You’re the most recent addition to ToT. This is team that many foreigners see as the highest achievement when it comes to clans that one could be invited to. What was the recruiting process like? Were you invited rather quickly or did you have a long trial process?
- It surely was a invite cause ToT doesn't take trials or such... Of course I was playing much with them before, after making it to GGSL they voted me in.
Did you know many ToT members before you joined? Were any specifics members important in helping you join?
- I knew everyone of them - how couldn't you anyway? Mondragon, Selector, and Paranoid supported me the most in joining I suppose.
iNfeRnaLName: Patrick MöllerAge: 19Country:  GermanyRace:  Protoss |
Many players have been known to go inactive shortly after they join ToT due to poker, school, etc. Do you plan to stay very active during your time in ToT? Looking ahead, is there anything in the future that could possibly slow down your activity?
- I think the main reason why ToT took me is that i got a lot of potential to increase - so no I don't really intend to stop very soon cause now it's all just "starting" for me. After WCG i might get slowed down a lot due to school and such - but eh - thats at least still a half of a year more.
The ToT roster is made up of predominately zerg users. What is it like being one of the few protoss users on the team? Are you able to get good practice in with many of their members?
- Depends on the actual activity of the members. Sure I am able to get good practice games vs them, but if I need terrans I'm sometimes a little bit of lost - cause my west clan Hu. mainly consists of zergs too.
“ Playing pvz vs him is like... 1 mistake and your dead.” |
You qualified for the GG.net Star League by defeating inF.BeesaX with a score of 3-1. Shortly after this event, you joined ToT. Did this event have any bearing on joining ToT?
- As mentioned above - Mondragon started my vote about joining after I made it into the GGSL. I dont really think that the fact who I did beat on my way was important, more like walking the way itself was important. Still Wax is a nice player and Im kinda sorry for killing his chances to play the GGSL.
Recently, ToT acquired Razer as one of their sponsors. Are you able to say what kinds of benefits ToT members will get from this sponsor?
- Razer says it all, doesnt it. Obviously we will get some hardware equipment from them - but Im really not the one to go into details as I don't really know them - maybe forward this question to Dissy?
Tell us a little something about your west team Huclan. Why did you decide to join this team? Were you invited to any others?
- My west clan Hu is like a little family. They always help me with practicing where they can and stuff... Actually joining them was pretty easy thing as I knew them before... they asked me if I do want to join pretty much right after they founded and I said yes. About other west teams I didn't really care at all, since Im not intending to leave Hu. any time soon.
Do you feel that practicing on west against Koreans has helped improve your skill? Do you prefer practicing more with them as opposed to Europeans?
- Indeed, especially Fever, Grace and Bansuk did. (my Hu. mates^^) And hum it depends... i love to face with Mondi since hes pretty much unbeatable for zvp but hes pokering soooo much... so yes I'd say i prefer the koreans since their activity more fits with mine. lol.
You are a former member of teams like iG, rS, and DkH. Could you please tell me about your experiences with those three teams?
- Well lets start up with DkH - i joined since i had big expectations for them that days - but they didnt really come true - nor in skill or activity. So i wanted my main practice partner Kyopo to join up with them - they said no we don't know him didn't even gave him a tryout or such even i did recommend him over an over again... so i left them... (nowadays they invited Kyopo about 10 times). Continuing with rS... theres not much to say about those guys that I didn't already tell them... rS was one of my greatest online-times ever - i had so much fun there especially cause of Jake, Brons, Kyopo, Sven and "some gg.net admin" ^^ It's just sad that it broke down back in days and i wish the old - new rS best of luck on its way to the top again. About iG - it has always been a weird story. iG somehow is a team which i lack of words to describe. Few really crazy people in there - few really good players too - its just a bunch of players all around the world threwn into one team - sometimes can be very funny n all but sometimes is a little annoying. I love many of iG's members still and I hope they'll continue to go their very own.
What do you think about multi-gaming teams adding Starcraft divisions? Do you feel that is helping the community or making it worse?
- I actually don't have a really opinion about that. I never gained anything by playing bw because I always declined any offers of money because I didn't have any trust in them to be honest. (Except for some 40$ for a Black Microsoft Mouse ^^) I play bw for fun and if you win can win some money by winning tourney thats good and all... but I don't really need a monthly fee of 50-200$ that i gain by playing bw to survive.
WCG
This past year you competed in your first WCG Germany finals. How was the qualification process? Were you ever worried that you would not qualify?
- Joining WCG Germany those days i was like "lets see, maybe with much luck you can go Top16" not even expecting it.
Once you made it to the top 16, did you feel that your chances of winning a ticket to Italy were high?
- Nope. Not at all. It was my first LAN with more than 2 people EVER so I when I was playing for the ticket vs Dashwriter I was kinda nervous nervous nervous nervous and played really like Im on crack (nope I don't think that crack makes you play good at all!).
“ Played really like Im on crack.” |
Tell us a little about your trip to WCG. I believe you traveled with kAra and Rob unless I am mistaken. How was the trip?
- Avenger was in the car too. The trip was kinda crazy since we always drove 300-400 miles more then we were supposed to by going wrong ways often. I got along with all of those 3 pretty good but well, uhm, smoking makes friendship or such, i got along with kAra best even obtaining a yellow card each cuz we been late... for... "some" reason ;).
What did you think of the location for the event? Was the tournament well organized? Were there any major problems?
- Yep there were. Major problem was us 4 being like 2 hours late. But well thats another story. Well - it wasn't organized bad at all - but not good either. It was like no observers or such could go to gaming area...and even if you were a gamer they sometimes didn't allow you to go upstairs + it was very hot in there because they had the very very smart idea to "shut" all those windows by putting some black material on it.
Were you able to get to know of the German Starcraft players? Were there any in particular that you wanted to meet before coming to WCG?
- I got to know pretty much everyone there...Hm nobody i was especially looking forward to - i wanted to know who's hiding behind all those nicknames. ^^
| Protoss
You mentioned in an interview after you joined about Mondragon helping you a lot with PvZ. What exactly did he help you with? Do you feel that his help has been a major factor in your recent results?
- Playing pvz vs him is like... 1 mistake and your dead... so playing vs him you always learn much. I obsed his PvZ often too since hes quite a strategic gosu. It's of course not only him cause of his mentioned poker addiction (some day I will find a way to stop it, Dissy, be aware...!) but sure he has been quite a key factor.
“ PvZ is said to be hard thats why I like it too.” |
What do you feel is your best matchup? What makes this matchup your best? Tons of practice or does it just naturally come easier to you?
- My best matchup is PvZ - why? Because i love psi storms. About the practice thing - its about both - without effort even the most talented player can't acquire anything special at all.
What matchup do you feel you need the most work at? Why is this matchup harder than the others?
- PvP because I have been a bgh player. Bgh PvP = more agressive player uses to win if he microes solid. On low money this is not the case.
Why did you choose protoss as your main race? Have you been a toss user all along or did you make the switch earlier in your starcraft career?
- The answer is the psi storm again! And the Dragoons...I've been using protoss pretty much all time yea. I even love protoss so much that I don't like to kill other Protosses!
Do you feel that protoss as a race is balanced? What about in different matchups?
- Hm... I really never was at a point where i could say "I fully used the potential of my race" so I'm not the one being able to complain about balance issues. PvZ is said to be hard thats why I like it too.
Do you have any favorite maps? Any certain maps that you feel favor protoss?
- Sure, go 1v1 bgh?
Are there any particular protoss players that you look up to? Do you ever try to watch them play and imitate their style or build orders?
- Bisu managed to impress me lately. I even tryed his style a little - more or less efficient. Of course I learned much by watching some Reps or VOD's of the almighty - even if not so present right now - Kang Min (Nal_rA).
Any there any specific terran or zerg opponents that you find challening? If so, who are they?
- Mondragon - Hes just unbeatable thats fun cause its a good challenge, isn't it?
| Gaming
Many people who don’t play Starcraft anymore see it as an old and dying game. Do you feel that they’re correct? Do you think that the game is really dying?
- Yes, of course they are correct. Just as correct as they have been 3-4 years ago when they said "in 2002 there will be no Starcraft anymore" .. bla bla bla ... bw4ever.
Why do you think that major events/leagues like CPL, CEVO, ESWC, etc. haven’t taken interest in Starcraft?
- Maybe cause the average BW player doesn't even know them like me? (I only know CPL)
If Starcraft 2 were announced tomorrow, would you be excited or disappointed? Do you think if Starcraft 2 was announced, could it ever live up to the first?
- Cant touch bw. I'd be disappointed yup.
How do your parents feel about your gaming? Do they support you?
- Uhm actually my father doesn't know anything about me cause he lives in other part of Germany. My mother never believed into what i been saying about that Im a pretty good gamer 'n so on but ever since i went to WCG Germany shes not so pessimistic about it anymore.
Do you play any other games besides Starcraft?
- Not really. Everything i do play gets boring after like 2 weeks again.
| Hobbies
What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not playing Starcraft?
- Hanging around with my friends wasting time and such... pretty much as everyone else I'd say. Except the fact that Im pretty much of a lazy guy at the moment.
Several members of your new team are avid poker players. Do you play poker? Have you ever been interested in trying it?
- No. I'm not interested in trying it. I will do so one time for ToT-Lan so I wont be totally left out but after i will forget about it very fast again. Might drink some alcohol to help me doing that.
Before we end this interview is there anything that you would like to say?
- Hm well shoutouts to whole ToT, Kyopo, Gen, Bronson, old/new rS, almost all iG's, whole Huclan, some Nerd called Sven... well its pretty too much to mention.. much love to everyone who's on my flist. | | | | |
