• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 07:16
CEST 13:16
KST 20:16
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL22] Ro24 Preview: Siren's Call8[ASL22] Ro24 Preview: Summer's End9Serral wins HomeStory Cup 2915Serral wins Maestros of the Game 244ByuL, and the Limitations of Standard Play3
Community News
New 3v3 BGH Ladder (and more) on ShieldBattery!32Weekly Cups (August 17-23): Zerg dominate the week6Weekly Cups (August 10-16): SHIN doubles2GSTL Returns in 2026!45Weekly Cups (Aug 3-9): Protoss get shut out7
StarCraft 2
General
LipoLyx Plus (Official)™ My Real Results! Weekly Cups (August 17-23): Zerg dominate the week SC4ALL II: SC2 Player Announcement 6/8 - Maru Daily SC2 Player Grid - feedback wanted Balance hotfix patch 5.0.16b (July 16)
Tourneys
Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament 2026 GSTL Announcement IntoTheTV X SOOP SC2 League : Weekly & Monthly PIG STY FESTIVAL 8.0! (13 - 23 August) WORTEX 2026 - Hungarian SC2 Finals Budapest
Strategy
[G] Having the right mentality to improve
Custom Maps
Nexus Wars 2021 GUIDE [M] (2) Industrial Park
External Content
Mutation # 540 Dodge This The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 539 Thunder Dome Mutation # 538 Media Blackout
Brood War
General
Pros React To: Calm's Big Brain Play Vs Mini [Personal Project Share] Terran Defense v0.60 !!!NEW BUG!!! FIRE ARCHONS [Visual] New 3v3 BGH Ladder (and more) on ShieldBattery! BW General Discussion
Tourneys
[ASL22] Ro24 Group F BSL LAN Party - Kraków 29-30 August - OPEN SIGNUPS [Megathread] Daily Proleagues Escore Tournament - Season 3
Strategy
Replay Review Process - What do you do? Game Theory for Starcraft Odyssey Mineral Stack Saturation Fighting Spirit mining rates
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread General RTS Discussion Thread Nintendo Switch Thread Anyone here play Quakeworld back in the day? EVE Corporation
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish TSM pausing esports and CLG Dead
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Power Rank TL Mafia Community Thread NeO.D_StephenKing vs This Guy From 1 Million Dance
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Artificial Intelligence Thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
MarineLorD Fan Club The Creator Fan Club The ShoWTimE Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Movie Discussion! Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 MLB/Baseball 2023 NBA General Discussion
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List Northern Ireland Global Starcraft
Blogs
Violent Games and Crime Rate…
TrAiDoS
LOCKPICKING NOOB
LUCKY_NOOB
Cathedral Of CS And NY pizza a…
FuDDx
Please support my new stand…
Peanutsc
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 10403 users

Balancing SC and RL

Blogs > win8282
Post a Reply
win8282
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Korea (South)454 Posts
February 11 2010 05:23 GMT
#1
I've been wondering how people at C and above manage to maintain/improve their SC skill while dealing with the toils of real life?

The only reason I've been able to mass game this season (150+ games) was b/c I'm a pre-frosh college student who has a shitton of free time till school starts. What about other people? Highschool students preparing for college admissions? College students? People with regular jobs? How would you normally find the time to do all that in the 'regular' season(i.e. when it isn't vacation or you haven't been laid off of job)?

*
EsX_Raptor
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States2802 Posts
February 11 2010 05:25 GMT
#2
It's because I like to think that playing SC is like learning how to ride a bike; you may get rusty but the knowledge is still there!

Just look at NonY.
lokiM
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States3407 Posts
February 11 2010 05:28 GMT
#3
you can gain skill and knowledge by just playing 1 hour a day, its not like you need 3+ hours a day to get any better above that rank
You can't fight the feeling.
HazMat
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States17077 Posts
February 11 2010 05:35 GMT
#4
Oh so you're Korean. Remember when you beat me on Iccup T_T
www.youtube.com/user/ShakeDrizzle | League and SSBM content creator | Armada's Youtube Editor
Shauni
Profile Blog Joined July 2004
4077 Posts
February 11 2010 07:50 GMT
#5
Yeah I don't think many top foreigners improve much (except the new and enthusiastic ones). Most players just keep their skills fresh by playing a few hours a week, but you're not really improving much unless you play more intensively against better opponents.
I think my own skill level has been the same for a couple of years now... So my advice is: If you want to get good, dedicate yourself fully in the times you have off (weekends, vacations and so on) - playing a game or two a day won't change that much.
I'm taking whatever coverage I can get, because frankly, I'm busy working on this million dollar deal at my job. Early retirement is a good thing brotha man. - MessengerASL
shindigs
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States4795 Posts
February 11 2010 07:56 GMT
#6
It depends how you approach your play. If you have a practice partner or really analyze your replays after each game, then you will improve significantly faster than someone than someone who just randomly hops on iccup and tries to mass game and just get better through grind.

You really need a competitive mindset to it to try to change your game into better play. That's how I look at it. Of course, like a real sport, you need a balance of drilling the basic techniques and learning advanced ones in order to truly improve.
Photographer@shindags || twitch.tv/shindigs
dogabutila
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
United States1438 Posts
February 11 2010 09:03 GMT
#7
To get better really you just need the mindset that losing is not acceptable. Hate losing like you will kill yourself if you do. Then you will never lose the same way, for the same reasons twice. When you no longer make mistakes, then you will no longer lose.

Unless, you know, the other person doesnt make any either.
Baller Fanclub || CheAse Fanclub || Scarlett Fanclub || LJD FIGHTING!
lazz
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Australia3119 Posts
February 11 2010 09:30 GMT
#8
maintaining your skill at SC is like a giant slippery slope whose gradiant gradually increases. at D you might only need a game a week to maintain your skill. C maybe a few games a week. B a few games a day. A a couple hours a day. progamer? 8 hours a day. etc.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
GSL
11:00
2026 GSTL: Main Stage Day 3
herO (SOOP)0
Maru0
SHIN 0
CranKy Ducklings SOOP0
IntoTheiNu 0
Zoun (SOOP)0
ByuN (SOOP)0
LiquipediaDiscussion
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
BRAT_OK 52
MindelVK 19
Rex 18
SHIN 0
Maru 0
Zoun (SOOP) 0
ByuN (SOOP) 0
herO (SOOP) 0
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 7415
Shuttle 1170
Jaedong 645
BeSt 384
Soulkey 360
Killer 351
actioN 278
firebathero 267
Stork 174
ZZZero.O 107
[ Show more ]
Last 104
ZerO 100
EffOrt 76
Mind 70
Sexy 47
hero 41
Bale 39
Barracks 38
soO 32
Mong 24
Sharp 23
Hm[arnc] 20
HiyA 16
sorry 15
SilentControl 13
scan(afreeca) 13
Sacsri 11
Counter-Strike
zeus489
edward362
nookyyy 113
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King174
Other Games
gofns13124
singsing2072
B2W.Neo1243
ZerO(Twitch)8
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick2022
[ Show 10 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• WagamamaTV886
League of Legends
• Jankos1920
Upcoming Events
AI Arena Tournament
5h 44m
Replay Cast
12h 44m
WardiTV Weekly
23h 44m
Sparkling Tuna Cup
1d 22h
Afreeca Starleague
1d 22h
Monday Night Weeklies
2 days
GSL
2 days
PiGosaur Cup
3 days
Replay Cast
4 days
The PondCast
4 days
[ Show More ]
IntoTheTV X SOOP
5 days
CranKy Ducklings
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-08-27
PiG Sty Festival 8.0
Light Tournament 2026

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 3
K-JUNGMAN
ASL Season 22
Super Anchor Qualifying S3
CSL Season 22: Qualifier 2
BSL 2026 LAN: Kraków
RSL Revival: Season 6
Big Dog Cup 2026 Div 1
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
Esports World Cup 2026: LCQ
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 2026
IEM Cologne Major 2026

Upcoming

CSL 2026 AUTUMN (S22)
Escore Tournament S3: King of Kings
Acropolis #5
Acropolis #5 - TRS
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Acropolis #5 - GSA
Acropolis #5 - GSB
HSC XXX
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Offline Finals
Calamity Invitational
BLAST Rivals Fall 2026
IEM Beijing 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 5
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026
1win Private Club #2
Thunderpick World Champ. '26
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
1win Private Club #1
Logitech G Play Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
FISSURE Playground #3
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.