EPT
Hi pubbanana, can you give us your name, place of residence and age?
Ivan Sundseth, United States, 19.
How long have you been playing StarCraft and following pro-gaming?
Hmm ... about 8 years. I don't actually play StarCraft anymore, though.
But you follow the proscene pretty closely, don't you?
Not lately, but I'm trying to change that. I'm really liking the Skins matches.
Yet, one of the reasons I've chosen you is because you always seemed so knowledgeable on the proscene in your posts. Can you explain why that may be? Was there a point where you followed it pretty closely?
There was definitely a point where I followed it closely. I was pretty much obsessed with progaming up until late 2006, which was when I started my senior year of highschool. It was my last year of school, and I really didn't want to waste it. So, I set SC and progaming aside. Looking back, I don't think I made the wrong decision, but I definitely miss progaming. It's something I don't see myself losing interest in indefinitely. I may take breaks from it and set it aside for other things, but it'll always be something I love.
What brought you to activity on TL.Net? I see that you made your account in the summer of 2005.
Yep. Summer of 2005 was when I finally got broadband. I had known about TL.net for a while (if you knew about progaming, you knew TL), but I had never really posted on any forums before and didn't really bother with it. But I remembe randomly reading a thread in the BW section and made an account just to answer a question. I didn't think I'd end up staying, but I did.
Your thoughts on the Flash hype?
Basically, I think it's deserved. Flash is a very impressive player and he's very young, too. He definitely has a bright future.
What, do you think, makes him better than the average pro?
We all know the "Sense of Star" term that Garimto coined to describe players who have a feel for the game that can't be taught or learned ... Well, I think Flash is simply another example. StarCraft is a game of management, he was just fortunate enough to be born with a talent in that area. I don't believe his youth plays that big of a factor, but it doesn't hurt.
You say the his youth didn't play that big of a factor, but it certainly makes him more promising, no? If you can catch up to the best of the world in only 4 years of playing, aren't you a quick learner? Would you describe him as an innovator or a 'copy-but-improve' player?
Young rookies in progaming are always scary. Always. What they lack in experience or skill, they make up for in determination. In Flash's case, his youth certainly makes him more promising in regards to his career. But he simply has talent. At 15 or at 20, he will simply be talented at what he does. Flash, I think, can't really fit into either category.
To me, Flash is something very simple: Good. I realize that's a bland answer, but that's what I feel when I watch him. "Good."
Transferring to some more TL questions here: Who do you think is the greatest non-staff contributor? Should he be made staff?
Hmm. Well, I really can't pick one name. It seems like everyone who has made an effort is already being recognize for it.
C'mon: if you had the power to promote one person to mod, who would it be?
Last Romantic? If he's not a mod already, that is.
Well he's already staff.
I like him the best out of all TL members, let's make him a mod.
Haha, ok.
What do you think Ambition will be? Or aren't you following up the clues?
I actually did read almost the entire thread. I didn't care too much at first, but the detective work was pretty enthralling. I don't really have any good guesses as to what it could be.
April Fools? (Please don't slit my throat, Nony)
I'm kind of on the fence about that. Some say joking begins and ends on April Fools, but I've also seen people who say that joking can begin before April Fools and then be revealed on April 1. If I had to guess, I'd say it's not an April Fool's joke.
I see both sides of the April Fools argument, but it's probably not a joke either way.
Who is, according to you, the worst poster on TL.net?
Hmm. I usually hate everything baal says.
A word game: I describe 'someone' and you tell me what poster qualifies the description.
Dumb, irritating and omnipresent
marklarmarklar (sp?)
Shy korean nerdish type, cut off from the real world
ilovezil
Wow that came fast, any comments?
It was out of love : D
Funny, witty, intelligent
FakeSteve
Moderator that shouldn't be one. Being honest wont have any consequences, I promise.
Hmm. This one is tough.
I really didn't like Rekrul for a long time, but I don't feel that way anymore, so I don't think there's anyone who I would choose to lose their mod status.
Rekrul lost his mod status.
I heard. It's a shame.
So, the classical 2 word game now.
I ask a variant of this every interview: InControl: controlfreak or contributor
I don't know him at all, but he's annoying at times and constructive at others. He could be called either controlfreak or contributor depending on which way the conversation happens to be blowing at the time.
rpf: endearing or enraging
Endearing, for sure.
lilsusie: "a girl playing sc = attention whore" or "a girl playing sc = unique and cute" ?
There's several layers to this one. First, I think a girl playing SC is unique, but only in the sense that it's mostly guys who play this game (and games in general, I guess).Second, I don't know lilsusie, but I think she doesn't really play SC and just follows it as a fan. There's tons of Korean girls who love progaming, so she's not really unique in that sense. But she does good work for the community. I'm just happy to have her TL. She definitely contributes for us.
Seems like a long explanation to avoid discussing the cuteness.
Well, she is cute T_T
GrandInquisitor vs azndsh: Best showmatch ever or just.. plain sad?
Best showmatch ever.
No better way to round it up than with that question. I hope you enjoyed the interview. Thanks for answering my questions.
Thank you, it was my pleasure. Now, for my shout-outs. First, to all the people who don't like Flash: You're not big enough SC nerds and thus can't enjoy his brilliance. Second, to the mods: You're doing excellent work. Third, to the TL members: Don't be such assholes to each other. And, finally, to TeamLiquid as a whole: Be ambitious.
And no, that's not some kind of clue -_-
