• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 15:25
CET 21:25
KST 05:25
  • 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
SC2 All-Star Invitational: Tournament Preview5RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview8RSL Season 3 - Playoffs Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups C & D Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups A & B Preview2
Community News
BSL Season 2025 - Full Overview and Conclusion6Weekly Cups (Jan 5-11): Clem wins big offline, Trigger upsets4$21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7)16Weekly Cups (Dec 29-Jan 4): Protoss rolls, 2v2 returns7[BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 105
StarCraft 2
General
Stellar Fest "01" Jersey Charity Auction SC2 All-Star Invitational: Tournament Preview Weekly Cups (Jan 5-11): Clem wins big offline, Trigger upsets When will we find out if there are more tournament SC2 Spotted on the EWC 2026 list?
Tourneys
SC2 All-Star Invitational: Jan 17-18 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament SC2 AI Tournament 2026 $21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7) OSC Season 13 World Championship
Strategy
Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
Map Editor closed ?
External Content
Mutation # 509 Doomsday Report Mutation # 508 Violent Night Mutation # 507 Well Trained Mutation # 506 Warp Zone
Brood War
General
[ASL21] Potential Map Candidates BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ Video Footage from 2005: The Birth of G2 in Spain BW General Discussion BSL Season 2025 - Full Overview and Conclusion
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 10 Small VOD Thread 2.0 Azhi's Colosseum - Season 2
Strategy
Soma's 9 hatch build from ASL Game 2 Simple Questions, Simple Answers Game Theory for Starcraft Current Meta
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Beyond All Reason Awesome Games Done Quick 2026! Nintendo Switch Thread Mechabellum
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 Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
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
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1762 users

Advice for a Casual Player - Goals Etc.

Blogs > CooDu
Post a Reply
CooDu
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Australia899 Posts
March 01 2011 22:55 GMT
#1
Hi guys,

As mentioned in the title of this topic, in the last couple of years leading up to the release of SC2, my life has turned from studying/being able to dedicate a lot of time to StarCraft to having a new family and a marriage. As such, I'm wanting some frank, honest advice about where to move forward with my beloved game series from here.

A bit about me: I'm 23 years old, currently living in a small town in regional Australia with a partner and now wife of 6 years and a 9 month old baby. I currently work full time as a computer technician having completed my cert IV/diploma in Information Support.

Just a few short years ago I was still living at home playing Brood War for many hours a day and often long into the night. As such, when SC2 was released, I felt pressured to try and achieve the same level and commitment of play as I put into BW. Due to the aforementioned circumstanced I am now on about 3 hours of SC2 a night, with about 7-8+ on weekends.

I'm a gold league player (SEA) currently with about 300 games played. The advice I am after is what sort of goals I should try to achieve as a casual player. I know I will probably never make Master's League, but have this thought at the back of my head every time I play that I want to be that good which I'm not sure is the right mindset.

Ultimately, I just want to hear some thoughts from other people who have had to make the swap from being a huge player to just a casual player. I also try and find time to fit in the GSL vod's that I pay for each season too. Don't have much time to watch anything else except the odd Day9 daily.

Thanks for reading,



Just a simple guy, going wherever this journey takes me.
ieatkids5
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
United States4628 Posts
March 01 2011 23:19 GMT
#2
It's difficult. But maybe you can gradually just change your way of thinking from "gotta practice practice practice and beat everyone with my perfectly executed stats and super macro mechanics!" to "find cool or creative ways to beat people who have better mechanics than i do." Since perfecting execution and honing your mechanics and micro are things you don't really have the time to do any more, i guess focusing your game plan on something else may work.
Zeroes
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States1102 Posts
March 01 2011 23:30 GMT
#3
just have fun with the game not everything is about being the best unless of course you want to beat the hell out of your friends
Check out my SC Lan pics Here: http://picasaweb.google.com/bunk.habit
Chef
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
10810 Posts
March 01 2011 23:47 GMT
#4
If you play that often and that long and are still Gold, maybe you should just accept that you aren't very good at video games haha. (You wanted "honest and frank")

If I were you I'd just enjoy the game for what it is and not worry about getting good at it. Play UMS, play team games, play 1v1s on occasion etc.

If you really want goals.. just make small ones. Like "I want to beat my friend in a 1v1" or whatever.
LEGEND!! LEGEND!!
chocopan
Profile Joined April 2010
Japan986 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-03-02 00:21:52
March 02 2011 00:20 GMT
#5
my 2c

Family is the most important. That doesn't mean you can't work a worthwhile sc2 life around your rl though. Since spamming games dusk to dusk to hit Masters isn't an option, I'd turn to the more general goal of Being a Better Gamer. By which I mean, try not to rate yourself too much by League and Rank, and instead look at what sort of game you -can't- win at your current level, and work on that.

In my case I've realized I could play my current style a fair way further up, but I really want to develop a strong macro style. So I'm losing games all over the place on my smurf NA account. My League is bleargh. But I enjoy it because I know I could win a lot of these games if I was playing any way I wanted - I'm choosing to invest time/lost games in improving partic skills I want to get down.

So yes in summary I'd set yourself really specific skill goals, and do what you can to minimize League/Rank paranoia (eg. NA smurfing if you are SEA.)

Go SEA!

gl
Dance those ultras
krndandaman
Profile Joined August 2009
Mozambique16569 Posts
March 02 2011 00:31 GMT
#6
--- Nuked ---
Dhalphir
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Australia1305 Posts
March 02 2011 02:47 GMT
#7
Uh, 3 hours every night and 7-8 hours on weekends is far from "casual" and you should probably stop doing that if you have a wife, a full time job, and such a young child.

That said, thats a lot more than I play and I've still managed high Diamond, so maybe you just aren't as good at the game as you thought you were going to be.
Supporting TypeII Gaming - www.typeii.net - TypeReaL, TypePhoeNix, TypeSuN, TypeDBS!!
chocopan
Profile Joined April 2010
Japan986 Posts
March 02 2011 04:32 GMT
#8
My other 2c (makes 4)

These sorts of threads always attract a set number of "maybe you have to just accept you suck at sc" responses. Please filter them out. People respond intending to be helpful but sometimes that sort of thing slips out, don't take it seriously. Just play and enjoy your game and they can play and enjoy theirs.

gl!
Dance those ultras
CooDu
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
Australia899 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-03-02 09:54:21
March 02 2011 08:59 GMT
#9
Thanks for the advice, I expected a bit of backlack from folks but that's fine.
Gives me something to work on now.

Also, 3 hours a night + 4 hours per night on weekends is hardly hardcore, get a grip
Just a simple guy, going wherever this journey takes me.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
IPSL
20:00
Grand Finals
Dewalt vs Sziky
Airneanach82
Liquipedia
BSL 21
20:00
Non-Korean Championship - D4
Bonyth vs Sziky
Mihu vs QiaoGege
Sziky vs XuanXuan
eOnzErG vs QiaoGege
Mihu vs DuGu
Dewalt vs Bonyth
ZZZero.O210
LiquipediaDiscussion
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
mouzHeroMarine 545
IndyStarCraft 205
JuggernautJason90
StarCraft: Brood War
Calm 2025
Shuttle 626
ZZZero.O 190
Mini 72
910 30
Dota 2
Gorgc8701
Pyrionflax132
Counter-Strike
fl0m2475
Other Games
FrodaN5619
summit1g5514
Grubby3617
Liquid`RaSZi2693
B2W.Neo856
crisheroes376
Liquid`Hasu357
ArmadaUGS180
ToD173
mouzStarbuck153
KnowMe4
Railgan1
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick2529
EGCTV1287
StarCraft 2
angryscii 21
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 18 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• HeavenSC 41
• Reevou 16
• Laughngamez YouTube
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Migwel
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
StarCraft: Brood War
• FirePhoenix8
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
League of Legends
• Jankos3070
• TFBlade952
Other Games
• imaqtpie2544
• Shiphtur289
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
12h 35m
Wardi Open
15h 35m
Monday Night Weeklies
20h 35m
OSC
1d 14h
The PondCast
2 days
OSC
2 days
Big Brain Bouts
4 days
Serral vs TBD
BSL 21
5 days
BSL 21
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Escore Tournament S1: W4
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)
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Proleague 2026-01-18
OSC Championship Season 13
Underdog Cup #3
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S1: W5
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
HSC XXVIII
Rongyi Cup S3
Nations Cup 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
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
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.