EPTby CosmicSpiral
If
ST_Curious had a defining virtue it would be what the Romans called constantia. Ever since he made waves with a perfect run in Code A when it was still a true tournament, perseverance has been the hallmark of his career. From 2011 to 2013 he made nine consecutive Code S appearances as its aloof gatekeeper, has served as a linchpin of StarTale’s success in almost every team league, and has gone deep in most qualifiers no matter who he had to face.
While Curious rarely looked outright superior compared to his opponents, his stoic attitude towards competition allowed him to avoid the periods of inconsistency that plagued individuals with more momentary success. He always elected for long macro games over more volatile strategies, minimizing risk in the late game by assembling the ultimate BL/infestor/corruptor army and backing it with a World War One-esque trench line of spore crawlers. He controlled his emotions, letting neither victory nor defeat show on his face. These factors were not exactly endearing to spectators, but they ensured a steady stream of solid results in a league notorious for its unpredictability. Curious was not only the neighborhood gatekeeper in name; he had figured out how to turn StarCraft 2 into a regular job.
Enter HotS and the subsequent transformation into a different man. The Curious that plays in IEM knows that the old punch-clock style doesn’t work in the new world and has subsequently changed his playstyle. Now he is bolder and willing to gamble on those strategies he so explicitly avoided in the past. We’ve seen aggressive 10 pools out of him in ZvZ , nydus worm pushes in ZvP, and even a "slow" speedling timing to beat Innovation in the IEM Asia qualifier. Such a drastic change has had mixed results so far. While one can claim he is becoming a a more complete player, Curious’ once steady results are fluctuating as well. His ZvZ and ZvT remain solid for the most part, but his ZvP goes from great to middling at a moment’s notice. Curious still struggles to get acquainted with the new Protoss timings and compositions, making tactical errors that his former self would never dream of trying in the first place. In the end,
Sora sent him to Code B purgatory where he’ll have to fight tooth and nail to get back into WCS Korea (whatever the format for next year will be).
Maybe it’s for the best. Curious has coasted along comfortably for too long, being considered "good enough to beat anyone in the world" without really having to prove it. Though a select few players become remembered for their extraordinary consistency, that's far from the most glamorous fate a progamer could wish for. After all, what's the reason anyone becomes a pro-gamer in the first place? It's not just because you like playing games—it's because you want to become better than everyone else.
IEM has offered Curious a rare opportunity to reach that goal. In a way, it's a much easier target in terms of competition and focus. Curious hasn't had to worry about any other tournament responsibilities in New York, and the pressure here is reduced since he comes in as an underdog against players with far greater reputations. Few fans remember his promising Code A days, and even less hold those days as a promise he must live up to.
Curious has already half-taken advantage of this opportunity, topping his Ro16 group to make it to the quarter-finals. His ZvT looks to be unbeatable for any Terran left in the tournament—his dramatic viper-based comeback against Flash's mech revealed him as player who is just as strong under extreme duress as he is in a standard game. Against DongRaeGu, he showed superb mechanics and match-up understanding ZvZ. The only serious obstacles for Curious lie in three Korean Protosses of HerO, Zest and sOs, agaisnt whom he has yet to prove his mettle. With a promising start and a cool attitude, the stalwart StarTale Zerg might make a memorable impression over this coming weekend.
If
ST_Curious had a defining virtue it would be what the Romans called constantia. Ever since he made waves with a perfect run in Code A when it was still a true tournament, perseverance has been the hallmark of his career. From 2011 to 2013 he made nine consecutive Code S appearances as its aloof gatekeeper, has served as a linchpin of StarTale’s success in almost every team league, and has gone deep in most qualifiers no matter who he had to face.While Curious rarely looked outright superior compared to his opponents, his stoic attitude towards competition allowed him to avoid the periods of inconsistency that plagued individuals with more momentary success. He always elected for long macro games over more volatile strategies, minimizing risk in the late game by assembling the ultimate BL/infestor/corruptor army and backing it with a World War One-esque trench line of spore crawlers. He controlled his emotions, letting neither victory nor defeat show on his face. These factors were not exactly endearing to spectators, but they ensured a steady stream of solid results in a league notorious for its unpredictability. Curious was not only the neighborhood gatekeeper in name; he had figured out how to turn StarCraft 2 into a regular job.
Enter HotS and the subsequent transformation into a different man. The Curious that plays in IEM knows that the old punch-clock style doesn’t work in the new world and has subsequently changed his playstyle. Now he is bolder and willing to gamble on those strategies he so explicitly avoided in the past. We’ve seen aggressive 10 pools out of him in ZvZ , nydus worm pushes in ZvP, and even a "slow" speedling timing to beat Innovation in the IEM Asia qualifier. Such a drastic change has had mixed results so far. While one can claim he is becoming a a more complete player, Curious’ once steady results are fluctuating as well. His ZvZ and ZvT remain solid for the most part, but his ZvP goes from great to middling at a moment’s notice. Curious still struggles to get acquainted with the new Protoss timings and compositions, making tactical errors that his former self would never dream of trying in the first place. In the end,
Sora sent him to Code B purgatory where he’ll have to fight tooth and nail to get back into WCS Korea (whatever the format for next year will be). Maybe it’s for the best. Curious has coasted along comfortably for too long, being considered "good enough to beat anyone in the world" without really having to prove it. Though a select few players become remembered for their extraordinary consistency, that's far from the most glamorous fate a progamer could wish for. After all, what's the reason anyone becomes a pro-gamer in the first place? It's not just because you like playing games—it's because you want to become better than everyone else.
IEM has offered Curious a rare opportunity to reach that goal. In a way, it's a much easier target in terms of competition and focus. Curious hasn't had to worry about any other tournament responsibilities in New York, and the pressure here is reduced since he comes in as an underdog against players with far greater reputations. Few fans remember his promising Code A days, and even less hold those days as a promise he must live up to.
Curious has already half-taken advantage of this opportunity, topping his Ro16 group to make it to the quarter-finals. His ZvT looks to be unbeatable for any Terran left in the tournament—his dramatic viper-based comeback against Flash's mech revealed him as player who is just as strong under extreme duress as he is in a standard game. Against DongRaeGu, he showed superb mechanics and match-up understanding ZvZ. The only serious obstacles for Curious lie in three Korean Protosses of HerO, Zest and sOs, agaisnt whom he has yet to prove his mettle. With a promising start and a cool attitude, the stalwart StarTale Zerg might make a memorable impression over this coming weekend.
