BoyzTrek's Team Chill and Other Updates

BoyzTrek's Ding Lao (formerly of NoMets Team) has unveiled his new team composed of players he personally hand-picked. The team is tentatively called Team Chill. The players he picked are Rovic "Yuki" Perez, Bernard Dale "Burnz" Flores, Topher / Top, Franco / Cocoy / Shy.lex, and Tassadar / Bhoymax. And they are still looking for a 6th member.

Yuki and Burnz, along with Ding were part of the legendary, almost unbeatable NoMets Team that won the Davao Cyber Expo 2007: Cyber Games Tournament, among others. Meanwhile, Top, Cocoy, and Bhoymax were part of DC Clan which reached the DCE: DCG quarterfinals round. Before, during, and right after the DCE: DCG it was already rumored that it was going to be NoMets' last tournament as a team.

With this announcement from Ding, along with the indication that he is going to "retire" so to speak, things are starting to unravel. More questions are being asked. What then? What will happen to the other half of the NoMets: Jay Arabia, Rioren Padama, and Jeztah Ching? What will happen to the rest of DC Clan? Will Team Chill be as strong, if not stronger, than NoMets? Will Boyztrek still be unbeatable?

This is the latest of the many team reorganizations in the wake of the DCE:DCG Tournament. Team RJ is no more. My players are now split into at least two teams. STQ1 and STQ3 are also no more. STQ2 lost at least two players. DDS lost two players, same with Blinque-Tech. 51ph is not a team anymore. Of the teams I am in contact with, it is safe to say that only Team Bytes and 50ph remain relatively intact.

As to how these team changes will affect the Davao gaming landscape is still something that we have to wait to see.
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StarCraft 2 Gameplay Teaser

Here's a little something I saw on YouTube:

All yeah StarCraft fans out there (me included)... drool... drool... droooool!!! Blizzard still has to announce when this game is going to be released but I'm sure, when they do it's gonna be a best-seller. And I hope it does not disappoint. Tagal natin naghintay no!!!
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Match Game: Ding Lao and Chian Coronel visit Sequel Juan Luna

Earlier today, Nelson “Ding” Lao of BoyzTrek's NoMets Team and Chian Coronel of Team Blinque-Tech came over to Sequel Juan Luna (WHY KAYA? WHY? WHY? WHYYYYY?!!!) to play what was to be one of the best games I've ever witnessed, and played in my entire life. We played a game in the -apnpsp (All Pick, No Power-ups, Shuffle Players) mode with some of the best players in Sequel Juan Luna. The players and heroes line-ups were as follows:

Sentinel Side

Goblin Techies (Ding), Mirana (Aiwem), Pandaren (Ryan), Tiny (Eric), Vengeful (ABCDing)


vs


Nevermore (Elmer), Magnataur (Landz), Chian (Zeus), Warlock (Ria), Akasha (Gwing)

Scourge Side

Everybody already knows who Ding is. He's supposedly Davao's number 1, the leader of BoyzTrek's NoMets Team. Chian is the leader of the Blinque-Tech Team. Aiwem (formerly of Team RJ) and Elmer are currently ranked as two of the top players of SJL. Eric, ABCDing, and Landz were also top SJL players before they lied low due to focus on their studies (ANUH?! BAKAK!). There's Ryan who plays almost everyday in either BoyzTrek or Sequel Juan Luna. And then, there's Ria (me) who is a serious but not so good player, and Gwing who plays just for fun. Unfortunately, us two girls were shuffled into the same team.

And so the game began amidst cheers and jeers by the players and the many spectators. In the top lane, my Warlock and Chian's Zeus struggled against the stuns of Ryan's Panda and Eric's Tiny. Elmer's Nevermore battled against Ding's Goblin Techies. And in the bottom lane, Gwing's Akasha and Landz's Magnataur also struggled against the stuns of Aiwem's Mirana and ABCDing's Vengeful.

Early on, Ding set to show off his skills using his favorite hero by hunting our side's heroes and suiciding to kill us. This forced me and Chian to light up our side of the map with sentry wards. Elmer persisted to farm well and became a force to reckon with combined with Landz's dagger, reverse polarity combo. Gwing also showed promise as Akasha but wasn't able to fully show her skills due to the constant bullying of the opponents. My Warlock was in the worst shape, unable to kill and stuck with only perseverance, as we were forced to fill the map with wards. HUHU! Chian performed well. Our team was generally stronger, and was able to push constantly.

But Ding strategized well and was able to stifle our aggressive pushes by {edited as requested by baDING} rendering the Sentinel's buildings invulnerable to our aggressiveness. Ding's stellar performance, allowed their team to counter-push, backdoor, and do everything possible which gave them the advantage of having mega creeps that won for them the hard fought war.

The game was long and well-fought. Very well-fought and it lasted almost two hours!!! Sana may replay!!! Sana may rematch!!! RAWRRR!!!
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Match Game: Boyztrek vs Bytes

Tuesday night, the Bytes Team came over to Boyztrek for a friendly match game. During the first game, the two teams had the following line-up:

Boyztrek on the Sentinel Side
Warlock (Jay), Magina (Burnz), Sven (Ding), Chen (Top), Nevermore (Franco)


vs


Magnataur, Zeus, Mirana, QoP, Lich
Bytes on the Scourge Side

Ding's Sven dominated throughout the game with Jay's Warlock (armed with a Dagon) providing ample support. Bytes has a good combination of heroes but their execution was less than perfect during the entire game. Thereby allowing the BT Team to play and push aggressively. Jay provided more than enough observer AND sentry wards that allowed the BT Team to rape the Bytes heroes, consequently, disabling the Bytes' combo. Ding's Sven was so nakakapunet that anybody who dared use a town portal to save their tower would instantly be killed off. Needless to say, the BT Team won Game 1.

During game two, the two teams had the following line-ups in the order that the heroes were picked (BT picked first):

Boyztrek on the Scourge Side
Akasha (Burnz), Zeus (Top), Mirana (Franco), Venomancer (Jay), Earthshaker (Ding)



vs


Nevermore, Lich, Sven, Magnataur, Ezalor
Bytes on the Sentinel Side

In the top lane, Jay's Venomancer and Ding's Earthshaker were initially bullied by Magnataur and Lich. In the middle lane, Top's Zeus dominated over Nevermore. And in the bottom lane, Burnz's Akasha and Franco's Mirana fought a hard battle against Ezalor and Sven. Bytes' Ezalor gave the BT's heroes a hard time executing their skills by constantly using his Mana Leak. This time around, the BT Team didn't utilize wards. Also surprising was their use of heroes with skills that have areas of effect, rather than their usual line-up of heroes capable of strong individual skills. Ganda ng combo, sana may replay. Promise!!! Imagine... Echo Slam + Poison Nova + Chain Lightning + Wrath + Wave (KS, KS, KS!!!)! RAWRRR!!! This time around, the star of the game was Burnz's Akasha that constantly and successfully pushed to destroy the lower part of the Sentinels' base. Akasha was also able to kill off most of the Bytes' heroes in double and triple kills. (Hi Papa Burnz, bayad ha! :P) Team BT ended the set at Game 2.
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Quotable Quote

"If you want to be the best, you have to do everything to achieve it."

-Jay Arabia, talking about why he constantly watches DoTA Replays

Jay Arabia is a member of the DCE: DCG 07 Champion NoMets Team of Boyztrek Jacinto.
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Kadayawan Electronic Entertainment 2007 Updated Schedule

What: e Squared's Kadayawan Electronic Entertainment 07 Event
Venue: NCCC Mall of Davao City

Detailed Schedule:
August 17, 2007
10 am - 3 pm Free Play
4 - 9 pm StarCraft and CounterStrike Tournament Semi-Finals and Finals

August 18, 2007
10 am - 1 pm Free Play
1 - 8 pm DoTA All-Stars Tournament Finals
8 pm - 12 mn Cyber Gamers Club Launch, Awarding of Tournament Champions

August 19, 2007
10 am - 12 nn BattleField Exhibition Game (2 matches)
1 pm - 3 pm DoTA All-Stars Exhibition Game (1 match, 5 v 5, apdu mode)
3 pm - 4 pm StarCraft (2 matches) and Rogue Spear (1 match, 3 v 3) Exhibition Games
4:30 - 6:30 pm DoTA All-Stars Exhibition Game (1 match, 5 v 5, apdu mode)
7 - 10 pm Free Play
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1 v 1 DoTA All-Stars Tournament

What: Open 1 vs 1 DoTA All-Stars 6.45 Tournament
When: July 28, 2007, 1 pm - 3 am
Where: BoyzTrek Jacinto Registration fee: PhP100 (each player has to pay for the time he has consumed while playing)
Registration: deadline for sign-ups and payments is 12 noon of July 28, 2007

Game Mode: -apnpduom (all pick, no power-ups, duplicate heroes, only middle) mode
Players will be required to write down their heroes, and show it to the marshal before the game.

Prize: Winner takes all

Tentative Rules and Regulations:

1) Single games will be played in the elimination rounds. Best of three sets will be played in both the semifinal and final rounds.

2) Creep luring is not allowed.

3) No exploitation of bugs, is allowed. Players are assumed to know these bugs. If a player is uncertain, he must inquire to the marshall in-charge. Excuses and reasons for bug exploitation will not be entertained.

4) Backdooring is allowed, eg. skipping towers or buildings.

5) The initial gold of each player is 3,200.

6) All items are allowed.

7) All heroes are allowed.

8) Any competitor is late for at least team minutes for a scheduled match is considered to have forfeited that match, and will merit a loss.

9) A competitor is considered to have won they game when he has destroyed his opponent's middle lane base tower (third tower), or when his oppenent has accumulated three deaths.

These rules, regulations and other guidelines are still subject to change. All final rules, regulations, and guidelines will be made available to all competitors on July 28, 2007.

For other details and updates on this tournament, please keep visiting this blog. Or contact the organizer, Jester Ching at 0917-7077729.
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Lessons from the 50ph vs BT Match Games

Last Friday, Jimber's 50ph played against a mix of Boyztrek players. Boyztrek's "Team Flowt" composed of Yuki (Mirana), Jeztah (Tinker), Top (Sven), Chian (Chen), and BigBhoy (Warlock/Lich) decimated 50ph in two games.

Last night, 50ph faced off with both the NoMets Team, and DC Clan. During the first game, 50ph's Joker (Warlock), Batusai (Rigwarl), Totzkie (Akasha), Tintin, and Lalab battled against Nomets' Jay (Sven), Yuki (Mirana), Jeztah (Nevermore), Rioren (Chen) and Burnz (Akasha). 50ph had a strong start but NoMets proved resilient to 50ph's initial aggressive plays.

During the second game, Yuki (Chen) again played as a substitute player for DC. He played with DC Clan's Subang (Lich), Duke, Topher (Sven) and BigBoy. They played aggressively throughout the game. Only Totzkie (Ursa) had a strong game among 50ph. Joker (Akasha), Batusai (Sven), Lalab (Viper), and Tintin (Zeus) struggled throughout the entire game. (Can't remember the entire line-ups, somebody help me here pls.)

Lessons I learned?

1. Practice, practice, practice. Most of 50ph's players didn't play their with their full potential since they have been playing another game (*ehem*GRANADO*ehem*) these past weeks.

2. Have a solid heroes line-up with each player using a hero he has practiced with. Tintin struggled during the second game because he was using a hero he wasn't comfortable with.

3. Be flexible. If your original plan does not work, adjust to the situation.

4. Constantly evaluate yourselves. If your observe a weakness, work on it. Do not simply shrug it off. If you know you can't win it, then, at the very least learn from the experience.

5. Know your opponents. There is no better way to beat an unbeatable opponent than knowing him/them inside out.

On a related note, two teams had their debut match games in neighboring Sequel Juan Luna. These teams are unknowns YET. One had a strong game last night. The other had strong players but lost due to lack of leadership. If there's one thing I learned about my team's DCE: DCG 07 experience, it's that a team does not necessarily have to have a leader. What is important is knowing and memorizing each other's moves and skills. This may only be achieved by constantly playing together. By regularly playing together, team members get a better sense of each others' skills, abilities, moves, strategies, and weaknesses.

Next week, another exciting event will be happening at BoyzTrek Jacinto. Stay tuned to this blog for the details. ;)
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Kadayawan Electronic Entertainment 2007 Updates

Tentative Schedule:

Preliminaries, Venues to be announced
August 1 - Deadline of Online Registration at the E2-Events Website and Payments
August 2 - Bracketing
August 4 - 5 - DoTA Eliminations
August 11 - StarCraft Eliminations
August 12 - CounterStrike Eliminations

Main Events at the NCCC Mall
August 17 - StarCraft and CounterStrike Semifinals and Finals
August 18 - DoTA Finals, Launch of the Cyber Gamers Club (CGC)
August 19 - Exhibition Games: DoTA, Rogue Sphere, Battlefield, StarCraft

The Top 16 (or 8) teams of the DCE-DCG 2007 will be pitted against new contenders and other teams hoping to unseat them from their ranking as the top teams in Davao City.

One of the most anticipated main events is the launching of the Cyber Gamers Club. The CGC is open to all interested gamers of any format. There are four kinds of CGC membership: Regular, Premium, and VIP. Regular membership is for free. However, regular members who wish to have a CGC ID should pay for it. Premium members have to pay a minimal annual fee which entitles them to a CGC ID and a CGC Shirt. CGC members may become VIP members by paying a fee, or by vitue of appointment. VIP members are entitled to a CGC ID, a CGC Shirt, and a CGC VIP Sling that would give them VIP access to all DCE, DCG, and other affiliated events. CGC members may also avail of discounts and special offers from CGC's affiliate organizations and establishments. Sign-ups for CGC will commence on the Kadayawan Entertainment 07 at the NCCC Mall of Davao from August 17 - 19. 2007.

Other details on the Kadayawan Electronic Entertainment 07 will be posted on the E2-Events Website.
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WCG Philippines 2007 Winners

Congratulations to the Winners of the World Cyber Games (WCG) 2007 Philipppine Preliminary Champions!!! They will be competing on October 3 - 7, 2007 in Seattle, USA.

Counter Strike
Champions: HOA
Runner-up: Wanted

Need for Speed Carbon
Champion: Israel Magante
Runner-up: Brent Dizon

Warcraft 3
Champion: Tristan Solee
Runner-Up: Frederick Pe

Starcraft
Champion: Byron Bongon
Runner-Up: Mark Rapisura

Information from the WCG Philippines Site.
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Fraternizing with the Enemy

Last night, Jay of Boyztrek's NoMets team sent me a message over YM inviting the Juan Luna boys to go to Boyztrek for some practice games. To cut the story short, the games never happened but I ended up hanging out with the BT boys outside BT while they ate pancit canton (the official late night meal of the BT and JL boys, haha). For more than an hour (I think), I spent time talking about DoTA, local gaming personalities (for lack of better term) and teams, tournaments, and other nonsensical things with Jay, Rioren, Burnz, Topher, Big Boy, and Subang, among others.

Though they know a lot about DoTA and the local gaming scene, they were baffled as to why most gamers from other cafes hate them. To that, I was the only one who had the answer. Haha! Amin-amin na lang yun...

There were also discussions about their trip to Manila to join the WCG Eliminations, and how it has helped them improved their skills. Goes to show how much actual tournament experience really helps a team to improve. From what I can surmise, before their WCG Experience, they were already a very hard team to beat. But after the WCG Experience, they became virtually invincible. Di na mapunet... Their experiences have helped them in terms of decision-making. Experienced gamers always remind me to just play and practice constantly to improve because with experience, one gets a better sense of the game, and sound decision-making thus becomes easy. This is where tournament and match game experiences becomes crucial. The STQ teams (of Sequel Sta Ana) became a strong team not by playing against other teams, but by playing serious match games against each other. This is true for the BT players as well, as they take their games seriously, even when it is not a tournament or a match game.

Another advantage that NoMets Team has over other teams is their undeniable pride as BT players have given them extra reason to be the best. Add to that the determination to prove all their haters that despite their angas, they have the skills to compensate for it.

So did I enjoy "fraternizing with the enemy" (as a friend put it)? Let's just say I don't consider them my enemies anymore.
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Poll: Who is the team to beat this Kadayawan DCG?

Obviously, without contest, BoyzTrek's NoMets Team is the strongest contender to be the champion for the Kadayawan Davao Cyber Games. Being the current DCG Champion gives them great advantage and more determination to win the next tournament.

However, Cybermix Cafe's TC Clan has time and time again, beaten NoMets at their home turf nonetheless. Meanwhile, Jimber's Cafe's 50ph has been consistently showing their strength. In fact, no less then NoMets conceded that 50ph gave them a good scare during the DCG semi-fnals round, and a lot of gamers have hailed 50ph as the most improved team. On the other hand, Sequel's STQ2 emerged as the DCG dark horse as they outlived the more known STQ team.

So this time around, which among the four is really the team to beat? Discuss!!!
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Electronic Entertainment 07: Davao Cyber Games - Kadayawan Edition Updates

Tentative Schedule:

Eliminations: August 4 - 12, 2007

August 17, 2007 - Warcraft DoTA-Allstars Version 6.43b, 5 vs 5 Finals
August 18, 2007 - StarCraft, 1 vs 1 Finals
August 19, 2007 - Counterstrike Version 1.6, 5 vs 5 Finals

All finals matches will be held at the Ground Floor of NCCC Mall of Davao City.

Registration will be online at the E2-Events Website starting tomorrow, July 19, 2007. Limited slots are available.

This event is organized by E2-Events.
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Davao Cyber Expo: Davao Cyber Games 2007 Finals Match Line-ups

We all know that BoyzTrek's NoMets Team decimated Cybermix Cafe's TC Clan. Here's the teams' line up of heroes that they used during the very exciting finals match:

NoMets


Akasha, Kel 'Thuzad, Nevermore, Leoric, Ulfsaar

vs


Akasha, Crixalis, Magnus, Jakiro, Viper


TC Clan

NoMets line-up showed signs of weakness at the early part of the game, but eventually came on strong and aggressive towards the end of the game. TC Clan's line-up was more of a combination skills line-up, while NoMets' focused on having strong laning and farming heroes. You think TC Clan even stood a chance???
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Kadayawan Cyber Games Tournament

E2-Events is inviting all gamers to another cyber games tournament this Kadayawan Season to be held at the NCCC Mall, on August 17 - 19, 2007. Games to be played at CounterStrike (5 vs 5), StarCraft ( 1 vs 1), and DoTA All-Stars (5 vs 5). Only the championship games will be held at the NCCC Mall. Eliminations will be on August 4 - 12, 2007. Venues for the elimination rounds will be announced at a later date.

All players are required to pay a fee of P100 (per player, per event) to register, including two optional substitutes per team. Only registered substitute players may play during the tournament.

Grand prizes are currently pegged at PhP5,000, but may be increased eventually.

Tournament rules, registration, and other details will be online at the E2-Events website within the week.

GLHF!!!
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From TJ Elmore, DCE/DCG Organizer

In the spirit of fairness, I am posting a comment from TJ Elmore, a DCE/DCG Organizer. He wrote it in response to my article regarding professional gaming in Davao City originally posted in my other blog.

First of all, thank you for posting your thoughts. It’s a big help for us the organizers to get outside perspective of the event.

It’s true that there were some hurdles, changes, and other inconsistencies along the way, and it does seem chaotic. But before you conclude publicly and raise “unprofessional” flags on the event organizers or event itself, why not talk to us the organizers to understand why things happened that way?

I say this because such blatant one sided comments presented in a “well made” article such as this, does a lot of damage to the credibility we are trying to impose.

As one of the caretakers of DCE/DCG and visionaries of a healthy well supported gaming culture in davao, I have to say something about this.

For one, you questioned why the author of the constitution was a member of a team participating in the event.

- obviously, we needed a very well experienced DOTA player to write the rules, one that will put a lot of time into it, and one that can easily be reached, etc.. Rioren was one of the best candidates for this and willing to spend time and effort on it.

- now why not someone who is NOT part of a team? Ma’am dont you think most of the BEST players in dota who are candidates for this task will most likely be participating in this huge event? And even if we find one that is not participating now, would he/she accept the fact that if he/she authored the core constitution, he/she can never participate in any DCG-DOTA competition????

- lastly, the constitution is not 100% written by him, it comes from different rule sets and concepts such as the WCG, and other popular tournament systems, which has become widely accepted. Further more, we the game marshals, as well as the organizers made revisions and added our own elements as we see fitting.

- i can list so much more.. but the real question is, WHY NOT JUST ASK US why things are and then write a TWO-SIDED article. .. instead of smudging the “professionalism” and “credibility” of the DCG? Because it’s cleverly written and publicized irresponsible comments like these from people, writers,or the press that sends a bad impression of the event to the general public, and YOU ma’m Ria are one who we least expected would tarnish the reputation we have established and de-value all the hard work and sleepless nights we’ve gone through.

Another example? You’re sighting unprofessional inconsistencies in the eliminations, where others had 3 rounds while others had 1 round only.

- again, there are so many things that took place that you dont even know about. We as “professionals” adjusted to them appropriately, and i don’t see anything wrong with our course of actions, which were fruits from long discussions of several parties.

- there are so many reasons why there were round differences in the different elimination grounds, from time constraints, technical problems, and even FUNDING. You have no idea how much we have already financially sacrificed for this event.

About professionalism in general… there are more to PROFESSIONALISM than what is in the dictionary. I believe road bumps that has transpired can not be avoided, if it it were, there are some other things that will go wrong. But if you judge professionalism by perfection, there is no such a thing. I see professionalism as being professional in the face of imperfections. And that’s what we all exercised IMO.

There are so much more i wish to sight for everyone here in defense of my fellow hard working organizers, and marshals, but i will stop here.

While you have pointed out some very good facts for us to reflect on, there are just some stuffs in here that I PERSONALLY can not swallow, specially from you ma’am Ria, whom i thought, of all people, would understand.

If you need to ask questions, before you write your articles, please, ring us, ring any of the marshals. If you do, perhaps, just maybe, you will be enlightened, and your readers can be as well.

Than you

TJ Elmore
DCE/DCG Organizer
DCE/DCG IT Specialist

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Logitech Gaming-Grade Mice

One of the complaints that I often hear from gamers is how their mouse sucks and how it severely affects their game. That is why when I saw Kutitots' brand new gaming-grade mouse, I was jealous, jealous, jealous like crazy. RAWRRR!

So I did a little prying and found out Logitech, my favorite Mice Innovator has two gaming-grade mice out in the market.

Logitech G3 Laser Mouse

This mouse was designed for ambidextrous gaming which means it can be used with your left hand. It has two sensitivity levels: 800 dpi and 1600 dpi. It is also designed for quick wrist movements and fingertip control. Best of all, it uses DryGrip technology which alleviates the problem of sweaty hands during long games. It requires a Windows Vista, XP or 2000 operating system and a USB port.

Logitech MX 518 Gaming-Grade Optical Mouse

This mouse was constructed with execution in mind. It has an ultra-high resolution with pixel-precise tracking, and an adjustable sensitivity. It has EIGHT (yes, EIGHT) buttons that allows the user to map his favorite controller functions. It has a right-handed comfort grip and a superior grasp that offers long-lasting comfort. It requires a Windows XP or Vista operating system and a USB Port.

Cool, right??? The catch? The price. The G3 Laser Mouse costs $59.99 (approximately PhP 2,800), while the MX 518 Gaming-Grade Optical Mouse is cheaper at $49.99 (app. PhP 2,300).

I want one. Well, I want both. But then again... I guess I have to practice more to deserve either.
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Is Professional Gaming Possible in Davao City?

The Davao Cyber Expo 2007: Davao Cyber Games DoTA Championships (DCE-DCG) held last July 4, 5, and 6, 2007 at the NCCC Mall of Davao City was indeed a big success but marred by much problems and controversy. Organizers Kitsi Avila, Lester Avila and TJ (?) of E2 Events conceptualized the event to raise the level of gaming in the city to a professional one. Although the event may be considered as a success, it still begs the answer to the question that started it all: "Is professional gaming possible in Davao City?" I do not claim to be a veteran gamer, but I believe I can provide more than my two cents worth to this issue.

Dictionary.com lists the following definitions of a professional:
* following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain
* following as a business an occupation ordinarily engaged in as a pastime
* a person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs

While it is laudable that the organizers provided a DoTA Constitution for the players, I question why it was authored by a player who was actively participating in the tournament, and affiliated with more than one team. Although there is technically nothing wrong with that, it would have been a more credible constitution had the author been somebody perceived to be impartial, unbiased and with no direct or indirect interest in the outcome of the tournament.

Moreover, the rules stated in the said constitution were erractically and inconsistently implemented. When my team joined one of the first cafe eliminations at the earlier part of the tournament, the teams were made to play one set against each other in the first round. However, in subsequent cafe eliminations, first round eliminations only consisted of single game matches. There were also times in the course of the entire tournament when the "no coaching" rule was not implemented. Inconsistencies regarding the use of pause, and the saving and loading of games were also observable.

Another problem that consistently cropped up during the eliminations was the lack of respect for time and schedule by the players, and the organizers and marshalls alike. Although delays due to technical problems are acceptable, other schedule delays do not reflect well on the commitment of those involved to raise the level of gaming to a professional level.

The above mentioned problems and other such problems are, to a certain extent, understandable and acceptable given that the DCE-DCG 2007 is the first one of its kind. However, what is really striking for me are the blatant violations of the "trashtalking rule." Article 5 of the DoTA Constitution explicitly states that unsportmanlike behavior, including "excessive shouting" and "any act of disrespect" by the players and teams are causes for disqualification. Despite the heated exchange of words and excessive trashtalking of some teams, not one team was reprimanded, warned, or disqualified due to it. Yes, trashtalking is part of the game. But in order to promote and harbor professional gaming in the city, the gamers themselves must act and play like professionals.

What sets a professional gamer apart from a gamer is how he conducts himself. Being a professional gamer does not only imply earning money from the sport. Rather, it entails discipline and commitment to the betterment rather than stagnation of the sport. What was very disappointing for me was the team that initiated the trashtalking was the best team in the city, the team that already represented the city, and considered by many as professional gamers. It is also frustrating to be at the other end of the trashtalking, while the officials do almost nothing to control the situation.

These aside, there are many other problems and hurdles that the local gaming community has to overcome in order to achieve what it has set out to do. Undeniably, schools and parents are one hurdle that is very difficult to overcome. The perception is gaming is a fruitless endeavor. This might be true for most cases, as most students abandon their studies in order to engage in gaming activities. For this perception to be eased out of the public consciousness, gamers should conduct themselves properly by putting their priorities in order.

Another hurdle that the community has to contend with is the lack of government and corporate support. Luckily for the local gaming community, Davao City officials supported DCE-DCG 2007, and Councilor Leo Avila and the Davao City Government provided financially and logistical support to the event. Councilor Avila even provided excuse letters for the championship participants so they may attend the event.

There were also very limited corporate sponsors to the event. This situation can be easily changed with a constant stream of related activities that would boost the community's media mileage and marketability.

Unfortunately, even some local gaming cafes do not amply support the cause. In fact, several cafes backed out of sponsoring their championship teams, forcing some cafes to sponsor more than one team. Congratulations are in order for the gaming cafes that supported the event: Sequel and Blinque who each fielded two teams, NetExpress, Alizone Internet Cafe 2, BoyzTrek Cafe, Cindrew's Net Cafe, Cybermix Internet Cafe, Darth Gamers, FRB Internet and Business Center, Hyper Bits and Bytes Internet Cafe, Intertouch Cafe, Jimber's Internet Cafe, Macy's Cafe, and Monster Modz Area 64.

Despite the problems, the hurdles, and the difficulties, the DCE-DCG can be considered a big success at many different levels. For one, it challenged a lot of gamers and teams to professionalize and improve their gaming skills. Another important goal it achieved was to increase awareness and promote enthusiasm in the city regarding the campaign to encourage professional gaming. Finally, the event has built a friendly community of gamers ready to assist and support each other, despite the quest to best each other.

So, is professional gaming possible in Davao City? Yes, but we definitely have a long way to go. The tournament might be over, but the journey is still beginning. The more pertinent question is... are you ready to enjoy the ride? I am. NAAAKS! Your thoughts please.

A related video: WCG Philippines Chief Organizer Tjader Regis
This entry is cross-posted from my personal and work blog.
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