Hello fellow StarCraft enthusiasts and players around the world, my name is SoBadRush, I’m am the caster for TV broadcasts of Taiwan’s TeSL. Recently the league has been discussing the possibility of opening up to non-Taiwan players next season (starting in August). While I must emphasize that this is NOT yet a finally decision (both the league and teams want to be careful in how they handle this, and there is still a possibility that it might be postponed to a future season), I wanted to let everyone know that this is indeed a possibility and also gauge the interest of international players and the international community by getting everyone’s feedback. If you are a competitive player please let me know what you think, if you know someone who might be, please share this info with them! Thanks everyone!
Sen's NASL application also includes a short TeSL tour:
I put together a simple FAQ so that you can know what being a pro SCII player for the TeSL in Taiwan would entail. Remember, TeSL has NOT yet decided for sure to let Foreign players join this season, so everything below is based on the assumption that things work out for next season.
How many foreign players can join? Like I said both the league and teams want to be cautious about this process. For the first season it appears that every team will be allowed one foreign player, therefore there would be a total of 5 spots open. The TeSL is a work in progress, and if everything goes well with the first group of 5 players I’m sure there will be more opportunities in the future.
What are the benefits like? Simply put: You will not get rich (from the base salary anyway), but if you have a good attitude you will have the experience of a lifetime. Base salary for most players is around $US 1,000 per month (with housing and most food being paid for), however exceptional players may be able to negotiate a higher salary with the team. Ask anyone who has been to Taiwan, the people are friendly and the food is delicious. In Taiwan you will be able to experience traditional Asian culture with most of the Western comforts you are used to. You will be expected to practice and go to events with the team (there are autograph signings and other events all over the island where players interact with fans), but you will get to experience being a hero to many and maybe even the feelings of having screaming teenage girl fans
What kind of contract would I have to sign? Honestly it’s still too early in the process to know for sure how this will work. Normally Taiwanese players sign with the team for 2 years. But I expect (but once again, I’m not sure!) that foreign players would be able to work out more flexible contracts with the team, maybe for a year or half a year, etc.
How will foreign players be selected? The TeSL is a draft-based league, meaning that all new players must go through a draft selection where each team take turns choosing players (like seen in the NBA, etc.). Therefore foreign players wishing to play in the TeSL must also go through a draft, however it will likely be a separate draft. Also, players will not have to come to Taiwan for the draft (because not all who make themselves elligable will be picked), we will ask interested players to send in their info and RPs so that teams have a chance to evaluate all of the candidates.
What kind of players is TeSL looking for? Well, aside from the obvious trait of being good at StarCraft II, the most important requirement is a good attitude, the ability to relocate to Taiwan, and being able to work well with others (This is a team league, not an individual league). Players do not need to learn Mandarin, but should be able to speak basic English (most Taiwanese can speak at least very simple English). With the 5 open slots we hope to get a nice balance of quality players from around the world. While we welcome players of all three of the StarCraft II races, we have a surplus of Protoss in the league right now, and lack of Zerg (Only 2 out of the current 19 players are Zerg). So even though teams will be looking for the best player available they might be more prone to take Zerg (or Terran) players of equal level over Protoss.
On April 22 2011 20:34 zhurai wrote: just wondering, would these foreign players need to learn mandarin/taiwanese, or...what? Also I'd be willing to join in the future seasons once I brush up my skills :D...eventually v.v
No. Good question, I should add that in there. English will do. Although shy, most players/coaches can use simple English to communicate, and we all speak the common language of StarCraft so it should be fine.
Will foreign fans be able to watch the league anywhere? maybe some description of how the league runs would be better instead of just saying "This is a team league, not an individual league"
On April 22 2011 20:34 zhurai wrote: just wondering, would these foreign players need to learn mandarin/taiwanese, or...what? Also I'd be willing to join in the future seasons once I brush up my skills :D...eventually v.v
No. Good question, I should add that in there. English will do. Although shy, most players/coaches can use simple English to communicate, and we all speak the common language of StarCraft so it should be fine.
nice that you say about the common language of StarCraft
that's nice and good, same as korea (the players trying to actively learn english there too, such as MC), which is nice, and makes esports between the continents feel more...connected.
Also I should start relearning mandarin too...(since I kinda got out of the chinese school programs at like 3rd grade = =... (my grandparents were from China, my parents were born in Taiwan, and I was born in the states...so I guess the TeSL'll be a good reason for me to start relearning my chinese :D) hmm
well, good luck to the teams in taiwan at getting foreign players, and hope that the skill levels of all the countries would grow to rival one another
(= =; sorry for weird cheesy talk/random errors in my text.... 5am! I should sleep..)
On April 22 2011 20:49 johanngrunt wrote: Will foreign fans be able to watch the league anywhere? maybe some description of how the league runs would be better instead of just saying "This is a team league, not an individual league" I'm really interested to know! =)
It would be nice if TeSL starts to interact with the foreign community a bit more. Adding foreigners to the league is a great idea to make the TeSL more attractive to the foreign competitive scene, though I think there needs to be a better connection with foreign fans if the possible foreigner addition is to be successful.
It would be nice if the league was better publicized on TL. Perhaps some good ideas would be opening up a livestream and/or having threads tracking the league and VoDs.
It's great to see Taiwan have such a great e-sports league, and I really think that allowing foreigner competition and increasing publicity for foreigners would really allow more people to enjoy the league's great production values.
Sounds pretty good, I could imagine some of the top weaker players doing this to make a name for themselves and improve and then maybe break into the GSL or become a tip top player?
this is one of those "once in a lifetime" experiences that would be really cool to go and try out, being in what is an amazing Asian country while being paid to play a game you love seems pretty cool.
Yea this is definitely one of those really cool opportunities, thanks for posting SoBaD! Essentially free rent/food, living and breathing Starcraft, being in Taiwan, pretty awesome :D
I can't believe this thread got buried! From the description, this seems like a better deal than GSL at the moment: a decent salary, training house, a chance to be on TV, living for a year in a place with some of the night-market food in the world! If I am any good with the game, I'd sign up in an instance!
EPT
... (my grandparents were from China, my parents were born in Taiwan, and I was born in the states...so I guess the TeSL'll be a good reason for me to start relearning my chinese :D) hmm
