All the production companies involved - like ESL, PGL etc - have come a long way. They have a lot of people working there now just to manage talent etc which makes a big difference.

It doesn't feel like it's thrown together - everything is managed for you from getting to the event, getting transport to the venue, food, even clothing.

It's very professional compared to the old days when we felt like people didn't really know what to do with us, or gave the job of looking after talent to the most junior person there.

Like it was an afterthought or something. But really they just didn't have the manpower.

In short: kids. I have two kids and I am the one who looks after them most of the time since my wife has a real job. Less time = less events.

Not with Dota. Seems to be one game that I can play over and over and I guess 7000+ matches is proof of that.

Stopped the guides because the whole point of them was I knew nothing about Dota so they were from the perspective of someone new to the game. Now I am clearly no expert but when you've played as much Dota as I have it's hard to pretend to be a noob.

I think it was Valve's idea but people like me and Slacks had been asking them for years to let us do an after show that had a more relaxed and fun feel. When a tournament as big and serious as TI happens it's exhausting for the viewers as much as for the people working the event.

I think if all the coverage treats the event as 100% serious it would get old very quickly. You need a break to remind you it's just a game sometimes and to have a laugh.

No idea. I think it probably comes down to cost honestly.

I like the idea of a touring TI because people react really well to Dota events when they aren't used to having them in their country - look at Birmingham for a prime example. The crowd were amazing because they hardly ever get to see Dota in the UK. That's true of all the countries out there that love Dota.

I honestly think that's a question for the players. I don't know how they feel about the current DPC system.

I do think too much money going on just one event a year makes the whole scene lop-sided. You need to make it worth it for players and teams to commit full time to Dota. The more good teams there are, the more hype the tournaments get.

I'd love to see more money filtering down to tier 2-3 teams and beyond.

There are definitely enough events to go around. I also disagree about events not giving newcomers a chance - there have been plenty of new people in the last few years who are working Dota events.

The question you have to ask essentially is - are they good enough to break out? If there is someone really good out there, they do get discovered. Look at ODPixel.

Also if people want to get the chance to cast Dota there are lots of non-pro events out there. Work hard and it'll come - if you're good.

I don't think it's a Valve issue honestly. It's the job of organisations and for the people trying to make it to find each other one way or another.

Has to be China with the home advantage. Their crowd will go WILD. I think this TI will be one of the closest ever honestly.

That's tough. Secret, VP, EG, Liquid, Vici Gaming, PSG LGD. That's the top 6 and they all look insanely good. I think Alliance could really surprise some people at this TI, they have improved all year. Also it would be silly to write off OG.

Thanks and I hope to see everyone at TI.

Ted "" Forsyth was kind enough to sit down for an interview with Esports Heaven. In this interview, PyrionFlax talks about his limitations on doing few events every year, coming up with the idea of hosting an after show party with Slacks, TI9 being held in China and more.If you would like to know more about my work, you can follow me at. You can head over to our Dota 2 hub for more content. Headline image courtesy: SLTV