Learning SC2

Chances are that if your’e reading this you spend as much or more time watching Starcraft 2 than you do playing it. The game has been designed with the intention that it would grow to become a spectator sport so it’s no wonder that it’s so great to watch. The future of Starcraft 2 and eSports in general is looking pretty bright, and I think that if everyone becomes just a little more active, we could see Starcraft 2 become as well known as any other major sport.

A lot of you are probably pretty excited for a future where we see major Starcraft 2 events on TV, but it’s not going to happen unless we make it. If you’re keen to get involved and make eSports happen read on and find out what you can do.

Support, Subscribe and Share

YouTube and other similar video services collect statistics on the amount of views, ‘likes’, and subscriptions that particular channels or videos receive. Investors and sponsors look at these statistics when deciding whether or not they are interested in becoming involved in the industry. A lot of interest in a particular market means a higher potential return on their investments. Advertising can be annoying but the money it generates for the industry is what fuels the growth we want. So if you see a YouTube channel you like; subscribe to it, ‘like’ their videos and share them with your friends.

Discuss the Game

I highly recommend that you get involved in the discussion in one or more of the great communities that exist. Forums like TeamLiquid.net are a great place to discuss every aspect of the game and to find out about events, new casts and a heap of other Starcraft goodness. Just remember that a mature, professional community will help give Starcraft 2 and eSports a good image.

Watch the Livestreams AND the Ads

Many top level players stream their laddering or practice sessions to the community, these streams are both an excellent resource and a great way to kick back and relax. Support these players by watching their streams, participating in the chat and, most importantly, disabling your adblocker. Watching 20-30 second ads every now and then may seem annoying but in most cases this is one of the main income streams for a lot of top-level players. The less people that watch their ads the less time they will have to dedicate to Starcraft. If we want Starcraft 2 to become a serious eSport then we need to make sure that our top players can at least make a living from it.

If you follow me on Twitter I will tweet links to whatever stream I am currently watching, otherwise you can find out who is streaming at TeamLiquid.

Participate in Tournaments

There are nearly always entry-level tournaments happening at any given time. Sign up for one and have a go, they are free and a lot don’t offer prizes but they are a lot of fun. I have played in the SEA BSG (bronze, silver, gold) weekly tournament before and I plan on doing so again in the future because it was a ton of fun. But even if you don’t want to play in the tournament you can always help organise, spread the word or just watch the games. A lot of new casters start their careers in small tournaments so help them out by watching their casts.

Watch the Major Events

What’s more exciting than watching the best of the best duke it out in a major competition? Doing it whilst knowing that your helping eSports grow in the process, that’s what!

Websites like GOMtv.net broadcast major Starcraft 2 events from around the world and usually offer both a free viewing option and a paid premium service. If you can afford the premium service go for it, remember we are trying to help something that we love grow. But if you’re on a tight budget like me then just watching the free streams will still help raise more revenue for these events.

TSL starts at 2pm ET on Saturday the 19th of March, make sure you check it it out! You can find out about other upcoming events on the Team Liquid Calendar page.

Directly Contribute

If you have technical or artistic skills and some spare time, then why not contribute directly? A good place to start would be the Team Liquid Forums, there are often people asking for help on particular eSports projects like this one. If you are lacking in the skills or time departments but have some spare cash floating around why not sponsor a small tournament instead? Just having a $50 prize pool on a weekend tournament can make things a lot more interesting. Alternatively you could donate to someone who you think is working hard for eSports, often these people rely on donations and other small income streams to keep on doing what they are doing.

Tell Your Friends and Family

This one can be hard because of the feeling that gaming is something that should not be taken seriously. Unfortunately a lot of people do feel this way and the only way we can change that is by telling them about what we love with pride and conviction. If we treat gaming seriously then at worse people will be forced to respect the love that we have for the game, and who knows maybe your family/friends will actually be quite supportive. I have been surprised at how many people have been really supportive of my interest in SC2 and eSports. Of course there has been people who just don’t get it, you just learn to move on.

If you are not feeling confident in your SC2/eSports pride then watch Day[9] Daily #100 “My Life of Starcraft” and listen to his story, I found it quite inspiring. (Warning: Be prepared to laugh, cry and maybe even fall in love.)

What do you foresee as the future of SC2 and eSports? Let me know in the comments below. You can further help by sharing this post with your friends!