LysanderXonora: 'Work hard and don't expect much'

Hey Lysander, thanks for doing this interview with us!

Thanks, always glad to help.

We noticed you've gained quite the popularity on Reddit, how's it like being one of the first recognized Asian shout casters?

Well, I'm not go lie, it definitely is a good feeling! I use it as a personal fuel to do better! And I'm glad to honor my region, I guess, haha.

That's great! You started out on home turf casting at F2DL last year. Did you expect to be casting online tournaments of this scale (with renowned teams TongFu, DK, etc.) this quickly?

Well, I wont say it was THAT quick (one year is pretty long in eSports!). When I started out, I was happy to cast anything but I definitely did aspire to cast bigger teams! I did put quite a lot of personal time into casting so I'm glad it has paid off!

Well you got what you wanted! Hard work does pay off eh, especially since you've been casting for one of the biggest casting studios in Dota 2. Let's talk about BeyondTheSummit. How would you describe what you do at BTS, are you full-time or are you just helping out?

Well, that's kind of funny to define because I'm still studying but I am only casting for BTS alone and on rare occasions I cover some local stuff I decide to support! So in that sense I guess you could say I'm a permanent member of BTS

Lysander (Left) with Godz (Right) from BeyondTheSummit at Asian Cyber Games 2013

Alright, so how did you manage to hop on board the BTS express? Quite a feat I imagine, being the first Singaporean to hit international turf.

I would say it's a mix of timeliness and ability. When I wanted to start out, it just so happened that BTS were looking for someone to help out with the coverage in Eastern time zones so I just PM'ed GoDz and LD for a spot and I got a 'trial' cast which worked out. That part is the ability, I guess, since my studies do come in line with public speaking. And I like talking.

Sounds like an opportunity a lot of aspiring casters would want to get. This "studies" thing, what exactly do you do right now, you haven't served National Service yet so I'm assuming you're not in University?

I study Mass Communication (media studies) in Ngee Ann Polytechnic and nope, not National Service - yet.

Interviewer's note: National Service is compulsory for all Singaporean men. It lasts two years from the age of 18.

Alright, where do you think you will go from here, are you looking to go full-time in this industry? (assuming you survive National Service and you're still open to probably doing esports)

If Dota 2 sticks around till after my NS, which I think it will, I definitely will! That being said, I will still have the time in NS, not as much but some time. iceiceice had the time, I should too, and I still see myself doing game-related careers in the future anyway.

By "time" you mean two days a week during BMT right?

Probably not during BMT but during my vocation I'm sure I can find the time!

Interviewer's note: "BMT" = Basic Military Training which is a module that lasts for a few months after enlistment.

Has LD/Godz extended you an invitation to join them over at their studio yet? Any plans to fly over?

No confirmations, but I may go over before my army time.

Awesome! Sounds exciting. Okay, let's get to Dota and the classic question: what do you think about SEA/Asian Dota vs Western Dota? Being someone who casts a lot of SEA, you would be familiar with the scene.

SEA Dota is tough to define because of the diversity. But to put it shortly, SG/MY plays with a passive-aggressive style, capitalizing on your mistakes and usually split pushing. They excel when they can skill-difference you a.k.a. outplay you (mechanically speaking). It's why they are often falling short versus teams that they perceive are better.

Pinoy Dota on the other hand, is the other big portion, they are very aggressive but are not afraid to split push and farm. SEA in general are good but I think they are too easily affected by emotions and very often lose as a result. They also need better drafting in my honest opinion, so far I think only Yamateh's Titan at ACG was the only SEA team that amazed me in the recent times.

Western Dota is very creative, again it's big so it's hard to generalize and I haven't actually covered as much. But I would say if the stakes are higher, Western teams have the advantage now. Most of the top teams are on par skill-wise but I think the Westerners really know how to innovate.

But DK or VG or EE-sama may prove me wrong!

Interesting analysis, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. The upcoming D2L features East vs West. Which team do you think will top it? Quite an impressive line-up of matches I must say. Still 

the Western team?

I think the westerners have an advantage this time. VG and LGD, especially LGD, are in a slump now but maybe ROTK can pull something. I would say LGD are the real underdogs here. Alliance haven't been the greatest in the days after TI too so I think it may be pretty balanced. I really want to see Fnatic win with their stand-ins though. I think having Aui and Demon will definitely be fun to watch.

You're not the only one, dude. #FnaticFighting man.

Gotta love the DeMoN army.

Speaking of Asian Dota, the Korean scene seems to be especially popular these days, what do you think about the scene in general? 

It's a growing scene, they are very dedicated! I think my friendly teasing of them is not going to be possible soon! Season 3 will be amazing with the foreign squad. 5inQO are the Korean favorites I would say. And yea S3 starts this Saturday. I'll be casting!

Having attended ACG, you obviously know that the set-up wasn't ideal: The players could hear the casters, which often happens in low-budget events which can't afford soundproof player boxes. What are your thoughts on this, does it really hinder the casters a lot? Is this set-up a bane for them as they cant say much about the game or rather a challenge as they're forced to rely not just on graphs/stats and focus on play-by-play?

LAN casting is a problem definitely. It limits what you can say but for a game like Dota and there's plenty to talk about, especially with two casters. It's a disaster for CS. One other solution is to isolate the casters. 

But then the fans wouldn't be able to see the casters right? Some tournaments, especially in Dota 2, need that to keep the fans really hyped up through long matches. Would you agree? Which do you think is the better solution?

Fan-service definitely. Casters can adjust, it's uncomfortable but I think not a problem for Dota.

Lastly, any advice for up-and-coming casters hoping to break into the scene?

Work hard and don't expect much, there are many organizations that will give opportunities for people to try out like DotaTalk. But I'm going to say something possibly controversial here: it's going to be very tough just because the scene is saturated but I could be wrong and if you are really good anything can happen. There, that's my not-so-cookie cutter answer.

Alright, thank you so much for the interview. Any shoutouts?

Shoutout to all my fans, my parents - yes my parents, LD and GoDz and of course my real life friends who constantly support me and keep me on the ground.