• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 02:09
CET 08:09
KST 16:09
  • 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
RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview8RSL Season 3 - Playoffs Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups C & D Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups A & B Preview2TL.net Map Contest #21: Winners12
Community News
$21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7)11Weekly Cups (Dec 29-Jan 4): Protoss rolls, 2v2 returns6[BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 103SC2 All-Star Invitational: Jan 17-1822Weekly Cups (Dec 22-28): Classic & MaxPax win, Percival surprises3
StarCraft 2
General
Spontaneous hotkey change zerg Chinese SC2 server to reopen; live all-star event in Hangzhou Weekly Cups (Dec 29-Jan 4): Protoss rolls, 2v2 returns SC2 All-Star Invitational: Jan 17-18 Weekly Cups (Dec 22-28): Classic & MaxPax win, Percival surprises
Tourneys
$21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7) WardiTV Winter Cup WardiTV Mondays SC2 AI Tournament 2026 OSC Season 13 World Championship
Strategy
Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
Map Editor closed ?
External Content
Mutation # 508 Violent Night Mutation # 507 Well Trained Mutation # 506 Warp Zone Mutation # 505 Rise From Ashes
Brood War
General
I would like to say something about StarCraft Potential ASL qualifier breakthroughs? BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion StarCraft & BroodWar Campaign Speedrun Quest
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL21] Grand Finals - Sunday 21:00 CET [BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 10 SLON Grand Finals – Season 2
Strategy
Game Theory for Starcraft Simple Questions, Simple Answers Current Meta [G] How to get started on ladder as a new Z player
Other Games
General Games
Awesome Games Done Quick 2026! Mechabellum Beyond All Reason Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread General RTS Discussion Thread
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Trading/Investing Thread
Fan Clubs
White-Ra Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List TL+ Announced
Blogs
My 2025 Magic: The Gathering…
DARKING
Physical Exercise (HIIT) Bef…
TrAiDoS
Life Update and thoughts.
FuDDx
How do archons sleep?
8882
James Bond movies ranking - pa…
Topin
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1937 users

Tightening build orders

Blogs > BallMan
Post a Reply
BallMan
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States78 Posts
July 21 2010 20:54 GMT
#1
Today I decided to practice my openings on each map for ultimate fine tuning. I decided that the most minute mistake wont do. I had a realization that scouting and overlord movement/placement is just as much part of the build orders as building timings. Ive also taken into account viking and phoenix play and decided to put my ovies in less obvious areas, but obviously you cant go too far if you want to scout later.

A little side note: Since I have started doing this I notice that I do not remember hotkeying things- it just seems to happen now amidst my spamming.

One of the reasons this is good: The human brain can only hold 6-9 things in its short term memory, so the more your build orders/hotkeying/overlord movement happens without putting thought into it- the more brain power you have left for collecting scouting info, preventing scouts, and placeing your units for backstabs, surrounds, etc..


If anyone has any thoughts/ideas/tips/tricks on improving the first 9 minutes of the game, please let me know.

BSB

****
Prepare for doom
Loser777
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
1931 Posts
July 21 2010 20:58 GMT
#2
It is pretty much ridiculous to go into the first 9 minutes of play with a build order that tries to account for everything... focus more on openings (which DO NOT take 9 minutes to execute), especially with a game that has had very little time for "standard" play to develop. At this stage, mechanics are easily more important than your build order... as timings are still very ambiguous.

Think about SC1... even with say the HAN BANG 9 MIN TvZ Timing Attack... you adjust a lot of things based on what your opponent is doing.
6581
-HellZerg-
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States409 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-07-21 21:10:03
July 21 2010 21:03 GMT
#3
BallMan, how about you go back to StarCraft:Brood War on iCCup server and play against decent Koreans without dodging them until SC2 is released on 7/27/10? You must keep playing against human opponents and keep training your reflexes and multitasking. You can't just practice alone by yourself and assume you are always right on what type of scouting and build orders are the best for you because you never know what a human opponent can do to you if you don't scout one dot on the mini-map properly against that opponent. Your human opponents can rush you at different timings that you never knew. You have to keep training how to adapt to new opponents, whether it's StarCraft:Brood War or SC2.
We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle
BallMan
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States78 Posts
July 21 2010 21:25 GMT
#4
I played on Iccup for about 4 months before the release of SC2 beta. I reached C- level as Terran and I know it has helped me in SC2 but I see no benefit in going back to sc1 to practice for SC2. I understand that the openings and strategies in general are pretty immature compared to sc1 but there are some that are very commonly dangerous things for me to look for as a zerg.

Loser 777, you bring up a good point about adjusting a lot of things based on what your opponent is doing, but as a zerg I feel that those are obvious even at this stage of the game because the players developing the timings are much more knowledgable and strategically mature than they were when sc1 was released. I think the best thing I can do is to watch replays, and take into account timings that I will almost surely see in matches- while not ignoring the fact that things are still developing and remaining open to adapting in real time once I am able to play human opponents again.

My main focus here is to multi task and work on my mechanics- while account for the current timing trends in high level play. For example- if am playing vs a Terran I need to know when and how to scout for a thorship, or reapers, upgraded reapers, or how to tell if something else is happening so I can react appropriately in game without freaking out. Obviously this would be better with human opponents running the builds- but I dont think playing SC1 will benefit my play as much as working with SC2 will.
Prepare for doom
Logo
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States7542 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-07-21 22:12:08
July 21 2010 22:11 GMT
#5
I'd say account for variations would be a good way to practicing tightening up your build. Being able to understand what flexibility you have in your build is pretty important so you understand how you can react. This can expose some subtle things for your build. Maybe your opponent goes for X and to survive you need to do Y before getting back to your plan. In practicing that variation you might learn something like you float gas or can shuffle some ordering around to optimize the build. So when you have to make that adaptation you are prepared to make the most of it.

So maybe think of what your opponent might do to make you adjust and how you'd have to adjust then practice your build with that adaptation.
Logo
BallMan
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States78 Posts
July 21 2010 22:16 GMT
#6
Yeah even subtle things like pre placing ovies for future scouts after the inital drone/ling/ovie scout seem really important as a zerg. I see a lot of players building blind right now so I feel like the investment now will be super beneficial once the game is released again.

Prepare for doom
BallMan
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States78 Posts
July 22 2010 07:31 GMT
#7
@ Logo- What is APM Technology? haha
Prepare for doom
Saracen
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States5139 Posts
July 22 2010 07:55 GMT
#8
How are you playing while beta is down?
BallMan
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States78 Posts
July 22 2010 08:01 GMT
#9
Oh, you guys dont have the LAN hack?
Prepare for doom
BallMan
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States78 Posts
July 22 2010 08:03 GMT
#10
Hehe, I am just tightening my build orders and taking note of good scouting locations against ai and on YABOT.
Prepare for doom
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 1h 52m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
WinterStarcraft491
NeuroSwarm 134
StarCraft: Brood War
actioN 266
zelot 154
ZergMaN 69
JulyZerg 27
Larva 21
Noble 16
Icarus 7
League of Legends
JimRising 771
C9.Mang0198
Counter-Strike
summit1g9666
Super Smash Bros
hungrybox469
Other Games
Livibee131
ViBE88
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick4439
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 18 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH124
• practicex 37
• Kozan
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Migwel
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• IndyKCrew
StarCraft: Brood War
• iopq 4
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
League of Legends
• Rush1621
• Scarra1337
• Lourlo1138
• Stunt483
• HappyZerGling130
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
1h 52m
Wardi Open
6h 52m
Monday Night Weeklies
9h 52m
WardiTV Invitational
1d 4h
WardiTV Invitational
2 days
The PondCast
3 days
OSC
3 days
OSC
4 days
All Star Teams
4 days
INnoVation vs soO
sOs vs Scarlett
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
5 days
[ Show More ]
All Star Teams
5 days
MMA vs DongRaeGu
Rogue vs Oliveira
Sparkling Tuna Cup
6 days
OSC
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-01-11
Big Gabe Cup #3
NA Kuram Kup

Ongoing

C-Race Season 1
IPSL Winter 2025-26
BSL 21 Non-Korean Championship
CSL 2025 WINTER (S19)
OSC Championship Season 13
Underdog Cup #3
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025
PGL Masters Bucharest 2025

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S1: W4
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
HSC XXVIII
Rongyi Cup S3
Thunderfire SC2 All-star 2025
Nations Cup 2026
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League Season 23
ESL Pro League Season 23
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
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.