A hysterical interview
Last night I caught up with _hysteria_ on GPGNet. He was very amicable and allowed me to ask him a bunch of questions. Hysteria is one of the cadre of uber-dedicated players with over 500 ranked games played. For these guys it’s not so much about maximizing win-loss ratio or making every game count. It’s really about a love of the game and playing it as often as humanly possible. And of course, with that much experience playing the game, you can’t help but be good. Here’s my interview with Hysteria (edited for web presentation):
CydeWeys: Hi. I’m CydeWeys from SupComTalk and I was wondering if you’d spend a little bit of time talking with me. I can’t help but notice how many games you’ve played! What’s your secret?
Hysteria: A sabbatical from working life and a strange addiction to SupCom. I have a start date with a new employer because I’m making a move into another area of work, from private sector telecommunications into the public sector. And so it’s giving me some free time.
CydeWeys: Ah, so you’re temporarily unemployed. That would explain it. I just watched a replay of you against Unconquerable. You won against him on Winters Duel. Quite the surprise. How did you pull that off? I noticed air power appears to be key on that map.
Hysteria: It’s well known that early air makes or breaks that map. But I think my strong point was the second air factory. We were about even until that started making interceptors too. As soon as I had enough in the air to cover his air space, it was time to switch one air factory to bombers.
CydeWeys: So if you could give anyone just one tip about that map, it’d be get air units quickly and in massive numbers?
Hysteria: I don’t think it can be generalised like that. My build order against Cybran, for example, is completely different, because Sky Slammers destroy air units.
CydeWeys: How do you play differently against Cybrans on Winters Duel?
Hysteria: I will only use one air factory, and that’s just to keep my air space clear and make scouts. You have to go heavier land and tech race to T3 versus Cybran.
CydeWeys: I noticed you using a lot of scouts. What’s up with that?
Hysteria: Scouts, both land-based and air, are the key to this game. From an air perspective they tie up interceptors. I was building scouts at a ratio of 7:1, so 7 interceptors for each scout. Plus the range of sight on them is helpful. Their view covers about one-fourth of Winters Duel. So fly down the middle and you have full view of the map [ed note: wouldn't that be one half of the map?].
CydeWeys: So they’re damage sponges. For cheaper.
Hysteria: Yes basically. And given that air dominance can win that map, if they have more targets than you, you’re in trouble. If you don’t use scouts, you are leaving yourself open to the lottery that is air combat in this game.
CydeWeys: Yeah, it’s very random. So I’ll have to remember to stick some scouts in my build order. So, what kind of insight do you have on other maps? Obviously you play Winters Duel a lot; any other map-specific starts?
Hysteria: I have multiple starts for most maps. It really does come down to who I am playing and what faction they using.
CydeWeys: It sounds like you’ve really honed this down to a robotic art. Playing that many games, I guess you have everything really planned out.
Hysteria: I review for game Replays too. So I see lots of replays. And this can give you ideas of things certain opponents might throw at you. When you see a player start with the same build order in five matches, for example, it’s a fair bet they will use it in a sixth. So I play against that.
CydeWeys: After the initial build order stage, how well would you rank yourself at adapting to novel enemy strategies? You know, once the game has evolved to T2 and beyond?
Hysteria: With ample scouting you will always know what you should be doing. I think generally I am good at adapting, and certainly getting better. But I still fall into some mistakes.
CydeWeys: So how many different build orders do you have planned out for any given map?
Hysteria: Build order wise I’d say I have two build orders, although the units and factories can alter.
CydeWeys: Are the build orders anti-Cybran and anti-others? (And anyone can learn these build orders just by watching your replays, of course.)
Hysteria: Essentially they are a majority land based or majority air based, so, kind of. The golden rule versus Cybran is.. air doesnt work well.
CydeWeys: It’s kind of lame that the score menu gives up your opponent’s faction at the very beginning of the game. So you can plan your strategy from 0:01. Versus scouting being necessary.
Hysteria: Clearly its personal opinion but I think the only thing wrong with the scoreboard, and this will sound daft, is the score. Replace it with unit kills or something and I would have no objection to faction or name coming up.
CydeWeys: Are there any other tips or suggestions you have stemming from your expansive SupCom multiplayer experience?
Hysteria: Talk to the better players, this community is very open and not as elitist as most you will find. They will give tips and play games with you. And USE THE REPLAY VAULT!
CydeWeys: So you don’t really consider yourself a great player?
Hysteria: I’m inconsistent, until that changes i would say I’m good but not great. My rating is very much a yo-yo-type affair. Up and down it goes :) I got to 19th at my best, then dropped out of the top 100, then back up.
CydeWeys: Oh, one more, if you don’t mind answering: How old are you? I’m trying to get a sense of the average age limit.
Hysteria: I’m 24.
CydeWeys: That’s par for the course around here. SupCom seems to have an older fanbase than most games. I.e. not quite so many teens. It’s more advanced gameplay, probably.
Hysteria: It’s because most are ex-TAers. And the average age for that was 14-16. I’m an old TA player.
CydeWeys: Do you exclusively play Aeon?
Hysteria: In ranked I do.. I’d like to play random for the challenge but until all the factions are on an even footing it’s not worth it.
CydeWeys: Oh, what’s with the underscores? Is that a clan thing?
Hysteria: You’re about the 478497th person to ask me that. And as I said to all the others… I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you :P
CydeWeys: Ah, so it’s the EAC’s clan tag. Got it.
Hysteria: EAC?
CydeWeys: I could tell you … but then I’d have to kill you :P
Hysteria: Touché.
CydeWeys: So, anything else you’d like to say?
Hysteria: GPG please, please, please.. stop making additional features for GPGNet and balance the game already!
CydeWeys: It’s been very nice talking with you. Thanks for taking time out of your busy gaming schedule to chat with me.
Hysteria: Seeya around.
April 5th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
That was a great interview! Hysteria is a great player. And I agree with his second to last comment.
April 6th, 2007 at 6:28 am
Interesting to know what ratio of fighters/scouts he was using. I went with 2 interceptors to 1 scout last game I played and it worked a treat. :)
April 6th, 2007 at 6:29 am
‘I was building scouts at a ratio of 7:1, so 7 interceptors for each scout.’ isn’t it the other way around?
April 6th, 2007 at 10:04 am
Nah, 7 scouts for 1 interceptor wouldn’t be a very effective air force.
April 6th, 2007 at 10:26 am
“their view covers about one-fourth of Winters Duel. So fly down the middle and you have full view of the map [ed note: wouldn’t that be one half of the map?].”
I think he means 1/4 of the width of the map, which is twice as wide as it is tall. so flying down the middle shows the whole map.
just a guess! =)