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1 Reader
Describe the team's recent performances since your 7-8th placing at the Extreme Masters Season II LAN Finals.
"Well, I guess we were just really off in game the first two days in Germany. We played horribly in most of our games during the Group Stage at EM but we also attended the SEC tournament at the same time which we managed to win after beating Meet Your Makers in the grand final. Some matches can be a bit random - losing rounds with really small margins. That's just how Counter-Strike can be sometimes. After that event I guess we haven't been that consistent with our play; winning some games against top teams but also losing games to lesser teams.
For a team that in 2006-07 kept so much consistency and were dubbed "the best Counter-Strike 1.6 team in the world," why do you think you haven't been able to keep this up at events like the DreamHack World GameMaster Tournament 2008?
"I guess we simply haven't been playing enough recently. We've been a bit on the lazy side for a while now. However, we've all restored our motivation and dedication and we're currently boot camping and playing a lot, getting back our A-Game. As I mentioned earlier, some matches can be a bit random and you lose due t luck. But I feel really confident now with our current game and I'm confident for our attendance at the ESWC Masters this upcoming weekend."
A match that has been on everyone's mind for a while now is Fnatic versus Virtus.Pro in the group stages of the KODE5 Global Final 2007. You were winning 12-03 in the first half on one of your strongest maps; de_nuke, yet you threw away the game by letting Virtus dominate the second half and ending the map as a draw. One question: What happened?
"We've got a really bad habit of taking our victory for granted after playing a really good side. After losing like six to seven straight rounds we realise our situation and then we choke. I think it's a common problem among teams, sometimes both are really good on one side of the map. Train used to be like that on CT but now the tactics have evolved a lot since then and now it's evened out."
The majority of people who follow professional competitive Counter-Strike 1.6 are all in agreement that Fnatic can become even better than the SK Gaming of 2003. However, every team has a flaw and yours is that you can't keep a lead even with a ridiculously large scoreline. Why do you think this is? When you are winning by a large margin, does the thought of a premature victory ever cross your mind?
"A comparison between us and SK of 2003 isn't fair. The skill level of the teams weren't as great back then nor were the number of teams that can win events the standard that they are now. I think I explained pretty well as for why we lose games even though we have a big lead."
You lost to SK Gaming twice at DreamHack Summer 2008 minimally despite a rash claim that you were 'outplayed' in one of the matches. At ESWC Sweden, do you feel that you would have gone on to win on overall score if the organisation didn't change to best-of-one and what do you feel you perform better in double rather than single elimination?
"The top teams are all really even and everyone can have a bad game on one map. Recently, we've all been known to fluke on certain maps and therefore I think our odds to win are definitely larger in a double elimination bracket or best-of-three format."
Let's change subject. The first ever Electronic Sports World Cup: Masters of Paris will be undergoing in a few days time. What are you expecting from the event and I know you have been boot camping for a week or so now, so do you feel this will improve your chances of earning a top three spot and being the catalyst of regaining the form you've lost?
"We've definitely improved a lot during our bootcamp. ESWC Masters will be the event that we're the most prepared for this year. A top three is a must for us in this tournament and I think that a number one spot is well within our reach."
Fnatic have been top seeded again along with arguably your main rivals, the Polish team of Meet Your Makers and fellow Swede's SK Gaming, not to mention Mortal Teamwork -- who seem to be on the rise. How well do you think these three teams will compete and do you expect to see any of them in the Playoff stages of the competition?
"I expect all of the top seeded teams to make it out of their groups. Mortal Teamwork have been playing random of late but at the KODE5 Global Final 2007, they were definitely on fire! If they're well prepared and in good shape then I'm expecting a lot from them."
Which team out of the list that was published a few days ago by ESWC do you feel could make the biggest upset at the tournament? We haven't seen emuLate! perform in a while now due to VISA regulations and so on but they no longer considered 'underdog' anymore and in fact have been high seeded, along with e-STRO who come as a surprise. Are you predicting a fairly generic tournament with the best teams coming out on top or a tournament which holds the key to a few upsets and surprises?
"EmuLate! have been going downhill since their gold medal at the World Cyber Games. E-STRO is one of those teams that can surprise everyone with a top three achievement too. It's hard to predict the Asian teams before events since we European's don't know how much they practise nor what they do in practise. Apart from these teams I think we should all watch out for Evil Geniuses."
You have been drawn in Group A along with Made in Brazil, Dimension 4, Spirit of Amiga and Team Roccat. For some reason, you are constantly stuck with MiBR and more lately, Roccat. Do you feel you have learnt enough about these opponents in particular, to overcome them with more ease than you have or tried to in the past?
"Made in Brazil has yet another new line-up for their team. They've always been a great team and I expect nothing less from them at this event. MiBR is known for playing very passively except for this time we're clueless on how they are going to perform. Team Roccat is for the most part the complete opposite. This is, in my opinion, the hardest group since there are atleast four teams that are able to take the number one spot in the group."
Do you think the extent of Counter-Strike 1.6 has become so comprehensive now you cannot simply log on to play and keep losing against the same team over and over again but rather you have to conduct various research about your enemy before you face them so that this doesn't happen? If so, how much research does Fnatic do, if any?
"It's not really needed to have that much research. Every team has there rounds and they should adapt the rounds according to their opponents. You learn how the opposing team plays during the game but in the end it's all about killing your enemies. Your strategies are there to make an advantage in the duels."
Last but not least, Marcus "zet" Sundström has reiterated his desire to return to professional competitive Counter-Strike 1.6 and Fragbite.com reported that he is on the verge of joining SK Gaming. Do you know anything about this rumour? Do you think his style of play fits well with Fnatic which could essentially see the transfer of him to the team and what other teams could he play well in? Have you spoken to him at all?
"Zet WAS a great player. I don't know how much he's played during the last year-and-a-half but it is possible that everyone has gained too much of an edge during that time for him to play in a top team at the moment. I haven't spoken to him so I can't comment on that."
"Well, I guess we were just really off in game the first two days in Germany. We played horribly in most of our games during the Group Stage at EM but we also attended the SEC tournament at the same time which we managed to win after beating Meet Your Makers in the grand final. Some matches can be a bit random - losing rounds with really small margins. That's just how Counter-Strike can be sometimes. After that event I guess we haven't been that consistent with our play; winning some games against top teams but also losing games to lesser teams.
For a team that in 2006-07 kept so much consistency and were dubbed "the best Counter-Strike 1.6 team in the world," why do you think you haven't been able to keep this up at events like the DreamHack World GameMaster Tournament 2008?
"I guess we simply haven't been playing enough recently. We've been a bit on the lazy side for a while now. However, we've all restored our motivation and dedication and we're currently boot camping and playing a lot, getting back our A-Game. As I mentioned earlier, some matches can be a bit random and you lose due t luck. But I feel really confident now with our current game and I'm confident for our attendance at the ESWC Masters this upcoming weekend."
A match that has been on everyone's mind for a while now is Fnatic versus Virtus.Pro in the group stages of the KODE5 Global Final 2007. You were winning 12-03 in the first half on one of your strongest maps; de_nuke, yet you threw away the game by letting Virtus dominate the second half and ending the map as a draw. One question: What happened?
"We've got a really bad habit of taking our victory for granted after playing a really good side. After losing like six to seven straight rounds we realise our situation and then we choke. I think it's a common problem among teams, sometimes both are really good on one side of the map. Train used to be like that on CT but now the tactics have evolved a lot since then and now it's evened out."
The majority of people who follow professional competitive Counter-Strike 1.6 are all in agreement that Fnatic can become even better than the SK Gaming of 2003. However, every team has a flaw and yours is that you can't keep a lead even with a ridiculously large scoreline. Why do you think this is? When you are winning by a large margin, does the thought of a premature victory ever cross your mind?
"A comparison between us and SK of 2003 isn't fair. The skill level of the teams weren't as great back then nor were the number of teams that can win events the standard that they are now. I think I explained pretty well as for why we lose games even though we have a big lead."
You lost to SK Gaming twice at DreamHack Summer 2008 minimally despite a rash claim that you were 'outplayed' in one of the matches. At ESWC Sweden, do you feel that you would have gone on to win on overall score if the organisation didn't change to best-of-one and what do you feel you perform better in double rather than single elimination?
"The top teams are all really even and everyone can have a bad game on one map. Recently, we've all been known to fluke on certain maps and therefore I think our odds to win are definitely larger in a double elimination bracket or best-of-three format."
Let's change subject. The first ever Electronic Sports World Cup: Masters of Paris will be undergoing in a few days time. What are you expecting from the event and I know you have been boot camping for a week or so now, so do you feel this will improve your chances of earning a top three spot and being the catalyst of regaining the form you've lost?
"We've definitely improved a lot during our bootcamp. ESWC Masters will be the event that we're the most prepared for this year. A top three is a must for us in this tournament and I think that a number one spot is well within our reach."
Fnatic have been top seeded again along with arguably your main rivals, the Polish team of Meet Your Makers and fellow Swede's SK Gaming, not to mention Mortal Teamwork -- who seem to be on the rise. How well do you think these three teams will compete and do you expect to see any of them in the Playoff stages of the competition?
"I expect all of the top seeded teams to make it out of their groups. Mortal Teamwork have been playing random of late but at the KODE5 Global Final 2007, they were definitely on fire! If they're well prepared and in good shape then I'm expecting a lot from them."
Which team out of the list that was published a few days ago by ESWC do you feel could make the biggest upset at the tournament? We haven't seen emuLate! perform in a while now due to VISA regulations and so on but they no longer considered 'underdog' anymore and in fact have been high seeded, along with e-STRO who come as a surprise. Are you predicting a fairly generic tournament with the best teams coming out on top or a tournament which holds the key to a few upsets and surprises?
"EmuLate! have been going downhill since their gold medal at the World Cyber Games. E-STRO is one of those teams that can surprise everyone with a top three achievement too. It's hard to predict the Asian teams before events since we European's don't know how much they practise nor what they do in practise. Apart from these teams I think we should all watch out for Evil Geniuses."
You have been drawn in Group A along with Made in Brazil, Dimension 4, Spirit of Amiga and Team Roccat. For some reason, you are constantly stuck with MiBR and more lately, Roccat. Do you feel you have learnt enough about these opponents in particular, to overcome them with more ease than you have or tried to in the past?
"Made in Brazil has yet another new line-up for their team. They've always been a great team and I expect nothing less from them at this event. MiBR is known for playing very passively except for this time we're clueless on how they are going to perform. Team Roccat is for the most part the complete opposite. This is, in my opinion, the hardest group since there are atleast four teams that are able to take the number one spot in the group."
Do you think the extent of Counter-Strike 1.6 has become so comprehensive now you cannot simply log on to play and keep losing against the same team over and over again but rather you have to conduct various research about your enemy before you face them so that this doesn't happen? If so, how much research does Fnatic do, if any?
"It's not really needed to have that much research. Every team has there rounds and they should adapt the rounds according to their opponents. You learn how the opposing team plays during the game but in the end it's all about killing your enemies. Your strategies are there to make an advantage in the duels."
Last but not least, Marcus "zet" Sundström has reiterated his desire to return to professional competitive Counter-Strike 1.6 and Fragbite.com reported that he is on the verge of joining SK Gaming. Do you know anything about this rumour? Do you think his style of play fits well with Fnatic which could essentially see the transfer of him to the team and what other teams could he play well in? Have you spoken to him at all?
"Zet WAS a great player. I don't know how much he's played during the last year-and-a-half but it is possible that everyone has gained too much of an edge during that time for him to play in a top team at the moment. I haven't spoken to him so I can't comment on that."
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Comment by 
Roychez - 4 mon
Thumbs: 0
Nice read, good job Lloyd & Archi. Good luck in Paris indeed =)
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