In iG’s debut match against LGD.cn at the LAN finals for G-1 Season 5, iG unexpectedly lost by an enormous score disparity of 3-43. Here is what iG’s carry player zhou had to say…
http://t.qq.com/p/t/306103032964039
“Recently iG has been in poor form, and I must bear a large part of the responsibility. Thank you to all the fans who continue supporting us through our poor form, we will not fall like this. Even if we have to fight back from the bottom, we will be back one step at a time!”
Originally a post on Dota 2 Tieba, a friend of VG.fy’s tells us a bit more about this promising player, playing for the up and coming team VG.
Let’s start from when fy first started playing Dota.
VG.fy’s Haofang (Dotaland note: Haofang is a matchmaking platform like 11 or Garena) ID was Baixiao|dcfdcc, with a bunch of color codes on the end.
Before Haofang changed their points system on accounts, he was number one on the platform, and it was an uncontestable number one. That was before Faith had become as well-known on Haofang as fy was at the time.
I personally occasionally came across fy in top lobbies on Haofang. At that time in the top lobbies, strong players for some reason all had ‘sunset’ in their IDs, at one point I joined a room with him in it, assuming that his high points on his ID had been spammed illegitimately as so many others had done. I joined and the game started, I was on the other side.
He picked Shadow Fiend, his teammates were Sven, Crystal Maiden, Windrunner, and was it Naix or Bounty Hunter? My team, I really can’t recall clearly anymore, but regardless, in this game fy’s teammates lost two lanes hard, but his Shadow Fiend mid crushed our mid, and he singlehandedly kept his side in the game. His Shadow Fiend was all kinds of skillful, as he nimbly kept lanes pushed out and gave his teammates time to get some farm. In that time period, he achieved a quad-kill while abusing vision in the trees. After the game ended, after my team’s huge advantage had been overturned at the hands of one Shadow Fiend, I was in awe at the skill of this player with the ID of Baixiao, later to be known as fy.
After the 11 platform went open, he no longer wished to stay on Haofang, saying that it lacked room for improvement, so he moved over to 11 with some friends and made it to the top 50. Sometimes facing the likes of YYF and ChuaN, he would joke that he was about to get stomped; he was always a bit introverted — a very quiet person, he never flamed anyone while playing Dota.
He doesn’t get big-headed after beating a few nobodies, he never talks trash. He tends to be down to earth, preferring to stay home in a corner and play Dota with his girlfriend over anything else.
Fy truly is a great Dotaer. He’s humble, and he really has huge talent. Upon finishing school in 2012, with no idea what to do, perhaps he wanted to try something else. I had feared that he would thus stop playing Dota, or something like that. But on QQ one day he told me, he was with a team called AgFox, he wanted to give it a try, challenge himself, all for his dreams.
He’s a good person, always joking, quite a funny player really.
Original: http://dota2.replays.net/news/page/20130517/1811527.html
Oops, had this one backlogged. This is from May 15, a few days ago.
Original: http://dota2.sgamer.com/news/201305/150418_4.html
SGamer: Thank you to LongDD for doing this interview with SGamer.com. Earlier in the afternoon, you had told me that you were at the airport; where are you now?
LongDD: I’ve now arrived at the LGD team house.
SGamer: When you first left LGD a few days back, was there any anger?
LongDD: There wasn’t much anger, but there was a reluctatnce — I didn’t want to leave the pro scene, I didn’t want to give up on Seattle.
SGamer: Was it that once you left the team, LGD would have to play in the TI3 qualifiers? Additionally, something many people are curious about — when LGD first announced you as an official member, was there any contract signed?
LongDD: Indeed, because of my leaving the team, they would have to play in the qualifiers. My return this time is to accompany them along the way, to contribute that which I am able to. Everything was very rushed before so there was never any contract.
SGamer: LGD had mentioned in their earlier announcement that they had made efforts to keep you around by offering you other positions with the team, but you had declined. Why did you decline at first, and then return?
LongDD: Because I’d been playing professionally five years now, and had grown tired of floating around. After being out and about so many years, I wanted to go home. My role this time as a coach will still be a short one, just for a few days.
SGamer: Who contacted you to invite you back as coach? Does this all mean that you will still be leaving LGD after TI3?
LongDD: Xiao8 contacted me, and I agreed. There wasn’t much of a reason behind it, and if I had to say, it would be the fact that we’re all friends. After helping them make preparations for the TI3 qualifiers I’ll be leaving, so about 6 or 7 days…
SGamer: Why not choose to stick around with LGD, at least until after TI3?
LongDD: I will not stay, because I feel weary in the heart.
SGamer: Every in LGD is a veteran of the scene, so what will you mainly be responsible for?
LongDD: I’ve just arrived back so I’m still not sure exactly what. I think it’ll be things like summarizing results and strategies, making suggestions for improvements on things I see in 3v3 scrims, bans and picks, etc.
SGamer: How do you rate LGD’s current form? In terms of individual players do you think LGD can go toe-to-toe with iG?
LongDD: I’ve always felt that LGD has exceptional players in their team. Their loss in the DSL to VG, I feel, is only down to a lack of preparation.
SGamer: What do you think is the most important element of a typical competitive game now? Bans/pick stage?
LongDD: Nowadays in professional matches, the bans/picks determines something like 60-70% of the outcome. The rest of it is down to lane setups and how each lane fares, as well as performance and team execution. The reason I say this is because player skill is very similar between top teams now.
SGamer: Compared to the old mode of three bans in the first ban phase, what does the change to two bans bring?
LongDD: It means that strategies are more varied. Bans/picks become more difficult to get right, and thus require more out of each team in order to achieve success. It requires teams to know how to play more different styles. So competitive games nowadays possess a higher degree of tactical thought.
SGamer: What do you feel LGD’s greatest weakness right now?
LongDD: Mainly it is that they lack a wider array of styles. They must understand this, and practice some more combinations, and work on their mentality.
SGamer: Mentality? Are you saying their mentality right now isn’t in a good place?
LongDD: I personally feel that they need to try more different things; they can’t only always run the same exact things. The new styles coming from many different teams are things that cannot simply be ignored.
SGamer: After leaving LGD, you began making vods and streams. Has this been enjoyable for you, or have you still been thinking about……
LongDD: Playing pro? The professional lifestyle is a brutally competitive one. Without the chance of a good team, I don’t want to strive for it any longer. Streaming is quite fun, I had been spending 16, 17 hours a day doing it — putting my life into it, haha.
SGamer: Will you continue streaming after helping LGD with the TI3 qualifiers?
LongDD: Yes.
SGamer: Under your tutelage, how do you think LGD will do at G-1?
LongDD: I think they should be champions.
SGamer: What is training like for LGD right now? Are they mainly scrimming with the Int squad or with other teams?
LongDD: Yeah, the typical day is scrimming with various teams. During my time here I will help arrange some laning and bans/picks practices.
SGamer: Which teams do you scrim more with?LongDD: All about the same, we contact all of them.
SGamer: Do you feel that LGD is able to challenge iG’s position at the top?
LongDD: I feel that there is a possibility, and the possibility is a big one.
SGamer: Lastly, why don’t you bring this interview to an end?
LongDD: Thank you to those friends who have supported me all along. I will eventually grow old, but I will not leave.
As of the beginning of this week, G-1 has had a voting page active for fans to select all-star rosters for a Chinese versus Rest of World match to take place during day 1 of the G-1 Finals, May 24. The voting is open to all, and does not require an account. As of this post, it looks like the Chinese All-Star team will be BurNIng + iG, while the International All-Stars have three Alliance members accompanied by Korok and Net. While some of the vote leads are significant, nothing is quite set in stone yet, and some positions still remain close.
While voting is not over yet, we are past the halfway mark — so be sure to get your votes in now! All-Star match voting will conclude on May 20, and the match itself will take place on May 24.
This year, LGD is offering fans the chance to submit entries in a bid to be chosen as the one lucky fan who will travel with their squad(s) to Seattle later this summer and accompany the team as they compete at TI3. All expenditures, including airfare and accommodations in Seattle, will be covered for the lucky winner. In addition, a number of other fans will also win secondary prizes varying in impressiveness. Sadly for international fans, this event is for Chinese citizens only. If you meet this requirement, the details for entering are below. For everyone else, let us welcome our Chinese visitors to Seattle in the summer, and celebrate the fact that LGD Gaming is giving a Chinese fan the chance to come all the way across the Pacific Ocean to the year’s greatest event!
Send email to lgdgaming@vpgame.cc with your personal details (such as name, age, contact info, address) in a way that describes your “Heart’s path as an LGD fan”, the email’s subject line being 【TI3之路】. There is no word limit, but originality will be required. The deadline for submissions is May 31 at 21:00 Beijing time.
From the entries, LGD will choose a selection of high quality submissions, and put them up for an open vote, to take place between June 1 to 5. The winner here will be invited to meet LGD face to face, where details will be fleshed out. First prize is a full paid trip to TI3, autographed team spring and summer uniforms, LGD memorabilia, as well as the chance to get a taste of the food and LGD hot sauce provided at the LGD team house! Second place gets a full set of Razer gear, plus an autographed summer team uniform. Third place will receive RAM provided by Kingston HyperX, and fourth through tenth place receive LGD memorabilia, badges, keychains, posters, etc.
Additional details: http://dota2.replays.net/news/page/20130515/1810116.html
Original: http://dota2.replays.net/news/page/20130514/1809913.html
Earlier, LongDD mentioned on his own YY streaming channel that he might be going back to LGD.cn as a coach. A bit after that, he posted on his weibo…
“Lots of friends have shown interest in my going back to LGD. Friends need help, so I’ll do what I can. After their bootcamp, I will go back to doing my own thing, but for now I hope to be able to help LGD achieve a satisfactory result. Thank you to the care and interest shown by all my friends, and the support you’ve given all along, thank you!”
Players such as xiao8 and Sc/DD are seen replying to his post, welcoming him as coach.
A quick preview of the groups and teams in the upcoming Dota 2 Super League…
The Dota 2 Super League (DSL) begins on May 10 in Shanghai, with 10 powerhouse teams congregating for a showdown via group stages, playoffs, elimination, and finals, for the chance at over 1 million RMB in prize money.
Group A sees a relatively larger gap in ability. Apart from it being expected that iG will top the group, all the other spots are up for grabs amongst the other teams.
1. iG: TI2 champions, widely recognized as the best team in the world currently, they’ve successfully dominated just about every major event in 2012 and 2013. Every position in the team is played at a world-class level. For iG, the only question is whether anyone else has the power in them to take them down, and challenge them for first in the group.
Star players: all of iG
2. LGD.cn: Third place at TI2, managed to defeat iG in G-1. However, they’ve undergone a series of changes lately, with LongDD leaving not long after joining, which highlights an element of instability within LGD.cn. Can LGD.cn show us a new face along with their recent changes?
Star players: xiao8, Sylar
3. Vici Gaming: A new team not long formed, yet the presence in their team of one of the three big carries of yesteryear, ZSMJ, brings a major talking point for viewers and competitors alike. Can VG achieve a top 3 finish in this group with such time-honored talent? And as a former LGD player, ZSMJ, who had once brought so much glory to his old team, will be looking to prove himself against them now. By his side, newcomer Cty is another point of interest to look forward to.
Star players: ZSMJ, Cty
4. TongFu: A team that seems to match the level of their opponents, strong when facing strong, weak when facing weak, they possess Hao and Mu, two top tier Chinese players, yet have been in terrible form recently. After switching out two players, can they re-discover their touch?
Star players: Hao, Mu
5. ForLove: One of the best of the second tier Chinese teams, ForLove has some history behind them, yet have always stuttered a bit when it came to results. They have fairly plentiful experience, yet haven’t found their own rhythm in making a breakthrough somewhere. Similar to TongFu, they’re appearing here after making rostre changes, and whether the changes will make the difference for them remains to be seen.
Star players: you, hanci
Group B sees a much closer spread in terms of team ability. Just who advances and who falls might come unpredictably. New teams in here may have new styles of play, DK itches to redeem themselves, and interest will be high in seeing whether LGD.int and Orange can break through in the Chinese scene.
1. DK: Predicting DK as first place here, isn’t necessarily because they are clear favorites in terms of ability in the group, but more because their past performances demand this kind of high expectation for them. They have the world’s greatest carry player, the Anti-Mage himself, BurNIng. They have trash talk king xB/rOtk, and they have Super, 357, and MMY, players who have won countless championships before. DK’s results in the past year have been poor, yet anyone who overlooks them does so at their own peril, because their experience and determination here will not be lacking — as long as they execute well, winning everything is not a dream
Star players: BurNIng, xB/rOtk
2. LGD.int: Runners up in the G-League 2012 Season 2, a team formed of players from five different countries. They train together with LGD.cn in Hangzhou, combining the light grace of European Dota with the steadiness of Chinese Dota, and this gives them more than enough to compete in group b. They’re the ‘foreigners’ Chinese team’.
Star players: God, Misery
3. Orange: The only true foreign team present here, representing the top of SEA Dota. Their star player and the heart of the team, Mushi, has been known for a long time with his stylish play and flashy antics. In the recent G-1 qualifiers, he led Orange to next offline stage, proving that they can stand amongst the best that China has to offer. As the sole truly non-Chinese team, can they make it all the way?
Star player: Mushi
4. RisingStars: Another new team, formed recently by former members of DT.Club and Noah’s Ark. They’ve got undeniable personal and team skill, but are lacking in match experience and adaptability. Their style tends to be over-aggressive, so a matchup with them in it is guaranteed to be exciting to watch. They also often bring out innovative tactics, and are a very imaginative team.
Star players: Super, Mofi
5. RattleSnake: A new team of old players, all of their members have rich experience. Their captain, Luo, is recognized as a master of strategy, and often brings unexpected picks and tactics. This team has been recognized as having great dark horse potential in the group.
Star players: Luo, LaNm
Source: http://dota2.17173.com/news/05062013/162347528_2.shtml
Earlier in the day, LGD posted an official explanation for the whole situation revolving around longDD’s departure on their official weibo account.
Direct link to post: http://t.qq.com/p/t/199469041082504
Translated:
1. LongDD, after leaving TongFu, contacted our players directly, strongly requesting a chance to tryout for our team. He expressed his desire to train hard and play hard.
2. At that time we had DD/Sc needing to leave the team for his surgery, so we agreed to longDD’s tryout request.
3. When he first came to us, longDD’s performances left as all fairly satisfied, and after some discussion, the decision was made for DD/Sc to transition to broadcaster upon his return from surgery, and the announcement was made that longDD had become an official member.
4. After announcing him as an official member, we felt that longDD lost his original drive and diligence, and slowly began to let personal problems leak out. After multiple occasions of communication and discussion, there weren’t any changes for the better, and his attitude remained less enthusiastic than at first. After speaking with him, he decided to retire, and even though we attempted to keep him around by giving him a different position with the team, he expressed a desire to return home for a break, so we respected his choice.
5. Due to various big competitions looming on the horizon, we had also considered trying out other players as a replacement (but had not made any direct approaches to anyone).
7. At the same time, our old member, DD/Sc, wished to return to the team, to help weather the transition, so we announced his official return.
Other: After receiving invites to TI3, the five of us were aware of the weight of everything here, and also that roster changes may not be made lightly. We respect Valve’s decision, and we hope to continue towards our goals via our own hard work, and apologize for the consternation this has brought upon everyone.
Is it all worth it? Fans are split on the issue. Is the announcement fair? Big-name Chinese commentator, retired pro player, DC, doesn’t seem to think so: http://t.qq.com/p/t/191197114681110 — he has expressed his opinion that although roster changes are normal, the wording of the explanation is unfair to longDD.
Is this the end of the matter, and will the waves calm now that everyone seems to have gotten a word in? As often the case with these matters, the whole truth may never be completely known, but we wish smooth sailing to all those involved, and certainly hope to see TI2’s third place finishers back at TI3… one way or the other.
Over the weekend, various Dota-related forums and sites reported on LongDD leaving LGD.cn, news that came as a surprise to many as LGD.cn’s performances since his joining haven’t been bad, and LongDD himself had only just recently joined the team. The original story revolving around LongDD’s departure was a very dramatic one, but now, SGamer finds that one of their users may have been able to uncover a story that is closer to the truth — one LongDD fan managed to get in touch with him directly and posted screenshots from their chat, translated below. Long story short, the other members of LGD decided that LongDD was not up to what they needed and decided to make the change, everything else in between is left mostly unsaid, with obvious disappointment for all those involved…
Fan: What’s going on? I was looking forward to seeing you at TI3, how come you’re talking of retiring now… Add oil please, sincerely, the honest thoughts of a long-time fan of yours.
LongDD: No team anymore
Fan: The internal strife is that bad?
LongDD: It isn’t strife, there haven’t really been arguments or fights
Fan: I don’t get it, I don’t understand, this is all coming ahead of TI3 now, can you give us an explanation as to why? I want to hear your most authentic thoughts on the matter, and no matter what your decision is, we will support you
LongDD: It’s LGD that feels my mechanical skill is not up to par, they want to make a change. They feel that I am about the same as when they had DD, so they might as well just get someone new entirely
Fan: Last minute changes like this? I’m damn upset, how are you not up to par… Ruru (an LGD manager), too vicious
LongDD: It should have little to do with Ruru, I think
Fan: I’m so disappointed, LGD’s management people eat poop
LongDD: I’ve felt pretty good about myself. However, my weakness is indeed in my mechanics, it isn’t polished enough. But each player is different, as for me, I’m steady and reliable at offline events, I won’t make mistakes. There are plenty of people who have great mechanics, but once they’re at an offline event, their hands shake
Fan: I refuse to accept that, how good can a new replacement be? It’s an obvious power play to get you out. You’ve got vast experience, decent mechanics, and with TI3 approaching, even if you’re currently lacking a bit, you can always focus on that improving that in training
LongDD: These things, I don’t really understand either. Otherwise I wouldn’t be disappointed either
Fan: Watching you as you went from a hot-blooded young player to a steady veteran, all the challenges along the way… Sigh, retire then, the Dota scene is too much of a mess, I feel like there’s no hope anymore. So many things I want to say to those people… But anyway, no matter what, we still support you
LongDD: Thank you, in the future I’ll be doing vods, streams, come visit lots!
Fan: This is for sure, I will definitely give you much support
The groups were determined by way of a draw, and are as below:
Group A: iG, LGD.cn, Vici Gaming, TongFu, For.Love
Group B: DK, LGD.int, Orange, RattleSnake, RisingStars
The matches will begin on May 10 at 19:00 China time, with VG vs LGD.cn
The rest of the schedule for the regular season of the league is below (all in Chinese time):
May 16: 20:00–23:00：A- TongFu vs Invictus GAMING
May 17: 20:00–23:00：A- ForLove vs LGD GAMING CN
May 18: 14:00–18:00：A- VICI GAMING vs ForLove
May 18: 20:00–23:00：A-LGD GAMING CN vs TongFu
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