There are lots of different ways to play each race and lots of specific build orders and strategies that you can pick up on to get an advantage... at some point you have to start writing stuff down.

I've been using Stickies (the program) to store build orders for my Zerg play but I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should use a real notebook to keep it all down.

This is really a question blog -- how do you guys think I should handle keeping my strategies straight and effective and what do you do? Also, how best should I work on memorizing these builds other than just executing them ad infinitum?

sinani206

United States1959 Posts

February 28 2011 03:45 GMT

It's really not good for you to memorize numbers, you should build stuff depending on what your opponent is doing.

rbkl

772 Posts

February 28 2011 03:55 GMT

I have to have a notepad with the build order if I am trying something out for the first time, but after that it should make sense why you build ____ @ this particular time. After you understand the reasoning, memorizing the build order becomes much easier.

For example in the 3 rr + speedling build, you build a set of zerglings before getting speed, because if you get a set of zlings, you will get exactly 100 minerals as you get 100 gas -- making it very efficient.

sevia

United States954 Posts

February 28 2011 03:55 GMT

Writing down build orders might work for toss or terran, but as zerg I think it's a bad idea. You generally have to play reactively, e.g. droning if your opponent does an economic/tech build, or changing your army composition to counter theirs.

Most terrans and toss can get away with strict build orders because their early games are typically very passive, walling off and focusing on establishing their tech and production facilities. Zergs, on the other hand, almost always have to deal with some form of pressure (and you play differently if you don't).

CrazyF1r3f0x

United States2120 Posts

February 28 2011 03:59 GMT

I personally keep all of the timings that are significant in a notepad doc on my desktop.

chocopan

Japan986 Posts

February 28 2011 04:46 GMT

Desktop notepads are convenient, but I think physical is better. Writing physically is better for your memory and also encourages you do annotate and revise and all that good stuff.

I have a small notebook for BOs and timings I am playing with. (It's true as z u play reactively but especially when learning z it's fine to have some "skeleton" BOs to work from.)

I also have a larger notebook where I log reasons for losses (where they are repeated or nontrivial flaws in my play), interesting characterstics of partic maps (eg. common proxy pylon locations or whatever), and anything I see or think of in the strategy or "trick" category.

I use the small notebook a lot, and the big notebook not so much; but again for me at least the physically writing it down in the first place is what encourages me to think about it/process it/incorporate it into my embryonic "starsense" hehe.

Basically, anything like these that encourages you to reflect on your games outside actually playing a game, is good.

EDIT: Oh and yeah, I don't think it's worth your time to "memorize" BOs. Follow them if you like but you should always be remembering the logic behind them - what facilitates what when and why - rather than the supply which will go out the window with the first harass or scout anyway.

Maynarde

Australia1286 Posts

February 28 2011 04:59 GMT

On February 28 2011 12:55 sevia wrote:
Writing down build orders might work for toss or terran, but as zerg I think it's a bad idea. You generally have to play reactively, e.g. droning if your opponent does an economic/tech build, or changing your army composition to counter theirs.

Most terrans and toss can get away with strict build orders because their early games are typically very passive, walling off and focusing on establishing their tech and production facilities. Zergs, on the other hand, almost always have to deal with some form of pressure (and you play differently if you don't).

I'm a Zerg player, and while I do agree that they are reactive I still note build orders via notepad (the software not an actual notepad). You can follow a build order to a point and organize it like a tree structure. Including scouting into your build order.

For example, say at 14 food or something right at the beginning of the game you scout your opponent and depending on what you see your build order follows that branch of the tree.

Tuneful

United States327 Posts

February 28 2011 08:11 GMT

A real notebook might help you remember optimized builds. You can always justify not learning the "food list" by saying "there's a reason for everything" (which there is) but having the first 4-5 minutes highly optimized sets you up to enter later stages of the game in a strong (if not the strongest possible) position. What choco said is true, though, you can't blindly stick to a build if some early pressure is threatening you. Ideally, you will deviate from the optimized build just enough to handle the harassment and no further.

I'd watch a lot of progames and progamer replays and ask yourself "what would I have done" and then see what the pro did and attempt to reverse engineer their logic. I use http://www.sc2rep.com for replays.

CapnAmerica

United States508 Posts

February 28 2011 16:50 GMT

I think choco's post was most helpful to me. I'm well aware that Zerg doesn't run on build orders, but the first couple of minutes when making adjustments for different playstyles (rush builds versus standard ones like 14g14p or 15hatch) really do have a set tempo. Responding to pressure is normal but you should still be able to resume your work afterwards.

Tuneful, I already do and have done that.

I'm not learning low level stuff in the game, just trying to think of ways to optimize my play. Right now I'm not confident in my abilities because I'm sick and my decision making is totally off, but I can still use this time to improve my overall knowledge, right? :D

Thank you everyone for the replies.