Style Will Set You Free by HonestTea TeamLiquid: Final Edits
Everybody walks. That is to say, anybody with two functioning legs knows how to walk: swing your right foot forward, shift your weight, then stick your left leg forward. Repeat until you get to wherever you were going.
So, everybody walks. But everybody walks differently.
The basics are the same: Right leg forward, shift weight, left leg forward. But some people dip their shoulders a bit. Some people swing their arms more. Guys with rhythm bob their heads. Girls with flirt shake their bottoms. The cool cats glide. The gangstas strut. The soldiers walk stiff and tall. Show me 20 different people, and I'll show you 20 different ways to walk.
So, everybody walks. But the small choices we make as we walk, about how to move our head, shoulders, knees, hips, and feet, are all different. Those choices are what we call, STYLE.
Every pro has the same goal for each game: to win. In order to defeat their opponent, pros must mine resources, build buildings and tech, produce units, and use those units accordingly. But along the way, each pro makes a million little choices, depending on his opponent and the situation. Do I expand now, make more units, or climb tech? Should I place my units up front to contain, or keep them home to defend? A lot of these choices are purely tactical - it makes sense to counter mutas with corsairs. But a lot of these choices come down to a pro's personal style. Savior doesn't have to go 3-hatch to violate some Terran. But more likely than not, he will. That's his style, the accumulation of the choices that he makes.
So, by now you're saying, "I get it, pros have different styles, that's great, so what?" Well, the reason I'm talking about it is, you can't win without style.
In progaming, a personal style is as necessary an element to success as is two arms and a keyboard. Yes you need good fundamentals (micro and macro). You need good Build Orders (strategy), and good in-game awareness (management). These are the building blocks of success. But so is style.
Because without his own style, a pro is just another of the hundreds of little FE-to-macro drones that sprung out in this new generation. Without style, you are DarkElf, champion of the Dual Tournament. But once your game develops personality, you are iloveoov, champion of the universe.
Every successful pro who has ever made a name for himself has their own personal color of play
Let's examine Bisu. When he first arrived on the scene, Bisu was a promising protoss who learned macro from Pusan, and it really showed. For a while he was just another macrotoss. Then, his game got more and more polished with practice and he became a competent pro, being successful in the proleagues. But he was still lacking Starleague success. There's a clear wall between being successful in random proleague matches, and winning on your own, in the individual leagues, in best-of-five series. Bisu was banging his head against that wall.
So what did Bisu do? He came out with the "Beesuit," and defined himself. His game's personality would be to harass, keep his opponent always on the ropes, keep them busy. And Bisu is now a Scout-using, Stasising, Zerg-raping, world-saving, repeat MSL champion.
It's the same for any winning champ. Believe it or not, Savior was once upon a time a chubby little rookie who everybody knew had solid Zerg fundamentals, but nothing else. He only became SAVIOR CUBAN GANGSTER when he solidified the 3-hatch and became the ultimate management-based, late-game Zerg - the Maestro.
Boxer? The emperor was nothing until he started playing around with marine control and learned to use a dropship now and then. A distinct gameplay personality is what separates the Julys from the Zergmans (Zergmen?).
Style is a weapon. Without it, you are just another good player. With it, you are a great player. The best pros are those you can identify by just watching their replays. A Nada TvZ will look distinctly different from a Midas TvZ, and that's why both players are successful.
Style can also be that extra little that separates the great from the champions. How else can we explain the fact that Casy has a title while GoodFriend has none? Overall, GoodFriend is the more balanced, better Terran. It's not like he doesn't have his own gaming personality – he had shown enough of a style to be a great pro (standard play, two-facs against P, good fundamentals... not flashy, but he is the soldier walking straight and tall). But it's just that Casy's style is so much more unique.
Casy won an OSL based on the pure strength of his hyper-micro, TvZ-oriented style. One could say that Casy was lucky, running into a Zerg-dominated OSL and never facing a Protoss, but the point is that he was able to seize that luck because of his deeply unique style of play. Put GoodFriend in the same situation and he loses to Yellow in the semis. But Casy being Casy, he takes it all the way.
There are a million examples: Zeus was an OSL runner-up based on the uniqueness of his slow yet flamboyant game style. Yellow, despite always coming second, was a dominant Zerg because of his aggressive, "storm" style. (and his only losses were to even more stylistic Terrans - Boxer, oov, and Nada). Free and Chalrenge are two badass muthas who are fighting for the title of Next Big Toss, based on the smashmouth personality of their gameplay. Of course, to be a true, well-rounded champion, you need much more than style. But sometimes, style alone can take you far. (Just don't tell that to Rainbow)
And the best, best, absolute fucking best thing about style? No game is better than two players with strong playstyles facing each other. When two strong pros clash for a best of five, style is the spice that pulls the whole meal together. Think about the best series you can remember. Boxer vs. oov, Ever OSL Finals. Boxer vs. Anytime, So1 OSL Finals. Reach vs. Chojja, UZOO MSL Semis. Savior vs. Iris, Midas, and Hwasin. When the two players have strong styles, it's the fans who ultimately win.
So, everybody walks. But it's about how you walk. Style is what separates the great pros from the regular pros. It is what separates a Starleaguer from a Proleaguer. It separates the final four from the bottom 16. It separates the champions from the runners up. It gives us super rookies, legendary champions, and everything in between. It is the bright neon lights for the fans. It keeps us warm at night. It helps old ladies cross the street. It will lead us not into temptation, but to paradise. It will cook for you and do the dishes.
honest tea where the hell did you find this? this looks like something from an old malay language malaysian or singaporean paper. iirc, 'bisu' means mute in malay, and 'pementasan bisu' means a mimed performance, if anyone cares.
nice writeup, btw! i especially liked the argument about casy going all the way as his tvz speciality was his style, and he was able to bank on it in that zerg infested starleague.
"But sometimes, style alone can take you far. (Just don't tell that to Rainbow)" Haha best quote ever!! This is why Child always loses, he cruises through the ODT, but ends up losing in the first round. He's just a boring zerg player.
Poor Rainbow~ He'll win an OSL or MSL someday you'll see.
Edit: Now that I think about it, while rainbow does have a style, his basics may be the problem. Maybe his macro isn't to the standard or his management XD
I'd just like to add one thing: Style is also what ultimately opens the gateway to the downfall of a monarchy and gives rise to a new dominant style - cus it standardizes.
It's so true. Style isn't simply an aspect of entertainment (though it's a big factor for the entertainment quality of a player's games) it's an invalueable part of exceptional play. The Darkelf example was spot on.
I believe it was Bruce Lee who said, "My form is formless, my way is no way." It is ultimately who can adapt better who wins in war.
In poker, you often make the most money when playing the opposite of your style. Tight players stealing pots with loose bluffs, loose players cashing in on the nuts with solid raises, sAviOr 9pooling against someone setting up for a long game.
Boxer? The emperor was nothing until he started playing around with marine control and learned to use a dropship now and then.
Boxer has always been Boxer. Read Tsunami's old Zerg guide, he's even mentioned there as being extremely creative (or at least smart, for making many firebats).
The last picture is really tasteless.
/agree But I don't think most Americans understand what it exactly means. It's ignorance, not intention to offend.
heheh, do you know why babies walk with their hands in the air? it may be for balance, but some say it's because they're so used to their parents holding their hands when they're learning so they're used to it
also, Son Goku could kick that faggot Clark's ass anyday
Too many pictures. Really nice write up about style. I think it's important to note, though, that some styles are undesirable. Like the "misplaced CC" style.
I enjoyed the article, but it felt like someone threw a bucket of cold water at the end.. I am not sure if that was your intention. Anyone that knows where you got the last photo might misunderstand its intended message and I don't want to go into the possible Zweideutigkeit people end up seeing in it..
I know very well where that photo came from, and everything that the picture means and represents. Call me offensive, I can live with that. But not ignorant please.
Honestly, I understood that the picture could be offensive to a lot of people. But I thought, and still think that it has a place in the article. I don't mean to say that progaming, or anything else for that matter, compares to history's organized genocides, whether it be the Holocaust, the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields, Sudanese massacre, or any other.
I do believe, however, that the phrase "work makes free" and that picture complements the words I wrote and the idea that I was trying to convey.
I know that any images associated with the Holocaust can cause harsh reactions for many people, both knee-jerk reactions and well thought-out objections. (I do think, incidentally, that the Holocaust causes more knee-jerk reactions than other historical genocides) That's a risk I knowingly took when I made and included the image.
I don't intent to apologize. My articles for FE are going to be irreverent and tongue-in-cheek, with humor both cheeky and black. I mean, there's a picture of a gorilla trying to take a women. Not that it's the same, but the pictures should give you an understanding of the frame of mind in which I try to engage readers. I still believe that the image can be dark humor. More ever, I still believe that the image compements the article and its ideas. It's not there just to be funny.
lol.. I knew PsycHOTemplar was going to get a slap for calling it ignorance, but forgive him, he probably had your best interest at hand; I even doubt he actually thought you didn't know were the photo came from. As for the photo, rather than dark humor it leans more to morbid humour lol.. style indeed. Keep 'em coming.
On July 21 2007 10:05 Physician wrote: lol.. I knew carnac was going to get a slap for calling it ignorance , but forgive him, he had your best interest at hand, i.e. his intention was good; I even doubt he actually thought you didn't know were the photo came from. As for the photo, rather than dark humor it leans more to morbid humour lol.. style indeed. Keep 'em coming.
I what? oO The only thing I said was that it was funny how the only ones complaining about the picture were Germans, but I didn't personally complain about it at all.
I called it ignorant, Entropy, not Carnac. I said that because I don't see how editing the sign to a Nazi concentration camp, where "Work will set you free" was an outright lie, makes sense in this article. Are you trying to contradict everything you just said, by saying not matter how much style you have, you'll never actually be set free? It's not funny, it's illogical.
In a concentration camp you got killed no matter how much you worked. So it didn't set you free - work killed you. That should be obvious. Does style kill you too? I have to agree with PsycHOTemplar, it's just illogical - and by no means funny
Perhaps HonestTea was simply referring litterally to the words written on the sign. Perhaps he was trying to symbolize the longing of many mediocre players to acheive greatness.
There are many ways to interpret his use of that picture, but it's clear based on the context in which it was used, that he wasn't actively trying to offend anyone.
A picture like that is obviously offensive in and of itself to many people, regardless of how it is used, but I would urge you to consider HonestTea's intentions, which he articulated in his last post in this thread, rather than responding solely to the picture.
ups sorry carnac - edited name carnac --> psychotemplar; my bad..
# psychotemplar, ido: agreed, regardless style or work, no one made it out : ( - mind you , you can make a very sinister interpretation - such as that the nazi's did genocide with a unique style, hence that genocide is remembered before others.. hum.. bah! there is a couple more morbid or dark possible interpretations..
Perhaps HonestTea was simply referring litterally to the words written on the sign. Perhaps he was trying to symbolize the longing of many mediocre players to acheive greatness.
I think a picture of someone releasing a bird (a stylish bird? :O) would have been a much better symbol than than the words on the prison door to a death camp. This is what I mean by it doesn't make sense. In professional StarCraft if you have the 'style' he mentioned, you do get 'set free' because you make lots of money and are able to retire (unlike the many who fail and continue to be un'free').
A picture like that is obviously offensive in and of itself to many people, regardless of how it is used, but I would urge you to consider HonestTea's intentions, which he articulated in his last post in this thread, rather than responding solely to the picture.
That is why I believed it was simple ignorance. Though he claims it isn't, I still find it difficult to imagine he has a full understanding of its meaning. On the other hand, maybe I just don't get it. I see no wit, and therefore I didn't find it humourous in the slightest (not even 'dark' humour). Unless Entropy's on the right scent, and he was implying the Nazi's had macro like iloveoov :O (THAT was dark humour ^^ -frankly I don't really even want to keep it in my post because it is incredibly tasteless though-). But TBH that sort of interpretation never crossed my mind.
But I digress. What's done is done, and I only hope that in future pursuits he remembers these comments and his decisions are, if only slightly, impacted by them.
Perhaps HonestTea was simply referring litterally to the words written on the sign. Perhaps he was trying to symbolize the longing of many mediocre players to acheive greatness.
I think a picture of someone releasing a bird (a stylish bird? :O) would have been a much better symbol than than the words on the prison door to a death camp. This is what I mean by it doesn't make sense. In professional StarCraft if you have the 'style' he mentioned, you do get 'set free' because you make lots of money and are able to retire (unlike the many who fail and continue to be un'free').
A picture like that is obviously offensive in and of itself to many people, regardless of how it is used, but I would urge you to consider HonestTea's intentions, which he articulated in his last post in this thread, rather than responding solely to the picture.
That is why I believed it was simple ignorance. Though he claims it isn't, I still find it difficult to imagine he has a full understanding of its meaning. On the other hand, maybe I just don't get it. I see no wit, and therefore I didn't find it humourous in the slightest (not even 'dark' humour). Unless Entropy's on the right scent, and he was implying the Nazi's had macro like iloveoov :O (THAT was dark humour ^^ -frankly I don't really even want to keep it in my post because it is incredibly tasteless though-). But TBH that sort of interpretation never crossed my mind.
But I digress. What's done is done, and I only hope that in future pursuits he remembers these comments and his decisions are, if only slightly, impacted by them.
On July 21 2007 00:37 HonestTea wrote: I don't mean to say that progaming, or anything else for that matter, compares to history's organized genocides, whether it be the Holocaust, the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields, Sudanese massacre, or any other.
I do believe, however, that the phrase "work makes free" and that picture complements the words I wrote and the idea that I was trying to convey.
On July 22 2007 04:09 HonestTea wrote: Naw honey it's ok.
I mean, I knew that some people would be upset.
Group hug!
This strengthens my impression that you just didn't understand the phrase "Arbeit macht frei"
Mind you that the phrase Arbeit macht frei was coined long before the concentration camps or even the NSDAP existed and without the negative connotation.
That's what I mean Carnac. THAT'S why is doesn't make sense. He chose to use prison doors as a symbol for freedom, when the words can be detached without any penalty. Allow me to explain in picture form.
Or perhaps it was a symbol, as I already said, for the longing of second tier pros to find that style factor and the inevitable fact that they will never get it. Could that be? Would that not make sense?
If you're offended by the image, that's one thing, but stop trying to continue the debate about whether it makes sense or not when your real concern is that you don't like people making light of Nazi related issues.
We get that you don't like the use of the image, but you've made your point and now you're just being demeaning. Chill out man.
Or perhaps it was a symbol, as I already said, for the longing of second tier pros to find that style factor and the inevitable fact that they will never get it. Could that be? Would that not make sense?
No. It wouldn't. That is the most twisted and obscure explanation of a symbol I have ever heard.
If you're offended by the image, that's one thing, but stop trying to continue the debate about whether it makes sense or not when your real concern is that you don't like people making light of Nazi related issues.
I'm not particularly offended by the image. I think it's in bad taste, yes, but my main qualm with it is in fact that it's just fucking stupid. Judging from his more recent posts, I'd say he was just trying to get a reaction out of people, seeing as he shows absolutely no remorse, and probably plans to do something similar in his next work. It was unnecessary and not even remotely witty or satirical.
We get that you don't like the use of the image, but you've made your point and now you're just being demeaning. Chill out man.
I personally hate when people just say "It sucks!" or "I don't like it". I give the explanation I know I would appreciate in reversed positions.
I guess I'll stop posting in this thread before I get banned ^^
No one would ever ban you for debating an issue. Don't ever say that.
I'm not saying you should chill out because you're vividly explaining your objections, I'm saying that because at this point it's redundant. You're at the point where you're repeating yourself.
And as far as my 2 cents about the image's meaning, I'm not saying that's what HonestTea was getting at, but it's hardly obscure. I'd go so far as to say that it's a fairly basic interpretation of the picture in that context.
i soooo understand what you mean, HonestTea! In past times of progaming, all players were'nt so good, so their play style differed a lot. And A LOT of interesting games were played. Now most new players just copy their hyungs and their games get boring to watch T_T
I'm going to return to the original topics of this FE.
I find often style and strategy end up being the same thing. They are definitely not always the same thing, but more often than not things are considered 'style' when it's safe to say they are just simple strategy decisions. I think style implies you lean your strategy in a certain direction, even if that isn't seemingly the ideal direction, just because that's how you tend to do it.
At first glance, Bisu's style is to do a build that's economically strong, while constantly harrassing and punishing a zerg player. But take his famous 3-0 over savior. Savior was used to being greedy and getting away with it. Bisu's strategy was pretty much the ideal counter. Bisu didn't win because of his style, he won because he knew how to implement the strategy that best countered his opponent's play. Of course, you can say Bisu's attempt to create his own style is how he stumbled across this effective strategy. You can also say Bisu's tendency to use this style of pvz vs other zerg strategies is a stylistic decision since it probably isn't the ideal anymore.
Instead of discussing your really nice write up HonestTea, we are now discussing if using that picture in your article was really appropriate. That´s the number one reason why you should have avoided it.
And Carnac it´s hardly surprising mostly germans are offended, it´s a german phrase and german history after all. A lot of those killed in KZs were german, and all of those killed there were killed by germans. No american or french or korean people involved. Nothing funny about it.
On August 08 2007 07:04 Maenander wrote: Instead of discussing your really nice write up HonestTea, we are now discussing if using that picture in your article was really appropriate. That´s the number one reason why you should have avoided it.
And Carnac it´s hardly surprising mostly germans are offended, it´s a german phrase and german history after all. A lot of those killed in KZs were german, and all of those killed there were killed by germans. No american or french or korean people involved. Nothing funny about it.
or, conversely, those people who are discussing the picture are the reason that the discussion is sidetracked and that's the number one reason why they shouldn't continue to discuss it
i must say i disagree with the analogy Walking-playing.
Walking could be paralelled to playing starcraft on a very low level where you can do basically anything and still win the game. Running however, could equal playin SC in korean clans, while runnin 100m in the olympics would equal playing in the starleague. And did you ever watch those slowmotions of the 100meters men? They all run the same.
High jump? As the hights get bigger, everyone uses the same jump style. Swimming? Show me a person that has his own style and i'll show you a loser.
You can win with your style only if you make an improvement. And if you did make an improvement, show me a person who's not copying you, and again, i'll show you a looser. So now, everyone is using your style and it is no longer yours, it just "the way the modern game/sport is played."
Im sorry if you didnt notice this trend, but its pretty fuckin obvious, the more the game progresses, the similar the players' styles are. And math iduction theory suggest its only gonna get worse...
EPT
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). Furthermore, fantastic article.
. 
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