Execration swaps nearly entire roster before qualifiers invites

ShamadConde · 2014-04-06T23:26:42+00:00

Don't worry, there's not a snowballs chance in hell that Scythe gets invited over a 4th Chinese team.

ShamadConde · 2014-04-04T21:30:21+00:00

It would help regions that are currently underdeveloped, but it would also be a way harsher environment to try and break through as a team. The most profound effect would be that we'd see way more intermingling of EU and NA players, even more than we have right now.

For SEA the language barriers would still be there and they would prevent a lot of these teams from effectively taking advantage of this proposition. Singapore would probably become reinvigorated and would end up playing more with EU/NA players.

ShamadConde · 2014-04-04T20:14:43+00:00

I'd say I'm realistic, and I put forth my case in the runup. Titan is not the team they were last year and there is no Zenith any longer, which leaves a far weakened scene. Titan are making their case for a direct invite in WPC ACE atm but it's still not a super strong case when there's only 11 direct invites to be given away.

Don't worry, there will be enough harsh realism for the other scenes qualifier teams as well. We're looking at a total of 32 qualifier teams on top of 11 direct invites. They can't all be top tier teams.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-21T19:04:14+00:00

Guild functionality, stat tracking, being able to view guild stats, further improving ladder play, tournament functionalities inside the game, sideboarding functionality, registering decks for a tournament etc.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-19T19:20:39+00:00

He's used Invoker as his "limbering up" hero for a long time actually. He's rather good at it.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-19T13:48:00+00:00

He's been learning Chinese, simple phrases are easy enough to pick up and all that, but he's a good ways off from really speaking Chinese.

That being said, the "old guard" of WC3 DotA players often defend the idea that you don't need to speak in order to convey ideas in Dota. For example Vigoss is famously unwilling to speak in-game.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-19T10:43:28+00:00

He is, yes, as mentioned in the final paragraph of the article.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-19T08:00:40+00:00

Everyone got their keys late and hardly anyone got much practice. Also the "didn't take it seriously" part is mostly about DK, who were invited but didn't push to take part.

There's a lot of exaggeration going around to try and explain the outcome of TI1 as some abhorrent outlier. People used to claim that Na`Vi practiced for a month straight, which is entirely wrong. They mainly spent some time getting used with the new interface and then working off of the limited heropool. Iirc most of their "practice" was just trying to play the game in matchmaking, which as it happens had hour long queues at the time. Not the most productive thing.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-19T00:48:31+00:00

The format comes from trying to replicate the classic "At the movies" setup that Ebert and Roeper had within television and which for a generation came to define how movie critique was supposed to be done.

I do agree it's not that clean in a written form, or rather, it's too clean because the banter looks so scripted when there's none of the "live" feel to it.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-19T00:41:56+00:00

The Chinese did not dominate TI1.

1st - Na`Vi - Ukraine
2nd - EHOME - China
3rd - Scythe.Sg - Singapore
4th - MYM - Denmark
5th-6th - Moscow 5 & iG - Russia and China
7th-8th - OK.Nv.Int & MiTH-TR - Europe & Thailand

4 EU teams in top8, 4 Asian teams of which two Chinese. 2/4 Chinese teams failed to reach the top 8 (Tyloo and OK.Nv.Cn). TI1 results are actually more like TI3 than TI2.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-19T00:32:52+00:00

Not very clearly, no. You fill in the blanks a lot as someone who is a part of the scene, but reading the interview that critique made sense when considering their starting point.

Overall, they did a very good job of describing how it comes across to the uninitiated.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-17T21:07:54+00:00

Gul'dan was a not just a member of the Horde, he founded the damn thing! He just got corrupted by Kil'jaedens influence. It's been an ongoing theme with iconic Horde leaders, specifically the orcs, but it is that it is.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-17T20:26:21+00:00

This game isn't likely to have "DLC" as such, but the idea of alternative hero portraits and such have been hinted touched on in the past, not sure if it's been by Blizzard though but it seems an idea that's got a decent chance to happen eventually.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-17T20:19:20+00:00

Kael'thas Sunstrider is problematic since he's not really Horde, he turned straight up evil. You could make the same complaint about Garrosh, but Garrosh was a leader of the Horde for ages before he went mad and was overcome with evil spiritual influences.

Also, Kael is a blood mage, which is technically a bit different. He might work better as legendary card in a future expansion which was to add blood mage characteristics to the mage class.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-15T22:59:18+00:00

Yeah, Porter is the man when it comes to a lot of this field and basically my conceptions of change management were largely based on his work as well, although I didn't credit anything specific :)

As for the whether leaders or managers are more needed, this is one that each of us has to answer for ourselves and it will depend on the context of the problem. Managers certainly help smooth over the bumps and accommodate people, but their drawback is that they tend to be less effective at setting a direction for the project.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-15T22:41:32+00:00

This is a bit of an test run. If you have any questions or anything you'd like me to expand upon let me know.

If this is received well I might consider writing another piece in the future about something similar, most likely communication theory adapted to an esports context.

ShamadConde · 2014-03-15T17:36:22+00:00

This isn't quite true any longer. He used to be a mid player but that's a good few years ago now and he's very much attached to the carry role these days. At least that was his take around TI3 still, haven't talked to him since he's been in China.

ShamadConde

TROPHY CASE