One of WoW PvPs most influential players and personas has retired. Nathan 'Kintt' Quinn, formerly of Team Pandemic and recently of eMg has given up his E-Sports career for a more conventional lifestyle. Nathan has been at the top of the competitive WoW scene since the beginning, winning event...
One of WoW PvPs most influential players and personas has retired. Nathan 'Kintt' Quinn, formerly of Team Pandemic and recently of eMg has given up his E-Sports career for a more conventional lifestyle. Nathan has been at the top of the competitive WoW scene since the beginning, winning event after event and now once more, MLG Dallas giving him one last Gold Medal as a going away present. He started on top, and managed to finish it that way. Cameron 'fams' Carson caught up with Kintt recently to discuss the recent MLG stop, his thoughts on WoW and its progression and his future.
If you could please start off by introducing yourself, and tell us what team you play for?
My name is Nathan Quinn, most people know be by Kintt. I'm 22 years old and from Dallas, Texas. I played most of my time for Team Pandemic, but that came to an end and I most recently competed in MLG with eMazing Gaming.
What made you start to play WoW PvP in the first place?
I had played some MMO games in the past, but never really hardcore. At the time, I was just playing Halo 2 on XBL and some guys on there were talking about WoW so I picked it up. Snowballed from there.
What is your role in your teams comp?
I've pretty much always played the healer in any comp I played. I took it upon myself to learn a variety of classes, but I'm most comfortable on paladin and then priest right now.
For our readers who aren't WoW PvP players, what roles do the paladin and priest play? Are they mainly support and healing, or are the aggressive casters or do they provide buffs and disables, etc.?
Both are healing classes. The priest can be extremely aggressive though with a lot of passive healing, damage spells, and a powerful aoe fear. Paladin is the on the opposite of the spectrum, with a variety of immunities and other bluffs.
What is it like to be back on top once more?
Heh, to be honest with you, I didn't get much of a feeling of accomplishment from the most recent win. While it is great to win, I saw very clearly a lot of the fundamental problems with the game for competitive play at Dallas. In 2007 when I won, I felt like I had done more. The field at Dallas was much, much harder than those in the WSVG days though, so I suppose I was just more naive back then.
What sort of problems do you still see plaguing the competitive play?
MMO games by design just aren't made for this sort of thing. The nature of patching and progression can make one player or team go from being champions to being irrelevant. The game isn't approaching a more balanced state over time, because we aren't just changing the function of a few spells, you're also adding new gear, more levels, just too many variables.
You also can't play with whoever you want, the class system is very restrictive. When forming say, a CS team, yes you have roles, BUT, everyone there can more or less shoot an AK. But, when you need a priest, you need a priest, narrowing down the field of potential teammates a great deal.
Furthermore, there's the whole "cleave" issue, or the fact that the game has turned into more of a damage spam zergfest instead of a finesse game. Some might not mind this, but it's a complaint you hear pretty regularly. They say the best team rarely wins the tournament.
Honestly, I think I'll stop there. I could go on and on, but I really don't want to come across as taking my ball home with me so no one else can play anymore. There are problems yes, but it still works, people still enjoy participating in tournaments for WoW so more power to em.
You are one of the few players that has stuck it out since WoWs inception into E-Sports, how has the game developed over the years?
Well, the level of play has obviously improved by great amounts. The teams, my own included, in the beginning couldn't hold a candle to the teams we have today. Patches obviously play a huge role in the balancing of the scene. RMP has remained a constant, but everything else seems to change on a regular basis. Patches kill former championship teams, like Nihilum Plasma and Hafu's fnatic.
What would you say your favorite patch was?
My fondest memories of the game are the 1.X patches, before the first expansion. As far as competitive play goes, I'm not too sure. Something before Fel Armor was undispellable I guess, maybe the HARP days.
What about the HARP days makes it more notable than others?
I dunno just kinda nostalgic I guess. My memory is kinda fuzzy about it anyway.
Now that MLG Dallas is over, what was your most memorable moment from the event?
There's a few. As far as turning point in the tournament, definitely when I chose to go paladin vs. aAa and we managed to win 3 straight to come back from being down 0-2. If we'd had lost that series, I doubt we'd have won the tournament. The first games against fnatic and complexity were some of the best games of the tournament, and I thought I played really well vs complexity. But, I don't think I'll ever forget the last game of the tournament where we didn't use heroism till the other teams paladin was practically OOM, more out of shame and embarrassment then anything.
Which teams surprised you?
Complexity was definitely a bit of surprise for me, mainly how they did against the rest of the field then against our team. I was also surprised x6 was able to beat all the RMPs, I thought that they might have more trouble. I was also surprised at some of the terrible decisions they made against our team, and how badly they played Warrior/DK/Paladin. I think they should have beat us handily with that lineup, but I guess our fresh comp gave us the upper hand there.
What notable mistakes were there that you noticed changed the outcome of the match vs x6tence?
Well, I'll avoid revealing what exactly I think they should do, as eMg still exists and I don't want to hurt their chances in the future, but I think Siler running in and bladestorming when we have all our cooldowns popped probably isn't the best idea ;)
Were you confident that you were going to win the event?
Not really. I knew it was possible, but I was worried about fnatic and x6. I think the rest of my team was pretty confident though. It's funny, this has probably been the tournament I have been more lax for then any then the past, and it went about as well as I could have hoped.
What do you think fnatic and x6tence did that maybe disabled them from doing better in the event like you had expected?
As far as fnatic goes, I think we just played it right in the bracket play. If I did enough damage to the warlock he just fell over. Maybe with more practice they could get used to the damage. Our team was really the only thing that disabled them too much. I mean they lost to complexity, but I think that could have gone either way and prolly will in the future.
X6tence got second so I mean they did pretty good. Like I said earlier, I think they could have ran War/DK/Pld better against us.
You have retired from professional gaming, why is that?
WoW has been a pretty massive part of my life over the past years, making significant impacts for the good and the bad. I've had some amazing experiences because of the game, but at the same time I've also given up quite a bit just to play. I'm one of those people who will frankly admit that I was very much addicted to WoW and it really took a toll on things, completely derailing me from school, disrupting my social life, and causing me to fall into some pretty dangerous habits regarding my health. I was honestly such a fucking mess, largely due to me playing the game. I don't quite remember when or what it was that made the light bulb click for me, but towards the beginning of the year, I just began to get my life back on track. I felt that removing WoW from the equation was important, to prevent any distractions for my current goals.
I've really just lost the passion for the game too. Even if all my ducks were in a row, I don't think I would still be playing. The only reason to be involved is esports, is because you love doing it. The money is pretty shitty, even if you win all the time, when you compare it to how much time you invest. Companies take an absurdly long time to pay out prizes on top of that, so it is really just not worth it unless you are having a good time. I played just because I had played in the past, and it was part of the rut I had fallen into.
Kind of paralleling that, I'm also just not good enough to play anymore. Ego would have me think it's because I don't play as much or with as much motivation anymore, but whatever the case I just don't really feel as though I am/was a professional level player anymore. I have my good days, but I am too inconsistent, I don't see fights the same way I used to, and I'm a bit slow at certain aspects of the game. I'm OK with it though, and will freely admit it to anyone (obviously).
What's next, are you in school or anything currently?
Yea kinda going back to the previous question, I really don't have time to play WoW anymore either. I am back in school full time, and working 40 hours a week as well. I've changed my major and will now be pursuing a Nutritional Sciences degree. People who know the old Kintt might think that hilarious, but I've lost nearly 100 pounds, largely in part to changes in my diet. Doing a lot of the research in how to make changes in my life really turned me on to the whole area of study, and revealed some direction and passion for me.
With all that being said, what sort of advice would you give to aspiring WoW PvP professionals who do still wish to make a go at this?
Just make sure you maintain a good balance in your life. Do what makes you happy, but realize that even the wonderful can be toxic when consumed in too great of an amount.
Do you think you will ever return to E-Sports, maybe with the release of another game -as a player or staff position, maybe coaching players with your experience as a top player, and on top of it your newfound passion for staying healthy, helping players keep a solid balance in their lives-?
I will not ever return to E-Sports as a player. That is one thing I know for sure. Don't worry I know I'm not Brett Favre. As for the rest, probably not but can't rule that out completely.
Now that your team has effectively been 'broken up' as you are now replaced, in your opinion which is the strongest team in the world currently? Would you care to give any sort of predictions for MLG Anaheim?
Ummm, well the new patch pretty much owned Beast Cleave. I really don't know who's best to be honest, but I am interested to see how the new SK lineup from EU and Caliph Kalimist's new lineup as well.
What is it like to have helped create one of the most successful E-Sports titles scenes, and now leave it?
It's been an interesting time, definitely won't ever forget it. But I'm not really sentimental about it, the WoW scene isn't "my baby" or anything. Sorry for helping popularize RMP, and even more sorry for revealing BEAST CLEAVE to the world!
Any last words or shoutouts to your fans and friends?
Thanks to Flexx for taking it upon himself to learn shaman for the tournament, you did a great job. And to Twixz for having me on board for Dallas. And a big thanks to Chris Lemley at Pandemic for everything he did for me over the years.
My name is Nathan Quinn, most people know be by Kintt. I'm 22 years old and from Dallas, Texas. I played most of my time for Team Pandemic, but that came to an end and I most recently competed in MLG with eMazing Gaming.
What made you start to play WoW PvP in the first place?
I had played some MMO games in the past, but never really hardcore. At the time, I was just playing Halo 2 on XBL and some guys on there were talking about WoW so I picked it up. Snowballed from there.
What is your role in your teams comp?
I've pretty much always played the healer in any comp I played. I took it upon myself to learn a variety of classes, but I'm most comfortable on paladin and then priest right now.
For our readers who aren't WoW PvP players, what roles do the paladin and priest play? Are they mainly support and healing, or are the aggressive casters or do they provide buffs and disables, etc.?
Both are healing classes. The priest can be extremely aggressive though with a lot of passive healing, damage spells, and a powerful aoe fear. Paladin is the on the opposite of the spectrum, with a variety of immunities and other bluffs.
What is it like to be back on top once more?
Heh, to be honest with you, I didn't get much of a feeling of accomplishment from the most recent win. While it is great to win, I saw very clearly a lot of the fundamental problems with the game for competitive play at Dallas. In 2007 when I won, I felt like I had done more. The field at Dallas was much, much harder than those in the WSVG days though, so I suppose I was just more naive back then.
What sort of problems do you still see plaguing the competitive play?
MMO games by design just aren't made for this sort of thing. The nature of patching and progression can make one player or team go from being champions to being irrelevant. The game isn't approaching a more balanced state over time, because we aren't just changing the function of a few spells, you're also adding new gear, more levels, just too many variables.
You also can't play with whoever you want, the class system is very restrictive. When forming say, a CS team, yes you have roles, BUT, everyone there can more or less shoot an AK. But, when you need a priest, you need a priest, narrowing down the field of potential teammates a great deal.
Furthermore, there's the whole "cleave" issue, or the fact that the game has turned into more of a damage spam zergfest instead of a finesse game. Some might not mind this, but it's a complaint you hear pretty regularly. They say the best team rarely wins the tournament.
Honestly, I think I'll stop there. I could go on and on, but I really don't want to come across as taking my ball home with me so no one else can play anymore. There are problems yes, but it still works, people still enjoy participating in tournaments for WoW so more power to em.
You are one of the few players that has stuck it out since WoWs inception into E-Sports, how has the game developed over the years?
Well, the level of play has obviously improved by great amounts. The teams, my own included, in the beginning couldn't hold a candle to the teams we have today. Patches obviously play a huge role in the balancing of the scene. RMP has remained a constant, but everything else seems to change on a regular basis. Patches kill former championship teams, like Nihilum Plasma and Hafu's fnatic.
What would you say your favorite patch was?
My fondest memories of the game are the 1.X patches, before the first expansion. As far as competitive play goes, I'm not too sure. Something before Fel Armor was undispellable I guess, maybe the HARP days.
What about the HARP days makes it more notable than others?
I dunno just kinda nostalgic I guess. My memory is kinda fuzzy about it anyway.
Now that MLG Dallas is over, what was your most memorable moment from the event?
There's a few. As far as turning point in the tournament, definitely when I chose to go paladin vs. aAa and we managed to win 3 straight to come back from being down 0-2. If we'd had lost that series, I doubt we'd have won the tournament. The first games against fnatic and complexity were some of the best games of the tournament, and I thought I played really well vs complexity. But, I don't think I'll ever forget the last game of the tournament where we didn't use heroism till the other teams paladin was practically OOM, more out of shame and embarrassment then anything.
Which teams surprised you?
Complexity was definitely a bit of surprise for me, mainly how they did against the rest of the field then against our team. I was also surprised x6 was able to beat all the RMPs, I thought that they might have more trouble. I was also surprised at some of the terrible decisions they made against our team, and how badly they played Warrior/DK/Paladin. I think they should have beat us handily with that lineup, but I guess our fresh comp gave us the upper hand there.
What notable mistakes were there that you noticed changed the outcome of the match vs x6tence?
Well, I'll avoid revealing what exactly I think they should do, as eMg still exists and I don't want to hurt their chances in the future, but I think Siler running in and bladestorming when we have all our cooldowns popped probably isn't the best idea ;)
Were you confident that you were going to win the event?
Not really. I knew it was possible, but I was worried about fnatic and x6. I think the rest of my team was pretty confident though. It's funny, this has probably been the tournament I have been more lax for then any then the past, and it went about as well as I could have hoped.
What do you think fnatic and x6tence did that maybe disabled them from doing better in the event like you had expected?
As far as fnatic goes, I think we just played it right in the bracket play. If I did enough damage to the warlock he just fell over. Maybe with more practice they could get used to the damage. Our team was really the only thing that disabled them too much. I mean they lost to complexity, but I think that could have gone either way and prolly will in the future.
X6tence got second so I mean they did pretty good. Like I said earlier, I think they could have ran War/DK/Pld better against us.
You have retired from professional gaming, why is that?
WoW has been a pretty massive part of my life over the past years, making significant impacts for the good and the bad. I've had some amazing experiences because of the game, but at the same time I've also given up quite a bit just to play. I'm one of those people who will frankly admit that I was very much addicted to WoW and it really took a toll on things, completely derailing me from school, disrupting my social life, and causing me to fall into some pretty dangerous habits regarding my health. I was honestly such a fucking mess, largely due to me playing the game. I don't quite remember when or what it was that made the light bulb click for me, but towards the beginning of the year, I just began to get my life back on track. I felt that removing WoW from the equation was important, to prevent any distractions for my current goals.
I've really just lost the passion for the game too. Even if all my ducks were in a row, I don't think I would still be playing. The only reason to be involved is esports, is because you love doing it. The money is pretty shitty, even if you win all the time, when you compare it to how much time you invest. Companies take an absurdly long time to pay out prizes on top of that, so it is really just not worth it unless you are having a good time. I played just because I had played in the past, and it was part of the rut I had fallen into.
Kind of paralleling that, I'm also just not good enough to play anymore. Ego would have me think it's because I don't play as much or with as much motivation anymore, but whatever the case I just don't really feel as though I am/was a professional level player anymore. I have my good days, but I am too inconsistent, I don't see fights the same way I used to, and I'm a bit slow at certain aspects of the game. I'm OK with it though, and will freely admit it to anyone (obviously).
What's next, are you in school or anything currently?
Yea kinda going back to the previous question, I really don't have time to play WoW anymore either. I am back in school full time, and working 40 hours a week as well. I've changed my major and will now be pursuing a Nutritional Sciences degree. People who know the old Kintt might think that hilarious, but I've lost nearly 100 pounds, largely in part to changes in my diet. Doing a lot of the research in how to make changes in my life really turned me on to the whole area of study, and revealed some direction and passion for me.
With all that being said, what sort of advice would you give to aspiring WoW PvP professionals who do still wish to make a go at this?
Just make sure you maintain a good balance in your life. Do what makes you happy, but realize that even the wonderful can be toxic when consumed in too great of an amount.
Do you think you will ever return to E-Sports, maybe with the release of another game -as a player or staff position, maybe coaching players with your experience as a top player, and on top of it your newfound passion for staying healthy, helping players keep a solid balance in their lives-?
I will not ever return to E-Sports as a player. That is one thing I know for sure. Don't worry I know I'm not Brett Favre. As for the rest, probably not but can't rule that out completely.
Now that your team has effectively been 'broken up' as you are now replaced, in your opinion which is the strongest team in the world currently? Would you care to give any sort of predictions for MLG Anaheim?
Ummm, well the new patch pretty much owned Beast Cleave. I really don't know who's best to be honest, but I am interested to see how the new SK lineup from EU and Caliph Kalimist's new lineup as well.
What is it like to have helped create one of the most successful E-Sports titles scenes, and now leave it?
It's been an interesting time, definitely won't ever forget it. But I'm not really sentimental about it, the WoW scene isn't "my baby" or anything. Sorry for helping popularize RMP, and even more sorry for revealing BEAST CLEAVE to the world!
Any last words or shoutouts to your fans and friends?
Thanks to Flexx for taking it upon himself to learn shaman for the tournament, you did a great job. And to Twixz for having me on board for Dallas. And a big thanks to Chris Lemley at Pandemic for everything he did for me over the years.
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