EPT
Top 10 story lines from the Bacchus OSL.
The Bacchus OSL is now history, destined to the articles section. As the last tournament to finish up before the spring break, the finals between Flash and Stork took the highest ratings during it's broadcast. Despite this, the OSL left many disappointed, with a promising lineup failing to deliver the sense of epic which captivates audiences. Whatever your take, here is a look back at the ten themes that made headlines in the last OSL.
10. Racial Re-Balancing
The OSL has traditionally been a Terran tournament. Look at the last 4 tournaments: EVER 9/16, DAUM 10/16, ShinHan 3 13/24, and ShinHan 2 11/24. However, due to an unfavourable map pool, the Terrans were slaughtered in qualifying, and only 4/16 made it to the big dance. For the first time in years, Protoss and Zerg were the majority.
The Players
Pride of War: Terran (4)
FrOzean[Name] - Kim Dong KunBy.Flash - Lee Young HoXellOs[yG] - Seo Ji HoonSea[Shield] - Yum Bo SungOvercame All: Zerg (6)
#1 Seed
Jaedong - Lee Jae DongsAviOr - Mah Jae YoonJuly - Park Sung JoonRumble - Yoon Jong MinYellOw[ArnC] - Park Myung SooLuxury - Park Chan SooVictory After Victory: Protoss (6)
#2 Seed
Stork[gm] - Song Byung Goo#3 Seed
Bisu[Shield] - Kim Taek Yong#4 Seed
Much[gm] - Park Yeong MinNal_Rock - Ahn Gi HyoBackHo - Son Chan WoongBeSt[HyO] - Doh Jae Wook9. Demise of the Old-School
Most tournaments have a mix of the veterans and the up-and-comers, and Bacchus was no different. Golden mouse candidate July headlined a group of players making a comeback into the OSL scene which included Xellos, Rock, and Best. However after the dust from the group stages had cleared the results were horrifying for any die hard fan. Only Best made it through to the next round, where he was obliterated by the PvP threshing machine Stork. All of the others wound up back in ODT limbo. From the round of 8 onwards, this was a show for the new school only.
8. Winners Curse?
Winner's curse be damned. It looked scary for a moment when Jaedong threw away the game vs Best on Daemon's Forest. However, the once impossible task of advancing as the defending champion was to look easy by Jaedong as he cruised through the tie-breakers. Whether the obstacle is purely mental or not, Jaedong advancing was good news for his self-esteem, and good news for OGN executives looking for ratings. It is always nice to have the Player of the Year go deep into your tournament.
7. Worst. Game. Ever.
As much as I love to watch StarCraft, this OSL featured some of the worst games in recent memory. Not just one or two stinkers that can be blamed on bad maps (although there was that too), but whole weeks went by without inspired play from anyone. Some people argue the massive amount of games played nowadays is diluting the quality (debate here) while others call it just a phase. Whatever your angle, watching Yellow[ArnC] vs FrOzean on Demon's Forest was one of the most painful BroodWar experiences of my life.
Watch it again if you are a sick individual
6. Demon's ForestAs mentioned, maps were a big issue this past season. The MSL inexplicably decided to keep the exact same map pool as the previous season, removing much of the excitement from their league. As a result, the OSL was handicapped in having to use one of their old maps. Despite this, they hoped the addition of a three player map, covered with trees that allowed for no vision, would lead players to games of epic proportions.
Apparently not.
It almost boggles the imagination that this did not come up in testing. And even worse, if it did, why they continued to use it anyway. I'll use this news space once again as my soap box to loudly proclaim that the maps used in an OSL are directly related to the league's success. I wish both OGN and MBC would pay more attention. With the recent rumours of Katrina v2.0 however, my faith is not exactly bolstered.
5. July vs Bisu disconnect
Bisu, surprisingly *cough*, fast expanded on Blue Storm. July being the type of zerg he is, launched a devastating timing attack with hydralisks. Pop pop pop went the cannons and the game was practically over. Or was it? Just as two groups of hydraslisks were raping everything in sight, the diconnect screen came up. Bisu dropped, and the TL IRC channel went ballistic. After a ridiculous delay, the game was awarded to July and no rematch was declared. Bisu stomped of the stage in a fit, and the forum conspiracy theorists went on red alert. Read the forum rage here, and read what July had to say here.
4. Best Games
So I have slagged on the OSL pretty hard so far, but there were some diamonds in the rough. They were hard to see, but if you shined your light just right, you could see them Flash.
The first game on Troy, Rumble vs Flash
Flash vs Bisu game 1
Flash vs Bisu game 2
Flash vs Bisu game 3
Flash vs Bisu game 4
Jaedong vs Best
3. Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/pachi/misc/stork5.jpg)
thanks pachi
2. A Rivalry is Born
Jaedong has looked so invincible of late, that it was hard to imagine someone halting his quest for consecutive OSL titles. Then along came the month of February. Valentines Day was sweet enough, with a 3-1 stomping of Kid Dynamite in the MSL, but a day later they met again and Flash won on Troy. A week later, Jaedong lost the series to a crushing mech build. Three days after that, the two players met for another three match series in the GOM Invitational, and with Tasteless screaming in my ear, I witnessed the Kid deal another blow to Jaedong, winning 2-1.
Jaedong ends the year with the highest winning percentage of any gamer, but are we witnessing Savior/Bisu 2.0? Only time, and the next OSL, will tell.
1. Youngest Champion Ever
He razzled, he dazzled, and in the bleak era that was the Bacchus OSL he was the lone bright spot. Flash was a monster, taking out Stork in the most lop-sided final since oov vs July in 2005. Total in-game time for the finals? About 27 minutes. Rape.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/Manifesto7/flash.jpg)
His teammates almost twice his age are in awe of his skills, and the sky is the limit for this emerging talent.
Yell0w: When I watch Flash play the game, without pretense, I'm amazed. Simply amazing.
I've never seen anyone who can manage the eco as well as he does. Every eco falls into perfect timing. PERFECT timing.
Not only that, it seems like he's spending all his eco, yet he always have spare mineral to expand more...
That really is breathtaking to watch. Is he really calculating all the timing? Or is this by his sense?
TheMarine: I think it's both; he calculates as much as he can, but he relies on his sense as well. In Starcraft, having a good sense is the best
Yell0w: To be honest, I don't watch any other progamers play. Not at all. But recently, I watched the game between Flash and Jaedong...
And I saw how Jaedong played. Holy cow! (giggles)
+ Show Spoiler [Click for more] +
TheMarine: Yes, I know. I thought to myself, you can't get ANY better than THAT!
Yell0w: Goodness... H e i s c r a z y!
TheMarine: Watching him play, I tell that to myself everyday!
Yell0w: In any given circumstance, he reads them all. He's not just good at playing the game... He knows how to win the game.
What I mean by that is, he has a way to win even in the most desperate situation. He's not just GREAT at game (like the rest of the progamers), he KNOWS how to WIN the game.
From the start to finish, everything he does is to WIN the game, heck, I don't even know how to describe this!
Watching him play, upsets me. Even in my PRIME time, was I THAT good? Casting doubt to myself.
Even with Jaedong's skill, win is not guaranteed, then how about me? Depressing...
Perhaps this is the reason my passion to win collapsed...(nervous laugh)
TheMarine: It's amazing that zerg is able to fight so well against Terran at SUCH high level
Yell0w: Flash was up against Jaedong several times recently
TheMarine: 3 series!
Yell0w: When I see Flash practice in our practice house, it is like a new experience.
This kid is crazy. Crazyyyyy! Everyone admits his spectacular skill.
TheMarine: In practice house, it seems like Flash would NEVER lose to ANYONE
Yell0w: I kept telling him that he already won. There's no way you will lose with the skill you have.
And he responded in a cute fashion, "Fine then, I'll beat Jaedong easily and advance, ok?"
I told him "I have complete faith in you! Go! Go win your games!" (Thumbs up)
He later came back that day... "Hyung... Sorry..."
Yell0w + TheMarine: LoL
Yell0w: So I watched the game. Yes, Flash made mistakes he never makes, but still! He played extremely well! EVEN THEN, Jaedong's play stands out.
Mutalisks cutting off here and there nonstop. Defiler coming out at the perfect timing, dark swarn here and there.
I told myself... he is a MACHINE. He does EVERYTHING at once. He doesn't lack anything at all.
------------------------------
Yell0w: IF old progamer at his PRIME come to play right now, he would fail. The game level has enhanced so much since then.
Yell0w: At my prime time, I thought I was THE best. There can't be any more improvement from this point on.
Just look at my APM.
Yet time continued to flow and now I ask myself, if I was to come today from the past with my skills at the prime time, will I be successful?
Skills have evolved once more again...
TheMarine: I agree, there was a BIG skill improvement again and again.
As of late, Offense AND defense are both a must at the same time.
TheMarine: Isn't that amusing if you think about it? In our prime time, we felt that... with every effort we moved our hands at the fastest speed we thought was possible. We concluded that our hands cannot be any faster than this.
Especially at my time, the reason why I was most successful was only because my hands were the fastest. Back then 100 apm was the average, if fast, then low 200.
However, I maintain low to mid 300 apms. Then XelloS and Nada's appearance pushed the limit to mid - high 300 apm. I thought THAT was the true limit. Anything above that was humanly impossible.
The end. The end of multitask, the end of micro, the end of macro. That was the impression I had... But now, just look at Bisu... Jaedong... their apm? OVER 400. What's more amusing? All their teammates claim that all their movements are required movements. (Not spam)
And I have nothing to say to that...
Thanks to FConnectionUK for the translation
I've never seen anyone who can manage the eco as well as he does. Every eco falls into perfect timing. PERFECT timing.
Not only that, it seems like he's spending all his eco, yet he always have spare mineral to expand more...
That really is breathtaking to watch. Is he really calculating all the timing? Or is this by his sense?
TheMarine: I think it's both; he calculates as much as he can, but he relies on his sense as well. In Starcraft, having a good sense is the best
Yell0w: To be honest, I don't watch any other progamers play. Not at all. But recently, I watched the game between Flash and Jaedong...
And I saw how Jaedong played. Holy cow! (giggles)
+ Show Spoiler [Click for more] +
TheMarine: Yes, I know. I thought to myself, you can't get ANY better than THAT!
Yell0w: Goodness... H e i s c r a z y!
TheMarine: Watching him play, I tell that to myself everyday!
Yell0w: In any given circumstance, he reads them all. He's not just good at playing the game... He knows how to win the game.
What I mean by that is, he has a way to win even in the most desperate situation. He's not just GREAT at game (like the rest of the progamers), he KNOWS how to WIN the game.
From the start to finish, everything he does is to WIN the game, heck, I don't even know how to describe this!
Watching him play, upsets me. Even in my PRIME time, was I THAT good? Casting doubt to myself.
Even with Jaedong's skill, win is not guaranteed, then how about me? Depressing...
Perhaps this is the reason my passion to win collapsed...(nervous laugh)
TheMarine: It's amazing that zerg is able to fight so well against Terran at SUCH high level
Yell0w: Flash was up against Jaedong several times recently
TheMarine: 3 series!
Yell0w: When I see Flash practice in our practice house, it is like a new experience.
This kid is crazy. Crazyyyyy! Everyone admits his spectacular skill.
TheMarine: In practice house, it seems like Flash would NEVER lose to ANYONE
Yell0w: I kept telling him that he already won. There's no way you will lose with the skill you have.
And he responded in a cute fashion, "Fine then, I'll beat Jaedong easily and advance, ok?"
I told him "I have complete faith in you! Go! Go win your games!" (Thumbs up)
He later came back that day... "Hyung... Sorry..."
Yell0w + TheMarine: LoL
Yell0w: So I watched the game. Yes, Flash made mistakes he never makes, but still! He played extremely well! EVEN THEN, Jaedong's play stands out.
Mutalisks cutting off here and there nonstop. Defiler coming out at the perfect timing, dark swarn here and there.
I told myself... he is a MACHINE. He does EVERYTHING at once. He doesn't lack anything at all.
------------------------------
Yell0w: IF old progamer at his PRIME come to play right now, he would fail. The game level has enhanced so much since then.
Yell0w: At my prime time, I thought I was THE best. There can't be any more improvement from this point on.
Just look at my APM.
Yet time continued to flow and now I ask myself, if I was to come today from the past with my skills at the prime time, will I be successful?
Skills have evolved once more again...
TheMarine: I agree, there was a BIG skill improvement again and again.
As of late, Offense AND defense are both a must at the same time.
TheMarine: Isn't that amusing if you think about it? In our prime time, we felt that... with every effort we moved our hands at the fastest speed we thought was possible. We concluded that our hands cannot be any faster than this.
Especially at my time, the reason why I was most successful was only because my hands were the fastest. Back then 100 apm was the average, if fast, then low 200.
However, I maintain low to mid 300 apms. Then XelloS and Nada's appearance pushed the limit to mid - high 300 apm. I thought THAT was the true limit. Anything above that was humanly impossible.
The end. The end of multitask, the end of micro, the end of macro. That was the impression I had... But now, just look at Bisu... Jaedong... their apm? OVER 400. What's more amusing? All their teammates claim that all their movements are required movements. (Not spam)
And I have nothing to say to that...
Thanks to FConnectionUK for the translation
The progamers are now on their spring break as the StarCraft architecture gets an update. There are troubles with KeSPA (as always), the ProLeague is in jeopardy (as always), and there is yet another StarLeague on the horizon. However, the OSL will be back, and will continue to be the most prestigous StarCraft tournament in the world.
Coverage of this season was made possible by the hard work of many:
- Plexa, for reviving the art of the battle report.
- fw, for uploading high-quality games to the tracker.
- BaeZZi, for uploading to YouTube.
- yakii, for maintaining his small vod thread.
- GrandInquisitor, for writing up the Results and Standings thread.
- And to everyone else who dropped tidbits of information, wrote comments in the news, and just enjoyed the game, you help keep this coverage alive.
Cheers,
Mani
.
