AfreecaTV release youtube video outlining 2021 esports programming.
AfreecaTV have confirmed rumours that their 2021 programming would include two seasons of ASL (AfreecaTV StarLeague) and ASTL (AfreecaTV StarCraft Team League) each. With ASTL2 wrapping up in February and ASL11's round-of-16 starting this coming Sunday the assumption stands ASTL3 should commence come summertime with ASL12 following not long after. The ASTL returns 'by popular request', hinting at an existing demand for professional, team-based Brood War competition.
AfreecaTV run 16 separate leagues across 11 esports titles. The video also suggest the BJ Destruction series will likewise return this year in an updated format, although no concrete info on the StarCraft leg of the exhibition has been divulged just yet.
As much as I enjoyed ASTL, I hope I'm not going to wait like half a year for next ASL. It could've been ever better if we got 3 ASLs per year instead of 2 just like GSL.
On April 23 2021 17:16 oxKnu wrote: Cool, they should have one 2v2 set though included in the ASTL.
Feels strange to not have that in a team league.
2v2 hasn't been really used in proleague style tournaments since something like 2007 I believe. It's not very well balanced and especially given they always seem to use hunters in Korea it's also very rare the games are even good. I'd rather they didn't add it, but that's just my opinion.
On April 23 2021 17:16 oxKnu wrote: Cool, they should have one 2v2 set though included in the ASTL.
Feels strange to not have that in a team league.
2v2 hasn't been really used in proleague style tournaments since something like 2007 I believe. It's not very well balanced and especially given they always seem to use hunters in Korea it's also very rare the games are even good. I'd rather they didn't add it, but that's just my opinion.
Didn't they have 2v2 and 3v3 one season and it was utterly boring most of the times?
Great news, I just started to follow Broodwar again! But is it just me or has the level of play dropped quite a bit compared to the old Kespa days? Or maybe I have just forgotton how hard it is to play Broodwar...
On April 24 2021 02:14 marcesr wrote: Great news, I just started to follow Broodwar again! But is it just me or has the level of play dropped quite a bit compared to the old Kespa days? Or maybe I have just forgotton how hard it is to play Broodwar...
Mechanical level of play has dropped (obviously with much less strict training regime, coaches etc.), stragies, tricks micro etc. have evolved.
Great news! More ASL is always a good thing. As for ASTL, I was hoping that they would leave the teams from ASTL1 and have players move around based on whatever metric they could come up with then you would get a nice team league and a feeling of continuity rather than random-ish groups each ASTL.
On April 24 2021 02:14 marcesr wrote: Great news, I just started to follow Broodwar again! But is it just me or has the level of play dropped quite a bit compared to the old Kespa days? Or maybe I have just forgotton how hard it is to play Broodwar...
Mechanical level of play has dropped (obviously with much less strict training regime, coaches etc.), stragies, tricks micro etc. have evolved.
Tbf, there are some exceptions to this like when some players decided to play hardcore like Last during KSL1 where he turned off his stream to practice in secret. Then there was piano who was doing 12+ hour of games when he first started streaming. To add on, I think reaction time was the thing that suffered the most. I recall games in the kespa era where players would almost instantly react to some form of aggression while it varies these days (some are still amazing at it while others aren't). It's an interesting topic to debate and we still get to see games that rival the kespa days. The Flash vs Snow series in ASL5 for example or Snow vs Larva game 2 on Polypoid several ASLs back.
i echo the sentiment that there needs to be some form of team continuity for ASTL. all the shuffling every league just makes it random and difficult to support.
On April 24 2021 15:29 ggsimida wrote: i echo the sentiment that there needs to be some form of team continuity for ASTL. all the shuffling every league just makes it random and difficult to support.
they need to come up with some kind of hybrid system, seems hard for any org to properly commit when there's no continuity (roster-wise) between seasons
I think they should just keep the existing rosters and make public auctions on afreeca to transfer players. One transfer per team with donation goal or something like that. More fan involvement -> better for everyone.
EPT
