. She is a university student and I stream almost every day. When we can, we try to make time for quick impromptu dates with dinner and coffee.
Interviewer's Note: This is his girlfriend challenging and beating Bisu. Bisu played with a 4 probe handicap and used only one hand. She was formerly one of ZerO's top 20 balloon donors. Perhaps someone should have asked ZerO about the secrets of his pickup game.
+ Show Spoiler +
Fun Questions & Wrapping up:
Q: Could you draw a self-portrait for us?
A: Yes.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/o57Xhs7.jpg)
Q: What are 3 things you would bring to a desert island (no boat allowed)?
A: I have never been asked such a question before. Could you give me some choices? I am terrible at open-ended questions. My smartphone, charger, and a computer. My creativity needs some work...
Q: Bro, do you even lift?
A: Yes. I used to lift very sporadically when I lived in the team house. Also, I lifted some weights to prepare for the physical test I needed to pass in order to enlist in the military police.
Q: Calm and Justin Bieber, separated at birth?
A: Yes. They do look very similar. I am actually angry that this question was asked. How come no one ever compares me to good looking guys? They only ever compare me to this female comedian in Korea. (He calmed down after I explained that Justin Bieber is actually a frequent target of mockery in North America).
Q: What/how do Zerg eat?
A: Um...I don’t know anything about this. Do I need to use my creativity again? Since they look like monsters, perhaps they eat Terrans like in the Alien movies.
Q: What was your first impression of foreign fans when you met them at Blizzcon 2009?
A: I have been to the US exactly once. It was really fantastic. The atmosphere was electric and like nothing I experienced before or since. Fans would explode into cheers just because I waved my hand. I definitely want to experience playing in such an atmosphere once more. The trip gave me a very positive impression of the US.
Q: Anything you want to say to your foreign fans?
A: Please subscribe to my failed YouTube channel. All joking aside, thank you for your interest and support. It’s amazing to me that there are people in other countries who root for me. I don’t know how long I will be able to continue playing StarCraft, but I hope that you will continue to watch and cheer me on.
Questions by: TL Community/Staff
Translated by: lemmata
Editors: BigFan
Graphics: v1
Photo Credits: Liquipedia and DailyEsports
Q: What is the story behind the name “ZerO”?
A: At first, I wanted to use “hero”, but it felt a bit too common. So I changed one letter and used ZerO. At that point in time, I was in middle school (approx. 15 years old) and did not think about what it meant. It just sounded cool.
Q: Tell us a little about how you started playing StarCraft.
A: I first encountered StarCraft when I visited another family with my parents. One of the younger kids in that family showed me the game. I then started playing “infinite maps” (Korean lingo for resource-rich maps such as “Fastest Map”) with my friends in PC bangs. I got more into StarCraft after watching Starleagues on television.
Q: What made you decide to seriously pursue professional gaming as a career?
A: I gradually became good enough to seriously consider it. Seeing players shed tears of joy in various Starleague finals had a strong impact on my desire to make it happen. I gained confidence by participating in guild matches and playing against top amateurs and B-teamers who streamed on what would later become AfreecaTV.
Q: Why did you choose Zerg as your race?
A: At first, I enjoyed playing all three races. Eventually, I chose Zerg for the simple reason that I seemed to play best as Zerg. Perhaps I should have put more thought into it.
Q: How many times did you have to go through Courage to get your license?
A: It took me three tries. I got beaten in ZvZ the first two times.
Q: Did you ever feel like quitting pro gaming during your KeSPA days?
A: Sometimes, the harsh practice schedule took a harsh toll on me. This was likely true for most gamers. However, the sweet taste of victory in official matches helped keep me motivated.
Q: What do you think you would be today if you had not become a pro gamer? What did you want to be?
A: I think I would have been a plain old office worker after going to college like everyone else. I really had no dreams before deciding to become a pro gamer. If my grades were good enough, I think I might have enjoyed being a teacher.
Q: Who are the people who most influenced your game style and development as a player?
A: When I first joined Hanbit Stars (later Woongjin Stars), my seat in the practice room was next to a player named Shin Jeong-min. He taught me many things including how to best use group keys and adjust game settings. Because he played an “affluent” macro-oriented style that I liked, I naturally gravitated toward him.
Q: Which players did you consider to be your rivals?
A: I really did not have rivals, but leaping over Jaedong was a personal goal. Rather than comparing myself to players who were similar to me in stature and skill like Effort and Calm, I wanted to overtake the very best (i.e., Jaedong).
Q: How would you evaluate your own mental fortitude? Do you think that it had any impact on your play in league games?
A: Most people think that a player lacks mental fortitude based on the emotions that show on his face during and after a game. This is somewhat inaccurate in my opinion. Expressing emotions and being affected by them are two separate things. I think that my own mental fortitude was pretty good in the sense that I could focus on the next game after an upsetting loss. I believe that this is true for most players. However, I believe that my mentality in practice could have been better. Some of my contemporaries approached practice as if it were a matter of life and death. Perhaps I should have done so as well.
Q: What were the mistakes you made in the Tving 2012 semifinals against Jangbi?
A: In Game 4, I made one fewer drone than I did in practice using that build. I wonder how many more hydras I could have made if I had that extra drone. Also, the two-lurker drop I attempted near the end of the game was a total failure that gave Jangbi the timing to attack. Other than that, I knew that I was in trouble once he started moving out with his “hanbang”. In Game 5, I should really have finished him early with hydras. Also, because so many fans showed up for that match, the game booth was literally steaming from their collective body heat. I could not see because my glasses fogged up. I was also distracted by the thought of pausing the game and possibly being forced to forfeit if defogging my glasses was not a KeSPA-approved reason for pausing. I believe Jangbi was fated by the heavens to win that match.
Q: How much did Hanbit/Woongjin front office personnel interfere with build order selection in Proleague games? Did you feel any resentment about the fact that losses due to build orders selected by people with amateurish knowledge of StarCraft led to lower salaries and undervaluation of your skills as a player?
A: They often dictated parts of build selection, but I often deviated from such directives because winning was too important to me. After all, it was my own win-loss record at stake. However, I feel that this may have put me in the doghouse, especially when I experienced slumps. I could ignore such orders because I had gotten a “big head” after achieving good results, but B-teamers would not have dared to disobey.
Q: Were the coaches good at StarCraft? Were they as good as Coach January from Samsung Khan?
A: Our coaches would have been the equivalent of E-level (on a scale from A to F) players back in the day...so not very good.
Q: What was Soulkey to you in the past and what is he to you in the present? Is he just an uglier version of you?
A: He was the most trustworthy player on Woongjin. On Woongjin, he was the only one with whom I could discuss strategy. My trust in him was so absolute that if he told me that a particular strategy or build was good, I could follow his advice without testing it myself. Today, he is just like a cute little brother. A cute brother who is uglier than me.
Q: What was your favorite StarCraft pro game, not played by yourself?
A: I think that StarCraft in the early days was the most fun to watch. I loved to watch Boxer versus Yellow.
Q: What was your favorite memory from your progamer days?
A: I miss living in the team house with my friends. We shared many good and bad times together. It did not hurt that they fed us three times a day.
Present StarCraft & Strategy:
Q: It appears that TvZ has tilted too far in favor of Terran. How much of an advantage does Terran have these days? Why?
A: I think that there is no way to beat a good Terran as Zerg. This is mainly because good mutalisk micro just cannot beat good marine-medic micro. It is almost natural that this is the case since marines have longer range. I actually think that TvZ balance was worse back in the KeSPA era because everyone’s physical abilities were at their peaks. That was why leagues kept trotting out maps unfavorable to Terran in those days. I think that TvZ balance is actually okay these days because marine-medic micro is not as sharp as it used to be.
Q: What do you think are the map features that are necessary for balancing the TvZ matchup?
A: First, Zerg needs spots to safely place overlords for vision. Second, rush distances cannot be too long or too short. They must be just right. Third, it should not be possible to wall in the natural expansion. There must be more expansions with gas. In particular, it should be easier for Zerg to take the third or fourth gas. Aztec is a map that has many of these features. A backyard mineral-only expansion, like on Neo Electric Circuit, helps Zerg as well.
Q: You are surprisingly effective against Protoss on Paradoxxx. Why do you think that is the case?
A: I think that younger gamers just don’t know how to play on Paradoxxx and island maps in general. I find that it is difficult to beat players on Paradoxx if they have experience with island maps.
Q: It seems that, when given a choice, you prefer macro-oriented maps that are slightly unfavorable to Zerg over strategy-oriented maps that are slightly favorable to Zerg. Are you that confident in your macro game?
A: I do not lack confidence in my mutalisk control, but I feel uncomfortable staking the outcome of the game on that, which is often the case with games on strategy-oriented maps. I would rather play a macro-oriented game instead.
Q: How did you come up with the strategy of using Infested Terrans against Kal on Holy World?
A: I saw the command center in the middle and figured that this was what the map maker wanted me to do. I wanted to play a game that would leave an impact on fans.
Q: How did you come up with the strategy of using queens in your games?
A: When no one else I was thinking about queens, I often consciously thought about ways to use queens in games because I was nicknamed “The Queen’s Son”. It started out as a way to leave a good impression on fans and turned into something more.
Q: What do you think are the stylistic differences between ZerO, EffOrt, hero, and Jaedong?
A: Hero’s style is very similar to mine. Jaedong is the most aggressive and his style is the complete opposite of mine. Effort is aggressive like Jaedong, but less so because he is a bit more flexible. If hero and I play in ways that make the game easier for us, Effort plays in ways that make the game more difficult for his opponent.
Q: What is the best way to use the function keys (saved map positions)?
A: I use them for the main, natural, and expansions. For Zerg, this is all that is needed since all of our units are produced from hatcheries.
Q: How do you use less group hotkeys than other Zergs and still become known as a fundamentally macro-based player?
A: This question is a bit puzzling. I actually use all of my group hotkeys. I use 4~0 for my hatcheries. I often keep 4 hotkeyed to a hatchery even when my army gets large because I don’t like re-assigning the key if I can avoid it.
Q: In the current Brood War scene, the rich seem to get richer and the poor seem to get poorer. Why is it impossible for the players to get together systematically and planned (as opposed to improvised) content and split the profits?
A: I think that everyone is too scared to try something new. If we were to organize a league, I feel confident that many people would watch. However, you have to understand how terrifying such an attempt would be for most of us. Our experiences are so limited.
Personal Questions Regarding the Present & Future:
Q: Could you explain, in as much detail as possible, the reasons behind your non-participation in ASL2?
A: The main reason is that I did not want to perform in front of fans when my condition was terrible. It takes at least four hours to travel from my home to the studio. By the time I arrive, I am usually very tired and sometimes ill. I experienced severe headaches during the last offline league. I want to show the fans my play when I am not handicapped by poor conditions.
Interviewer's Note: Although he does not mention it here, it also costs him almost 200 dollars to make the round trip. His fans have offered to pay the cost of the trips, so it does not seem to have been the main reason. Another fan offered to pay for hotel expenses so that he could travel one day early to games. However, according to ZerO, that would prevent him from practicing as much on the travel day. Perhaps one solution would be for Kongdoo to set up a bedroom for travelling players. Bisu has often streamed from the Kongdoo studio in the past, so it seems like a space where players could practice the day before an offline game and get a good night's sleep.
Q: What needs to be done to make league participation more attractive for the many skilled low-income players residing far from Seoul?
A: I honestly think that there’s not much that can be done at this point. The distance and the toll that imposes on gamers is the main culprit here.
Q: When will you start fulfilling your military service requirements?
A: I will start my service on May 11, 2017.
Q: At what point will it be impossible for you to stream or play in tournaments?
A: I will play in the next offline league if the finals will be played before I begin my service. Since it would be the last offline league for me, I would like to participate regardless of my condition or how far I must travel.
Q: What do you think that you will be doing in 10-20 years?
A: Honestly, I have no idea what I will be doing in three years, let alone ten. I would like to try new things, but my life experience has been narrowly confined to areas related to professional gaming. When I try to imagine what I would be doing in ten years, I just draw a blank. Most progamers are in the same boat as me in this regard.
Q: How are you preparing to make a living for the remainder of your life?
A: I am not preparing at the moment because I have no idea what I might be doing in the future. For now, I will try hard to make the most of the opportunities available to me today.
Q: It has been rumored that you have a beautiful girlfriend who is 10 years younger than you. How often do you go on dates and what do you usually do?
A: She’s actually only 6 years younger than me. We do not get to go on dates as often as we would like because she and I are both busy. She is a university student and I stream almost every day. When we can, we try to make time for quick impromptu dates with dinner and coffee.
Interviewer's Note: This is his girlfriend challenging and beating Bisu. Bisu played with a 4 probe handicap and used only one hand. She was formerly one of ZerO's top 20 balloon donors. Perhaps someone should have asked ZerO about the secrets of his pickup game.
+ Show Spoiler +
Fun Questions & Wrapping up:
Q: Could you draw a self-portrait for us?
A: Yes.
Q: What are 3 things you would bring to a desert island (no boat allowed)?
A: I have never been asked such a question before. Could you give me some choices? I am terrible at open-ended questions. My smartphone, charger, and a computer. My creativity needs some work...
Q: Bro, do you even lift?
A: Yes. I used to lift very sporadically when I lived in the team house. Also, I lifted some weights to prepare for the physical test I needed to pass in order to enlist in the military police.
Q: Calm and Justin Bieber, separated at birth?
A: Yes. They do look very similar. I am actually angry that this question was asked. How come no one ever compares me to good looking guys? They only ever compare me to this female comedian in Korea. (He calmed down after I explained that Justin Bieber is actually a frequent target of mockery in North America).
Q: What/how do Zerg eat?
A: Um...I don’t know anything about this. Do I need to use my creativity again? Since they look like monsters, perhaps they eat Terrans like in the Alien movies.
Q: What was your first impression of foreign fans when you met them at Blizzcon 2009?
A: I have been to the US exactly once. It was really fantastic. The atmosphere was electric and like nothing I experienced before or since. Fans would explode into cheers just because I waved my hand. I definitely want to experience playing in such an atmosphere once more. The trip gave me a very positive impression of the US.
Q: Anything you want to say to your foreign fans?
A: Please subscribe to my failed YouTube channel. All joking aside, thank you for your interest and support. It’s amazing to me that there are people in other countries who root for me. I don’t know how long I will be able to continue playing StarCraft, but I hope that you will continue to watch and cheer me on.
Questions by: TL Community/Staff
Translated by: lemmata
Editors: BigFan
Graphics: v1
Photo Credits: Liquipedia and DailyEsports
Reinforces once again the image of ZerO being one of the most likeable pros.
