Well I think it is fair to say the ESWC Masters is the biggest event I’ve been to so far, CEBIT is obviously larger but only a small portion of the CEBIT convention was dedicated to eSports specificially (Extreme Masters/SEC).

The thing I love about the ESWC Masters when compared to the NGL-One Finals for example is everything is brighter.

You’ve got more people, you’ve got spectators, you’ve got booth babes, you’ve got a main stage, its generally very far from what you experience at home. For me I love the social aspect, I’ll talk to anyone and everyone, however for some being presented with so many strangers is daunting.

eSports - how to make a good first impression?

eSports is a funny environment, you have a very small space of time to make a good impression on someone, and if you fail you can be sure they will tell their mates, “oh that Malystryx? Yea he’s a cock”.

Carmac is a prime example of someone who I’m sure makes a very bad first impression, he made a good point when we met this time “lucky you did not know me before we met”.

I actually had no idea who Carmac was when I first met him at ClanBase EuroCup XI in 2005, so I had no expectations or prejudgements of what he would be like.

For those who have not met Carmac yet, may I suggest not trying small talk as it is like Kryptonite to him, you can see his face flinch as he tries to maintain an interest in something he is sure serves no purpose in life.

The reality is at events the time you have to spend chatting is limited, your interactions with people are usually passing pleasantries and unfortunately this is what people will base their impressions of you on.

The sad thing is that some people feel the need to go out of their way to try to like famous players, simply because they are famous, as if not liking them is some kind of failing. Just because people are famous does not make them likeable, my first impression of Grubby was a bad one but given another situation and another environment, I saw that perhaps my first impressions were wrong.

Players seem to have some kind of anti-fanboy shield, they are used to fans idolising them that they believe anyone who talks to them does so because they want to either a) shag them (if they are female) or b) get something for free (if they are male).

I found that with most players after they realise you are not a fanboy threat they lower their defences which is why I found ignoring them and treating them you would a strange on the street makes them come down from their high horse and converse with mere mortals. There are obviously some who break the mold such as LUq from MYM or Robban from SK.

So your best option as a fan is not to worship the ground they walk upon but to talk as a normal human being, they are only human after all.

If you want to compliment the female players about their games however, that works, remember what Chris Rock said "There are only three things women need in life: food, water, and compliments".

One of the coolest moments of my event however was walking past Moon (who by the way is my favourite player) without saying a word and for him to then say “Hello, hi” to get my attention, I assume he remembered me from the NGL-One finals but it made my day!

I guess I just come to assume players will ignore you and await your worship but my faith in pro-gamerkind was restored after that.

Actually saying that the coolest part of the event was being able to kiss beautiful women three times simply because we were in France, vive la France.

Pigvomit's gem of wisdom

It was pigvomit however who provided me with the defining moment of the day which made me forget about all the ridiculous travel problems I had when I asked:

Malystryx: How long have you been in Paris? When did you arrive.
Pigvomit: I arrived today, at like mmm 4pm Polish time. What is the time difference between Poland and France, like 20 minutes?

20 MINUTES! Bloody hell I was in tears, but he got his revenge later that evening as we sat down for a meal. He tricked me into believing French philosopher and playwrite Jean-Paul Sartre was a French footballer, and one who holds the record for four goals in a champions league final according to Carmac!

SK Gaming play Mafia





One of the highlights of the trip was our game of Mafia on Sunday evening, co-ordinated by Christine 'potter' Chi we all played a game where the crucial goal is to lie as convincingly as possible. Although when she initially explained the rules there was a murmur from the men of "this game sounds lame", it actually was a lot of fun.

Potter seemed to know when I was lying as you can see in the first video above, she was pretty pro at this game! Carmac too, he is usually very perceptive and is also very good at lying so this game was well suited to him!

The event

You can read my thoughts on the event in terms of organisation in this week's installment of the Zechs files "Don't forget the fans". The main thing which always gets me is how fast the event passes, for those who think it is just a case of hanging out with the stars you're horribly mistaken. Players normally do not stray from their own teams, CS teams move as a collective unit, like a one-celled organism, Warcraft3 players are normally fine with a few pleasantries but not more as they are here to play not to chat.

One exception is Mykhaylo 'HoT' Novopashyn who is always very positive to talk to me. He lost in the first round of the playoffs versus ToD and was very annoyed no-one wanted to go and party, "man no-one wants to go party, geeks, they only want to practice!", I saw the scar on his hand from his accident, I have to admit I shuddered when I first saw it, I'm not too good with wounds/blood. It is a shame he left SK, he really is a fun character, but he still brings life to events he attends.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Knoff and HotLips for the first time, I don't know what I expected with Knoff, perhaps someone a little more eccentric, and HoTLips was another happy German. Knoff and Liild.C were pretty hardcore observer, staying in the player area for most of the tournament just watching the matches, I guess they wanted to pick up a few tricks!

Warcraft3 becomes boring, SK.Ladies get me excited and DoTa is not a spectator game

One thing I can draw from this tournament is the experience of learning about other games, to really ensure a long life in eSports you need to broaden your mind to all competitive games not just one.

I'm now a connaisseur of female counter-strike, dota teams, quake3 and some of the counter-strike male teams. It actually makes the event fresh and exciting when you are writing about different games and different players, travel broadens the mind!

I'm actually growing a little bored of Warcraft3, I don't know why, perhaps because other games are more new to me but I just think on a mainstage with a crowd, an FPS is more exciting.

I LOVED the Counter-strike female final, as I wrote in one of my news "The match was the first of the whole tournament that I watched and my voice pains from screaming, my hands hurt from clapping, SK.Ladies may be out but it was an emotional final." I normally watch very few games at events but even though this was my only one it was worth it!

From what I've seen of DoTA I don't think it is a very good spectator game, I play it regularly now with friends (shoutout to affentod, abritrariness and stormm!) but there is just too much down time between the action.

The games were never on the main stage, the final was on a mini-stage with a screen to display each players screen but even with a shoutcast there is just too much farming that I think a shoutcaster would really struggle to maintain interest.

I think the game has potential but with teams like MYM farming so much it is just very samey, I tried to get the crowd going by clapping but essentially you were watching people farming with no sound, hardly exciting stuff.

SK is a part of me

I also found at the event how attached I've become to SK, I guess its inevitable when you work so closely with something but before the CS female final I was actually nervous and I was not even playing.

I guess its more than a hobby now, SK Gaming is believing! I was actually happy to see people recognise me even though I was not wearing SK clothing. I think it just happens, you do not need to wear the clothes for people to know who you work for. I remember meeting bsl at CGS and he asked what my name was, I pointed at my SK Gaming logo, "your name is SK Gaming?". Wow I felt like an idiot.

I've been in SK a long time now, you get to know all the people behind the scenes; Merusame, Lenni, Katzemann, Killabee, TheSlash etc.. SK Gaming is really a family and it is a pleasure to be part of it. I don't know how many events I will attend in the future due to personal stuff but it is nice to feel an integral part of something you work for.

TheSlash tells Malystryx his true feelings



Some say when this video was taken TheSlash was under the influence of alcohol, I deny these rumours!

Maly's Gallery




View the Malystryx ESWC Gallery (**NEW PICTURES**)

The moments I will remember



New additions to Maly’s list of eSports Legends:

VBadGirl from wNv

Ruxandra “VBadGirl” Caldwell of wNv Gaming is another such person who has “interesting” reputation online, and who when I met at the tournament I was trying to scan to find this attitude which made her so infamous online, without success. VBadGirl was actually a lot of fun and I did not see any Dracula fangs come out during our chats, I’ll be thumbsing her up in future forum arguments!

Spittie from Fnatic

A really fun character, outrageous hair, outgoing, up for a laugh, amazing he only seems to be remembered for “weren’t you PGS’ 4th orga? Lol.” We need more people like him!

SK.Dota

What a cool group of guys, I am honoured to have the pleasure of getting to know these guys and am really happy they joined SK Gaming.

A true example of how real friendship can spawn a successful team, Tompa apparently is a badass mofo online, flaming everyone but in real life he’s a round happy little Swede! Shoutout to Loda, Tompa, Bogdan, Akke and Hailo!

SK.Ladies

The SK.Ladies are something of a legend, I’ve never been nervous about meeting an SK player before but I was very nervous to meet the girls. In particular Lidy seeing as I interviewed her and spoke to her quite regularly online, she seemed still untouched by the hands of fame which unfortunately do meld some individuals into prima donnas. I loved watching their final and after the first day, I think they warmed to me ;)

Shoutouts!

PMS.Rinoa - For being a good sport and fighting in a male dominated game, girlpower!
Trito - For being a fox and having no idea she was sitting next to me until I left a message on her SK Guestbook
MYM.SQRQH - For her noble effort at a first interview with Wolf (despite not doing her milky way dance for me)
Fnatic.d3vine - For not being as moronic as he is online, or as fat as I expected
Atomnium - For being the biggest but at the same time coolest fanboy I have ever met, he knows how to play it cool!
Readmore.Craven - For his unusually posh English for a German.
WC3L.Noir - For his sexy French voice
MYM.PPG - For taking a photo where I do not look like an idiot!
SK.Dopeshow - For his German humour and kindness to swap a single room to sleep with Pigvomit
Pigvomit - For being pigvomit

And to the SK Crew (Carmac, Iza, Pigvomit, Katzenmann, Merusame, TheSlash,Lenni ) and to everyone else that made me smile or laugh at the event!