EPT
Lee Hyung Ju aka Check[Pooh] is a very succesful Warcraft III progamer who played the Night Elf race. During the original Warcraft III: ROC, he won the OnGameNet Warcraft III league twice, and placed top four in countless other tournaments. While he was never quite as dominant after the Frozen Throne expansion, he has continued to be a relevant progamer up to the present.
Now, he is playing the Starcraft II Beta and has easily taken the #1 spot in his division in the platinum league. YGosu interviewed him recently.
YGosu: Hello. It’s an honor to interview a Warcraft III hero such as yourself. Could we begin with a brief introduction?
Check: Hi, I’m Lee Hyung Ju, a Warcraft III progamer who’s thinking about switching to Starcraft II.
YGosu: Ah, so you plan to switch? I’ve played you a few times on the ladder, and each time I was scared s***less. So as a Warcraft III player, I doubt you’ve heard of YGosu… But what do you know of us?
Check: You’re a Starcraft community.
YGosu: Thank you for recognizing us. At YGosu, we like to set ourselves apart from other interviews with our lighter tone and humor. We also request a certain degree of frankness, which has made is famous in the Starcraft community. We look forward to your honest and entertaining answers!
Check: Ok.
YGosu: To begin with, we noticed that you’ve managed to be successful as a gamer even though you’re well over sixty years old. What is your secret?
Check: I was born in 1986, so I don’t think I’m sixty quite yet. When I get into a game, I try to think about that game non-stop, and cut out thoughts that are irrelevant.
YGosu: In Starcraft, 25~26 years old is already considered to be an upper limit, so I seem to have made a mistake in thinking it’s the same in Warcraft III. So you’re focusing on Starcraft II exclusively now?
Check: Yes, all-in with Starcraft II.
YGosu: Playing the Starcraft II ladder, I notice a lot of other Warcraft III gamers are focusing on Starcraft II. Is that how it is in the Warcraft III community right now, everyone is just naturally shifting to Starcraft II?
Check: Yeah, besides the WeMade Fox team, everyone seems to be going over.
YGosu: What’s different about the WeMade Fox team, is it because they are salaried?
Check: I don’t know the details, but the company hired them as Warcraft players, so I guess it’s right that they play Warcraft III.
YGosu: That’s a similar position as the Starcraft: BW gamers. If you’re part of a team, I suppose it’s the rule that you follow team policy. Then tell us what you think of Starcraft II.
Check: It’s still beta, but it seems very complete. The balance is alright, and I rate it highly from an E-sports perspective as well. It’s being streamed a lot lately, and it’s getting a good response from the viewers. It’s personally pretty fun to watch other guys play as well.
YGosu: Outside E-sports aspects, do you think Starcraft II is a fun game that the average person could enjoy?
Check: I think that maybe Brood War fans might not be able to get used to the fact that Starcraft II is in 3D. But it’s really similar to the original, and if they gave it a try I think they’d like it. The interface is more convenient, too.
YGosu: Now that you bring up the interface, it makes me curious. Fans of Broodwar and War3 are furiously typing it out over the internet about whether who Starcraft II will be more advantageous for. What do you think?
Check: Eh, it just comes down to individual skill.
YGosu: So you’re saying that because it’s a new game, it’s all up to the individual, and it doesn’t really matter what game they played before.
Check: Pretty much.
YGosu: Warcraft III pros are dominating the ladder right now. So you would say that this isn’t because they’re Warcraft III players, but because they are guys who were good enough at games to be pro-gamers?
Check: Yeah, I think they have the basic RTS instincts, and with the BW gamers tied up by their teams, just from the outside it looks like Warcraft III gamers are doing well. If we all started off the same, who knows what the result would be?
YGosu: It hasn’t really occurred yet, but everyone is relishing the moment BW and War3 gosus collide in Starcraft II. Which players do you think would adapt easily to Starcraft II?
Check: I think players who are doing well right now, like Jaedong and Flash etc would be all be good if they tried Starcraft II. Their basic ability to macro and micro is just so good…
YGosu: We’ll know the result of such a showdown someday. Personally, I’d throw my vote in with the Warcraft III pros. You guys are just so good right now…
What do you think the strengths of Stracraft II are? What are its most interesting characteristics and points of interest?
Check: The Korean translations are dubs aren’t awkward at all, the graphics are great, and Battle.net 2.0 is good.
YGosu: This question is about the gameplay. As you’re well aware, most of the high ranking platinum league players are either zerg or protoss. Why do you think Terran is doing so badly?
Check: There’s just no one who uses them correctly. I think it’s because they try to play it just like Brood War. I’ve been playing as Terran a lot lately, and they’re really strong. I was originally thinking of playing Zerg, but now I’m thinking about switching to terran.
YGosu: What do you think the strengths of Terran are?
Check: You can scan and see what your opponent is doing.
YGosu: Do you think scouting is such a huge advantage? As long as you know what your opponent is making, do you think terran is capable of putting together a strong counter?
Check: Like it is in any game, scouting is important. I don’t think Terran has any weak units, and if you combine them to counter your opponent they’re pretty strong.
YGosu: I would really like to ask for a specific strat here, but the competition is so fierce these days I’ll hold back. Are you going to continue streaming on Afreeca?
Check: I started yesterday, and I plan to keep on going.
YGosu: What kind of fun do you get out of interacting with your viewers in such a way?
Check: To be honest it’s not really to interact, it’s to get my name out there.
YGosu: So you’re advertising that “I, Check, am going to be the best Starcraft II player”?
Check: Yup.
YGosu: We await the day that the ID Check shows up at the finals of a Starcraft II proleague.
How about a parting word for our readers? They are the future Starcraft II viewers who might cheer for you one day…
Check: It was an honor to be interviewed, and I hope to do well in Starcraft II tournaments in the future.
YGosu: And a final resolution, and your pick for the next interview if you please? And umm, could you get your pick to talk to us? Please?
Check: Hmm, a bit ambiguous as to whom I should pick.
YGosu: If you could introduce us to a Warcraft III gamer who’s all-inning with Starcraft II, we would shed tears at your merciful gesture…
Check: That’s a bit tough…. There’s this kid called ZenioWerra, he’s #1 right now. I had his MSN, but I can’t seem to find it. I’ll get him for you.
YGosu: Ah, that ultra gosu who’s #1 in platinum division one. Then we trust in you! Thank you for the interview. We hope you do well in Starcraft II!.
