EPT![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Kennigit/WeeklyRoundUp/WEEKLYROUNDUPBIG.png)
By Saracen
*ZAP* A bolt of light flashes as you hear a set of tires screech to a halt behind you. You turn around to see a beat-up old DeLorean, trunk overflowing with flashing lights, buttons, and high tech gadgetry. The driver's door opens slowly, revealing a balding, eccentric old man boasting a pair of goggles and starch white hair that is tussled in a mess of static electricity. He tells you in a wild, breathless voice to get in the car. You hesitate, but only for a second. Jumping in the passenger's seat, you watch the mad scientist fiddle furiously with a dashboard full of dials and switches. Then, the car lurches forward with an enormous jolt as the world around you melts into a blur of motion.
![[image loading]](/staff/Saracen/WeeklyRoundUp/Week61.jpg)
"Why hello there good lookin'. Why don't you just hop along in the back."
Yes, it's time travel week here in Beta land. So hop in the Team Liquid Time Machine as we take you for a trip down memory lane. And, before you know it, beta will be up and running again, and there will be sunshine and unicorns and rainbows and all will be right in the world. Also, there are some big changes in store for our little round-up. So be on the lookout for new columns and features, coming in the near future!
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Kennigit/WeeklyRoundUp/TOURNAMENTS.png)
On February 17, countless fanboys logged onto the newly refurbished B.Net 2.0 to partake in some space age ass kicking. Some were content with simply immersing themselves in the beautiful environment, letting the marvelous battles unfold around them. Others fought tooth and nail up the many ladders, ruthlessly clawing their way to the top. This competitive nature would soon be harnessed for our enjoyment.
![[image loading]](/staff/Saracen/WeeklyRoundUp/Week62.jpg)
It's time to d-d-d-d-duel.
...and it all started with this. RandomKo_Orean's massive 128-man Brood War sendoff, featuring some of TL's most popular personalities had, among other things, a community donated prize pool of $1055 and lasted for nearly a month. We definitely hit the tournament scene with a bang.
And once the ball started rolling, it never stopped. Liquipedia hosts a very convenient archives of our biggest tournaments to date, which includes our very own Team Liquid Invitationals, as well as HD and Husky's massive HDH Invitational. With the tournament thread boasting over a million views and a prize pool of $2450, this is by far the biggest tournament yet.
But let's backtrack a little bit. Think back to February, where you were either avidly searching for that newest OverSky or CowGoMoo VOD or, if you were one of the lucky few, were mashing your sleep-deprived fingers raw while overheating your computer every night. Then, in March, the entire scene changed. Tournament threads were popping up like flies, and big names from Brood War such as White-Ra and Dimaga took the beta by storm. Around that time, JP started hosting his weekly showmatch series. By the end of the month, several other weekly programs had taken off, such as iCCup's TV League, as well as the Clan War style Triple Strike Cup, where players like qxc first made a name for themselves. In the beginning of April, Smuft's Team Battle hailed the drama cab, and some good-natured USA/Canada rivalry was thrown around for our enjoyment as well. But that wasn't all. There were still plenty of leagues for those who didn't have twenty five hours a day to devote to massgaming, most notably the Get Better Fast League and GosuCoaching's Silver Stars Tournaments. Since then, tournaments have popped up all around the world. In mid-April, our very own Tasteless, IdrA, and Artosis were flown over to China to fight for our honor in the Stars Wars international tournament. This success was soon followed by the 17173.com World Cup and the 178 Asia vs Europe Starleague, both hitting the scene just before closing time in May.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Kennigit/WeeklyRoundUp/COMMUNITIY.png)
I got hit by the lazy bus as I was writing this up. Let me tell you something, wading through 143 pages of muck and filth in the SC2 forum to pull out these gems is no easy task. So here are a bunch of threads for you to sort through. It is by no means comprehensive, but maybe one of them will strike a chord of nostalgia. But be careful with your bumps, though, because the TL moderators are hungry for the blood of mindless posters.
![[image loading]](/staff/Saracen/WeeklyRoundUp/Week63.jpg)
All aboard the lazy bus!
2007
+ Show Spoiler +
SC2 is announced!
MBS, Automine and Infinite Unit Select woes
Pay-to-play? This is madness!
Enough whining!
What is this "Warp Gate" you speak of?
Auto-Matchmaking
Q&A Batches: the Start of Something Amazing
Auto-matchmaking
More proof that Blizzard's got us by the heartstrings.
Blizzcon 2007, Hot_bid Style
This sums up just about everything.
When was the last time you saw FA condone Theorycrafting?
Tasteless is worried about competitiveness as well!
MBS, Automine and Infinite Unit Select woes
Pay-to-play? This is madness!
Enough whining!
What is this "Warp Gate" you speak of?
Auto-Matchmaking
Q&A Batches: the Start of Something Amazing
Auto-matchmaking
More proof that Blizzard's got us by the heartstrings.
Blizzcon 2007, Hot_bid Style
This sums up just about everything.
When was the last time you saw FA condone Theorycrafting?
Tasteless is worried about competitiveness as well!
2008
+ Show Spoiler +
Unvieling of the Swarm ... gives birth to the queen.
Blizzard's Enclave
Blizzard World Wide Invitational I (with Nyovne's SC2 Thesis)
Savior vs Bisu ... the rivarly continues
Rumors of B.Net 2.0. It's lurking just around the corner...
Even more on Automine and MBS (with IdrA and Artosis).
December 2008: Enter Battle Report #1
Blizzard's Enclave
Blizzard World Wide Invitational I (with Nyovne's SC2 Thesis)
Savior vs Bisu ... the rivarly continues
Rumors of B.Net 2.0. It's lurking just around the corner...
Even more on Automine and MBS (with IdrA and Artosis).
December 2008: Enter Battle Report #1
2009
+ Show Spoiler +
2010
+ Show Spoiler +
February 18: Let the Madness Begin
Week One: The Best in the USA
More from the top
Wave 2
One of the earlier interviews
Fragkrag on SC2 and Computers
Patch One!
David Kim versus NonY
Tendonitis and blistering ulcers are withinReacH
The high ground mechanic
TLO's Fanclub
The shitstorm's humble beginnings, courtesy of Waxangel
No love for a bug
The Beta Key scuffle starts
Let the games begin
More keys!
The hunt continues...
How long will this madness last?
O benevolent mods
Or cruel sadistic gods
The keys! They're everywhere!
...even on Facebook!
A universal ladder
Husky is a cheater. I knew it all along! (false accusations)
SC2: Mature in Korea
Facebook Integration! Just what we've always wanted!
Terran imbalance!
Tester agrees
B.Net 2.0...
Micro matters. And Blizzard listens.
The death of modding
GOM + Blizzard: The best of friends
The infamous Frank Pierce Interview
And more on Activision
Pholon is a clever guy
Chat channels confirmed
The progamers are invading!
Week One: The Best in the USA
More from the top
Wave 2
One of the earlier interviews
Fragkrag on SC2 and Computers
Patch One!
David Kim versus NonY
Tendonitis and blistering ulcers are withinReacH
The high ground mechanic
TLO's Fanclub
The shitstorm's humble beginnings, courtesy of Waxangel
No love for a bug
The Beta Key scuffle starts
Let the games begin
More keys!
The hunt continues...
How long will this madness last?
O benevolent mods
Or cruel sadistic gods
The keys! They're everywhere!
...even on Facebook!
A universal ladder
Husky is a cheater. I knew it all along! (false accusations)
SC2: Mature in Korea
Facebook Integration! Just what we've always wanted!
Terran imbalance!
Tester agrees
B.Net 2.0...
Micro matters. And Blizzard listens.
The death of modding
GOM + Blizzard: The best of friends
The infamous Frank Pierce Interview
And more on Activision
Pholon is a clever guy
Chat channels confirmed
The progamers are invading!
Don't forget to check out our amazing SC2 coverage. Just search for "[SC2B]" in the news section, and you'll find gems like these, and much much more.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Kennigit/WeeklyRoundUp/BLIZZARD.png)
The beta's been through a roller coaster ride of changes. They've been big and small, good and bad, but in the end, only two things remained the same with each consecutive patch: our bristling cynicism and relentless complaining. Let take a look back and remember the instigators of those one-hundred-page shitstorms, shall we?
Patch 1 (2/25): The first patch ever featured the removal of the high templar's phase shift and the consequent addition of feedback, as well as the beginning of a long and drawn out trend of successive mothership and infestor nerfs.
Patch 2 (2/26): The mothership is hit hard again, as well as chronoboost duration. Terran is the recipient of some minor build time buffs, including a major build time cut to the reactor core.
Patch 3 (3/04): Nothing new here. Just following the current trend of slightly nerfing Protoss and buffing Terran.
Patch 4 (3/05): The sole purpose of this patch was that it "Added support to display the game rating information on the F10 in-game menu within the beta" for Korean users.
Patch 5 (3/12): At last, the warp gate upgrade gets hit hard, as well as nydus worms. Burrow is also hurt, and infestors are redesigned yet again.
Patch 6 (3/25): PvT is now playable as SCVs, marines, and reactors are hurt considerably. Always considerate of their Terran progeny, Blizzard throws around some minor Terran buffs while they're at it. The patch also features more Protoss nerfs (what else is new), as well as a much needed Stalker damage increase. Finally, the patch was the herald of the slow and painful death of the roach.
Patch 7 (3/30): Possibly in response to this article, this patch showcases static defense buffs all around, including a much-needed buff to spine crawlers that players like MoonGlaDe became famous for taking advantage of, as well as the first much needed nerf to the broodlord, a nerf to psionic storm, another nerf to the roach, and the rise of Terran anti-air superiority.
Patch 8 (4/07): This patch was even more evidence that Blizzard's all-seeing eye is watching us. Soon after this thread, Blizzard released Patch 8, making concussive shells an upgrade. In return, Thors and siege tanks were made slightly more accessible. Also, void rays were improved, paving the way for a whole new era of TvP imba complaints. Dubbed the "anti-IdrA" patch, both roaches and hydras were nerfed, but more was soon to come.
Patch 9 (4/22): This was the major cosmetic patch, introducing achievements and decals, as well as changing multiple hotkeys, to the dismay of countless Zerg players. Also, the Galaxy editor was released, bringing forth wave after wave of custom maps. There were also a few things hidden under the covers, such as the removal of wireframe casting, which completely changed the game for many Zerg players. Also, the Zerg graveyard Incineration Zone was introduced to the ladder, as well as many other 2v2 maps. On the other hand, the balance changes this patch were minimal, the most blatant of which were an immortal nerf, an infestor buff, and a re-tweaking of concussive shells.
Patch 10 (4/26): Remember the ultimate Zerg rush? Oops. It was hurriedly fixed four days later with Patch 10.
Patch 11 (5/06): By far the largest balance patch, Patch 11 was most famously (or infamously) known for the Phoenix autoshoot following this thread. However, lost amidst the incredulity and disbelief was something far more pivotal to the state of the game. Indeed, Patch 11 was the splash patch, making splash damage radiate from the center of the target, and quietly ushering in a new era of mech dominance right infront of our eyes. Besides that, the patch included the sentry damage nerf, Blizzard's way of dealing with our force field complaints, as well as a complete overhaul of the corruptor, infestor, and raven, and a sizeable Brood Lord nerf. There were small attack changes to the colossus and thor, and ultras got a nice damage increase. Finally, more mixed news for the Swarm as Spine and Spore crawlers officially take an eternity to root, while the accidental research of Ventral Sacs is no longer an issue.
Patch 12 (5/13): The patch that finally slew the roach. After a slow and painful process of nerfing, Blizzard dealt the final blow, increasing the roach supply to 2, and leaving Zerg with no 1 supply unit above zerglings. Also, Blizzard fixed a force field + vortex exploit that was slowly picking up momentum, and made the Thor smaller and less ridiculous-looking.
Patch 13 (5/20): With this patch, Blizzard attempted to deal with all of the Zerg diversity issues that the forum-goers are oh so willing to articulate. Again completely redesigning the ultralisk, infestor, and overseer, Blizzard hoped to give Zerg more flexibility with the appearance of many new (and old) spells. Also, to the jubilation of terran players, void ray range was decreased while force fields could now be destroyed. On top of all of that, Blizzard implemented a major change in the league system, introducing a diamond rank (removing the copper rank), and entirely reworking the ladder system, as well as removing identifiers. 3v3 and 4v4 and map publishing were implemented, leading to countless hours of casual fun with friends and foes. For all those networking geeks out there, UDP was also enabled, as well as our oh-so-loved Facebook integration feature.
Patch 14 (6/01): By the end of May, the forums were ablaze with flames about the imbalance of Terran mech, which were even fueled by some of the top players themselves. Expecting a massive patch addressing these issues, we were sorely disappointed when all we got were minor tweaks.
Patch 15 (6/03): Two days later, Blizzard decides to touch on the mech balance, though with immense restraint, fearing that the might and fury of the mystical gamer race known as the Korean Zergs might one day reemerge.
To be continued... (I hope)
Map of the Week:
XGDragon's Unit Tester
Lack of beta got you down? Cheer up emo kid, there's only a few days left! And what better way to whittle down those excruciating few days than by watching semi-massive armies destroy each other? This unit tester is extremely useful on so many levels. Want to test the effectiveness of certain unit compositions? How about upgrades? Maybe you just want to watch shit die? No problem! No more will you need to make another help thread on TL, only to be mocked and ridiculed by a horde of forum trolls. Simply boot up the editor and test your curious little heart out. It's one of those special few maps that can be branded as "edutainment," and it doesn't take much testing to get hooked.
XGDragon's Unit Tester
Lack of beta got you down? Cheer up emo kid, there's only a few days left! And what better way to whittle down those excruciating few days than by watching semi-massive armies destroy each other? This unit tester is extremely useful on so many levels. Want to test the effectiveness of certain unit compositions? How about upgrades? Maybe you just want to watch shit die? No problem! No more will you need to make another help thread on TL, only to be mocked and ridiculed by a horde of forum trolls. Simply boot up the editor and test your curious little heart out. It's one of those special few maps that can be branded as "edutainment," and it doesn't take much testing to get hooked.
Fun: 5 (To "hardcore" theorycrafters and gamers, this is a godsend. Not bad for the casuals, either).
Creativity: 7 (A nice concept. I especially like how you can control the units from both sides as they're battling).
Smoothness: 9 (The only complaint I have is that I can't spawn more than sixty little harems at a time).
But don't take my word for it. Let the masses decide!
Poll: How is it?
It rocks my socks! (192)
70%
I'm lame and do not wear socks for it to rock (42)
15%
I'm lame and do not wish to commit to a partisan decision (40)
15%
274 total votes
I'm lame and do not wear socks for it to rock (42)
I'm lame and do not wish to commit to a partisan decision (40)
274 total votes
Your vote: How is it?
(Vote): It rocks my socks!
(Vote): I'm lame and do not wish to commit to a partisan decision
(Vote): I'm lame and do not wear socks for it to rock
That concludes this issue of the Round-Up, thanks for reading! If you’ve got a tournament, stream, contest or other content you feel maybe of value to the Round-up, feel free pass it along. Until next week, Good Luck and Have Fun.
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