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On December 10 2010 14:05 compscidude wrote: i'll be realistic here. you will have a greater chance if you stop school and play games from a younger age. This was the case for Flash, one of the dominant player in SC history. He started when he was 15, and big portion of his time went to practices.
If your motivated to succeed in e-sports, i recommend having your priorities changed. Gaming would have to be your first not school, and by all means, this doesnt mean you must drop out. But rather, you have to understand that doing good in school is not what you would be expecting, given that you are motivated to succeed in gaming.
So my point is, set your priorities. How are you going to spend you time?
Flash is the exception. Flash is not a person, he is the God-child of Deep Blue and Galactus, Devourer of Worlds.
As for the OP, trust me: Finish high school.
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On December 10 2010 14:16 Defacer wrote:Show nested quote +On December 10 2010 14:05 compscidude wrote: i'll be realistic here. you will have a greater chance if you stop school and play games from a younger age. This was the case for Flash, one of the dominant player in SC history. He started when he was 15, and big portion of his time went to practices.
If your motivated to succeed in e-sports, i recommend having your priorities changed. Gaming would have to be your first not school, and by all means, this doesnt mean you must drop out. But rather, you have to understand that doing good in school is not what you would be expecting, given that you are motivated to succeed in gaming.
So my point is, set your priorities. How are you going to spend you time? I don't want to be negative here, but the old man in me is feels obligated to say that becoming a professional SC2 player seems about as easy as becoming an NBA player. And the sport hasn't matured yet. There are 250 NBA players. There are 32 Code S GSL players. But I'm speaking out of turn. Hopefully one of the pro's on this board will give you the real scoop.
There's probably 1000x more people who play basketball on a regular basis than starcraft 2 so I don't think it's easier (unless you are freakishly tall).
But as you say we need someone who has made a name for themselves to comment on this since they know best.
@the OP, you just have to realize that first of all, your improvement has been good but it's nothing special. You still have a loooong way to go and improvement comes slower as time goes on. It just comes down to dedication. Are you willing to practice 8+ hours a day, everyday? For me that would be no easy task as I get sick of the game after a few hours.
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My advice first of all is: Find something else you are good at, that doesn't take much effort (ie, you are talented at), that someone will pay you for.
Chances are, this other thing will support you while you spend the time it takes to go pro. Do that thing well, as well. It will also become the thing most likely that supports you after you stop being a pro.
'Jobbers', like Fenix (I think?), a lot of the ROOT guys, and whatnot are going to be your role model for a while. Spending time sneaking in games on lunch breaks, thinking about new stuff on the clock at whatever job you choose, and generally loving the game will take you far.
And as much as I hate to say it, find someone currently highly ranked as well and dog the shit out of them until they become your friend. The social aspect of becoming a pro is not to be understated. You can learn a lot from a current pro, if you can befriend them. There is also a lot of soft skills that they will teach you, or that you can learn from them, like how to not get demotivated from losing, and how to handle tourney stress, stuff like that.
Also, emphasize getting better, not just playing games. Playing games is simple, but getting better is exhausting.
That's my advice. Hope it helps!
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Let me post Junkka's epic speech after the GSL2 finals:
I'm gonna be talking my own things now as there isn't anything important to translate.
First of all I'd like to say I have a great respect for NesTea not just because he won the tournament but because this guy had the courage to do what he wanted to do and proved he was right.I'm saying this because too many people even in Korea consider playing games is a waste of time.I, myself, was unemployed for 2 years *laughs*, bout a year and a half before I joined GOM.All I did was play games at home and my friends would say that I'm wasting my life.Well...uhm..who's laughing now ?. I asked them " Can you honestly say that you like your job " and I asked them " Do you have a fan who draws a fanart just for you ? ". That shuts them up.
So everytime you feel ashamed of being a nerd and your friends, teachers, neighbours and even parents think gaming is a waste of time you'll remember there's no such thing as wasting life as long as you have the courage to do what you like and be passionate about it.You'll remember , if NesTea listened to all those critics he wouldn't be standing there with a trophy and you'll remember that even if you feel nobody around you supports you that I, Jay, Artosis and Tasteless, everyone in GOM will support you.Why ? Because we believe in esports. *someone in the backgroud :"wow" * *Junkka laughs* .I actually prepared this"
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If you want to do it, just go for it. But as many people already pointed out. You need to finish high school first.
Just practice on ladder, join some online clan. You can be very good on ladder while study in high school. Many foreigners pro out there is semi-pro. Sen for example, he has been a semi pro since forever and he rocks in SC:BW and consider top foreigner in SC2 as well.
You don't need 8 hours a day if you are just a semi-pro imo. Just play as much as you can when you have free time. Try to participate on every online tournament that open to the public(like TL Open). Once you get through into the later round or event win them, pro team will notice you and you may have your shot.
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I think 'pro' means you are S class in GSL. Anything less and you aren't really pro. If you are in a team house with S class players, you are semi-pro. That's my take on it now we no longer have pro licenses.
Your best bet to become pro is to win a really big lot of stuff so either TL or EG will invite you to their team house. Somehow standing out as someone with even more potential will probably help too. Look at TLO. He wasn't that good but had a certain style that made him appealing for TL to recruit. There you have to get S class at the next opportunity somewhere in 2011.
There's already tons and tons of people out there that would like to be in Korea. Yet they aren't. So the odds of you becoming pro anywhere soon are extremely extremely small. Especially if you have to ask this.
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pro means getting paid to play the game, that's all there is to it
if you want to make a living off starcraft 2 you have to bring a whole new game to the table. Its constant analysis and critiquing of getting every bit of an advantage into your game. It is quite stressful and only few can do it.
If you're really serious, then of course you need to get noticed. Do LOTS of tournaments. You might find that you can't even keep up with tournament players, which is great to know early so you can perhaps decide to go a different way.
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the way to make money in this game is to get good/recognized enough that people want you to 1) give lessons 2) make content 3) pay you to be on a team
The first two are really where the most amount of $$ comes from at the moment. Don't know about europe/asia - but in the USA that's what I've found to be true.
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Tourneys. If you do well in online tourneys, as well as open tourneys. I believe you can go to a qualifier for MLG's, and if you do well, you'll probably get noticed. Approach teams, and if you're really good you can get picked up. That being said, being a pro SC2 gamer generally won't make you a living. I believe iNcontroL works at a gamestop (he did at the time of an interview I watched). Teams provide living stipends and travel stipends, but very few make a living on that alone. Coaching is an option if you're really well known, but it's hard to get paid for coaching if your name isn't out there.
If you really want to do it, it's possible, but unless you do something crazy like walk onto GSL and pull something really gosu like making RO8, It's going to be hard.
Good Luck
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On December 10 2010 15:03 Kirameki wrote: I think 'pro' means you are S class in GSL. Anything less and you aren't really pro. If you are in a team house with S class players, you are semi-pro. That's my take on it now we no longer have pro licenses.
Your best bet to become pro is to win a really big lot of stuff so either TL or EG will invite you to their team house. Somehow standing out as someone with even more potential will probably help too. Look at TLO. He wasn't that good but had a certain style that made him appealing for TL to recruit. There you have to get S class at the next opportunity somewhere in 2011.
There's already tons and tons of people out there that would like to be in Korea. Yet they aren't. So the odds of you becoming pro anywhere soon are extremely extremely small. Especially if you have to ask this.
Your take on what "pro" means is wrong. the only thing "pro" means is "professional" as in "you do something as a profession" meaning you make money off of it. Therefore, if you make money doing something, you are "pro" at it, so to speak.
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just make sure you have the mental for it, and be ready.
in my opinion, you will pass through a lot more failures than happy rewards on your path to become a progamer. You will most likely lose a lot of tourneys you attend, not earn enough money at the beginning to pay your rent, play a lot (10hrs a day) and seem to train but not get a reward.
Have a strong head, be positive and hope you have the talent/luck/connection to get far.
good luck 
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it will be one of the hardest things you've ever had to do. many people fail. that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to go for it. just realize that there will be many times where you'll feel like quitting and you have to be disciplined.
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you need to get casted by HD or Husky. Day9 works as well.
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just a quick question qxc, do you think that ROOT, TL or any other clan will make a kinda of beginners clan where members can be placed that are not quite good enough to make the cut but show potential? I think that would be great for players like this to get experience playing at a high lever and allow them to show off their skills
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Dont mean to burst your bubble but im around same age prob a bit younger and I wasnt in diamond before then a month later I am now 2200 diamond and rapidly improving this comes from what i began to learn from rts when I was even littler.
Your best hope is to join a team learn from people in the team and slowly move up the ranks. That is what im doing and I improved in a month as compared to 8. But keep at it always and be committed if you really like it. Just remember that its not all there is. Sure I would like to go pro but im not going to destroy my life to attempt it. This doesnt mean dont play a lot. Just means dont be stupid about it
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On December 10 2010 15:23 SiCkO_ wrote: just a quick question qxc, do you think that ROOT, TL or any other clan will make a kinda of beginners clan where members can be placed that are not quite good enough to make the cut but show potential? I think that would be great for players like this to get experience playing at a high lever and allow them to show off their skills I think they already do with their new recruits. I mean obviously I would want them to take me and train me up because I think I could go somewhere possibly, but I dont think that this is how it works. If they do though sign me up!!
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OP, I was wondering where your decision to become so incorporated into e-sports was from. It takes more skill and dedication to become a pro than to finish highschool with decent grades and go to college.
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As far as i know "going pro" is 50% luck, 50% skill. You have to play good (not necessary win) in a lot of open tournaments and have to have the luck to get noticed by someone looking for an addition for his pro-team.
You also have to have a supportive family, since even before you can earn money from playing you have to play so much that you don't have time for a full time job nor a lot of time for school/learning, especially since you are not that good yet.
Yes, some people manage to become pro while still having a job or being good in school, but thats one of a thousand that try.
If you haven't, watch Day[9] Daily #100, twice. And if you don't get wet eyes watching it, you don't have what it takes to become pro.
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Im getting better every time, but it takes time and time and time, to become a pro...
Well good luck, and see you there ...
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