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Hello,
I just wanted to post a few things I've picked up from my experience in Starcraft so far. I'm a Platinum Protoss (hopefully still improving!) and I feel only a few key things have moved me up from bronze.. just a few reminders that may help someone out there looking to improve.
A little bit about me:
I started playing SC2 in beta, just kind of messing around with a few friends. Placed in Gold 1v1 playing as Zerg with around 60 total games. A few days before release my friends decided that they were burnt out from Beta, and were not going to pick up the game. So I decided to pass on getting it also. (/sigh) Of course during the beta I found the wonder that is the Team Liquid forums <3, so I still watched streams and lurked and lurked. Recently, I decided I had to get the game, I couldn't wait any longer.
This time around I decided to learn Protoss, just for a change of pace. I would eventually like to be fluent with all the races, but I know I'm not at that level yet in my gaming. So I installed all happy as can be and got placed into Bronze.
Over the course of 3-4 weeks I've moved up to Platinum, and I know my play still leaves MUCH to be desired. I really feel like only a few things have moved me up to where I am now. They're the same things we hear every day on this site, but I'm going to try and break it down a little more like I had to do for myself to understand.
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Learn a basic build
If you are Terran, learn to 3 Rax.
If you are Protoss, learn to 4 Gate.
If you are Zerg, learn to Roach Rush.
When I say learn the build, I mean the build order really isn't a huge deal as long as you kinda know your objective. What is a huge deal is doing that build without missing a Pylon, without missing a SCV, or without being late on that Tech Structure. I can not tell you how many times in the lower leagues I would just roll over someone because they supply capped themselves, or forgot to drop that Tech Lab ASAP.
Learn to Macro
Let me tell you, when I saw people on these forums talking about being Masters and all you need is macro.. I would get pissed. I thought to myself, no shit. But it's hard to be able to remember your macro for long periods of time.
After a little while of thinking about it though I realized that learning to macro doesn't necessarily mean learning to go up to 200/200 with exactly 70 probes and never capping yourself. Think to yourself, when was the last time in Bronze or Silver made it up past 100 food? Even 80 food? It didn't. Way before then someone will screw up their build, or screw up their micro enough to stop the game from progressing that far.
So very similar to the last point, learn your build! Learning to macro doesn't have to be huge big epic armies just yet, macro perfectly to 40 or 50 food and you will win.
Learn to Micro
Again, another no shit kinda thing.. but the next biggest improvement to my game play was using A move instead of right clicking, and moving units that are getting low on HP. Seriously, always A move. ALWAYS. I used to right click, and then something would distract me from my army for 2 seconds, which would result in my army just walking past marines who are having a good time picking them off one by one.
Learning to move a unit that is hurt was huge also. Let one stalker tank the damage, move before dying, and then come back into the fight after the focus is drawn elsewhere will win you every fight in the lower leagues.
TL;DR
1. Learn an easy build and practice it until you can execute it properly every time.
2. Learn to not miss a worker or supply cap yourself for atleast 40 to 50 food. You're taking on too much right off the bat as new players trying to macro up a 200/200 army every game.
3. A-MOVE!!!!
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So I know for most people here this will be useless advice, and this will certainly not get you into Masters or anything.. but we all have to start somewhere. I feel my limited success so far is just due to these basic things we hear all the time, but maybe don't apply properly to our skill level.
I lurk this site a lot and contribute hardly anything, so this is my best attempt to give back to this great community. Hope it helped someone out there!
 
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This is a nice post! C:
Sounds like you had quite the quest.
I'll show someone this.
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I agree with everything here, this is how i learnt to play as well.
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All I disagree with is
If you are Zerg, learn to Roach Rush.
Unlike 4gating or 3raxing, roach rushing isn't going to really set you up with much in the way of useful skills with Zerg.
I might recommend the Day9 approach of "make a ton of drones one game, die, then make slightly less drones the next game. Repeat all day until you don't die."
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I would disagree with just learning one buildorder. Sure, if you goal is just to advance to masters as fast as possible then that may be a good strategy but here is a few reasons why you should not do it:
1. It's not fun.
2. You won't learn anything.
3. It's not fun.
4. Your macro will not improve.
5. It's not fun.
6. Your understanding of the game will be sub-par.
7. It's not fun.
8. You may as well learn stuff in the lower leagues, better to do it there than to lose 40 games in a row while you're trying to learn what counters carrier in masters.
When you are really, really new to the game you should play around with all the different units and see what they do etc.
When you are a bit more experienced you can settle in to more defined openings. I would try one opening out for a few games in a row and then try something else, see what fits you (liquipedia is you friend).
When you feel that you have 2-3 buildorders that you like, go ahead and perfect them and start aiming for the top. I like to go either quick hydra or 2 base roach/zergling push but it's nice to mix things up a bit
EDIT: This is mostly in response to the roach pushing idea, 4 gating is the only viable protoss opening. I would recommend to do some other things than 3-raxing though.
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Guys, I think you're kinda missing my point. It's not learn one build order forever. It's learn SOMETHING well enough to be able to have some fluidity in your play. After you're able to do something productive for a few minutes into the game, then you can worry about different builds.
What good is it to try to a 1 Gate FE one game, then a 4 Gate the next, then a 3 Gate Expand if every time you're getting stomped because you don't have your basics down. Learn to play the game, then adapt to strategies.
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I think his post was to assist bronze players to play better and I will have to agree with him when he says practice one build over and over. Once you can execute that build consistently well, then is the time when you can branch off and tweak your build. Learning the basics of one build over a course of a few games can be quite useful.
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Don't tell people to RR/4gate/3rax ffs.
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I'd suggest 2gate robo into expo as a better beginning build to learn with toss than 4 gate, for purposes of long term progression and macro experience. Both are simple solid builds, but 2 gate robo will give you more experience with transitions and mid-late game.
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On February 20 2011 14:44 Macavenger wrote:
I'd suggest 2gate robo into expo as a better beginning build to learn with toss than 4 gate, for purposes of long term progression and macro experience. Both are simple solid builds, but 2 gate robo will give you more experience with transitions and mid-late game.
Yeap, good idea have the bronzers 2gate robo.
EDIT:
This was pointless. This is why people are posting in strategy all the time wondering why they don't advance. "Oh I did this build, my build should win BUT I STILL LOST WTF." They try all these strategies that they have no feel for and no timings because the good players on TL gave them advice they're not ready for. They're losing and stuck in bronze because their mechanics are nonexistent. Yeah, they did a strategy that if executed properly would win, but if they're supply capped half the damn game it doesn't matter.
Cool, now this guy goes out with his blind expanding 2 gate robo build and gets stomped. I'd really like to see a bronze player hold early aggression with a 2 gate robo. Maybe he can just keep his fingers crossed because theres hardly no early aggression in bronze, right?
I mean watch a tournament and get of your high horses guys, the builds I talked about are all solid builds which are used VERY often even in high level play. If you take little kids learning to play football you don't teach them complex plays first, you teach them fundamentals and then expand on that.
We pick an easy build so we can focus on other (more important) aspects of the game more easily.
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Good post, I agree with OP. I am currently a plat toss myself after being placed in bronze. If I could add somethings I would say: learn to scout and macro at the same time early game, this makes soo much difference in spotting cheese and being able to adjust your build. Second: Learn to deal with cheese. Bronze is full of it. How do I not get cannon rushed, how do I deal with proxy gates/rax/2gate/6 pool/RR/bunker rush, you name it. If you know how to deal with these things, you are sure to get in silver if not gold. Now from gold to plat was a hard one for me. This is where your mechanics, macro and game sense need to come in play. I hardly ever 4gate except for PvP (sigh). I play different builds for different races, and I have different reactionary builds for the different builds my opp is going. That is what got me in Plat after a little frustrating 1v1 break (teamgames ftw) and some sc2 homework (watching streams, GSL, TL forums, Day9, talking to higher players etc) If you are serious about this game, you will need to put some effort in it.
Also I cant agree more about how going a certain build first is better then trying more solid(difficult) ones. Yes a 1 or 3 gate FE or 2 gate robo FE are obviously better then just 4gating every game. But as the OP said, the reason people are stuck in bronze/silver is because they lack general mechanics of the game. You need to learn how not to get supply capped, producing workers, when to get what building etc. You cant just say to a bonze league player: ooh well you should have gone 2 gate robo expand, when he has 1500/1000 bank on 1 base. They need to learn to macro first, and it requires time to learn. Thats just how it is. Sure around gold this is when they should start going decent builds.
Lastly I would say, some people are just naturaly inclined to be better at this game then others. You see it in sports too. I do boxing and kickboxing, some people will just never be able to be even a decent (kick)boxer, simply because they do not have what it takes in terms of hand-eye coordination, basic techniques or just the willpower to push themselves. So dont be too harsh on youself, maybe another game is more fitting for you if you just cant seem to get better after giving it a genuine try.
TL;DR
Learn to scout, learn to stop cheese.
Do some sc2 homework on mechanics
For lower league toss players: http://day9tv.blip.tv/file/4152891/ -> got me from silver to gold in ~15 games
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EPT
