EPT
Things focused on: The Staircase AND 50 SCVs
Completion of Focus: Average SQ: 86.5 Average SCVs @ 10:00: 44.25 Completed Level One!
End of Day Placement: Bronze (Top 8)
Alright, so I started out the day working on my Staircase and still trying to get the hang of the hotkey layouts. Played a couple games against the hard AI to get warmed up. I like playing the hard AI because he launches an early attack (reminding me to build my bunker I'll forget sometimes) but it still gives me a chance to have a decently long game if I want to to practice keeping my SQ down.
Since I am still doing the same build every time I added an extra rule to the Staircase saying that I have to have at least 41 SCVs in order to consider that game a "pass" to count towards my three in a row to move on.
Anyway after a few games I jumped on the ladder with all of my level 1 glory. For those that don't know, Level 1 only allows me to build Command Centers, Supply Depots, Barracks, Bunkers, Engineering Bays, Missile Turrets, Orbital Commands, and doesn't let me micro at all, only attack moving using the mini map. So I got on the ladder, and proceeded to DESTROY bronze level players.
I built nothing but barracks and command centers, so by the time I got to 14 minutes I was usually on 3 bases floating my CC to the 4th and it was near impossible to spend all the money. (I usually also have anywhere from 20-23 barracks by the end of the game just trying to spend money the only way I can. (My standard 1 barracks fast expand doesn't help a lot with that)
Here's a replay of Level One. It was the first ladder game I played and it shows just how you can over run your opponent in Bronze with decent (not nearly good) macro and expanding. He stayed on his 2 bases and I kept taking the map and pushing at him with my endless streams of marines. Then at the end he attempts to insult me to feel like he got the last word. Apparently he doesn't know that the only last word that matters is the surrender.
This game also showed me that this technique is going to piss off a lot of people, just throwing hundreds of marines at them (I lost a game where I had built 510 marines) tends to get on their nerves... They'll get over it. It actually made me a friend today, he made a comment about it (he's the only one who beat me) then we talked after the game and I explained the staircase, he then understood and offered to help. Just goes to show that it's always good to take the high road and be nice after people aren't necessarily the nicest to you. (He wasn't bad but it's a good rule to live by anyway.)
Anyway, this has gone on long enough... suffice it to say that I'm getting a lot more comfortable with the hotkeys (and really like them even if it is frustrating) and completed my 3 in a row to move on to level 2. (Same as level 1 but with micro) I tried a game against AI with it and didn't do very well SQ wise... so I'm going to instead focus on macro but leak in bits of micro along the way, building it up as I go. I think that will be better than trying to micro focus while still macroing perfectly, that's just silly.
