Twig

Kekkai Sensen has a ton of characters! That's the show's number one strength! But the overarching plot doesn't serve them well. But dropping it is a good decision anyway since they still haven't aired the final fucking episode.

Haha, yeah, I'm aware I'm a very strange observer of the competitive scene. I do not enjoy it in the way that is typical of most fans! I believe EG was directly invited. CDEC, however, was from the wild cards, and came out of nowhere. Which is why a lot of people were so excited to see them keep winning and winning. That was talked about a lot during the tournament, which is how I learned about it.

I have not heard of a CS or Hearthstone or Starcraft or Warcraft 3 tournament in the past year. The last time I heard about a specific CS tournament, it was because of cheating. The last time I heard about a specific Hearthstone tournament, it was because they didn't allow female players to compete against male players, or something like that. The last time I heard about a specific Starcraft tournament was I don't even remember, but it was a long time ago. Maybe when that female player started and everyone was like "they only picked her cause she's female" or something? I've never heard of a Warcraft 3 tournament! Although I guess now that you mention it, of course there were/are WC3 tournaments. In other words, you're right, Dota 2 tournaments never get massive press! Neither does anything else besides League, and that's because Riot is very very very good at letting everyone know that they exist. And TI because giant prize pool every time. I do think they should be paid more, at least a livable salary (last time I checked it was really low? maybe I was lied to!), although I do understand that winnings are supposed to compensate. But that just makes me think of tipping which I hate. I don't think contracts are as separate from competition structure as you imply, though. Ostensibly, they maybe should be, but because of how Riot does it, those players are locked into the league, if I'm not mistaken? Like, they're not allowed to compete anywhere else? That's bad. I dunno. This isn't "Real Sports", so why do we have to try to become "Real Sports". I don't know what an "open system" looks like, because we don't have one, but I'd imagine it'd just be tournaments organically growing and dying instead of the scene always being stuck in the same loop year after year. Leagues are off-putting to me because they're long. I know that's not a real meaningful criticism, but I don't follow sports like other people do. I watch every now and then and it's completely sporadically. I always watch TI, and then I pick like one or two other tournaments to watch. The thing I like about them, though, (and in particular what Valve claims they want to do with their thing) is that teams are encouraged to be more stable. But honestly that's all I care about. I just want to know that the players I like will be on the same team for the whole year instead of shuffling around for half a year until the big tournament starts up and they realize oh shit we need to make a real team now. I mean, that's an exaggeration of what happens, but it's not far off. I follow players, not teams, though, so I'm weird. It's just annoying never knowing where they're going to end up. I imagine it's just as annoying for people who follow teams, though, never knowing if that team is even going to exist next year, or if it does if it'll have ANY of the same players. Teams were picked through a combination of invites (for stable teams that have consistently done well) and wildcards (for all teams, I think??? I don't know). This isn't a question I can really answer because it's the kind of detail I honestly don't care about.

Yes, Dota is at IEM and ESL and Dreamhack. And a lot of other things. The only reason you, as a non-dota person, don't hear about it, is because it's not The International. If TI didn't exist, other junk would be at the forefront. But TI exists and its prize pool is 18million. DAC had a prize pool of 3 million (also crowd-funded like TI): http://wiki.teamliquid.net/dota2/Dota_2_Asia_Championships. 3 million is big, but it's significantly less than 18 million! There is a lot of good stuff in the competitive scene as it is. It's just simultaneously overshadowed and overcrowded. The former is Valve's fault (though not intentionally, I believe). The latter is Dota's massive increase in popularity causing temporary problems. I don't like the way Riot restricts its players. I've seen those contracts. That's actually my main beef. Also people pretend the salary is anything significant, but it's not. Besides player junk, I don't like structure that prevents things from existing outside that structure. I much prefer an open system. I don't give a shit about sports. I like watching individual sports events, but most of the time the massive league systems of the various sports is just incredibly off-putting.

Counterargument: those earrings are gold colored so that means they're solid gold. They weigh a lot!!!

All that aside, he's also not a great caster. He frequently just says things that are completely wrong, and in a fashion that is way more blatant and obvious than even when someone with less experience than him gets something wrong (in part because of his excited tone, which is actually the part of him I do like). It's awkward. So basically there are almost no reasons to like Tobi!

Who says planning hasn't started? EDIT: Or is that what you meant? I think that's what you meant... NEVERMIND!!!! ... Anyway, as an aside, one of the biggest problems I have with these kinds of conversations is people comparing Riot to Valve. They're not the same company, so they'll never do the same thing, and, frankly, I don't want what Riot's doing in the Dota 2 scene. Whatever Valve does with the majors will (please, I hope!) not be nearly as structured or overly-strict as what Riot does with their leagues. Then again, at one point in history, Valve said they wanted to stop hosting tournaments and let the community take full control while they just built tools for said community. I think they wanted TI3 to be their last one. But for some reason (money?! community failing to pick up the slack?), they never did. Which is a shame, because that would've been the best solution. Also strange, because the competitive community outside of Valve's tournament has, at this point, grown a lot. So they've basically done a 180.

I understand what your point is. Obviously I don't have an answer for you, and even if I did I doubt it would satisfy your cravings. I've already offered some details and they weren't enough. Shrug. But they will talk about it soon. As to your second paragraph, you're grossly underestimating the amount of effort Valve puts into Dota 2 and in particular the competitive scene. It's very important to a significant number of people at the company. Your problem might be that they're a small company. Just have a little patience, geez. TI5 was great. It had some problems, but it was fucking great. It's still a growing thing. Just have a little patience.

Who knows! They'll talk about it soon enough!

I never said "stop whining"; I said "give it some time". They'll talk about it soon enough.

Well, it'll be named the "Dota 2 Fall Majors", if the original naming convention that they set up when they announced the thing and named it still stands. I think it's supposed to happen in November, maybe? Also someone told me Europe. This someone is usually much more knowledgeable than me on these things, so I generally trust him, although he's been known to be wrong, and I'm lazy so I don't feel like confirming because it's not easy to google. Valve's goal with the majors is to solve one of the number one gripes in the scene: team instability. The "burgeoning independent tournament circuit" is also one of the major complaints. Too many tournaments. This is from players, too, not just viewers, so whether or not you agree (I personally don't care all that much), it's still an important issue. Also, there's no indication that the majors system, whatever it ends up being, will make all independent tournament circuits null and void. Give it some time. TI5 LITERALLY just ended yesterday.

You're weird! To be fair, there's been more talking about talking about the earrings than actual talking about the earrings, and it would've died off a million times faster if a big deal hadn't been made out of the original (and, in my opinion, harmless) comment. But you know I guess that's what happens in these forums!

I swear they used to do that more than they did this year, but I may just be misremembering. Agreed that it's something I really really want, though. There are defiantly moments when I was like "why did they do that specific thing". Like, you know, try to Rosh in that situation!!!!!

I legit am completely distracted by her earrings every time I watch her in a video. They're big and always jiggling around and I'm part cat I guess! This is not a judgment on her look, but on my ridiculous fixation with shiny dangly things. Edit: I just remembered I made this comment once before on these forums and got yelled at for it. Don't yell at me this time!

I'm at the airport (time to head back to reality ): ) and can't re watch the play right now, but I don't remember a third burst of damage. Is it possible you're thinking of the damage tick from AA's ultimate reaching its kill threshold? Alternatively, maybe gyro call down? Edit: re watched it anyway my data's already fucked for this month. Fissure! Earthshaker used his other skill. I'm still fucking flabbergasted that cdec fucking FORGOT about that wombo combo. Jesus. They seriously act like they were as safe as could be just because one hero was dead, and they're so closely grouped up. Wacky wacky.

I can't believe CDEC just forgot about that combo...

That one dude with the whole bushido thing is such a weeaboo. I love it. Also hate it but also love it. I've heard that about Piccolo before. It's a better read than Mr. Popo being the only main black character in DBZ, that's for sure!

Yeah and as I've said multiple times I've no problem just not saying it. But I still remain unconvinced! I want to be convinced, because I don't particularly enjoy disagreeing with people I respect on something this apparently obvious to everyone else - otherwise I wouldn't even bother talking about it like this - but it's just not happening. ):

It is not this specific joke that I'm bothered by. It is the general trend of removing more and more and more and more terms and phrases from everyday lexicon based on what I believe is misguided, reaching basis.Also, I don't know, sometimes I find that talking about these things helps me understand them, so I want to talk about them because I want to be convinced. That's what conversation is for, right?

This is something I agree with, too. And to be clear, I'm not saying people have no right to be offended - is a purely emotional response and it is not my or anyone else's place to tell someone they have no right to feel their emotions. and, as I've said, I will do my best to stop offending people at every turn. The last thing I want to do is hurt someone. But that doesn't mean I don't find it... Umm the word I'm looking for is, I think, something like "off-target." Something like that.

Okay fine sorry I used the wrong words. I don't buy that it's callous or ignorant. At least, not any more so than anything other joke about murder, which, too me, again, had nothing to do with race, so much as humanity as a whole. Murder is inherently a shitty thing, but... It's shitty for everyone.

After airing my grievances last page I felt a little better and then this entire page so far has just renewed my frustration with an entirely new level of intensity. It honestly just makes me want to leave the internet behind. It's probably healthier for me to do so anyway. I am all for not saying something because some people find it offensive. I regularly trim my daily vocabulary, so it's not a big deal for me to do it again. But the phrase "kill all men" having racist connotations? I just don't buy it at all. I won't say it anymore because I respect that people are bothered by it (and in fact I haven't said it since like the first the times I said it because it stopped being amusing, and was never really outright funny), but I don't buy into this argument. It is literally all-inclusive. Literally literally! I'll just go be a hermit in the woods.

I just love rooting for the underdog!! I also kind if hate when the winner is... The team everyone expected to win. Makes for a kinda boring tournament, eh?? That said SumaiL is kind of an incredible player (omg that windrunner) and Fear is (one of) my spirit animal(s), so I will inevitably root for EG whenever they play. Sad my bestest friend rOtk is out, though. I always want to see him win. ): CDEC has been great, though. I'll be happy if they win, too. Was really hoping MVP Phoenix would make it further. )))):

I understand that what I'm about to address has a lot more nuance to it than what I'm actually saying here, so please understand that I understand that! But here goes anyway: I have a lot of trouble reconciling with myself that I need to treat women differently than I would treat men. I want to treat everyone the same way: as a fellow human being. It's sometimes really extremely aggravating dealing with this kind of double standard - that I need to walk on eggshells when it comes to very specific things, like this current topic of joking with a man you don't know versus joking with a lady you don't know and the implications of one versus the other - when I recognize, I KNOW, believe me I know, that there's a reason. Especially when the fight is ostensibly for equality, and I DO want to treat people equally, it just frustrates me. This also goes for other marginalized groups, although I in general find that I have significantly less trouble mentally handling this issue with, for example, people of color. In no small part because it's just easier, because... Well I guess I don't really know why I find it easier. So yeah I will just remind everyone now of the first paragraph on this post!!

To be honest, jokes are how I primarily communicate, so that's like saying I should just not communicate. Which I guess is fair enough given how often people get pissed at me for breathing.