EPT
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If they ever tell my story let them say that I walked with giants.
Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die.
Let them say I lived in the time of Boxer, Emperor of Terran.
Let them say I lived in the time of Savior, Maestro of Zerg.
Let them say I lived in the time of Reach, Hero of Protoss.
Let them say I lived in the time of TSL.
- ATeddyBear
Ambition
by Plexa
TeamLiquid Final Edits
It was only a short time ago when Gretech proudly announced that they had 1,000,000 unique I.P. hits on their website for GSI. Everyone who had anything to do with the tournament was blown away by the fact they could draw that many viewers together for a simple Starcraft invitational tournament. It was only a short time later that OnGameNet attained the #1 rating for the OSL Finals. Despite the fact the finals were a disappointment; it still drew together crowds that simply brought the producers to awe.
Starcraft has a certain magic about it which is impossible to reproduce in any other media, platform or game. Ever since the very first showmatches on Tooniverse people have been pleasantly surprised at how it drew together crowds. It was that gap in Tooniverse’s programming lineup which allowed the premier Starcraft tournament at the time a way to showcase some games on T.V. From Tooniverse, each cycle of the tournament became bigger eventually turning into the OSL and from there the rest is history. The magic of Starcraft captures up audiences from far and wide and has allowed the development of progaming.
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Initially, Starcraft was all about the talent. The skill and strategies used by the top players in the Tooniverse days were envied by the mass of Koreans playing the game. With this initial set of followers it was only a matter of time before sponsors picked up on this untapped market. With financial backing the OSL took off and progaming took its first steps toward legitimization. While the talent of these players served as the basis of the fan following, new fans began to be attracted to the scene. However, it was the sheer skill, dominance and looks of Lim Yo Hwan that established the initial fan girls which have gone on to become a huge portion of the Starcraft fanbase.
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While on one hand we have the plethora of fan girls giving progaming a large boost, notably in recent times, there is something more there for the more ‘hard core’ fan - the drama, the rivalries, the players. There a defining points in the history of Starcraft which we can pick out as the great moments. Some off the top of my head are SKY 2001, Coca-Cola OSL, EVER 2004, So1 and GomTV S1. Those tournaments spawned some of the great matches and rivalries of Starcraft. The LimJin rivalry in particular created some of the greatest moments in history and was always anticipated by fans. While on the other hand, the drama of So1 and the story of Boxer’s resurrection created one of the most emotional OSLs yet.
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Above all else, there is something deep at the core of this game which gives it the edge over all others. That is none other than the community. Starcraft has one of the greatest, tight knit and expansive communities around. There is something special, something magical about us Progaming fans – something which just makes us get along. Perhaps this is the pride of knowing that this is OUR game, the pride that this game is the best RTS game, if not the best game ever made. We laugh [or cringe] at the sight of FireBatHero doing his traditional antics, we love it when Savior trashes some noobie terran and we come a little closer together when Boxer advances.
The community at TL is one of the greatest amongst any internet community and it is time that we build off this community and create the greatest Starcraft tournament outside of Korea. WCG no longer caters for the needs of us foreigners who have gone far too long without any real way to prove ourselves. This offers anyone and everyone a chance to prove themselves against the rest of the foreign community. The TSL is the pinnacle of foreign gaming and is designed to ensure only the best advance from a pool consisting of every person outside of Korea.
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/pachi/fe/0308_gfx_ambbub6.gif)
It is impossible to underemphasize the importance of this tournament to the community as this is quite possibly the largest event ever for foreign Starcraft. Anyone who has even the remotest interest in Starcraft should be coming along and participating in the TSL Ladder – this is an event for every gamer outside of Korea. Once the tournament begins in May, get all your friends, family, loved ones, acquaintances and neighbors to tune in. Get in on the fun and excitement of the tournament and support your favorites as they advance through the tournament.
The TSL is so much more than just another tournament. It is laying the foundations for the expansion of Starcraft which is long over due. With Gretech looking to expand into the foreign market, the exponential growth of TLA and now TSL opening up; the foreign scene is finally being catered to like we deserve. Let us not forget that the OSL got where it is today from being the best tournament inside Korea, this could be the first steps in the same direction for Teamliquid. TL is embarking on a journey of epic and ambitious proportions, and you are invited to join us. Remember, with SC2 on the way this could be one of the last times you will get to see foreign Brood War at its best.
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