It was never easy for me to let go of the things that I’ve become attached to. Would I still be using Terran now, if Jinsuk had taught me how to use Terran instead of Protoss, while teaching me how to play Starcraft? For one whole year, I shared many experiences with the Protoss. In the beginning, there was no such thing as strategy for me; I only rushed with zealots. Then one day, I came to know of different units, such as scouts and reavers. And with the knowledge of these new units, I began to think about how I could use them and create my own strategies by combining various units.



During the days when I was a Protoss user, my favorite unit was the reaver. It was an extremely slow unit, but no other unit could match its power. I enjoyed using guerilla strategies, placing reavers in the shuttle and destroying the opponent’s base. Because the reaver would be a high target by the opponent, I couldn’t look away for a moment. If I especially did not damage the opponent’s base sufficiently and lost both the reaver and the shuttle, the situation would reverse immediately, so I needed to pay attention carefully. The positioning of the reaver was also crucial, so it was important to understand the map and the location of the opponent’s base. For this reason, the reaver-shuttle strategy was one of the strategies that I used with great risk. There are many Protoss users today that still use this strategy, but it requires great amounts of practice and experience to handle the reaver exceptionally. I had proficient handling of the reaver at the time, and with it I enjoyed the heightened tension while using the swift mobility of the shuttle for guerrilla attacks.



But the day came when I had to change my race. It was the day when the 1.04 patch was made.



Starcraft is a game where patches are continuing to be made, to correct any bugs and balances among the three races. With the 1.04 patch, the reaver became unintelligent. At least this was what I thought in the past. There was still the overwhelming power of the reaver’s scarab that directed towards the opponent’s units, but the success percentage of the scarab fell dramatically. And because the reaver is such a slow unit, it is necessary to complement its weakness with the shuttle as its partner, and so an additional amount of resource is needed. It is also a unit that requires a lot of minerals and gas, so it is extremely valuable, enough that the success or failure of this strategy will decide the tempo of the first half of the game. If this reaver, that was placed in a certain position after great difficulty, failed to discharge the scarabs properly or if the scarab exploded in a random place, it was not easy to win. I was very disappointed, as I used the reaver strategy frequently.



“This isn’t it. There’s nothing I can do with Protoss.”



And so, for the first time I set my eyes on other races. In a strategy simulation game, there are other types of units with their own levels, HP, and attack power that are all quantified. One can clearly see numerically who is stronger and has the stronger attack. If the marine was stronger than the zergling, and the zealot was stronger than the marine, then a gamer has to choose Protoss and simply make large numbers of zealots. But what if the zergling is stronger than the marine, the zealot stronger than the zergling, and the marine stronger than the zealot? In this way, games have to be like a game of paper-rock-scissors to be fun. Gamers want to measure one’s strength fairly in a finely balanced game. The game that follows these basic principles appropriately is Starcraft.



Starcraft’s allure is that it is a strategy game with a near perfect balance of the three races that no other game can match. There are many that agree that this balance is the important factor that allows people to enjoy Starcraft. I have also heard rumors of how Starcraft was designed to make Terrans stronger than Zerg but weaker than Protoss, Protoss stronger than Terran but weaker than Zerg, and Zerg stronger than Protoss but weaker than Terran.



However, I have always regarded the three races as equal. I never thought of one race more advantageous or stronger than another. They are all able to survive with their own strategies and distinctiveness – the Terrans as the Terrans, the Zerg as the Zerg, and the Protoss as the Protoss. Because no match-up of races has an advantage over the other, I have always thought that it was possible to have a dynamic competition.



I first thought about the Zerg. In those days, the Zerg reigned as the most powerful race. It was the period of the Zerg. Maybe this was why the main race of so many gamers was Zerg. The fact that so many people prefer it could mean that it is that much more powerful, but it could also mean that it is easy to use. I wanted a race that I found difficult and tough, but fun to use. And that was Terran.



If it was the age of the Zerg, one could definitely think they were the most powerful, but I didn’t think so. When I used to be a Protoss user, the games I found most difficult to play were against the Terrans. With the zealot-reaver drops that I enjoyed using, I found the games against the Terrans difficult, which had many range units. Though their units seemed weak individually, the increasing power of the Terrans as the units continued accumulating left a great impression on me. But the biggest reason why I chose Terran was that it was the only human race of the three in Starcraft.



Someone once said, “Man is the lord of all creation.” When I considered humans as the race with infinite potential, I thought similarly of Terrans able to create dynamic strategies and tactics. Though the derivation of the Zerg from insect-like organisms and the mysterious alien Protoss have their own appeal, are not the humans the ultimate victors in movies? I imagined Terrans as the ultimate conquerors in Starcraft. I don’t know if it’s because I’m interested in science fiction movies, but one of the reasons why I picked Terran at the time was the fact that they were the human race.



Looking back, becoming familiar with Protoss strategies helped me greatly in using Terran. Because I mainly used the reaver-shuttle strategies when I used to be a Protoss user, using dropships as a Terran felt natural.



I also enjoyed using guerilla plays, similar to the style of play when I used Protoss. When I used Protoss, it took a while to make the reaver, but with Terran, because I mainly used marines and medics, I could use plays that were much more offensive.



In those days, there were many that used defensive plays with Terran. After establishing a defensive line, they would push the opponent with accumulating marines, medics, and tanks. In contrast, I used offensive plays and I could receive “GG” from my opponent much faster. In this way, I ended my life as a Protoss user, and began a new life with a new race.



After changing to Terran, my plays changed considerably. By applying the strategies that I liked as a Protoss user to Terran plays, I was able to create surprising strategies. Slowly, I became confident in my plays, and my win percentage on Battle.net increased significantly. But even then, I didn’t always play to win. I played because it was fun, enjoyable, and there was nothing that could replace my happiness while I played.



After I became a progamer, I heard some people talking about how I have a strong desire to win. Many insisted, “Isn’t it because your desire to win is so much greater than others that you don’t want to lose?” I always paused for a moment to think when they asked me that question. Did I have that kind of personality? I was certain that I didn’t like to lose when I played soccer or arcade games, but I didn’t have a goal. Perhaps that part of me didn’t surface at that time, but that which was hidden inside me could have been drawn out because of this following moment.



It was when I suppressed my surroundings and began to spend more time playing on Battle.net than with my friends. They were the times when I began to receive more GGs than when I typed GG. One day, while I was looking for some friends to play with on Battle.net, a golden badge caught my eye.



“What is that? Whoa! So does that mean that person is number one in the ladder?”



I was excited. Does this not mean that the person is the best in the Starcraft world? How good does one have to be, to become first place? I wanted to play just one game with this person. And so I requested a game. But I received a cold response, “I cannot play against a person with a low score like you.”



“What, does it break your fingers to play one game against me? What’s so hard about it, that you’ll refuse? So, you’re that good? Fine! I’ll just have to be first as well.”



I had not once desired for that position called first. But at least during that moment, I really wanted to be the best. From that day on, I strived restlessly to be first in the ladder.



Though I don’t remember his id now, if it wasn’t for that person I might not have strived to be the best. He may certainly be the benefactor that brought out my competitive nature, making me the progamer with the biggest desire to win, who doesn’t like to lose.



Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to first place on the ladder. There was a gamer at the time that was called an ‘abuser’ that would not give up the first place. I waited day after day for his removal from the spot, but the ‘abuser’ user was persistent. Finally, I became exhausted from waiting, and had to be satisfied with being second place.



But then I felt depressed. When I attended school, I had never thought about aiming for first place, but now I had a great desire – the ambition to definitely be first place in Starcraft. That has been a key factor in my becoming a progamer.







