It has been almost a year since Starcraft II has been officially released, and with its release, the e-Sports scene has never looked more alive than it is right now. A foreign scene that is rapidly expanding, hours and hours of content constantly being produced, and a skill ceiling that is only rising. The beta was released mid-February, and only a short time before, the largest foreigner tournament for Starcraft: Brood War had just reached it’s conclusion. Tyler “Liquid’Nony” Wasieleski had toppled other foreigners that included legends like Greg “IdrA” Fields and Christoph "Mondragon" Semke to win a 10,000 dollar prize that was unheard of at the time.
Arguably one of the best foreigners in Brood War, Tyler has not been able to replicate his success in Starcraft II, however, the question is not “Will Tyler ever win a tournament” but rather “WHEN will Tyler win a tournament”.
In the Brood War scene, Tyler was thought of as one of the contenders of USA’s top players. Professionals like Sean “Day[9]” Plott even remarked in his Day[9]Daily #100 and at the end of a SOTG show that Tyler’s 2-Gate was fearsome and that his Reaver play was top-notch, Artosis has stated that Tyler would be one of the best players in the world if he practiced long enough during SOTG#44, and IdrA has told in interviews that Tyler is one of the few foreigners he respects due to his strong macro play.
2008 was Tyler’s breakout year, taking number one in WCG USA 2008, beating foreigners like IdrA , who had come to the US after a short time in Korea to participate, and G5.
During this time, Tyler placed 4th in the Razer TSL, behind Brat_ok . Draco, and Iefnaij. Also, Tyler had defeated Cloud in the Spirit Tournament. Where Daniel Lee , the head coach of eSTRO, extended an invitation for Tyler to join the eSTRO team in Korea after a conversation where Tyler expressed interest to become a Progamer.
Tyler stayed in Korea with eSTRO for four months and practiced with Koreans that included players like EG.Puma , TSL. Killer, and ST. Bomber, who at the time were all BW progamers on the same team,. Tyler was one game away winning the Courage Tournament, a tournament in which Korean amateurs and practice partners would play in a bracket system for a chance to win a Progamer License.
TSL.Killer / eSTRO’s Sangho - "a foreigner player joined our team. he's protoss, and he had a bit of influence on my today's game. and every protoss in my team has helped me as well. i want to say thanks to hong myung chul, sin jae woo, kim e sahk, TYLER."
Tyler left 2 months later, due to personal reasons, and decided to play less Starcraft at the time. He got married, and for a time, he was inactive.
The Pokerstrategy.com TSL was announced, with a $22,500 prize pool. With the huge prize pool, the ever growing list of players, and a star-studded list of commentators The community reaction was huge.
"This is just to fucking awsome. MAAAN that's a big price" - Patriot,dlk
It was announced that due to Tyler’s 4th place finish in the Razer TSL, he would go on to face the number #1 ladder player for a spot in the top 16, entirely skipping the top 48 qualifier phase. During the ladder phase, many would watch on Livestream as Tyler practiced on iCCup in preparation for his opoponent. It rapidly became evident that IdrA, the last white hope in korea, would be his rival. On Janurary 9th, 2010 fans around the world watched as the TSL started off with a bang.
Tyler lost to IdrA 1:3 , but we saw one of the most iconic scenes in any PvT to date. Coming out of inactivity , Tyler showed some of the most brilliant storms and as Chill put it.
“I don’t know if this is a good spot for Nony, ...
He needs to get that storm worki- HUGE STORMS ON THOSE TANKS OHMYGOD. Storms everywhere cutting up SO MANY TANKS OHMYGOD!..”
While Tyler lost to IdrA that day, as the tournament progressed, he swiftly crushed European Terrans like HoRRoR and Tarson, with the series vs Tarson one of the fastest BO5s in TSL history. Tyler was riding a wave of momentum , and the brackets eventually revealed that another rematch between IdrA and Tyler was on the horizon.
All around the world, fans watched as the one of the most hyped up series began. In this series, we saw how impressive both IdrA and Tyler's mechanics were, we saw the infamous Command Center cancel, and how Tyler eventually squeeked a win with a pressure build that broke IdrA's barracks expand.
In an interview with Artosis after the broadcast of that series, Tyler showed his champion mentality.
Artosis: Excellent. Well are you going to win the TSL? That is my last question for you. Are you the Champion already?
Liquid`NonY: I am already the Champion. I am so eager to show my pvz in the finals, and I feel confident about playing JF next week, and unless he is a wizard that will double up his skill in a week, yeah, I’m the TSL2 Champion haha.
The tournament progressed and Tyler defeated the former TSL champion Iefnaij 3-1 and faced the German Zerg Mondragon in the finals. In this Bo7 series, Tyler edges out Mondragon 4-2 with a reverse sweep after being down 0-2. Winning the largest foreign tournament , Tyler established himself as one of the top players in the foreign scene.
Unexpectedly, Blizzard released the Starcraft II beta in a short time after Tyler's TSL run that even INcontroL has said that Tyler didn't get to bask in the glory of his victory in the TSL.
Still, Tyler remained a notable player throughout the beta and early months of Starcraft II. Taking 3rd place in the HDH invitational by beating fellow teammate Liquid'TLO with a close 4:3 victory. Protoss players looked up to Tyler as he popularized Phoenixes to the point where posters on the forum were discussing "Nony's Double Stargate Build"
Joining JP McDaniel and other hosts, he became a "Pillar" on State of the Game, the most popular Starcraft podcast, and has been featured in the first episode of the revival of TL: Attack. Being a fan-favorite , he is now even sponsored by Stride Gum in relation to his MLG Appearances.
MLG Raleigh 2010: Unspecified. (K.O'd by INcontroL in LB 3(?)) MLG DC 2010 : 6th MLG Dallas 2010: 4th MLG Dallas 2011 16th MLG Columbus: 19th
Overall as of 7/26/11 : Rank 22~
Tyler has had lackluster performances at DreamHack and other Euroipean Events, his current results as of MLG Colombus 2011 and his stagnating play after Dallas 2010 have led many people to believe that Tyler is overrated and someone that cannot stand up to some of the new stars of SC2, that all he is doing is riding his old broodwar fame.
Many pros have remarked that Tyler is one of the most efficient progamers in regards to his practice. Day[9] has said that Tyler doesn't just grind out games, he focuses on an aspect of his play and sharpens it, that is why his play is so refined. Coming from a BW background, Tyler has the mechanics to play SC2 at a high level, his thought process is one of the most complex and interesting when you listen to him talk about his play. The only negative aspect of his play that many pros agree on and even Tyler himself has stated, was his practicing time-wise. His play suffers from fatigue more so than others, and grinding out games for him isn't as effective compared to a Korean Progamer.
Tyler Wasieleski has become one of the forefront community members with his activity inside and outside the game. His sponsorship with Stride Gum that include replay reviews, weekly appearances on SOTG, livestreaming his play, and being a poster on TL, make him one of the more influential people in Starcraft II. He has fallen from the running of "Top Foreigner" right now, but Tyler will rise like a Phoenix and show that his play is still something to be reckoned with.
I'd like to thank *The people who run Liquidpedia. *GTR for his translation of Sangho's win *Hot_Bid for fitting me into my first FPL during like 09-10 PL *All the TL staff that makes this forum so delightful *SOTG/ITG for keeping my week entertained. *My friend Eric/Nghia for proofreading most of this!
This is my first write up haha, Im only 17 and my grammar is horrible. haha. I originally had a friend proofread as I typed it up, but I didnt want to bother him anymore.
I picked the subtitle "Aiur's Phoenix" because Tyler's play has "fallen" but like a phoenix, it will rise and he'll be a top player again! It didnt come to my mind that the title could also be interpreted as the SC2 unit aswell until like 5 minutes ago. There was also supposed to be a MLG Logo in the middle part of it, but it didnt resize properly and I gave up Lol.
The first time I've gotten "nerd chills" was watching Tyler put down those 2-3 gateways on Fighting Spirit I think in Game 5 of NonY vs IdrA in their 2nd series. I instantly became a fan after watching his play more and reading his interviews.
Tyler is my favorite player to watch, and I know he'll show better results. Its just a gut feeling , and I think it'll be right.
Anyways. If Tyler reads this, Goodluck at MLG Anaheim! Forever a fan.
i just wish he would practice and show us how good he is again instead of saying if i practice i would win tournaments. Thats like saying if i tried i could get GM. but im too lazy to prove it. Good luck man, waiting for you to put the effort in.
I honestly think the main thing, if only thing holding him back, is his practice... I simply think he is not practicing enough.. Even if he only did 3-4 hours a day, which I doubt he does at the moment, he would be able to compete even more than he does currently. I hope he does well at Anaheim, and if he doesn't, he starts to practice more... I don't think anyone doubts he can very well become THE best foreigner (Edit: besides azr -_-)... I will always keep my eye on Tyler and Mondragon.
On July 26 2011 15:23 TheAntZ wrote: I almost teared up a bit :C I hope tyler proves at anaheim that he can still be the monstrous force he was in his prime. Fighting~!
I hope you noticed your own quote in the reactions part. I laughed so hard when I went through the announcement thread.
On July 26 2011 15:23 TheAntZ wrote: I almost teared up a bit :C I hope tyler proves at anaheim that he can still be the monstrous force he was in his prime. Fighting~!
I hope you noticed your own quote in the reactions part. I laughed so hard when I went through the announcement thread.
Rofl yeah :D I remember the moment I was posting it exactly because before that I literally let out a choked "Dear mother of god..." when I first read the announcement
Tyler is a beast. His biggest hurdle is his self and he knows it. He will show us why we root for him again. GL at MLG Tyler and thanks for all the years on entertainment.
On July 26 2011 15:25 DeepBlu2 wrote: I don't think anyone doubts he can very well become THE best foreigner...
Oh I doubt this very much.
He needs to prove he can before we can assume he will. He had to prove that he could make it in Korea by getting to the courage finals on his second try, and he had to prove he could still compete at the top level by smashing Idra, the landslide favorite for TSL2, after coming back from inactivity.
I just want him to go back to BW mindset where he still had things to prove. Right now people are handing him too much, and he seems like he's too content with being bad-because-he-doesn't-practice and not striving to absolutely crush everyone "under the iron fist of his conservative play."
He really needs to just get a taste of winning/being one of the best and I'm sure he will improve. Right now he's so average/mediocre compared to his name. I wish him luck at MLG.
A small reminder as to why Tyler has many a fan boy
Thanks for the write up and the great detail - if only Tyler had the time to practice as hard as he could in his BW days i think things would be a bit different, he seems to have a very clear understanding of the game
I do totally agree with you, i think Tyler just needs to get his thoughts straight , practice more and then rape everyone that dares to get infront of him.
On July 26 2011 15:46 DerNebel wrote: You talked about Idra vs Nony in the TSL without mentioning the infamous CC cancel?
Basically, Idra went for a super early expand and then accidentally pressed esc to cancel it into insta-"TSL-Idra has left the game".
All around the world, fans watched as the one of the most hyped up series began. In this series, we saw how impressive both IdrA and Tyler's mechanics were, we saw the infamous Command Center cancel, and how Tyler eventually squeeked a win with a pressure build that broke IdrA's barracks expand.
Great write up, Nony is still my favourite Protoss of all time, Korean or foreign. He has 95% of the competition beat in his head already, now it's time for the hands to do the work.
Love watching this guy stream. Everything is so efficient and cerebral, including the "this is exactly what i need right now to hold/win" scenarios.
I'm sure he has his personal reasons regarding not practicing more, but frankly i don't care if he loses - Tyler is a player i'd support no matter what.
Tyler is awesome :D He is such a skilled player, there are so many top foreigners he should be better than. It makes me sad to see them ahead of him. He can easily beat them, never give up Tyler, just practice some more and show them the power of the best BW foreigner!
I'm kindoff put off by his statements on SOTG. He obviously has some kind of personal reasons for which he can't put more time into practice. But if you aren't going to put the time in 6-8 hours at least 5 days a week, can you even call yourself a pro gamer?
My favorite player by a long shot. His phoenix build in the beta was actually the reason I decided to play protoss in SC2.
I really, really wish he would get back on a strong practice schedule. He's got better mechanics, more skill, better game sense than pretty much anyone in the foreigner scene. He could definitely be a top contender in every tournaments he entered if only he'd put in the time!
I feel like Tyler is the Protoss equivalent of IdrA, with a better demeanor. Extremely mechanically solid, no bullshit play. The problem is that Tyler seems to be behind in the metagame. His execution is phenomenal, but he needs to learn the new surprise timings. He looked so solid in his TSL3 run until he met Thorzain. Watching his games is like watching his units being conducted by a Maes...maybe I shouldn't use that nickname.
except hes quickly becoming nothing in SC2.. kinda getting sick of hearing how good he was. he is disrespecting the team liquid name by not practicing. personal issues are okay for an excuse to not practice.. but when it's been a year you have to think "why is he even on the team?"
Does he feel no shame not practicing as much as his teammates are? Does he really want to continue wearing the Liquid tag because of who he was, and not who he is?
i want tyler to practice hard so much :o it's so sad to see his potential everytime he streams and then see him lose in tournaments due to lack of practice. gogo NonY for world domination!
On July 26 2011 15:41 superbabosheki wrote: He just needs to do an official name change back to nony and the pwnage will return.
He's been playing on a "new" account whenever he has been streaming, with the name NonY. Not sure if this will become his main account or anything, since it doesn't have the TLAF or Liquid tag.
I'm not gonna lie, I haven't been following Tyler as much as I used to. I really really want him to do well, I just wish Team Liquid had enough sponsor's to allow him to play full time so he didn't have to have a job as well.
I don't post much but I just wanted to say I believe in you Tyler. I've been playing starcraft since the sc2 beta and watching and reading about starcraft before that. I've watched your play and listened to you on state of the game. You're a very nice guy who is very methodical and fair, you work hard and everyone can see it but you need to push it a little bit further, as a liquid you know there is the force of waves behind you.
Tyler is amazing. People keep bashing him for "not practicing enough" but let's be real. The guy is married and has a life. Do you really expect him to pull 14-hour Flash practice days?
as much as I love tyler, most fans should know that he is done pro gaming (unless he practices A LOT). He is married and has to less time in his hands. I would love to see him practice a lot more but time is short. Good luck in the future but I think it is time team liquid recruits more stronger foreigners that can compete in an international level.
On July 26 2011 16:34 backtoback wrote: as much as I love tyler, most fans should know that he is done pro gaming (unless he practices A LOT). He is married and has to less time in his hands. I would love to see him practice a lot more but time is short. Good luck in the future but I think it is time team liquid recruits more stronger foreigners that can compete in an international level.
I dont know if what I'm about to say is true or not, but i assume Tyler still has time that he could be spending on sc2 that he isnt, since he has said "I havent been practicing as much as i should be". I think even with the responsibilities of married life etc, Tyler could be a top tier pro. Hopefully he'll show that at anaheim :D
I'm a big fan of Tyler, it's a shame to see his performances slump that way. However the "wife and real life now" does not explain it fully, check out SoTG 44 for more.
I think Tyler is a player that will benefit greatly the more and more SC2 becomes figured out. Squeezing out tiny edges and maximizing each unit's potential in the ever-growing 'robustness' of build orders will be how Tyler will begin making his mark in the game.
poor that he is so downrated today,.. no one believes in him but team liquid com. We have to chear for him twice as hard, because he shows that you can be a pro with family life! It's not allways useful to play in a teamhouse with koreans!
On July 26 2011 16:06 SovSov wrote: except hes quickly becoming nothing in SC2.. kinda getting sick of hearing how good he was. he is disrespecting the team liquid name by not practicing. personal issues are okay for an excuse to not practice.. but when it's been a year you have to think "why is he even on the team?"
Does he feel no shame not practicing as much as his teammates are? Does he really want to continue wearing the Liquid tag because of who he was, and not who he is?
As far as I know he's had 2 bad placings at mlg and one in HS3. He made it further or the same in TSL as everyone in liquid(losing to the guy that eventually won the whole thing). I don't see how 3 bad placings = he's terrible so insta boot when not everyone in liquid has performed well.
The problem with tyler is that we don't see him play often, if he was playing in a bunch of smaller tournaments i think we would see him do really well overall. As it stands he's been competing in events were literally the best players from inside or outside of korea are participating.
On July 26 2011 16:06 SovSov wrote: except hes quickly becoming nothing in SC2.. kinda getting sick of hearing how good he was. he is disrespecting the team liquid name by not practicing. personal issues are okay for an excuse to not practice.. but when it's been a year you have to think "why is he even on the team?"
Does he feel no shame not practicing as much as his teammates are? Does he really want to continue wearing the Liquid tag because of who he was, and not who he is?
As harsh as this is I have to agree with most of it.
Also traveling to all these international events costs his sponsors a lot of money, and if you haven't been able to practise enough to compete I don't. Feel like you should be accepting all these invites
PS: Does Tyler actully have a full time job? I've never heard anything suggesting he does
Edit: I was intially going to post great write up (which it is). And I'm a big fan etc, jusat had to respond to the above quote
I have respect for Tyler no matter what, and just hope that hes happy with life first and foremost before he focuses on being a progamer, which requires SO much commitment. If he doesn't feel like committing to practicing then it is his life really. Heres hoping to see the rebirth of the NonY we have seen before though!
Can't disagree that tyler 'could' be good...the real question is will he ever be able or decide to put the time in to be good once again. I got the impression just from what he's said recently that he doesn't seem to have either the right circumstances or motivation to play to that level anytime super soon....but who knows.
Really great write up man, Tyler is hands down one of my favorite players. Its clear after following this guy for some time through SOTG and his stream that hes a very smart individual and has poteintal to dare I say be the best. His builds are unique and original and always founded on being safe and being able to transition into a macro game, because of this I have high respect for him. Hopefully the fans can motivate him to practice hard and show the world that hes the best player out there.
I definitely think Tyler can be one of the best sc2 players in the world. Just listening to him talk, he clearly has a great RTS mind. And with his bw background, he has the mechanics as well. He just needs to practice more, its really that simple. Why he doesn't practice, well only Tyler knows that. I really hope he gets the motivation to be great, because he can.
I certainly would love to see Tyler as a pro coach for a team too. I think he would be excellent as one as he has such a great understanding of the game. Obviously he would have to become more familiar with the other two races, but that wouldn't be much of a problem. He can just break down games so well and is great with coming up with strategies. I really see him as a player who when he steps away from playing, can make a very good career in coaching for a pro team.
Tyler being one of my favorite players, semi wishes he would just retire from playing professionally instead of teasing everyone at these top tier events. I always want to see him win so badly but the practice just isn't there to back up his natural talent.
:<
Intelligent well-rounded people like Tyler are good for the esports community and I hope he finds some inspiration.
What Tyler lacks in practice time, he makes up for doubly in his raw courage. Therefore, it is not surprising that he made it so far in the tournament of courage.
His macro in BW was so scary!! I felt like Artosis watching his games and just enjoying the supply rise and rise with the money always so low. I hope he gets more attention in SCII, though. People need to realize how good he really is, even without much tournament results to back it up
I wonder how Tyler himself feels about these kinds "articles".
I can imagine he's already under huge stress to make an impact, and stuff like this... I doubt it makes the situation any easier. I know it was written with best intentions, but maybe Tyler needs to fall out of the spotlight for a while and re-invent his game.
On July 26 2011 19:00 Sewi wrote: His macro in BW was so scary!! I felt like Artosis watching his games and just enjoying the supply rise and rise with the money always so low. I hope he gets more attention in SCII, though. People need to realize how good he really is, even without much tournament results to back it up
Honestly he gets a lot more attention then his results would justify, just because he is Tyler. Would be cool if he became really good in SC2 but I doubt his heart is really in it.
My take on Tyler's situation is this: The man obviously has a deep passion for Starcraft, or he wouldn't be playing it professionally and engaging in the community. And he's made clear that something IRL is getting between him and the kind of practice regimen that would allow him to shine. Because he's so obviously passionate about his craft, and because TL's leadership presumably knows what's going on and has continued to be supportive of him, we can only deduce that whatever is going on behind the scenes must be a pretty huge deal.
Given that I respect Tyler's decision to keep his private life private and have no reason to doubt the judgement of TL leadership, I'm content to remain in the dark and just have faith that (1) whatever is going on will not last forever and (2) when Tyler is able to return to top form, he'll likely have what it takes to be a major player in the SC2 scene.
Seriously, we have so little information about what the situation is that all of the criticism and praise that are heaped on Tyler seem a little silly.
On July 26 2011 15:39 Fiendish wrote: I wish people would stop bashing him and THEN encouraging him. He's not doing that bad. Let him be. He'll practice as much as he wants to.
I suspect you mean people who say "if he practices 2-3 hours each day, he would do extremely well".
That is not bashing. That is not even criticism, it is a simple observation. It is entirely up to Tyler what he wants to do. I am a huge fan of Tyler/NonY and if he did decide to practice more it would make me extremely happy, but I realize that it is futile to try to pressure someone into something they don't feel like doing, or can't do, for all I know.
Nice first article, I enjoyed reading it. Who knows if Tyler will decide to go full tilt into practicing for sc2, I wish he did but I respect that he may be past that in his life. Either way I will always remember him for the fun games in both sc1 and sc2. Oh and I agree, he should go back to his Nony name
Tyler has one of the most entertaining streams to watch and learn from, the way he constructs and refines new builds is just amazing. I agree that it's just a matter of time before he starts doing very well in the SC2 scene.
He is there. Somewhere. Waiting. Patiently planning and scheming. And he will strike. Sooner than later. And the world will turn their eyes on him as he will shine in glory again.
Tyler was my favourite BW foreigner and I love watching his stream now, I hope he can get past the mental block that is stalling his success in sc2, whatever it may be! Best of luck Tyler!
Anyone who says that Nony is overrated or won't be good at SC2 is crazy. Someone who is THE best foreign player in a game doesn't switch games and just suck at the second one, ok? Especially when the games are so close and have the same principles.
On July 26 2011 22:21 GreEny K wrote: Anyone who says that Nony is overrated or won't be good at SC2 is crazy. Someone who is THE best foreign player in a game doesn't switch games and just suck at the second one, ok? Especially when the games are so close and have the same principles.
arguments could be made he was the best in BW because there was little numbers of competitors.
Now there are quite a few foriegn protoss who are at a very high level, to surpass huk or naniwa would mean that he has to be near GSL top 16 level. Doubt it.
On July 26 2011 15:25 DeepBlu2 wrote: I don't think anyone doubts he can very well become THE best foreigner...
Oh I doubt this very much.
That's cause you're new to the scene and don't understand the legacy and legend that is the no practice toss.
There isn't a 1 to 1 ratio with success from Brood War. He's still a decent player and he says that when he practices he'll be amazing, just like others do, but then he goes to tournaments, does somewhat poorly, and cites lack of practice so we never really know. I don't think that being skeptical means you don't understand the scene, I'm skeptical myself. He hasn't really shown me anything that makes me think, "This guy has got it!" as far as SC2 goes.
The only problem is, this is somewhat perpetual. For me, I can simply say, "We'll see how he does at MLG, hopefully he shows us he's still got it". But then, if he bombs out, he may just say he got lazy and stopped practicing, then everyone else would say he could be amazing if he practiced. I want to see him do well, but I'm not really on board with this whole He could still be the best foreigner if he wanted deal, it's fine to be skeptical and doubting that he can become the best foreigner doesn't mean you're ignorant.
On July 26 2011 22:21 GreEny K wrote: Anyone who says that Nony is overrated or won't be good at SC2 is crazy. Someone who is THE best foreign player in a game doesn't switch games and just suck at the second one, ok? Especially when the games are so close and have the same principles.
People will always say this if he wont start placing good, its natural not crazy. When someone is at the very top in foreign bw and 1 year later he is barely in the competition in sc2 which as u said has the same principles it makes people think why.
Does Tyler have a full-time job besides pro-gaming? Because if he doesn't, then i don't think this wife-think is enough of an excuse to not practice. I mean, most people get a serious relationship at some point, but that doesn't mean that they stop doing their job. If Tyler doesn't have a full-time job then he SHOULD be expected to practice 6-8 hours a day 5 days a week since pro-gaming is his job. As others have mentioned it is kinda disrespectful to his team to have them pay money to fly him to tournaments, in which he doesn't stand a chance because he rarely practices. Hearing about how good he once was, doesn't really bring respect in my book if he doesn't take his job as a gamer seriously.
On July 26 2011 15:45 bkrow wrote: A small reminder as to why Tyler has many a fan boy
Thanks for the write up and the great detail - if only Tyler had the time to practice as hard as he could in his BW days i think things would be a bit different, he seems to have a very clear understanding of the game
so true. Sometimes i wish that he would get a divorce which just makes me feel like a complete jackass when i think that. haha. I think in the near future something will happen and he will be able to go fullboard with sc2.
On July 26 2011 22:36 BansheeDK wrote: Does Tyler have a full-time job besides pro-gaming? Because if he doesn't, then i don't think this wife-think is enough of an excuse to not practice. I mean, most people get a serious relationship at some point, but that doesn't mean that they stop doing their job. If Tyler doesn't have a full-time job then he SHOULD be expected to practice 6-8 hours a day 5 days a week since pro-gaming is his job. As others have mentioned it is kinda disrespectful to his team to have them pay money to fly him to tournaments, in which he doesn't stand a chance because he rarely practices. Hearing about how good he once was, doesn't really bring respect in my book if he doesn't take his job as a gamer seriously.
As far as I know, Starcraft is his full-time job. I may be mistaken though and leave myself open to correction.
Good write up! Maybe some newcomers to Starcraft can read this and give the respect to Tyler that he deserves. It sickens me how so many people in Sc2 that trash talk Tyler and gives him so much shit just because he's results are lacking for now and they don't know anything about Brood War and it's history.
I can't wait until get he's gets back into top shape, I remember watching his Phoenix play in beta and my jaw dropping, I still find myself always rooting for him no matter who he's playing. tyler fighting!
On July 26 2011 15:25 DeepBlu2 wrote: I don't think anyone doubts he can very well become THE best foreigner...
Oh I doubt this very much.
That's cause you're new to the scene and don't understand the legacy and legend that is the no practice toss.
The only problem is, this is somewhat perpetual. For me, I can simply say, "We'll see how he does at MLG, hopefully he shows us he's still got it". But then, if he bombs out, he may just say he got lazy and stopped practicing, then everyone else would say he could be amazing if he practiced. I want to see him do well, but I'm not really on board with this whole He could still be the best foreigner if he wanted deal, it's fine to be skeptical and doubting that he can become the best foreigner doesn't mean you're ignorant.
If i'm not mistaken (which I might be) he has had some private real life things to deal with and he hasn't been practicing as much as he wants to because of them.
edit: He should change his name back to NonY... I miss it.
Solid write-up on Tyler. He does not get enough credit and people dismiss him as not good too often. I'm stoked to see him start practicing more and when he does I'm sure we will see him start winning more.
Nony definitely my fav from BW days especially because of me being a noobtoss player. oh and putting idra in his place during TSL2. that second match was so HYPE.
I think he was only in korea for 2 months, he said so in a recent state of the game. if he was there for 4 months, he wouldve had more courage tournaments right?
Huge fan on Nony/Tyler. He will always be Nony to me, sorry man, you cannot just change your ID on us man. I really hope Tyler starts to pour in more practice hours because you can definitely see that his performance is falling due to his lack of practice. Cmon man, you're one sick nerd baller
On July 26 2011 19:41 AmericanUmlaut wrote: My take on Tyler's situation is this: The man obviously has a deep passion for Starcraft, or he wouldn't be playing it professionally and engaging in the community. And he's made clear that something IRL is getting between him and the kind of practice regimen that would allow him to shine. Because he's so obviously passionate about his craft, and because TL's leadership presumably knows what's going on and has continued to be supportive of him, we can only deduce that whatever is going on behind the scenes must be a pretty huge deal.
Given that I respect Tyler's decision to keep his private life private and have no reason to doubt the judgement of TL leadership, I'm content to remain in the dark and just have faith that (1) whatever is going on will not last forever and (2) when Tyler is able to return to top form, he'll likely have what it takes to be a major player in the SC2 scene.
Seriously, we have so little information about what the situation is that all of the criticism and praise that are heaped on Tyler seem a little silly.
Now I hope everyone reads this post and takes it to heart. Well written and I'm sure Tyler has a smile on his face when'/if he reads this Very true!
On SotG when there was that awkward moment when NonY was asked why he's not the "best" as it were, or why he wasn't practicing much... it was pretty clear there was something he wasn't telling us. BUT. He did say that there will come a time when he will begin practicing a lot more :-) I hope he does.
But that stream session yesterday was tough to watch D: - the play was good, bit rusty but good, but he lost like 5 games in a row :/ Tilted more than I've seen him tilt before and then just turned the stream off
wow, best 15minutes of my day. thanks for the write up. i am well and truly a nony fan. and ill be waiting for the day when he decides to give sc2 his all. (hoping that day comes : D)
I wish I knew whatever that personal thing he wasnt talking about on sotg was just so i could help him or some shit. Anyway, hope he gets in top form soon, nony hwaitinggggg
On July 26 2011 19:41 AmericanUmlaut wrote: My take on Tyler's situation is this: The man obviously has a deep passion for Starcraft, or he wouldn't be playing it professionally and engaging in the community. And he's made clear that something IRL is getting between him and the kind of practice regimen that would allow him to shine. Because he's so obviously passionate about his craft, and because TL's leadership presumably knows what's going on and has continued to be supportive of him, we can only deduce that whatever is going on behind the scenes must be a pretty huge deal.
Given that I respect Tyler's decision to keep his private life private and have no reason to doubt the judgement of TL leadership, I'm content to remain in the dark and just have faith that (1) whatever is going on will not last forever and (2) when Tyler is able to return to top form, he'll likely have what it takes to be a major player in the SC2 scene.
Seriously, we have so little information about what the situation is that all of the criticism and praise that are heaped on Tyler seem a little silly.
^This is a good post. I will expect Tyler to return to form whenever this current obligations settle down.
<3 Tyler his builds are SOOOOO crisp I love following his timings he has them down like the back of his hand if you watch when he places down stuff it's almost to the second when he will have enough res to build stuff.
Well written account of the man and legend that is Liquid'Tyler. This article should either be the bio or be linked in his liquipedia page, consider contacting them.
Isn't he taking up law? That in itself is a fulltime job so I completely understand his position. Maybe once he takes the bar? Then he can be like HotBid - eSPORTS hero (and maybe some legal work on the side)!
On July 26 2011 19:41 AmericanUmlaut wrote: My take on Tyler's situation is this: The man obviously has a deep passion for Starcraft, or he wouldn't be playing it professionally and engaging in the community. And he's made clear that something IRL is getting between him and the kind of practice regimen that would allow him to shine. Because he's so obviously passionate about his craft, and because TL's leadership presumably knows what's going on and has continued to be supportive of him, we can only deduce that whatever is going on behind the scenes must be a pretty huge deal.
Given that I respect Tyler's decision to keep his private life private and have no reason to doubt the judgement of TL leadership, I'm content to remain in the dark and just have faith that (1) whatever is going on will not last forever and (2) when Tyler is able to return to top form, he'll likely have what it takes to be a major player in the SC2 scene.
Seriously, we have so little information about what the situation is that all of the criticism and praise that are heaped on Tyler seem a little silly.
Yeah this is a very smart post. the best we as a community can do for him is to continue supporting him, and cheer him on regardless, i dont know what sort if issues he has, but im sure coming to TL and seeing a thread like this would make him want to be a pro sc2 much more than threads about his lack of top class form
On July 27 2011 00:24 Tabbris wrote: Ppl expecting him to do great at MLG will be disappointed. He still doesn't practice. I dont know why but i think he just kinda lost his passion.
I was a Nony fan before he won Tsl2 but i just dont see the fire/confidence in him anymore
Perhaps he's just not as intense as before. I'm fairly sure that his practice time is severely limited due to perhaps his family or some extraneous circumstance.
On July 27 2011 00:24 Tabbris wrote: Ppl expecting him to do great at MLG will be disappointed. He still doesn't practice. I dont know why but i think he just kinda lost his passion.
I was a Nony fan before he won Tsl2 but i just dont see the fire/confidence in him anymore
On July 27 2011 00:24 Tabbris wrote: Ppl expecting him to do great at MLG will be disappointed. He still doesn't practice. I dont know why but i think he just kinda lost his passion.
I was a Nony fan before he won Tsl2 but i just dont see the fire/confidence in him anymore
Perhaps he's just not as intense as before. I'm fairly sure that his practice time is severely limited due to perhaps his family or some extraneous circumstance.
I feel like it would have to be some extraneous circumstance unless his wife is more demanding than most, but once again... We have no real information and haven't been given any real information about what's holding him back other than, "I don't practice". White-ra has a wife and all that too, in addition to having a personal sponsorship as opposed to a team and he still manages to perform really well so I don't really know what the situation with Tyler is, but speculating won't really get us anywhere.
I'm not interested in the could be at this point and more interested in him actually achieving the potential everyone keeps hyping up. If he doesn't, whatever, he still seems like a cool guy, but without actual reasoning given behind the, "I don't practice", it just sounds like disinterest.
Going to throw my 500th post here, I am a true NonY fan boy if there ever was such a good article and hoping that he goes far at Anaheim I will be there in person to cheer him on. Just hope I don't hit him in the open Bracket Conflict of Interest. I want Tyler to win more than me :D.
I've been supporting Tyler from the first day I saw him play. His personality, playstyle and clear love and understanding of this game make him an easy to love guy. I sincerely hope that he does find the will to practice and play a pro-gamer schedule again, but if he doesn't I am completely confident it is for a reason more important or for something that he loves enough to go beyond his love for SC2. Supporting you all the way Tyler! <33
Tyler was the first favorite player I ever had :') the HDH were the first casted sc2 gamed I had ever seen, and NoNy was my favorite player :') I WILL REMEMBER DA TYLER
I started coming to TL in the sc2 beta and still have a great respect for what tyler has done and what he's capable of. You just gotta love teeler!! TYLER FIGHITNG!!!
I rediscovered starcraft (after my small stint of playing it a bit when i was young) during the tsl2 idra nony match and since then ive been a fan, i have a strong feeling theres a personal reason/hidden reason behind his lack of practice and i can only hope he gets it sorted and start hammering out these amazing builds im sure he has thought up. Nony/tyler fighting!!
On July 26 2011 19:41 AmericanUmlaut wrote: My take on Tyler's situation is this: The man obviously has a deep passion for Starcraft, or he wouldn't be playing it professionally and engaging in the community. And he's made clear that something IRL is getting between him and the kind of practice regimen that would allow him to shine. Because he's so obviously passionate about his craft, and because TL's leadership presumably knows what's going on and has continued to be supportive of him, we can only deduce that whatever is going on behind the scenes must be a pretty huge deal.
Given that I respect Tyler's decision to keep his private life private and have no reason to doubt the judgement of TL leadership, I'm content to remain in the dark and just have faith that (1) whatever is going on will not last forever and (2) when Tyler is able to return to top form, he'll likely have what it takes to be a major player in the SC2 scene.
Seriously, we have so little information about what the situation is that all of the criticism and praise that are heaped on Tyler seem a little silly.
I somewhat agree, altho come to think of it you shouldnt put too much faith in TL, I mean teams like EG still keeps players like LzGamer on and pays him, I mean what exactly has he been doing and or winning to show that he should be a PAID player? Tyler is far better than him tho and this is in no way try to bash on either, but by my business logic it doesnt fit.
However, at Tyler is honest about why he is worse now and that is lack of practice. That I respect.
AFAIK Tyler has suffered from serious depression for a long time and this is the "IRL" stuff and health issues he has mentioned before... If its not appropriate to share here plz delete this post but the information is pretty easily accessible in some of his old TL posts.
He just needs to put his head down and practice. I don't think he cares as much anymore and probably is more concerned with life outside of gaming now.
I once tuned into Tyler's stream and saw him playing LoL, i was so dissapointed.
what happened man, you've started laddering on Nony, I hope this is symbolic you could be the greatest, man, I just feel like you're tired of the grindstone
He's not going to win this MLG, he might not even place anywhere that people will find acceptable, but the next one, If he gets back into form, that's the one he'll win
Right when my Lunch Start NonY's going to stream that's so awesome!!!! So that means he hasn't flown out to Cali yet. Hope he doesn't get any Jet Lag from Texas to Cali.
Liquid'Tyler is Starcraft. There's no way I would watch as much Starcraft as I do If it wasn't for his games in HDH or SOTG, TLAttack, FPVods.
The guys part of what keeps E-SPORTS going for me. Dude just has that charisma that makes you want to cheer him on and be a fan. Whether he wins MLG or never wins another game, Tyler Fighting!
Tyler, the guy that I wished would stomp faces like back in the days. Still love him and will cheer the man on every time. Hope you get your well deserved win soon tyler !
His other account hasn't had a game played since 7/8 so I'd say its safe to assume he only practices when he streams. Puts alot of this into context, wouldn't be surprised if he has gotten another job.
His other account hasn't had a game played since 7/8 so I'd say its safe to assume he only practices when he streams. Puts alot of this into context, wouldn't be surprised if he has gotten another job.
According to this he was top diamond last year...... and I thought he went by Liquid Tyler on ladder? I think you got the wrong account.
His other account hasn't had a game played since 7/8 so I'd say its safe to assume he only practices when he streams. Puts alot of this into context, wouldn't be surprised if he has gotten another job.
According to this he was top diamond last year...... and I thought he went by Liquid Tyler on ladder? I think you got the wrong account.
As of late he no longer plays on Liquid'Tyler, he streams on the account NonY. Check his j.tv vods.
His other account hasn't had a game played since 7/8 so I'd say its safe to assume he only practices when he streams. Puts alot of this into context, wouldn't be surprised if he has gotten another job.
According to this he was top diamond last year...... and I thought he went by Liquid Tyler on ladder? I think you got the wrong account.
He made the NonY account for nostalgic purposes and he made it during the ladder lock so he couldn't advance out of diamond.
I think most of us know that when Tyler is able to practice more then he currently is, he will without a doubt become one of the best SC2 players on the planet. Forever a fan, Tyler.
As Tasteless would say "he lost his paaassion" I didn't play or watch BW so I don't know anything about it, but if he was one of the best foreigners out there hopefully he can get back to that skill level again.
AAAAHHHH!!! Estro!!1!!11! I stopped my pron for this It's been so fucking long, and of all people to see wearing one of those, it's gotta be NonY man (: <3
I've got so much respect for NonY, much more so than for other foreign SC2 Pros, all because of his massive BW history (even if he did play Protoss). thanks a lot for the article, it was great!
I was unaware tyler was suffering from some sort of condition, until i skimmed this thread..
A few people mentioned medication/depression etc? that's pretty intense. although im a huge fan i always kinda thought he was just lazy and not practicing. (playing WoW & LoL etc)
if he truly does have something serious going on IRL i wish him the best and hope he gets past it asap
i fail to see the grand point of this article besides plugging and pumping tyler? there has already been a great back bio story about tyler a while ago, this added nothing new except provide a reason why he is doing great in sc2 on an elite level. as a result, it makes it seem as this was just a fanboy making an excuse for tyler.
On July 31 2011 16:19 mattjkim wrote: glad to see tyler doing well but there was no love once in pool play. it was brutal watching those matches back to back to back.
On July 31 2011 20:43 Denzil wrote: Does anyone know how the point system of MLG works? Will Tyler have enough points to make pool play next MLG?
I believe he is pretty much guaranteed a spot next MLG. Tyler went to Dallas with 1900 points being in 7th place. I don't know his current spot though.
Is there any live report of his games vs DRG? I tried finding it by skipping through the VODs but have had no luck yet, was it even aired? I'm so sad that pool play didn't go so well for Tyler.
On July 31 2011 21:19 peeeky wrote: Is there any live report of his games vs DRG? I tried finding it by skipping through the VODs but have had no luck yet, was it even aired? I'm so sad that pool play didn't go so well for Tyler.
I don't think it was aired, which is an extreme travesty in my opinion. Just the calibre of players as well as backstory would make that a must-cast game, one would think.
EPT![[image loading]](http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/5328/nonyestro.jpg)
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