G. – Honestly, you first somehow managed to make us worry about your readiness today when playing in the beginning vs k1llsen and having lost to him 2-0. We were about to think you were not in shape. Tell us about your first games with him.

B. – Those were still the group matches and by the moment I sort of forgot the idea of playing it right vs k1llsen. The last time I’d been playing against him was the previous league in December. He was in the beginning similarly winning 2-0 but I managed to do a come-back then. It takes time to get adjusted to his very cautious play style. He is prone very often to merely stand still and keep waiting. This time the first map was Delirium and I had again to get accustomed to his style. Notwithstanding my efforts, he was yet stronger on this map, even then again during the grand-final games. When playing on Cure, he managed to grasp the control over the map while I was ahead by only three frags and then he succeeded in catching up with me and win. During the grandfinal I managed to win because I was keeping all the time quite large a pool of frags ahead of him and turned on the plus-back mode after he managed to overcontrol me. To cut it short, during the grandfinal while playing on some maps I was using the strategy of standing still to even a larger extent than k1llsen himself. So to speak, when I felt k1llsen was playing immobile again, I was doing that myself trying to spam him out. And k1llsen doesn’t like when somebody plays vs him in that manner. He gets quickly irritated and starts rushing. Right in this way I was lucky to stack up my frags when starting playing on some maps. He rushed too very often, even though it was very painful for me at times as he hits hard.

G. – Ok, well, tell us now something about the semifinal game vs evil, as it was even a bigger sensation for everybody since people got used to take evil as a champion figure

B. – Hey, why, we had already played with him quite often on plenty of occasions, including some bo3 recently at some league when he had won 3-2 very narrowly in fact. Have to acknowledge though, my arms were shaking strong that time, simply because I kept in mind the idea of him as standing too high there. During the current event I felt myself much more relaxed and even looked ‘emancipated’ according to the commentary by iddqd. Well, honestly, I believe something was not right about evil this time. His dodge skill today was uncharacteristically not as good as mine.

G. – Well, you see, we were here thinking when watching evil play vs other players right before he played against you, that he looked real strong and warmed-up, entitled to win.

B. – I heard he’d recently been experiencing troubles with his mouse and config. Might have affected his efficiency.

G. – But those problems were valid as far as a week ago. And he must have had all things fixed up by the moment. He didn’t happen to complain about things today. Even the pings were alright.

B. – I was talking to him before the tourney and he mentioned he was playing recently not from his place. This must have influenced him in a way. In any case, I felt it like he was not really himself today. His dodge was definitely off, might it be because he was distracted by somebody or thinking about some other things or something else... have no idea.

G. – What did look odd by the way, he had a banner of Sweden, not Russia. Might that be because he is currently far off there...

B. – No, he’s playing sitting at some office or like. Might be the reason for him playing not that good. Anyway, those shouldn’t be my problems, right?

G. – Of course, not. He looked pretty good to my thinking. And you were hitting really hard.

B. – The point is that my tactics of playing with evil is based upon extensive use of rockets. You see, when playing with k1llsen I usually resort to plus-backing and shafting. With evil, I can’t rely on the lightning-gun since you can’t normally expect to win against his shaft. At such moments, he’s dodging very much in that specific manner that I can’t shaft him as much as he does. K1llsen is easier to deal at that because his pattern of movement is back-forward-back-forward just as if he had no the keys to move left and right. To play with evil, I was deliberately seeking for a server with the ping close to 8-9 to have a lan type of connection, to be sure my rockets land momentarily. Nico first gave me a good server link, located in Saint-Petersburg, though I failed to join it. But without a doubt I wasn’t going to play at any high-ping servers. The 8ms ping would be ideal to rain rockets at evil. So to speak, I managed to win against evil exclusively by virtue of nicely placed rockets. Besides, there were a few moments when he was failing with the timing which let me steal some items. Would you give him a full control over the map, he’d feel himself free to turn into a machine which can’t be stopped. I can’t stop him when he’s controlling the map. His rushing pattern is very specific in that he’s doing that using the technique of calculated micro pauses and strafes which are almost impossible to be read ahead. K1llsen is easy to read because he rushes ahead in a linear manner, quite opposite to evil. Keeping that in mind, I was trying to maximally stack my armor up. There was an occasion on Sinister while the score showed 2-2, when he was coming out of the teleport being stacked 200/200, I luckily managed to stuff him up with rockets. Were it not for that episode, I’d definitely lose in the end. So as to display the importance of a good server choice. With k1llsen I had a higher ping, and had to rely more on my shaft rather than rockets. Shaft works very well in such circumstances effectively hitting the player’s model. And railing was also a right choice. By the way, k1llsen had a surprisingly weak rail today. I was watching him play vs proximo: he was showing much sweat at his forehead missing his rails here and there. Later on I managed to exploit this fact when having less than 80 hp with the shaft in my hands while k1llsen trying to rail me. I remembered at the moment he was missing his rails often today, and dared to risk my butt having fragged him as a result. All these details can be very deciding in the meantime, and I was trying to exploit them as much as possible.

G. – I remember many situations when evil was fragging you very narrowly or fleeing from you with a few hp.

B. – This is quite normal for the pro-level. You see, the pattern is usually as follows. One player is trying to play number two, running and stacking himself up with minor items. The second player is trying to actively attack. The number two is always seeking to hit the attacker as the latter is nearing major items, shooting the place in advance. The number one can choose not to do it straight-forward but, still trying to follow the item spawn cycle, to be more patient and spam around to decipher the enemy’s location by sounds. As a result, when they finally meet, the winner is usually the one being highly stacked. Hard overshooting by one another between players is quite rare on the pro-level. The decider might also be a good splash hit causing an uncontrolled movement. The time when strenx was dominant at overshafting other players is long gone. Everyone is hitting today quite alike. If we take k1llsen, he shafts in fact very good, but he often doesn’t use lg effectively. I mean the situations when he was trying to race me down. He was using rockets and rails while lg would be a much better choice. That’s his problem as I see it. Back to the topic, it’s absolutely normal to have a few hp after encountering an opponent. This number usually reflects the stack difference between the players right before they meet. The main idea is about finding a way on being respawned anew to use this opponent’s low stack to hunt him down. Having a full range of weapons, he won’t try to catch you at picking weapons but will try to stack back little by little while moving around silently. So you have an option either to try to kill him, or to take a position at a major item.

G. – Did you have specific goals or expectations before the tournament today?

B. – The group was very difficult. I was quite afraid of not getting through at all. I remembered that spart1e had won recently two games against me. Oh, by the way! I was recently playing using a different config and sensitivity. So, I got tired of that everyone was winning when playing with me, and rolled back to my old config (av3k’s one).

G. – You did that today!?

B. – No, not today. A day before yesterday [both laughing]. Not that much of a difference honestly. The sensitivity is the same: 2.5. What I changed (from av3k’s config): added the acceleration which I set to 0.1, and changed m_yaw down to 0.14 (0.154 before). The main effect of course was about implementing acceleration. Besides, there was a different mod. Well, this is just my thingy – fine-tuning the config. So, I got tired of losing with this config and rolled back to the old one. For the two days-off I was trying to get used to this change. Of course it wasn’t a big problem because I’d been utilizing it before for as much as five years. So, I was afraid of not taking one of the two top places in the group. Once again to mention, spart1e won against me twice in the last two Sunday Cups, even though those were only bo1’s. Agent regularly wins when playing with me. And the same thing with k1llsen who currently practices very much. So my fear was about not getting through the groups at all. Besides, in case I would get through after all, I wasn’t expecting to meet evil next. Frankly, I somehow didn’t get right the rule according to which the 1st place in group A is to play against the 2nd place in group B. And here he is, evil himself. But I somehow felt the map very well. When I had the acceleration on, I felt it like I couldn’t hit ideally since I couldn’t predict the accel behavior well, my brain was failing at that. But now, without accel, after the two days of practicing I feel like I have the full control of the mouse. As a result, I wasn’t even thinking about an option of not hitting, well maybe except the games vs k1llsen when the ping was high and hence the rockets were not as good.

G. – Were not you trying to find a sever with a lower ping?

B. – Well, I wasn’t allowed by Nico. There was a low ping sever but the ping difference between us was bigger than the lower ping itself. But, in any case, it wasn’t that much critical at the moment since the game was not versus evil, so no need to rely on rockets as much.

G. – Any plans for the winner prize? Gonna buy a new keyboard in place of the one being held in the freezer?

B. – Nope, no new keyboard for me. Perhaps, will go to Moscow to visit some museum with my wife…

G. – Hold on. Don’t you live in Moscow?

B. – Not exactly. I live in the vicinities of Moscow. The rest of the money I’m going to save. International financial analysts always recommend saving 10% of one’s salary. And 20% of any other earnings. I’m going to spend the 50% of it and the rest is meant for saving … (couldn’t discern the rest)

G. – The next question is about your wife. What does she think about you hobby of playing quake and taking part in the tourneys? [both laughing] I believe many people would like to know that.

B. – I can’t honestly say she supports me at that. She has just nothing to do with quake. And of course this looks a bit weird: a guy constantly sitting and playing… Well, not constantly, but, for example, during the weekend like today, all day long. She understands I’m participating in the tourney and am willing to play. One has to accept things at times as they are. What would she do in fact? Besides, I’m not at some unknown place drinking alcohol and such. It’s just about me wishing to do what I like. I will do the things I like, like any other normal person. Especially, as long as it doesn’t affect my health.

G. – Any plans for new videos or something alike?

B. – If talking about game streaming, my computer is not powerful enough to do that. And honestly I don’t even have such a desire. Regarding making videos, sure, I’d be glad to. It’s just all about spare time. For the last days I just couldn’t do that having invested all my time into training. I have a job of course which consumes the most part of my time. I really do love to create various video stuff. Besides, I have to covert my wedding party. A lot of projects I’m having in my mind waiting to be realized. I simply like to do this, just for myself.

G. – Let’s get back to the games. Regarding agent. Seemed like you did everything easily there. However I expected to watch quite sweaty battles.

B. – I have sort of an explanation. I hold him honestly as a genius of a quake player. He is prone to not play for a long time. Like this time, when he didn’t play for a week. Quite naturally he’d be not as good in timing, feeling the map and the game. He didn’t ever practiced delirium before, that’s why he kept forfeiting it in 10 seconds after the first frag. On dm13, he easily outplayed me. So we had then a one-by-one score. On t7, I just managed to hit important rails. Couldn’t understand why he was strafing at those moments, well, he was just running by. So I hit those rails, having taken the control… well, I just have no idea. I believe he just wasn’t prepared. He usually practices very well on the eve of tournaments.

G. – I have a question about Delirium. No one playing it, kicking it off. And you, you were playing it tough, real tough.

B. – In fact, I was practicing recently to play on it. For the last 4-5 days. 5 days ago I and nitrino started playing it together. Nitrino made me run a lot. Then, it was… I don’t remember… was it z4muz… he… she… durapha… I don’t remember.

G. – I saw somebody with that name on the server.

B. – To cut it short, he was good at playing the map. He played it with k1llsen and with me. He was winning vs me often. I had 20-30 games with him there. Well, I don’t really like the map. All the fights there are alike. No wow-effects like come-backs. Very long corridors, not very nice. No cool staff like on t7 for example, where it’s possible to shaft an opponent jumping to the mega. Or like on Sinister, when I stuffed one with rockets. No such things for Delirium. Everything is based on an override. The respawn system is also not to my liking. And no way to make a full item cycle. Almost impossible to collect all the items in line. And there are places to hide either up or down in there. I don’t like it at all.

G. – Here is a weird question in the chat. A guy asking whether you were jogging before the tourney wearing some sauna-suit. He’s writing you’d understand.

B. – Oh, you don’t know the stuff? In December, when playing the league, I jogged then on purpose to sweat as much as possible thanks to wearing the sauna-suit which prevents any oxygen coming to your body. As a result, having done that right before the tournament, during the event itself I wasn’t sweating at all. Well, for today, I haven’t done the procedure. It’s hot here in my apartment by its own.

G. – I honestly thought you were simply great at how you were playing vs evil. And was afraid of that you’d get exhausted later on, having invested all your effort into that. I was worrying you wouldn’t keep on par with k1llsen then. But you proved otherwise.

B. – No, I didn’t give all my efforts away for evil. I felt myself quite ok. Well, k1llsen… The moment I won bf exploiting that special ratty style I understood I could do the rest, just using the ‘stand still’ technique.

G. – Didn’t you have the feeling after having kicked evil off the tournament, that the remaining part with k1llsen would be easier?

B. – Certainly not. K1llsen is very strong, champion of numerous Zotacs, champion of IEM 2010. His experience is much bigger than that of mine. Well, this time I was playing very calmly and my brain worked good. Just in a few moments my hands were trembling.

G. – Listen, do you really have all those timings in your head when playing? Or how do you play? By hunch maybe?

B. – After playing numerous games it’s happening naturally, no need to think. On the pro-level it’s very important to track the timing for red and mega exactly the second they spawn, to make it possible for example to plummet down at it precisely the moment it’s appearing. When you play real much, you learn to keep in mind the whole picture regarding possible location and route of an opponent. As a result you have the overall picture of possible successive events regarding the enemy and items. Agent does that ideally, counting items and reading the opponent’s mind, because he has an enormous playing experience, so normally one just can’t overthink him at that. Personally I can’t overthink him, only overshoot.

G. – Regarding nitrino. You were saying you played with him recently. What’s about him, why doesn’t he play tournaments?

B. – He sort of retired. He doesn’t practice at all. It was just a rare occasion when I played with him on Delirium.

G. – I believe, every player has his weak spots, be it agent, evil or k1llsen.

B. – Yep, sure.

G. – In the chat, many people are wondering whether you have any plans for Quakecon.

B. – Well, it’s complicated. Sure, I’d be glad to participate. This would be great. I haven’t still attended such big events so far. Besides, I started playing good quite recently as a matter of fact. The main problem is about the ruble being devaluated so much recently. So the expenses would be enormous. I understand of course that the prize money is not small and so on. But one can’t be confident enough to be able to take one of the first three places to make it up for the money spent. This is the first, financial point. The second moment regards an option of making a donation pool. But I can’t go alone there, I’ll take my wife with me which doubles the expenses. Furthermore, I don’t want to take a responsibility like once cooller, pavel, latrommi. They collected donations but failed in a way to deliver. They looked quite strong of course but… I just don’t want to burden myself with such a responsibility. Some people would invest in the fund which brings naught in the end. I don’t want this. I’m not ready to take such risks.

G. – In general, do you have any predictions for the Quakecon? What can there be of interest?

B. – How the heck would I know? Everything depends on how much one has practiced before. This time k1llsen and myself practiced quite hard. As a result, we are top two at the moment. Proximo also practiced hard. But, you see, he lacks experience. His skills got increased very much to date. He could have even reached the final this time. He played with k1llsen and had the 2-2 score before the 5th map. He played it in an arcade manner though… Ooops, I’ve lost my thought… …Ah, the predictions for the QC. You see, I don’t know how good rapha is at the moment… I can’t really prognosticate. The top is always the same. Evil, rapha… Evil, I don’t know, he loses against rapha all time…

G. – Do you watch demos by other players like people did often before? Or your own demos?

B. – No, quite rarely. And even if I do, those are my own demos, to find my mistakes. But I’m watching the streams.

G. – Do you play something else, not quake-related?

B. – Yes. But not recently. Right before, I played Red Alert 2 with my brother. I like WarCraft 3. Watching some foggy playing it. The guy advertised at Goodgames. He plays real much, doesn’t work, doesn’t study, plays real hard. It’s very interesting to watch a guy who is a professional cyber athlete. His goal is to go to China and get a place in top 15 on China ladder. It’s interesting for me. I played Warcraft myself before. Other than that. Only quake. Red Alert. I don’t really like single-player games. Doesn’t catch me anymore. As an exception, to play Sega, some Battle Toads… that’s it.

G. – Well, ok, don’t want to delay you anymore. You were awesome today. Congratulations!

B. – Thank you, thank you.