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My interview with Zoun was planned beforehand, a week after he returned from Katowice. Fans couldn’t see him in signing sessions because he chose to return to Korea early, and he had a fair reason. Only one month until military service, I somehow felt obliged to talk to him.
But in the midst of all the big news on the next EPT season and the shocking announcement on GSL, I was concerned if this was the right time to do it. Personally I was also shaken after the news, but in the end it was not about me, it was about him and his message to the fans so I have conducted it.
I had tons of questions lying around, but I couldn’t arrange them in the right manner.
I hope this interview conveys his sincere feelings to the fans.
Q : Please, Introduce yourself 
A : Hey guys, This is Soon-to-be-private Zoun (Laugh)
Q : I actually never expected this big of a drama would happen earlier today. Have you heard the news yet?
A : Actually I have. I would say things are getting “interesting”, so to say.
Q : How do you feel right now?
A : Honestly, I already let it all go. For me I somewhat expected this news would come.
Q : How, and what things did you anticipate?
A : I thought they would cut some budget on both prizes and spots on the bracket, and maybe in 3 years they either renew the contract or shut it down. I never expected it to dwindle down this much though. I already knew my time was up so I was going to decide whether I should come back or seek other options like Stormgate.
Q : So you’re saying it’s not your problem?
A : For now, exactly (Laugh). Jokes aside, I also felt disappointed, and mostly I feel void at one point, like after all this time I played it was for nothing.
Q : We’ll have to talk about your run in Katowice. Honestly you’ve talked a lot about this many times before in private, It was pretty unclear whether you could even compete or not. What was your feeling before you got there?
A : I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty anxious. I couldn’t delay my military service because of personal reasons, so I was very worried if I would get drafted before Katowice. Mostly the draft card is delivered with one month notice, so I’ve waited until the very day my trip to Poland was secured, and then finally I could rest easy.
Q : Why couldn’t you delay it further?
A : It’s complicated. I’d rather keep it privately on this matter.
Q : Being your very last tournament playing (besides Team League), weren’t you nervous about your performance?
A : Like I said before I wasn’t even sure if I could be there, so I was just relieved I could play, period. However, it was Round of 36 open bracket, and I was a little worried about my first opponent, Coffee.
Q : Wasn’t Coffee considered as an underdog there?
A : Personally, I think of myself as a player who is winnable to all, losable to all. Besides, after the recent balance patch I felt Terran is stronger in PvT so I’d rather be on the other side of the bracket than facing Coffee on the first match. I personally think I had better chances there, unless I face the PvP power player Classic in the upper rounds. I regret I earned extra EPT points in HomeStory Cup and it ended up being seeded in the lower side. (Laugh)
Q : Did you underperform because of those elements?
A : I mean I can say it’s one of the many reasons I lost, but I don’t want to excuse myself for it. There were many issues, but my play was awful. That’s all.
Q : Still in the midst of that you still survived in the loser’s bracket. Like you did in the last HomeStory Cup I thought you were breaking through all the hardships you faced. How was your mood right before the qualifying match?
A : I mean, I almost lost to Has and I thought I was out earlier. I felt content that I overcame all the moments of crisis. But playing series after series, I was so exhausted when I finally made it to the qualifying match. I couldn’t even remember what I did there. So it’s a shame I couldn’t show my best performance.
Q : There were lots of long games, especially in the qualifying matches. Considering your games were the very last series of the day, didn’t you have plenty of time to rest?
A : Many people think that I could just rest during the series I don’t play, but it’s actually not. You need to keep thinking about your next game and analyze their plays during other series. All of that drains your energy and eventually being the last in the order made me feel even more exhausted. Honestly I thought Cure would speedrun Spirit was clean 3-0 victory but I was disappointed he dragged it way too long (Laugh)
Q : I was trying to keep you by my side and take care of you a lot. But seems like that wasn’t enough.
A : That being said I think I lost because of you, Maddox. (Laugh)
Q : I’m sorry. I should’ve gone as a KR player manager, not the translator (Laugh)
A : Honestly speaking, That was the very thing I needed in the tournament. I mean the foreign players always had someone in company, like someone from his or her team, even close friends. I felt lacking of those for Koreans. Maybe next time I hope there’s more native managers to take care of the players.
Q : So now it’s all finished, are there any plans before you serve?
A : Not at the moment, I think getting through my military days safe and sound, getting in shape would be the goal I have for now. After I get out it’s more likely I would play Stormgate, but even in that I will have to compete as a latecomer. I came out pretty late on this scene as well so I must work harder to survive there.
Q : Do you think there will be many new players during the time?
A : I somehow feel that’s not likely, at least in Korea. I think people who dominated in StarCraft will be there reigning in Stormgate as well. I doubt there would be a drastic change in the ecosystem. Honestly I feel the same on the RTS scene in general. I don’t think there will be many new players, just the giants who reigned before will be keeping their throne. And I’ll have to readjust myself in the new (gaming) environment. I’m just worried I’ll be too old to play when I come back.
Q : I mean there were a lot of old players who performed well in the past, you know?
A : I don’t feel very confident there (Laugh)
Q : Any words to the fans?
A : See you guys at Stormgate (Laugh). I mean there’s a lot of games and players around so if you keep watching them one and a half years would be already gone. When you guys are tuning into Stormgate I’ll be there playing, so don’t worry.
Q : It sounds like it’s not you going to the military soon (Laugh)
A : I mean it’s just a year and a half. (Laugh) Out of sight, out of mind. But I’ll return when they start forgetting me.
Q : So it’s like what, a constant reminder?
A : Exactly (Laugh).
Q : Thank you for conducting the interview with me, and I wish you nothing but the best.
A : Thank you so much!
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Thank you for the interview! Nice to see he plans on playing Stormgate, hope military goes by quick
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Thank you for the interview Maddox and GGs Zoun
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Wow, that came abrubtly!
GGs Zoun. Iirc he was the first from the old T1 roster to retire when proleague shut down but wow did he have a comeback later.
I wish him a hassle-free military duty and hope to see him again in this game or the next.
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Did not expect his retirement tbh but I think its good for him to get the military service done now.
Probably his best shot at returning to pro gaming, if he desires to do so and we actually have a game with the right amount of fans to make a living out of it.
GG Zoun!
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Canada8991 Posts
Goodbye Zoun and good luck on your journey!
Great interview btw, Zoun sound like he has a good head on his shoulders.
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Strange that pros put this much faith into Stormgate considering we know nothing about the game. They could just as well switch to age of empires if they just want to play another game
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On March 04 2023 20:53 Charoisaur wrote:
Strange that pros put this much faith into Stormgate considering we know nothing about the game. They could just as well switch to age of empires if they just want to play another game
I think some pros are a bit more involved with the game, like Harstem. Honestly I hope so, because every little thing I've seen so far from Stormgate was super-generic and didn't exactly scream "the next best thing".
As for AoE: There is not much money to get in AoE IV and while it is somewhat easy to break through the higher ranks in AoE II, basically everything that happens offline is in Europe.
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On March 04 2023 21:22 Balnazza wrote:Show nested quote +On March 04 2023 20:53 Charoisaur wrote:
Strange that pros put this much faith into Stormgate considering we know nothing about the game. They could just as well switch to age of empires if they just want to play another game I think some pros are a bit more involved with the game, like Harstem. Honestly I hope so, because every little thing I've seen so far from Stormgate was super-generic and didn't exactly scream "the next best thing". As for AoE: There is not much money to get in AoE IV and while it is somewhat easy to break through the higher ranks in AoE II, basically everything that happens offline is in Europe.
True but there's little reason to assume there will be more money in Stormgate
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Come back stronger, Zoun. I would love to see all the military returnees like Rogue, TY, Stats, Inno, herO, Parting, Zest, Trap still continue their professional gaming careers and maybe trying Stormgate.if they think sC2 does not last long enough to be able to support themselves financially.
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A fond farewell and all the best, Zoun
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On March 04 2023 21:32 Charoisaur wrote:Show nested quote +On March 04 2023 21:22 Balnazza wrote:On March 04 2023 20:53 Charoisaur wrote:
Strange that pros put this much faith into Stormgate considering we know nothing about the game. They could just as well switch to age of empires if they just want to play another game I think some pros are a bit more involved with the game, like Harstem. Honestly I hope so, because every little thing I've seen so far from Stormgate was super-generic and didn't exactly scream "the next best thing". As for AoE: There is not much money to get in AoE IV and while it is somewhat easy to break through the higher ranks in AoE II, basically everything that happens offline is in Europe. True but there's little reason to assume there will be more money in Stormgate
There must be a thinking that Stormgate will exhibit the similar gaming experience they have in Sc2 so that they won't need much time to study or practice. During the time when Sc2 start launching, the pre-existing Broodwar player transitioned to Sc2 part time or full time, then the new generation player like Maru come in making the pool of talents diversifies. Money starts pouring in as many come to view the tournaments. So, I don't blame that some of them may think these can happen again in Stormgate era later after glimpse hope in Sc2 recently.
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Thanks for making the viewing experience for us Prime fans a bit more enjoyable in the first rounds of 2015 Proleague, Zoun. I also thought your two GSL Super Tournament runs were big accomplishments. They weren't championships, but two 2nd places is still more than the majority of players achieved in their career.
Best of luck in the military. I will cheer for you should you decide to return to a progaming career.
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On March 04 2023 22:34 swarminfestor wrote:Show nested quote +On March 04 2023 21:32 Charoisaur wrote:On March 04 2023 21:22 Balnazza wrote:On March 04 2023 20:53 Charoisaur wrote:
Strange that pros put this much faith into Stormgate considering we know nothing about the game. They could just as well switch to age of empires if they just want to play another game I think some pros are a bit more involved with the game, like Harstem. Honestly I hope so, because every little thing I've seen so far from Stormgate was super-generic and didn't exactly scream "the next best thing". As for AoE: There is not much money to get in AoE IV and while it is somewhat easy to break through the higher ranks in AoE II, basically everything that happens offline is in Europe. True but there's little reason to assume there will be more money in Stormgate There must be a thinking that Stormgate will exhibit the similar gaming experience they have in Sc2 so that they won't need much time to study or practice. During the time when Sc2 start launching, the pre-existing Broodwar player transitioned to Sc2 part time or full time, then the new generation player like Maru come in making the pool of talents diversifies. Money starts pouring in as many come to view the tournaments. So, I don't blame that some of them may think these can happen again in Stormgate era later after glimpse hope in Sc2 recently.
The difference is that back then RTS games were popular. Today they are just not and I just don't see the same hype happening for Stormgate. Very likely it will be only played by current SC2/WC3/BW players of whom many will switch back to their old game after trying it a bit.
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thanks for the interview!
And also. Damn!....
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On March 05 2023 00:55 Charoisaur wrote:Show nested quote +On March 04 2023 22:34 swarminfestor wrote:On March 04 2023 21:32 Charoisaur wrote:On March 04 2023 21:22 Balnazza wrote:On March 04 2023 20:53 Charoisaur wrote:
Strange that pros put this much faith into Stormgate considering we know nothing about the game. They could just as well switch to age of empires if they just want to play another game I think some pros are a bit more involved with the game, like Harstem. Honestly I hope so, because every little thing I've seen so far from Stormgate was super-generic and didn't exactly scream "the next best thing". As for AoE: There is not much money to get in AoE IV and while it is somewhat easy to break through the higher ranks in AoE II, basically everything that happens offline is in Europe. True but there's little reason to assume there will be more money in Stormgate There must be a thinking that Stormgate will exhibit the similar gaming experience they have in Sc2 so that they won't need much time to study or practice. During the time when Sc2 start launching, the pre-existing Broodwar player transitioned to Sc2 part time or full time, then the new generation player like Maru come in making the pool of talents diversifies. Money starts pouring in as many come to view the tournaments. So, I don't blame that some of them may think these can happen again in Stormgate era later after glimpse hope in Sc2 recently. The difference is that back then RTS games were popular. Today they are just not and I just don't see the same hype happening for Stormgate. Very likely it will be only played by current SC2/WC3/BW players of whom many will switch back to their old game after trying it a bit.
I agree with you - there's no way Stormgate gets anywhere near the same amount of hype as SC2. I do not see it being a viable replacement to SC2 as an esport (what advantage does it have that SC2 didn't have?).
I think Zoun is dead on in saying that the same people who dominate today will dominate Stormgate. I'm sure they've budgeted for at least a year of professional esports in their business plan, so there will be plenty of money in the scene. I just don't see a market of viewers who shun Starcraft but are open to Stormgate.
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stormgate is gonna suck because all the 'fans' are sc2 people who hate any kind of change, and the devs are too, it's gonna be super generic and boring without any of the interesting IP
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On March 12 2023 20:10 ExpatRights wrote:
stormgate is gonna suck because all the 'fans' are sc2 people who hate any kind of change, and the devs are too, it's gonna be super generic and boring without any of the interesting IP
I am very dubious of Stormgate, but I'm not sure about how it's both going to fail due to making changes while also failing due to being totally generic.
Sad to see Zoun heading off without any sort of big victory, but a couple Super Tournament runners up has to count for something.
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I'm tempering my expectations with Stormgate, as people are rightfully pointing out how generic it sounds so far and how the community is perhaps overhyping it.
However, there are some advantages it has that SC2 didn't:
1. A bigger emphasis on casual play to create a larger audience from the ground up. Including not having the GOD AWFUL arcade system that was the only available way to do SC2 custom games at launch, which I think really held the game back.
2. A plan to funnel a portion of players from less competitive formats to more competitive formats. I think this is brilliant, and it's something that other successful franchises such as MTG do very well.
3. A co-op mode that is designed by people who have experience with the format. I actually think that this is the thing most likely to save Stormgate. Monk knows what he's doing with co-op, and co-op was possibly SC2's most played game mode after the game went free to play, which was after a bunch of systems to make co-op more enjoyable and increase replayability were added (prestiges, mastery, more maps, more commanders).
4. Less lethality meaning more room for error, which is more fun for noobs and pros alike, which I think was an advantage that WC3 and SCBW had that SC2 didn't especially at first. You can see interview after interview of Korean pros, especially after the Kespa transition, that points to this fact.
Basically, SC2 design seemed mostly top-down: Blizzard wanted it to be an esport and designed it with that in mind, whereas Stormgate is explicitly being designed from the bottom up, with an emphasis on growing the player base first, and then supporting the competitive scene as it develops, not before.
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On March 12 2023 20:10 ExpatRights wrote:
stormgate is gonna suck because all the 'fans' are sc2 people who hate any kind of change, and the devs are too, it's gonna be super generic and boring without any of the interesting IP
Starcraft is already a super generic sci-fi setting. Humans vs aliens vs hive-mind swarm - might as well be UNSC vs Covenant vs Flood. The main thing the IP has going for it is the name recognition.
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EPT
