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Interview with LuminousInverse
Not too long ago I managed to get in contact with David 'Luminous' Zhang. Lumi as the dota community calls him, is a famous caster in the dota 2 scene who will be casting at the International 2 this year. Lumi is known for focusing his casting on the strategic points of dota and dota 2.
In fact Lumi was also very well known back in the days of dota 1 but switched to dota 2 when the beta came out. In this interview we get to know Lumi a little better and get his insight on things in the dota 2 scene.
Hey Luminous thank you for taking this interview with us today, I think the first thing people would like to know is how long have you been playing dota now?
Lumi: I've been playing Dota for nearly 6+ years, I started back at the Dota1 patch of v6.42.
And how long have you been casting now?
Lumi: I've been casting for over 3 years now.
What do you think differentiates you from the other casters? How did you get such a strong following?
Lumi: For me, casting Dota games have been a hobby. I genuinely enjoy sharing my thoughts about the game that I am casting, and I hope my enthusiasm communicates favorably to the viewers. My casting style has always been known to be analytical, but there are still lots I am learning each and everyday. I love learning about the game, so much that often times I just create a private game to test various mechanic interactions within the game.
Do you have any hobbies outside of playing dota?
Lumi: I love reading and watching anime.
I'm sure that a lot of your viewers are wanting an opportunity themselves to try and become a caster. What would be a good way for say one of your fans to try and start casting. Where should they go?
Lumi: My best advice is to pick up a mic and cast. It doesn't matter if you don't have the necessary softwares or a huge audience, or even if you believe you're lacking in a caster voice / extensive knowledge of the game - you'll never know your limit until you take the first step. What comes after is just determination and how far you want to go. I started 3 years ago knowing nothing about the game or the pro scene, and English is my second language. If I can be a caster, then I believe anyone else out there can do it as well.
So what personal playstyle do you like watching when you cast games? Are you a fan of the pushing strat or do you prefer to watch long farm oriented games? Also when you play pubs or inhouses what kind of hero do you generally prefer to play as?
Lumi: I believe I learn the most when I cast slower games, and that's why my favorite 'genre' of games are two Chinese teams duking it out against each other. Faster games might have intense action, but everything comes so fast that very little learning is done. Longer games allow for 'fuller' analysis, as well as greater chance to see late game item choices, which I feel many players are weak at.
I am a support player at heart, so I much rather play the support or the solo that purchase the Mek - provided that the teammates that I am supporting will actually carry :).
I think that a big question on every dota lovers mind is if Na Vi will be able to deliver what it takes to take the number one spot two years in a row. Na'vi actually lost against potm bottom in the defense and mTw at dreamhack. So my question to you is, do you think that Na'vi are still the same force to be reckoned with that they were a year ago?
Lumi: I think the public is too easily swayed by one or two losses, or even a streak of losses. I personally believe that Navi is no where in dominant form that they were one year ago, but Navi is still considered as one of the heavy favorites going to Seattle. We have no idea how Navi / mTw will match up against the Chinese / SEA teams either, so making swift judgements on Navi (or any team for that matter) doesn't seem to the best of ideas.
Were you at all surprised at the performance mTw brought us at Dreamhack? Beating not only Na'vi but also quantic and mouz?
Lumi: I've seen mTw tear through Quantic and Mouz during the West Qualifiers, so I wasn't too surprised to see Synd's team go all the way to the final. Navi's defeat wasn't too surprising either, since Navi often played with standins weeks prior before Dreamhack. However, having Navi de-throned was a powerful message sent to the rest of the Dota community that mTw is not a team to be taken lightly of. I am sure mTw's performance in Dreamhack changed a lot of doubters into believers.
Do you think that also goes for other teams? Not too long ago Zenith's hyhy actually came out with an interview where he said that he doesn't really believe mTw have what it takes to win another big event. He said that mTw's playstyle is too predictable and so he wasn't too impressed. Do you care to comment on any comments on this?
Lumi: I have not read that interview, but it's surprising that hyhy is easily writing off a team that can get very far in TI2. With that said, mTw have only defeated top Euro/NA teams, which will matter very little if mTw is matched up against Chinese/SEA teams. All I can say for sure is that mTw probably doesn't care who's doubting them, they're a confident bunch and I am sure they're aiming for the top.
What playstyles or team comps do you think is lacking in the pro-dota scene right now? how could a noobie team work to fulfill this gaps and enter the pro-scene?
Lumi: I am not sure whether it is lacking, but personally I hope teams will re-invent some of the older heroes. I feel that many teams merely find their own style and take the popular heroes to fit those play styles. Perhaps there are even more suitable heroes in that 'forgotten pool'? It is very understandable that teams won't be trying out fringe heroes for a tournament as big as TI2; however, if Navi ran Pudge in the grand final of TI1, then I think perhaps TI2 is the best stage to make a statement about old and forgotten heroes ;)
Alright well this has been great Lumi. Thank you for joining us today!
Lumi: No problem thanks for having me.
If anyone would like to follow Luminous here is a list of his sites.