There's been a lot of discussion about LOTV and whether it will "fix" the game (if the game even needs fixing), how balanced it will be, etc.
However, I believe that Blizzard, and the community, have made a major oversight. While steps are being taken to address potential imbalances with warp gate mechanics, there is another feature of the Protoss race which is totally unbalanced, and which hasn't been addressed at all.
I'm talking, of course, about the extreme amounts of swag that the Protoss race have thus far had in SC2. When you compare the three races, it is clear that Protoss have imbalanced levels of swag.
Going back to BW, this was not the case. Some members of the Protoss race had swag, but it was spread fairly evenly across all three races--in fact, the BW player with arguably the most swag was a Terran, FireBatHero.
However, in the transition to SC2, it has become increasingly obvious that Protoss as a race have taken up an unfair percentage of overall swag.
The two clearest examples of this are, of course, MC and PartinG. Nobody in SC2 has as much Swag as these two.
MC, of course, is the master of ceremonies, the Boss Toss, has more awesome english quotes than most players who actually speak English as a first language.
And Parting...
I think this quote from the New Yorker sums it up
During breaks between matches at the Lincoln, the producers aired personalizing video interviews with the contestants, mostly using subtitles, and it was easy, for an American raised on Mike Tyson and Neon Deion, to see why Scarlett’s differentiation seemed to matter. Here was Bomber: “Every single loss is a life lesson.” And last year’s world champion, sOs: “In my opinion, I don’t have the strongest mind-set as a professional player.” (He noted, “I think we’re all equally handsome.”) A relative newcomer named Trap: “When I was a rookie, I had the wrong mind-set toward losses. . . . I was overwhelmed with pessimism. I think that’s what kept me from coming out of my shell.” DongRaeGu: “I can utilize Red Bull Battle Grounds as potent fertilizer for a rich harvest next season.” He added, “I can’t stand being smacked around any longer.” Scarlett (whose reticence, in this instance, was pretty much the norm): “Mostly, success for me would be about being happy.” Only PartinG diverted from the humble messaging. “I am one of the gods,” he said.
Its clear that in SC2 there has been an imbalanced concentration of swag in the top tiers of the Protoss race, so much so that it even trickles down to less impressive Protoss.
For example, Genius was never the most accomplished SC2 player, but he was consistently top 3 in Swag, far ahead of many Zerg and Terran who were more successful players. How else to explain this disparity in swag levels then by some fundamental racial imbalance?
So the question is, will LotV change this, or will we continue to see Protoss with overpowered levels of swag for the lifetime of SC2? The future of the game itself hangs in the balance.
I think both the community and Blizzard need to work together to help repair the disparity in swag we see in the current climate of StarCraft 2. Currently Protoss have the ability to proxy nexus as BM, but manner mules are simply not enough.
-Balance: Blizzard needs to implement ways for Neural to quickly build Terran and Protoss structures quicker. For Terran they should also implement new taunt-like unit dances to help aid the problem.
-Training: Sponsors should host manatory swag training for their teams to maintain sponsorship
I believe that the future of LotV and swag in SC2 is bright, but we'll all need to pitch in.
As a protoss player, I find myself celebrating hard-earned wins on ladder with mass twilight councils and chronoboost in my opponent's base. I can't do anything like this as a terran or zerg player as their mechanics don't allow for it. Additionally, zealot dancing is way cooler than marine/zergling dancing, and I can spam FFs on my opponent's production buildings, an ability which is unmatched in either the zerg or terran race
I've actually often wondered why this is, you even see that there are more protoss commentators than zerg or terran (maybe even zerg and terran combined?)
Damn, it's actually so true. I used to have friends and a social life and was doing well back when I played protoss. Since I switched to zerg I've lost all that :/
On November 18 2014 06:35 SetGuitarsToKill wrote: Damn, it's actually so true. I used to have friends and a social life and was doing well back when I played protoss. Since I switched to zerg I've lost all that :/
I need my swagger back damn it!
My friends would gather around me when I played protoss and they would watch me crush my opponents with tons of lasers. But when I switched to terran to BC rush they lost their sc2 passion and started playing LoL and minecraft
On November 18 2014 06:35 SetGuitarsToKill wrote: Damn, it's actually so true. I used to have friends and a social life and was doing well back when I played protoss. Since I switched to zerg I've lost all that :/
I need my swagger back damn it!
My friends would gather around me when I played protoss and they would watch me crush my opponents with tons of lasers. But when I switched to terran to BC rush they lost their sc2 passion and started playing LoL and minecraft
Lasers = Swag confirmed. Who knew that Pink Floyd knew swag better than the rest of us.
Ugh, this old bit again. Guys, all the swaggest player just happen to be Protoss. The swagging mechanics are perfectly acceptable in-game. You can tell that some teams are better at swag than others - for example, Jin Air had the best swag of all 3 races for a solid month.
They probably also work harder at swag.
You won't get that kind of dedication to the swag from your typical Zerg - he'll just Tweet about it.
On November 18 2014 06:40 Circumstance wrote: Ugh, this old bit again. Guys, all the swaggest player just happen to be Protoss. The swagging mechanics are perfectly acceptable in-game. You can tell that some teams are better at swag than others - for example, Jin Air had the best swag of all 3 races for a solid month.
You won't get that kind of dedication to the swag from your typical Zerg - he'll just Tweet about it.
Even Scarlett only tweeted about it when she picked protoss. That's not swag enough, she needed to do a ceremony in order to be an honorary swag protoss
On November 18 2014 06:40 Circumstance wrote: Ugh, this old bit again. Guys, all the swaggest player just happen to be Protoss. The swagging mechanics are perfectly acceptable in-game. You can tell that some teams are better at swag than others - for example, Jin Air had the best swag of all 3 races for a solid month.
You won't get that kind of dedication to the swag from your typical Zerg - he'll just Tweet about it.
Even Scarlett only tweeted about it when she picked protoss. That's not swag enough, she needed to do a ceremony in order to be an honorary swag protoss
Unless she accepts the light of the Khala into her heart, she won't have enough swag to pull off a ceremony.
Admittedly, Bbyong showed us with his Gangnam style build that there are ways that terran can be swag where protoss can not. However, Bbyong is just above any talk about swag balance and can't really be considered when looking at overall percentages.
On November 18 2014 06:48 Blacklizard wrote: It's true, but it's so part of the game I'm not sure how they can revamp the game to give more swag to the other races without calling it SC3.
Well, LotV has huge changes coming, so they could revamp the swagger system to require more swag expansion across the map, which could benefit terrans and zergs more than protoss
Well, I don't think anyone's arguing that there are individual instances in which non-Protosses can have more swag than Protosses, they simply believe that SC2 is set up in such a way that Protoss can achieve swag more easily. But I just don't think the other races have properly explored all of their swag options yet.
On November 18 2014 07:01 Silvana wrote: Don't forget Protoss players are more handsome too. Blizzard pls.
It's tricky, because although its obvious that Grubby's handsomeness needs a nerf, it could be tough to implement without breaking the game in other areas.
While steps are being taken to address potential imbalances with warp gate mechanics,
This solidified in my mind this would be a generic "get rid of forcefields, make stalkers stronger, remove warpgate" thread, which perfectly set up the surprise in the next couple lines.
What about Idra? He flipped off a lot of people and called them names. That may fall under the category of being an asshole than swag, but arent they the same thing usually?
Idra had that swag when he busted out the leather gracket and was actually winning. After he started to decline, it was more douchebaggery and cheap shots than actual swagger. Even then, Naniwa was a better foreign "bad boy" than Idra ever was so the scales are tipped in the Protoss' favor.
On November 18 2014 07:02 Gwavajuice wrote: It's cause Protoss have time to think of swaggy ceremony while they 're a-clicking their deathball to their opponent's natural
1ta click isn't much harder bro
What are you talking about THATS AT LEAST 150% HARDER
Yes, this is a real problem since it leads to boring interviews and less harassment options on stage when humiliation of a defeated opponent is due. Therefore, our first step must be to increase the bunker build time by two seconds.
On November 18 2014 06:40 Circumstance wrote: Ugh, this old bit again. Guys, all the swaggest player just happen to be Protoss. The swagging mechanics are perfectly acceptable in-game. You can tell that some teams are better at swag than others - for example, Jin Air had the best swag of all 3 races for a solid month.
On November 18 2014 11:17 ZigguratOfUr wrote: I don't think its an issue Blizzard should address though patches. Brood War was balanced through maps, and so should swag.
Also the protoss leaning swag is only an issue in the Korean scene; in the foreign scene, Zerg players have plenty of swag.
But if you look at a lot of maps, you'd still find an overwhelming amount of Protoss swag! Look at Shakuras Plateau, Overgrowth, Cloud Kingdom and Habitation Station! They have so much more swag than the likes of Daybreak and Frost.
On November 18 2014 11:17 ZigguratOfUr wrote: the protoss leaning swag is only an issue in the Korean scene; in the foreign scene, Zerg players have plenty of swag.
I agree to a point, but I think that when it comes to questions of swag balance, the Korean scene is simply on an entirely different level.
...idk...problem wont be fixed...DRG is too good mannered...huk sucks now....bomber just stares down people...scarlett is shy...yea....protoss swag best swag
On November 18 2014 13:00 Cricketer12 wrote: ...idk...problem wont be fixed...DRG is too good mannered...huk sucks now....bomber just stares down people...scarlett is shy...yea....protoss swag best swag
Well, there is some question if the swag meta can continue to develop, but personally I'm skeptical that anything will change without David Kim taking some big steps
On November 18 2014 13:00 Cricketer12 wrote: ...idk...problem wont be fixed...DRG is too good mannered...huk sucks now....bomber just stares down people...scarlett is shy...yea....protoss swag best swag
Well, there is some question if the swag meta can continue to develop, but personally I'm skeptical that anything will change without David Kim taking some big steps
Damn FBH had such swag it's incredible. But I'm shocked the OP doesn't mention Zest. He doesn't even need to do ceremonies to make his incredible swag visible
We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
On November 19 2014 01:41 Ragnarork wrote: Haha, oh god this is hilarious and true at the same time.
Ok so protoss got swag.
Terran got class.
Zerg got ????
"Class" is hilarious. Terrans are exactly like Arsenal fans - claim they're the most classy people in the world but complain the loudest about literally everything.
On November 19 2014 01:43 DarkLordOlli wrote: We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
On November 19 2014 01:43 DarkLordOlli wrote: We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
On November 19 2014 00:58 OtherWorld wrote: Damn FBH had such swag it's incredible.
And what race did he play when he attempted SC2? It's no coincidence, guys. You're confusing cause and effect. Playing Protoss doesn't cause you to have swag. Having swag causes you to pick Protoss.
On November 19 2014 01:43 DarkLordOlli wrote: We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
On November 19 2014 01:41 Ragnarork wrote: Haha, oh god this is hilarious and true at the same time.
Ok so protoss got swag.
Terran got class.
Zerg got ????
"Class" is hilarious. Terrans are exactly like Arsenal fans - claim they're the most classy people in the world but complain the loudest about literally everything.
On November 19 2014 00:58 OtherWorld wrote: Damn FBH had such swag it's incredible.
And what race did he play when he attempted SC2? It's no coincidence, guys. You're confusing cause and effect. Playing Protoss doesn't cause you to have swag. Having swag causes you to pick Protoss.
On November 19 2014 01:43 DarkLordOlli wrote: We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
On November 19 2014 01:41 Ragnarork wrote: Haha, oh god this is hilarious and true at the same time.
Ok so protoss got swag.
Terran got class.
Zerg got ????
"Class" is hilarious. Terrans are exactly like Arsenal fans - claim they're the most classy people in the world but complain the loudest about literally everything.
ROFL
Which is why the Designated Balance Thread breaks into a hysteria of complaints (with the great Dinomight in the vanguard) when a Terran wins a tournament, but stays relatively calm when a Zerg (Life) or a Protoss (Parting) win.
On November 19 2014 01:43 DarkLordOlli wrote: We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
On November 19 2014 01:41 Ragnarork wrote: Haha, oh god this is hilarious and true at the same time.
Ok so protoss got swag.
Terran got class.
Zerg got ????
"Class" is hilarious. Terrans are exactly like Arsenal fans - claim they're the most classy people in the world but complain the loudest about literally everything.
ROFL
Which is why the Designated Balance Thread breaks into a hysteria of complaints when a Terran wins a tournament, but stays relatively calm when a Zerg (Life) or a Protoss (Parting) win.
On November 19 2014 01:43 DarkLordOlli wrote: We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
I believe we just need to look to the past. Terrans once had the most handsome of all players in Broodwar (Nada so handsome, his body has it's own thread).
Early in SC2, Terran handsomeness was in development - many cute players, but they haven't all panned out as we've moved forward. (I love you MarineKing, but seriously what the hell was up with those glasses?) I think Terran needs to focus on the basics, improve their handsomeness, and then they will be better positioned to up their swag game.
On November 19 2014 01:43 DarkLordOlli wrote: We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
On November 19 2014 01:41 Ragnarork wrote: Haha, oh god this is hilarious and true at the same time.
Ok so protoss got swag.
Terran got class.
Zerg got ????
"Class" is hilarious. Terrans are exactly like Arsenal fans - claim they're the most classy people in the world but complain the loudest about literally everything.
ROFL
Which is why the Designated Balance Thread breaks into a hysteria of complaints when a Terran wins a tournament, but stays relatively calm when a Zerg (Life) or a Protoss (Parting) win.
On November 19 2014 01:43 DarkLordOlli wrote: We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
On November 19 2014 01:41 Ragnarork wrote: Haha, oh god this is hilarious and true at the same time.
Ok so protoss got swag.
Terran got class.
Zerg got ????
"Class" is hilarious. Terrans are exactly like Arsenal fans - claim they're the most classy people in the world but complain the loudest about literally everything.
ROFL
Which is why the Designated Balance Thread breaks into a hysteria of complaints when a Terran wins a tournament, but stays relatively calm when a Zerg (Life) or a Protoss (Parting) win.
Please, that's a fun thread, don't start this :/
To be fair, he's not the one that started it. You disappoint me DarkLord...
On November 19 2014 01:43 DarkLordOlli wrote: We don't just have the swaggiest players, we also have the most handsome players. Bisu, HerO, CJherO, Zest ...
On November 19 2014 01:41 Ragnarork wrote: Haha, oh god this is hilarious and true at the same time.
Ok so protoss got swag.
Terran got class.
Zerg got ????
"Class" is hilarious. Terrans are exactly like Arsenal fans - claim they're the most classy people in the world but complain the loudest about literally everything.
I originally made this post far harsher, but this is a fun thread, no need to bring balance into it
Zerg's problem is their swag is too reactive. That may indeed have been Blizzard's intent to promote swag diversity when designing the game, but it results in a dynamic where Zerg's wait for opportunities to react with swag, rather than dictating and forcing reactions with pro-active swag like Protoss.
Terran's problem is that their efforts at developing swag haven't proven to be as viable as their "stoic dominance" approach which, while effective to a point, becomes overly predictable at the highest levels.
Protoss do have a few weaknesses (e.g. Colossus as a unit can undermine swag if Protoss leans too heavily on it), but on the pro level it has proven to have the highest potential for different avenues for creative and effective swag, which has allowed Protoss to stay one step ahead even as maps and the swag meta evolve.
On November 19 2014 05:59 ANLProbe wrote: MKP has tons of Swag as well though.
Crying =/= swag
MKP went too deep on swag with those glasses, and it affected his game. He's back now with slightly lower levels of swag but increasing performance. Once the performance is solidly back, I think we'll see him tune the swag back up.
On November 19 2014 03:27 ejozl wrote: I guess all Zerg has, is just erratic behaviour? + Show Spoiler +
Zergs just are fake protosses. They wanted to play protoss but wasnt swag enough
pfft, Zerg once had a golden age of swag! It's just that all the swagjas either retired or are burnt out. It doesn't help that inferior Kespa swag is ushering in a new era of swagless zergs like soO, Soulkey, and RorO.
On November 21 2014 02:32 Musicus wrote: Protoss also have the highest number of great casters for some reason. Artosis, Tasteless, Kaelaris, iNcontrol, Rotti, ToD, HasuObs, Grubby etc.
Perhaps because they tend to be the most social and well adjusted people, the kind you want to put on camera. Terrans (besides Nate and QXC) tend to be boring, and zergs are just weird usually
On November 21 2014 02:32 Musicus wrote: Protoss also have the highest number of great casters for some reason. Artosis, Tasteless, Kaelaris, iNcontrol, Rotti, ToD, HasuObs, Grubby etc.
Perhaps because they tend to be the most social and well adjusted people, the kind you want to put on camera. Terrans (besides Nate and QXC) tend to be boring, and zergs are just weird usually
On November 21 2014 02:32 Musicus wrote: Protoss also have the highest number of great casters for some reason. Artosis, Tasteless, Kaelaris, iNcontrol, Rotti, ToD, HasuObs, Grubby etc.
Guys relax, the final expansion isn't even out yet. In the current state it's really not possible to accurately determine the levels of swag between races. It being the protoss expansion, it will bring plenty of swag all around. We can't even imagine yet what the meta-swag will look like!
On November 19 2014 03:56 awesomoecalypse wrote: Zerg's problem is their swag is too reactive. That may indeed have been Blizzard's intent to promote swag diversity when designing the game, but it results in a dynamic where Zerg's wait for opportunities to react with swag, rather than dictating and forcing reactions with pro-active swag like Protoss.
Terran's problem is that their efforts at developing swag haven't proven to be as viable as their "stoic dominance" approach which, while effective to a point, becomes overly predictable at the highest levels.
Protoss do have a few weaknesses (e.g. Colossus as a unit can undermine swag if Protoss leans too heavily on it), but on the pro level it has proven to have the highest potential for different avenues for creative and effective swag, which has allowed Protoss to stay one step ahead even as maps and the swag meta evolve.
I think if Mech gets buffed that's a buff to Terrans swag levels. It's a more laid-back, careless of what others think of me kind of deal. Whereas the current BIO style for Terran is just too try hard. If you try to be cool, you're simply not cool.
On November 19 2014 03:56 awesomoecalypse wrote: Zerg's problem is their swag is too reactive. That may indeed have been Blizzard's intent to promote swag diversity when designing the game, but it results in a dynamic where Zerg's wait for opportunities to react with swag, rather than dictating and forcing reactions with pro-active swag like Protoss.
Terran's problem is that their efforts at developing swag haven't proven to be as viable as their "stoic dominance" approach which, while effective to a point, becomes overly predictable at the highest levels.
Protoss do have a few weaknesses (e.g. Colossus as a unit can undermine swag if Protoss leans too heavily on it), but on the pro level it has proven to have the highest potential for different avenues for creative and effective swag, which has allowed Protoss to stay one step ahead even as maps and the swag meta evolve.
I think if Mech gets buffed that's a buff to Terrans swag levels. It's a more laid-back, careless of what others think of me kind of deal. Whereas the current BIO style for Terran is just too try hard. If you try to be cool, you're simply not cool.
Also, you cannot properly bang your head to metal, while splitting your marines.
EPT
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