Fnatic - A profesional gaming team

Name: Sung Kyun Park
Date of Birth: 1991.10.03
Location: South Korea
Race: Terran
First Strategy Game: Starcraft Broodwar
Likes: Victory, Games, Music, kind people.
Dislikes: Negative thoughts, people who are apathetic to others' plight.
Favorite Food: I don’t dislike anything in particular in food, but I prefer eating meat when I can.
Favorite Song: Ballads & Rock music
Favorite Movie: Thrillers
Favorite Model / Actress: YoonHa is a famous Korean singer who has a lot of passion and is well known for her singing abilities
Favorite Actor: No one in particular.
Favorite Color: White
Favorite unit: Vulture, when you compare the price and its speed it’s a very good combination.
Favorite player: Yun Yeol Lee(NaDa) – The legend of SC
Motto in Life: Make myself the best, always.

Origin of Nickname: I think for myself, my “Mind” is important in life or in the game and I really like this word “mind”.

Nicknames: So it seems in pro-gaming I’ve been given two nicknames, I like both of them. The first name I got was Scholar Terran and the second one is Rommel, I’ve read up on General Rommel and so I am much more fascinated by that nickname.

First pro-game: First game in pro-Starcraft was against KTF’s Hery (Yoon Hwan Kim)in the 2006 ProLeague. It was my first official game and so I had prepared myself for a long game (macro and higher economy) instead of quick rush or cheese strategy.

Most memorable map win: The 4th set from my MSL Finals vs Bisu (which I won) had to be the most memorable match for me by far.

Beginnings

My life hasn’t always been about pro-gaming, I grew up in Songtan city, South Korea. I have a very supportive father; I remember to this day that he’s always been a source of strength for me. He supported me a lot when I first got into gaming and he still does, especially when I won the MSL (MBC Star League). I guess over a period of time due to the distance (physical) I don’t spend a lot of time with my father but he always gives me advice and the energy I require from my family through our phone conversations.


Growing up I wasn’t into computers until I won a type writing contest that I actually got introduced to computers, thanks to my fast typing speed I managed to win a computer. At the start I played games which the average kid plays but when I was introduced to Brood Wars I found it very intriguing (I’d like to mention here that I never tried WC3). I didn’t harbor any ambitions of becoming a pro gamer or even a gamer when I was young, I was just playing for the fun, I did really well in some amateur tournaments and as I started winning and getting better I realized I could do something more.

NaDa and the Philosophy

I started out in the amateur leagues, I won a lot of titles and I thought something more could come out of this. However it wasn’t until I saw NaDa winning title after title that I got really inspired to play the game on a serious level. Nada is a special person because, when I was still young and interested in the game, nada was a world class player already. What is really funny is I had played against NaDa online and after that I was given a test; a test if I won would almost certainly give me a chance to enter PANTECH EX. I guess the rest as they say is history so I won’t go into details.

I believe strongly in a philosophy that “Our life’s worth is directly proportional to the effort one puts in their field of work”. I think a professional gamer is constantly challenged on a daily basis and this is of importance because in life we need to have a dynamic mindset.

Weapons of a Professional Mind

Hardware	Make
Mouse	Logitech Mini Optical
Keyboard	Samsung Basic
Headset	Standard earphones
Mousepad	KuKil Hitech bluepad

Normally we’re asked to speak about our strategies, perhaps discussing about my life outside the game would be able to give you a better view of my life. So what am I as a person? I am a very calm, introverted person but when I find something I really desire I can get myself to concentrate on it 100%, I believe I am a very passionate and warm-hearted person.



A well rounded personality

Outside of StarCraft I could list a few facts about myself which I can bet you won’t read elsewhere:
- I don’t really have a role model or someone I look up to because I wish to be a person who does the best in his life and take care of others.
- In the world of pro-gaming I think anyone who wins a title has my respect and is someone I want to emulate as far as winning goes. I want to be the best by taking the positive abilities from champions.
- I am not a religious person right now, if religion can help me in my life then it would be good and something I could believe in but not now.
- I don’t really have many hobbies outside the professional gaming world of StarCraft, I like to watch some movies and I like listening to music but those are hardly hobbies.
- My favorite book is “The Old Man and The Sea” by Ernest Hemingway.
- Favorite tracks are: "Time is Running Out" by Muse and "Creep" by Radiohead.
- I am not so interested in cars right now, since I don’t even have a driver’s license.

StarCraft as a game is unique in the sense that it has had a lasting impression on my mind, my country and most importantly, a generation of people.

StarCraft Fans


StarCraft and Korea have such a unique bond, StarCraft is now an iconic part of our culture, it’s been around for 10 years and there’s no denying that it’s intrinsic to us. The lengths to which a Korean can go for StarCraft is fascinating, I remember as if it was yesterday, when I left the MSL finals location (it was in a gymnasium) a fan came up to me and gave me a small present and a letter, I think that is such a kind gesture on his part. Perhaps that doesn’t sound so impressive but it’s special for me, I can proudly say some of the gifts I received from my fans include a handmade muffler& a cushion cover with my Game ID on it. I can tell you because of fans like this, professional gaming is still alive in Korea.

Foreigners

The community is so massive here, internationally I am not so aware of the community because I’ve not traveled out of Korea a lot so I have not interacted with them but if there’s something I can do to help develop the international community I am willing to do it! I am aware of IdrA (Gregory “IdrA” Fields is an American who moved to South Korea in 2008 to pursue his dream of becoming a pro-gamer he is currently part of the CJ Entus professional gaming team), I don’t know him personally I just have a rough idea from what I read about him on Korean websites for StarCraft. I know there are certain people working to popularize StarCraft outside Korea but I don’t know them specifically, now I realize that I really need to learn English, I always interact with Korean fans so I’d like to say something to my fans outside Korea and people who are interested in me, I hope you love and enjoy our games~~!

Before I move on I’d like to say that I think IdrA is such a passionate player, choosing to live in a country that is not his hometown.

Mind Tribute Video

When I talk about passion I remember the people I spend my days with - WeMadeFOX; they are a talented set of players who are always giving their best. Sadly we can’t see the amount of effort the players put in, we can only see games and results.

BaBy & NaDa


From all my team-mates I think Tae Yang Jeon (BaBy) is someone I really enjoy talking to and we talk about many things, not just related to the game. A lot of people ask me about my favorite practice partner and the truth is I don’t have any favorites, I practice with all the FOX gamers since they all have great skills and are talented. Its fun practicing with a passionate set of individuals because then it doesn’t feel like a chore but a lot of fun and it definitely adds to the atmosphere we have in the team. If I had to pick whom I could live with it would be NaDa I think he would be a great room-mate to have because it’s NaDa! I mean he is the reason why I became a pro-gamer in the first place. I have a lot of respect for him.

Team Spirit

Despite our current results our ambition as a team has always been to be the best even though it’s not possible to win all the time. I can say that when the going gets tough, team spirit is what keeps a team afloat. Team spirit is not so hard to understand, I believe that it’s about understanding your team mates and caring for them. I have full faith in them and trust them a lot no matter what happens. Having been a part of this team for a long time has helped me grow as a person and as a pro-gamer since my greatest achievements came from this team.

Counter- Strike

The training center is pretty big since we have a Counter Strike team as well, I am not familiar with the rest of the people at the training center; I’ve not interacted with the CS team because the only time I really meet them has been at the dinner table and I’ve not used that opportunity to get to know them… yet! But from the little interaction we’ve had I’d say they give off a good vibe as people and players.



The Rock

Speaking of good vibe, one person whom every team should have is Kihyo An (The Rock) he is such a funny guy and in FOX he is the person responsible for keeping the team morale up, he embodies the team so to speak.

Here’s my schedule for a regular day:

10:00 - I wake up and go wash my face, take a shower and then grab some breakfast.
10:30 - Practice time.
14:30 - I take a break which includes me having my lunch.
15:00 - Practice time.
20:00 - I have my dinner by around this time.
20:30 - Practice time till around 02:00, and thus begins another day.

Mind in Korean Bnet Attack Part 1

It's not easy to talk about all the people you are with, when there's so little time! So I tried listing their names and the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of them.



NaDa – My All time Hero!
BaBy - My little brother, always bright, cute, naughty
pepe - My first impression of him was that he appeared to be a little scary but the more I got to know him, the more I believe he’s a good man.
HoOny - He retired but I will remember him for being an honest man and helpful guy.
Pure – He is such a wonderful person!
keke – Hehe, nice mustache guy.
Shine[KaL] – I think he lives in his own world!
RorO – Handsome guy~
Sacsri – He tries so hard all the time, that’s admirable in itself.
Rock – Very talkative and cheerful, a great person to have on the team.

Mind in Korean Bnet Attack Part 1

Mind set

Tournaments are won by the right mind-set, they are won by people who are prepared, people who could go the distance. I thought I’d share my mind with you about what it feels like to play the game at a professional gaming level. Firstly when I am playing in a crucial televised match, I try not to think too much in-game, I know it sounds weird but it’s better to have a mindset like when you’re in a practice situation. When you play with a relaxed frame of mind you can control your mind and reflexes better than when you are keeping your mind active in game. Your actions must flow naturally from your mind, don’t keep pre-sets or pre-conceived responses in mind.

Winning & Losing





I know a lot of people say winning is not everything, a lot of disappointment comes from losing a match, even if I have lost a match I would try and keep a positive a mindset for the next match, however I don’t try and bring my mind to believing that “losing is alright” in games. I understand after my title in the GOMTV MBC StarLeague I haven’t won a title, I sat and thought about it a lot, nothing really has happened to me and I understand my style of playing is unique and a lot of players have read my game adapting successfully to it. I think if I try hard and practice daily I can surpass my achievement at the MSL.

That Memorable Match

There is however no stage like a Star League Finals; the atmosphere, the people, the thrill in the air. The MSL finals had to be the most memorable match, because it was my first big match and I won it. Even as I write this I feel like being there once again in this very instant. At the time I won the MSL I was the youngest star league winner and a lot of people asked me how I felt about winning the title and the truth is, the age doesn’t really matter the important factor to a player is that he has won.



Mind's 5 pointers for a tournament match:

Number 1: Be ready for a game of any duration, stay focussed to finish it
Number 2: Don't be absent minded when in game
Number 3: Play with confidence,
Number 4: Always try hard, till the end
Number 5: Do my best in the time I am given (match time)

Mind vs Bisu 1st set



Mind vs Bisu 2nd set



Mind vs Bisu 3rd set



Mind vs Bisu 4th set

Against the Swarm:

I guess I’ve covered most of the areas except the one most people want to hear from professional gamers, the strategy section! So I’ll get right to it, when playing against Zerg the most important factor to remember is your timing to attack, of course multi-tasking and control is also important but that goes without saying.

Mind's picks for creativity in game:

Player	Race
FlaSh
Jaedong
Bisu

Against Aiur:

Against protoss you should read their strategy carefully, once you know the strategy you can counter it by adjusting your own game play. I guess from the amount of maps we have it’s easy to understand that certain maps have balance factors and that’s why the mirror match-up is undeniably my favorite because there’s nothing to influence its balance.



Memorable Strategies:
I remember the first time I used 2 Barracks BBS against Zerg in GOM TV MSL that was pretty memorable as a match where I experimented with strategies. From other gamers I think watching Huiseung Shin (UpMaGiC) doing a bionic against Protoss was unique for me. This brings me to a question that has boggled me, is, are we as gamers creating art? I am not sure if this is possible but I would like to be able to create art through my games.

Game Style:
I have been told on several occasions that my style makes me dependant on macro based games relying on power of economy and macro control, I prefer playing the game like this because at times I feel I am not ready to attack or defend and thus I wait till I can get into an advantageous position before moving in for the kill against my opponent. If I was asked to compare my style as a player, even though I think it’s unique I’d say my style is very similar to Sangwook Jeon (Midas) because of our macro control and execution of strategies.


Midas from SKT T1

ILoveStar - Korean show with Mind playing as Protoss

StarCraft 2

Before I end this I thought I’ll talk about certain things which are on the top of my mind right now. I’ve heard so much about the release of SC2 and I’ve following on its developments as information is released. The success of Brood Wars showed us something I hope we can expect that potential from StarCraft 2 as well, I also want to help StarCraft develop eSports all around the world. This is the future that SC2 must bring for all of us.

I understand a lot of WC3 gamers are also waiting for the release of SC2, I am not sure about who will have the upper hand in this game, truthfully I’ve not given thought to it but I think if one has passion for the game anything is possible so I will leave it at that.

Alternate future

Sometimes I wonder if StarCraft hadn’t happened in my life where would I be? I guess I would probably try to be a model student who works really hard. Life is always so unpredictable I am not sure where life will take me 5 years from now but I know that I must first win a lot of titles, every day I get up I challenge myself to achieve more and to become stronger in the game. I think that after a point as a gamer we lose our passion and become robotic in our game play. Over a period of time I have tried playing for the love of the game rather than just playing the game for the heck of it.

Lastly before ending this I would like to thank everyone who works for WEmadeFOX, and to everyone who supports me, I will give you a big present in pro-leagues, star leagues – winning titles and many matches. Just keep an eye out for WeMadeFOX, we will show you exciting games & results.

But before I go here's a little something for you guys!

Here's a list of people whom I (Elroy "Noname" Pinto) would like to thank for their help with the interview!

Paul Kim - Translator, FOX manager and superman!
Mind- taking the time to answer the amount of questions I asked him
NeverGG - For her wonderful portraits of the players & giving me permission to use them, kindly check her entire body of work at TeamLiquid or NeverGG.net (her personal website)
Fomos.kr, Fighterforum - for borrowing all non-NeverGG images!
Tomasz "Tomek" Lewandowski - For the "WeInterviewedFOX" banner.
Friends - Who reviewed and provided instant feedback and passing pointers until I arrived on the finished product!
Readers - for taking the time to read this, expect more in this series and feel free to drop some feedback/praise/flame (whichever suits you best) in the comments.

References:

YouTube
NeverGG's Den of Foxes
Plexa's team of the Week