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SC2 Notes: Miscellaneous Notes

Blogs > SC2John
Post a Reply
EsportsJohn
Profile Blog Joined June 2012
United States4883 Posts
September 08 2013 06:55 GMT
#1
Here is just a few miscellaneous notes I've taken over the course of time that can help with playing better:


How to Play Protoss

  • At any point after you reach a certain tech path, you can either throw down a nexus and expand or throw down gateways and attack with your excess minerals
  • Focus is always on one of 3 things: tech, units, or economy. Identify which area you need to focus on and dump ALL chronoboost into it. (i.e. +1 and warpgate for tech, gateways for units, and probes for economy)
  • In the early game, every stalker made is one less upgrade, tech structure, or gateway


Mechanics
  • Build buildings then F2/F3/F4 and shift-click on resources
  • Always look at the minimap while making buildings or units
  • When building units, look at money and supply
  • Cycle through production while attacking (e.g. 5-6-7-5-6-7 once during a fight)
  • Always keep your screen on your units when not macroing

Shift focus areas daily:
  1. Watching minimap
  2. Increasing APM
  3. Mouse accuracy
  4. Keeping money low
  5. Cycling through production
  6. Scouting


Maps and Strategy
  1. Map strategy - What is my strategy based on the layout and size of this map? Should I be aggressive or passive? Should I be looking to end the game before 3 or 4 bases or do I want to take it to a split-map scenario?
  2. Expansion layout - Where and how do I take my first 3 or 4 bases? Depending on my strategy, which bases will be best to take?
  3. Map tactics (topograhy) - Are there any map features to abuse? Where should my army be stationed in order to deal with pressure? Can I attack into certain areas or not based on choke points and ramps?


Late Game Mentality
  1. Macro game focus -Focus on playing macro styles that force you to test and push your multi-tasking and macro ability. This will allow you to get better at macro quickly so that you can focus on things like micro and strategy later.
  2. Standard play - Play "standard" macro builds that have many resources and pro replays/VoDs to look up. Not only are standard builds generally the most effective builds, but playing them allows you to improve your game sense and knowledge of timings faster. Once you feel comfortable playing standard games, it's okay to branch out into more unorthodox builds.
  3. Expansion advantage - Expansion management is at the core of SC2. If you ever get an expansion advantage, you are in the lead and you indirectly put pressure on your opponent to either attack or secure their own expansion else they risk falling behind.
  4. Marginal advantage - "When ahead, get more ahead." If you gain some kind of advantage (e.g. killing workers, getting a faster expansion, come out ahead in an engagement), you don't need to try anything risky. Most of the time, it's better to continue the game, doing your best to avoid mistakes, and allow your lead to marginally increase into a greater advantage.





***
StrategyAllyssa Grey <3<3
tar
Profile Joined October 2010
Germany991 Posts
September 08 2013 09:15 GMT
#2
I would like to put some emphasis on mentality point 4:
When ahead get more ahead: I fully agree with you when you say don't try anything risky and avoid mistakes.

I have seen so many players go crazy after getting ahead and consequently losing the game.
From my observation, when you get an eco advantage most of the time it is wiser to continue with your eco normally (ie consolidating your eco lead) and push your advantage in tech or production instead of even more eco.
Just recently, I was playing a PvT where the guy (top masters btw) was constantly mine/marine dropping me. the 4th attempt killed about 16 workers across my 2 bases. at that time I had colossus tech up and 4 gates. so I decided to just do a 2 base colossus all in instead of trying to catch up. I had actually already given up on the game yet when i arrived at his base he had 4 CCs but only 1 viking. gg.
When ahead get more ahead doesn't mean one should go crazy. If you do, you open up a window for your opponent to punish you which is exactly what shouldn't happen when you are ahead.


whoever I pick for my anti team turns gosu
Japhybaby
Profile Blog Joined February 2013
Canada301 Posts
September 08 2013 13:09 GMT
#3
nice and simple. thanks SC2John.
hold on! i'm callin' you back to the pool, and we'll dazzle them all!
EsportsJohn
Profile Blog Joined June 2012
United States4883 Posts
September 08 2013 20:13 GMT
#4
On September 08 2013 18:15 tar wrote:
I would like to put some emphasis on mentality point 4:
When ahead get more ahead: I fully agree with you when you say don't try anything risky and avoid mistakes.

I have seen so many players go crazy after getting ahead and consequently losing the game.
From my observation, when you get an eco advantage most of the time it is wiser to continue with your eco normally (ie consolidating your eco lead) and push your advantage in tech or production instead of even more eco.
Just recently, I was playing a PvT where the guy (top masters btw) was constantly mine/marine dropping me. the 4th attempt killed about 16 workers across my 2 bases. at that time I had colossus tech up and 4 gates. so I decided to just do a 2 base colossus all in instead of trying to catch up. I had actually already given up on the game yet when i arrived at his base he had 4 CCs but only 1 viking. gg.
When ahead get more ahead doesn't mean one should go crazy. If you do, you open up a window for your opponent to punish you which is exactly what shouldn't happen when you are ahead.




The "marginal advantage" term actually comes from a really old article that Day9 wrote (2007 dude lol): http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=64514

It's quite a good concept and something that every amateur player should examine very closely. I think until you reach a really strong understanding of the game, you don't have a good idea of what your opponent is doing or what they can have, etc. Pro players have almost a "star sense" in that they know when they can initiate the kill move and hit a really deadly timing (ex: all the terran players who pull SCVs literally 30 seconds before storm finishes).

On September 08 2013 22:09 Japhybaby wrote:
nice and simple. thanks SC2John.


No problem! Some of these notes, especially the mechanics and map strategy notes are from my BW days.
StrategyAllyssa Grey <3<3
Erik.TheRed
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States1655 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-09-09 22:46:43
September 09 2013 22:45 GMT
#5
I agree with all of your points. I find that I have a rather odd weakness with protoss, which is that I tend to be a little bit too active with my army/deathball. Whereas most people would be content to just chill in a defensive position, I'm always moving about and quite often I lose games because my army should have just been chilling while I took a 4th base rather than running around the map at 150 supply.

It's kind of funny because I play with a relatively high apm for protoss (about 220) and often have situations where I have like no units lost for the first 10 minutes and then all of a sudden I just wind up with a dead deathball. This leads to a lot of inconsistancy in my play -- some games I can be playing a close game vs a GM and in others I am losing to a diamond player after trying to run up a chokepoint becuase I "got bored" of waiting for him to leave the game. I guess in retrospect I should be playing terran since I hate sitting still with my army but lately I've been playing with templar/ warp prism based styles that allow me to more effectively use APM without derping around with my deathball xD
"See you space cowboy"
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