Interview with Edward & Zeus - part 2

- Next question is about Russian Counter-Strike.
Russian CS scene has just seen a reborn
of a great clan-tag Virtus.pro which you were once representing.
Can you recall those times, did it influence much
on you further gaming career?
- This was the period of formation of our gaming skills.
During that period we spent a huge amount of time by
computers with Danil, which we haven't done before,
because we moved to another city just for playing ther game
- we just put our lives at stake. This period was very
important to us. I don't know how it influenced but we
surely gained some priceless experience to lose as we lost
many World Championships being a part of Virtus.Pro.
We came with understanding of the game but without
learning what individual skill is (which we started to
accumulate later on). We played with top teams
over Internet and did not understand how players could
show their individual skills on the Internet, what were their
wall-bangingtricks and so on. Thanks to the Internet and
experienced guys like Aleksey "Lex" Kolesnikov
(he was considered to be one of the best
players in the world at that moment)
we began to realize some things that we had no idea about before.
So I think that experience was really priceless.
Each player of our team had some experience.
Me and Vanya also hadbecause our team was
formed 1.5 years ago, yet it was hard for ceh9.
Now he doesn't lag behind. Same situation
was in Virtus.pro - Vanya and me were way
less experienced comparing to Virtus.pro gamers.
We were taken to VP to boost the team and we did
our best by progressing and trying to gain more shapeas
Vanyas said, sitting most of our time by computers.
After 2 months of hard work we got some serious
shape and won European tournament in Moscow.
The only bad memories are about the district in Moscow where our
apartment was (Mitino): some strange people always suspiciously
watching you and etc. So we had to concentrate on Counter-Strike
our home, computerclub and that's it. There was no space for
personal life development or something else. Here in Ukraine it’s
all much easier - we can combine everything.
- So VP was something like your
bridge to your modern Counter-Strike?
- Well, yeah. At first it was
project pro100 in Ukraine than VP.
- Do you think the strategy of Lex to take new players
to his team can be successful for
VP to comeback for world’s finest?
- In my opinion Lex is already among the top 3 so
it doesn't matter whom he will play together with.
Together with 3-4 average aimers and with a month
of practicing, his team will be in the top3. But the
question is - do they want to be the top3 or top1?
I'm not talking about CIS or world championships,
because as i talked to Lex and their aim were to be
the first at least in their country. Though with sucks
prospective and experienced player of MoscowFive
and USSR I don't know if they can realizethis goal.
They need time to discover themselves and show their maximum,
but Lex is 24 years old, F_1n is 27 so can they wait for
2 years or another one that young gamers can gain their shape?!
From the other side I don’t know which players they can
take from the old school - u won't call Nook,
who hasn’t been playing for already 4 years.
Not much players skilled players are left in Russia.
Plus while living in Moscow I've noticed that people
are very ambitious there, they can smile to you and
can say different things behind your back. So they all
are trying to combine their lineups according to human
factor.That’s why they can’t still find a decision,
so they often change lineups.
- In our big and friendly continuously expanding
family of Na'Vi there is a man - Sergey "Zoom" Popov,
who was your manager in pro100.
Now he's an ArtDirector in Na'Vi, how would you
describe him? He grew some gamers potential in you
and he was with you from the start :)
- Zoom is a very good friend of Edward,
so i think that Vanya will tell you. I'm gonna say
only about one period which remember the best.
When we went to ASUS Cup for the first time (pro100 lineup)
in 2004 and we were there together with another famous person
- Alexey "Junior" Kusov. We took 3rd place there by losing to VP
and m19. In a while we took "Zoom" as our manager. He inspired
us which made us think a lot. He said that he could bring the project
to a higher level higher but we had to take ASUS gold.
We trained a lotattended the next ASUS and won it.
Noone expected this including ourselves. He is a cool
guy we spent much time together with him and VP manager,
I'm glad that he is part of our team now. This is fate that brings
us together for the 3rd or 4th time. Edward: Yeah, I remember the time
when Danila and I proposed him to become our manager near
the stall, do you remember? We considered him
to be literate adult man, although we didn’t know him very well.
- How old were you?
- Hmm, that was something like 6 years
ago so we were like 17 years old. Before our
proposition, he worked with the team "Massa"
with 2 brothers "Kekc" and "Raz0r". So he was
famous in this sphere, we noticed his potential,
he agreed and THAT was the moment for our team!
We won that ASUS, everyone were
so excited with this victory.
I remember like it was just yesterday - the first prize money,
an unforgettable feeling. Then he became a part of our
team and we realized that the team can
consist of 6 teammates not 5.It is very essential.
Now in Na'Vi we understand that
we have more than 30 teammates :D.
The more-the better. I really respect this man because
I largely agree with his vital positions and
love him as a friend. Nothing else to describe him.
Of course, I can tell much, but this is the most important.
- Everyone knows that you have a daughter.
Please tell us your emotions and
feelings you had that very moment.
- That moment, I didn't fully experience emotions.
I had emotions thought like “thanks God she's born,
everything is OK”. It happened! I asked myself
alot - what will happen? Not much. Everyone say
that I'll understand that I'm a father till she is 3-4 months
old. We waited for it long enough- 9 months :D.
Strange... It is a desired baby, I took care
of my wife and my baby, we had many
disagreements about her future name as well
as where shall we give her a birth, etc. I said that
I didn’t trust to women. There were a lot of discussion
about everything in relation with the baby. Now it's ok,
the girl eats with great appetite, she makes first sounds:
"ugugu". She is now 1 month and a week old,
she already tried to smile, watching everything
around with curiosity. I'm happy, everything is great.
She was born 3 500 kg in weight, she lost 400 gramms
in two days but the doctors said it was normal; now she is 4900.
So when I bought her differentclothing
I was told that it would be enough for 3-4 months only
and now half of them do not fit her. I'm glad that she eats well,
mommy gives her milk, everything is just fine!
- Vanya, have u noticed some changes
after his daughter was born?
- He started to shout 5 times as much.
I can say that when you become a father
you become more calm, but I have my nerves bad
- she likes to eat very much and when she doesn’t
eat on time she gives a loud signal. When you hear
it for the 100th time you understand that you can barely
find strengths to stand up. And the training is about
to start so my nerves were shaken. And now when I sleep well I fell more calm.