• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 04:16
CEST 10:16
KST 17:16
  • 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
ByuL, and the Limitations of Standard Play0Team Liquid Map Contest #22: Results and Winners7Code S Season 2 (2026): RO4 and Finals Preview12TL.net Map Contest #22 - Voting & Ladder Map Selection7Code S Season 2 (2026) - RO8 Preview8
Community News
[TLMC] Summer 2026 Ladder Map Rotation05.0.16 patch for SC2 goes live (8 worker start)50ZeroSpace at Steam NextFest - Last free demo25Weekly Cups (June 8-14): Clem and Solar double, PTR tested0RSL: S6 Finals played at BlizzCon 202611
StarCraft 2
General
5.0.16 patch for SC2 goes live (8 worker start) take on 5.0.16 ?Bug in new patch ByuL, and the Limitations of Standard Play Daily SC2 Player Grid - feedback wanted
Tourneys
INu's Battles#17 <BO.9> RSL Revival: Season 6 - Qualifiers and Main Event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament GSL CK #4 20-21th June Douyu Cup 2026: $20,000 Legends Event (June 26-28)
Strategy
[G] Having the right mentality to improve
Custom Maps
New Map Maker - Looking for Advice - Love or Hate Work In Progress Melee Maps [D]RTS in all its shapes and glory <3
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 531 Experimental Artillery Mutation # 530 One For All Mutation # 529 Opportunities Unleashed
Brood War
General
ASL 22 Proposed Map Pool BW General Discussion STARCRAFT MOVIE - Last Night at the Command center Fact based Zerg Upgrade Tier List BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/
Tourneys
[BSL22] GosuLeague Casts - Tue & Thu 22:00 CEST [Megathread] Daily Proleagues CSLAN 4 is Coming! Small VOD Thread 2.0
Strategy
Why doesn't anyone use restoration? Simple Questions, Simple Answers Relatively freeroll strategies Creating a full chart of Zerg builds
Other Games
General Games
The Perfect Game Rogue Command ZeroSpace at Steam NextFest - Last free demo Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Beyond All Reason
Dota 2
Looking for a Dota Mentor 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
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread [H]Internet/Gaming Cafe Tips and Tricks The Games Industry And ATVI
Fan Clubs
The HerO Fan Club! The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
Movie Discussion! Series you have seen recently... [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books [TV/BOOK] *SPOILERS* Game of Thrones Discussion
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 McBoner: A hockey love story Formula 1 Discussion Cricket [SPORT]
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread Facing Challenges in Mobile App Development
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
How To Predict Tilt in Espor…
TrAiDoS
An Exploration of th…
waywardstrategy
I'm an arrogant trash talke…
FlaShFTW
Gauntlet SC2: A Retrospectiv…
Ctone23
Why RTS gamers make better f…
gosubay
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 7301 users

Mechanics and Strategy-a Chess Perspective - Page 2

Blogs > etheovermind
Post a Reply
Prev 1 2 All
Confuse
Profile Joined October 2009
2238 Posts
March 12 2011 00:49 GMT
#21
On March 12 2011 08:07 etheovermind wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 12 2011 08:01 Mr. Wiggles wrote:
So just a question, but do you think anything could be changed or added in the expansions in SC2 that could ameliorate this situation?

Where do you think the root of the problem lies?

I believe that there would need to be some "comeback" units. Units at the highest tier that when used properly would allow someone to come back from almost any situation. Ex. defiler, hold-lurkers, reavers. This should also include getting rid of smart-cast.
12 unit select and MBS will probably never go and I don't think its crucial that they do though it would make the game a bit better IMO.


Yes! Completely absolutely agree. Comeback units are part of what MADE brood war appeal to beginners. Massive numbers of kills on key units like archons/reavers/lurkers/tanks when someone wasnt paying attention for just a moment could swing a game one way or the other. You don't see that much in sc2 anymore. Somehow it seems like the developers thought "having less of an effect" is more fun - weaker spells, weaker units. I don't know. Just my opinion. Sc2 is still great to watch, but I doubt I would have gotten into it at all without the lure BW had in watching the korean scene.
If we fear what we do not understand, then why is ignorance bliss?
c3rberUs
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Japan11286 Posts
March 12 2011 01:22 GMT
#22
Nice blog there, etheovermind, you have enlightened me today . Even though I don't have much experience in sc2 (watched very few games), I agree with etheovermind. The only problem is that it might get labeled as overpowered.

So why aren't defilers qq'd about? Dark swarms make units practically invulnerable. However in broodwar, there is a good system of give and take. With defilers being good you might think "Oh, I'll just make 'em and go straight to the top", but getting defilers very early leaves you vulnerable with just a few units to defend and actually use the DS. Some units are op but they have a price.
WriterMovie, 진영화 : "StarCraft will never die".
Redmark
Profile Joined March 2010
Canada2129 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-03-12 01:59:30
March 12 2011 01:55 GMT
#23
I'm not seeing how your analysis supports your conclusion.
It's just risk/reward. If you're playing a tennis match against someone with an incredibly strong forehand you have to strategize to play against the opponent's strengths. If your opponent has better macro than you then you use strategies which don't depend as much on macro. It adds strategy in this same way that playing in different courts, or with different racquets adds strategy. It's just another variable.
Instead of 'A beats B', it's 'A beats B if player is above C mechanical skill'. I'm not seeing where the leap is strategy comes from. It's what you had before + knowing your opponent, which real strategy is anyway. Doesn't really change anything.
Mechanics has nothing to do with strategy. At the highest level, everyone should have roughly the same strategical tools (if you tell me that Flash is the best SC strategist ever I would be very skeptical). It just determines how hard it is to actually get to the strategical part, and how easy it is to screw up a maneuver that is otherwise strategically sound. Some people like this balance skewed one way, some people the other.

I believe that there would need to be some "comeback" units. Units at the highest tier that when used properly would allow someone to come back from almost any situation. Ex. defiler, hold-lurkers, reavers. This should also include getting rid of smart-cast.

This is an oft-repeated line, but I don't see why. It obviously depends on how this 'comeback' unit is implemented. These units can be used to bury a weakened foe just as easily as they can create comebacks.
Smart-cast, again, I'm not seeing the relevance.
IamBach
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States1059 Posts
March 12 2011 02:12 GMT
#24
On March 12 2011 10:55 Redmark wrote:
I'm not seeing how your analysis supports your conclusion.
It's just risk/reward. If you're playing a tennis match against someone with an incredibly strong forehand you have to strategize to play against the opponent's strengths. If your opponent has better macro than you then you use strategies which don't depend as much on macro. It adds strategy in this same way that playing in different courts, or with different racquets adds strategy. It's just another variable.
Instead of 'A beats B', it's 'A beats B if player is above C mechanical skill'. I'm not seeing where the leap is strategy comes from. It's what you had before + knowing your opponent, which real strategy is anyway. Doesn't really change anything.
Mechanics has nothing to do with strategy. At the highest level, everyone should have roughly the same strategical tools (if you tell me that Flash is the best SC strategist ever I would be very skeptical). It just determines how hard it is to actually get to the strategical part, and how easy it is to screw up a maneuver that is otherwise strategically sound. Some people like this balance skewed one way, some people the other.

Show nested quote +
I believe that there would need to be some "comeback" units. Units at the highest tier that when used properly would allow someone to come back from almost any situation. Ex. defiler, hold-lurkers, reavers. This should also include getting rid of smart-cast.

This is an oft-repeated line, but I don't see why. It obviously depends on how this 'comeback' unit is implemented. These units can be used to bury a weakened foe just as easily as they can create comebacks.
Smart-cast, again, I'm not seeing the relevance.

Flash is actually one of the best strategists and that is definitly his strongest point.
PROLEAGUE SPOILERS FLASH V JAEDONG
+ Show Spoiler +
Jaedong tries to rush lurkers. Its almost like Flash has map hacks, He sends a random SCV to the other side of the map where jaedong had hidden his lurkers. In an interview he literally said he just had a feeling something was up

Comeback units make it so the tides of the game switch very rapidly. In an even match up between to evenly matched up players, yes the player who is already winning can use OP units to beat him down but that doesn't mean that the defender can't use them too. I mean, you can use a reaver to beat a zerg but if he just dark swarmed your whole army, and plagued it, can lose your whole army, thus giving the zerg a chance to comeback. If you just try to go for some kind of unit trade, where you kill his workers or something and he kills your army, then its even footing again, thus a comeback has been made.
Just listen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__lCZeePG48
gongryong
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
Korea (South)1430 Posts
March 12 2011 02:15 GMT
#25
On March 12 2011 07:50 awu25 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 12 2011 07:31 CrazedManiac wrote:
In your second diagram, if it's White to play, he actually wins by Qxh7+.

Just sayin'

Can't the rook kill the queen?


Play it out, man, you'll see.

I agree with the OP, but as far as the discussion is concerned,
i'd like know what people's idea of "mechanics" is. Just making sure.
this might be a "metagame" argument where it gets to 20-30 pages of discussion until
people realize that they define "metagame" differently.

anyway, as far as chess mechanics is concerned, a good chess strategy benefits from
some mechanics as well, such as tempo (or timing your moves to to create the most probability of executing an opening to victory, mostly this would require suspending a benefit now for a greater one later) and sequencing (getting around the natural movements of your pieces to delay or hasten a particular strategic advantage).

still may i point out, BW is not exactly chess since u don't have complete information about your opponent.
JAEDONG ÜBERBONJWA!
Chef
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
10810 Posts
March 12 2011 02:20 GMT
#26
Mechanics is how well you move the mouse and press the buttons on the keyboard. Your mechanics limit the number of things you can do when a game isn't 'easy.' Mechanical limitations are what force you to make decisions about where you spend your concentration, which is an element that add very obviously to strategy. However, there is also a point to make that even if you have more time to think about strategy (because you are not busy with mechanics), does not necessarily mean a game is more strategical. It just makes the strategy aspect of the game simpler and easier to handle.

That is what I think mechanics usually refers to, but I may not be understanding the OP since it doesn't quite add up to me.
LEGEND!! LEGEND!!
rabidch
Profile Joined January 2010
United States20289 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-03-12 02:30:28
March 12 2011 02:23 GMT
#27
On March 12 2011 11:12 etheovermind wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 12 2011 10:55 Redmark wrote:
I'm not seeing how your analysis supports your conclusion.
It's just risk/reward. If you're playing a tennis match against someone with an incredibly strong forehand you have to strategize to play against the opponent's strengths. If your opponent has better macro than you then you use strategies which don't depend as much on macro. It adds strategy in this same way that playing in different courts, or with different racquets adds strategy. It's just another variable.
Instead of 'A beats B', it's 'A beats B if player is above C mechanical skill'. I'm not seeing where the leap is strategy comes from. It's what you had before + knowing your opponent, which real strategy is anyway. Doesn't really change anything.
Mechanics has nothing to do with strategy. At the highest level, everyone should have roughly the same strategical tools (if you tell me that Flash is the best SC strategist ever I would be very skeptical). It just determines how hard it is to actually get to the strategical part, and how easy it is to screw up a maneuver that is otherwise strategically sound. Some people like this balance skewed one way, some people the other.

I believe that there would need to be some "comeback" units. Units at the highest tier that when used properly would allow someone to come back from almost any situation. Ex. defiler, hold-lurkers, reavers. This should also include getting rid of smart-cast.

This is an oft-repeated line, but I don't see why. It obviously depends on how this 'comeback' unit is implemented. These units can be used to bury a weakened foe just as easily as they can create comebacks.
Smart-cast, again, I'm not seeing the relevance.

Flash is actually one of the best strategists and that is definitly his strongest point.
PROLEAGUE SPOILERS FLASH V JAEDONG
+ Show Spoiler +
Jaedong tries to rush lurkers. Its almost like Flash has map hacks, He sends a random SCV to the other side of the map where jaedong had hidden his lurkers. In an interview he literally said he just had a feeling something was up

Comeback units make it so the tides of the game switch very rapidly. In an even match up between to evenly matched up players, yes the player who is already winning can use OP units to beat him down but that doesn't mean that the defender can't use them too. I mean, you can use a reaver to beat a zerg but if he just dark swarmed your whole army, and plagued it, can lose your whole army, thus giving the zerg a chance to comeback. If you just try to go for some kind of unit trade, where you kill his workers or something and he kills your army, then its even footing again, thus a comeback has been made.

IMO I think that's just "star sense" or experience. If I wanted to look at Flash's strategy at his greatest, I'd look at his TvZ deny 3rd expo strategy (which could not be done without proper mechanics FYI, and 2 hatch muta couldnt be done without proper mechanics), or the double armory on Katrina which allowed Terran to fight carriers on that map, or just in general his TvT play.

I recently remember posting about a PL game vs Mind where Flash was heavily at a disadvantage and Mind was teched to BCs much faster than him at the rate where Flash would easily have lost. In a OMG moment Flash scanned Mind's base then dropped most some of his army in Mind's base to snipe 1. Mind's Armories 2. Mind's Physics Lab. The result? Flash was even/ahead on upgrades and research AND Mind had to rebuild his Physics Lab. Flash then slowly fought back knowing that Mind could not fully use the BC's he had just invested in, then beat out Mind on BC army and won the game. THAT is strategy.
LiquidDota StaffOnly a true king can play the King.
gongryong
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
Korea (South)1430 Posts
March 12 2011 02:24 GMT
#28
On March 12 2011 11:12 etheovermind wrote:
Flash is actually one of the best strategists and that is definitly his strongest point.
PROLEAGUE SPOILERS FLASH V JAEDONG
+ Show Spoiler +
Jaedong tries to rush lurkers. Its almost like Flash has map hacks, He sends a random SCV to the other side of the map where jaedong had hidden his lurkers. In an interview he literally said he just had a feeling something was up


The thing about flash is, he's not the savviest in interviews. He tried to be cool about it but he just looks more and more arrogant. If you saw the game, he scanned the den and didnt see a single hydra that late in game. Its not starsense even, just routine scout to see whats up. JD lost that because he miscalculated the attack and runby and had to recover be double expoing.
JAEDONG ÜBERBONJWA!
IamBach
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States1059 Posts
March 12 2011 02:40 GMT
#29
OK sorry I misunderstood Flash in that thing. When I was watching the game, I hadn't noticed that flash had scanned the den. In response to mechanical definitions, I basically define mechanics as the ability to control units.
Mechanics is how well you move the mouse and press the buttons on the keyboard. Your mechanics limit the number of things you can do when a game isn't 'easy.' Mechanical limitations are what force you to make decisions about where you spend your concentration, which is an element that add very obviously to strategy. However, there is also a point to make that even if you have more time to think about strategy (because you are not busy with mechanics), does not necessarily mean a game is more strategical. It just makes the strategy aspect of the game simpler and easier to handle.

To reiterate or maybe say for the first time, I mean that challenging mechanics add to the overall variability of play, leading to strategies being more abstract rather than definite calculations.
Just listen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__lCZeePG48
c3rberUs
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
Japan11286 Posts
March 12 2011 02:49 GMT
#30
On March 12 2011 11:24 gongryong wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 12 2011 11:12 etheovermind wrote:
Flash is actually one of the best strategists and that is definitly his strongest point.
PROLEAGUE SPOILERS FLASH V JAEDONG
+ Show Spoiler +
Jaedong tries to rush lurkers. Its almost like Flash has map hacks, He sends a random SCV to the other side of the map where jaedong had hidden his lurkers. In an interview he literally said he just had a feeling something was up


The thing about flash is, he's not the savviest in interviews. He tried to be cool about it but he just looks more and more arrogant. If you saw the game, he scanned the den and didnt see a single hydra that late in game. Its not starsense even, just routine scout to see whats up. JD lost that because he miscalculated the attack and runby and had to recover be double expoing.

Yeah, but imo starsense really comes from good scouting info. You can sense what a player is doing by judging what you can see from say, a scan or a scouting unit. You can also check places in the map for proxies or hidden tech routinely. This is what I see when flash plays.
WriterMovie, 진영화 : "StarCraft will never die".
TheNessman
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States4158 Posts
March 12 2011 03:19 GMT
#31
On March 12 2011 11:24 gongryong wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 12 2011 11:12 etheovermind wrote:
Flash is actually one of the best strategists and that is definitly his strongest point.
PROLEAGUE SPOILERS FLASH V JAEDONG
+ Show Spoiler +
Jaedong tries to rush lurkers. Its almost like Flash has map hacks, He sends a random SCV to the other side of the map where jaedong had hidden his lurkers. In an interview he literally said he just had a feeling something was up


The thing about flash is, he's not the savviest in interviews. He tried to be cool about it but he just looks more and more arrogant. If you saw the game, he scanned the den and didnt see a single hydra that late in game. Its not starsense even, just routine scout to see whats up. JD lost that because he miscalculated the attack and runby and had to recover be double expoing.


Yeah, i thought it was genius when he just walked his lurkers past the first bunkers into the main

Then i realized that he just lost when he walked them ALL THE WAY INTO THE CORNER WTF
~~! youtube.com/xmungam1 !~~
Prev 1 2 All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 1h 44m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
StateSC2 270
SortOf 204
StarCraft: Brood War
Hyuk 648
Tasteless 264
Hm[arnc] 111
Dewaltoss 80
Leta 61
Aegong 48
NaDa 39
Larva 26
Super Smash Bros
Mew2King163
Other Games
summit1g7549
ceh9546
RuFF_SC228
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Main Stream2279
Other Games
gamesdonequick568
StarCraft: Brood War
UltimateBattle 118
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH259
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Rush979
• Jankos722
• Stunt679
Upcoming Events
The PondCast
1h 44m
OSC
8h 44m
Douyu Cup 2020
20h 44m
Oliveira vs Trap
Jieshi vs XY
soO vs FanTaSy
TY vs Coffee
OSC
1d 7h
Douyu Cup 2020
1d 20h
Neeb vs Impact
MacSed vs Cyan
Scarlett vs Kelazhur
INnoVation vs Dear
Douyu Cup 2020
2 days
Maestros of the Game
3 days
herO vs Classic
Maru vs Serral
BSL22 NKC (BSL vs China)
3 days
Douyu Cup 2020
3 days
BSL22 NKC (BSL vs China)
4 days
[ Show More ]
Online Event
4 days
RSL Revival
4 days
RSL Revival
5 days
WardiTV Weekly
5 days
RSL Revival
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-06-19
WardiTV Spring 2026
Heroes Pulsing #2

Ongoing

IPSL Spring 2026
Acropolis #4
CSCL: Masked Kings S4
YSL S3
BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
CSL Season 21: Qualifier 1
SCTL 2026 Spring
Maestros of the Game 2
Murky Cup 2026
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026

Upcoming

CSL Season 21: Qualifier 2
CSL 2026 Summer (S21)
CSLAN 4
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Revival: Season 6
CranK Gathers Season 4: BW vs SC2 Team League
HSC XXIX
Douyu Cup 2026
BCC 2026
Light Tournament 2026
Eternal Conflict S2 Finale
Eternal Conflict S2 E1
Heroes Pulsing #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 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.