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INTRO
Sup, I'm Sc1pio. I was brought into Starcraft last May by my longtime friend who you know as El.Divino. I decided to try Starcraft after he invited me to a LAN party where Team Fortress 2 or Left 4 Dead weren't being played, those being my main games at the time. He sat me down about 1 hour beforehand, told me the basics of each race, and asked me which one I wanted to play. My gut told me Terran. After watching a VOD of Proleague on Youtube (Jaedong v. Bisu, I think) and getting a brief taste of the pro scene, I went to this party.
Though, like everybody else who learns SC, I was horrible, I tried to learn. I watched commentated VODs on Youtube of any terran player I could find, not knowing who the good ones were yet, and eventually started reading TL. Since then, I've gotten much better, but, as the title suggests, I'm still D-.
I've never regretted playing Terran. It hasn't been easy, and at times it's been frustrating, but I haven't ever wanted to switch. For those of you who think I wrote this to vent about how PvT imba 1a2a3a4a lol, that's pretty much the opposite of my attitude. I rarely blame losses on anyone but myself. Though this sounds really noble, at times it's not a good attitude to have. The obvious example is hackers, but you can't come out of a match against a smurf and blame yourself, because there's no way in the world you should have won. You can improve off of it, but you can't be hard on yourself for a match against someone who is light years ahead of you in skill.
MATCHUPS
TvP
One of my first practice partners was a Protoss who would DT rush into carriers every game. It took me about 5 games to beat this, and ever since, I haven't lost against this. The problem, however, with playing static players is that you get too used to facing this strategy. Like most other terrans my level, I have a problem with 2 gate pressure a lot of the time. I tend to move out to early and get my tank(s) killed, which in turn leads to a 'gg' because I don't have the troop count to deal with dragoons firing upon my base. I've watched a ton of pro VODs/replays about responding to this, and it's usually get siege->move out->get expo. This usually works for me, but if they really commit to it (i.e. about 6 or so dragoons by the time I get 2 tanks) I have trouble moving out. I realize that, if I do get my expo relatively quickly, I'll have a massive advantage, but getting to that point is tough.
Midgame/Lategame however, like every other D player, macro becomes tough. Recently, my macro's been decent up until I move out. Then, it literally stops. I'll go back so rarely that, if my push gets crushed, I lose. I've narrowed down this problem to a sort of absentmindedness, which is a bigger problem than it sounds. Though it seems logical to just force yourself to remember to macro, this doesn't work, because that's remembering to remember, which is a problem because I don't remember. I've got the handspeed to be able to multitask, it's just my brain rejects it. This will probably come with experience, but it's become such a problem that I'm trying to figure out a way to address it directly.
TvZ
I usually have a better time with this matchup because I actually macro a bit better. Though I still run up minerals due to having not enough Rax, I tend to build enough marines to maintain 3 control groups out in the field rolling from base to base. My problems in this matchup arise from transitioning. I'd often forget to get a factory, so I just trained myself to always get it after the 4th rax. After the factory, however, I'll forget to get a starport, and the subsequent science facility. This means that the important 1 vessel push is extremely delayed in my mind. Again, this will improve with experience, but it's pretty frustrating. Moreover, I won't build up a vessel cloud, keeping my numbers low, meaning that a couple of well-placed scourge can really mess up my efforts.
TvT
To be honest, I play so little TvT that I know very little about where I stand in this MU. I really like watching it, as it seems like an epic strategic battle, its just that I don't get the chance to play it much. When I do, I have a lot of fun, but I often lose. Of the three MUs, if I could become much better in only one, I would pick this, simply because I have so much fun doing it.
GOALS
1. Improve multitask. Usually this comes with experience, so I'm probably going to keep playing a bunch of games both with my friends and on ICCup.
2. Make builds more reflexive. Make it so I don't have to think about getting the next rax, make it such that it just become muscle memory.
3. Become more active in TL. Most of the people who post here are awesome, and it's great that such a community exists for foreigners.
CONCLUSION
To explain why this isn't merely a "cool story, bro" moment, the reasons I wrote this were:
1. Reference. A while from now, I want to be able to look back on this and laugh about how terrible I am.
2. Organize thoughts. I wanted to get all my thoughts about my game on paper somewhere, so that I can really think about why I am as bad as I am.
3. Pick the brain of the TL community. I imagine a lot of you went through this phase, and it would help me a lot to know how you guys got out of it.
tl;dr: Noob bitching about how bad he is. Proceed to flame.
  
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United States4796 Posts
Good luck, mate. Lemme know if you stumble upon anything. This summer is improvement season!
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Nice blog. You have a good attitude for playing SC. Try not to loose it as you get better.
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Steps to improving your play:
1) Use liquipedia
2) Post replays in strategy forum
3) Use liquipedia
4) Use op irc to find other TL terran players that are better than you; ask for advice
5) Use liquipedia
6) Open up a livestream account and stream your games for other people to watch; get realtime advice
7) Use liquipedia
8) Watch progamer replays and VODs with analysis in mind. Do not just casually watch and enjoy the spectacular moments. Watch, ask questions, synthesize their actions.
9) Use liquipedia
This is how I went from an average 900-1300 rating on iccup to 2500+ over the course of a month or two. My 9-step program is guaranteed to work or double your money back!
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"Though it seems logical to just force yourself to remember to macro, this doesn't work, because that's remembering to remember, which is a problem because I don't remember. "
That's really eloquent and deep. Peace.
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On November 30 2009 07:25 Sc1pio wrote:
I rarely blame losses on anyone but myself. Though this sounds really noble, at times it's not a good attitude toi have.
Fixed
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On November 30 2009 07:33 VorcePA wrote:
Steps to improving your play:
1) Use liquipedia
2) Post replays in strategy forum
3) Use liquipedia
4) Use op irc to find other TL terran players that are better than you; ask for advice
5) Use liquipedia
6) Open up a livestream account and stream your games for other people to watch; get realtime advice
7) Use liquipedia
8) Watch progamer replays and VODs with analysis in mind. Do not just casually watch and enjoy the spectacular moments. Watch, ask questions, synthesize their actions.
9) Use liquipedia
This is how I went from an average 900-1300 rating on iccup to 2500+ over the course of a month or two. My 9-step program is guaranteed to work or double your money back!
What about using liquipedia?
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On November 30 2009 07:52 True Swifty wrote:Show nested quote +On November 30 2009 07:33 VorcePA wrote:
Steps to improving your play:
1) Use liquipedia
2) Post replays in strategy forum
3) Use liquipedia
4) Use op irc to find other TL terran players that are better than you; ask for advice
5) Use liquipedia
6) Open up a livestream account and stream your games for other people to watch; get realtime advice
7) Use liquipedia
8) Watch progamer replays and VODs with analysis in mind. Do not just casually watch and enjoy the spectacular moments. Watch, ask questions, synthesize their actions.
9) Use liquipedia
This is how I went from an average 900-1300 rating on iccup to 2500+ over the course of a month or two. My 9-step program is guaranteed to work or double your money back! What about using liquipedia?
You're right. That's steps 10-100. Although those steps are implied.
+ Show Spoiler +Seriously, though. Picking a build order from liquipedia, and then streaming my play on livestream was the most significant boost to my performance I have ever had.
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Well, TvP, is a very hard Mu, so keep training.
Just practice it a lot ! use Liquipedia, watch vods 
GoodLuck
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Yeah, tech timing is really important in TvZ. Getting your first vessel delayed really makes life easier for Zerg. In contrast, a Terran who has razer sharp timing can really cut into a Zerg player deep.
I've always heard people say that mech Terran is easier to use than traditional bio builds, but I've always found bio builds to be much more threatening and scary to play against assuming the other Terran can play okay. Bio builds are much more flexible, more mobile, and can regenerate units like all hell. I sometimes honestly wonder if I fear marines and medics more than high templars.
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United States3714 Posts
Dude you sound just like me when I joined iccup. I owned pretty good on bnet. Then after winning 85% of my games, I heard that iccup was where good players played. So thinking I would instantly get to C level, I played a couple day sat my friends house since nowhere else has good enough internet to play. Well..... after the first day I was like 3-10. I got pwned so bad at first, that I actually had to stop playing for a week.
Then I took Ver's advice and practiced my build (im Terran) by myself with no comps. After that I played at my friends house and improved to 8-12. I still feel like im terrible, since half my losses are to cheese. But I did what this guy recommended:
On November 30 2009 07:33 VorcePA wrote:
Steps to improving your play:
1) Use liquipedia
2) Post replays in strategy forum
3) Use liquipedia
4) Use op irc to find other TL terran players that are better than you; ask for advice
5) Use liquipedia
6) Open up a livestream account and stream your games for other people to watch; get realtime advice
7) Use liquipedia
8) Watch progamer replays and VODs with analysis in mind. Do not just casually watch and enjoy the spectacular moments. Watch, ask questions, synthesize their actions.
9) Use liquipedia
This is how I went from an average 900-1300 rating on iccup to 2500+ over the course of a month or two. My 9-step program is guaranteed to work or double your money back!
Seriously liquipedia is (one of) the best things SC strategy related ive ran into ever. And point number 8 is also key. Before I would just marvel at the ridiculous macro/micro/multitask of pros.
TL.net is obviously another great thing for SC. And a special thanks to Day[9] for his podcasts. I really wish more top/amatuer foreigners would do this same type of thing.
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Don't play terran. It isn't fair. You will get faster to D+ playing as zerg or protoss a worker down than you will as T. I used to be P but then switched to T reasoning it would be easier to improve. I have improved so much. But still I sometimes autolose vs some P noob that has like half the skill I as a P used to have when I was a terribad D+ P. People say Z is hard too. But it's not really true. They can always allin and once you get around the issue of when to get drones and when to get units it becomes a strength, not a weakness. And you can just get to C- based only on muta micro, which is easy to learn. Not to mention lurkers vs m&m is imba as well as hive tech.
Yeah yeah, it kind of evens out once you get to a high level. But that doesn't really matter.
Play Z or P until B- and then you can consider switching to T.
If you keep playing T you will either get so frustrated it makes you quit. Or you will become very bm just like every other T out there.
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On November 30 2009 09:21 Glaucus wrote:
Don't play terran. It isn't fair. You will get faster to D+ playing as zerg or protoss a worker down than you will as T. I used to be P but then switched to T reasoning it would be easier to improve. I have improved so much. But still I sometimes autolose vs some P noob that has like half the skill I as a P used to have when I was a terribad D+ P. People say Z is hard too. But it's not really true. They can always allin and once you get around the issue of when to get drones and when to get units it becomes a strength, not a weakness. And you can just get to C- based only on muta micro, which is easy to learn. Not to mention lurkers vs m&m is imba as well as hive tech.
Yeah yeah, it kind of evens out once you get to a high level. But that doesn't really matter.
Play Z or P until B- and then you can consider switching to T.
If you keep playing T you will either get so frustrated it makes you quit. Or you will become very bm just like every other T out there.
Playing Starcraft competitively is not about gaining rank. It is about improving.
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The goal of the game is to win.
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You and I. We're in the same boat man. I think it's good that you wrote this all out, because this is so typical of a D terran imo. I feel the exact same way about SC as you do. We have the same problems man. Bookmarked and 5 star'd!! You can improve, it's all about the mindset, and you have a good mindset.
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On November 30 2009 11:11 Glaucus wrote:
The goal of the game is to win.
With improvement comes more wins. With more wins comes tougher opponents, at which point the cycle repeats itself. Improvement leads to more wins, up until you're beating Jaedong. At that point, you're the best.
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On November 30 2009 11:11 Glaucus wrote:
The goal of the game is to win.
Winning at B/A rank means a lot more than winning at D+.
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EPT
