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Warning: I'm rambling a lot in this blog post. Feel free to skip sections or flame me for saying too much if you have a short attention span.
So apparently I can't decide on a race. It's a lot more frustrating than it sounds.
For several years I knew that there was this game called Starcraft, and was vaguely aware that it had an expansion called Brood War. I'd even heard that it was the finest RTS ever made, and as a rabid fan of the genre that interested me, but I was much more into Dawn of War, having come from a Warhammer 40K background. So when I did finally cave in and buy SC1, I was rather disappointed to find it rather less fun than I'd inticipated, the rather glaring control issues being the worst part. I understood that people loved the game and were really into its pro scene, but I knew that I could never play a game like that after having been spoiled by newer RTS games.
When SC2 came out, I was unimpressed. I told my friend, a Starcraft fan, that I would buy it if and only if Blizzard implemented flying bunkers and missile turrets, but sadly they didn't. Then one day I was visiting my cousins' house, and had mixed feelings upon hearing one of them going on about how great this Starcraft 2 game is. Having heard that the control issues were gone I didn't have any particular problem with SC2, but still wasn't enthusiastic about it. Nevertheless, I allowed him to show me a professional game. This was a rather new concept to me - I'd watched pro DotA games, but they really aren't anything like a pro SC2 game. And boy was I hooked. The game he showed me was TLO vs. Hyperdub, and the combination of excellent play and fantastic commentary hooked me and refused to let go. I had no money, but spent the next few weeks watching the free GSL games, reading TL and playing the disappointingly short free trial my cousin gave me.
At first I wanted to play Zerg, because before I even bought the game I was watching in awe as the mighty FruitDealer demolished his opposition with ease, but their alien ways and larva mechanic turned me away, so I instead played Terran. I swapped between Terran and Protoss for a while, before eventually going back to Zerg, learning them and hitting Diamond. Hurrah, Zerg it is. I really got into the race, more than I got into Terran or Protoss, becoming a huge IdrA and NesTea fan. Life was sweet. Except for one terrible, terrible issue.
Zerg versus Zerg is the most disgracefully boring matchup in the game. Now I've heard plenty of horror stories about PvP, but I honestly cannot envisage any part of this otherwise wondrous game being any worse than ZvZ. I would rather crash a bus full of puppies into an orphanage than play one more game of ZvZ. I would happily gnaw off my own testicles if it meant I could magically avoid ever running into another Zerg on the ladder. I don't even know what it is about the matchup that makes me despise it so. Perhaps it's because it's nothing like the long, defensive macro games I find myself playing against Terran and Protoss.
At the same time I was finding myself somewhat constrained by the restrictive playstyle of Zerg in the few ZvT and ZvP games I played. I only ever really played one way. That one way I played was incredibly fun and far better than any other matchup I've ever played, but I felt that at some point I may grow tired of being forced into roughly the same strategy each game - make Zerglings, make Banelings once enough Marines are out, make Mutas when you can, pray they leave themselves vulnerable so you can 1a2a3a in or you survive long enough to reach Broodlords.
So now I find myself once more aching to play Terran. As an IdrA fan, I feel a certain level of self-hatred for this. How can a man both play Terran and have self-respect? Despite my misgivings, I just played my first TvT against a Diamond Terran player (having only been Gold when I played them before) and decided to do the classic 2-rax all-in. It was scouted and failed, so I desperately tried to make a comeback and it... worked. Easily. I crushed him in a macro game, with a giant MMM blob supported by strategically placed tanks trapping him on 2 bases until he mined out and running through tank fire to destroy his army whenever I was bored.
This of course led me to suspect that the mindless rage of my (former) Zerg brethren may have been correct. With no experience whatsoever of proper Terran play I managed to demolish a high Diamond player even after a failed all-in. Is this race just that easy to play that Terrans don't deserve the wins they get? Am I just so naturally talented that I steamroll players with far more experience than myself? (Of course I am.) Or was that simply a bad game for my opponent? Whatever the answer is, I'm now going to discover it.
So now I cast my self-respect aside and learn the very useful talent that is playing Terran. I'll be updating this blog with more tales of my journey into Terra. I'm keeping my TL race set to Zerg for now, but who knows what changes the future may hold...
 
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You play 1 TvT against an awful player and the thing you conclude first is ...led me to suspect that the mindless rage of my (former) Zerg brethren may have been correct.
I mean this with all respect: How does your brain work?
I'm genuinely interested to know how long you've been doing athletics, because it seems you're competing for the longest logical leap Olympics.
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I switched to Protoss recently but I still ladder as T in my lowly Master's division and nothing is more enjoyable than ZergQQ. I had a guy 14 Gas Pool in close positions on Meta and then Hatch after making 2 Lings. And yet, I am the nooblet because I went 13-14 Rax and just walked up with 6 marines and killed his nat.
Terran is very strong. I don't think nerfs are necessary, even though they are incoming. The difference between T and Z is like BW. A new player could make it to D+ instantly as a 30 APM P player but a 80 apm Zerg would rarely if ever win a game vs. anyone.
So it goes.
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You win a TvT and that makes terran OP against Z, I don't get how you manage to connect those 2 facts :o
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The whole "Terran is easier to play" thing has never applied to me.
The few times I've tried Terran in the past, I've played absolutely atrociously. Whereas when I switched to Zerg, it took me under a dozen games before I started playing at very nearly the level of my main race. (P)
Therefore, Zerg must be easier to play, right? -_-
It all depends on the player as to which race is easiest for them. IMO, people are just so quick to bash Terrans because IdrA used to do it and because Terran was overpowered in the past.
You'll notice that now, with more and more people believing that Protoss is the overpowered race, you've got a whole bunch of people saying they switched to 'toss and found themselves playing just as well with 'toss as they do with their main race.
This blog does interest me though, as I'm playing Terran a bit more now. Just, IMO, keep balance out of it unless it's very obvious you're being sarcastic or joking. (even then, people on the internet are sometimes impossibly dense when it comes to sarcasm ... so I'd be careful, unless you don't mind your blog descending into a flamewar.)
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His logic is like this.
He played Z before, and now he switched to T, which he does not have much experience with. Nevertheless because he played Z before, his micro/macro skills are still enough to let him win against a diamond T player, who presumably got to diamond because T is easy. In conclusion, T is much easier to play than Z.
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i dont think anyone can deny terran being the easiest race with the most forgiving mechanics and the best units... all you have to do is play Random for a day and you can come to this conclusion, or spam marines all day long off 1 base and get to diamond.
Once you learn how to deal with all the terran all-ins its really satisfying to mow them down though... theyre just such an easy race to play, which is sad because they were the hardest in BW.
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On February 15 2011 20:15 Sadistx wrote:You play 1 TvT against an awful player and the thing you conclude first is Show nested quote +...led me to suspect that the mindless rage of my (former) Zerg brethren may have been correct. I mean this with all respect: How does your brain work? I'm genuinely interested to know how long you've been doing athletics, because it seems you're competing for the longest logical leap Olympics.
He defeats a diamond T in his first game as terran, so it must not take that much skill to get diamond as T, compared to Z. Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me whenever you are having trouble understanding stuffz again.
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The OP doesn't do too much to support his conclusions but lets be honest - it's not something that a lot of top level pros from the other races haven't said before. Terran is certainly a lot less fragile than the other 2 races early game, due to marines and wall-ins. Combined that with the fact macro in SC2 isnt all that hard, and the fact Terran units early and mid game are incredibly cost effective (and most ladder games never go into the late-mid/end game) and I think a lot of people would see improved results when switching to Terran.
I don't think it's a case of balance, no one is going to race switch and suddenly perform like IMMvP, and I don't think that's the OP's point. He's saying that Terran, for us average Joes are far easier to play than the other two races once one has a decent grasp of mechanics and timing. My first game as Terran I took out my friend, who utterly crushes me in PvP whenever we play. How I went from being owned by him to a being in a different skill league overnight seems a bit strange to me.
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Netherlands19137 Posts
When I check back in on this it better spontaneously lack Terran imba whine aimed to incite. Else I'm flushing it.
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Hyrule19192 Posts
Good luck with Terran. They are harder to play than most people will admit.
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It'll be hilarious if you rage when a whole chunk of banelings plow into your marine ball. Or get harassed non-stop my mutalisks. Or get 4-gated or void-rayed.
Other than that, it was actually pretty well written. The OP also seemed to have alot of the SC slang figured out for such a short time:
- 1a2a3a
- the very useful talent that is playing Terran
- Even remembered the epic TLO vs Hyperdub game!
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edit: removed. guy might have been being sarcastic or something.
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...
You could play random.
I switch to random when I get bored, of if I watch a daily that gives me an urge to play a certain race.
I'm mainly a Toss player, but I'll switch to Terran for fun, or random. I'm high diamond, and when I switch to random, I can usually win.
Regarding mirror matchups: ZvZ is more fun than I think people give credit, because it's less of a muta race than BW was, thus making it more enjoyable? Anyway, I just like it BECAUSE it's a very fragile matchup.
TvT is VERY fun for me, it kind of forces you to be a little more cautious when playing, and also forces you to harass.
PvP... I'm not sure. Everyone says it's a 4-gate battle, but I RARELY see someone who can perfectly execute a 4-gate, thus if I 3-gate robo, I usually win unless I mismicro.
And you'll occasionally actually have a macro game.
When I play zerg, I have a lot of fun, but I think the mechanics are the hardest of all the races.
Creep spread, larva inject, as well as larva management and ovie spread, make it probably the hardest race for me to play.
Toss is simpler, but you do have to micro and position your units well during engagements, or you WILL lose battles you were supposed to have won. Toss also teaches you HOW and WHENs of timing attacks, because it's so crucial, and you have to hit certain timings. Toss isn't as ridiculously imba as people think. If you miss certain timing windows, you WILL lose.
Terran is probably the most fun for me to play, even though I suck balls at it.
TvZ is my worst matchup... banelings.
It's a lot of fun to play, because I love the dropship mechanics, and harass options.
Essentially, you have to find the race that suits your playstyles and mechanics the best.
Or. Just play random.
Or hell. Be like TLO and never make up your mind!
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I feel you. I recently decided to play terran for a while because i couldn't stand playing zvz 50% of my games, and i couldn't stand playing any more zvt on close positions Metalopolis.
So far my win rate against zerg is like 80%.
No regrets, but terran is boring so i will probably go back to zerg once the map pool improves.
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I'm half asleep at the moment, so I won't do any detailed replies, but do keep in mind that I mentioned in that same paragraph that I didn't necessarily win because Terran is a super op noob race. That was my immediate reaction, then I quickly realised that it was probably for some other reason.
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