EPTGrnp's Tournament Wrap Up - Official Replay Pack
Whew! I'm back from the Assembly Summer ASUS ROG Tournament, and what a trip it was!
First off, congratulations to mTw.Dimaga on his championship! Despite being recognized as one of the world's best players since the beta, this was his very first championship at a major live tournament. As a lot of people have seen now through videos and pictures, he was extremely happy to win. The replay pack is out now, so definitely check it out!
Overall, it was a pretty cool event to attend live. The tournament area was good for players, though there were a few minor problems like the A/C being too cold (and I'm from Sweden!), and the desks being slightly cramped for certain mouse-keyboard setups.
It was a nice environment for the audience as well, as you could see all the players screens from the crowd area even though there was the (much needed) seperation between player and crowd. However, it was a bit disappointing that the tournament area couldn't have been any bigger, though the organizers did the best with the section of the floor they were given. It just seems that a tournament with so many high level players and so much prize money should have had a bigger venue. The place held about 100 people, and was almost always packed. Not that I am complaining about my personal viewing experience, which was great!
The finals were played on the main stage in front of a huge LAN area with thousands of people. A lot of them were just on their computers playing other games or doing something else, but anyone who looked up could catch a high quality Starcraft II match.
The best series of the tournament was definitely the Stephano vs Dimaga semi-final series, which was better than even the exciting comeback finals. It really showed what's possible in ZvZ when two great players face each other, and I think that it will have made ZvZ some people's favorite matchup. Especially when you think about what's going on in TvT and PvP these days.
In other news, everyone was surprised to see Nada dropping so many games to foreigners, eventually being eliminated by Mana. Surprised, and excited! The crowd always gave it up when someone beat Nada. It's nothing against Nada personally, but everyone outside Korea just wants to see foreigners do well against Koreans.
In summary, a great tournament. A long deserving veteran finally got his championship, while up and coming players got to prove themselves to a big audience. Couldn't ask for much more.
Whew! I'm back from the Assembly Summer ASUS ROG Tournament, and what a trip it was!
First off, congratulations to mTw.Dimaga on his championship! Despite being recognized as one of the world's best players since the beta, this was his very first championship at a major live tournament. As a lot of people have seen now through videos and pictures, he was extremely happy to win.
Table of Contents
Brought to you by:
Elly the ESPORTS Elephant
![[image loading]](/staff/HawaiianPig/ellyicon.png)
![[image loading]](/images/forum/wiki_icon.png)
ASUS ROG Assembly Summer
Chatting with mTw.DIMAGA
Stephano vs Brat_OK:
Sportsmanship
Photographs & Videos
Brought to you by:
Elly the ESPORTS Elephant
ASUS ROG Assembly SummerChatting with mTw.DIMAGA
Stephano vs Brat_OK:
Sportsmanship
Photographs & Videos
Overall, it was a pretty cool event to attend live. The tournament area was good for players, though there were a few minor problems like the A/C being too cold (and I'm from Sweden!), and the desks being slightly cramped for certain mouse-keyboard setups.
It was a nice environment for the audience as well, as you could see all the players screens from the crowd area even though there was the (much needed) seperation between player and crowd. However, it was a bit disappointing that the tournament area couldn't have been any bigger, though the organizers did the best with the section of the floor they were given. It just seems that a tournament with so many high level players and so much prize money should have had a bigger venue. The place held about 100 people, and was almost always packed. Not that I am complaining about my personal viewing experience, which was great!
The finals were played on the main stage in front of a huge LAN area with thousands of people. A lot of them were just on their computers playing other games or doing something else, but anyone who looked up could catch a high quality Starcraft II match.
The best series of the tournament was definitely the Stephano vs Dimaga semi-final series, which was better than even the exciting comeback finals. It really showed what's possible in ZvZ when two great players face each other, and I think that it will have made ZvZ some people's favorite matchup. Especially when you think about what's going on in TvT and PvP these days.
In other news, everyone was surprised to see Nada dropping so many games to foreigners, eventually being eliminated by Mana. Surprised, and excited! The crowd always gave it up when someone beat Nada. It's nothing against Nada personally, but everyone outside Korea just wants to see foreigners do well against Koreans.
In summary, a great tournament. A long deserving veteran finally got his championship, while up and coming players got to prove themselves to a big audience. Couldn't ask for much more.
mTw.DIMAGA mini-Interview
By: WaxAngel
A week after Assembly, I caught up with Dimaga for a brief chat session before he departed for Gamescom. Due to the nature of the conversation, it's mostly unedited.
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/dimagachamp.jpg)
You've always been considered one of the best players since Beta, but didn't have a championship at a big live event until Assembly. How did you feel after you won?I'm so happy it's hard to describe this feeling
. It's just all good feeling in one time 
What was going through your mind when you were down 0-2 in the finals? What did you do mentally to come back and win 3-2?
I just think about next map and next game. Cause if you start think about something else it will be bad for you.
Did it help a lot that some of your fellow Ukrainians were at the tournament to talk to?
Yea sure but when you sitting at huge stage you need to think only about game ^^. I want to say its all about yourself. It's you playing not someone else
. But sure after games and before game we make some jokes and its pretty nice In the semi-finals, Stephano used some interesting rush strategies against you. Were you surprised?
Not really cause he used it before our match versus Sen.
How do you feel about being only Zerg to beat Nestea in ZvZ on TV?
:D:D:D im really proud of it
Ukraine vs Sweden, 5v5 GSTL style. Who wins, what score?
Ohhhh very very hard question cause i think Sweden and Ukraine 2 the best team right now in Europe
.If you you had to pick one?
Sure Ukraine :D:D:D
You all kill?
Easy xDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
A lot of American fans would love to see you live, do you plan to do MLG this year, or maybe next?
I'm not sure about MLG tt maybe some another tourney
Not many other live tourneys, besides maybe NASL or TSL final (*crosses fingers*)?
Yeap i will try to do both or all 3 :D
Any last comments, shout outs, or thank yous?
Yea sure want to thx to me team mTw for supporting me and to all our sponsors. And sure to all Fans of StarCraft2 keep cheering for this game !!!!
On Sportsmanship
by: WaxAngel
Introduction for those of you who don't know the story: Brat_OK and Stephano had been placed into the same RO32 group, and had both confirmed their RO16 tournament qualification at 2-0 each. Going into their final group game against each other, there was nothing to play for except for 1st/2nd place.
However, instead of being a random draw, the RO16 tournament bracket at Assembly was arranged so that players from predetermined groups would face each other in the RO16. For Stephano and Brat_OK in Group F (Stephano, Brat_OK, biGs, Satiinni) that meant taking on Group C (Naama, Sen, Sarens, Protosser). In addition, the groups were not even played at the same time, with Group C's #1 and #2 being determined as Sarens and Sen respectively, far before Group F even began.
The result was that Brat_OK and Stephano ended up actually trying to lose against each other in their series, so as to avoid Sen in the RO16. They achieved this through the use of ridiculous tactics, which grew even more absurd when they realized that they both had the same plan in mind. Eventually, Brat_OK "lost" the series because he happened to leave the game faster in the deciding game.
Outside the games themselves, the biggest subplot of the weekend was the Stephano vs Brat_OK game-throwing incident. It's a complicated topic to talk about, and one that deserves more than a simple treatment here. But there are a few short things I would like to say. Keep in mind, these are purely my opinions.
There is no question that it was unprofessional and in poor sportsmanship for Brat_OK and Stephano to play extremely poorly with the intention to lose. There is no question that it was incompetent of the tournament organizers for not planning for this easily avoidable situation, and morally dubious that they did not punish the players involved. However, I think that the blame on parties can be shifted to some degree.
Professionalism and sportsmanship are ideals everyone would like to aspire to, but sadly ideals don't put food on the table. Sure, ESPORTS still shows signs of its amateur, fraternal roots, as in the case of Gimix at MLG Anaheim. On the other hand, you can't help but feel that ESPORTS is hurtling headlong towards being ruled by ruthless capitalism, just like every other sport that has money in it. I've yet to see a tournament with a sportsmanship prize (worth more than a pittance), while character is usually the least influential factor when a team decides a player's salary. Neither player, nor team, nor tournament is intrinsically drawn to following loftier ideas.
In the end, it falls to the fans. As the end consumers of ESPORTS, the fans can ultimately decide what the producers - the players, the teams, and the organizers - consider to be important. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), the minor commotion at Assembly speaks to the largely indifferent attitude of the fan community. Obviously we care enough about something as major as the Brood War match fixing scandal that GomTV feels compelled to uphold a ban upon them.
But the Combat-Ex's of the world go untouched, SelecT is free to rush battlecruisers in a much anticipated match with MC after clinching a grand final berth, and Stephano can go offensive hatchery in a tournament game. There are a few voices of outrage, but overall, the reaction seems to be a resoundingly apathetic "Meh."
So, there's where we're at.
Where should we take it from here?
Thanks to Bumblebee, Jimlloyd, and Nazgul for discussing this matter with me and giving me more perspectives.
However, instead of being a random draw, the RO16 tournament bracket at Assembly was arranged so that players from predetermined groups would face each other in the RO16. For Stephano and Brat_OK in Group F (Stephano, Brat_OK, biGs, Satiinni) that meant taking on Group C (Naama, Sen, Sarens, Protosser). In addition, the groups were not even played at the same time, with Group C's #1 and #2 being determined as Sarens and Sen respectively, far before Group F even began.
The result was that Brat_OK and Stephano ended up actually trying to lose against each other in their series, so as to avoid Sen in the RO16. They achieved this through the use of ridiculous tactics, which grew even more absurd when they realized that they both had the same plan in mind. Eventually, Brat_OK "lost" the series because he happened to leave the game faster in the deciding game.
Outside the games themselves, the biggest subplot of the weekend was the Stephano vs Brat_OK game-throwing incident. It's a complicated topic to talk about, and one that deserves more than a simple treatment here. But there are a few short things I would like to say. Keep in mind, these are purely my opinions.
There is no question that it was unprofessional and in poor sportsmanship for Brat_OK and Stephano to play extremely poorly with the intention to lose. There is no question that it was incompetent of the tournament organizers for not planning for this easily avoidable situation, and morally dubious that they did not punish the players involved. However, I think that the blame on parties can be shifted to some degree.
Professionalism and sportsmanship are ideals everyone would like to aspire to, but sadly ideals don't put food on the table. Sure, ESPORTS still shows signs of its amateur, fraternal roots, as in the case of Gimix at MLG Anaheim. On the other hand, you can't help but feel that ESPORTS is hurtling headlong towards being ruled by ruthless capitalism, just like every other sport that has money in it. I've yet to see a tournament with a sportsmanship prize (worth more than a pittance), while character is usually the least influential factor when a team decides a player's salary. Neither player, nor team, nor tournament is intrinsically drawn to following loftier ideas.
In the end, it falls to the fans. As the end consumers of ESPORTS, the fans can ultimately decide what the producers - the players, the teams, and the organizers - consider to be important. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), the minor commotion at Assembly speaks to the largely indifferent attitude of the fan community. Obviously we care enough about something as major as the Brood War match fixing scandal that GomTV feels compelled to uphold a ban upon them.
But the Combat-Ex's of the world go untouched, SelecT is free to rush battlecruisers in a much anticipated match with MC after clinching a grand final berth, and Stephano can go offensive hatchery in a tournament game. There are a few voices of outrage, but overall, the reaction seems to be a resoundingly apathetic "Meh."
So, there's where we're at.
Where should we take it from here?
Thanks to Bumblebee, Jimlloyd, and Nazgul for discussing this matter with me and giving me more perspectives.
Photographs & Videos
by: Grnp
Nice little opinion piece on the Brat_OK/Stephano incident, and to an extent I think it's fairly ambiguous on how situations like those can be handled since there is a multitude of things surrounding each scenario. 
