c58|d1monn: Hi Alexey, didn't talk for a while. How's the summer?
M19|LeXeR: Hi Dima, I don't have much time for summer, things don't go calmly atm. I'm trying to enter an insitute, so I don't have much time to relax, the place where I could is a week in Prague and a two weeks at the countryside.
c58|d1monn: How's your impressions of PGChallenge 2002? Did you meet any problems in there or it was going smoothly?
M19|LeXeR: Principally there weren't any complexities. As I've expected the only one who made a competition was if-22. The tourney went quite smooth... That is, not counting being late in schedule for six-seven hours and finals at 3'o clock of night.
c58|d1monn: Was it hard to get an American visa? How much time did it take you?
M19|LeXeR: In truth, I've thought it would be a lot harder. But thanks to my mother and Vladimir Hvostov (M19 chief) everything went a lot better. I'm very thankful for their help and support, which they continue to do. There wouldn't be anything without them... And my 'red folder' (WCG 2001 prize certificate) made lots of questions in embassy go away...
c58|d1monn: QuakeCon 2002 will have a map which isn't played in Russia much - ospdm8. What do you think of it? Have you started practicing it?
M19|LeXeR: Yep I know that there'll be this map. Didn't start practicing ospdm8 yet, but had a look on it. My impressions of it are neutral - typical lame map where aiming owns everything. Didn't actually expect anything else. So, I think I won't have any problems on that map, but it's hard to tell. Need to watch some demos of good gamers playing on it, then we'll see...
c58|d1monn: If you'll make into the players list (at the moment of interview it's not yet clear), who will be your main contestants for the winning place?
M19|LeXeR: That's of course, Zero4, fatal1ty, czm... They're practicing for about 8 hours a day as I am informed, so Fatality has a pretty good chance to show something bad :P. I think that QuakeCon 2002 will have many players unknown to wide public, who will be able to make a good and hard competition. Since the common level of play had raised a lot, so I think there will be plenty of good players...
c58|d1monn: At August 9 you're taking a flight to America, what plans you have to do till Quakecon (which is at 15-18 of august)? What you'll be doing for a whole week?
M19|LeXeR: Will be living in new york for some days to adapt. You know, acclimatization and such, time zone change... :P Probably will find a PC and a club where I'll play a bit. Then will go to Dallas at 14th of August, later after the tourney will go back to NY, to relax for a week.
c58|d1monn: What's your opinion about that blog that had developed after ppl in the west had read that you'll be attending to Quakecon? Been reading the comments?
M19|LeXeR: Didn't read any of them yet, but I've been told about that. I always knew that Makaveli is an ugly creature, but didn't that it was THAT much... But I think anyway that everything will be okay in time. Just hope that QuakeCon organizers will support me in some way - it's very hard to get to the tourney from Russia, and it will really suck if all efforts made by many people will be spent in vain.
c58|d1monn: Let's talk about WCG 2002, as far as I've understood, you're getting right to the Russian preliminary finals on 3-8th of September. What do you think who'll be your enemies in there and what's your forecast for the first three places?
M19|LeXeR: I think that way - after QuakeCon I'm coming back to russia only at 28th of August, so I have only one week to prepare to WCG Russia 2002, so, everything will depend on how things will come up at QuakeCon 2002. It will be my main practicing zone. I might not make to the WCG's top three, don't know... Hard to tell, but I think the three leading players will be almost the same as in last year, plus uNkind... Don't think that kik will make it, and I don't know anything about PELE, same is for crusader. :P
c58|d1monn: Anyway, who will be in top three?
M19|LeXeR: Death, uNkind and i hope that... me =) Not the respective places, just, the people.
c58|d1monn: Thanks for devoting your time. QuakeCon... Don't forget to return 20 bucks :P Good luck you there!
M19|LeXeR: OK. Thanks. cya ;P
