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So, about a year ago I bought a copy of SC2 for my 11-year-old half-brother. He's certainly bronze league material, and hasn't had a whole lot of practice, but he's learned a lot about the game and we have had some fun teaming up in team games vs. the computer and online.
This Christmas, his younger brother, age 6, has been watching us play, and after a while insisted on trying the game himself. He decided he wanted to play Protoss.
I offered him suggestions ("maybe you should make a pylon now?") but largely he was on his own.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/NxYr3.jpg)
(Note the six workers, and the immortal and four warp prisms queued up on the robotics facility.)
Shortly after that photo, I pointed out to him that warp prisms didn't attack, which he found disappointing -- but after he'd made a few more immortals I showed him how to use the warp prisms to drop them in the enemy base. This development pleased him.
The three of us (the six-year-old, the 11-year-old, and I) have had some utterly ridiculous games vs. multiple computer opponents. I can feel my SC2 skills slipping away as I do this, but hey, at least it's fun, and their parents are thrilled that we've found something we can do together.
Once our games are done, however, we have to wait a while to start a new one with him, because the 6-year-old will then spend two hours running his army around, building new buildings, and attacking his own forces. To him, it's like a fantastic collection of autonomous toys on the computer.
On December 29 2011 03:20 w00kies wrote:
Could you please release a replay?
This is one of the ones from the first day. At this time he was using my account. (I found it easier to locate a replay on my laptop rather than the one he's using in the picture.)
Eric vs. the computer on "very easy"
  
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haha awesome!  so nice you can share sc with your family
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The ol' 4 warp prism 1 immortal rush eh?
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On December 29 2011 01:54 Fruscainte wrote:
The ol' 4 warp prism 1 immortal rush eh?
It's a 4 warp prism 1 immortal 30 minute timing that I think is original to him.
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Nice. But get the kid a mouse! 
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On December 29 2011 01:57 Lysenko wrote:Show nested quote +On December 29 2011 01:54 Fruscainte wrote:
The ol' 4 warp prism 1 immortal rush eh? It's a 4 warp prism 1 immortal 30 minute timing that I think is original to him.
fairly sure I saw kiwikaki do that and beat a code S korean in an MLG, may be wrong.
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On December 29 2011 01:58 VenomBRA wrote:Nice. But get the kid a mouse!
He started out using my mouse -- but interestingly, he was having SERIOUS problems clicking the correct button (right vs. left.) Even when he knew which one he wanted to click, he'd click the wrong one.
When he switched to the trackpad, those problems went away, because he would command-click instead of right-clicking, and using both hands (rather than two fingers on the same hand) was easier for him.
It's been interesting to watch him learn to play, because his manual coordination is so limited at his age. He has to do all kinds of things to compensate for lack of fine motor control. His understanding of what's going on in the game is way ahead of what he can make his hands do (or, in the case of making probes and pylons, what he can remember to do.)
Incidentally, it took him a few hours to realize that when his buildings stop making things, it's because he needs more pylons. After mastering this detail, he came to me and asked "why can't I build anything? I've made more pylons and it's still stuck!" at which point I had to explain the 200 supply cap.
(and yes, he likes to get to 200 supply on one base before attacking the computer, which is set to "Easy.")
The downside to introducing him to the game is that he insists on making his parents and grandparents watch his hour-plus replays.
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mini Lysenko vs mini Wheat gogo
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Hell, if he can play this game on a trackpad, that's better than me already LOL
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How one is able to play SC with a touch pad I will never understand.
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On December 29 2011 02:01 Lysenko wrote:
He started out using my mouse -- but interestingly, he was having SERIOUS problems clicking the correct button (right vs. left.) Even when he knew which one he wanted to click, he'd click the wrong one.
When he switched to the trackpad, those problems went away, because he would command-click instead of right-clicking, and using both hands (rather than two fingers on the same hand) was easier for him.
It's been interesting to watch him learn to play, because his manual coordination is so limited at his age. He has to do all kinds of things to compensate for lack of fine motor control. His understanding of what's going on in the game is way ahead of what he can make his hands do (or, in the case of making probes and pylons, what he can remember to do.)
Incidentally, it took him a few hours to realize that when his buildings stop making things, it's because he needs more pylons. After mastering this detail, he came to me and asked "why can't I build anything? I've made more pylons and it's still stuck!" at which point I had to explain the 200 supply cap.
(and yes, he likes to get to 200 supply on one base before attacking the computer, which is set to "Easy.")
The downside to introducing him to the game is that he insists on making his parents and grandparents watch his hour-plus replays.
Haha, that's awesome! You should post a short video of him playing, like miniWheat's: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=187280
Also, about the problems he's facing, someone should make a map with a 'personal coach', telling the player what to do next, pointing out mistakes and such.
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"half-brother" sounds kinda awkward. is it normal in the us to say that? maybe thats just me oO though
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This reminds me when i tried to get my brother to play... Didn't up to well lol. I think i lost him on the concept of making scv's...
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On December 29 2011 02:01 Lysenko wrote:He started out using my mouse -- but interestingly, he was having SERIOUS problems clicking the correct button (right vs. left.) Even when he knew which one he wanted to click, he'd click the wrong one. When he switched to the trackpad, those problems went away, because he would command-click instead of right-clicking, and using both hands (rather than two fingers on the same hand) was easier for him. It's been interesting to watch him learn to play, because his manual coordination is so limited at his age. He has to do all kinds of things to compensate for lack of fine motor control. His understanding of what's going on in the game is way ahead of what he can make his hands do (or, in the case of making probes and pylons, what he can remember to do.) Incidentally, it took him a few hours to realize that when his buildings stop making things, it's because he needs more pylons. After mastering this detail, he came to me and asked "why can't I build anything? I've made more pylons and it's still stuck!" at which point I had to explain the 200 supply cap. (and yes, he likes to get to 200 supply on one base before attacking the computer, which is set to "Easy.") The downside to introducing him to the game is that he insists on making his parents and grandparents watch his hour-plus replays.
Hahahahahahahahhaahhaha This is why little kids suck....
On topic: lolololol i once had a little cousin and i let him play my wow(thank goodness i dont do that anymore) and he wouldn't leave snd spent the night so he could play his death knight.
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Could you please release a replay?
He is cute, tried to play with my 6 year old brother, but he didnt even check how to move the camera after 20 minutes, so i gave up and let him play his Horse game with his Twin..... 
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On December 29 2011 01:57 Lysenko wrote:Show nested quote +On December 29 2011 01:54 Fruscainte wrote:
The ol' 4 warp prism 1 immortal rush eh? It's a 4 warp prism 1 immortal 30 minute timing that I think is original to him.
IMMORTAL. DROP. HARRASS:
The question is: Which Warp Prism is the Immortal in?
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On December 29 2011 03:08 isleyofthenorth wrote:
"half-brother" sounds kinda awkward. is it normal in the us to say that? maybe thats just me oO though
I usually say "half-brother" because otherwise the fact that he's 6 years old and I'm 40 just leads to more awkward questions.
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On December 29 2011 03:20 w00kies wrote:
Could you please release a replay?
This is one of the ones from the first day. At this time he was using my account. (I found it easier to locate a replay on my laptop rather than the one he's using in the picture.)
Eric vs. the computer on "very easy"
Edit: Note how when the computer surrenders, he clicks "no" and continues to destroy buildings. Often, he'll return to the game after that's done and continue building his army, then a-clicks them around on his own buildings and units to see them kill his own stuff.
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haha aww that's so cute 
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On December 29 2011 03:36 Lysenko wrote:Show nested quote +On December 29 2011 03:08 isleyofthenorth wrote:
"half-brother" sounds kinda awkward. is it normal in the us to say that? maybe thats just me oO though I usually say "half-brother" because otherwise the fact that he's 6 years old and I'm 40 just leads to more awkward questions.
I can only imagine... It's already strange trying to explain why my uncle is 40~ years older than my mother. Have fun when that happens >.< But that is still really cute
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I wonder what is his apm (without a mouse)?
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hello there!
my son who is 6 also plays SC2. First, he perfected the 6pool, which he still executes quite successfully. He won many games on a ladder and had a lot of fun. Then he was not interested in it any more, and didn't play that much ladder. But recently he has actually won some 'normal' games in bronze. Probably he just grasped something, as based on the replays he's doing workers and army quite consistently, and he appears to take even expos. We often play together against the computer.
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Kids playin brood war, manual probe rally, that's some high level shit. so cute haha
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Awesome, this is how savants get made, keep encouraging him.
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protoss of course :D seriously you should train them hard, let them be leenock2
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On December 29 2011 03:08 isleyofthenorth wrote:
"half-brother" sounds kinda awkward. is it normal in the us to say that? maybe thats just me oO though
I have an older half brother, but he's just my brother.
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On December 29 2011 02:01 Lysenko wrote:He started out using my mouse -- but interestingly, he was having SERIOUS problems clicking the correct button (right vs. left.) Even when he knew which one he wanted to click, he'd click the wrong one. When he switched to the trackpad, those problems went away, because he would command-click instead of right-clicking, and using both hands (rather than two fingers on the same hand) was easier for him. It's been interesting to watch him learn to play, because his manual coordination is so limited at his age. He has to do all kinds of things to compensate for lack of fine motor control. His understanding of what's going on in the game is way ahead of what he can make his hands do (or, in the case of making probes and pylons, what he can remember to do.) Incidentally, it took him a few hours to realize that when his buildings stop making things, it's because he needs more pylons. After mastering this detail, he came to me and asked "why can't I build anything? I've made more pylons and it's still stuck!" at which point I had to explain the 200 supply cap. (and yes, he likes to get to 200 supply on one base before attacking the computer, which is set to "Easy.") The downside to introducing him to the game is that he insists on making his parents and grandparents watch his hour-plus replays.
Here is an amazing solution to the mouse clicking problem - as I had the same thing with miniWHEAT. The EASY way to do this is to get a red sticker and a blue sticker and instead of saying left and right click, you can make it BLUE and RED click.
I put blue on LEFT and red on RIGHT (which works good since red can be associated with "attacking").
Alternatively there is a better solution but it costs money:
http://www.amazon.com/Chester-Creek-Funkeyboard-Funmouse-Detection/dp/B005Y5XVA2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1327767270&sr=8-4
This keyboard mouse combo is great for any kid. Nice sized keyboard and mouse, but more importantly, the mouse is already color coded and is perfect for little hands.
After getting this, suddenly the concept of two clicks was easily understood and it changed his level of play compeltely.
Good luck!
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On January 29 2012 01:15 djWHEAT wrote:
Good luck!
Thanks for the thoughts, I'll be sure to give some of that a shot next time he and I play the game together!
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EPT
