YEAH!!! welcome Rotti to the family. Not only is RotterdaM joining ROOT, but the most important and exciting part is he is joining as a PLAYER!.
Altough Kevin is mostly known in the sc2 community for being a caster, anyone who followed wc3 knows that there's a beast within him yet to be unleashed! Rotti's one of the players with the most potential out there, which makes me incredibly excited to have him on our squad. It was awesome in the beta when we could recruit people who we thought had talent and then they grew into great players, at this point in time however, most players are already "made" and new talent is rare. I am absolutely sure rotti has what it takes to be one of the best players, and I am confident than in ROOT we'll help him archieve just that.
Kevin will also start streaming games, something that he hasn't gotten the chance to do yet, so you'll get to see him in action as he climbs the ladder under ROOTterdaM (most likely) now don't get me wrong, RotterdaM is a GM level player, so you won't get to see him start in gold, but you'll get to see him grow with us. We are incredibly happy to make this announcement at ROOT Gaming <3333333 you Rotti.
Here's what RotterdaM had to say about joining ROOT:
"After Serious Gaming disbanded I wondered if I should join a new team or not. I took my time because I've been super busy for the last 5 months where I attended a lot of live events, moved from Germany to USA and didn't have a pc available for a long time. Now when I'm finally settled I'm ready to play a lot again since at the end of the day I believe the only way to truly know what you're talking about is by trying to play against the guys you're casting but that's not all. Above everything I love StarCraft and competing is the best feeling there is. I miss the feeling of playing important games and I miss just hanging out with a team, preparing for a clanwar etc. I spoke with CatZ 2 months ago about playing competitively again after we played each other in the ONOG and I had a great feeling straight away, would have loved to play along side him and get a bit more competitive again but back then it wasn't really possible, with my future being unsure and having to move from EU to NA I knew I wouldnt get a lot of practise so I didn't really push those plans. However 2 months later is everything different, Catz is back to his rootz (lol! ) and asked me if I wanted to join on the exact same day as I told Ben I might try to join Root :D, spidersenses alert! I really love the line-up of Root and I know I can learn a ton of those guys which will help me both as player and caster. I don't wanna raise to many expectations because at the end of the day, I still am a caster since that's how I make a living but I can guarantee you guys I will try as hard as I can to catch up and hopefully be a valuable asset to Root in clan wars. I'm super excited to play with the guys and improve and I'll do my best to wear the ROOT tag with pride. I will stream a lot of my practise as well so I hope you guys can see me improving, thanks to Catz for giving me this great oppertunity and I'll work hard as always. XoXo" - Kevin "RotterdaM" van der Kooi
on other news, we also just announced our Dota 2 Squad, so please support them and post comments there as well, we're incredibly happy to be able to diversify and grow our family and our brand, everything is going great for us, and for that, again, we have all of you guys to thank.
No words for how happy this announcement made me! Best of luck to ROOT and RotterdaM! RotterdaM has been my favorite caster for some time now, and with this announcement I just got one more favorite player! <3
Best of luck to Rotti, he seems like a great guy and one of the best casters! Joining a team and wanting to improve as much as possible shows how passionate he is.
No surprise, seeing rotterdam being on the player roster, feels like he always preferred playing in front of commentating. Must be hard being god like ( in my eyes) in both.
I think I prefer the sound of RottiRoot or even maybe Rooterdam. RootRotterdam sounds a little strange. Either way, cool stuff. Root quickly filled up with some of the most beloved foreign SC2 players.
On May 18 2012 23:25 MicroTastiC wrote: so is he gonna cast or play?
from the OP: "YEAH!!! welcome Rotti to the family. Not only is RotterdaM joining ROOT, but the most important and exciting part is he is joining as a PLAYER!."
This is great, a team made up of individuals, almost all of whom, I like and not just that but a team I used to love. Great pick up, I hope to see more ROOT news soon, maybe a big sponsor or two.
This is just awesome! If someone told me three days ago that Rootgaming picks up RotterdaM as a player i wouldn't have believed a word.^^ Wish you best of luck and sucess, and please stream sometimes at europe friendly times. I would really appreciate that, and i will make absolutely sure to tune in. Looking forward to that. =)
Ahahaha, fucking awesome. Glad to see him commit to a team as a player. ROOT just keep getting more and more awesome. Since he's in NA now hope to have the chance to play him, didn't have an EU account back when he used to ladder . Now just need QXC gogo!
On May 18 2012 23:30 Mikelius wrote: Awesome news! Will RotterdaM be a part in any clan wars ROOT joins?
Yes, Catz just said that on the stream, that Rotti will, even in the important ones when gets to the needed level. Also Rotti will attend the next MLG representing ROOT.
Oh wow! Just yesterday I was wondering what was up with rotti! Really miss him! Loved his casting and been a big fan since his wc3 days! Excited to see more of him again!
Awesome to see root not only back, but they look like they're going hard this time!
Rotterdam was one of my favourite players to watch in War3, for whatever reason. He was always very underrated. Very happy to see him take his competing seriously again!
Holy shit that is awesome!!! I wonder how/if Rotti will mix up Protoss like he did with orc in WC3 (Farseer anyone). Really exciting news i I'm sure Rotti will do great
This is incredible news I have no doupt that Rottis stream will be one of the best streams. The question that still I cannot shake is: Where do they get the money for this? And what are their sponsors? I would hate for this project to fall because bad financing Best of luck to ROOT gaming, I hope nothing but the best for this endevour!
BTW shouldent someone sport a ROOT fanclub so we could get a nice place to discuss the upcoming news?
I didn't know RotterdaM was so good! GM! This is an awesome pickup for an awesome team. I'm a big fan of his casting so it's good to hear it is still his main job, but I am really looking forward to seeing him compete!
Wow you move fast ROOT, nice to see you guys getting things done
On May 19 2012 00:39 TheFlock wrote: I didn't know RotterdaM was so good! GM! This is an awesome pickup for an awesome team. I'm a big fan of his casting so it's good to hear it is still his main job, but I am really looking forward to seeing him compete!
ROOTerdaM Fighting!
Rotterdam was a player before he was a caster (which explains his casting abilities)
Its great to see Root getting back on their feet so quickly looking forward to good things shame they probably wont get destiny again..... or maybe the will?
HELLLLLLLL YEAH! Rotti always talks about his playing during casts and its pretty funny, big props to him for trying this. EDIT: wtf ROOT, how are you so awesome?
wow, what a touge twister name. ROOTRotterdam, try saying that 3 time fast haha. But this is good, always wanted to see Rotterdam compete more, glad to him him able to.
Wow, current image of rotterdam shattered before my eyes (never played w3 outside singleplayer). Never known him other than as a caster. Good luck man!
Oh hot shit this is awesome. I've been growing more fond of Rotterdam lately and come from a minor WC3 background myself. I love his casting and am anxious to see him rock some face. ROOT just earned a straight up fan with their awesome lineup.
Wow. Great addition. Rotti always had great potential and was one of the maybe 3 players in the world who could beat Grubby "regulary" in bo3's. Looking forward to watch him
I would be more excited for the news if Rotterdam wasn't playing Protoss, but it appears it's the only race a caster can play and stay competitive due to time constraints.
good luck in your attempts :D you should be able to do well enough to help out as a low/mid tier player (you only get to the top if you don't cast unfortunately and i don't want you to stop casting! too good at that :3)
Sweet! I kind of love you as a caster to not be worried, but you said you're still going to cast and playing will only further improve you as a caster so I guess it's positive.
Still kinda sad that the Rotterdam map teaser on the Twitter didn't mean ROOT would visit the Netherlands... High level SC2 tournaments in the Netherlands, someone get on that =D
Ha ha rooterdam, verry nice, Though pls reconsider root rotti, it sounds better imo. Hope you wont give up casting with mr bitter, i always loved thoose. Gl with becoming an imba toss
this isnt a personal thing about rotti but what is it with people in this community really over commiting to stuff. like rotti currently is involved with casting the nasl, playing(now with root) and that razor zone house whatever that nothing is really coming out of.
people seem to 'sign' to different organisations constantly and never produce anything of anything
hmm this is good news, I really like the guy. also whenever someone decides to became a progamer, its always good news more so for if it is a comeback.
On May 19 2012 03:32 turdburgler wrote: this isnt a personal thing about rotti but what is it with people in this community really over commiting to stuff. like rotti currently is involved with casting the nasl, playing(now with root) and that razor zone house whatever that nothing is really coming out of.
people seem to 'sign' to different organisations constantly and never produce anything of anything
i really hope im proved wrong with this one
Well I could be wrong but I thought Mr.Bitter was mostly in charge of the team house. Rotti's always been capable of competing with mid tier foreigners even while casting. He was slightly favored against Kas once on ladder. So I think he will just up his playing hours while doing that casting job which is like 18 hours a week or so?
Woo, GL Rotti! WC3 heroes fighting forever! Glad to see you back in the competitive scene, shame I'm not at a level in this game to play you frequently like in WC3 anymore! ^_^
I am so excited for what ROOT is becoming. I liked them before Complexity acquired them and now it looks like they are going to become a prominent force within the Starcraft 2 community. I am so happy that they reformed and look forward to seeing them grow. Also meeting CatZ at IPL 4 was awesome!
HOLY SHIT. I already loved ROOT for it's unique personality and life, but now that my favourite caster/hopefully favourite player joined, I can't help but adore them more!
RotterdaM I watched you commentate for GSL when I didnt really know wc3 but it was very good casting. Would love to see you cast with ToD again actually :-)
Since then you have been someone I've liked and I'm very impressed by your high quality casting while still being high level in the game. Glad to see you pushing this even further. Living in NA will also boost your English so I'd say the future is bright for us who likes you and I wish you good luck.
On May 19 2012 05:14 Patriot.dlk wrote: I support this!
RotterdaM I watched you commentate for GSL when I didnt really know wc3 but it was very good casting. Would love to see you cast with ToD again actually :-)
Since then you have been someone I've liked and I'm very impressed by your high quality casting while still being high level in the game. Glad to see you pushing this even further. Living in NA will also boost your English so I'd say the future is bright for us who likes you and I wish you good luck.
My favourite comment from that Tourney when ToD was casting and i have no idea how i remember this was
"Oh what an error by Moon, his Demon Hunter gets surrounded, oh, oh it's ok. He used the staff of Jesus Christ"
This is awesome and brings to mind a question: I imagine that while Rotti is going balls-to-the-wall as a player, his prime focus will still be some BitterDam casting. With that in mind, how hard is it as a caster/player to juggle wanting to play in a tournament (say an MLG open bracket) with the possibility of casting that same tournament and does the co-caster weigh in on that at all?
Rotterdam playing?!?!?! Awesome!!!! Good luck man and as always good luck Roots, hopefully this time the team will be able to sustain and continue to be a top level team.
On May 19 2012 04:31 Ksyper wrote: From what I know he's a mid/high master player right?
No he's playing on the NA server now so he's GM!!!!
Mid level master? what the hell I haven't been mid master since beta man :D, I've always been really high in master EU, on sc2ranks I was rank 3 Master league EU (not in my division but on the entire server ) at my best which is basicly GM but unfortunately I was so high on the wrong moment haha, I was even slightly favored vs kas, stupidest thing I've ever seen since he was rank 2 GM on that moment haha.
Right now I'm rank 1 in my division on NA master league and i guess top 30 on the server, I need to catch up but I'm working on it ^_^
And of course, Thanks for all the nice comments guys, hope I can live up to the expectations ;P you know I'll try
But... what happens when Rotti has to cast himself playing someone else? @.@
(I kid, I realize he won't be able to cast his own matches. Does toss a bit of a wrench in the casting side of things. Whatever will Mr. Bitter do?! <.<)
On May 19 2012 07:04 felisconcolori wrote: But... what happens when Rotti has to cast himself playing someone else? @.@
(I kid, I realize he won't be able to cast his own matches. Does toss a bit of a wrench in the casting side of things. Whatever will Mr. Bitter do?! <.<)
Hey I just posted this on twitter too, not at all, nothing will change regarding my caster career. I still am a caster and I will work on that every day to get better since that's my profession, but I love Starcraft and I love competitive starcraft even more, if I can get on the level that I'm good enough to play clanwars besides my casting job I'd be a very happy man, that's my goal for now and I think its speaks for itself the better I get at playing the more knowledge I become as a caster. I love Bitters and will never leave him, unless he cheats on me 1 more time with khaldor, then it's done Hard to have faith when he's surrounded by a stud like khaldor. :D
On May 19 2012 03:32 turdburgler wrote: this isnt a personal thing about rotti but what is it with people in this community really over commiting to stuff. like rotti currently is involved with casting the nasl, playing(now with root) and that razor zone house whatever that nothing is really coming out of.
people seem to 'sign' to different organisations constantly and never produce anything of anything
i really hope im proved wrong with this one
Hey mate,
You good a good point but I hope you know it ain't easy to build up a house from start to scratch. I am involved in the razer Academy and will produce video's for them as soon as I have everything running at home ( just got a working pc 3 days ago ).
I live in the Razer house but what's coming out of the house is all Bitter, Ben wanted to do this his way and he worked really _REALLY_ hard on being able to house 4/5 guys and give them a chance to become progamers. I offered to help him many times but he really feel this is his own project, I don't live in the razer house to be part of the razer house, I just live together with ben and pay rent for the room I live in. My own part of the razer academy is completely different and I'm not responsible for the people living in the razer house etc, even though I of course try to help those guys as much as possible as well and whenever Ben does accept my help, I can ^^ but in general that team house is not really part of my own relation with razer As I mentioned above, in the near future you'll see what video's I'll be producing for them, which I think can go perfectly fine together with playing for ROOT and still be a caster, Busy? Yes, Loving it? hell yeah!
*I should mention that Ben is getting really close to being able to produce a lot of content with the guys he's having in the house and you'll be overwhelmed with content soon ;P it's almost there, that's all I can say
I think ROOT is so popular because they are a high level team that was built from friendship. just feel like this team has a very positive and humble beginnings.
Awesome news, Rotti is a great castor, and I love that hes going to be a "player" now, he has a lot of potential, can't wait to see him playing and improving.
u can be sure that i wont miss a live stream with Rotti, if he let his mic open when his BMing hes opponent like he did on RU i will subscribe for sure :D
On May 19 2012 11:16 Hellfury wrote: Awesome, love his casting! What race does he play?
I think Zerg? I hope Zerg!
Something about ROOT and Rotterdam together feels like such a good match. Grats to you guys!
LOL if you have ever seen Rotterdam and Mr. Bitter casting then you should know he plays protoss. Mr. Bitter (zerg) is quite bitter about Rotti's 2 base protoss tactics :-) - they play on ladder sometimes.
On May 19 2012 11:16 Hellfury wrote: Awesome, love his casting! What race does he play?
I think Zerg? I hope Zerg!
Something about ROOT and Rotterdam together feels like such a good match. Grats to you guys!
LOL if you have ever seen Rotterdam and Mr. Bitter casting then you should know he plays protoss. Mr. Bitter (zerg) is quite bitter about Rotti's 2 base protoss tactics :-) - they play on ladder sometimes.
His MMR is high enough to play some pros too. I saw him play Nony on stream a few weeks ago. Nony stomped him lol.
Ye i see Rotti fitting well there, good choice. And it's good to see a caster playing competitively or atleast trying at the highest level. This might help his casting even more ! Grats to both.
On May 19 2012 11:16 Hellfury wrote: Awesome, love his casting! What race does he play?
I think Zerg? I hope Zerg!
Something about ROOT and Rotterdam together feels like such a good match. Grats to you guys!
LOL if you have ever seen Rotterdam and Mr. Bitter casting then you should know he plays protoss. Mr. Bitter (zerg) is quite bitter about Rotti's 2 base protoss tactics :-) - they play on ladder sometimes.
His MMR is high enough to play some pros too. I saw him play Nony on stream a few weeks ago. Nony stomped him lol.
I saw that game, Rotti got a bit unlucky though. Nony sniped a prism with two immortals in it = game ending lol
OMG catz you truely have become the bringer of good news, it likes every day this week you have some bit of information to make me smile and be giddy. Never saw this coming, always wanted to see Rotti play as he is one of the best players that cast out there. SO damn happy. 50 points to ROOT for having amazing sense in getting ppl I really like. Cant wait to see the ROOT tag everywhere in GM league :D. Best of luck to all of you. Whats the story with where your all living, there a ROOT house or is everyone living separately?
Nice, can't wait to see how he does at MLG Spring then!
He's Root Gamings first ever EU player too. Clearly it is only a matter of time before Root Gaming signs everyone and EG disbands due to the mighty competition :D
On May 18 2012 23:36 ZeromuS wrote: Big congrats to Rotterdam for finding a team and congrats to ROOT for establishing not only another player but also another Team for DOTA2
On May 18 2012 23:17 ROOTCatZ wrote:Altough Kevin is mostly known in the sc2 community for being a caster, anyone who followed wc3 knows that there's a beast within him yet to be unleashed! Rotti's one of the players with the most potential out there, which makes me incredibly excited to have him on our squad. It was awesome in the beta when we could recruit people who we thought had talent and then they grew into great players, at this point in time however, most players are already "made" and new talent is rare. I am absolutely sure rotti has what it takes to be one of the best players, and I am confident than in ROOT we'll help him archieve just that.
It's cool that RotterdaM is joining ROOT gaming and wish him the best in his new career but I think this statement is just dumb.
There is always new talent especially as the sport gets more and more exposure and bigger tournaments with bigger prizes.
Does Catz really think there aren't any 14 y/o out there playing their butts off learning the game that will make it pro? New talent always ends up over taking old talent eventually. How exactly does a 25 y/o caster have the most potential out there?
On May 18 2012 23:17 ROOTCatZ wrote:Altough Kevin is mostly known in the sc2 community for being a caster, anyone who followed wc3 knows that there's a beast within him yet to be unleashed! Rotti's one of the players with the most potential out there, which makes me incredibly excited to have him on our squad. It was awesome in the beta when we could recruit people who we thought had talent and then they grew into great players, at this point in time however, most players are already "made" and new talent is rare. I am absolutely sure rotti has what it takes to be one of the best players, and I am confident than in ROOT we'll help him archieve just that.
It's cool that RotterdaM is joining ROOT gaming and wish him the best in his new career but I think this statement is just dumb.
There is always new talent especially as the sport gets more and more exposure and bigger tournaments with bigger prizes.
Does Catz really think there aren't any 14 y/o out there playing their butts off learning the game that will make it pro? New talent always ends up over taking old talent eventually. How exactly does a 25 y/o caster have the most potential out there?
let me explain since you don't seem to be all that clever: lets say when sc2 comes out X amount of people, lets say (a small understandable number) 10000 start playing it day1, day 2 of release, will there be more or less people buying the game? lets guess less, from 10k to 9k new people on day 2, now a month later, instead of 9k people buying the game, there will probably just be 1k or less people buying the game every day... now lets think 2 years down the line, is there more or less people buying the day today than when it first came out? I am not sure... but hey if I had to guess, i'd say MAYBE JUST MAYBE... A SHITLOAD LESS PEOPLE. therefore, its a lot easier to scout for talent when there are 10k people a day getting their skills tested for the first time, than when there are only 10 new people a day, CAN WE AGREE ON THAT?
What does scouting for talent imply? Potential (raw skill, brains, mechanics, speed) Commitment (time, aspirations) so, yes, it is A LOT harder to find talent today than it was a couple of years ago. Anyone who didn't make high masters or grandmasters league within a 2 or even 1 year period, probably lacks either Potential OR time to commit. Unfortunately for me, im not looking for grandmaster league players, as if that was my requisite, I could recruit 100 people by tomorrow. I need players that are either already great, with the potential to make top 10 grandmasters at any given point or that have a lot of room to grow (HARD TO FIND TODAY, NOT IMPOSSIBLE, JUST REALLY REALLY HARD). I hope this explanation was basic enough for you to understand.
On May 18 2012 23:17 ROOTCatZ wrote:Altough Kevin is mostly known in the sc2 community for being a caster, anyone who followed wc3 knows that there's a beast within him yet to be unleashed! Rotti's one of the players with the most potential out there, which makes me incredibly excited to have him on our squad. It was awesome in the beta when we could recruit people who we thought had talent and then they grew into great players, at this point in time however, most players are already "made" and new talent is rare. I am absolutely sure rotti has what it takes to be one of the best players, and I am confident than in ROOT we'll help him archieve just that.
It's cool that RotterdaM is joining ROOT gaming and wish him the best in his new career but I think this statement is just dumb.
There is always new talent especially as the sport gets more and more exposure and bigger tournaments with bigger prizes.
Does Catz really think there aren't any 14 y/o out there playing their butts off learning the game that will make it pro? New talent always ends up over taking old talent eventually. How exactly does a 25 y/o caster have the most potential out there?
let me explain since you don't seem to be all that clever: lets say when sc2 comes out X amount of people, lets say (a small understandable number) 10000 start playing it day1, day 2 of release, will there be more or less people buying the game? lets guess less, from 10k to 9k new people on day 2, now a month later, instead of 9k people buying the game, there will probably just be 1k or less people buying the game every day... now lets think 2 years down the line, is there more or less people buying the day today than when it first came out? I am not sure... but hey if I had to guess, i'd say MAYBE JUST MAYBE... A SHITLOAD LESS PEOPLE. therefore, its a lot easier to scout for talent when there are 10k people a day getting their skills tested for the first time, than when there are only 10 new people a day, CAN WE AGREE ON THAT?
What does scouting for talent imply? Potential (raw skill, brains, mechanics, speed) Commitment (time, aspirations) so, yes, it is A LOT harder to find talent today than it was a couple of years ago. Anyone who didn't make high masters or grandmasters league within a 2 or even 1 year period, probably lacks either Potential OR time to commit. Unfortunately for me, im not looking for grandmaster league players, as if that was my requisite, I could recruit 100 people by tomorrow. I need players that are either already great, with the potential to make top 10 grandmasters at any given point or that have a lot of room to grow (HARD TO FIND TODAY, NOT IMPOSSIBLE, JUST REALLY REALLY HARD). I hope this explanation was basic enough for you to understand.
Sorry you took the reply so personally. I probably shouldn't have gone there myself, but I don't think recruiting casters is the best way to go about looking for talent. And I think that your decision to add RotterdaM has a lot more to do with personal reasons then you let on in your news release.
I got the chance to talk with him after the Lone Star Clash, and he is definitely a very cool dood with a pretty good (looking o.O) head on his shoulders. We talked music, mostly hip hop, and he let me listen to his Dr. Dre Beats headphones like it was nothing (they sounded freakin great, though I'm no expert on headphones).
Hope to meet you again some day Rotti! Kick some asses, then brag about it next time you cast them ^_^
On May 18 2012 23:17 ROOTCatZ wrote:Altough Kevin is mostly known in the sc2 community for being a caster, anyone who followed wc3 knows that there's a beast within him yet to be unleashed! Rotti's one of the players with the most potential out there, which makes me incredibly excited to have him on our squad. It was awesome in the beta when we could recruit people who we thought had talent and then they grew into great players, at this point in time however, most players are already "made" and new talent is rare. I am absolutely sure rotti has what it takes to be one of the best players, and I am confident than in ROOT we'll help him archieve just that.
It's cool that RotterdaM is joining ROOT gaming and wish him the best in his new career but I think this statement is just dumb.
There is always new talent especially as the sport gets more and more exposure and bigger tournaments with bigger prizes.
Does Catz really think there aren't any 14 y/o out there playing their butts off learning the game that will make it pro? New talent always ends up over taking old talent eventually. How exactly does a 25 y/o caster have the most potential out there?
let me explain since you don't seem to be all that clever: lets say when sc2 comes out X amount of people, lets say (a small understandable number) 10000 start playing it day1, day 2 of release, will there be more or less people buying the game? lets guess less, from 10k to 9k new people on day 2, now a month later, instead of 9k people buying the game, there will probably just be 1k or less people buying the game every day... now lets think 2 years down the line, is there more or less people buying the day today than when it first came out? I am not sure... but hey if I had to guess, i'd say MAYBE JUST MAYBE... A SHITLOAD LESS PEOPLE. therefore, its a lot easier to scout for talent when there are 10k people a day getting their skills tested for the first time, than when there are only 10 new people a day, CAN WE AGREE ON THAT?
What does scouting for talent imply? Potential (raw skill, brains, mechanics, speed) Commitment (time, aspirations) so, yes, it is A LOT harder to find talent today than it was a couple of years ago. Anyone who didn't make high masters or grandmasters league within a 2 or even 1 year period, probably lacks either Potential OR time to commit. Unfortunately for me, im not looking for grandmaster league players, as if that was my requisite, I could recruit 100 people by tomorrow. I need players that are either already great, with the potential to make top 10 grandmasters at any given point or that have a lot of room to grow (HARD TO FIND TODAY, NOT IMPOSSIBLE, JUST REALLY REALLY HARD). I hope this explanation was basic enough for you to understand.
Sorry you took the reply so personally. I probably shouldn't have gone there myself, but I don't think recruiting casters is the best way to go about looking for talent. And I think that your decision to add RotterdaM has a lot more to do with personal reasons then you let on in your news release.
Good luck anyway.
I'm impressed you didn't respond more aggressively as I feel catz was a bit rude in his response to you lol. Catz tone it down no need to be such a dick and calling him stupid lol.
On May 18 2012 23:17 ROOTCatZ wrote:Altough Kevin is mostly known in the sc2 community for being a caster, anyone who followed wc3 knows that there's a beast within him yet to be unleashed! Rotti's one of the players with the most potential out there, which makes me incredibly excited to have him on our squad. It was awesome in the beta when we could recruit people who we thought had talent and then they grew into great players, at this point in time however, most players are already "made" and new talent is rare. I am absolutely sure rotti has what it takes to be one of the best players, and I am confident than in ROOT we'll help him archieve just that.
It's cool that RotterdaM is joining ROOT gaming and wish him the best in his new career but I think this statement is just dumb.
There is always new talent especially as the sport gets more and more exposure and bigger tournaments with bigger prizes.
Does Catz really think there aren't any 14 y/o out there playing their butts off learning the game that will make it pro? New talent always ends up over taking old talent eventually. How exactly does a 25 y/o caster have the most potential out there?
let me explain since you don't seem to be all that clever: lets say when sc2 comes out X amount of people, lets say (a small understandable number) 10000 start playing it day1, day 2 of release, will there be more or less people buying the game? lets guess less, from 10k to 9k new people on day 2, now a month later, instead of 9k people buying the game, there will probably just be 1k or less people buying the game every day... now lets think 2 years down the line, is there more or less people buying the day today than when it first came out? I am not sure... but hey if I had to guess, i'd say MAYBE JUST MAYBE... A SHITLOAD LESS PEOPLE. therefore, its a lot easier to scout for talent when there are 10k people a day getting their skills tested for the first time, than when there are only 10 new people a day, CAN WE AGREE ON THAT?
What does scouting for talent imply? Potential (raw skill, brains, mechanics, speed) Commitment (time, aspirations) so, yes, it is A LOT harder to find talent today than it was a couple of years ago. Anyone who didn't make high masters or grandmasters league within a 2 or even 1 year period, probably lacks either Potential OR time to commit. Unfortunately for me, im not looking for grandmaster league players, as if that was my requisite, I could recruit 100 people by tomorrow. I need players that are either already great, with the potential to make top 10 grandmasters at any given point or that have a lot of room to grow (HARD TO FIND TODAY, NOT IMPOSSIBLE, JUST REALLY REALLY HARD). I hope this explanation was basic enough for you to understand.
Sorry you took the reply so personally. I probably shouldn't have gone there myself, but I don't think recruiting casters is the best way to go about looking for talent. And I think that your decision to add RotterdaM has a lot more to do with personal reasons then you let on in your news release.
Good luck anyway.
I'm impressed you didn't respond more aggressively as I feel catz was a bit rude in his response to you lol. Catz tone it down no need to be such a dick and calling him stupid lol.
To be fair, after re-reading my post, I came across as an ass.
On May 18 2012 23:17 ROOTCatZ wrote:Altough Kevin is mostly known in the sc2 community for being a caster, anyone who followed wc3 knows that there's a beast within him yet to be unleashed! Rotti's one of the players with the most potential out there, which makes me incredibly excited to have him on our squad. It was awesome in the beta when we could recruit people who we thought had talent and then they grew into great players, at this point in time however, most players are already "made" and new talent is rare. I am absolutely sure rotti has what it takes to be one of the best players, and I am confident than in ROOT we'll help him archieve just that.
It's cool that RotterdaM is joining ROOT gaming and wish him the best in his new career but I think this statement is just dumb.
There is always new talent especially as the sport gets more and more exposure and bigger tournaments with bigger prizes.
Does Catz really think there aren't any 14 y/o out there playing their butts off learning the game that will make it pro? New talent always ends up over taking old talent eventually. How exactly does a 25 y/o caster have the most potential out there?
let me explain since you don't seem to be all that clever: lets say when sc2 comes out X amount of people, lets say (a small understandable number) 10000 start playing it day1, day 2 of release, will there be more or less people buying the game? lets guess less, from 10k to 9k new people on day 2, now a month later, instead of 9k people buying the game, there will probably just be 1k or less people buying the game every day... now lets think 2 years down the line, is there more or less people buying the day today than when it first came out? I am not sure... but hey if I had to guess, i'd say MAYBE JUST MAYBE... A SHITLOAD LESS PEOPLE. therefore, its a lot easier to scout for talent when there are 10k people a day getting their skills tested for the first time, than when there are only 10 new people a day, CAN WE AGREE ON THAT?
What does scouting for talent imply? Potential (raw skill, brains, mechanics, speed) Commitment (time, aspirations) so, yes, it is A LOT harder to find talent today than it was a couple of years ago. Anyone who didn't make high masters or grandmasters league within a 2 or even 1 year period, probably lacks either Potential OR time to commit. Unfortunately for me, im not looking for grandmaster league players, as if that was my requisite, I could recruit 100 people by tomorrow. I need players that are either already great, with the potential to make top 10 grandmasters at any given point or that have a lot of room to grow (HARD TO FIND TODAY, NOT IMPOSSIBLE, JUST REALLY REALLY HARD). I hope this explanation was basic enough for you to understand.
Sorry you took the reply so personally. I probably shouldn't have gone there myself, but I don't think recruiting casters is the best way to go about looking for talent. And I think that your decision to add RotterdaM has a lot more to do with personal reasons then you let on in your news release.
Good luck anyway.
I'm impressed you didn't respond more aggressively as I feel catz was a bit rude in his response to you lol. Catz tone it down no need to be such a dick and calling him stupid lol.
To be fair, after re-reading my post, I came across as an ass.
I think CaTz responded bit rude because you made look Rotti like just a caster, but he was a longtime well known WC3 programer, so he will for sure way faster get into prolvl again then a person that just playes and casts for fun.
On May 22 2012 15:11 Monsen wrote: Like the guy, don't like his chances as a gamer though. There's no way he'll be able to commit the time needed to succeed.
always someone to talk down on a person's achievement...
i'm waiting for the day when i read a thread and people don't feel the need to throw in the classic "i doubt he has what it takes" or "there are players much better than him, but gl anyway" or "he's really only good at his previous activity, i doubt he'll be any good" or "he doesn't have the focus"
every. single. thread.
all aside, rotti is awesome. he should do whatever the hell he wants and ROOT is one of the best choices for a team.
On May 22 2012 15:11 Monsen wrote: Like the guy, don't like his chances as a gamer though. There's no way he'll be able to commit the time needed to succeed.
always someone to talk down on a person's achievement...
i'm waiting for the day when i read a thread and people don't feel the need to throw in the classic "i doubt he has what it takes" or "there are players much better than him, but gl anyway" or "he's really only good at his previous activity, i doubt he'll be any good" or "he doesn't have the focus"
every. single. thread.
all aside, rotti is awesome. he should do whatever the hell he wants and ROOT is one of the best choices for a team.
It has nothing to do with rotterdam's achievement, only with the fact that he is a full time caster for NASL (i don't know if you realised it but NASL produces a LOT of content, so he probably has to work a lot). It's hard to become one of the top players if you can't dedicate yourself completly to it. I think that it's awesome to have him try to play competitively, I just don't expect him to win an MLG because of the limited time in can put into playing the game.
On May 22 2012 15:11 Monsen wrote: Like the guy, don't like his chances as a gamer though. There's no way he'll be able to commit the time needed to succeed.
always someone to talk down on a person's achievement...
i'm waiting for the day when i read a thread and people don't feel the need to throw in the classic "i doubt he has what it takes" or "there are players much better than him, but gl anyway" or "he's really only good at his previous activity, i doubt he'll be any good" or "he doesn't have the focus"
every. single. thread.
all aside, rotti is awesome. he should do whatever the hell he wants and ROOT is one of the best choices for a team.
It has nothing to do with rotterdam's achievement, only with the fact that he is a full time caster for NASL (i don't know if you realised it but NASL produces a LOT of content, so he probably has to work a lot). It's hard to become one of the top players if you can't dedicate yourself completly to it. I think that it's awesome to have him try to play competitively, I just don't expect him to win an MLG because of the limited time in can put into playing the game.
who gives a shit about taking an MLG? is that all anyone cares about??
Awesome pickup by ROOT and another reason why I love ROOT. Always picking up players due to their great potential and then unleashing them into the scene. Looking forward to seeing RotterdaM's progress!
Didn't have to open the thread to know there would be a lot of Debby Downers in here. It's amazing to have a top level caster doing anything to get better at playing. To all the pessimists, I will say it's very possible for Rotterdam to succeed at some level as a player. Sc2 is a game of decisions. If you practice enough and change your play style regularly, anything is possible.
you have my respect because as well as being a caster you play the game at a decently high level unlike most casters, I like that you are a calm relaxed guy that doesnt get bothered too much by most things
On May 22 2012 15:11 Monsen wrote: Like the guy, don't like his chances as a gamer though. There's no way he'll be able to commit the time needed to succeed.
always someone to talk down on a person's achievement...
i'm waiting for the day when i read a thread and people don't feel the need to throw in the classic "i doubt he has what it takes" or "there are players much better than him, but gl anyway" or "he's really only good at his previous activity, i doubt he'll be any good" or "he doesn't have the focus"
every. single. thread.
all aside, rotti is awesome. he should do whatever the hell he wants and ROOT is one of the best choices for a team.
It has nothing to do with rotterdam's achievement, only with the fact that he is a full time caster for NASL (i don't know if you realised it but NASL produces a LOT of content, so he probably has to work a lot). It's hard to become one of the top players if you can't dedicate yourself completly to it. I think that it's awesome to have him try to play competitively, I just don't expect him to win an MLG because of the limited time in can put into playing the game.
who gives a shit about taking an MLG? is that all anyone cares about??
who gives a shit about the first paragraph? is that all anyone cares about??
On May 22 2012 15:11 Monsen wrote: Like the guy, don't like his chances as a gamer though. There's no way he'll be able to commit the time needed to succeed.
always someone to talk down on a person's achievement...
i'm waiting for the day when i read a thread and people don't feel the need to throw in the classic "i doubt he has what it takes" or "there are players much better than him, but gl anyway" or "he's really only good at his previous activity, i doubt he'll be any good" or "he doesn't have the focus"
every. single. thread.
all aside, rotti is awesome. he should do whatever the hell he wants and ROOT is one of the best choices for a team.
It has nothing to do with rotterdam's achievement, only with the fact that he is a full time caster for NASL (i don't know if you realised it but NASL produces a LOT of content, so he probably has to work a lot). It's hard to become one of the top players if you can't dedicate yourself completly to it. I think that it's awesome to have him try to play competitively, I just don't expect him to win an MLG because of the limited time in can put into playing the game.
Several points worth making.
From what I can tell, ROOT isn't trying to win tournaments right off the bat. They're a team owned by the players and to simply survive they need entertaining/charismatic personalities to help them get viewers, sponsorships, and popularity. Rotterdam is both entertaining and charismatic and he gives ROOT a HUGE amount of exposure by also working at NASL. From a business standpoint it's an incredibly smart pickup.
Second of all, it's not so much about how many hours Rotterdam spends practicing - it's the quality of practice he gives himself. Look at Stephano - he claims to only practice 4 hours a day. Or look at Grubby, who casts for MLG, and multiple times has run his own tournament. NASL may be more taxing, but if Rotterdam uses his practice time effectively I believe he'll have enough to improve a lot.
Finally, Rotterdam isn't some upstart NA ladder GM. Read this interview: http://www.wcreplays.com/page?section=interviews&id=40. He worked a great deal with Grubby upon entering the WC3 scene and clearly knows how to be a top pro-gamer, including how to train very effectively. If Rotterdam is dedicated to improving, he'll be able to do it, no doubt. And no, he's not going to win an MLG, but I expect with the right amount of training he'll be able to take games off of some pretty good opponents. And who knows, maybe he'll actually get really good - he's got lots of incredibly skilled friends in the pro-scene.
On May 22 2012 15:11 Monsen wrote: Like the guy, don't like his chances as a gamer though. There's no way he'll be able to commit the time needed to succeed.
always someone to talk down on a person's achievement...
i'm waiting for the day when i read a thread and people don't feel the need to throw in the classic "i doubt he has what it takes" or "there are players much better than him, but gl anyway" or "he's really only good at his previous activity, i doubt he'll be any good" or "he doesn't have the focus"
every. single. thread.
all aside, rotti is awesome. he should do whatever the hell he wants and ROOT is one of the best choices for a team.
It has nothing to do with rotterdam's achievement, only with the fact that he is a full time caster for NASL (i don't know if you realised it but NASL produces a LOT of content, so he probably has to work a lot). It's hard to become one of the top players if you can't dedicate yourself completly to it. I think that it's awesome to have him try to play competitively, I just don't expect him to win an MLG because of the limited time in can put into playing the game.
Several points worth making.
From what I can tell, ROOT isn't trying to win tournaments right off the bat. They're a team owned by the players and to simply survive they need entertaining/charismatic personalities to help them get viewers, sponsorships, and popularity. Rotterdam is both entertaining and charismatic and he gives ROOT a HUGE amount of exposure by also working at NASL. From a business standpoint it's an incredibly smart pickup.
Second of all, it's not so much about how many hours Rotterdam spends practicing - it's the quality of practice he gives himself. Look at Stephano - he claims to only practice 4 hours a day. Or look at Grubby, who casts for MLG, and multiple times has run his own tournament. NASL may be more taxing, but if Rotterdam uses his practice time effectively I believe he'll have enough to improve a lot.
Finally, Rotterdam isn't some upstart NA ladder GM. Read this interview: http://www.wcreplays.com/page?section=interviews&id=40. He worked a great deal with Grubby upon entering the WC3 scene and clearly knows how to be a top pro-gamer, including how to train very effectively. If Rotterdam is dedicated to improving, he'll be able to do it, no doubt. And no, he's not going to win an MLG, but I expect with the right amount of training he'll be able to take games off of some pretty good opponents. And who knows, maybe he'll actually get really good - he's got lots of incredibly skilled friends in the pro-scene.
Your first point is very valid. He's a good addition to any team due to the exposure he's providing (just like Catz) However, as you (unlike TheDraken, reading comprehension ftl, eh?) are very well aware, I was commenting on Rottis time constraints. Now I can't speak from personal experience and I'd appreciate a professionals opinion on this, but your entire "maybe if he practices efficiently" paragraph sounds very naive. Maybe Stephano claimed that he only practices 4 hours daily. However, he also said that he doesn't do anything but Starcraft 2 in his life. So take that with a grain of salt. And even if this was true, certainly Stephano is proving to be an exception. Compared to any other progamer (Korean progamers have been on a 10+ hours practice schedule for years) Rotti will be at a huge disadvantage.
This is neat to see. ROOT is actually becoming a real team this time(twitch sponsership; more will follow I imagine)! That was really the only thing holding them back before; I guess all it needed was time...
Rotti is half of my favorite casting duo and I couldn't be happier to see him keep his competitive gaming side. It's stupid for people to say stuff like "he'll never win an MLG or anything". The guy is constantly busy and he has skill. That and ROOT always seemed more of a family than a super competetive(not that they aren't) team. Good place for him to land.
On May 22 2012 15:11 Monsen wrote: Like the guy, don't like his chances as a gamer though. There's no way he'll be able to commit the time needed to succeed.
always someone to talk down on a person's achievement...
i'm waiting for the day when i read a thread and people don't feel the need to throw in the classic "i doubt he has what it takes" or "there are players much better than him, but gl anyway" or "he's really only good at his previous activity, i doubt he'll be any good" or "he doesn't have the focus"
every. single. thread.
all aside, rotti is awesome. he should do whatever the hell he wants and ROOT is one of the best choices for a team.
It has nothing to do with rotterdam's achievement, only with the fact that he is a full time caster for NASL (i don't know if you realised it but NASL produces a LOT of content, so he probably has to work a lot). It's hard to become one of the top players if you can't dedicate yourself completly to it. I think that it's awesome to have him try to play competitively, I just don't expect him to win an MLG because of the limited time in can put into playing the game.
Several points worth making.
From what I can tell, ROOT isn't trying to win tournaments right off the bat. They're a team owned by the players and to simply survive they need entertaining/charismatic personalities to help them get viewers, sponsorships, and popularity. Rotterdam is both entertaining and charismatic and he gives ROOT a HUGE amount of exposure by also working at NASL. From a business standpoint it's an incredibly smart pickup.
Second of all, it's not so much about how many hours Rotterdam spends practicing - it's the quality of practice he gives himself. Look at Stephano - he claims to only practice 4 hours a day. Or look at Grubby, who casts for MLG, and multiple times has run his own tournament. NASL may be more taxing, but if Rotterdam uses his practice time effectively I believe he'll have enough to improve a lot.
Finally, Rotterdam isn't some upstart NA ladder GM. Read this interview: http://www.wcreplays.com/page?section=interviews&id=40. He worked a great deal with Grubby upon entering the WC3 scene and clearly knows how to be a top pro-gamer, including how to train very effectively. If Rotterdam is dedicated to improving, he'll be able to do it, no doubt. And no, he's not going to win an MLG, but I expect with the right amount of training he'll be able to take games off of some pretty good opponents. And who knows, maybe he'll actually get really good - he's got lots of incredibly skilled friends in the pro-scene.
Your first point is very valid. He's a good addition to any team due to the exposure he's providing (just like Catz) However, as you (unlike TheDraken, reading comprehension ftl, eh?) are very well aware, I was commenting on Rottis time constraints. Now I can't speak from personal experience and I'd appreciate a professionals opinion on this, but your entire "maybe if he practices efficiently" paragraph sounds very naive. Maybe Stephano claimed that he only practices 4 hours daily. However, he also said that he doesn't do anything but Starcraft 2 in his life. So take that with a grain of salt. And even if this was true, certainly Stephano is proving to be an exception. Compared to any other progamer (Korean progamers have been on a 10+ hours practice schedule for years) Rotti will be at a huge disadvantage.
I am certainly not a professional, so I can't answer for sure, but I've heard a lot of pros talk about practicing efficiently (qxc and Naniwa are two examples that come to mind). Of course those guys practice efficiently for 8 hours or more at a time - so there's no doubt Rotterdam's at a disadvantage. If everyone is spending their entire day practicing effectively then Rotterdam just has less time than everyone. So I definitely agree with you that Rotti's at a disadvantage.
I just don't know how big a disadvantage it really is. I guess it all depends on how much of a drain NASL is on his day. If Rotti gets the avg amount of sleep most people do (ie: 8 hrs) he's got 16 hours for NASL and practice. I doubt NASL takes so much time that he couldn't dedicate himself to some pretty huge chunks of practice if he wanted to. That being said, there's a whole lot of ifs here and no real way to know. Unless Rotterdam hops into this thread and tells us his daily schedule - which seems kind of unnecessary
Either way I don't imagine he's going to win much at all over the next year or so. He's a fine player and caster, but it takes a long time to really get to pro-level. Looking at Grubby or Moon it's still a hard transition even if you can dedicate yourself full time and you're a former WC3 pro (and we're talking the best of the best with those two).
On May 22 2012 15:11 Monsen wrote: Like the guy, don't like his chances as a gamer though. There's no way he'll be able to commit the time needed to succeed.
always someone to talk down on a person's achievement...
i'm waiting for the day when i read a thread and people don't feel the need to throw in the classic "i doubt he has what it takes" or "there are players much better than him, but gl anyway" or "he's really only good at his previous activity, i doubt he'll be any good" or "he doesn't have the focus"
every. single. thread.
all aside, rotti is awesome. he should do whatever the hell he wants and ROOT is one of the best choices for a team.
It has nothing to do with rotterdam's achievement, only with the fact that he is a full time caster for NASL (i don't know if you realised it but NASL produces a LOT of content, so he probably has to work a lot). It's hard to become one of the top players if you can't dedicate yourself completly to it. I think that it's awesome to have him try to play competitively, I just don't expect him to win an MLG because of the limited time in can put into playing the game.
Several points worth making.
From what I can tell, ROOT isn't trying to win tournaments right off the bat. They're a team owned by the players and to simply survive they need entertaining/charismatic personalities to help them get viewers, sponsorships, and popularity. Rotterdam is both entertaining and charismatic and he gives ROOT a HUGE amount of exposure by also working at NASL. From a business standpoint it's an incredibly smart pickup.
Second of all, it's not so much about how many hours Rotterdam spends practicing - it's the quality of practice he gives himself. Look at Stephano - he claims to only practice 4 hours a day. Or look at Grubby, who casts for MLG, and multiple times has run his own tournament. NASL may be more taxing, but if Rotterdam uses his practice time effectively I believe he'll have enough to improve a lot.
Finally, Rotterdam isn't some upstart NA ladder GM. Read this interview: http://www.wcreplays.com/page?section=interviews&id=40. He worked a great deal with Grubby upon entering the WC3 scene and clearly knows how to be a top pro-gamer, including how to train very effectively. If Rotterdam is dedicated to improving, he'll be able to do it, no doubt. And no, he's not going to win an MLG, but I expect with the right amount of training he'll be able to take games off of some pretty good opponents. And who knows, maybe he'll actually get really good - he's got lots of incredibly skilled friends in the pro-scene.
Your first point is very valid. He's a good addition to any team due to the exposure he's providing (just like Catz) However, as you (unlike TheDraken, reading comprehension ftl, eh?) are very well aware, I was commenting on Rottis time constraints. Now I can't speak from personal experience and I'd appreciate a professionals opinion on this, but your entire "maybe if he practices efficiently" paragraph sounds very naive. Maybe Stephano claimed that he only practices 4 hours daily. However, he also said that he doesn't do anything but Starcraft 2 in his life. So take that with a grain of salt. And even if this was true, certainly Stephano is proving to be an exception. Compared to any other progamer (Korean progamers have been on a 10+ hours practice schedule for years) Rotti will be at a huge disadvantage.
I am certainly not a professional, so I can't answer for sure, but I've heard a lot of pros talk about practicing efficiently (qxc and Naniwa are two examples that come to mind). Of course those guys practice efficiently for 8 hours or more at a time - so there's no doubt Rotterdam's at a disadvantage. If everyone is spending their entire day practicing effectively then Rotterdam just has less time than everyone. So I definitely agree with you that Rotti's at a disadvantage.
I just don't know how big a disadvantage it really is. I guess it all depends on how much of a drain NASL is on his day. If Rotti gets the avg amount of sleep most people do (ie: 8 hrs) he's got 16 hours for NASL and practice. I doubt NASL takes so much time that he couldn't dedicate himself to some pretty huge chunks of practice if he wanted to. That being said, there's a whole lot of ifs here and no real way to know. Unless Rotterdam hops into this thread and tells us his daily schedule - which seems kind of unnecessary
Either way I don't imagine he's going to win much at all over the next year or so. He's a fine player and caster, but it takes a long time to really get to pro-level. Looking at Grubby or Moon it's still a hard transition even if you can dedicate yourself full time and you're a former WC3 pro (and we're talking the best of the best with those two).
And regardless he's really fun to watch.
I work 5 days a week, from wednesday to sunday, on average 9 hours a day. Most days from 11 or 12 till 10 PM, on every 2nd wednesday I come in at 9 but can leave a bit earlier ;p. It will be hard but it's not like I won't have satisfaction from competing if I don't win a MLG. There are so many online tournaments and awesome team leagues, if I can play in those and get a 50%+ record I'll be more than happy ^_^
On May 22 2012 15:11 Monsen wrote: Like the guy, don't like his chances as a gamer though. There's no way he'll be able to commit the time needed to succeed.
always someone to talk down on a person's achievement...
i'm waiting for the day when i read a thread and people don't feel the need to throw in the classic "i doubt he has what it takes" or "there are players much better than him, but gl anyway" or "he's really only good at his previous activity, i doubt he'll be any good" or "he doesn't have the focus"
every. single. thread.
all aside, rotti is awesome. he should do whatever the hell he wants and ROOT is one of the best choices for a team.
It has nothing to do with rotterdam's achievement, only with the fact that he is a full time caster for NASL (i don't know if you realised it but NASL produces a LOT of content, so he probably has to work a lot). It's hard to become one of the top players if you can't dedicate yourself completly to it. I think that it's awesome to have him try to play competitively, I just don't expect him to win an MLG because of the limited time in can put into playing the game.
Several points worth making.
From what I can tell, ROOT isn't trying to win tournaments right off the bat. They're a team owned by the players and to simply survive they need entertaining/charismatic personalities to help them get viewers, sponsorships, and popularity. Rotterdam is both entertaining and charismatic and he gives ROOT a HUGE amount of exposure by also working at NASL. From a business standpoint it's an incredibly smart pickup.
Second of all, it's not so much about how many hours Rotterdam spends practicing - it's the quality of practice he gives himself. Look at Stephano - he claims to only practice 4 hours a day. Or look at Grubby, who casts for MLG, and multiple times has run his own tournament. NASL may be more taxing, but if Rotterdam uses his practice time effectively I believe he'll have enough to improve a lot.
Finally, Rotterdam isn't some upstart NA ladder GM. Read this interview: http://www.wcreplays.com/page?section=interviews&id=40. He worked a great deal with Grubby upon entering the WC3 scene and clearly knows how to be a top pro-gamer, including how to train very effectively. If Rotterdam is dedicated to improving, he'll be able to do it, no doubt. And no, he's not going to win an MLG, but I expect with the right amount of training he'll be able to take games off of some pretty good opponents. And who knows, maybe he'll actually get really good - he's got lots of incredibly skilled friends in the pro-scene.
Your first point is very valid. He's a good addition to any team due to the exposure he's providing (just like Catz) However, as you (unlike TheDraken, reading comprehension ftl, eh?) are very well aware, I was commenting on Rottis time constraints. Now I can't speak from personal experience and I'd appreciate a professionals opinion on this, but your entire "maybe if he practices efficiently" paragraph sounds very naive. Maybe Stephano claimed that he only practices 4 hours daily. However, he also said that he doesn't do anything but Starcraft 2 in his life. So take that with a grain of salt. And even if this was true, certainly Stephano is proving to be an exception. Compared to any other progamer (Korean progamers have been on a 10+ hours practice schedule for years) Rotti will be at a huge disadvantage.
I am certainly not a professional, so I can't answer for sure, but I've heard a lot of pros talk about practicing efficiently (qxc and Naniwa are two examples that come to mind). Of course those guys practice efficiently for 8 hours or more at a time - so there's no doubt Rotterdam's at a disadvantage. If everyone is spending their entire day practicing effectively then Rotterdam just has less time than everyone. So I definitely agree with you that Rotti's at a disadvantage.
I just don't know how big a disadvantage it really is. I guess it all depends on how much of a drain NASL is on his day. If Rotti gets the avg amount of sleep most people do (ie: 8 hrs) he's got 16 hours for NASL and practice. I doubt NASL takes so much time that he couldn't dedicate himself to some pretty huge chunks of practice if he wanted to. That being said, there's a whole lot of ifs here and no real way to know. Unless Rotterdam hops into this thread and tells us his daily schedule - which seems kind of unnecessary
Either way I don't imagine he's going to win much at all over the next year or so. He's a fine player and caster, but it takes a long time to really get to pro-level. Looking at Grubby or Moon it's still a hard transition even if you can dedicate yourself full time and you're a former WC3 pro (and we're talking the best of the best with those two).
And regardless he's really fun to watch.
I work 5 days a week, from wednesday to sunday, on average 9 hours a day. Most days from 11 or 12 till 10 PM, on every 2nd wednesday I come in at 9 but can leave a bit earlier ;p. It will be hard but it's not like I won't have satisfaction from competing if I don't win a MLG. There are so many online tournaments and awesome team leagues, if I can play in those and get a 50%+ record I'll be more than happy ^_^
Awww Rotterdam! You didn't have to tell us your daily schedule!
That's sick though, I had no idea NASL production took so much time (I guess I'm kind of naive about this stuff), but it's great you guys put so much into it - this season has been awesome.
I'm really looking forward to watching you play for ROOT, and I think you're a fantastic addition to the team. Best of luck to you!
I hope he's super good, I don't ever think I've seen him play. It's really great that he's trying to both become a competitive player and stay relevant in the casting world.
Does anyone have any vods of him at all? I can't help but think that Root is loading up on second tier players that will never challenge for a tournament win...
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/PTCwV.jpg)
now don't get me wrong, RotterdaM is a GM level player, so you won't get to see him start in gold, but you'll get to see him grow with us. We are incredibly happy to make this announcement at ROOT Gaming <3333333 you Rotti.
bitterdam is the best casting duo 
Best of luck to you :3
Gl to ROOT and Rotti!
![[image loading]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/Furuyah/1337.png)
