Interview with E-Sports Players: Virtus.Pro - Koreetz

(Please Note: I am translating this directly from Russian to English)

MaxFearless: Hi, Andrew. Tell us about how got into "World of Tanks". How has your playing career differed since you started ?

Koreetz: Hello , Maxim . My brother introduced me into the game, he had played it for about 3 months before he showed me. At first, the game did not impress me , but after watching the gameplay , I saw its great potential in eSports. I had not started playing yet, but I knew I would become a professional gamer in World of Tanks. My gaming career developed and I got an IS-7 , started doing platoons , joined a clan, and ranked up to Company Commander in that clan. After that, I was thinking about the e-sport tournaments , and was ready to set up a team, which started with two captains - RestInPeace, and me. The team grew and we got serious when we started receiving funding and looking for sponsors . At first we had a hard time finding sponsors, but after the first season at WGL, sponsors wanted to sponsor us for the second tournament . After that I decided to go to Virtus.pro.

M: Tell me about how you prepare players for E-Sports , what is a crucial skill for this team-style game?

K: After one of the patches introduced the option to view replays we began to grow and train rapidly. We could view the replays of every player and team commander, and this helped like nothing else. To view players at an individual level and team skill, as well as view the coordination team and find their mistakes was a great leap for us. We believe the best tactic is preparation.

M: Can viewing these replays increase the individual skill of a player? What can you see from these replays?

K: Interesting question. All that matters (for us) is that the Commander of the team acts as distinct leader over the players and his individual skill. Hence the conclusion - the captain can not raise the skill of player. In fact, the situation is this: When I watch replays of all the players , I can see errors that are repeated with great frequency, and draw the conclusion that the player does not see this error of his ways. After that I go up to him and say that, in certain situations, you should act a different way. The player then goes to work on the problem. Yes, in general, it helps to improve his skills.

M: How important is it that the developers support e-sports? Do think it is just for them to earn more players and money?

K: In my opinion, it depends on how it will affect the game as a whole. If the goal is for the long term development of the game, then question is whether they need to maintain the competitive game. There is no need to reinvent the wheel , just look at StarCraft.(On the topic of spreading the game) Who would have known about StarCraft if it were not for e-sports? It is obvious that the developers are looking at the prospect of tanks , they have quite a lot and have done enough for the game. I think they are working in the right direction  are not stupid people. Should they help the gaming community or not? I will say this - the gaming community is a major part of eSports and competitive gaming, and will keep driving the game.

M: How can you  motivate a player who was lost interest in the game? How can you keep a positive atmosphere in a team if someone is creating a negative atmosphere?

K: This is a pretty serious problem that often have to face all the teams. Teams are made 7 people, and they all have their own character. There are many times when a situation is heating up and it should accepted that people get angry. Honestly, there needs to be a psychologist for some players. Since none of my clan-mates are a psychologist, it is best solved with heavy artillery - the team manager . Thank God we have a decent manager who can solve all the problems with team spirit, discipline and organization.

M: How do you make sure that a player is constantly training and improving their skills?

K: It's simple. I'm not always pleased with the team's performance and will always find a fault with a player and point it out to them, but in a positive way. This way each player, every day, is working on a fix on what I did not like in thier game yesterday. Every day after a tournament or training, I ask myself the question - what did I do today to get better? If I did something meaningful, it means that my day was not in vain.

M: What are the skills of a gaming professional in combat?

K: In order to win fights you must be able to properly assess the situation and  understand how much you can venture a situation or how to play carefully. First - do not be afraid to take risks. The second - high individual skill. To clutch a match you need to have high individual skill. In a stressful situation, you know, it's very hard to win if you believe you have already lost the fight. We have to do our best not to flinch, calm our nerves. Third - keep cool.

M: What is you opinion on mods in the game ? Some players think that mods detract from the gameplay.

K: Personally, I do not like mods because they are banned in tournaments ,and I can not get used to it - I do not use them at all. As for the opinion, can mods detract from the gameplay, well it all depends on the goals of the player. If he wants to play well, then he should not be using mods that distract him. If we are talking about a player who comes to play in the game for an hour or two, then maybe he will put all the graphics on high, set a lot of beautiful mods and will enjoy it . It all depends on the purpose .

M: Some players ditch their primary account and create a second to gain better stats. Does it make sense start the second an account, or is it a waste of time?

K: I do not believe that for a gamer this is the right decision because he has to spend time on researching new tanks and equiptment, thus wasting time that he could have used to raise their skill.

M: Finally, I will not ask about the game. What are your passions in life and your hobbies? How do you like to relax in your free time?

K: I enjoy a few sports: doing on horizontal bars and parallel bars . The second hobby - dieting . I want to understand what I eat and why. In my spare time, if the weather permits , I like to picnic. If the weather does not permit, then just like a lot of walking on the street.