Flash and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week
by Waxangel
Things still seemed normal when SKT_PartinG picked KT_Flash during the Ro16 group selections. The famously brash PartinG had a long history of making taunting comments, assembling groups of death, and generally embracing the idea of progamer-as-entertainer. His explanation of "I match up well against Flash's style" seemed to be a thin cover for his attempt to once again gather several championship candidates together in a single, explosive group.
However, once the other players started talking, it became apparent that something was amiss. With Flash absent due to his flight to DreamHack Bucharest, no one seemed to mind speaking freely about the player called God in Brood War. Super, Trap, and Sleep all expressed their disappointment at being unable to play against Flash, without any of them seeming to consider him a particularly difficult opponent.
Wait, what? Players who had never gone above the Ro16 in their careers showing absolutely no fear for KT Rolster's ace and Brood War legend? Sure, Flash's showings in the Challenger League and Code S Ro32 weren't spectacular by any means, but they also weren't anything to make you forget that he was the player who won the most Proleague games last season. What the heck was going on?
Flash wasn't present in the GomTV studio to comment, but he would have a perfect chance to respond at DreamHack Bucharest. Facing the most difficult line-up of players in DreamHack history, Flash had an opportunity to respond to words with actions, and to make PartinG quickly regret his decision. Unfortunately for Flash, one could say he did the exact opposite of proving his doubters wrong. His very first match was a disaster, suffering a 0 - 2 loss against Challenger Leaguer DIMAGA. Things did not get much better from there, and Flash ended his tournament in the Ro32, being sent out with losses to MMA and YugiOh. The doubters? They were right.
You can imagine the pressure that's on Flash's shoulders going into this group. Not just the pressure coming from the outside, but the pressure of his own expectations. He has settled for nothing less than being the very best for the past five years, and we can only imagine how being merely "good" makes him feel. He may say that seeing his arch-rival Jaedong doing well in international tournaments gives him motivation, but looking at his tournament placements for the last few months should give him a different kind of fire.
It's been two weeks since DreamHack Bucharest. Depending on what player you talk to, that's a completely insignificant amount of time, or the time to make all the difference in the world. For a player of Flash's caliber and reputation, we all want to believe that two weeks will be enough. But reality has been harsh for Flash so far, and he may very well find himself falling short again in an extremely difficult group. All that's left for us to do is to wait and see.
Quick hits on the rest
SKT_PartinG: PartinG is in a surprisingly similar situation to Flash. He hasn't been a championship contender for all of HotS, but his past achievements give him an inflated reputation. It also helps that he's very entertaining and can talk a big game, making sure he's always receiving some kind of attention.
While the death of the Soul Train due to the new HotS meta has been quite detrimental to PartinG's PvZ, his PvT has looked very strong on the rare occasions we get to see it. With great high templar positioning, engagement micro, and all-around play in the late-game, it's no surprise he was pleased to get this two-Terran group.
MaruPrime: You have to wonder how Maru feels about being duped by PartinG. He couldn't resist PartinG's calculated taunts (it was funny how clearly jjakji saw through PartinG's smack talk in comparison) and brought him over to the group. In return, he gets Flash, which could be a curse or a gift. Flash's TvT is strong when he can establish a macro game, but he seems a bit vulnerable in the early-mid game—perhaps a good match-up for a player with aggressive tendencies like Maru. Then again, who wants to play an angry Flash?
All around it's an annoying group for the defending WCS Korea champ to prepare for, having to face opponents from all three races. His deflating performance at the WCS Season 2 Finals means we can't give him as much benefit of the doubt as we would for most other champions, but he should be able to fight evenly with the other players in this group.
IM_KangHo: Say hello to KangHo (aka Losira), the winner of the coveted "last player picked in group selections" award. Typically that means you're the scariest opponent left in the Ro16, but forgive me if I say that doesn't seem to be the case this time. The second Losira saw Maru-PartinG-Flash in a group together, he made up his mind that it was the group he wanted to be in. While other players would try to beg and plead to get into the group of their choice, Losira remained stoic and basically demanded that the other players acquiesce to his wishes. Somehow, this approach actually worked, and he got into the group of death.
From the outside looking in, it's absolutely baffling as to why Losira would want to play this group. It makes no sense in terms of stats, as Losira's best match-up is ZvZ by a large margin, and there are no Zergs in this group. Perhaps it's one of those cases of live results matching up really poorly with what goes on in practice, and Losira really, really didn't want to play any Zergs.
Maru is like the Sniper of gsl champs. Sure he won, which is an amazing feat. But I don't see him getting close to winning another ever again. He's just not [that] kind of good
woah wut?! I didn't even realize there was code S tonight...that snuck up on me.
As much as I like Losira, and despite him being like the only player remaining that still keeps me interested in this season, things look very grim for him :/
PartinG/Maru to make it out. Maybe Losira can do it if Flash plays like he did at DH, and Losira can take down PartinG (most likely the only player he can beat here)
On September 29 2013 09:09 slowbacontron wrote: Losira insisting on group D was pretty absurd and hilarious. The fact that he made it in even more so XD
Flash gotta win this! The fate of ESPORTS depends on it!
I know! I wonder what the hell he was thinking...
It'd be totally badass if he just shows up and 4-0s the group, but I see it going the other way tbh >.>
On September 29 2013 09:12 unoriginalname wrote: So Flash is the only non-GSL/WCS finalist in this group? Insane.
Oh my goodness, that's amazing xD All of the other three were finalists in different types of GSL/WCS events too. (maybe for Flash one could include BW GSLs lol)
I don't think Losira's been predicted out of a group since he started getting back into them.
That said, I have faith. I look forward to waking up tomorrow and seeing him in the round of 8. I think he's terribly underrated and will only consistently get better for the rest of the season.
Parting 2-0? More like Parting 0-2! WOOOO Get hype. Because Kangho is about to drop bombs on this group.* Maru 2-1 Parting Kangho 2-0 Flash Kangho 2-0 Maru Flash 2-0 Parting Flash 2-1 Maru
Kangho and Flash advance.
*Intoxication level at point of this prediction may be slightly above levels that allow for reasoned and rational thought.
On September 29 2013 09:07 Zenbrez wrote: Maru is like the Sniper of gsl champs. Sure he won, which is an amazing feat. But I don't see him getting close to winning another ever again. He's just not [that] kind of good
Yeah I agree. Had a good run, but isn't consistent enough to maintain that level.
PartinG and his group of deaths... Aie yie yie. I guess it's one way to prove yourself if you can't win the whole thing. Just keep creating these groups and getting out of them.... Gotta count for something right? right? Should be an awesome group of SC2 tonight. Can't wait.
PartinG and Flash to advance, although I'd be just as happy with Maru getting out as well.
I'm going to stay consistently disappointed because I routinely cheer for Flash. It hurts to see how comparatively bad he is in the individual leagues.
jises... sooooooooo major bad desicion making from flash the whooole time. threw 1 game away vs losira by doing nothing with his masshelions, those werent even spottet from losira. threw 2 games away vs parting, by not beeing aggresive and just push for the timing before storms window like that would killed him. and last game vs maru massreapers.... ooh myyy good! what was that flash?!? what? its like jaedong over and over again last year and early 2013 with this horrible horrible decision making....im sorry flash, but that was the last game i cheered for you, enough is enough ;(
I've decided to stop expecting Flash to even come close to his old level of dominance. Maybe Sc2 just doesn't take advantage of his strengths as much. Maybe he just doesn't like that game as much and practices less. Maybe he's just getting older and the realisation that there is more to life than sitting in front of a computer 24/7 has hit him. Viewers who weren't around for Broodwar will never understand where Flashs title of "God" comes from. Watching him make glaring mistakes and losing games where he is ahead- that's just incomprehensible for someone who witnessed his 2400 elo Bw times. Maybe we'll just all go back to Broodwar, eh?
yes exactly my point. take a look at jangbi bisu stork and so an. they where the best at their prime in bw, they tried... they realy did to be at their best in sc2, but it wasnt enough. if this is the best flash can do in sc2, then its time to step back and dont torture youself, cuz thats just the level of game flash used to and thats just dont. i mean he has the micro and makro and the mechanics, multitask, but bad decisions just cost you the whole game over and over again. so just let it be.
I'm actually not sure at all that they tried their best on SC2. When you are a professional and must change a complete different game, your motivation is not the same. I'm pretty sure 90% of ex BW pro have less motivation on SC2, with all these externals factors that it's a different game and less popular.
Is this being rebroadcasted or are videos of games on youtube? If so can you give link/time? I would love to watch these, pity they happened at 6 AM here...
On September 29 2013 20:44 jeri wrote: yes exactly my point. take a look at jangbi bisu stork and so an. they where the best at their prime in bw, they tried... they realy did to be at their best in sc2, but it wasnt enough. if this is the best flash can do in sc2, then its time to step back and dont torture youself, cuz thats just the level of game flash used to and thats just dont. i mean he has the micro and makro and the mechanics, multitask, but bad decisions just cost you the whole game over and over again. so just let it be.
no one but only himself should make a decision on that. NO ONE
On September 29 2013 20:44 jeri wrote: yes exactly my point. take a look at jangbi bisu stork and so an. they where the best at their prime in bw, they tried... they realy did to be at their best in sc2, but it wasnt enough. if this is the best flash can do in sc2, then its time to step back and dont torture youself, cuz thats just the level of game flash used to and thats just dont. i mean he has the micro and makro and the mechanics, multitask, but bad decisions just cost you the whole game over and over again. so just let it be.
If the only thing that is lacking is decision making I'm pretty sure it can and will be improved with playing and preparing well. What makes it different for lets say JangBi and Flash is that JangBi didn't find sc2 fun to play. Flash does, or atleast his recent interviews say so. Don't know what was/is holding Bisu and Stork but you can certainly see Flash is improving every time he plays. He has had hard time in GSL because of his fame top tier players always chooses him to ro16 group and that generates group of death (this was 3rd or 4th time in a row now)
I could kind of calmly say that Flash is better than many of the ro8 players right now. (soO, Jjakji at least maybe both Dear and Trap too)
Flash is the only guy who can say if he can't become best and if he should just stop sc2. Like you said he sure has micro and macro and multitasking but more than his decision making we are talking about time when he becomes steady 1st place contender.
On September 29 2013 23:08 elmerpogs wrote: The last game of Flash is the context clue of his retirement and going back to Broodwar. I see Fantasy and Stork coming back too.
Stork has said that he stays with SC2.... for now. On other side, he then proceeded to 2-0 Rain and finally qualify for Code A.
but for flashs defence, he gets twice in the row the group of death and lets face it... this time it was soooo close in the last game at akilon against parting... failed to emp the templers and gave away his advantage again.....
On September 29 2013 23:20 Crowz wrote: Is this being rebroadcasted or are videos of games on youtube? If so can you give link/time? I would love to watch these, pity they happened at 6 AM here...
On September 30 2013 01:34 trada wrote: so god is dead? again? *yawn*
how many lives does Flash have before we can stop calling him a god?
Infinity lives. It doesn't matter if he quits tomorrow, he'll still be the god of BW. No one has ever called him the God of SC2, but the nickname will stick no matter what.
These were actually some of his best games. He was 1 game away from making it through, and he won the early game twice against Maru, despite the aggression. Two big mistakes lost him the series against Maru, running into a defensive tank line and not expanding on game 3. That is such an easy mistake to correct as a player, he can learn from that easily. Against Parting, no one could predict how that base trade would have gone, it was a coin-flip risk.
On September 29 2013 23:08 elmerpogs wrote: The last game of Flash is the context clue of his retirement and going back to Broodwar. I see Fantasy and Stork coming back too.
Stork has said that he stays with SC2.... for now. On other side, he then proceeded to 2-0 Rain and finally qualify for Code A.
The problem is that there is no Broodwar to go back to. :-/
Anyways, I for one am glad that Maru advances. Eager to see what awaits him in his future career. :D
Guys you should stop blaming the players on everything.
Do you actually still play this game? Do you play highest level? No? Then you don't have much clue. Like Flash said in an interview, sc2 is so very different from bw. A slight mistake can cause you the game immediately. There are often no comebacks, just all-ins if players are smelling blood. The whole game feels so fragile. In a BW match, you could fight on multiple fronts. There was 1000 x more strategy involved... Move your forces in the right way, get in position, flank, arch. Now this is also coming more and more in sc2, but in how many matches can we acutally see this? 1/8 maybe. Most matches are actually quite boring especially lately in GSL.
And thanks to David Kim it is too late to 'change the pace' of the game. I will keep watching the highest level play but in terms of strategy this is just not the game I was looking forward to. The faster pace makes it even more reliant on APM and less on strategy. Mechanics is key, thinking is not necessary. Imho that's why a lot of the BW players are loosing vs the new sc2 pros. It's not tactics, it's not lack of strategy or game understanding. Sc2 is not hard to understand. It is lack of mechanics and fragility or pace of the game.
The point in SC2 is that it's so fragile that very often not the better player wins, but the winner is determined by luck (best example: this close group). The skill ceiling in SC2 is reached by all the top players, and minor mistakes, random stuff like scouting luck or build order luck decide the games and often whole careers. Flash has yet to improve, yes, but it's not his fault alone. How many "upsets" have been happening in the last months of SC2? It's the common thing in SC2 to happen.
A fact is: A top SC2 player can often lose to a worse player. Substantially more often than for example in Chess or also Starcraft:Broodwar.
Look at WCS EU. Three seasons and three times almost all new RO8 players. It's like shuffeling, luck and minor things.
For the best player to mostly win there needs to be a higher skill ceiling and more possibilities to come back. It's just not there yet in SC2 gameplay-wise - as all the results have shown the last year - and probably will never be, according to Blizzard.
And that all is in my opinion the prime reason for SC2's decline. The crowd wants heroes winning, it wants them to do things that normal players never could do (like thinking 8 moves ahead in chess or doing perfect storms in broodwar), and it wants comebacks to happen. All those things are rather seldom in SC2. But why am I writing this... 3 years ago we told Blizzard exactly this and nothing changed.
On September 30 2013 08:04 lifecanwait wrote: Guys you should stop blaming the players on everything.
Do you actually still play this game? Do you play highest level? No? Then you don't have much clue. Like Flash said in an interview, sc2 is so very different from bw. A slight mistake can cause you the game immediately. There are often no comebacks, just all-ins if players are smelling blood. The whole game feels so fragile. In a BW match, you could fight on multiple fronts. There was 1000 x more strategy involved... Move your forces in the right way, get in position, flank, arch. Now this is also coming more and more in sc2, but in how many matches can we acutally see this? 1/8 maybe. Most matches are actually quite boring especially lately in GSL.
And thanks to David Kim it is too late to 'change the pace' of the game. I will keep watching the highest level play but in terms of strategy this is just not the game I was looking forward to. The faster pace makes it even more reliant on APM and less on strategy. Mechanics is key, thinking is not necessary. Imho that's why a lot of the BW players are loosing vs the new sc2 pros. It's not tactics, it's not lack of strategy or game understanding. Sc2 is not hard to understand. It is lack of mechanics and fragility or pace of the game.
bro if you don't play at the highest level I don't think you can make any of these claims either rofl
That explains why a tiny mistake is so intolerable and luck, blind counter builds play major role in MU It wasn't the case with BW. I am not playing this game enough to tell how but Blizzard needs to get more feedback from the pro seriously. NA BNET forum is the worst place to get feedback on balance etc.
ASK those who play this for living and redesign this game in LoTV, you Blizzard only has 1 chance left. Please make it worthy successor of BW
On September 30 2013 08:04 lifecanwait wrote: The faster pace makes it even more reliant on APM and less on strategy. Mechanics is key, thinking is not necessary. Imho that's why a lot of the BW players are loosing vs the new sc2 pros. It's not tactics, it's not lack of strategy or game understanding. Sc2 is not hard to understand. It is lack of mechanics...
I'm a big fan of the BW players but seriously just read what you wrote and notice how retarded you sound. The BW players are losing due to a lack of mechanics? A lack of APM? SC2 requires far less. Mechanics is the main thing they've got going for them and the reason many struggle is that their mechanics used to carry them whereas strategic geniuses and micro/engagement specialists with inferior mechanics can now compete in SC2.
EPT
SKT_PartinG picked 
KT_Flash during the Ro16 group selections. The famously brash PartinG had a long history of making taunting comments, assembling groups of death, and generally embracing the idea of progamer-as-entertainer. His explanation of "I match up well against Flash's style" seemed to be a thin cover for his attempt to once again gather several championship candidates together in a single, explosive group.
Sleep all expressed their disappointment at being unable to play against Flash, without any of them seeming to consider him a particularly difficult opponent. 
