Triumphant Song Gaming's Solar brings mixed tidings from Korea in this pre-IEM Katowice 2020 interview, catching us up on what's been going on during the off-season.
Fretful fans will be glad to hear that we need not fear about the continuation of GSL Code S. What's more, the latest batch of players returning from military service could be the most competitive yet (in particular, a certain reaper-expert).
On the other hand, tightened travel regulations means Classic may not be the last Korean pro to have trouble playing in major international events. And, of course, region-lock still sucks for Korean pros who can travel.
*This interview has been edited and condensed. Wax: What have you been up to since Super Tournament II, your last major tournament of 2019?
Solar: I haven't been up to anything special, just taking it easy. Toward the end of the year I participated in tournaments in China and Australia, winning a bunch of of them, and then took a break.
When did you start practicing in earnest again?
After the patch I started practicing properly, but I don't think I have 100% understanding of the game yet.
We have most of the info for the Circuit/foreigner side of the ESL Pro Tour, but barely anything for Korea. Are Korean players in the dark as well?
We roughly know when everything's going to happen. The Super Tournament just got officially announced, didn't it? I dunno, there's just some delays in Korea because of various issues like the corona virus.
So we'll have three Code S tournaments like last year?
Yes, I think it will be three of them. There will be some changes, but I can't talk about those yet since it's not official.
Some people in the foreign community were panicking because of the lack of information.
There's going to be Code S, but there will be changes compared to last year.
So the Korean players are satisfied with what they've been told?
Honestly it will be a bit more... I think the competition will be more fierce than last year.
But personally, what I'm unhappy with is that... Was it last year? The year before that? I wrote about [the problems with region-lock] on Twitter. When I looked at the response from the foreign community, there were a lot of opinions that [region-lock] was unfair. Even when I asked foreign pros, though they were the ones benefiting, they thought it was a bit unfair as well.
So if the players and fans all think that it's unfair, I don't know why it didn't change this year.
Well, I think we all know it's unfair—it's just a trade-off for the sake of more viewership.
Yeah, and a lot of Korean pros retired because of it.
How's the Korean scene looking? The top of the scene is still brutal, but maybe it's gotten easier to get through qualifiers?
It's easier... But with format in the upcoming season, and since I hear a lot of foreign players are coming to play in GSL Code S, I'm a bit worried.
You're playing and winning a lot of the ESL weeklies, but Korean players aren't really participating. Why is that?
Because it's just 10 points per win, I don't think the players really understand the importance of it. The top players, in particular, think they will [qualify] anyway... Also, this year the number of players that can go to the Masters Championship [*Note: equivalent to the old Global Finals] was greatly increased from eight to sixteen. So I think the players are a little overconfident. I'm trying to stack up points beforehand so I can advance directly to next year's IEM Katowice/Masters Championship without any trouble.
Also, as far as I know, there are a lot of players who won't be able to travel overseas next year. Probably more than fans expect, the top tier players will be barred from travelling. So I don't think they're worried that much about earning points this year.
I think Classic said what he learned from his travel permission issues might help other players in the future.
Regardless of that, Korea's laws changed recently. People who are 25 or older can get international travel permission six months at a time, and the longest total period you can request is two years. So actually, according to current laws, I don't think I'll be able to travel abroad when I turn 28 in Korean age.
[*Wax: I'm not familiar with these regulations, so I might not have interpreted the specific technical details correctly. Regardless, the point is that Solar fears new regulations will affect progamers above a certain age.]
Military service isn't a career death-sentence? Some of the 'returners' are showing promise.
Cure's been a hot topic in the foreign community for how good he's been during the off-season. Is he for real?
Cure was always good in practice. But the latest patch was quite good for Terran, so I think that had an effect. I think Terran players are all doing well in general, after the patch. Also, perhaps he's approaching things with a new attitude after leaving Jin Air.
Who are some players to look out for going forward?
Personally, I think you should keep an eye on players who returned from the military. There's a lot of players who finished their military service that are good, like DongRaeGu, Armani, or Dream.
Players who came back from the army haven't had much success in the past. Is that changing?
The practice is a bit... I think maybe having your military obligations out of the way helps you focus solely on practice. Compared to the past, they've really caught up a lot in terms of skill.
How are Dark, Maru, the usual top guys doing?
I think all the guys who used to be good are still good; like Maru hit 7000 MMR on the Korean server. Besides a few guys, I think all of the strong players are still in good shape.
Also, ByuN is going to return this year. ByuN is laddering on the Korean server these days, and he's around 6800~6900 MMR right now, getting in the neighborhood of 7000. He's still got it. So I think when ByuN comes back, he'll continue to do well in tournaments.
You mentioned your game knowledge isn't complete yet, but still, who do you think is going to win at IEM?
I think this time... Before, I always picked Serral to win tournaments. But this time, I think it will be tough for him, in my estimation. It's because Zerg doesn't have any big edge in terms of balance right now. In longer series, Terran and Protoss have a lot more strategies they can use. So I think it will be hard for Zerg players—I think Terran and Protoss players will do well.
Who are the top Protosses in Korea?
I think Trap and Stats are the best.
KeSPA-tier salaries in the ambitious China Team Championship.
What was it like playing in the live, China Team Championship playoffs?
It was great, there were a lot more Chinese fans than I expected. It was awesome that the Chinese fans were enjoying it so much. The recent epidemic is delaying WESG and other tournaments right now. I hope the situation gets better and we can play in Chinese tournaments again.
Did it remind you of the Proleague days?
Playing matches regularly, it definitely felt a lot like the old days. Because the Chinese teams have been signing a lot of players, I think the next season is going to be really competitive with a lot of good players.
Has the introduction of the CTC been good for Korean pros? Maybe it's not KeSPA level pay, but that kind of stability must be nice.
It IS at that level, the pay is very good. The players who really earn a lot, they make as much money as top KeSPA players used to. Having regular income, it really stabilizes your career as a player.
Are there plans for CTC to start holding even regular season games live, and for the teams to all have teamhouses in China?
From what I know, that's the ultimate goal. For everyone to have team houses in Shanghai—my team [Triumphant Song Gaming] already has a teamhouse in Shanghai. So to play and practice there, really like it's Proleague—I hear SCBoy is dreaming of something like that. That's if everything goes well and things get bigger. It's still hard to do that now, but I think it would be fun if that happened in the future.
You were excellent in a variety of competitions last year, even getting an eight-win all-kill in the CTC playoffs, but Code S didn't go that well for you. Why's that?
I don't know for sure, either. Just, I can't play that well in Code S, maybe it's the nerves. Also, the players prepare so well. I think the Code S format is disadvantageous for Zerg. The more time there is to prepare, the worse it is for Zerg, since Zerg have a limited range of strategies. So I think it's tough in tournaments where there's a lot of preparation time. Also, my style is a bit simple, so I think I get countered a lot.
Conversely, foreign Terrans say that the short-duration format of the Circuit events favor Zerg. Anyway, what are your personal expectations for IEM Katowice?
When I got through the qualifiers, I was actually pretty surprised because I didn't expect it. But somehow, all my games went well on that day, so I [earned a seed]. I don't really have huge ambitions, it would just be nice to [get to the fop four] and play in Spodek. That's my initial goal.
Any final comments or shout-outs?
I don't think I have that many fans compared to other players, but I'm thankful to everyone who's kept cheering for me, no matter how much. I'm thankful to all my foreign fans as well.
The StarCraft II scene has changed so that ESL is running things. I hope this change will make the scene more vibrant, we'll see more tournaments pop-up like in the old days, and we'll have a year where we can all be happy together.
You can follow Solar on Twitter at @TSG_Solar and catch his stream at AfreecaTV.
Amazing!! So many good news, Code S is happening, the Salaries are way higher than we thought before and CTC plans sound realy good. We ll see how exactly GSL will pan out, but I gues we all can be way more optimistic about Korean Scene in general now Nice to hear that Byun is returning as well. AfaIk Koreans in the millitary aren t allowed to earn any money, but it sgreat to see, that he allready picked up practise and is allready back on pro level on ladder at least.
Also, ByuN is going to return this year. ByuN is laddering on the Korean server these days, and he's around 6800~6900 MMR right now, getting in the neighborhood of 7000. He's still got it. So I think when ByuN comes back, he'll continue to do well in tournaments
Well, that makes me hype. Thank you for this interview!
It very cool to know that CTC makes a big positive impact on Kr scene. And the information about ByuN is almost unbelievable, wow! Thanks for the interview, Solar is a great guy!
On February 16 2020 20:26 Waxangel wrote: Wow, an interview with so much juicy, relevant content that I didn't even have to use "Solar doesn't think Serral will win IEM Katowice" in the tease.
Big thank you for it, it could have polluated the thread.
On February 16 2020 23:50 Howard_Kao wrote: I thought CTC's high salary is a well known thing, or is it just Chinese community?
People knew Inno for example was earning a lot, but we didn't really have info on the full extent.
Regarding ByuN, he joined the military in January last year so he's still months away from a comeback in the competitive scene.
Also since Solar is already making excuses for why Zerg isn't winning IEM Katowice in a few weeks, I look forward to finding out which Zerg player is going to lift the trophy this year.
fantastic interview. the difference between this in comparison to some interviews from foreign pros is stunning. nice to hear some insight into the elusive korean scene during GSL off season as well and looking forward to ByuN's return !
Pretty substantial interview. There's interesting stuff said about a wide range of topics. Solar teasing these changes to Code S is sure to make more people nervous.
Byun is indeed back (at least on the korean ladder) PartinG was playing against Byun on stream 1-2 weeks ago and told his stream it was Byun. He was explaining when you near the end of your Military Service in Korea they allow you to have more PC time.
I think they played about 6 games. PartinG winning 4 and Byun winning 2. PartinG said Byun is nearly as good as top Terrans already and he shouldnt have any trouble competing when he is released from the military.
On February 17 2020 03:09 seanranklin wrote:PartinG said Byun is nearly as good as top Terrans already and he shouldnt have any trouble competing when he is released from the military.
Until he starts playing full time again and his wrists give out
On February 17 2020 03:09 seanranklin wrote:PartinG said Byun is nearly as good as top Terrans already and he shouldnt have any trouble competing when he is released from the military.
Until he starts playing full time again and his wrists give out
We should organize a competition between Maru, ByuN and Mvp where all they do is play back to back game versus the IA, the last one able to move his mouse wins.
On February 17 2020 03:34 ejozl wrote: I'm forever grateful for a true veteran like Solar acting as a kind of voice for the Korean situation. Also, Solar you have fans!
With pro's it's always glass half full. My race is disadvantaged in my format, rather than, in that other format my race would be advantaged.
It's funny cause Solar is like the third youngest Korean around.
On February 17 2020 03:34 ejozl wrote: I'm forever grateful for a true veteran like Solar acting as a kind of voice for the Korean situation. Also, Solar you have fans!
I don't watch and follow SC2 anymore but ByuN with One Man Army style winning skyrocketed my hype, still remember that GSL finals and Blizzcon. If that crazy micro monster comes back and starts winning things I will watch it 100%.
I think the biggest thing in this interview is Solar confirming 3 Code S tournaments. Tasteless sort of gave it away in his most recent podcast but that's huge and I love it!
I don't think I have that many fans compared to other players, but I'm thankful to everyone who's kept cheering for me, no matter how much. I'm thankful to all my foreign fans as well.
Dafuq is he talking about? I LOVE Solar! Everyone loves Solar! Everyone who doesn't love Solar should watch some HSC vods
On February 17 2020 12:47 Die4Ever wrote: jesus there's so much info in this lol
Yeah, it really underlines how little interaction there are between the Korean and English speaking communities. Would be great if we got more regular info out of there. Like, it's great that there are a number of Chinese posters keeping us informed here.
On February 17 2020 12:47 Die4Ever wrote: jesus there's so much info in this lol
Yeah, it really underlines how little interaction there are between the Korean and English speaking communities. Would be great if we got more regular info out of there. Like, it's great that there are a number of Chinese posters keeping us informed here.
A Solar- weekly- newsflash would be cool. I mean he has by far the best english from all kr Pro Players around. He could keep all of us up to date :D Can t Artosis just invite him to the Pylonshow someday?
On February 17 2020 12:47 Die4Ever wrote: jesus there's so much info in this lol
Yeah, it really underlines how little interaction there are between the Korean and English speaking communities. Would be great if we got more regular info out of there. Like, it's great that there are a number of Chinese posters keeping us informed here.
A Solar- weekly- newsflash would be cool. I mean he has by far the best english from all kr Players around. He could keep all of us up to date :D
On February 17 2020 12:47 Die4Ever wrote: jesus there's so much info in this lol
Yeah, it really underlines how little interaction there are between the Korean and English speaking communities. Would be great if we got more regular info out of there. Like, it's great that there are a number of Chinese posters keeping us informed here.
A Solar- weekly- newsflash would be cool. I mean he has by far the best english from all kr Players around. He could keep all of us up to date :D
Golden and polt says hi.
I meant Pro players and wouldn t consider them as Pro players. Sorry, edited that
On February 17 2020 12:47 Die4Ever wrote: jesus there's so much info in this lol
Yeah, it really underlines how little interaction there are between the Korean and English speaking communities. Would be great if we got more regular info out of there. Like, it's great that there are a number of Chinese posters keeping us informed here.
A Solar- weekly- newsflash would be cool. I mean he has by far the best english from all kr Players around. He could keep all of us up to date :D
Golden and polt says hi.
I meant Pro players and wouldn t consider them as Pro players. Sorry, edited that
Also neither are as involved with the Korean scene since Polt is in the US and Golden is moving to Canada. They're probably not as up to date as Solar.
On February 17 2020 00:35 Topin wrote: somewhere in Seoul, Dark wakes up with a cold sweat LUL.
GSL with a deiferent format, cant wait for the details
BO1 single elimination
That will probably be the worst idea ever, or the best if you really love all-ins and 40minute late games
If I remember right SSL 2016 was originally planned to be BO1 single elimination but they changed it.
GSL had bo1 group stages way back at the start of code S, it was round robin tho.
2013 season 2 (the OSL one) also did for some reason
Probably something OGN carried over from Brood War. The standalone OSL they did the year before also had Bo1 group stages, as did all the OSL's in Brood War. Also the 2011 GSL's probably had Bo1 groups because they had one every month and had to get through them fast.
seems to suggest a Code A comes back, while Code S changes to 16 players
would corroborate what Solar said, hinting at it being more competitive
There is actually so much info in that ruleset that it warrants it's own thread. But on top of the code s changes in also confirms that there will be both code s and super tournament; that super tournament top 4 qualifies for main GSL season; that there will indeed be an IEM China this year (with only 16 players), which is fantastic news.