About StarCraft and his goals


When did you first try StarCraft? What made you stick to it and eventually become the kind of player you are today?
- I was pretty young when I started, probably around 12 years old. My cousin introduced the game to me and I got very impressed after two years of playing Command & Conquer. But it actually took me some time to get Internet. I played pretty much StarCraft at LAN and singeplayer waiting for my parents to finally agree with me to buy an Internet connection. When I started play on Internet I could definitely not stop. I got to know many friends and that was the main reason I keept playing, now days its not only because of my friends on Battle.net, also because of the competitions.

When you say competitions, what is it exactly that drives you in playing this much? Do you aim to be the best, or do you have the urge of always getting better? What are your goals in StarCraft?
- The goals have always disappeared after a while and new ones have showed up while I'm getting better and better. Right now the goal is the World Cyber Games. But of course I'm also fighting to earn the title as the best Terran outside Korea, even if it's a long journey in front of me ;)

And what do you do to accomplish those goals? Any special training with some special players, or just keeping on playing as usual?
- I'm trying to switch to U.S West. But it's hard for me who never really played there before. As soon as I get into a guild and get some practise partners, then it's just about to focus on practise and play the same opponents over and over again. PGTour is a good alternative for some but I feel like I'm also in need of something different. In other words, I have to rearrange my StarCraft schedule and start practise for real.

Team BW-, Norway and Sweden


Get into a guild, you say. You are currently in Clan Brood War, a Swedish clan. When joining a U.S West clan, will you leave BW-?
- I won't. Team BW is my beloved team where mostly all of my Swedish friends are in. The backside of being in the most mannered clan on earth is that everyone can't be at the same level. There are some real good gamers in Team BW- but what I'm seeking right now is more than that. In West I'm thinking in the opposite way. Only for practise, nothing else, don't care about manner at all then.

Understandable. I read that Team BW had a clan gathering last weekend, where you were present. Tell us a little bit more about it!
- Gladly. We weere about 25 people gathered in my team leader's (BW-HadeS) apartment. We had two days where we just were drinking, socializing and played StarCraft. Mostly all people were from Team BW- but also from NaW and one from NrT. Might sound a bit fishy with 25 guys in a small apartment playing computer games but I ensure you that we had alot of fun.

Sounds like a great time. You made it very far in the WGTCL Cup this season, something that surprised many. Why do you think that event turned into such a success (Top 3)? Do you think that your attendance in that event is something that will make your team more famous and more respected?
- Our team is already very respected. But as far as I know it didnt have so much attention before I joined. Team BW- was a guild with just friends from the beginning, and that is something that we still believe in. HadeS managed to make BW the best team in Scandinavia starting with his own IRL friends only playing for fun. Right now we have members like me, Gurram, ZpuX and half of SWE-B which is enough to defeat almost every team. However it's amazing that a team like this exists. I know some teams with the same background but not many.

With all the multigaming teams with sponsors who can pay their members, have you been offered joining any of these? Isn't this something that entices you?
- Yes I have made some really hard decisions where I have decided to play with my friends instead of the multigaming teams. It's not an easy decision since I'm playing to get better and better and it would probably be a good way to make the process go faster. The sponsors is not that important as a team with good teammates. But as I mentioned before I will stay in Team BW- trying to get better in my own way, even if people still will be whispering and wondering why I don't join Play.it or some other multigaming teams.

So what teams have you got offers from?
- Officiall invites like puLs. Play.it, RSgaming, oGaming, or MicroGamerZ to mention a few.

Which team would you say is the strongest as of today in the non-Korean community?
- Well the answer won't suprise you I'm afraid. The two clans that I never got an invite from. =P #1 ToT #2 mYm.

If they would have invited you, would you have said yes?
- I would.

“I've been wanted by the Swedish team for a time now but I didn't really care if I played for Sweden or Norway, and most of all, I didn't want to leave my comrades.

”Let's keep the subject with teams, but from clans we now go to national teams. Earlier today you got an invite from the Team Sweden managers to join up, which you did. Previously you have played in Team Norway. Why did you decide to switch?
- This is a pretty sensitive question for since I'm feeling like a shit at the same time as I think it will be fun in the Swedish national team. The Norweigan national team which I'm used to is not there anymore. They are all inactive and that is the reason I don't really feel the same way about it anymore. It would have been interesting to play again if Rapide, Erling, Fury, Eriador, Stinger were back and playing again, but that is not the case. And even if they show up they don't really care about the results either so it's more a waste of time having nationwars with a motivtion like that. I've been wanted by the Swedish team for a time now but I didn't really care if I played for Sweden or Norway, and most of all, I didn't want to leave my comrades. But now it's done and iIlook forward to play with my friends in Sweden A, to fight side by side with DaZe, ZpuX, Habit, Haypro, KaaZ and TreK.

What do you think of Sweden's and Norway's chances in WGTour World Cup?
- I think both Sweden and Norway should have a good chance. Though I know that there have been some upsets already. At least for me. Like Norway losing to Italy and Sweden to Romania. I wouldn't place all my gosubet minerals on Norway but Sweden should manage Top 2 in their group.

More and more often people say that both Sweden and Norway is not the kind of teams there were before. Why do you think that the two nations can't grow superstar players like in the old days with SaFT, Stinger, KeNKa, Slayer and Daaman?
- Well that is a hard question. I actually dont know, but we have still some of the newschoolers who made career. Both DaZe and KaaZ became good very fast. And I would say that both of them would probably win against the oldschoolers now if they would play them in their oldshape now. But I guess that's because the game style also grows very fast. I do believe SaFT, StinGeR, KeNKa, Slayer and Daaman were something extra.

His breakthrough and offline merits


When you were new to the game, did you have any special players you looked up to?
- Haha yes I did. Pure Luck was a Swedish clan which for me was the best team. Players like TreK, Kippe, DeliCato and also the rest of -PL. But not only because of their skills, also because of there very different and special personalities. Me and my friends placed us near Pureluck on dreamhack with purpose just to have a look at them. I was 14 then so don't think I ever talked to them during the whole DreamHack. My first Terran idol was Septerran. Thats probably the reason that I'm 100 percent Terran! : )

When/What would you consider your breakthough in StarCraft gaming?
- Dreamhack 2004, My 1-3 loss in the final versus JessE. At least for me it was a huge step. Since then I started playing seriously.

You said that you were very nervous in that match to GosuGamers earlier, being a pretty much inexperienced player, when it comes to offline gaming. After that, the offline events you've been to have resulted in wins - DreamHack Summer 2005 where you defeated Daaman and Rymarov Spring 2006. Anyone I'm forgetting? Which offline tournament did you enjoy the most?
- Before I went to Dreamhack Summer I also got second in RixHack, right after Daaman. However the most fun was Rymarov. It was totally different then the other LANs and so much people who I never talked to before. A bit scary at the same time. But I made some memories that I won't forgot. The whole CDS) clan, SunCow, Ferry, sataNik.. and many more :)


Mireille's playing style, maps and idols


Let's move on. You are a Terran player. You said earlier that Septerran was the reason why you're 100 percent terran. Care to elaborate on that? What is it with the Terrans that you like, or that fits to your playstyle?
- Well I don't know, and I can't really tell if they fit or not since I've never tried the two other races that serious. I guess the Terran micro was the one thing that made me like them mostly. Nowadays I still like Terran the most. And we all like camping, eh? :)

How would you describe your playing style?
- TvT is rather micro based in the beginning, untill expo when I switch to some boring take all expos before opponent does, my TvP is good and I dunno why, don't feel like my macro is so good nore micro but I win so whatever. My TvZ really sucks. incontrol wrote somewhere that it was my best and that I am a macro player TvZ. That is both wrong, my macro sucks TvZ and it's by far my worst matchup, the only thing I have is a pretty okay micro TvZ and a unique style wich make me win some.

Are you a guy who watches a lot of replays and try to mimick other top notch players, such as the Korean professionals, or do you dedicate more to raw playing? How much time goes into watching replays and how much time goes for playing?
- I watched more replays before, now I almost never watch replays. I can watch my own replays sometimes when I lose or replays at new maps just to see all strategies. But I try to not copy that much. Once I tried to decide to play either offensive or agressive style but couldnt decide it so I still play very different from time to time, positions and maps. I watch all VOD's though.

Who's your favourite Korean Terran player?
- CF_DArKeLF[S.sIR]

To me, and probably the majority of the readers that name is pretty unknown. Have you played against him, or how did you find him? What kind of player is he?
- He's rather new to the progaming community and on Europe he used the nickname iG.Bong, his style is very unique and based on a low economy Terran which is very hard to play but at the same time a Terran who techs often and uses very unique builds, often including weird mixes of units. BinGBonG introduced him to me when I was in Infernal Gamers, and I was really impressed by his style wich was totally new in my eyes.

World Cyber Games is coming up soon, how do you rate your chances in the Norwegian qualifier?
- I rate my chances as very high but you never know who will show up and practise some in the dark. Like the inactive Norway now? Then I would probably win.

And what about your chances in the Grand Final in Monza, Italy?
- I would definitely lose there, 2 percent chance to win if it's a island map. 0 if its not ;)

Nostalgia, Mireille's favourite mapWhat do you think of the fact that they removed Estrella? And what do you think of the maps that remain, Azalea, Gaia and Paranoid Android?
- I think they should remove all of them. There are more balanced maps then Azalea and I'm pretty sure they will add a non-island map also. Four new maps would be fun. No fun watching the same old maps, not playing them either since some of them are really boring. :)

What makes a map fun? Do you think that there are too many new maps in the different leagues and tournaments?
- New maps are lovely. But on the other hand it feels unnecessary to play a map you know won't be played in the bigger tournaments. For example Satterchasm+, why the hell should you play that map when it's boring and also totally unnecessary? I would like to play the OGN MSL maps only. And then also the original ones. They introduce the good maps, and it's always been like that. Personally I prefer maps where you can use your micro well and unit control, not the macro maps like Luna or Azalea where macro > micro. I don't really care if the map is that balanced or not, you can always win anyway or make up strategies to overpower the enemy. But still I think there is important with a map where you can use many tricks. Cliffs etc. those are the most fun ones!

So, if you have to choose one map that is your favourite, which one is it?
- Nostalgia would be the answer then.

Emil Niklasson, another side of Mireille


Let's talk a bit about Emil Niklasson. You just turned 18, and you live in Stockholm. What do you do when you don't play StarCraft?
- The time I got over I spend with friends or in front of the computer producing music. I like DJing and producing Trance so that's my main interest together with StarCraft. And between all that I sometime actaully manage to sneak in some homework. ;P

What do you study in school? Music production, perhaps?
- I study "Media" so that is including Music production and also radio production. But we make alot of things like documentaries in both movie and sound format.

“They have never liked the idea of playing computer games though, untill the first time I came home with some money in the bag.

”Tell me a bit about your family.
- My parents got divorced when I was 1 years old. So I've growed up in 2 different lives. One with an computer - one without. My mother and her husband are both working with TV and Radio. While my dad drives train and his wife is a nurse. I have lived my last four years with my mother with just visiting my dad sometimes every week. My whole familiy is interested in technical things, we all have our own computers/tvs and we actually have internet connection at our countryhouse also. Since everyone sitting with their computers so much I've never had the same problem with parents who dont allow their kids to sit for more then a small amount of time. They have never liked the idea of playing computer games though, untill the first time I came home with some money in the bag. Since then they have been a bit proud actually, they tell friend and stuff about my trips to different LANs and yeah... They kind of accepted my choice of "sport".

How much money have you earned on playing StarCraft so far?
- 2,500 euro and a digital camera worth 350 euro.

For how long will StarCraft be on the competitive scene? When the StarCraft era ends, will you jump over to a similar game?
- StarCraft 2, or some other strategy game maybe, but I don't feel like playing a new game. StarCraft it is for me, after that I will keep my focus on something else. However I think it will survive two or three more years actually. But people is starting to get really old here in Europe so I think it will end here faster then in Korea.

What do you think of the somewhat boom of StarCraft not too long ago, with GIGA-TV, ESL being more interested in StarCraft (SCCL), multigaming clans?
- Well it's never too late. This will be the start, in future games will get more attention in the media scene in the whole world I think. Multigaming clans and leagues are also okay with me. Of corse it's a bit boring when someone comes and buy players for money but I still don't see it as a problem.

What would you like to see in the StarCraft scene to make it a better scene?
- Right now I'm really hungry for a third TLTour but I think some more offline tourneys would be cool also. That is pretty much enough for me, and then I'm also trying to think a bit realistic. Maybe if SK would make a BW team. Maybe then some of the other gamers from other games would open up there eyes for StarCraft by just following the community a bit.

This summer, you will be going to DreamHack, once again. Last summer you took home the win, how do you rate your chances of doing that again? Do you look forward to the event?
- I look forward to it. I still have a good chance but this time the top of Sweden is going, DaZe, TreK and KaaZ are really good opponents for a DreamHack final. And then we have the normal rumours about FiSheYe and some other good gamers from Europe coming, but they will probably not come.

Well I hope to see you there! Any last words before we go to sleep?
- A shoutout to the members in Team BW- and Team NaW-; GiLLi GiLLi!!!

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