A column by community leader Greth
I’m sick and tired of hearing BW is dead and dying. The concept and the analogy are wrong. A game does not die. A community might move on, but the ability to play the game will forever remain.
I’m also fatigued by the notion that at the same time that BW is decidedly breathing its last that I hear many proclaim that Starcraft 2 will never surpass its greatness.
I don’t understand that everyone around the competitive scene is somehow honour-bound to force oneself into Grandmaster or A+ and ‘playing the game’ is somehow no longer related to having fun. That time spent away from competition is wrong. Even though the masses manage only a couple of games here and there, most of which are purely for fun.
Immediately after people start playing they wave around in panic, asking for buildorders and timings even when they don’t fully understand what the terms mean, let alone how to use them.
The other day I saw a thread asking the question why the Brood War scene was no longer active. People complained about tournaments and prices, lack of commentary. But none said the obvious.
When Starcraft 2 was announced, a lot of people found their way back to Brood War after many years of absence. For in Starcraft this is possible, to have half a decade of inactivity. But something strange also happened. New players arrived that had never played this old game. Some became quite good in a short time and would later become even better at Starcraft 2 for debatable reasons.
The scene flourished and was then consumed by the Starcraft 2 hype.
Brood war needs new players. But for that to happen it needs a community that is active. Why? Because it’s the greatest game ever made. Everyone reading this probably has very fond memories of ‘growing up’ in Starcraft. Why deny that to a new generation? Because the game is old? It was old five years ago, yet many didn’t care about that and started playing. It was under false pretences of course! They were preparing for SC2! But some actually stayed behind, finding the older to be the better game.
Many people play the newer out of ignorance. And that is why all Brood War communities need to look deep within their core and find people willing to form an educational program to educate the masses.
I’m not talking about tutorials and training sessions. I’m talking about people forcing others to play. Not officially, but in a group – like we all did back in ’98. The better teaching the worse. Playing the game before being forced to memorise build orders.
And so I propose SC2GG to be the hub of this. Why? Because I thought of it, also we happen to have some people around who know how to deal with this kind of stuff.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. A voice server (voice.sc2gg.com – using mumble(jfgi)) a forum (forum.sc2gg.com) a server (iccup – channel op sc2g).
And then when you’re confident enough, join the weekly tournament open to people of all skill. Will you win? Probably not, but that isn’t the point.
But what about Starcraft 2? I’m not calling a boycot! Oh no, what confused? Starcraft 2 doesn’t deserve my respect yet. The game is one year old and there are still very big problems with it. If not with the game, then with the metagame and the standards of skill currently portrayed. Could I do better? Of course not, I’m a commentator – I have the luxury of berating people fifteen times my level of skill.
The Brood War scene needs to extend into Starcraft 2. Not only to make people aware that there is another game out there, but to keep the community circulating and preventing it from becoming stagnant. In time I propose a similar relationship with Quake and Counterstrike and others worthy of the name ‘sport’.
Because outside of the community spirit, we’re looking towards a similar goal. There are those who want to become good, but there are also those who want their primary leisure to be recognised as a real thing. Not just a waste of time, but an accepted hobby. And the acceptance that everyone involved isn’t just a name on a screen, but a real person.
But playing a game on your own won’t accomplish that. And nether will spending time with the same people over and over again.
SC2GG on b.net, nohunters if you’re feeling devious.
That’s all it takes to play the game.
