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How important is commentary to your enjoyment of StarCraft…

Forum Index > Polls & Liquibet
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TL.net Bot
Profile Joined June 2004
TL.net133 Posts
May 03 2020 23:00 GMT
#1
sugarmuffinpuff
Profile Joined October 2014
Canada38 Posts
May 04 2020 00:38 GMT
#2
Starcraft is complicated, and I don't play the game enough to fully understand it at a high level. Anybody below master league should benefit massively from good commentary.
Darkness2k11
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Chile313 Posts
May 04 2020 01:32 GMT
#3
Good commentary makes a bad game enjoyable to watch, bad commentary ruins great games.

5 I guess
When Behind, Dark Shrine
ZigguratOfUr
Profile Blog Joined April 2012
Iraq16955 Posts
May 04 2020 03:41 GMT
#4
Somewhat important for me. Good commentary certainly adds to the experience, but games without commentary (or more often commentary in a language I don't understand) are fine too.

So 3.
Kitai
Profile Joined June 2012
United States880 Posts
May 04 2020 04:14 GMT
#5
Definitely a 5 for me. I especially love commentators that mix in a good bit of humor along with their analysis.
"You know, I don't care if soO got 100 second places in a row. Anyone who doesn't think that he's going to win blizzcon watching this series is a fool" - Artosis, Blizzcon 2014 soO vs TaeJa
yxme
Profile Joined May 2019
15 Posts
May 04 2020 05:24 GMT
#6
I think I have to say 3, good commentary can save bad games, and make great games even better. However I'd be fine just watching games from replay files as well and get the same enjoyment.
dogmode
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
Philippines491 Posts
May 04 2020 05:58 GMT
#7
Though there is an abundance of online tournaments to watch, I can't say I enjoy watching them all as some of the commentary can get quite bad both relative to entertainment and educational values. This really goes to show how much premiere casters are worth, they make even poor games at least entertaining to watch.
"Back then teams that won were credited, now it's called throw. I think it's sad." - KuroKy
Shuffleblade
Profile Joined February 2012
Sweden1903 Posts
May 04 2020 07:06 GMT
#8
A 5 for me for sure, sadly I don't enjoy starcraft without decent casting. The only time I can enjoy games without casting is if its a lot on the line and I am a fan of one of the players. Starcraft 2 is so complex that I feel I need a caster to help makes sense of BOs, decisionmaking, gameplans and so on not to mention mind games in longer series. Still can't Believe Maru Went double Banshee in every single game against Dark in the finals, thats so bloody clever.
Maru, Bomber, TY, Dear, Classic, DeParture and Rogue!
Vindicare605
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
United States16109 Posts
May 04 2020 08:48 GMT
#9
If I don't like the commentary (I won't name names) I can usually enjoy the games anyway muted, just with music on or something. Or I can watch the games muted with my brother or other SC2 friends and we can talk about the game together.

But, I look forward every week to hearing Tasteless and Artosis while I'm watching games. I love their commentary and it definitely improves the experience a lot. I'm really starting to love listening to PiG and Maynarde together too, because they're just so goofy and fun.

Good commentary improves the enjoyment I have watching Starcraft, but it's not mandatory.
aka: KTVindicare the Geeky Bartender
Morrissey
Profile Blog Joined April 2014
Germany55 Posts
May 04 2020 11:17 GMT
#10
definitely a 5. there are some streams i cant bear watching due to the commentary
MarineKingPrime forever
naughtDE
Profile Blog Joined May 2019
158 Posts
May 04 2020 11:36 GMT
#11
Like, I don't mind muting half the casters out there, I can still enjoy the game, though you have to focus on the minimap since most miss half the action on top of babbling gibberish. On the other hand, Tasteless and Artosis greatly add to my enjoyment of a match.
I guess bad commentary takes more away from the game (the game sounds for one when muted) than good commentary adds? My favourite cast ever was snute and socke at one of the HSCs, but it didn't make the games better, it had value for itself, sooo much deep knowledge. Just like Tasteless and Artosis could banter over anything and it would be a good time, the game itself does not become better or worse i think.
"I'll take [LET IT SNOW] for 800" - Sean Connery (Darrell Hammond)
Greenei
Profile Joined November 2011
Germany1754 Posts
May 04 2020 16:06 GMT
#12
I sometimes wish you could mute the caster without muting the game sounds.
IMBA IMBA IMBA IMBA IMBA IMBA
TheDougler
Profile Joined April 2010
Canada8306 Posts
May 04 2020 18:13 GMT
#13
4/5 for me. I'll still enjoy games if there's no commentary available, but I find it a much more enjoyable experience if there's commentary as well.
I root for Euro Zergs, NA Protoss* and Korean Terrans. (Any North American who has beat a Korean Pro as Protoss counts as NA Toss)
Vindicare605
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
United States16109 Posts
Last Edited: 2020-05-04 18:50:04
May 04 2020 18:42 GMT
#14
On May 05 2020 01:06 Greenei wrote:
I sometimes wish you could mute the caster without muting the game sounds.


Well heck, there's plenty of streams I can think of where I can't hear the game sounds at all or barely.
aka: KTVindicare the Geeky Bartender
Geo.Rion
Profile Blog Joined October 2008
7377 Posts
May 05 2020 10:08 GMT
#15
I'd say very important, it really adds a lot and makes the experience more enjoyable.
Then again, i do watch many of the smaller online cups, where i have to mute the caster. That means, I can enjoy it enough to tune in even without commentary, so i voted 4.
"Protoss is a joke" Liquid`Jinro Okt.1. 2011
Immaterial
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Canada510 Posts
May 05 2020 15:01 GMT
#16
Pretty important. It's hard to quantify exactly but when other people fill in for Tastosis at ASL, it definitely hampers my enjoyment of the stream a bit. Even if I really like the people filling in like Cadenzie or Rapid it just isn't quite the same. Perhaps this is strange to say, but I think part of it is the comfort of familiarity. Listening to Artosis and Tasteless cast a game feels almost like watching the games with friends even if I've never actually met them.

All of that being said, I do find it kind of annoying when people constantly shit on casters they don't personally enjoy listening to. That kind of attitude strikes me as a bit infantile, because as important as good casting is to the experience of watching Starcraft, if you dislike the casting that much there is always the option to mute.
It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
VGhost
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States3616 Posts
May 05 2020 15:26 GMT
#17
I put down 4. Commentary definitely adds something, as long as the commentators are clearly invested in the game themselves. That can mean a lot of different things - strategic insight and hype are the two most obvious things commentary can add. The excitement might be the most important thing - I can listen to a Korean or Russian cast even though I don't understand either language as long as the interest is communicated and clearly following the action.

It's not the highest level analysis, but Rapid and Nyoken as a pair have done a great job with the BSL casts, they might be my favorite right now.
#4427 || I am not going to scan a ferret.
paddyz
Profile Joined May 2011
Ireland628 Posts
May 05 2020 15:34 GMT
#18
My favourite commentary is when some of the pros commentate homestory cup.
_fool
Profile Joined February 2011
Netherlands680 Posts
May 05 2020 16:26 GMT
#19
Definitely 5! And shoutout to all the casters and production crew making this possible!

Commentary by (ex-)pro players is the best imo, and I'm ok with a play-by-play wingman. Hype casters I don't care that much about (except iNcontroL )

When commentary is just play-by-play, it becomes somewhat redundant at times. But mix in the occasional prediction (who cares about caster curse) or fun fact and I'm a happy camper
"News is to the mind what sugar is to the body"
Lazy_Einstein
Profile Joined May 2020
1 Post
May 05 2020 17:20 GMT
#20
IMO, the commentary usually makes the games more enjoyable to watch.

Personally, I don't always enjoy it when some casters add banter and non-SC2 talk in excess.
Banter/Joking/etc, between games, can add to the enjoyment of the cast but can easily go overboard and lower the quality of the casting. Talking about non-SC2 things on one's Twitch streams is fine but it doesn't have as much of a place in online tournaments and joint casts.

To me, the good casters/commentators are:
- Invested in the game.
(Be an active and regular player/watcher who knows the game to a high level(the units, their stats, builds, etc.)
- Spend 85%-90% of the time talking about the game during casts.
(Mechanics, play-predictions based on information, providing less known information on units/etc for low-level players(PiG does this well), talking about errors in play and potential ways to avoid those errors in the future.)
- Focused when casting.
(One would not do well playing SC2 if one did not focus while playing. I find many casters, who banter and talk about non-SC2 things too much are the ones who end up being less focused while casting and give the least amount of productive/interesting input.)

I'd like to see more new casters being brought in and have a third and/or fourth person join Tastetosis to add to the between-game SC2 discussions. I feel that would create more thought-provoking debates about game mechanics/play/strats/builds; all while adding a fresh addition/perspective to every cast.

+1 for adding pro players to the commentary is awesome(Like paddyz said above. Showtime and special on the couch was awesome. More of that would be great.)
Li_Xin
Profile Joined January 2018
51 Posts
May 05 2020 18:46 GMT
#21
Used to not be important at all. I remember back in the days the only English commentary would be like Klazart a few days after the games were streamed.

Artosis+Tasteless are so good though that it's become important to have them casting the ASL. I would still watch some games without them, but that's it.

Also, there was that Brood War Christmas Bash with day9, incontrol, Artosis, Tasteless and I've never ever had more entertained by casters in any professional sport or e-sport like I was by them. The game play in that tournament was hardly anything impressive, but that was a damn entertaining time. Was really hoping they would all get together next Christmas but sadly they didn't. And now Incontrol is gone, so there's no chance it will ever happen again. It's still pretty sad to think that he's gone.
JiYan
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
United States3668 Posts
May 07 2020 20:14 GMT
#22
Sometimes its just the hype. I grew up watching MSL/OSL in korean (i dont speak korean) and just seeing how hyped everyone got made me more excited.
muppet70
Profile Joined January 2017
Sweden72 Posts
May 08 2020 09:30 GMT
#23
Important, as I only watch and even if I played it would be on a level so far behind the pros I want to hear about not just the game but also possible strats on the map and what to expect from the players.
I really like how Wardi have evolved as a caster (however I wont bash anyone).
Its rare that I've muted casters but it does happen, because of clueless, talking too much of something completely unrelated or even heavy bias that I disagree with.
Sombre
Profile Joined October 2010
United Kingdom86 Posts
May 08 2020 09:33 GMT
#24
It's the only reason I watch
Weavel
Profile Joined January 2010
Finland9221 Posts
May 08 2020 19:26 GMT
#25
Always on mute with my own music own.
Life/Seed//Mvp/NaNiwa fighting! ZeNEX forever!
Opposition1
Profile Joined September 2017
14 Posts
May 09 2020 18:34 GMT
#26
5, it's very important to me. I love commentary from informed, knowledgeable individuals who spend their airtime talking about the game in front of them. It seems like about half a decade ago the League of Legends community got really serious about their casting, turning it into an almost ESPN like experience. The broadcasters they hire are very competent at explaining the nuances in the game and very often they are correct in their predictions of how the game will play out. I appreciate being able to take this knowledge into my own games.

In DOTA major tournaments, and especially TI, the casting is also excellent. There are too many good casters to name, really, but characters like ODPixel and Synderen come to mind. Their stage presence and delivery help to complement their already deep game knowledge.

In Starcraft, however, I have to seek out Korean language VOD's because despite not speaking Korean, I feel like I learn a lot more from them. The last time I randomly unmuted Tastosis casting an intense game of Brood War they spent a couple minutes of back-and-forth gameplay talking about coathangers. I don't think there's anything wrong with folks enjoying their style of casting -- they are trying to make the game fun for people. For me, I don't like their off topic banter, insider jokes, and frequently inaccurate statements about the events occurring in the game. To be perfectly honest Tasteless seems genuinely bored with his job. Unfortunately there aren't any other choices for me as far as English language VOD's are concerned, so it's harder to enjoy the games muted unless I can find a Korean cast. There was a single cast I saw in which Cadenzie participated that I enjoyed because she is a knowledgeable player and despite not talking much, she stuck to the content of the game when she spoke. I would like to see her commentary more often.

The Starcraft 2 community has some better talent, in my opinion. I've enjoyed ToD's casting in particular, and was surprised that Idra was a decent caster too, despite not being my favorite person as a player. Even so, I don't always feel like the casters are always as specific or precise as they are in games like League of Legends. I'd love to be proven wrong here -- maybe I've overlooked some good casters who can stay on topic. I'd love to hear some high quality commentators explain the game well.

Recently I've been exploring the Warcraft 3 and AoE2 tournament VOD's and I have to say they're also great. Sometimes the casters assume their viewers know a little much (you don't get a lot of explanations of standard play), but otherwise I can watch and re-watch VOD's from these games and keep learning over and over. I'd say that in general both of these games have excellent and highly knowledgeable individuals who really help me get better at the game every time I listen to them.
BronzeKnee
Profile Joined March 2011
United States5218 Posts
May 12 2020 22:37 GMT
#27
We're not going to do this right? The whole sports with commentary doesn't work, it has been tried.
[AS]Rattus
Profile Joined March 2017
427 Posts
May 13 2020 04:18 GMT
#28
commentary not that important to me, but if it exists, it better be good or otherwise just annoys and ruins the experience.
RandomPlayer
Profile Joined April 2012
Russian Federation400 Posts
May 13 2020 07:51 GMT
#29
I like Russian casters as they bring deep game analysis, so you understand what strategies are played and what are the key points in the match. Most other casters are just saying what is happening so I often put them on mute (I can see it myself, you know).
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