With the the final touches being put on the compLexity Gamma Gamers House, we sat down with coL.SC2 player Michael “goswser” Dobler, who talks about what he expects from his new home in Houston, Texas as well as his plans for the remainder of the year.
To start things off, give a quick introduction for people who may not know too much about you.
My name is Michael Dobler, I’m 19 years old, and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. I play under the tag “goswser,” and have been playing StarCraft II since it came out in the beta.
What is the main goal you would like to work towards during your stay at the Gamma Gamers House? While we’re at it, what are your goals for the remainder of 2012?
The Gamma House is one of the few pro-gaming houses in North America. I think that my play will become more refined and I will improve faster when practicing in this environment with my teammates.
TotalBiscuit recently made some comments about how foreign teams with team houses tend to have a much more relaxed atmosphere than their Korean competition. Do you think this is a valid claim? If so, how do you plan on not falling into the same trap? Will you stick to a strict training schedule or is there some other method that you have in mind?
I thought TotalBiscuit’s claim regarding foreign houses being more relaxed was mostly referring to the EG house. I will be practicing as much as possible every day, and will be sticking to a strict training schedule.
What is the main goal you would like to work towards during your stay at the Gamma Gamers House? While we’re at it, what are your goals for the remainder of 2012?
My main goal is to become the best player I can be. For the remainder of 2012, I want to do as well as I can at each offline tournament of course, but I also want to win more online tournaments. I heard Violet won more Playhem tournaments than anyone else, and one of my other goals is to win more Playhem tournaments than him by the end of 2012. I think he has won about 30 so far, so I want to win more than that.
With your moving into the Gamma House, there comes a more involved team setting that you’ll be a part of. What sort of things are you hoping to learn from Kevin (qxc), Josh (TriMaster), and eventually Chad (Minigun) to help further your game?
The Gamma House has the advantage of hosting players with a lot of experience. Kevin has some of the best insight on the game of any pro-gamer. Also both Kevin and Josh have trained in pro-gaming houses before, so I think their experiences can be utilized to develop a successful training regimen.
Living with your teammates and waking up to play with them everyday is a dream to some people. What would you say are you most looking forward to living in a house with people who have the same passion?
Living with my teammates and waking up to play the game we love everyday is a dream for many SC2 players. I’m most looking forward to training with my teammates and helping each other improve. I look forward to taking compLexity to multiple team league victories in the coming year.
What kind of practice do you prefer, do you ladder a lot or do you like grinding games with practice partners, something that a house environment is very conducive to?
In the past I have mainly practiced through ladder, but being in a team house allows for grinding games with the others in the team house, something that I will definitely be taking advantage of. I think either way can be successful, and more importantly you are constantly playing with the best mindset and focusing on improving your play with each game.
Living in a team house can also add on a lot of pressure on to you for better results. Do you feel any additional pressure moving into the team house? If so, how do you plan to deal with the pressure?
I will be pressuring myself for results and improvement more than anyone else can pressure me. I plan to deal with the pressure by practicing more and trying harder than anyone else in the scene.
The Gamma House is in Houston, Texas. Have you ever been away from home before, do you have any regrets as you move into the house? You are still in college so are you only planning on staying for the summer?
I was away from home last year for college. I’m planning on taking some time off from college to pursue my dream. I’ve thought about this for a long time, and I decided that pursuing my dream is what is most important to me. Not many people have this opportunity and I will be taking full advantage of it. If I don’t succeed then I will resume college, but while this opportunity exists I’ll be training every day more than anyone else in the world to prove that dreams can come true.
Finally, which member of coL do you think is the best at cooking? What do you think will be on the menu during your stay?
I heard that Team MVP had a rule where the player who was lowest in in-house ranking matches had to do the cooking. Therefore I expect Josh (TriMaster) to be very good at cooking by now, so hopefully we can convince him to make food. If not, I’ll be trying out my mom’s meatloaf recipes.
We certainly wish you the best during your stay, is there anything else you would like to say?
I promise that I will strive to succeed and improve from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep. If I don’t have more ladder games than everyone else in the world by the end of next season, I will be disappointed in myself. If I am not practicing more than everyone else than I am wasting the opportunity that is only made possible by the dedication of the compLexity management. Watch for me in the future as I intend on proving to everyone what true commitment to a dream can achieve.