Aaron 'Clairvoyance' Kim talks casting in Dota 2

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

Your name has been present in the casting circle following you commentating on the MLG Columbus community stream, and more recently for appearing on-air with TobiWan on numerous occasions. Where did you start in terms of commentary?

Basically after I had played competitively briefly together with Ben ‘Merlini’ Wu last year, we had a conversation about casting in general since he had been approached by BTS at the time. I told him that if I got the chance he did I’d chose to do it in a heartbeat. A few months later along the line, BuLba and Eternalenvy helped me very graciously and I am ever grateful to them for setting up the opportunity for me to cast with TobiWan when they were looking for another full time staff member at joinDota. It's too bad it couldn't come about due to my inability to move to germany but i think Capitalist does much more than what I could ever offer so I'm happy for both ends.

Did playing on Take 5 together with some of the more recognized faces in NA Dota validate a lot of things for you, both in terms of playing the game as well as the commentating aspect?

I’m pretty close to Mason and Arteezy, so I’m not too sure of the validity aspect, but it was a fun ride until it came to an abrupt end. For me, Take 5 was just taking whatever came my way that I felt had potential - I have immense respect for the individuals formerly on that roster, both for their talents as well as their #dedication.

Did you ever consider going fully pro before you started casting, or is it still on the table for you since you don't commentate all too regularly?

I think the urge for competition will always exist and that goes for every commentator whether it seems likely or not, it’s a byproduct of bearing witness to 'games' and pointing out occurrences, very difficult to shrug off the idea that "what if I was in that situation, could I possibly do better" question and of course as with many things in life, regardless of whether you know the answer or not, YOLO and some people will go for it

For me personally, I think my time has passed, if there's a next step of sorts that I am looking into, it would perhaps be coaching as I feel thats the role best suited for a character like myself.

On the topic of what style of commentary fans prefer, and given the current ones who are the most prolific, do you think the audience currently appreciates the role of the analyst?

I certainly think they do, at least the majority, but I do acknowledge the other side as well. In most sports and even some more established esports there is a very fine line which separates the play by play caster and the color commentator, but from my observations those lines are more or less blurred in Dota. It might even be a good thing, testifying to the skill of a lot of our casters/co-casters today as they can function in both roles, but as with all things, I feel specialization is a necessity for the highest caliber in anything - in the end, casters are noted as personalities, and people will have favorites. Appreciation has a tough application in this context, as personally I've ran into difficulties trying to completely break down what happened and why it happened in such a manner, but I have often been told that I over-think and ramble on so i might not be the best example.

This is pretty interesting, because many people will choose to get defensive in terms of who says what, and this includes pro players that call out certain commentators who disagree with things like skill builds and item choices. It makes it seem like the role of the analyst is something risky to do in comparison to the duties of the play-by-play caster.

Absolutely, in general the position itself calls for what I like to refer to as "factual opinion". For me it's the bridge between pure opinions vs. bare facts, sometimes there is stronger emphasis placed on certain aspects of a fact, and relaying that presentably isn't so difficult as it is to relaying that in complete form, simply put two people can see the same thing and see something completely different, or the glass is half full, but also half empty. In the end, I believe satisfying everyone is not impossible, there are some revered names in the scene who seem to accomplish this at least among the general public, but it is an unfortunate reality that everyone does receive a little heat from somewhere, even if it isn't always publicized.

I won't mention any names, but if we objectively look at some of the more established casters today and consider the fact that their livelihood consists of commentating Dota, it feels like the constant stream of criticism they receive for "lack of knowledge" shouldn't be as predominant as it is.

First and foremost, I do think without a doubt that things tend to get out of hand at times - I don't think I have to mention specific names, but the period of January - March 2014 was quite the odd phase from my perspective. I follow multiple esports scenes, so I guess I might've been exposed to a bit more of the drama, but casters/personalities being under fire seemed to occur all across the esports board during that time, not just in Dota. With that said, the internet can be as heartwarming just as it could be brutally cold, and negativity can very easily become amplified, especially in a netizen community.

I don't believe there is any caster out there that is not attempting to improve on their knowledge, improvements to something so habitually ingrained cannot be demanded for immediate changes, and pointing it out all the more only exacerbates the issue. I find it simply heartbreaking when I see any man in their 20-30s having to confess online the deterioration of their mindset due to barrages from every corner scorning their every move, and there have been quite a few over the last little while. As a caster, I cannot deny my bias for my contemporaries, but I have always felt some of these phases of negativity were simply fleeting moments.

Are you looking to commentate for a living, or is it something you enjoy more as a side activity similar to the idea of playing professionally?

It’s definitely a side thing for now, to this day I’m actually rather amazed people see me as a caster, I’ve never seen myself as anything but "someone whos played Dota longer than the average player". Regardless of whether I am at work stocking shelves or out doing other activities, I’m always thinking of the game, what happens if A does this and B does this, the game is constantly improving and as much as I love to be involved in it, I don’t feel I meet the criteria to be a full time commentator. I do still always look for opportunities to get on a "panel" type of thing, i play a mean devils advocate and i always admire the whole entourage / band of brothers chemistry between people, i find it to be the most engaging type of entertainment, people simply being people.

There must be something special about Dota that's enticed you in a way like this.

It’s some sort of drive that I can’t quite put my finger on. Over the years of me gaming I have binged on numerous games, but for some odd reason I always end up coming back to this one. there's something about the whole "5 people come together for one objective" set-up that leaves you wanting more. Though my desire for competition isn't what it used to be, going into every game is still a rollercoaster of an experience, the insatiable desire to completely crush the enemy mid laner and crush every other lane or going on a rampage to close off the game, these are things that once you experience one time, leaves you simply wanting more. I dont have an answer for what the source of my passion for this game is, in fact I find it hard to cope with at times because it pops up in mind at times when I try to suppress it most. I guess after 11 years, it just manifests itself in you someway, it's not always pleasant but what can you do.

Do you think this drive that makes you think about the game constantly is something rare within the current generations of casters?

I would imagine it'd be unhealthy for some of our full-time casters, the amount I think about this game is pretty abnormal and as much as I feel we share the same passion, I hope they don't, haha.

Photo Credit: joinDota