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>>Hello and a very warm welcome. It's Sunday March, 31th. This is Starcraft for Beginners
part 67 and today it's a special show since we have a special guest:
It's Julia Syrer aka "***" Germany's one and only streaming female Master Protoss player
Hi, *** and Happy Easter! >>Yeah, hello!
>>Nice to have you! Great that you could make it on Easter Sunday so we can do this show.
>>I don't have anything better to do on Easter ..than being here giving an interview. I have
prepared a few questions. We will first do a little interview with you.Then we will watch
a match you've been so nice to bring along so we will get more insight into how you normally
play and what you think while playing and at the end we will have some more questions
and maybe some people from the chat will have some questions as well, which we might answer
if they are nicely formulated. >>Dont flame!
>>Unfortunately we must do the interview with only one camera available. I tried to organise
a second one. I had three alternatives I could have used but no driver was working. So unfortunately
we are only able to do the interview this way and I have to ask the questions from the
offside. It could have been so nice with all the pictures and so on but it'll have to do.We
will start with the typical questions according you. Might be a bit boring if you've seen
some other interview with *** but you just have to do it. Can't help it.Normally, you're
not supposed to ask a woman for her age but in this case I think it helps the rest of
the question: How old are you and when did you first get in contact with Starcraft? What
did you like about it? >>I am 28, which is terrible, and my first
contact with Starcraft was around 1998/99. >>How old were you then?
>>15? >>I could calculate, but...
>>Yeah, I also had to. 14/15. Starcraft 1 of course. That was my first contact with
Starcraft and everything really went off with the Internet.
>>Where did you see the game? >>I have older brothers
>>Okay, I see. And they played Starcraft? >>Yeah, they brought anything back home. They
played anything computer game wise. >>And what fascinated you so much about it?
Why did you think: "I wanna try this"? The RTS genre is supposed to be "unusal" for women.
>>Well, I had played Dune 2 and Warcraft 1 and 2
>>So you had already had your share >>Yes, well you really kinda played anything
back then. I played a lot of Ego>>Shooters as well and adventures and so on.
>>So you're a pioneer gaming girl >>Yeah, well, it's all the older brothers'
fault and, yeah, Starcraft was one of the games.
>>Now you play Starcraft 2 and how much time to spend playing?
>>Well, a lot, unfortunately. Actually I should be better considering the amount of time.
>>But how much average time? What do you think? >> Six to seven hours probably
>>Six to seven hours? >>Well maybe not average. When I'm on holiday
you have to count that out. >>Well, yeah, if you calculated THAT out but
in a normal week you manage to play the mentioned amount of time?
>>Yeah, but I don't play that much 1v1. It's a lot of teamgames I play with the people
around. Pure laddering is a lot less. >>What does the game give to you? Why do you
spend so much time on it? >>Good Question. It's fun.
>>Well, that's an important factor >>and you can always get better. That's always
a motivation and also the people you get to know. It could have probably been any other
game, but... >>You found it and stood by it.
>>And now there's nothing else. >>You're playing Protoss as we can see on
the screen. Why did you choose Protoss? >>Originally I started with Zerg in Starcraft
1 and then I played Terran and finally Protoss and that was the race that suited me the most.
>>What's so special about it? What was so different?
>>For me, Terran in Starcraft 2, and Starcraft 1 as well, is too micro intensive. I'm not
that fast, I don't have the multi>>tasking abilities and if the units die so easily and
you simply lose the game... that's not my thing.
>>You said you originally started with Zerg and then tried Terran. Was that just experimenting
with the other races to get to know them better or was there already something you didn't
like about Zerg and that's why you wanted to try another race?
>>I used to play Zerg on a really big macro map and then I wanted to play on a normal
map, that was Lost Temple back then, that's when I tried Terran. I don't know. Just wanted
to try all the races. I would advise everyone to do so. You should always try all the races
to see what fits you best. >>And so Protoss was what felt best in the
end? >>Yes, right
>>Heart of the Swarm has been out for weeks now. How do you like the campaign and the
multiplayer changes? >>I really liked the campaign.
>>What did you like especially? >>The story was more linear, not like WoL
with these seperate missions, which seemed mixed-up
>>All the side-plots, you mean >>Yes, I liked the linear storytelling better.
It was nicely done, with the evolution mission along the way. But it was too short and it
was too easy. I played trough WoL on Hard and I had a lot more problems there and this
one now was pretty easy. >>And the multiplayer part? The changes that
have been made? >>Like them a lot. It now feels a bit like
the original Starcraft when Broodwar came out. Starcraft without Broodwar was somehow
incomplete. Starcraft 2 lacked something until now and the matchups were pretty stuck at
the end, I think, tactic wise and everything. And now you have more possibilities, you have
to play all tech>>trees and, yeah, I like it.
>>Which new units do you use most? Are there any?
>>Like always I'm not very open minded towards that. The Mothership Core of course.
>>Has become indispensable for Protoss in the meantime.
>>Great unit, except that he always flies ahead and gets shot down. I also think the
oracle is pretty cool. I personally don't use it THAT often but it's a great that you
can play Stargate now without dying to DTs. But Tempests... I don't really know what to
do with it. >>So it hasn't been used during the lategame
by you so far? >>Sadly, no
>>You've already mentioned that SC2 now feels more complete, but is there still something
you miss. Something you hope to come with the third expansion, where you say: "That
would be a unit or ability that Protoss or the other races should get?
>>I don't know. HOTS is so new. It all feels pretty good. I like it a lot. I couldn't say
there's something missing, because it has just come out. We will see in a while.
>>Yeah, the metagame has to develop first before you can see.
>>Yes, we'll see if something is really imbalanced or if you're going to need more units against
Zerg. >>In comparison to the other races, what do
you think is easier and more difficult about Protoss? You've tried all three races, in
Starcraft 1 as well as in 2. >>Well, I play Protoss because I'm lazy. Most
things ARE easier. That's my opinion. Or else I wouldn't play it. Because the units don't
die so quickly, for example with the mines in HOTS, I can just laugh at that. I might
lose one Stalker, so what? Everything else aorund lost some shields, I just didn't watch
for a minute. Doesn't matter. I think macro is pretty easy with Toss. And micro, too.
Don't know. And more difficult? Until HOTS I didn't like that you had to play so defensively.
But now because of the Mothershipcore it's gotten better.
[Chatting about technical issues] More difficult for Protoss is ... well, if
you engaged in WoL and it just happened to be a stupid moment to do so you couldn't retreat,
so you always had to think twice when und where you wanted to attack because if it didn't
work out you had just lost the game because your whole army was screwed. Because running
away from stim was impossible and running away from Zerg... [laughs] didn't work, too.
And playing defensively against Zerg is pretty difficult. You musn't put down one force field
incorrecly or something like that. I mean it has gotten better now because of the Mothershipcore
und the Nexus Cannon. But I would still say that Protoss is the easiest race.
>>When you were playing other races what was the most and the least fun? Like, when you
first played Terran did immediately think: "Ugh - that's stupid!" or "Wow! That's awesome!"?
Or something similar with Zerg? >>Hmm, let me think. Well, Zerg is, I don't
know, macro is really fun. So Zerg would have been my second choice, definately. Terran
just doesn't work out for me. >>What's so terrible about Terran?
>>Well, the units die too fast. You always have to babysit them and you have to have
the micro skills. I just can't handle that. The micro is really the problem. I'm neither
perfect with macro, what you should be for Zerg nor perfect with micro, what you should
be for Terran, so I play Protoss. >>Which matchup is your best and which is
your worst and why do you think that is so? >>Yeah, at the moment HOTS is pretty new but
PvP is definately my best, but that's only due to the strategy I'm using.
>>What is your win-ratio there? >>About 83%
>>And which strategy DO you use? I think that is something A LOT of people want to know.
>>Yeah, it's my amazing 2-Gate. 11 and 13 Gate. I chronoboost 3 Zealots. It's pretty
difficult to defend for most Protoss at the moment or at least not to take too much damage
from it, because all of them take double gas at the moment to do their Stargate play and
then 2-Gate does a lot of damage and then I play DTs behind it. That works quite well.
>>Well, yeah. It works 83% of the time. >>Yes, it's working right now but once the
Protoss players adjust to that I have to think of something new.
>>That's the nice thing about the game. It's always evolving. And your worst matchup?
>>Zerg. >>And what's your ratio there?
>>Well, I think I got from 26% to 32% at least. >>So, it IS negative. Okay.
>>Yeah, just great. >>And why do you think that is so?
>>Well, I don't know. In WoL it was my best matchup for the first year or so. It went
pretty well. >>But the first year was a pretty rough time
for Zerg anyway, right? They complained a lot about not having the right scouting possibilities
and so forth. >>And after that already in WoL it went downhill
against Zerg. >>After the Queen buff, you mean?
>>I don't really know when exactly it started. I think it was around that time when that
Roach-*** started to happen. That Stephano thingie. I think it was around then.
>>Ah, yeah, when Stephano's Roach Max got popular.
>>I played my 2-Gate, I played DTs behind it and it worked great. And then a Chargelot
/ Archon all-in and it was over. And then it didn't work anymore because they had an
earlier Lair and, whatever, it just didn't work anymore. And now, I don't know. At the
moment a Zerg player can play anything against me. I lose against anything. It's sad somehow.
>>That would explain your win>>ratio. >>Yeah, I die against Baneling-Busts although
I shouldn't because you already know that from WoL. I die to Roach / Hydra. I die to
Mutas, of course. I "love" Mutas. >>Have you already thought about how you want
to defend against all of that in the future? >>Well, I've already put my 2-Gate to rest.
I only play it on special maps. I don't know. I guess I'll just have to play like anybody
else. And I HATE that. In WoL I still had that great tactic using Double Stargate into
fast Carrier and then Archons and a Mothership and yay: a vortex. And now, unfortunately,
there isn't a vortex anymore. That's a pity. >>You mentioned that now "you have to play
like anybody else". You're a bit proud of your own individual playstyle. What do you
especially like about your play and what's something you really despise? What makes your
play fun for you? >>I'm always glad when tactics work where
everybody else says that they don't. To show them that you CAN play differently. You don't
have to play mainstream. That makes me happy. What I really don't like is that I play VERY
intuitively. I totally react to the opponent but sometimes don't really have a plan and
everyone watching my stream wonders: "How can you be Masters if you just play like that?"
If I planned more and tried to make it more perfect I would be better for certain. But
maybe I'd lose something else, like having fun with the game. I just like to play head
over heels. I always say (on my stream): "Well it might not be spot-on, doesn't matter!"
I'm scouting with my 9-Probe. It's not great. Nobody else would do it but I feel safer that
way. >>I also scout with my 9-Probe.
>>I do it against every race. I don't accept advice on that. Maybe that is not so good.
Maybe sometimes you should listen. >>You've already mentioned that you started
with Starcraft and then came Broodwar, which you played pretty extensively. You took part
in many tournaments. What was you place in Broodwar? Maybe you can tell us something
about that time. Things you do remember well. >>My place?
>>Your place inside the Broodwar community. What were you known for? What was so important
for you that you decided to participate in tournaments?
>>I went to a lot of LAN parties. I miss that a lot because you can do everything via the
Internet now and mostly it's not worthwhile going to LANs. But, really, back then I went
to A LOT of LANs. There even were pure Broodwar LANs for Broodwar players.
>>and female players... >>And that wa really fun. The community was
a bit smaller, well, a lot smaller actually. So everybody knew each other. That was really
nice meeting the people again and again, playing with them. That was what I was "known" for.
>>Well, I think it's an interesting step. You have told us that you got into Starcraft
because of your brothers. What made you wanting to visit LANs? I mean it's a big step from
saying: "Yeah, I like playing the game at home" and "Hey, I go to LANs and compete with
others. Live" Well I had already had LANs at home since
they came into existence using BNC. The first LAN with about 20 people and so on and so
forth. I have always been to LANs. It was nothing special with Broodwar. It had already
taken place before. >>But in Broodwar you participated competetively
at larger tournaments and the largest event were the World Cyber Games.
>>The National Finals. >>And that was when?
>>It was from 2005 to 2009, I think. >>And you took part every year.
>>I had qualified via the LAN parties. Via the tournaments there.
>>Had that been your goal right from the start, when you went to LANs? Did you say "Yeah,
now I wanna qualify for the National Finals"? And then maybe play for Germany?
>>No, that wasn't the goal at first. I just happened to realize it along the way and thought
"Yeah, I could try to get there!" I mean I got flamed HARD for it.
>>Well, how did you realize that you were good enough to try?
>>I never felt good enough. >>But you still went. So there had to have
been a point when you said "Yeah, now I wanna see how far my skill is going to take me."
>>What was the question? ***. >>[Repeating question]
>>It really just sorta happend due to the LANs. There weren't that many competitors
on LANs because the community was so small. Many played Broodwar just as one of a lot
of games but not using Battle.Net so I could win pretty often at LANs, winning small prices
and the National Finals suddenly popped up. >>You mentioned you got flamed because of
it. What's the story behind that? >>Well, I don't think a whole lot of my skill
and it was the same back then, so they weren't THAT wrong, but I had qualified nevertheless.
I got flamed because I didn't belong there. >>So some of the people thought you shouldn't
participate there? That's awful. >>They even tried to bribe me.
>>Bribed? To quit? >>No, bribed by people who were behind me
in the list. They wanted me to forfeit and I would get a headset or something like that.
>>Really? >>Fascinating stories.
>>Well, theoretically we would be pretty interested to listen. That's why we're here. But you
will later have the possibility to ask *** some questions maybe it will show up again.
Well, since you came over from Broodwar the question draws near what you like better or
less about Starcraft 2. Are there things you painfully miss or things where you're glad
they changed them? >>Well, I painfully miss the Arbiter and the
Lurker although I don't play Zerg but those were great units. It's a pity they dropped
them. And in Broodwar it was easier to seperate yourself from the mainstream players, because
there were more possibilities to do so. It was a more difficult game, especially macrowise.
You had to click each Gate individually and so on and so forth and the more you played
and the better you got the bigger the difference between a "normal" player and someone you
played on a regular basis became. It was enormous and you could still improve much, much more.
It was more challenging, which doesn't necessarily mean it was better, macrowise. And now in
Starcraft 2 it is more like... everyone beginning with SC2 ia able to play on a certain level.
The difference to someone who plays more often is not as huge as it was back then. That was
nice to see that you were a whole lot better than most others. Now the difference is not
that huge anymore. I think that's a pity. >>Do you sometimes still play Broodwar?
>>No >>Not at all?
>>No, it's a totally different game and I'm not used to it anymore. Graphics, pathfinding,
2D. No. Ugh! >>Are there certain things you could transfer
from Broodwar? Is it an advantage to have played Broodwar before?
>>Yes, of course. It's the same priciple of play. Sure, it helps a lot.
>>I think you built less workers than in SC2 >>No. Workers? No. Quite the opposite, actually.
Workers? Less? No. You had to send every worker to the mineral patches individually.
>>Yeah, I remember THAT. >>And, ah, yeah - What did I want do say again?
Lost my train of thought. >>What could you transfer from BW?
>>At its core nothing has changed. Scouting and everything. Some things have shifted a
bit. Macroing has become a lot easier, so you can focus more on micro. When Diamond
was the highest league I got instantly promoted to it although I had only played a few games.
That's where you can see that it's not a big difference. And when Masters leagues was introduced
I immediately got Master's because the basics are there and the basics are what you take
with you. >>And since then you've stayed among the Top
8 of the Master's League. >>Aaaaah. That WOULD be nice, but...
>>Well, during the last seasons I think you've always ended up there, although there is a
lot of movement because people play so much. >>Yeah, I'm always somewhere close to it.
I'd like to become a Grandmaster but then I would have to listen to advice.
>>Do you play other RTS games? >>No, I don't really play anything else.
>>Do you spent too much time on Starcraft or are you not interested in any other other
games? >>I am actually, but when I do something I
wanna do it right so I want to use my time for Starcraft.
>>Has there never been a point where you thought: "Man, Starcraft is really getting on my nerves.
I wanna try something else?" >>I mean I played Diablo 3 a short while ago.
>>But that's not an RTS game. >>I try other genres once in a while , but
other RTS games... what others would there be?
>>I don't know. World of Tanks. >>World of Tanks? That's not a strategy game.
Sorry. No, no. >>It might not be an e-sports title but Age
of Empires would be another one and it's pretty similar. Building up stuff an fighting against
each other. >>No, I never liked it. LoL might be an alternative,
if you want to see it as an RTS. A lot of people moved over to LoL.
>>But you're not tempted? Did you try it? >>Yes. And I have to admit I have always been
full of predjudices against this game but it was fun. It's pretty easy for beginners.
I could easily play alongside people and was successful so I can understand why people
like it as much. >>Yeah, the game designers did a good job
keeping the motivation curve up high. >>Yes, it was fun. I only made about 10 games,
but yeah. It was nice. But playing it longterm? No.
>>What does Julia Syrer do aside from ***? What other hobbies do you have?
>>I like hiking a lot. That's my main hobby besides Starcraft.
>>Working against the prejudice that gamers will only ever stay INSIDE.
>>I play volleyball as well. And then some standard hobbies like reading and things like
that. >>Reading, listening to music, meeting friends...
>>No, not really listening to music and meeting friends? Friends?
>>So we finally can confirm a prejudice. Gamers are supposedly socially isolated.
>>Yeah, I'm totally socially incompetent. >>We'll have a short break and when we come
back *** will guide us through one of her matches she was so kind to bring along. Don't
go anywhere. We'll be back in a few minutes.