Tuesday, May 7, 2013

My Beef with Tralf

This has been slowly building up over the past 3 or so months, and I'm pretty tired of being asked about it on streams, on skype, and even by fucking text message; and I'm just gonna air it out on my last blog post on hongossip before I move to the stayGreen website. So here goes:

I never really understood why Tralf decided to get so mad at me for seemingly no reason. At first I thought it was because I blogged here about him. Shortly after those blogs went public I started to get people coming to my stream telling me that Tralf called me a faggot. Understandable, I guess in some way, as I had basically outed his intentions of playing competitive HoN again. But at the same time, I wasn't really posting anything in an inflammatory way about the guy.. just the information I was getting. And it's not like I was the first and only person who was talking about it.

Then I posted the second blog post, which speculates about him posting under the name T90ly, where T90ly (who is supposedly Tralfs former roommate) praises Tralfamadore in a few threads and also disparages his at the time teammates, including current (assumed) teammates; Moonmeander and Bkid. I ended the post saying that if it were actually Tralf posting on T90ly it wouldn't surprise me. Again, this is hardly anything offensive.

My third post about Tralfamadore was about his very controversial exit of the clan One Trick Pony, which lead to a flurry of hate posts on the HoN forums. I simply picked posts out of the threads and left some remarks as to what I thought about the posts in general, as well as had some very obvious sarcastic comments like:

 "Luckily for OTP, CM decided to let Xibbe have Chipper both in both games 2 and 3, leading me to believe that Milkfat asked CM to throw to allow OTP to stay in Diamond while cursing the name of Tralfamadore under his breath."

Again, nothing really spiteful or even untrue. Everything I posted about Tralf quitting the team and the way he did it was completely factual, which was supported in the fourth blog post about Znoowy's response on the official HoN forums.

So, as this continues on, I start losing focus on HoN Gossip. Yet while streaming I keep getting people coming to twitch.tv/S2phil and telling me stories about Tralfamadore talking copious amount of shit.

"Phil is a sad person. He's such a faggot. Why would someone who got fired still try to support the company by keeping the S2 name. Why is this person still allowed to be on podcasts. I can't stand the guy."

The entire time, I'm thinking about my history with Tralfamadore. So I'm gonna talk about it here. I never really knew Tralf that well when he was in SK. I was pretty friendly with Cardinal and we TMM'd in low brackets every now and then. Sometimes I would see Tralf but never really talked to him until we launched NASL Season 2. Of course by that time I was working for S2 Games but it hadn't been made public (Honcast was acquired by S2 Games in July 2011). My times talking with Tralfamadore were pretty minimal as Swindle was the captain of the team, but we spoke every now and then. I started to get more involved with the event coordination of things and Breaky mostly took over the administrative roles for NASL and I basically tried to back him whenever I could but my heart was mostly in casting the games and working with the marketing team on the new Honcast studio, the NASL Finals and the upcoming  MSI Beat IT tournament which would lead into Dreamhack Winter 2011.

I knew that Dreamhack Winter was going to be my last Dreamhack spent casting, as things were getting rough around the office with the Director of eSports position. So when Dreamhack Winter 2011 rolled around, I made sure that I started talking with the players. I made sure to meet with Bkid, Sender, Tralf, Swindle, and all of the vocal members of the competitive community who were in attendance. I wanted them to know that things were in the right hands now, and even though I said a lot of things and made a lot of promises that took a long time to appear, I truthfully meant what I said. I wanted the best for those players and for competitive Heroes of Newerth. In December when I was appointed as the interim Competitive Director I tried my best to show that I could be of worth as more than a shoutcaster, and in January after a successful CES event I was offered the position full time. I knew that I had to get out of the casting role because the scene had been left in complete shambles. This is a bit off-topic but I want it to be said here plainly: It takes time to plan events guys, especially at the time because S2's upper management wasn't really buying into the eSports/marketing venture after watching NASL's 3 week turn around post production errors.

I knew that we needed to make a change and some of the competitors were already on the move. Rumors of Fnatic leaving for DOTA 2 lit the fire under our asses at the office, and I can't count the amount of times that Breaky came into my office asking "what can we do to save HoN." This was around the time when I left casting and Breaky was stuck with the King of the Hill tournament that we were trying to get off the ground but the teams were just so unstable due to lack of events. This is also the time when Breaky started casting with Zyori. Now, I don't want to sound like a huge dick, but I was never a fan of Zyori's casting. I didn't think he was a better caster than me. Maybe a better main caster and certainly a better cameraman, but he didn't bring anything dynamic to the team and when they were talking about bringing him on I was not a fan. Want to know who I was advocating before he even expressed interest?

Tralf.

It doesn't really matter though, because he didn't know that and I'm sure my desire to have Tralf brought to Honcast wouldn't have made any influence at all into the hiring decision, but I'm still gonna put it out there. I was supporting Tralf before he asked for my opinion on him possible casting. When Tralf and team sent in their deck to Complexity Gaming do you know who they asked first about the team? Yep, it was me. I told them, they will be the best team in HoN for you to pick up. This is the only team who can give Fnatic a run for their money. Ask Jason Lake or Jason Bass, Tralf, ask them what I said about you personally. That you were a stand up guy who could lead your team to success.

Then Dreamhack Summer 2012 rolled around and man we had problems. Not Tralf and I, but the tournament had problems. I'm not gonna go into why, but still, we all toughed it out. Tralf and I would go out and smoke cigarettes during breaks and just shoot the shit. He asked me about the quality of life at S2, and I told him he would be a great addition. I wanted my friends to get hired at S2, because who wouldn't? Who wouldn't want to have that kind of work environment. And so it was. You got the job as the new co-caster and we all couldn't wait for you to get there.

And when you got there everything seemed great. We talked all the time at the office, I even offered you and Lisa the option to sleep in the spare bedroom that I had if your apartment wasn't ready. When I left, I sold you a $1,500 bed and box spring for $200 because I wanted to help  you out. I know my desk and chair weren't in the best shape, but I offered them to you for free, because that's what friends do.

So tell me Mark, at what point did I get "annoying." At what point did I wrong you so badly that "you can't stand the sound of my voice?"

I might troll, and I might be caught in a place where I'm in love with a game that is run by a company that hates me, I might play Legionnaire every game and still be fucking awful at it... but those are my problems.. not yours. To my recollection, between the two of us, we've never had words. Nothing but a smile, some light humor, HoN talk and bummed cigarettes ever passed between us... yet I get to hear things like this:

http://www.twitch.tv/tralf/b/398769032?t=30m30s

Listen to yourself.

Congratulations. You've won the hearts of 1,000 stream viewers, all the YEA PHIL SUCKS and LOL'S PHIL FAIL LEGIONNAIRE comments are the wind beneath your wings. But remember, that guy who "you don't like" was always one of your biggest supporters. I'm sure you won't lose any sleep over this; but once HoN is gone, once your ability to press buttons on a keyboard has faded away, I hope those people will still be there...

Because I won't be.

38 comments:

  1. Damn.. really deep.

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  2. So sad :( sorry phil for his mean words.

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  3. Sorry Phill, but can you really trust people on your stream chat on the internet? Even if they're right... could be some distortion of some kind. I don't think he dislikes you, and ya, his phrasing was pretty mean, but I don't think he means to bash you specifically, he was just giving feedback of the show, I don't think he meant to be mean to you. I feel like he's like swindle sometimes, is a dick even if he doesnt mean to. Off topic, I partially agree with him about the show. The one with emperor you and liv was pretty good better than the last one, but I kind of agree with him that your insight is needed but not of the game, but of the business part of how s2 works, predictions and that kind of stuff. Anyway, hope I made myself clear. Best regards, Phill.

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    1. lol what?

      I watched about 20 seconds of that drivel before I turned it off, but his first sentence is "its not because I dislike Phil, but I do"

      He's like 28 years old, has no education, no real life skills, was a substitute music teacher prior to getting into HON, acts like a baby, and is a huge faggot.

      There's nothing you can do that will punish him more than his shitty life already does.

      Delete
  4. Sorry Phill, but can you really trust people on your stream chat on the internet? Even if they're right... could be some distortion of some kind. I don't think he dislikes you, and ya, his phrasing was pretty mean, but I don't think he means to bash you specifically, he was just giving feedback of the show, I don't think he meant to be mean to you. I feel like he's like swindle sometimes, is a dick even if he doesnt mean to. Off topic, I partially agree with him about the show. The one with emperor you and liv was pretty good better than the last one, but I kind of agree with him that your insight is needed but not of the game, but of the business part of how s2 works, predictions and that kind of stuff. Anyway, hope I made myself clear. Best regards, Phill.

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  5. come on u dont have to be better than or nearly as good as kobe bryant to comment on kobe's play
    what obvious is that every game col has picked hammer > hammer got a shit load of farm > col lost

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  6. Sorry Phill, but can you really trust people on your stream chat on the internet? Even if they're right... could be some distortion of some kind. I don't think he dislikes you, and ya, his phrasing was pretty mean, but I don't think he means to bash you specifically, he was just giving feedback of the show, I don't think he meant to be mean to you. I feel like he's like swindle sometimes, is a dick even if he doesnt mean to. Off topic, I partially agree with him about the show. The one with emperor you and liv was pretty good better than the last one, but I kind of agree with him that your insight is needed but not of the game, but of the business part of how s2 works, predictions and that kind of stuff. Anyway, hope I made myself clear. Best regards, Phill.

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  7. People still care about that manchild????

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  8. First off Tralf is a 26 year old man child, piece of shit who talks more trash then most teenagers during a football game. I dont know anything about what went on between you 2 and it sounds like you really tryed to be friendly and he is just being a dick but on 1 point he is right.

    Phil you do not get the game. This is not to be mean or a huge dick or anything but it is a fact that very few people get anything at the highest level of play that be a computer game or anything else. You have never played HON compeetively, you have never played at the higest level of play and you dont know the game. This is not an issue because you know alot of other shit but he is right that you do not get the game.

    I personally think that you should try to make less direct statements and more ask the other people their opinion while giving your own but that is not for me to deside. But point of the matter is that HON is a tiny game and most people suck and even top teams suck and makes tons of mistakes. Sucking and making mistakes is not an issue as long as you know this and are 100% aware of it. IMHO :)

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  9. "get someone more credible on the show, honestly. Get someone that knows something about HoN, and doesn't play anything but legionnaire and still fail every single game. That (phil) is my main beef with that podcast" -tralfamadore 2013

    He's right, and thats all he was harping on. Your competitive insight is garbage, your presence on the podcasts is only to be a personality and to discuss general HoN happenings. But you waste our time offering bullshit and uneducated opinions on your view of strategy, pickings, and high level jargon that is entirely out of your level of understanding or experience. Tralf isn't going to just ignore the fact that you dilute a potentially good podcast with your useless shit. Know your place.

    And this melodrama is just pathetic.

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  10. Who best moon testie

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    1. You know, that's a really tough question. I mean, to begin with these 2 both played with Tralfamadore. Both have had around the same level of success. Not to mention the gravity of the exclusion derived from the international HoN scene in and as of about to negotiate the terms resonating from the people. All for the retaliation. When you have this in mind, you quickly get closer and closer to the answer, but never really finding it!

      Who better moon testie - so simple, and yet so complex.

      Delete
    2. That reply brought a tear to my eye. *cry* :'(

      Delete
  11. good read as always

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  12. My point was not him calling me out for not knowing shit about the game. I don't know anything about the game. My point of writing this is not understanding why he "doesn't like me" and why he resorts to calling me a faggot and bashing me on his stream to make himself feel better.

    To make it clear for you: Yes, I agree with him saying that I don't know anything about the game.

    To make it clear for you: I wrote this because I don't understand why Tralf turned into a massive cockgoblin when I did nothing to deserve it.

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    1. From what I saw he started calling you a faggot on his stream after the realtalk podcast where you called him out for what happened with OTP and other things hes done in the past such as raging at zfreek for not ulting while he was level 5.

      Delete
  13. Tralf is a disgusting raging little faggot with no education. This is not news. We ALL know this.

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  14. Guys what if tralf joined OTP to sabotage the team? Werent OTP one of the biggest competitors for ttes in hontour? I mean it makes no sense that he joined a EU team with people he hardly even knew and had very limited success with, didnt tralf even admit that they were losing almost all of their scrims and it wasnt looking good at all? So why would he join OTP when it wasnt looking good at all? He obviously would of fit better in ttes or even 007 in the first place. Heard this rumour in twitch chat, but it kinda makes sense in my mind, tho I dont think tralf would do this kind of stuff. Still didnt he join ttes like a day after he left OTP?

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  15. who better testie moon

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  16. Let me get this straight: You continuously posted negative assumptions on your garbage blog about him, and you are surprised that he starts thinking you are an annoying slob? What the fuck LOL. Are you that retarded?

    If your "friend" posts random shit on facebook behind your back saying you are gay, or you are a douche bag and whatnot, would you still be cool with your "friend"? Holy shit get a fucking clue rofl. It doesn't matter if you are posting facts fucktard, you are causing negative assumptions about him, of course he wouldn't like you, use your fucking brain fat ass.

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  17. Who better testie moon

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    Replies
    1. You know, that's a really tough question. I mean, to begin with these 2 both played with Tralfamadore. Both have had around the same level of success. Not to mention the gravity of the exclusion derived from the international HoN scene in and as of about to negotiate the terms resonating from the people. All for the retaliation. When you have this in mind, you quickly get closer and closer to the answer, but never really finding it!

      Who better moon testie - so simple, and yet so complex.

      Delete
  18. Thanks for a full on asshole-page against me, thank you Phil. - s2

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  19. It's funny how people harp on phil for not having 'competitive insight' as if you have to be a pro to follow competitive hon? That's beside the point anyway. Phil is one of the few people in the hon community that actually does something, I don't see tralf going on the podcast or providing any kind of content whatsoever. Stay green have produced more content and videos than honcast or fukin anyone else in the space of about a month, we'll see who gets remembered in a year's time when tralf hasn't produced shit or won a single tournament and stay green's website is full of content and they're still winning tournaments because they don't rage quit their team every 2 weeks.

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    Replies
    1. Swindle is on the podcast why would tralf be there..

      Delete
  20. Phil you were released from your duties at S2 because you lacked the skills to do your job. You were relevant but now you're anything but. Maybe if you weren't a biased admin and showed any sort of professionalism, you would still be working at S2 instead of balding and working behind the counter at McDonalds. It seems to me that you write these little articles to take your mind off what is a lack of purpose you have in life.

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  21. The reason tralf made those comments is because the only hero you kno how to play is legionnaire yet you fucking suck at that hero. Tralf plays it 100x better than you so therefore his criticism has merit. Just do us a favor and stop affiliating yourself with HoN. You are an embarrassment both as a player and as a human being.

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  22. lol youre just as shady as tralf, phil. what happened to hating swindle? you all lack integrity like 16 year old highschoolers. pick a side and stick to it. assholes. inb4 sg and phil go separate ways and swindle & phil talk shit on each other.

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    1. Phil just rides the cock of whoever he can in hopes of being relevant again.

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  23. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1HH7EHEMdE


    phil did u see new testie rage?

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    1. its more like hes doing it on purpose to entertain his stream since its so boring and calm

      Delete
  24. You don't have to play on the highest level to know what you are talking about in terms of strategy. That's like saying you need to be a master painter in order to know art or that sportscasters don't know what they are talking about because they've never played the game professionally. In fact, most professional athletes who themselves becomes sportscasters are dull and completely off retarded in their assessment of a live game.

    Tralf's claim to fame was that short period in time when Fnatic left and TDM picked up a pubstar by the name of MoonMeander and managed to win a ravaged HoN competitive scene. Before that he was constantly getting pub stomped by top tier teams and ragequitting. Just ask AngryTestie and Swindlemelonzz how Tralf is, they'll vouch for his complete lack of self control. Heck, ask OTP.

    However, Tralf made a great co-caster beside Breaky (better than Phil). Because while he lacks the emotional stability and even-tempered composure to be successful competitively, he is insightful when he can analyze a game in hindsight and without bias. Honestly, I am a Complexity fanboy, I've always wanted them to win but this is the nature of the beast. They should spend less time talking shit and more time actually figuring out ways to beat Stay Green.

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  25. Best post you have had yet Phil. Tralf has obviously proved himself to be a very good HoN player who has no concept of future. It hasn't caught up with him yet but it will eventually, probably in real life. The thing is he was a troll before honcast and kind of a pompus asshole. It is good for the scene to have controversial players but not when you become a professional representing a company. Then HoNcast still worked out because he was such a good caster. Even while at HoNcast he trolled and ghosted Swindle and fed so Swindle would lose. Still showing immaturity. Then he quits to move, and joins a team and quits. Then amazingly a spot opens up at COL and he joins again(after stint with TTES which failed after he joined).

    All in all it turns out that so far Phil, we are wrong. His immaturity and disregard for anything but the present hasnt caught up with him. It will, because outside of HoN people dont care how damn good you are and you cant hide behind a screen. Your resume cannot contain references of fan boys or 13 year olds. You cant put down jobs which you left after two weeks. Life works differently. Maybe tralf proves us wrong and stays pro in Esports forever, but even then its a sad situation when a mid twenties guy still acts like the majority of 14 year olds on a MOBA.

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  26. You sound butthurt, Phil

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