HuK This is a translation of a translation… Things could be lost in translation.
‘I have overcome my nerves.’ - You just made it to the round of 16 with 2 straight wins. How do you feel? I am happy because I was able to win like I planned.
- You were not able to attend the Group nominations. How did you feel about your group? At the time I was having my match against July in DreamHack. When MC called me to ask which player I would like to face, I said I wanted to face aLive. Also, I have wanted a rematch with Bomber so I am glad I may get that chance soon.
- You just came back to the GSL after winning a few foreign tournaments. Did those results help you today? My biggest problem was controlling my nerves. And after those victories, I feel like I have conquered my nerves.
- People say that your skill level has risen recently, do you think so as well? Well… I am not sure. (laugh) Of course skill is important in SC2 but sometimes things just don’t go your way. Today, things played out my way.
- You are the last foreign player remaining in this GSL. Jinro and Sheth have both lost. How do you feel about having to carry the expectations of the foreign community? I am always thankful to have those fans who cheer for me both when I am doing badly and when I am doing well. Because of that, I don’t feel any additional burden for the matches.
- Your results have turned around very quickly, what has changed? Or is it that these results are just now showing the work that you have been putting in? I think I have always played well, but I haven’t had the luck. During the world championships, I lost to the eventual champion MVP, in the code S season after that I lost to the finalist Inca, then in the super tournament, I lost to eventual champion Polt.
- A lot of fans want to see you play in the team league. oGs has had many inhouse ranking tournaments. But I have been avoiding participation. But now with MC and Zenio heading over to the NASL this week, I think I may get a chance to participate in the upcoming GSTL match.
- Your goal for this GSL season? My goal is to win. But I think I would be satisfied with getting to the semifinals.
- Your next opponent will be whoever gets second in group H. Who do you want it to be? If I were given the choice, I would want to face Kyrix. But since there are 2 oGs players in that group I want both of them to advance.
- How well have you adjusted for Korean food? I love all foods. But I don’t like Kimchi that much. Sorry. I also like Korean movies and music. I have been trying to learn Korean recently but I think my instructor has given up on me because I am not so good (laugh).
- Which Korean singer do you like the best? I liked Yuri before then I liked IU. Now, I am not so sure. I think 5dolls are ok too.
- Any last comments? I want to thank TheStc, TOP, and Jinro for helping me practice. I also want to thank my family, friends and fans for their support. Finally, thanks to razer, the little app factory, and Team Liquid. + Show Spoiler +
▼ 2승으로 코드S 16강에 진출했다. 첫 16강 진출인데 기분이 어떤가. - 오늘 계획한대로 이길 수 있어 기쁘다.
▼ 조지명식 때 참가하지 못했다. 조 편성을 본 기분이 어땠나? - 당시 박성준 선수와 드림핵 경기했다. 장민철 선수가 전화로 누구와 겨루고 싶냐고 물었을 때 한이석을 선택했었다. 그리고 최성훈과도 다시 경기를 해보고 싶었는데 편성이 그렇게 되어 좋았다.
▼ 최근 해외대회 우승 후 GSL로 돌아왔다. 그 경기의 결과가 도움이 된 것인가. - 지금까지 가장 문제가 된 것이 긴장된 것이었는데 그 대회들에서 우승하면서 긴장감이 해소된 것 같다.
▼ ‘경기력에 물이 올랐다’는 평가가 있다. 동의하나. - 글쎄.. 잘 모르겠다. (웃음) 물론 스타크래프트2에서 실력이 중요하긴 하지만, 잘 풀리지 않을 때도 있다. 오늘은 잘 풀린 것 같다.
▼ 해외 선수 중 혼자 GSL에 남았다. Jinro와 Sheth 모두 탈락해서 기대와 부담감을 가지게 됐는데 어떤가. - 내가 못할 때나 잘할 때 응원해준 팬들이 있어 늘 고마움을 느낀다. 경기에 대한 부담감은 없다.
▼ 단기간에 변신할 수 있었던 이유가 무엇인가. 변수가 있었나, 아니면 그 동안 해오던 것의 결과가 지금에야 나온 것 인가. - 항상 잘해왔던 것 같은데 운이 없었던 것 같다. 월드 챔피언십은 우승한 정종현, 그 다음 시즌은 결승에 진출한 송준혁, 슈퍼토너먼트에선 우승한 최성훈에게 패했었다.
▼ 팀 리그에서 본인의 모습을 기대하는 팬들이 많다. - 지금까지 oGs 내부에서 랭킹전을 했었다. 하지만 나는 피해다녔었다. 최근 외국 대회 우승하고 장민철, 최정민이 NASL로 해외 출장을 가니 내가 나갈 수 있지 않을까 생각한다.
▼ 이번 GSL July 시즌의 목표를 밝혀본다면. - 목표는 우승이다. 그래도 4강만 진출해도 만족할 수 있을 것 같다.
▼ 다음 16강 상대가 H조 2위다. 누가 됐으면 좋겠나. - 굳이 고를 수 있다면 한준을 고르고 싶다. 아무래도 H조에 oGs선수들이 2명이 있다보니 그 선수들이 진출했으면 좋겠다.
▼ 한국 음식 얼마나 적응했나. - 음식은 다 좋아한다. 하지만 김치는 좋아하지 않는다. 미안하다. 그리고 한국 영화, 음악 다 좋아한다. 최근엔 한국말을 배우려고 했는데 내가 잘 하지 못해 강사가 그만 둔 것 같다. (웃음)
▼ 한국 가수 중 누구를 가장 좋아하나. - 유리를 좋아했다가 아이유를 좋아했었다. 지금은 잘 모르겠다. 파이브 돌스도 괜찮은 것 같다.
▼ 끝으로 더 하고 싶은 말을 밝혀달라. - 연습을 도와준 최연식 선수와 김정훈 선수, 조나단 월쉬 에게고맙다. 가족과 친구들과 팬들도 고맙다. 후원해준 레이저와 리틀 앱 팩토리, 팀리퀴드에게 고맙다.
글: 안영훈(ethan@playxp.com) (c)PlayXP
Polt (Optimus) ‘I am feeling the burden that comes with being Optimus.’ - Your thoughts on making it to the round of 16? It must be because it was so tough, but I am feeling really good.
- This is your first GSL after your victory (in the Super Tournament). I was feeling that burden, which made the games much tougher for me. I think I was more comfortable when people weren’t paying attention to me. And with my TvP matchup rate previously at 100%, because people kept talking about that, I was especially pressured.
- You failed to protect your 100% win rate against protoss. Usually, I get the stim pack upgrade after I get concussive shells, but today, I saw that I messed that up. And when I got to his base, if I had stim, I would have destroyed his nexus and ran but I began to panic when I saw that I didn’t have the upgrade.
- You lost in that first game. I have always began the group stages with 1 loss. So this time, instead of practicing for the first set map, I actually focused my practice for crossfire se and dual sight.
- You had 2 protosses in your group. How did you prepare? During practice I was losing almost all the time against terrans. But I did manage to squeak out a win with a favorable scenario during practice, so without much time, I just believed that I could do that again during the real match. I practiced mainly against terrans.
- Are you scared about the curse of the previous champion? I gained some confidence now because I have gotten through the round of 32. I was losing some confidence during practice because there was just so much to practice for this round. I tried to pick a couple of things I was weak at and tried to improve on that, but it hasn’t really panned out. But now, I feel like I can keep going because I will be able to more perfectly prepare for my match.
- Which player do you want to face in the round of 16? All the players in that group are good, but if I had to choose, I want to face MC. I don’t think I’ve had any matches against the other players in the group. I think MC would want to face me as well. But if I were him, I wouldn’t want to face someone I lost to every single time. I like advancing as easily as possible.
- Are you looking for your 2nd win? Since the competition is so fierce, I think that will be a tough challenge.
- How do you feel about using the ID Optimus? I think it may be because of the added pressure of using that ID, but it hasn’t worked out that well yet. Other than my match against aLive, all the other games were difficult for me. I think I will have to get used to the ID quickly.
- Do you feel any different after your victory? I like it when people judge me as a good player, but it feels like I have to meet much higher expectations from the fans. Before, I felt like I would have to overturn expectations to do much better, but now I see that people just expect me to win, which sometimes makes me overconfident. I hope I don’t become lazy. With too much expectation, I just might end up playing an awful game.
- Any last comments? I want to thank NSHoSeo’s Jjakji, fOu’s Inori, asd, TheBest, and WMF’s Lyn for helping me practice.
▼ 우승 후 첫 GSL 무대였는데? - 부담감이 생겨서 오히려 경기가 힘들어진 것 같다. 관심 없었을 때가 더 편했던 것 같다. 프로토스전 승률이 100%라 다 이길 것이라고 얘기하니 더 부담감이 생기더라.
▼ 프로토스전 승률 100%를 지키지 못했다. - 평소에 충격탄 업그레이드 이후 전투자극제를 업그레이드 하는데 안 돼 있더라. 엘리전 갔을 때 전투자극제를 이용해 연결체만 파괴하면 비길 수라도 있는데, 업그레이드가 안 돼 있어서 당황했다.
▼ 첫 경기에서 패했는데? - 그동안 첫 경기는 항상 지고 시작했다. 그래서 이번에도 첫 경기 맵보다 십자포화 SE와 듀얼 사이트만 집중적으로 연습했다.
▼ 같은 조에 2명의 프로토스가 있었다. 연습은 어떻게 했나? - 연습 때 테란전을 거의 다 졌다. 마지막 한 판 이길 때 원하는 시나리오대로 이겼는데, 시간도 없고 해서 그대로 밀고 가자고 생각했다. 테란전을 정말 많이 연습했다.
▼ 우승자 징크스에 대한 부담은 없는지? - 32강을 뚫어서 자신감이 좀 붙었다. 연습을 하면서 자신감을 얻는데, 32강은 연습할 게 너무 많았다. 약한 것 몇 가지 골라서 했는데 그게 잘 맞아떨어졌다. 다음부턴 더 확실한 준비를 할 수 있으니 할 만한 것 같다.
▼ 본인이 바라는 16강 상대는? - 모두 쟁쟁한 선수들인데, 딱히 누굴 만나고 싶다고 한다면 좋은 기억을 가진 장민철이 될 것 같다. 다른 선수들과는 경기를 가진 적이 없어서 모르겠다. 장민철 선수가 나와 붙고 싶어 할 것 같다. 하지만 만약 나라면 매번 나를 이긴 상대와는 하고 싶지 않을 것이다. 쉽게 쉽게 가는 것이 좋다.
▼ 2회 우승도 노려볼 수 있는데? - 쟁쟁한 상대가 많아 험난할 것 같다.
▼ ‘옵티머스’란 아이디를 사용 중인데, 기분이 어떤가? - 부담이 돼서 그런지 잘 안 된다. 한이석 선수와의 경기 빼곤 모두 꼬였다. 아이디에 빨리 적응을 해야겠다.
▼ 우승 직후 달라진 위상, 느끼고 있는지? - 좋게 평가해주시니 좋은데, 이제 팬들의 예상을 보지 말아야겠다. 예전엔 예상을 뒤엎겠다는 생각을 했는데, 최근엔 나도 내가 이기겠지 생각을 하게 된다. 게을러지면 안 될 것 같다. 기대를 많이 받으면 OME 경기가 나오는 것 같다.
▼ 마지막으로 하고 싶은 말은? - 연습을 도와준 NS호서의 정지훈, fOu의 우민규, 이대진, 김찬민, 그리고 박준 선수에게 고맙단 말을 전하고 싶다.
Bomber ‘My first goal is to beat Polt (Optimus).’ - You advanced first in your group. How do you feel about your first entry to the round of 16? This was a very difficult group. I am glad that I could come out in 1st place. But there was 2 protosses in the group, so I did somewhat predict that I could get out 1st.
- How were your games in sweden? I am not picky about protoss players, because they all feel the same. I just liked it because I didn’t have to face many terrans.
- Your next opponent is a terran, Polt (Optimus). Actually, I didn’t want to face a terran so I thought about getting out of the group in 2nd place. (laugh). But I know that there wouldn’t be any meaning to advancing if I didn’t get to face great players.
- What have you learned from going to foreign events like DreamHack? I think the atmosphere is extremely different from Korea. I feel like the fans are more active and fired up for the matches, which makes me want to participate in at least one more.
- You went all-in against MC. Was that planned? I face MC often on the ladder, but I have not shown him this build that I used today. I think he reacts distinctly to the 2 barracks so I faked him out. And he did exactly what I predicted.
- There is talk that you may be going to this MLG. There is nothing decided yet. The event and the GSL finals seem to overlap, so if I make it to the finals, I will be focusing on the GSL.
- You must have been looking forward to a match against Kyrix. How did you feel when you faced him in the winners round? I don’t really know how to judge the Zerg vs. Protoss matchup. So I didn’t really care who I had to face.
- You kept your code S spot, as a former code A winner, tell us the difference between the two levels? I don’t think there is that much difference. But, I do feel like there is a larger percentage of great players in code S. I think I can keep this spot maybe for 6 months or a year (laugh). It feels like it will be difficult to fall.
- Your goal for this code S? I think if beat Polt (Optimus), I can get to the semifinals pretty easily. But my first goal is to beat Polt (Optimus).
- Any last comments? I want to thank Squirtle and Trickster for helping me practice. I also want to say happy birthday to Squirtle because it is his birthday today. Squirtle will be leaving for the NASL tomorrow so I hope he can do well. + Show Spoiler +
▼ 조1위로 16강에 진출했다. 첫 코드S 16강인데 기분이 어떤가? - 굉장히 어려운 조였다. 그런데 1위로 올라가서 기분이 좋다. 한편으론 프로토스가 2명이라 조 1위를 예상하기도 했었다.
▼ 스웨덴에서도 경기를 가졌었는데 어땠나. - 토스는 상대를 그렇게 가리지 않고 다 똑같다고 생각한다. 테란이 없어서 마음에 들었다.
▼ 다음 상대가 테란 유저인 최성훈인데. - 사실 테란전이 굉장히 하기 싫어 조 2위를 노리고 싶기도 했다.(웃음) 그래도 상대들이 상당한 선수들이라 의미가 없다는 것을 깨달았다.
▼ MLG와 드림핵을 하면서 느낀 점이 있다면. - 한국과는 분위기가 굉장히 다르다. 적극적이고 열정적이다 다시 한 번 꼭 가보고 싶다.
▼ 장민철과의 경기에 올인했다. 노린 건가. - 평소 장민철과는 래더도 자주 하는데, 오늘 사용한 빌드는 한번도 보여주지 않은 것이었다. 2병영, 반응로를 많이 하는 편인데 오늘은 그걸 하는 척만 했다. 덕분에 예상대로 됐다.
▼ MLG 애너하임에 갈 수도 있다는 얘기가 있는데. - 아직 결정된 바는 없다. GSL 결승과 일정이 겹치기 때문에 결승에 진출하게 되면 GSL에 집중할 계획이다.
▼ 한준과의 경기를 바라고 있었을 것 같다. 그리고 승자전에서 한준과 경기를 가졌는데 어떤 기분이었나? - 저그 vs 프로토스 경기를 전혀 볼 줄 모른다. 그래서 누가 올라와도 상관없었다.
▼ 그토록 바라던 코드S에 잔류하게 됐는데, 코드A 우승자로서 차이점을 밝혀본다면. - 내 생각에는 큰 차이는 없는 것 같다. 다만, 잘하는 선수의 비중이 좀 높을 뿐이라고 본다. 한 6개월에서 1년은 안 떨어질 것 같다. (웃음) 떨어지기 힘들 것 같다.
▼ 이번 코드S의 목표를 밝혀본다면. - 최성훈 선수를 이기고 나면 4강 정도는 갈 수 있을 것 같다. 1차 목표는 최성훈을 이기는 것이다.
▼ 끝으로 말하고 싶은 것이 있다면. - 연습 도와준 박현우, 서기수 선수에게 고맙다고 하고 싶다. 오늘 현우 생일인데 축하한다는 말 전하고 싶다. 내일 현우가 NASL을 위해 출국하는데 잘하고 왔으면 좋겠다.
글: 안영훈(ethan@playxp.com) (c)PlayXP
MC ‘The Protoss presidency lasts for at least 4 more years.’ - You made it to the round of 16, how do you feel? I am just disappointed that I wasn’t able to advance in my rightful spot. But I will turn my mistakes into more confidence, so it will be alright. I was confident in my match against Bomber today, but I am disappointed that I lost to those cloaked banshees. Bomber likes to play for later macro games so I didn’t predict that he would open like that. I even had robo up, I feel like I lost a little bit of my touch there. I have even seen Jinro use that exact build against someone else in a foreign tournament. I had a great build prepared for today, so I am disappointed that I didn’t get to show it.
- You have been to a lot of foreign tournaments recently. Because of travel time, either in the air or on the train, you basically lose about 1 week’s worth of practice time every time you go out to play. And since my recent results have not been so good, I wanted to stay in Korea longer to focus on my practice, but my schedule has already been booked. I wanted to take a break, but I went anyways. After playing today’s match against Bomber, I felt that my game play definitely was not up to par as it got later in the game. I think with less practice, I feel like my late game macro has slipped.
- Protoss domination is no more, what do you think? I have heard that the Protoss Presidential term has ended. Our nation’s presidents are in office for 5 years. I still have 4 years left. I have seen Sage play recently, and I think every great protoss player I can think of, still follow a lot of my builds. I still believe I am the frontrunner of this race. Even the phoenix, zealot build that he (Sage) used is something I use often on the ladder. I will say though, as zerg, if you get a lot of spine crawlers and roaches you can stop that strategy.
- Were you impressed by Sage’s play? Many protoss players try to end games after they take 1 expansion. But Sage seems to look at the bigger picture. That is why I believe he is a good player. I didn’t think there were any good protoss players other than the players in oGs, but I think now, NSHoSeo has some good ones.
- Recent protoss results have not been good. If I just want it badly enough, I don’t think I can lose a match against zerg. But terrans have become a bit more difficult. I don’t want this to sound like I am complaining, but there is just so much you have to think about when you face terrans. I think protoss as a race is alright. I think the balance will have to be solved through maps and user control.
- You will be facing Huk in the round of 16? He practices next to me in the teamhouse. I don’t know how he feels about it, but I think he has improved a lot after he has started to practice next to me. Originally, team liquid players played in a separate room, but after Jinro’s recent slump, Huk has moved next to me. I think that is why he has improved so quickly. Huk has now two consecutive foreign tournament wins, and he has been on a streak recently. But I am not that worried since I think my loss in HomeStoryCup was due to the body aches attributed my cold.
- You also won against Inca. There was nothing uncomfortable about it. We didn’t know we would be facing each other, but I have faced him many times during the inhouse team ranking matches. During that, I have seen a lot of his builds. I know about all the new builds as well, so I quickly built a robo by taking a bit of a risk.
- What did your ceremony against Kyrix mean? I wanted to forget about my loss to Bomber, and since Kyrix has said that I was easy to beat, I wanted to tell him that he still had a long way to go. I don’t think there is any zerg player out there that can beat me right now. I think everyone was afraid of me during the group nominations, if I get the chance, I will make sure to pick any zergs who thinks they are good.
- You are not 1st in prize money now. I don’t think there is that big of a difference.
- Your goal this season? I hope that Ensnare can beat Nestea first. I hope to get to the round of 8 at least so that I can pick to face MVP in the groups. I need to take care of my rankings because of the upcoming Blizzard cup.
- Protoss is seen as weak right now, what do you think? I think it just happens to be that way right now. I feel like we have been unlucky recently. I don’t think protoss players are any less skilled, do not worry about it.
- Are there any characters similar to you? I think Bomber likes to be provocative inside the game. I wish he would do that outside the game as well. I think I can handle real taunts, but mule dropping makes me angry.
- Your back and forth with Idra during MLG Columbus was pretty impressive. I was angry at first because I lost meaningless games when my condition was poor and jet lagged. But I still paid him pack in the end. Maybe, Idra will end up not liking me because even in foreign tournaments, he keeps losing to me. I don’t think he is a bad person at all. Sometimes we exchange greetings and have a short conversation. But he never starts the conversation. He isn’t someone who likes to go out of his way to talk to people.
- You have also tried your hand at casting. I think it helps to have Huk and Jinro with me. Whenever I try to say something, and if I don’t know the word, they help me out. And by going to these foreign tournaments, I have needed to try speaking in order to fit in, which has helped me tremendously. I know the game terminology pretty well, so casting wasn’t extremely difficult. When I was casting I tried to explain unit composition as “mix”, and they told me that wasn’t exactly it. I learned a lot by listening to Day9 cast. I hope I get the chance to do it again.
- You will be facing BoxeR in the NASL. I have wanted to face him. I think this is the first time for me, so I am really excited. SlayerSJessica said as a joke if I feel too tired to not come. I have advanced to the grand finals after losing 3 consecutive games so it holds a lot of meaning for me.
- Are you confident that you can win? I think Puma is the wildcard. I have faced him to test the waters, and I feel like he is an amazing player. I think I can do it as long as I avoid Puma.
- There are a lot of foreign tournaments. Do you feel like you need to restrain yourself somewhat? Since Korean players practice so much, every time you go out, you basically fall behind. I think I won’t go to any more for a bit after the NASL. Since I hope to win this GSL I don’t think I will participate in the MLG. I hope MMA can win again to get his spot in code S.
- Any last comments? Mom’s Touch has become our new sponsor. I am sorry I wasn’t able to attend the ceremony because I was in Europe. I want to thank them for getting us all this great food. I practiced especially hard for Metalopolis. I think I played around 200 games against terrans. TheStc really helped me out. TOP and SuperNova also helped me a lot. Thanks to all of them. Zenio and I will be going to the US soon; we will make sure to be careful during our trip. Because my recent results have not been so good, my mom and girlfriend have been worried about me. My girlfriend keeps worrying that my reason for losing is her and gets stressed. So I want to keep winning so I don’t stress her out. Manager Hwang Gyu Hoon has gone out for some travel as well, so I hope he gets back safely.
(T/N: Damn it MC, why do you have such a long interview…) + Show Spoiler +
▼ 16강 진출 소감은? - 당연한 자리였는데 못 갔던 것이 자만했기 때문이었던 것 같다. 자만을 자신감으로 바꾼 것 같아서 다행이다. 오늘 지성 형에게도 자신감이 있었는데, 은폐 밴시를 배제한 것이 패인이었다. 지성 형이 후반 운영을 좋아해 그렇게 나오리란 예상은 하지 못했다. 로봇공학시설도 올렸는데, 감이 떨어진 것 같다. 해외에서 조나단이 다른 선수를 상대로 그 빌드를 쓴 것을 봤었다. 멋진 빌드 준비했는데 못 보여드려서 아쉽다.
▼ 최근에 해외 대회를 많이 경험했는데? - 해외에 나가면 비행시간이나 시차 적응도 있기 때문인데 일주일 정도 연습을 못한다. 최근 성적도 안 좋았고, 연습량이 부족해서 한국에서 연습에 집중하고 싶었는데 일정이 미리 잡혀있었다. 쉬고 싶었지만 프로니까 다녀왔다. 지성 형과 경기 치르며 후반에 약해진 것을 많이 느꼈다. 연습량이 떨어지니 후반 운영이 딸리더라.
▼ 최근 프로토스 판도 변화, 어떤 것 같은가? - 프통령의 임기가 끝났다는 말을 보고 웃었다. 우리나라 대통령 임기는 5년이다. 아직 4년이나 남았다. 우경철 선수 플레이를 봤는데, 내가 생각하는 잘하는 프로토스 선수들은 나의 빌드를 많이 따라하는 것 같았다. 내가 아직 주축인 것 같다. 불사조, 광전사 전략도 내가 래더에서 자주 쓰는 전략이었다. 불사조와 광전사를 조합했을 때 저그가 포자촉수를 박고 바퀴 뽑으면 힘들다.
▼ 우경철의 플레이가 인상적이었나? - 프로토스 중엔 앞마당 멀티를 먹고 끝내는 선수가 많은데, 우경철 선수는 뒤를 더 보더라. 그래서 잘한다고 생각했다. 프로토스는 oGs 외에는 강하다고 생각하지 않았는데, NS호서의 프로토스들은 강한 것 같다.
▼ 최근 프로토스의 성적이 그다지 좋지 못한데? - 저그랑 할 땐 이기고 싶단 생각을 하면 뭘 해도 안 질 것 같다. 테란에겐 조금 힘들다. 징징은 아니지만 테란전에선 생각할 것이 너무 많다. 프로토스도 괜찮다. 밸런스 자체는 잘 맞지만 맵이나 컨트롤로 극복을 해야 할 것 같다.
▼ 16강에서 크리스 로란줴와 맞붙게 됐는데? - 숙소에서 옆자리다. 본인이 어떻게 느낄지 모르겠지만 내 옆자리에 온 뒤 많이 실력이 많이 는 것 같다. 팀리퀴드 선수들이 원래 다른 방에서 연습을 했는데, 조나단의 성적 하향 이후 옆자리로 옮겼다. 그래서 빨리 빨리 늘게 된 것 같다. 크리스는 해외 대회도 연달아 우승했고, 최근 기세가 좋다. 홈스토리컵에선 감기몸살이 있어서 패했기 때문에 크게 신경 쓰진 않는다.
▼ 송준혁을 상대로 승리를 거뒀는데? - 서로 껄끄러운 것은 없다. 서로 만날 것이란 생각 못하고 내부 랭킹전을 많이 했는데, 그 과정에서 준혁이의 것들을 많이 흡수했다. 새로운 빌드도 이미 알고 있어서 내가 과감하게 로봇공학시설을 빠르게 올렸다.
▼ 한준 상대로 펼친 세리머니의 의미는? - 지성 형에게 패한 분풀이이기도 하고, 한준 선수가 내가 쉽다고 했는데, 아직 멀었다는 의미로 한 것이다. 저그 선수 중 다전제에서 날 이길 선수는 없다고 생각한다. 조 지명식 때 다들 나를 만만하게 보더라. 앞으로 지명권이 있다면 도발하는 저그들은 모두 뽑아주겠다.
▼ 상금랭킹 1위를 내줬는데? - 어차피 얼마 차이 나지 않는다.
▼ 이번 시즌 목표는? - 먼저 상철 형이 재덕 형을 이겨주는 것이다. 8강에 진출해 시드를 받고 다음 시즌에 종현이 형을 지목하겠다. 연말 블리자드컵을 위해 랭킹 관리를 해야겠다.
▼ 최근 포스가 떨어졌다는 평가에 대해선 어떻게 생각하는가? - 기우에 불과하다. 운이 없어서 졌다고 생각하고 있다. 실력은 어느 누구에도 뒤지지 않는다고 생각한다. 걱정하실 필요 없다.
▼ 자신과 비슷한 캐릭터는 누가 있나? - 지성 형이 게임 내에선 도발을 많이 하는 것 같다. 게임 밖에서도 했으면 좋겠다. 몸으로 직접 하는 건 참아줄만 한데, 지게로봇 떨구는 것은 열 받는다.
▼ MLG 콜럼버스에서 그렉 필즈와 신경전이 대단했는데? - 시차 적응도 안 되고 컨디션 안 좋을 때 어이없게 져서 화나있는 상태였다. 그래서 도발했다. 아마 그렉 필즈는 내가 싫을 것이다. 해외에서도 계속해서 나에게 패했기 때문이다. 사람 자체는 나쁘지 않다. 인사하고 간단한 대화를 나눴다. 그렉 필즈가 먼저 말을 걸진 않는다. 먼저 대화를 시도하지 않는 편이다.
▼ 직접 영어로 해설도 했는데? - 크리스, 조나단과 같이 있는 것이 큰 도움이 된다. 이야기를 하다 단어를 잘 모를 때 물어보면 잘 알려준다. 해외를 혼자 다니면 살아남기 위해서 말을 많이 하다 보니 많이 늘게 된 것 같다. 게임 용어는 잘 알아서 해설하는데 큰 어려움은 없었다. 영어로 해설 할 때 ‘조합’을 ‘믹스’라고 표현했는데 그게 아니라고 하더라. Day9의 해설을 들으며 많이 배웠다. 다음에도 했으면 좋겠다.
▼ NASL에서 임요환과 대결하게 됐는데? - 정말 하고 싶었다. 처음 붙는 건데 기대가 많이 된다. 김가연씨가 농담으로 피곤하면 오지 말라고 하시더라. NASL에서 3연패 후 힘들게 올라갔기 때문에 의미가 큰 대회이다.
▼ 우승할 자신이 있나? - 호준이가 변수다. 키우다시피 했는데 너무 잘해졌다. 호준이만 조심하면 될 것 같다.
▼ 해외 대회가 많다. 일정 조정의 필요성을 느끼는가? - 한국 선수들이 연습을 많이 하니 해외에 한 번 다녀오면 뒤처질 수밖에 없다. NASL 이후론 당분간 해외에 나가지 않을 생각이다. 이번 시즌은 우승할 테니 MLG는 못 갈 것이다. 성원이 형이 우승해서 코드S로 왔으면 좋겠다.
▼ 마지막으로 하고 싶은 말은? - 맘스터치가 새로운 스폰서가 됐는데, 유럽에 있느라 참석 못해서 죄송하다. 맛있는 것 많이 주셔서 감사하다. 금속 도시를 열심히 준비했다. 테란전만 한 200판 했다. 연식이 형이 열심히 도와줬다. 김정훈, 김영진 선수도 많이 도와줬다. 정민이와 미국에 가게 됐는데 조심히 다녀오겠다. 최근에 성적이 좋지 않아서 엄마와 여자친구가 많이 걱정한다. 여자친구가 자신과 사귄 이후로 계속 패하는 것 같다며 스트레스를 받는다. 스트레스 안주기 위해서라도 계속 이겨야겠다. 황규훈 단장님이 출장 가셨는데 조심히 다녀오셨으면 좋겠다.
- A lot of fans want to see you play in the team league. oGs has had many inhouse ranking tournaments. But I have been avoiding participation. But now with MC and Zenio heading over to the NASL this week, I think I may get a chance to participate in the upcoming GSTL match.
- You had 2 protosses in your group. How did you prepare? During practice I was losing almost all the time against terrans. But I did manage to squeak out a win with a favorable scenario during practice, so without much time, I just believed that I could do that again during the real match. I practiced mainly against terrans.
That part does not make sense. It must be for sure because of the double translation.
Thanks for the translations, I'm glad MC is cutting back on the foreign tournaments a bit so he can practice more. America to China to Korea to Sweden to Germany to Korea to America again (I think) in the space of a month or so, seems very frantic and can't be too healthy.
Wow that was one long MC interview. Guess all his time overseas as paid off and now he gives long interviews when you can! Thanks a lot this is awesome.
Wow MC, that was a brutally good interview. He said more interesting things than everyone else combined. Giving Sage a shout out, saying Puma is a monster of a player that he needs to avoid, wanting MMA to get his code S spot(means he feels MMA is top quality), etc.
What have you learned from going to foreign events like DreamHack? I think the atmosphere is extremely different from Korea. I feel like the fans are more active and fired up for the matches, which makes me want to participate in at least one more.
Helllll Yeahhhh! As someone sitting in the 5th row at columbus i can attest to us foreign fans getting really fired up !
Good interviews! ^_^ MC was really good at giving good information. His "president" analogy was pretty funny. Can't wait for HuK to be in the team league.
I completely agree with him, if HuK hadn't moved to MC's side he would've never been as succesful, that guy is by far the world's best protoss after all, and sitting by his side 14 hours everyday. I'm 100% sure any competetive player would do heinous things for such an opportunity.
>I have faced him to test the waters, and I feel like he is an amazing player. I think I can do it as long as I avoid Puma.
I've been having my eye on Puma for the last few months and it makes me happy that MC holds him in such high regard as well.
I think Bomber likes to be provocative inside the game. I wish he would do that outside the game as well. I think I can handle real taunts, but mule dropping makes me angry.
lol, Bomber is such a nice & quiet guy, so I doubt he will show taunts outside the game. I rem the GSTL when he forgot the hi^5 his team and went straight to opponent's booth.
- Your goal this season? I hope that Ensnare can beat Nestea first. I hope to get to the round of 8 at least so that I can pick to face MVP in the groups. I need to take care of my rankings because of the upcoming Blizzard cup.
On July 07 2011 00:08 Olinim wrote: Who made more prize money than MC??? Seems like it wouldn't even be close... :/
No one.
yeah i figured but in the interview it said " you are no longer first in prize money"...guess it was just wrong?
I think they don't take into account the money won outside of GSL, if you take only GSL earning Nestea is first ,but overall MC is still first with Dreamhack invitationnal , Copenhagen etc.
Great interview by MC, I hope he can win NASL ( and leave this GSL for Huk :p ). It's also interesting to see that Huk has moved next to MC in practice, I guess it was "super effective" :p .
- Your goal this season? I hope that Ensnare can beat Nestea first. I hope to get to the round of 8 at least so that I can pick to face MVP in the groups. I need to take care of my rankings because of the upcoming Blizzard cup.
What Blizzard cup ?
Near the end of the year(November I think it is), GOM is holding the "Blizzard Cup" which will include the top 8 GSL players determined by GSL point standings.
nice interview from MC, i hope he can get back on shape now that he is going to stay a little more in home... but yet, NASL is coming so he is going to have to travel soon
- Your goal this season? I hope that Ensnare can beat Nestea first. I hope to get to the round of 8 at least so that I can pick to face MVP in the groups. I need to take care of my rankings because of the upcoming Blizzard cup.
What Blizzard cup ?
Near the end of the year(November I think it is), GOM is holding the "Blizzard Cup" which will include the top 8 GSL players determined by GSL point standings.
Is it a qualifier for BlizzCon or just a separate cup?
- Your goal this season? I hope that Ensnare can beat Nestea first. I hope to get to the round of 8 at least so that I can pick to face MVP in the groups. I need to take care of my rankings because of the upcoming Blizzard cup.
What Blizzard cup ?
Near the end of the year(November I think it is), GOM is holding the "Blizzard Cup" which will include the top 8 GSL players determined by GSL point standings.
Is it a qualifier for BlizzCon or just a separate cup?
It's a separate cup. If I remember well player are seeded according to points earned in GSL. Then the 8th player plays against the 7th, winner plays against 6 , all the way up to the first. So being seeded is really really important, if you are first you only need to win one match to win the cup .
Well that explains why they haven't sent out HuK in the passed (does't compete in inhouse ranking tournaments)... still iffy on whether they will send him out now.
- Your goal this season? I hope that Ensnare can beat Nestea first. I hope to get to the round of 8 at least so that I can pick to face MVP in the groups. I need to take care of my rankings because of the upcoming Blizzard cup.
What Blizzard cup ?
Near the end of the year(November I think it is), GOM is holding the "Blizzard Cup" which will include the top 8 GSL players determined by GSL point standings.
Is it a qualifier for BlizzCon or just a separate cup?
It's a separate cup. If I remember well player are seeded according to points earned in GSL. Then the 8th player plays against the 7th, winner plays against 6 , all the way up to the first. So being seeded is really really important, if you are first you only need to win one match to win the cup .
I don't remember that.
4. Blizzard Cup - Top 8 of GSL ranking will be invited to decide the best player of the year in a Bo5 Playoff format tournament.
On July 07 2011 01:02 DoomsVille wrote: Well that explains why they haven't sent out HuK in the passed (does't compete in inhouse ranking tournaments)... still iffy on whether they will send him out now.
They didn't send him out in the past because they weren't allowed to. GOM just recently changed the rules for this season to allow Korean teams to use foreigners. Tomorrow will be the first time he's eligible to be sent out.
On July 07 2011 01:02 DoomsVille wrote: Well that explains why they haven't sent out HuK in the passed (does't compete in inhouse ranking tournaments)... still iffy on whether they will send him out now.
They didn't send him out in the past because they weren't allowed to. GOM just recently changed the rules for this season to allow Korean teams to use foreigners. Tomorrow will be the first time he's eligible to be sent out.
I'm pretty sure they've always been able to use TL players. It just wasn't until this season that GOM made a big deal out of it.
I know they've used TLO in a team league once (not GSL) so they definately consider the TLers part of their roster..
- Are you confident that you can win? I think Puma is the wildcard. I have faced him to test the waters, and I feel like he is an amazing player. I think I can do it as long as I avoid Puma.
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Wow.... a player MC is actually worried about playing.... that has to be a first..
On July 07 2011 01:18 snafoo wrote: - Are you confident that you can win? I think Puma is the wildcard. I have faced him to test the waters, and I feel like he is an amazing player. I think I can do it as long as I avoid Puma.
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Wow.... a player MC is actually worried about playing.... that has to be a first..
It's a good thing here, he's fallen to overconfidence against terrans too many times now
Yeah MC is still number one overall- but i think it meant polt has made more money in one single tournament than anyone else has. http://www.sc2earnings.com/
On July 07 2011 01:02 DoomsVille wrote: Well that explains why they haven't sent out HuK in the passed (does't compete in inhouse ranking tournaments)... still iffy on whether they will send him out now.
They didn't send him out in the past because they weren't allowed to. GOM just recently changed the rules for this season to allow Korean teams to use foreigners. Tomorrow will be the first time he's eligible to be sent out.
I'm pretty sure they've always been able to use TL players. It just wasn't until this season that GOM made a big deal out of it.
I know they've used TLO in a team league once (not GSL) so they definately consider the TLers part of their roster..
I'm pretty sure they weren't. The "mercenary" program only started with this GSTL, which allows any foreigner to join up any Korean pro team in order to participate in the GSTL.
The thing with TLO wasn't an official GSTL season, it was that first team event (ZOTAC sponsored I believe). I think they actually did participate as oGs-TL in that.
First GSTL season was the one IM won. And Liquid's points based on their players' performances were actually counter separately all along (at one point Liquid was like 1 point behind SlayerS and almost made it in on their own).
MC's interview was really excellent. The SC2 journalists have really succeeded in creating more interesting interviews than those we got from Broodwar winner interviews.
On July 07 2011 01:02 DoomsVille wrote: Well that explains why they haven't sent out HuK in the passed (does't compete in inhouse ranking tournaments)... still iffy on whether they will send him out now.
They didn't send him out in the past because they weren't allowed to. GOM just recently changed the rules for this season to allow Korean teams to use foreigners. Tomorrow will be the first time he's eligible to be sent out.
I'm pretty sure they've always been able to use TL players. It just wasn't until this season that GOM made a big deal out of it.
I know they've used TLO in a team league once (not GSL) so they definately consider the TLers part of their roster..
I'm pretty sure they weren't. The "mercenary" program only started with this GSTL, which allows any foreigner to join up any Korean pro team in order to participate in the GSTL.
The thing with TLO wasn't an official GSTL season, it was that first team event (ZOTAC sponsored I believe). I think they actually did participate as oGs-TL in that.
First GSTL season was the one IM won. And Liquid's points based on their players' performances were actually counter separately all along (at one point Liquid was like 1 point behind SlayerS and almost made it in on their own).
In one of the first GSTLs the liquid players Code A/Code S rankings were shown with the oGs guys when they announced the teams
Really fun reads. Loved the MC interview especially, nice long and detailed and speaks about everything rofl! He said more then pretty much every other interview this GSL season combined.
MC: My race isn't weak, our players aren't weak, it's just luck that we don't do well. I'm still boss. Nestea: My race is weak, our players put more effort in the game and still can't compete with Protoss and Terran. I'm just a genius to win with this race.
I hope that Ensnare can beat Nestea first. I hope to get to the round of 8 at least so that I can pick to face MVP in the groups. I need to take care of my rankings because of the upcoming Blizzard cup.
Love the : "I need to be top 8 so I can pick MvP next season :D
On July 07 2011 04:39 brentsen wrote: So MC watches day9? That's awesome lol. Great interviews, the others should try to make it as long as MC, gives great insight.
No he was talking about day9's casting at dreamhack, not watching his dailies, I'm pretty sure.
...Originally, team liquid players played in a separate room, but after Jinro’s recent slump, Huk has moved next to me....
So Jinro sitting all alone in a room and practicing for himself :/ ?
I'm wondering this to. For starters, i'm not sure why the TL players weren't with the oGs players the whole time since it obviously would help them (my guess is language or room). Second, why don't they just move jinro over and put him with the terrans if something similar is working for huk?
On July 07 2011 04:23 chiboni wrote: Great Interviews!
...Originally, team liquid players played in a separate room, but after Jinro’s recent slump, Huk has moved next to me....
So Jinro sitting all alone in a room and practicing for himself :/ ?
I'm wondering this to. For starters, i'm not sure why the TL players weren't with the oGs players the whole time since it obviously would help them (my guess is language or room). Second, why don't they just move jinro over and put him with the terrans if something similar is working for huk?
I was assuming once everyone else left (Ret, TLO, Haypro) and Jinro started slumping they moved both of them into the room with the rest of oGs and, because the interview is about HuK (and a translation), that MC just mentioned HuK.
On July 07 2011 04:05 canikizu wrote: MC: My race isn't weak, our players aren't weak, it's just luck that we don't do well. I'm still boss. Nestea: My race is weak, our players put more effort in the game and still can't compete with Protoss and Terran. I'm just a genius to win with this race.
Damn, MC is an awesome guy, he has such a perfect competitor mindset. He really deserves his spot in the world top, and he is always willing to fight for it.
On July 07 2011 17:36 GhostKorean wrote: God, MC is so arrogant. I hate it
He is, but because of that he has a quite entertaining personality, he can be arrogant as well, as he has showed great results! I am glad that to oGs-TL protoss players are moving on! good luck to them! <3
I'm surprised people are still making "Wow, MC is so arrogant, I hate it, wahh" posts at this point. Have these people not seen Milkis describe MC's personality very positively? The cockiness and trash talk being just what he does for show? Have you not seen MC do some hilarious casting? Have you not seen what a bro MC is? ("[I was hoping win] Homestory Cup, but I don't care. My friend champion.")
Have these sorts of people been living in holes for the past month or so? I'm not even mad, I'm just kind of confused at this point at how uninformed people are. Either that, or arrogance for show is such a negative trait to some people that it completely overrides any of the positive traits that I mentioned in the above paragraph.
On July 08 2011 07:18 HolyArrow wrote: I'm surprised people are still making "Wow, MC is so arrogant, I hate it, wahh" posts at this point. Have these people not seen Milkis describe MC's personality very positively? The cockiness and trash talk being just what he does for show? Have you not seen MC do some hilarious casting? Have you not seen what a bro MC is? ("[I was hoping win] Homestory Cup, but I don't care. My friend champion.")
Have these sorts of people been living in holes for the past month or so? I'm not even mad, I'm just kind of confused at this point at how uninformed people are. Either that, or arrogance for show is such a negative trait to some people that it completely overrides any of the positive traits that I mentioned in the above paragraph.
the thing is... people only hear what they want to hear, and see what they only want to see. =/. Everyone who pays attention knows there is much more to MC than meets the eye.
On July 08 2011 07:18 HolyArrow wrote: I'm surprised people are still making "Wow, MC is so arrogant, I hate it, wahh" posts at this point. Have these people not seen Milkis describe MC's personality very positively? The cockiness and trash talk being just what he does for show? Have you not seen MC do some hilarious casting? Have you not seen what a bro MC is? ("[I was hoping win] Homestory Cup, but I don't care. My friend champion.")
Have these sorts of people been living in holes for the past month or so? I'm not even mad, I'm just kind of confused at this point at how uninformed people are. Either that, or arrogance for show is such a negative trait to some people that it completely overrides any of the positive traits that I mentioned in the above paragraph.
Speaking as someone who previously thought MC was an asshole ... yes, some of us do live in metaphorical holes for quite a long time. I used to exclusively follow the GSL before branching out a bit more, and man, let me tell you - if you only follow the GSL, you're going to think MC's a total bastard son of a bitch arrogant fuckwad until you realize that he's just putting on an act. And even after you realize it's an act, first impressions are incredibly hard to overturn.
Having said that, my annoyance at his behavior has indeed faded ever since that cast with TotalBiscuit when he randomly started to hoot into the mic during an awkward moment of silence. So instead of hating him, now I can no longer take him seriously! What a great trade-off.
- You lost in that first game. I have always began the group stages with 1 loss. So this time, instead of practicing for the first set map, I actually focused my practice for crossfire se and dual sight.
I don't know why but i found this really interesting from Polt haha such a strange way to approach it.
I really hope HuK gets a showing in the GSTL! He is in such good form it would be pretty awesome to see!
MC's attitude is total baller haha "I am the best. That is all."
MC has waaay more personality than most Korean progamers, and actually makes an effort to reach out to his foreign fans. Yes, he's cocky, but he backs it up and isn't malicious (i.e. his cockiness isn't "my opponents suck" its "i am the best", which he is). He's a nice dude irl and a funny caster.
Hating MC is like hating winning and ice cream. It makes you a communist.
On July 07 2011 04:23 chiboni wrote: Great Interviews!
...Originally, team liquid players played in a separate room, but after Jinro’s recent slump, Huk has moved next to me....
So Jinro sitting all alone in a room and practicing for himself :/ ?
I'm wondering this to. For starters, i'm not sure why the TL players weren't with the oGs players the whole time since it obviously would help them (my guess is language or room). Second, why don't they just move jinro over and put him with the terrans if something similar is working for huk?
I was assuming once everyone else left (Ret, TLO, Haypro) and Jinro started slumping they moved both of them into the room with the rest of oGs and, because the interview is about HuK (and a translation), that MC just mentioned HuK.
They changed houses AFAIK, so that probably sparked the shakeup.
I think HuK sitting next to mc is good, Jinro next to TOP would be equally good.
HuK has definitely gotten way better since heading to Korea. He used to be decent but flawed and prone to inconsistency, and now he just looks really, really good---even when he loses he impresses. And he definitely plays an ogs-type style.
I feel bad for Naniwa. I think he's a HuK level talent, but without ogs-level practice partners of his own he's gonna have a hard time keeping up for the best foreign Toss title.
Awesome interview from MC, just a really cool read. I appreciate longer answers rather than short. It really lets you know the mindset of the player, and their thoughts as well. It also could just be that MC has more to say, haha.
i still haven't seen Polt go macro-mode without doing some 1 base shinanigan to open, i think once people figured that out and really defend off his early agression well and push it into late game consistently, his reputation will return to where it belongs.
EPT
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kVOPq.jpg)
HuK ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/KSISj.jpg)
Polt (Optimus)![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/kBzdl.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/N360w.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/pBOxz.jpg)
Thanks a lot this is awesome. 
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