EPTChapter 2
Confusion. It certainly was the theme of the week. This week was one of rapid changes, so much so that just today while writing this blog, am I finally starting to feel like I’ve arrived somewhere. With demoralizing losses to high platinum and low diamond players, but also wins against top 25 diamonds, I felt firsthand the frustration and uncertainty associated with becoming a top player. Throughout the last week my build orders seesawed from macro play to micro play. Even though I’m assuming these transitions are natural, I’m still determined to find a style that maximizes my potential. Ultimately, I envision myself as a macro player who is still very willing get his hands dirty and switch gears into aggression. Some of my SC2 role-models are Ret, IdrA, and July, so I can understand my identity crisis when it comes to playing Zerg. For now, I’m going to just keep playing. Regardless of how much I flop styles, I am getting better; a fact that’s encouraged me to keep going.
As far as actual games went these last few days, I went from securing steady wins with early aggression, to my early aggression being denied, and then losing to just about anything that was thrown at me. There’s not anything specific that’s beating me, leading me to the realization that I primarily beat myself. It is essential I have found, to know why I lost or why I won. Watching replays of all your games, especially losses, is important. And when I’ve won, I’ve viewed the replays with just as critical an eye as I do my losses. Identify your mistakes regardless of the match’s outcome. In my replays, I primarily find myself overreacting to things I’ve scouted, which forced me to realize that my struggle to find a style stems from the fact that I want to exploit the weaknesses I see in my opponent’s early game. For example, in one game, a Protoss four gated without any attempt to block with more than one zealot . The decent player inside of me urged, “Take advantage of this!” Yet, when I try – not only in this example, it doesn’t always work. And often times when it doesn’t work, I’ve over committed and set myself back.
Despite the confusion, every loss has changed my awareness. I know where I must progress. I know now, like Artosis always says, to play it safe. As such, my goal this week is to play to my advantages without going all in. With hope it will make me a more dynamic player.
My sight is set on the future, and while I’m aware at least for the time being that it might not bring anything more than solidifying myself in the diamond league, I hope that soon with continued dedication that I will be on the cusp of attaining my master’s league promotion. Next week, I’m going to start uploading a replay with each blog, so that my progress is a little more tangible. Until then, take care, and as always, pursue your passions!
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