We're not going to introduce Mushi to you, because that would be unnecessary at this point. We're not going to argue that he was the de facto MVP of TI3, because the community already did that for us. We're not even going to tell you that he is arguably the most successful SEA player of all time or that he is one of the best mids in the world, because you know all that.
What we are going to do is, let you ask him 20 questions!
Yup, you get to pick the M-GOD's brains!
Known for dominating mid and being hyper-aggressive in chasing his kills, Mushi led Orange to a Top 3 at TI3 and is now on the verge of leaving to China where he will join the professional circuit and play in upcoming Chinese leagues this year. Team Liquid has arranged to conduct a quick interview with him before his departure. Only, this interview is going to be different: you are going to give us the questions. Read on to find out how!
20 Questions
Want to ask Mushi something? We'll do it for you. Just post your question in this thread. Our editors will pick the 20 best questions from this thread and Mushi will answer them, after which the answers will be slotted in below.
Ask away, TL!
20 Answers
You’ve had huge success so far by playing with your fellow countrymen who speak your own language and share your culture. How do you think the transition to China will affect you (positively and adversely), and do you think that you'll become a Dota 2 icon in China even though you're a foreigner to them? [NeThZOR]
I don't think I will have a communication problem with my teammates in china, because I am used to speaking in Chinese. I think most of my fanbase is in China as well, so I don't think there will be much of a difference for me.
What is the thing that you will miss the most about Orange and Malaysia, when you go to live and play in China? [IndoPr0]
I will miss everything in Malaysia, but if I want to succeed and fulfill my dream, then I have to make sacrifices.
Where do you personally see Dota 2 headed in the future in regards to international competitive growth? Specifically, in the next few months/years, do you think we will see professional teams come out of countries that have been minor players in the international scene, such as Australia, Indonesia, Philippines or Thailand? If so, what do you think is needed to be done to give communities such as these a boost in their respective competitive scenes? [Dicellol]
Since there are many Dota 2 tournaments, I’m sure there will be more professional teams forming every year.
What do you think Valve should do to make Dota 2 explode in Asia? [RTSDealer]
Have more events!
Who do you think is the best player left in SEA now that you are leaving? [StrayWolf]
There is no best player, only the hardworking player who succeeds from the amount of work he/she puts into Dota.
Beside yourself, who do you think is the best middle solo in China right now? Best carry? Who was the player you looked up to the most when you first started playing dota? [vndestiny]
Depends on what kind of solo mid. If it’s just solo skill, then most of the top Chinese players are at the same level skill. About the best carry, Burning, Zhou, Sylar and Hao all have the same level farming skill. It just depends on the game, and as long as not many mistakes are made, they will be the best.
You have arguably the largest hero pool of any competitive player. How do you stay practiced on so many different heroes? Besides experience, what does it take to stay on top form with all of them? [Comeh]
I always try and train on a new hero in pubs, and think of some strategy for them. I just have to know the game play about the hero then I can play any hero in the pool.
Which heroes do you find most fun to play? Which do you find the most boring to play? [Xynch]
I would like to play Techies but it is not in the hero pool yet. The most boring hero for me is Syllabear!
If you could be any dota hero in real life which one would you be? [Confuse, United States]
Windrunner, because a very important person loves to use this hero.
Have you played Starcraft: Brood War / Starcraft 2? If so, what did you think of them? [Trozz]
I never played Starcraft 2 and Broodwar. Only used to play Red Alert.
What made you choose DotA over other esports (Starcraft, WC3, Quake, CS, etc.)? [psychopat]
Because I used to play with my friends a lot and we are having fun, so I chose to play Dota 2 competitively.
What are the major game changing differences between the old WC3 engine and the new Dota 2 Engine? Do you feel like the game has evolved for the better, or are the newer changes misguided? [tpmraven]
Everything in Dota 2 is better.
What type of leader are you, in-game? [EpiK]
I do the drafting for the team and give part of the commands.
What do you think was the core aspect being Orange’s recent success at The International 3? Do you think that other teams underestimated the strength of your support players on Visage + Nyx, and your other favorite combinations? [Kosak]
The five members of Orange.Neolution were good, and I think everyone underestimated our team. We just tried our best.
What's a funny story you remember from the early days of competitive Dota? [Dankleteer]
Haha! Sorry about this, but my memory is not that good, so I can't remember any funny stories.
What's your training schedule? Any difference between normal days and during big LANs such as DSL, pre-TI, and during TI? [WetSocks]
When I was on Orange.Neolution, our training schedule began at 2.30pm with a bo3. Then we took a break and had our dinner, and then right after that we had another bo3 or bo5 game again. Training days are Tuesday - Friday, but since we are at bootcamp everyday and we also have tournament games everyday, it’s almost like we have no rest until a big tournament ends
What are the most important qualities that separate amazing Dota pro players from the more 'average' players? [bias-]
A pro player will know how to represent their sponsor, respect their opponent and will be training very hardcore daily.
You are famed as one of the most mechanical players, if not the most mechanical player in all of Dota. Pretty much nobody can defeat you in lane in terms of CSing and lane control. How did you achieve this status? Is there a way to train this specifically for this, or is it just playing many games on mid? For example, do you practice 1v1 with other players a lot? [Kipsate]
I always watch other players and how they play solo, so I’m always learning from them, because there are many ways to solo. You must know what is best for the situation and also know how to use it to your advantage.
Why 'Mushi'? Does it mean anything, or is it just a random nick? [VelJa]
There is no meaning to it. When I was young I liked cute names, so I called myself Mushi.Lushi. But after I started playing Dota 1 competitively and I had a team, they only allowed 14 letters in your name, so I renamed myself to Mushi.
What is the one thing you think anyone should try in Malaysia?
In the lead up to TI3, Orange was quoted as the team to play in the most tournaments. By joining ACE, there is a chance you might not be able to do the same in China. Did you take this risk into account as you moved teams?
Ninja edit: Comparisons between you and YamateH are sure to come, but what's the deal with the two of you? is there some bad blood?
You had huge success so far by playing with fellow countrymen who speak your own language and share your culture. How do you think the transition to China will affect you (positively and adversely), and do you think that you'll become a Dota 2 icon in China even though you're a foreigner to them?
What do you think was the core aspect of Orange's games regarding the success at The International? Do you think that other teams underestimated the strength of your support players on Visage + Nyx and other of your favorite combinations?
Who do you think is the best mid in China right now ? (beside yourself ofc ) Best carry ? Who is/was the player you looked up to the most when you first started playing dota ?
1) What are the most important qualities you feel separate the amazing Dota professional players from the more 'average' players?
2) What do you feel it is about yourself that makes you such a strong laner? Any particular things, like mindgames, or do you have just have everything down pat?
You are famed as one of the most mechanical players if not the most mechanical player in Dota. Pretty much nobody can defeat you in lane on CSing and lane control. How did you achieve this status?Is there a way to train this specifically or is it just playing tons of games mid every game?For example, do you practice 1v1 with other players a lot?
1. You recently met with the Malaysian Minister of Youth and Sports and by all accounts the meeting has been successful in promoting eSports, yet you still decided to leave for China as you felt its a better environment for your growth. How do you think the Malaysian (or SEA) eSports scene can grow and transform itself to be something like South Korea or Sweden (smaller countries in relative population terms but with a strong eSports structure)?
2. With you leaving the SEA scene, the highly likely disbandment of Zenith, talks of players like Yamateh retiring and iceiceice also interested in moving to China, do you see any future stars/teams (besides Orange) coming out to continue to bolster the SEA scene and represent it at international events?
1. What is the most impressive thing you have ever seen in dota(2)? Be strat, individual play or something else that warms your heart every time you see it.
2. Now the opposite. What is the worst past or present in dota? Stuff like game breaking hero combinations, general gameplay/graphics bugs.
Most of the teams tend to pick up players that have already established themselves in the competitive scene. Do you think it is possible to build the team from the ground-up with yet-unknown players that would perform reasonably in the popular tournaments? Can teamwork cover some of the players' individual flaws or is it something that must co-exist in order to succeed?
Did you have strategies mapped out at TI3 that theoretically included every single hero in -CM? Would you have been willing to pull out the Meepo or Invoker or Skeleton King card?
Did your parents support you right from the beginning of your career? How do they see the third place in TI and all the money you brought back home? Are they proud of you now?
On September 03 2013 18:46 NeThZOR wrote: You had huge success so far by playing with fellow countrymen who speak your own language and share your culture. How do you think the transition to China will affect you (positively and adversely), and do you think that you'll become a Dota 2 icon in China even though you're a foreigner to them?
I'll help Mushi answer this one: Mushi already speaks Mandarin fluently so he already shares the language. Chinese culture in China and Malaysia is almost similar. I would say about 90% similar. Mushi is already a Dota 1 icon and is very well known amongst the Chinese Dota community as M-God.
Mushi, What is the reason for moving to a Chinese team? You were already more successful than the Chinese teams with an all SEA team. I know you want a world championship before you retire, but many of us want to also see an all SEA team world championship taken.
I'm curious about how Orange in the past used to swap Mushi and whoever was playing carry seemingly at random sometimes. In a time when players play the role rather than the hero, what motivated those decisions?
Why do you think European teams (NaVi and Alliance) were able to take the top 2 spots in TI3? Do you think they just played better on the day or do you think there is a stylistic difference between European and Asian teams that gives European teams the advantage?
G'Day Mushi! Here's a thinker for you. Please understand that this is just one long question with 3 parts to it all relating to each other!
Where do you personally see Dota 2 headed in the future in regards to international competitive growth? In your honest opinion do you think in the coming months/years we will see professional teams come out of countries such as Australia, Indonesia, Philippines or Thailand? If so, what do you think is needed to be done to give communities such as these a boost in the right direction towards growth in their respective competitive scenes?
Good luck in China and if the rumours are true, good luck with DK!
Mushi - you have arguably the largest hero pool of any competitive player. Besides experience, what does it take to stay on top form with all of these heroes? How do you stay practiced with so many different heroes?
Dota is a very old game, What other older players have nurtured and helped you mature since the beginning of it all.. Or what players have you looked up to in the current or past since dota 1 that have really helped shape the way your form is today.
When you watch replays and matches of other teams, are there particular Players that you enjoy watching in their Player Perspective? How do you feel you need to improve?
Who do u find challenging vs mid? Do you like the 1 or 2 role more? Which heroes do you think work best for yourself aggressively and passive mid? What role would you like to pick up in China
Why did you join the Chinese scene with so few official matches being played in Chinese scene? With Orange you already had invitation to the same major leagues the Chinese play in and I imagine you could get a descent amount of scrims. In addition, Orange nailed China at TI3
During the 1v1 tournament, 1 thing i notice from you was that you always favor last hitting over abusing your advantage and shut down the enemy. Do you see yourself as more of a carry player(slot 1) more than a solomid player(slot 2)?
You were in the same team with YamateH during TI2. How did you 2 decided who play which role and who is better between you 2? If you have to give Yamateh advice after TI3 results, what would it be?
You had an extremely wide range of heroes played at TI3. Were you specifically training to be able to use so many heroes effectively, or is your general practice enough to be able to use such a large quantity of heroes?
In your interview with Kaci during TI, she asked you: "what's your secret to being able to play such a wide variety of heroes?" and you simply replied, "They are all essentially the same." Can you elaborate on this statement?
How do you like your team's supports to play? or What defines an effective support to you?
Besides the kyxy/aegis incident, what would you have wished your team had done differently in game 3 vs. Navi?
What type of leader would you characterize yourself as in-game?
Maybe it's not so good to bring this up as I am sure that it is a pretty sore subject, but concerning the aegis deny by kyxy in the third game of the Loser Bracket Final, how does a thing like that impact a team? Is it possible to move past such a mistake, especially considering the fact that the miraculous run you guys made at TI3 could not been achieved without kyxy's high level of play? Did this factor into your decision to move to a Chinese team after the tournament?
Maybe that's three questions but I feel like they might be interrelated enough to be taken as one. Also, your play at TI3 was unreal, total beast mode, and you and Orange deserve a ton of praise for what was a truly remarkable performance. Congrats!
On September 04 2013 03:10 EpiK wrote: In your interview with Kaci during TI, she asked you: "what's your secret to being able to play such a wide variety of heroes?" and you simply replied, "They are all essentially the same." Can you elaborate on this statement?
Do you think it's important to be able to dominate with any hero, or is it better to pick a few, stick to a role, and practice a narrow range of heroes?
Western teams seemed much more dominant at TI3 than Eastern teams, as compared to previous Internationals. Do you think it will be a more level playing-field at TI4, and do think the budding Korean scene will be anywhere close to the skill level of other teams by TI4?
What are the major game changing differences between the old wc3 engine and the new Dota 2 Engine? Do you feel like the game has evolved for the better, or are the newer changes misguided?
What is the biggest differences between playing Mid (position 2), in dota 2 compared to dota 1?
Mushi: Do you think that many teams at TI3 would have done better against Alliance if they did not always first ban Lone Druid? Do you think Bulldog's Lone Druid is truly their biggest weapon or what hero would be your number one ban against Alliance now in hindsight of The International?
How do you practice for needing to play 20 some odd characters over the course of a tournament? Was it a matter of putting in a lot of practice before hand, or just winging it as the situation required?
Do you know you have a reputation for stacking lots of gold without purchasing your items? This is perpetuated by the Chinese commentators who think this is poor decision making. What is your reasoning behind this?
In early-mid 2013 Orange occasionally ran very greedy 3 core farm pressure teams, such as Antimage, Tinker, Prophet vs MUFC, or SF, Weaver, Tinker vs LGD.int. These lineups could win even if one hero fell behind because of the immense lane pressure and farm advantage. However after G-1 Orange primarily focused on aggressive laning strategies like a farming Windrunner/Leshrac offensive trilane, or a more robust dual core anchored by a teamfight hero such as Magnus or Dark Seer that required relatively less farm.
What prompted this general change of strategy, especially considering Orange did quite well with the farm pressure lineups?
Mushi, you are known for playing so many mid-heroes and being good at all of them. Have your (former) teams ever considered giving you Pudge mid? What are your thoughts on this hero and do you think he is good enough for the pro scene?
Would you be interested in joining a team together with iceiceice, or if you had the option would you form your own team and who you like in it realistically?
A lot of people anticipate that the clash of egos between the players on the new DK will be short coming of the team. How do you feel about these sediments?
Four heroes were recently released in captains mode: Abbadon, Centaur Warrunner, Troll Warlord, and Eldar Titan. who do you think will have the biggest impact and why?
Hello Mushi! First off, I'd like to congratulate you on a stellar TI3 performance! I would like to know, what are you going to bring to DK in terms of plays? Let me ellaborate; As the Chineese way of playing has usually been very diciplined and methodical, will you implement your aggressive playstyle (along with Icex3) to reform the current Chineese meta, or will you adapt to their current playstyle? I would really like to see a playstyle that focuses more on early aggression and building an advantage quickly (as is SEA Dota), rather than slowly pulling ahead!
Hey guys, I added a public note at the top of this thread to let you know all questions have been submitted to Mushi already. And we should be getting the answers up very shortly (hopefully in 1-2 days).
A quick update: Mushi is in the process of answering these questions. He is busy with the move to China though, and we're more than happy to give him all the time he needs! The OP will be updated with his responses as soon as we receive them, so stay tuned!
On September 11 2013 00:03 riptide wrote: A quick update: Mushi is in the process of answering these questions. He is busy with the move to China though, and we're more than happy to give him all the time he needs! The OP will be updated with his responses as soon as we receive them, so stay tuned!
Hey guys, mind to ask him for a team picture? Doubt he will do it, but no harm in asking
On September 11 2013 02:02 Deathmanbob wrote: Can we lock this thread until the answers come up? every time i see it i get really excited only to be disappointed
Man Mushi is one of those guys I love to watch in game but totally fails to entertain outside of it. But it's okay, if he plays like he has at TI3 I'll still be a fan.
Thanks for answering the questions Mushi, I'm sure you're busy setting up with DK in China, appreciate you taking the time (I suspect your memory is better than you claim though)
On September 12 2013 03:40 hmsrenown wrote: He's incredibly busy and it showed. Still, politically correct answers is what everyone should expect anyways.
The only politically correct answer that could be expected was when asked about how he rates players as the best solo-mid, carry, etc.
This wasn't a chat session. He could've taken his time to formulate a more nuanced response.
On September 12 2013 03:40 hmsrenown wrote: He's incredibly busy and it showed. Still, politically correct answers is what everyone should expect anyways.
The only politically correct answer that could be expected was when asked about how he rates players as the best solo-mid, carry, etc.
This wasn't a chat session. He could've taken his time to formulate a more nuanced response.
agreed. Seeker could have answered that and we would still think it was Mushi...
Not to start any weird fights here but this answer interested me:
"When I was on Orange.Neolution, our training schedule began at 2.30pm with a bo3. Then we took a break and had our dinner, and then right after that we had another bo3 or bo5 game again. Training days are Tuesday - Friday, but since we are at bootcamp everyday and we also have tournament games everyday, it’s almost like we have no rest until a big tournament ends"
Then he speaks of playing really hardcore. It doesn't really add up.
Compare that to what starcraft pros player and it seems like casual fungames O_o
A little disappointed with the answers given. Probably too busy with the China move. Half expected the answers to be bland as those interviews with Kaci at TI3 were quite bland as well; mostly yes/no/everyone replies.
On September 12 2013 05:58 sd_andeh wrote: Not to start any weird fights here but this answer interested me:
"When I was on Orange.Neolution, our training schedule began at 2.30pm with a bo3. Then we took a break and had our dinner, and then right after that we had another bo3 or bo5 game again. Training days are Tuesday - Friday, but since we are at bootcamp everyday and we also have tournament games everyday, it’s almost like we have no rest until a big tournament ends"
Then he speaks of playing really hardcore. It doesn't really add up.
Compare that to what starcraft pros player and it seems like casual fungames O_o
That's excluding official games and any kind of pubs or practicing alone. Playing 4-9 games a day 4 times a week as a team is pretty hardcore. I think he's mostly talking about himself though when he talks about practicing hardcore.
On September 12 2013 06:50 MrMercuG wrote: Wow, people not being very appreciative here, you should be glad he even took the time to answer these questions, it's not like he HAS to do this.
To be frank, it almost felt like he didn't actually answer any questions. It sucks, but it's something that is always a possibility when you go into an interview with a player.
On September 12 2013 05:58 sd_andeh wrote: Not to start any weird fights here but this answer interested me:
"When I was on Orange.Neolution, our training schedule began at 2.30pm with a bo3. Then we took a break and had our dinner, and then right after that we had another bo3 or bo5 game again. Training days are Tuesday - Friday, but since we are at bootcamp everyday and we also have tournament games everyday, it’s almost like we have no rest until a big tournament ends"
Then he speaks of playing really hardcore. It doesn't really add up.
Compare that to what starcraft pros player and it seems like casual fungames O_o
That's excluding official games and any kind of pubs or practicing alone. Playing 4-9 games a day 4 times a week as a team is pretty hardcore. I think he's mostly talking about himself though when he talks about practicing hardcore.
That is only hardcore to a casual. To a top starcraft player that's casual
On September 12 2013 05:58 sd_andeh wrote: Not to start any weird fights here but this answer interested me:
"When I was on Orange.Neolution, our training schedule began at 2.30pm with a bo3. Then we took a break and had our dinner, and then right after that we had another bo3 or bo5 game again. Training days are Tuesday - Friday, but since we are at bootcamp everyday and we also have tournament games everyday, it’s almost like we have no rest until a big tournament ends"
Then he speaks of playing really hardcore. It doesn't really add up.
Compare that to what starcraft pros player and it seems like casual fungames O_o
That's excluding official games and any kind of pubs or practicing alone. Playing 4-9 games a day 4 times a week as a team is pretty hardcore. I think he's mostly talking about himself though when he talks about practicing hardcore.
That is only hardcore to a casual. To a top starcraft player that's casual
Dota games last a loooot longer than starcraft games, not really a sensible comparison.
On September 12 2013 05:58 sd_andeh wrote: Not to start any weird fights here but this answer interested me:
"When I was on Orange.Neolution, our training schedule began at 2.30pm with a bo3. Then we took a break and had our dinner, and then right after that we had another bo3 or bo5 game again. Training days are Tuesday - Friday, but since we are at bootcamp everyday and we also have tournament games everyday, it’s almost like we have no rest until a big tournament ends"
Then he speaks of playing really hardcore. It doesn't really add up.
Compare that to what starcraft pros player and it seems like casual fungames O_o
That's excluding official games and any kind of pubs or practicing alone. Playing 4-9 games a day 4 times a week as a team is pretty hardcore. I think he's mostly talking about himself though when he talks about practicing hardcore.
That is only hardcore to a casual. To a top starcraft player that's casual
An average scrim, if we base it on pub replays of teams clashing, lasts pretty long - usually 30-45 minutes. There are also games that last more than 1 hour. Alongside those games, you'll have drafting discussions and debates, replay watching, theorizing... after all Dota 2 strategies need more input, since there are 5 players and all of them have to be on the same page. Burning said, when he was commentating TI3, that DK practiced above 10 hours a day. I think that's pretty much Starcraft/BWesque in terms of time commitment.
On September 12 2013 05:58 sd_andeh wrote: Not to start any weird fights here but this answer interested me:
"When I was on Orange.Neolution, our training schedule began at 2.30pm with a bo3. Then we took a break and had our dinner, and then right after that we had another bo3 or bo5 game again. Training days are Tuesday - Friday, but since we are at bootcamp everyday and we also have tournament games everyday, it’s almost like we have no rest until a big tournament ends"
Then he speaks of playing really hardcore. It doesn't really add up.
Compare that to what starcraft pros player and it seems like casual fungames O_o
That's excluding official games and any kind of pubs or practicing alone. Playing 4-9 games a day 4 times a week as a team is pretty hardcore. I think he's mostly talking about himself though when he talks about practicing hardcore.
That is only hardcore to a casual. To a top starcraft player that's casual
Dota games last a loooot longer than starcraft games, not really a sensible comparison.
I'm not talking about amount of games.
He's saying they have 4 days of practice. And that's some very casual practice IMO. Apart from that, it's all fungames or tournament games. I seriously doubt that tournament games cover 10-12 hours/day for the remaining 3 days, let alone even the practice days.
On September 12 2013 06:50 MrMercuG wrote: Wow, people not being very appreciative here, you should be glad he even took the time to answer these questions, it's not like he HAS to do this.
if you're going to do an interview, do it right and put more than 5 minutes into answering the questions. otherwise don't even do the interview; it's a waste of time for everyone involved. it's like signing up for a seminar and then never coming and wondering why people are annoyed that the discussion is less rich.
EPT
![[image loading]](http://wiki.teamliquid.net/dota2/images/thumb/b/b1/Mushi-2013.jpg/308px-Mushi-2013.jpg)
