Looking at the IEM Oakland teams

Leon Etoile·Nov 17, 2016·3 votes·1,036 views

Extremely underwhelming and not really feeling it. Anyone else?

19 Comments

Miror BNov 17, 20161 votes

Yeah, I personally don't get why they're even doing that (like I understand that IEM wants to try and promote "all" esports, but the fact that TSM is realistically going to win due to the sheer lack of competition just has me feeling rather underwhelmed). Luckily, this week is rich with new video games so I'll probably focus on those as compared to this nonsense.

Colombo16Nov 21, 20161 votes

Well, that just happened

Urgot x BDSMNov 21, 20162 votes

I guess tsm fans live in another reality. "Realistically" FW had much better international performance compared to tsm and they should be considered the favourites.

Miror BNov 21, 20161 votes

[{quoted}](name=Urgot x BDSM,realm=EUW,application-id=9hBQwnEU,discussion-id=H2GEI1QE,comment-id=00000001,timestamp=2016-11-21T13:06:56.872+0000)

I guess tsm fans live in another reality. "Realistically" FW had much better international performance compared to tsm and they should be considered the favourites.

Yeah, just because I took the popular opinion doesn't make me a fanboy. Also, how exactly did FW have a better international performance? Both were #1 seeds who quite a few people had escaping groups, with each of these teams failing for pretty big reasons (FW because they couldn't hold onto their leads properly and TSM because DL chose to randomly take jungle camps while enemies were taking objectives). If we're looking at "hype" of the teams, then we could say TSM had a worse performance. That being said, the idea that NA teams perform terribly at worlds isn't exactly new to us.

Ale non è maleNov 21, 20162 votes

{quoted}

Yeah, just because I took the popular opinion doesn't make me a fanboy. Also, how exactly did FW have a better international performance? Both were #1 seeds who quite a few people had escaping groups

Few people had FW escaping groups after the draw, tbh. SKT was expected to win the group easily (and they did), while FW had to battle with one of the two Western teams from pool 3 and IMAY that was like most Chinese teams an hit or miss but talented roster which could either be great or really poor. In addition to that, LMS seemed way weaker than last season (which ended up being true)

FW didn't have a better international performance that TSM, but the hype between the two teams wasn't even close, some dumb people were calling TSM as top 3-4 team in the Worlds while for FW it was considered a success even repeat their quarterfinals

FlashNekoNov 20, 20161 votes

Well, if you want some drama, I actually think this is the first time TSM and UOL have met since IEM San Jose 2014, which was UOL's debut season and where they beat TSM 2-0. So there's a bit of a potential revenge tale there.

And speaking as a UOL fan, never underestimate them.

Leon EtoileNov 20, 20161 votes

So, 1 match is interesting by your standards... that is a failed event.

Urgot x BDSMNov 21, 20162 votes

Fv vs Uol was much more entertaining than most of the bo5s we had at worlds

Leon EtoileNov 21, 20161 votes

I got bored and stopped watching at times due to all the technical problems.. I'd disagree as a UoL fan.

Ale non è maleNov 20, 20161 votes

The problem is that this IEM tournament highlight what is fundamentally wrong with third party organizers in LOL and why third party tournament are not a thing in West (EU luckily is in a far better situation than NA because national tournaments foster competition and give a bare minimum of fanbase to have some continental tournament)

The problem is not much the quality of the teams in the event, the real problem is: WHY should I watch these games? What is their meaning - and the same can be said for their showmatch, why the hell should I care about two ULOL teams and not even the best ones if I'm not a NA viewer - ?

I mean, everyone want to see more international competition, but not in the way it is done. This is just a bunch of random teams pulled out from the ones that didn't refuse the invitation, there isn't a narrative about why those teams get there and what is the different meaning of it for the teams to compete in

Try to simply mimicking Worlds do not work because since a single Worlds exist in the current schedule no tournament will reach its importance, so they should aim to show something different. If you try to do the IEM way, the quality will vary depending on the quality of teams accepting the invitation (and for example I think semifinals and finals will be interesting at this IEM, and next IEM could be even better if teams don't pull out), but it will never be considered as close as an MSI or Worlds for importance because you don't get a reason why you should care

Earl EulrichNov 20, 20161 votes

ah well, always nice to see UoL

but i really would have appreciated if they just played it on the preseason patch - IEM is not really comeptitive compared to LCS/worlds-cicle and that way they could have made it a lot more exciting.

Ale non è maleNov 20, 20161 votes

[{quoted}](name=Don Eulrich,realm=EUW,application-id=9hBQwnEU,discussion-id=H2GEI1QE,comment-id=0003,timestamp=2016-11-20T20:21:14.802+0000)

ah well, always nice to see UoL

but i really would have appreciated if they just played it on the preseason patch - IEM is not really comeptitive compared to LCS/worlds-cicle and that way they could have made it a lot more exciting.

They should just move IEM farther in the calendar and compress the break between one IEM event and the other given that different teams compete into the various events and that before the end of November there are a lot of teams without estabilished roster because of contract deadlines on LCS and Asians teams doing their tryouts/scouting and they could get preseason patch on Tournament client

Earl EulrichNov 21, 20161 votes

yea, i really think they´d do themselves a favour - being the first international event on a new season-patch would certainly get them a lot more attention than having a bunch of mid-tier-teams fighting it out in a techinically challenged tournament.

That being said, i really enjoyed that one though - for me it UoL vs TSM and vs FW had been a lot more entertaining to watch than worlds this year (really can´t stand seeing all the teams underperforming at worlds vs SKT again and again just to beat them handily in the Kespa some weeks later).

Ale non è maleNov 22, 20161 votes

[{quoted}](name=Don Eulrich,realm=EUW,application-id=9hBQwnEU,discussion-id=H2GEI1QE,comment-id=000300000000,timestamp=2016-11-21T21:55:13.311+0000)

yea, i really think they´d do themselves a favour - being the first international event on a new season-patch would certainly get them a lot more attention than having a bunch of mid-tier-teams fighting it out in a techinically challenged tournament.

The thing isn't even about the patch, it is the fact that more teams will have roster available to compete + they will not conflict with the major off-season tournament in the east - KeSPA Cup in KR and Demacia Cup and Nest in CN -

To be honest I think they should just change their format overall because there is no sense of progression that make you care from neutrtal perspective about the teams competing in IEM (then you can have interesting games and people and get sucked in like what UOL and partially FW were capable to do, but that's a different thin)

KVbqbFsC8eNov 21, 20161 votes

It was the worst tournament I can remember seeing.

Leon EtoileNov 21, 20162 votes

Are you judging it on the matches or problems or both?

KVbqbFsC8eNov 21, 20161 votes

The matches were OK, and the final series going to 5 games was cool I guess. But the quality of the tournament itself was awful. There weren't any really good teams, and the constant pauses and delays reached a ridiculous level.

Leon EtoileNov 21, 20161 votes

In an interview, UOL Move said enemy teams comms were coming in their channel as well..

KVbqbFsC8eNov 21, 20161 votes

Yeah, the production was absolutely horrible.