7ckingmad: BABARRR might not be able to come

Hello Sebastien. How are you doing?

Hello Daniel. I'm doing quite fine.

Your team is due to play in EMS One this coming weekend. What is your confidence level going into EMS One?

Well, at the beginning me and my team had to face a very huge disappointment, which is that due to visa issues, BABARRR might not be able to come. We are still working on it, and worst case scenario we will get a replacement player that fits our playstyle and the role of course. Concerning our confidence level, it is good. We prepared a lot for this event by practicing seriously. I haven't seen BLR yet but Socks, Funzii and me are all about the LAN events. So we are looking forward to play at EMS and hopefully show some good action!

How do you think your massive LAN experience with mTw will kick into place in this tournament? What is normally the problem for teams underperforming in a LAN event?

I think LAN experience is very important and it matters a lot. You are more focused, its challenging and thus very motivating. Besides, there are a lot more at stake. Teams that underperform on LAN is due to many reasons, but the major one is on a individual level. Often enough, players are pressures and play worse because of it. On a team leave, they tend to respect or fear their opponents too much and that affects their gameplay.

You mentioned the troubles with BARBARR and EMS One. How likely do you think it is that he'll come?

At the moment I really have no visibility on what will happen. All I can say is that we are trying our best to get him to Poland. EMS people are also very available and helpful. Nevertheless, we will be able to compete well even if he doesn't make it. BABARR is a great asset to the team, so it's a huge disappointment for us.

Any plans for a stand-in? Is it possible to be ComeWithMe since he did mention that he "might" be going to EMS One.

Although I'd really like to give you the information you want, I think it's disrespectful towards BABARR to speculate until it's 100% confirmed! So, stay tuned. We'll announce it soon enough. (Update: It has been confirmed that ComeWithMe will be joining them in Poland)

Great! Did topping your group in the groupstages gave you a confidence boost? I mean after all, you are grouped together with Alliance.

No it has not. I mean it it always good to win against a top level team (eg: Alliance) but we're not new to the scene at all. We still have the exact same spirit as we had with mTw and play the same way. Our confidence level is only linked to how we practiced and how good we can perform. We took a huge break, about six months, but the feeling has returning in the past 1-2 months and it is very enjoyable. It was no surprise for us to win against Alliance and we know we can beat anyone and lose to anyone as well. We are our own enemies, it has always been that way and I'm afraid it will always be that way.
 

Your team recently won against Alliance which is quite the formidable opponent in Europe. What do you feel went so right this time?

What went right the last time is just good execution. Our playstyle with mTw, and it's still the same currently is that when we're off to a good start, we keep on snowballing and eventually end up destroying the enemy's throne. It's all about strategy and execution.

When are you planning on heading over to Poland?

Socks, Funzii and myself are leaving Paris Saturday morning, whereas BLR is going there on Friday.

Cool. VP announced yesterday that they will not be attending the EMS One which made the bracket even more imbalanced towards the bottom half. How do you think the absence of VP will affect the whole tournament

The absence of VP is unfortunate, as they are arguably one of the best Western teams at the moment. I also believe they perform as well (if not better) on LAN events, so... very sad indeed. The tournament will still be spectacular. The scene has grown, it's so much more interesting and challenging than the same period in 2012. The brackets are indeed, let's face it, quite imbalanced. But that is the fairest way to build them, so nobody can contest anything. We've done many LAN events and we had good and bad brackets, this is one in favour for us surely but in the end it doesn't really matter. You'll need to beat everyone to take the whole thing anyway. Moreover, I really think that all the teams coming are strong and can cause upsets.

What would you do if let’s say, Funzii loses his passport. Would you abandon the tournament altogether like VP did or finding a stand-in would be top priority?

Top priority would be finding a stand-in knowing that it might not be the same at all.

Are you pleased to be on the lighter side of the bracket?

Sure we are! It actually has importance when it comes to the confidence a team develops through a LAN event, and that's a deciding factor of success! The more wins, the stronger. I'm really not trying to dodge the fact that we are in the 'weaker' part of the bracket but that's really our game-spirit, we underrate no one and overrate no one. We rate RoX.KIS as high as NaVi, Alliance or any other of the 6 teams. Every team has potential, some are just doing better at the moment.

Rox.KIS, your opponents in the first round have been performing really well lately. Have you been watching their games and what are your thoughts about them?

We didn't really watch their games in particular. What we do is that we watch 'random' games, open a stream, in order to be familiar with the meta-game. One thing I regret is that, the majority of the top teams uses the same playstyle & strategies, so, watching RoX.KIS or someone else is almost the same at the moment. Sure every team has its own features but only Alliance developed their own playstyle and that's all. Rox.KIS is very strong, all their players are stable and skilled. We will surely watch out for what they play before the event but we will be going in playing our own game. Depending on how well that goes we'll win or lose, don't have to focus so much on the opponents.

Some teams like Na`Vi are apparently deep into bootcamp in preparation for the tournament. What is your team doing to prepare for such a grand event?

Bootcamping before is always better, unfortunately we didn't get the chance to do it beacuse of personal schedules and daily rythmes. We are practicing regularly and seriously, it should be enough for us to play at a quite decent level. Really from what I experienced, before a big LAN event, I'd rather spend time making sure everyone is ready on a personal level to play comfortably rather than over-practicing till a point that it's not efficient anymore. You need a solid practice time until your plays become automatic and your strategies solid, what comes after is just making sure your level of play doesn't drop because of passivity.

Ah right! You mentioned that you think that most teams these days have the same playstyles. Do you ever think about preparing to face particular teams?

No, we don't prepare too much for particular teams, we just adapt to what they draft. We prepared for the new meta-game nevertheless, but nothing in particular. If we have the information that a team is very comfortable playing a particular hero, why not ban it, but that's pretty much it. We could play against five hidden names and it wouldn't change anything .

Your team has just added BLR as a player. BLR is from the United Kingdom and one can only ask, how did you even discover him as a potential player considering the UK scene is so small?

I played with him in IRC leagues a lot. You always notice very skilled players, because they all have that in-game sense where you go for the same moves without even knowing each other or talking. I've always kept contact with him, and he was the super logical decision. He's also open-minded, which is not the case at all of many 'star' players. I really rather playing with upcoming players that are as strong or way stronger than egocentric players. There are a lot of egocentric players in the scene unfortunately *sadface*.

In Asia, there are a lot of talks going around that some Chinese players are terrified by the fact that they are going up against Mushi in the mid lane. Do you have such admiration for some players that it will affect your performance in game?

No, I don't. I actually think the contrary. I'm only interested in a challenge and I play better when I'm the underdog. Some players are favourites, but we shouldn't overrate them. I admire lots of players though!
 

Can you give me an example of players you hold very highly?

The first one that comes to mind has to be ARS-ART. He's one of the best support players in the world as far as I'm concerned. He still make mistakes but his plays are almost always flawless and his in-game vision is very deep.

Do you think the roster changes involving him have changed how people are playing Have you seen Na'Vi and VP playing differntly (and AA) or not much?

Yes, it always change a team, not a lot but still. Every player has a precise experience and in-game vision, so he brings that to the team he joins. I didnt see much about the new NaVi, I'm looking forward to that because I think they went for a very risky gamble. As for VP, AA surely brought a lot to that team, but 1 doesnt change the 4, its the other way around.

DD.Dota is known for role shifting. Sometimes we see you playing as a support and sometimes we see you as a carry. Don’t you think it is better to have a specific role to be able to play the role to its maximum potential?

It is better to play a specific role for sure. We switch a lot because we can all play all roles, and for our personal 'entertainment' but you need to develop mechanics for sure.

Do you have a ultimate shot caller in the team though?

Yes it is me, as a captain. It is very important for us to play as a team and follow the game plan.

In all of your recent games you have drafted a jungler, rather than going for a typical trilane draft. What attracts to heroes like Chen and Enchantress and away from strong trilanes?

That's our in-game view, we believe that getting a jungler makes ur playstyle more versatile and less predictable. It plays a big part in the early game stage and also multiplies strategic possibilities.

You've also drafted Dark Seer a staggering number of times. What makes you so fond of the hero?

Dark Seer is one of the strongest heroes in the game. Best example was Na`Vi 2012, with good coordination, u just can't lose a fight with that hero. Of course you need flawless execution and nobody is capable of that but practice makes perfect so.... It's also very versatile and aggressive early on.

Great, won't keep you much longer, are there any new and crazy heroes you think we'll see drafted at the LAN?

I think the game is almost stable, and all heroes have their place in the meta game. So I dont really know. I know which one we will use, that's all. *grins*

Alright Sebastian. Thank you so much for the lengthy interview. Would you like to give a shoutout to finish up?

Shoutout to my team mates, friends and family. Special shoutout to SHIBA and Drunkin and a big shoutout to all the readers, and thank you for your time as well.