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Since the HOTS beta has been down, I have gone back to play on the Korean servers and practice a little there. Practicing there makes me feel that I'm really practicing with the best of the best, even if it has a bit of delay. The players there are very dedicated and determined to win. Here are a few things that I've noticed that Koreans do that Americans will probably never do and will make them fall behind.
Never give up... and I mean NEVER give up:
I traded bases with these guys when they only had a mutalisk left in their army but they never give up. If there is a possibility that they can do a non-zero amount of damage they will stay in the game. Even if they lose 90% of their workers, they will continue playing the game and try their best to come back into it. I've lost a couple of times to this and it's quite frustrating. I would never get this on the US / EU ladder though.
Successfully defending a cheese means nothing for you if you can't macro well enough behind it to deal with the folllow up. I know that I've gotten more wins from just that than I should have. "oh the guy has 3 bunkers with scvs on auto repair, I guess its over." Almost none of these players think like this. I don't think the next game isn't important to these guys. The only thing that's important is the here and now.
Proxy / Cheese:
In just my ladder session today I have been cheesed like no other. At least 10 games straight I was cheesed every single one. Practicing dealing with these is a huge help in micro and panic management. Baneling busts, immortal sentry all ins, 2 rax proxy, all of these things have been thrown at me in less than an hour time and with macro at a korean level it comes sooner, and it come harder. I would imagine that these players don't even get mad at losing to these strategies because they happen so often. If they did, they probably would play something else like LoL.
Pride:
Sometimes I'll be asked where I'm from, and I swear to god when I tell them that I'm from the US it makes the previous two listed happen even more. I've had a zerg player pull all of his drones, lose a hatchery and have only mutas and continued to play me until I was able to effectively deal with his counter attack. These players don't want to lose to anyone, and with their hard-work I think they will always be statistically superior.
I knew that the korean server was a league above the normal, but I didn't think that the practice would be this much fun and be this difficult. Playing these guys is inspiring.
Random end note: I know some korean though and some guy on ladder did call me a "saekki(?)" which I believe means "son of a bitch." At least some of them show their emotions  (this was one of the games when I told them I was from America too, so he may have been super mad at himself.)
 
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Haha this blog is pretty cute :3
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meh, not ALL koreans are better than me
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28100 Posts
I like the point of never giving up. I try to follow that when I play either SC2 or Dota 2. When playing with friends in Dota 2 they almost always have the attitude of let them end it when the game seems too behind, and I always feel annoyed with that attitude.
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Yeah I learned that on the korean ladder in wol. It was my first big wake up call on the korean server lol.
I remember getting in situations where on NA/EU I had the game won 100%. On korea I was in the same situation for the first time and then I lost. I remember being flabbergasted that I had been in this same advantage many, many times on NA/EU and never lost. Ever since that happened to me I don't allow myself to feel at ease ever .
Had that happen to me quiet a few times and now that bad habbit of mine is over :D.
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TLADT24920 Posts
I agree. I've played only several games on the Korean ladder but they were intense. They have things thought out and even the all-ins are unique(colossi+several stalkers+probes). They definitely don't give up unless you completely finish their base or they lose all their units lol
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I'm speaking from BW experience but I think that playing when you've "lost" helps performance a lot because not only do you learn how to play from behind (and potentially win!) but you really get it into you just what it is that lost you the game, and just what is possible to get you an advantage. In BW, you can drop them when you've "lost" and suddenly be back in the game, but you can take that experience of dropping and use it in games when you're "ahead" and increase your lead on the other player, so continuing play when you're fairly confident you've lost is good for your skill and your mindset.
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United Kingdom14464 Posts
What league are you in/what league are you playing against just out of interest.
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I have yet to learn how to defend against some toss allins. They wouldn't happen often enough for me to learn how to stop them. I think this may have detracted from my drive to play though, because halfway through games I was winning I would get the feeling I was only winning by my opponents incompetence. Really glad we finally get global play.
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immortal sentry is not cheese...
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As Boxer said in his autobiography, as long as there is a shrivel of hope, 1% chance of winning, he will take it and not give up
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United Kingdom14464 Posts
I find this a bit silly, yes Koreans are better, and the Korean ladder is better...
But the players you are playing against aren't. The ladder is designed to give you a 50% winrate, and will match you accordingly.
If the players as you said are more likely to stay to the end and get extra wins that way, then they must actually be worse in some other regard.
The same is true if they are very good cheesers... All it means is that they are worse at something else.
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EPT
