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Tightening build orders

Blogs > BallMan
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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
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