Boards›Esports

Quality of NALCS Commentary is going downhill

RzRolling·2/18/2019, 5:55:54 PM·1 votes·1,145 views

I feel the quality of commentary in the NALCS has gone down really poorly in LCS Games. I am not sure if it is the meta where real enthusiasm lacks and commentators do not have anything great to say because there is nothing happening in the game or the commentary lacks some additional humor. Like PapaSmithy's games are always awesome whether that may be the most boring or stomp game ever but they will make it feel that it was such an insane one-sided game and present the dominance of the winning team with their voice.

I feel Azael is really focused on narrating macro games to viewers that it is hard for us to see his enthusiasm for the game. We are not seeing Jatt in casting role much often and needs to do that because he truly has the magic in his voice to make a game sound amazing because we can see his love for the game and his positive attitude. But when the game has Azael, Kobe and Phreak’s partnership, more often than not there is no intensity to the game or again in musical terms no 'tension' in the game. They narrate the game so much as that we do not feel the joy from their game narration. They feel like someone who loves the game but hate their job.

I am not being negative. Please take this as positive feedback. I want the quality of NALCS commentary to improve. I am imbecile and do not understand the complexity of difficult job of a caster. I am an end viewer who just wants a good experience from the game i love. I may never remotely come close to understanding how difficult the job of esports casters are but as a viewer, I will compare people with other casters who are doing a great job in their role just like casters compare players from a good team to someone who is under-performing.

I think we need more of Jatt in the caster role and avoid partnership of Azael/Phreak/Kobe a bit more than the current airtime because they sound really one dimensional or in musical terms it feels like we are hearing the same musical chord for 5 minutes and it's monotonous. Azael should focus more on being light-hearted, joyful and enjoying the game he is narrating. Kobe is also really good and his voice refreshes but I think he needs to have a reliable duo who will have fun with him. Even the new LCK casters seem like they are enjoying the game they are watching. LEC has the best casters right now, where the European casters take the roof of the place with their intensity and narration. Look at OWL and our ex casters such as Monty and Doa.

Please take this as positive feedback. I love the game.

3 Comments

AKASlackker2/19/2019, 3:31:42 PM2 votes

It should be noted, if it hasn't been already, that Jatt has moved out of casting altogether. He's on the game design team now. It may be true that the team is just trying to find a new equilibrium.

GeminiRune2/19/2019, 12:03:18 PM1 votes

Thing is the LCK and LPL - if we're drawing straws here have - have always had a more cutthroat casting sense. It's no unknown trend to them because once upon a time both regions played a rather freelance card when it came to casting games.

In the other side of the coin, the viewer can't just have the cake and eat it. You'll get one viewer who will say be critical like past Krepo, Frosk, or even LS but you'll get another who will say "augh swearing! Unrelated game talk! Be professional!"

I think your rant happens to fall on the side of preferring the edginess which is something almost never synonymous among LCS casters not named Phreak; but people don't like him much anyway based on what obversation I know...which isn't much. Grain of salt.

Yara02/22/2019, 8:41:19 AM1 votes

Havent watched any Pro scene this season yet but from what i remember EuLCS was alot more enjoyable to listen to.

I think part of the bad casting though is just the game state. Nothing surprising same picks same bans same strategy same dance around baron for 40 mins then win the game when you get it shit its hard to make something super boring really fun to watch. You wont find many casters capable of making a situation like that fun to watch.