• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 11:03
CET 16:03
KST 00:03
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL22] Finals Preview: Sweet Victory!9[ASL22] Ro4 Preview: Mirror Mirror6[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: Within Reach5[ASL22] Ro8 Preview: In A Tizzy11[ASL22] Ro16 Preview: Holy Diver5
Community News
Evil Geniuses - shutting down14ISSL (IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League): Premier5Weekly Cups (October 12-18): 5.0.17 era begins1[$1250] International ShieldBattery League65Weekly Cups (October 5-11): Farewell to 5.0.167
StarCraft 2
General
No more SC2 streamers on team liquid? REPORT: StarCraft 2: Remastered In Development Evil Geniuses - shutting down How do you feel about the mass reverts in the 5.0.17 PTR? Daily SC2 Player Grid - feedback wanted
Tourneys
ScienceCraft (October 24-25) - Live Event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament RSL goes to London! 2026 Offline Finals Nov 21-22 ISSL (IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League): Premier WORTEX Challenger Series — Open SC2 LAN in Budapes
Strategy
[H] ZvP Mid-Late Game: Stalkers Collossi HT
Custom Maps
[G] How to playtest arcade maps [A] Nemrods 1/4 players [M] (2) Sweltering Sands
External Content
Mutation # 548 Shining Bright The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 547 Temple Of Terror Mutation # 546 Catch the Train
Brood War
General
Do we even care about balance? [Recap] 0-6 Defeat for Mong's Team BW General Discussion Rollback Netcode in Brood War Bot on ladder
Tourneys
[$1250] International ShieldBattery League [BSL23] RO24 Group C Small VOD Thread 2.0 2v2v2v2 Tournament
Strategy
Cliff Jump Revisited (1 in a 1000 strategy) 50,000-Word Terran Builds Memo 2026-10-22 Simple Questions, Simple Answers
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Armies of Exigo - YesYes? General RTS Discussion Thread Dawn of War IV
Dota 2
Dota 2 Champions League Season 3 Begins April 25!
League of Legends
[TL LoL EUW IHs] Teemo shall perish
Heroes of the Storm
Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Canadian Politics Mega-thread Artificial Intelligence Thread
Fan Clubs
Serral Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece
Sports
Football (Soccer) Thread TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 MLB/Baseball 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
Recent Gifted Posts
Blogs
Innovate or Game Over?
TrAiDoS
ShieldBattery on Mac
Kraekkling
[ASL22] Ro4 Day1 Ticket Giv…
bITt.mAN
Can Bots Beat Pros?? Starcr…
namkraft
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 7503 users

Protoss Is Unplayable

Blogs > YokoKano
Post a Reply
1 2 3 Next All
YokoKano
Profile Blog Joined July 2012
United States612 Posts
March 30 2015 19:45 GMT
#1
There is no reason to play Starcraft II: Heart. With more than 30,000 hours of RTS play and design experience spanning under 20 years, I will not constrain my games to one race. I have reached the mentor level and have nothing to share as a competitive gamer.

The reality is that Starcraft: Brood War is a study and exercise in choice. Starcraft II on the other hand is a game characterized by simple decision procedures. A smart opponent will surprise you. That means to be a good player requires specific knowledge of certain builds. But suppose you are Protoss and I opt to cannon rush you. You can't drop a few probes to make up for a gap between your general knowledge of cannon rush openings but imperfect responses to variation on the build.

This emphasis on Puritanical counters takes the fundamentally artistic Starcraft genre called Protoss and transforms the experience into a long series of present-value calculations.

Suppose I identify three different win-certain rushes. Win-certain refers to rushes that win with 100% certainty against all defenses except those that mirror an optimal response within a 5% margin (One can think of defenses as trees. Earlier branches receive more weight.) Now suppose the three win-certain rushes in question are: x = Cannon Rush, y = Proxy 2-Gate, z = 4-Gate. Suppose the number of degrees in a circle represents all the reasonably fine responses to some set of attacks. Protoss's position is like a chiliagon. It looks like it should be possible for the interior and exterior vertices of a chiliagon to each fit inside the same circle. In reality this isn't possible.

Veteran players show their strength in the mid and late game with positional play and the ability to make sharp decisions on a general level. When veteran styles are incompatible with an RTS game's capacity for robust, defensive, early game openings, the result is inelegant equilibria.

*
IQ 155.905638752
Ej_
Profile Blog Joined January 2013
47656 Posts
March 30 2015 19:50 GMT
#2
tl;dr OP can't hold off cheese
"Technically the dictionary has zero authority on the meaning or words" - Rodya
Bojas
Profile Joined December 2010
Netherlands2397 Posts
March 30 2015 20:08 GMT
#3
I'm curious, what league is your account if I may ask?
y0su
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
Finland7871 Posts
March 30 2015 20:09 GMT
#4
try scouting?
ZigguratOfUr
Profile Blog Joined April 2012
Iraq16955 Posts
March 30 2015 20:19 GMT
#5
For all your fancy words (which add nothing to your argument), you're just not good at holding cheese despite your immoderate opinion of your own skills.
EsportsJohn
Profile Blog Joined June 2012
United States4883 Posts
March 30 2015 20:38 GMT
#6
No, I think he just actually scientifically disproved Protoss's existence.

I mean, other than the fact that it exists.
StrategyAllyssa Grey <3<3
Kommatiazo
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
United States579 Posts
March 30 2015 20:47 GMT
#7
I wonder if the time it took to write this was dedicated to asking someone who is decent at cannon rushing to practice with you what might have come of it.

you're just not good at holding cheese despite your immoderate opinion of your own skills.


This. Your argument makes me think of a teenager in speech and debate telling the adult world that it shouldn't exist because high school is hard and the girl you like said no to you for prom.
"You must enemy don't know, and very good micro" - Bosstoss #Wet4Ret
ninazerg
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States7291 Posts
March 30 2015 21:49 GMT
#8
On March 31 2015 05:47 Kommatiazo wrote:
I wonder if the time it took to write this was dedicated to asking someone who is decent at cannon rushing to practice with you what might have come of it.

Show nested quote +
you're just not good at holding cheese despite your immoderate opinion of your own skills.


This. Your argument makes me think of a teenager in speech and debate telling the adult world that it shouldn't exist because high school is hard and the girl you like said no to you for prom.


Even though I find the original post to be comically obtuse, this is a really poor analogy. I mean REALLY poor.
"If two pregnant women get into a fist fight, it's like a mecha-battle between two unborn babies." - Fyodor Dostoevsky
EatThePath
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
United States3943 Posts
March 30 2015 21:51 GMT
#9
lol at all the people who come in here to bitch about the style and have no response for the message. congrats on being dull.

@op if you're trying to play sc2 through a BW lens it'll never satisfy you. there is a lot of depth to be had out of protoss, even including early game. but it's different. and the parts that are similar, it does in a different way. mostly it's about dictating the game or feinting thereof, with recall / forcefield / storm determining how you can leverage your presentation of threats.
Comprehensive strategic intention: DNE
TelecoM
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
United States10890 Posts
March 30 2015 22:29 GMT
#10
To disprove your scientific study, I would like to provide my own counter statement.

Protoss.
AKA: TelecoM[WHITE] Protoss fighting
FlaShFTW
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States10584 Posts
March 30 2015 23:03 GMT
#11
On March 31 2015 07:29 GGzerG wrote:
To disprove your scientific study, I would like to provide my own counter statement.

Protoss.

/thread.

maybe sending a scout out will help you. c:
Writer#1 KT and FlaSh Fanboy || Woo Jung Ho Never Forget || Teamliquid Political Decision Desk
TL+ Member
LuckyFool
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
United States9016 Posts
March 30 2015 23:31 GMT
#12
this blog reminds me of myself.
ObviousOne
Profile Joined April 2012
United States3704 Posts
March 30 2015 23:40 GMT
#13
THEN WE GET A FUCKING BUILDING. WHICH, HALF THE TIME ISNT ENOUGH: WE HAVE TO PAY MOREE FUCKING MONEY TO GET IT TO DO SOME SHIT LIKE DICK THE GROUND OR SPRAY PISS IN THE AIR

Lol that incontrol quote
Fear is the only darkness. ~Destiny Fan Club operator~
KelsierSC
Profile Blog Joined March 2013
United Kingdom10443 Posts
March 31 2015 00:13 GMT
#14
I don't understand any of this shit
Zerg for Life
Chill
Profile Blog Joined January 2005
Calgary26004 Posts
March 31 2015 00:26 GMT
#15
So many questions.

1. How did you track these 30,000 hours? For reference, that is 3.5 years of non-stop play. I played a ridiculous amount of Brood War, like 3-8 hours a day for several years, and still barely scratched 10,000 hours.
2. What the hell does "under 20 years"? Is that 2 years? 18 years?
3. Which RTS games have you designed?
Moderator
IMR
Profile Joined May 2013
70 Posts
March 31 2015 00:29 GMT
#16
i agree
IMR
Profile Joined May 2013
70 Posts
March 31 2015 00:35 GMT
#17
oh, and i find it interesting that even protoss players aren't good at vs p as evidenced by vP elo peaks
Chef
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
10810 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-03-31 00:51:45
March 31 2015 00:51 GMT
#18
Most entertaining OP in like 4 years. I feel twice as smart and handsome after reading it. Thank you. 5 stars. 5 stars forever.
LEGEND!! LEGEND!!
Kazahk
Profile Blog Joined April 2012
United States385 Posts
March 31 2015 02:18 GMT
#19
Just saying there are Protosses (wtf what kind of plural is that?) that compete in top level tourneys so... I think they are quite playable.
Rngesus blessed me with a tooth half, then shunned me with a spinach roll.
Djzapz
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Canada10681 Posts
March 31 2015 02:34 GMT
#20
I think OP's analysis failed to account for the everything
"My incompetence with power tools had been increasing exponentially over the course of 20 years spent inhaling experimental oven cleaners"
1 2 3 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
FEL
19:00
ScienceCraft - Day 2
RotterdaM873
IndyStarCraft 552
LiquipediaDiscussion
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
RotterdaM 873
IndyStarCraft 546
Hui .251
Classic 56
MindelVK 13
Serral 8
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 39812
EffOrt 1200
Bisu 825
BeSt 715
Horang2 546
Stork 416
FanTaSy 411
firebathero 268
Snow 193
Larva 181
[ Show more ]
ProTech142
ggaemo 130
Mind 111
Barracks 109
sorry 85
Last 66
Sexy 61
Movie 50
Killer 46
Shinee 45
ToSsGirL 38
Pusan 34
soO 28
Hm[arnc] 25
Aegong 19
JYJ 19
Rock 16
Sacsri 16
yabsab 9
Noble 8
Shine 6
Dota 2
Gorgc15925
qojqva1689
Counter-Strike
fl0m3544
allub586
Other Games
singsing2278
B2W.Neo1568
Liquid`RaSZi1133
Beastyqt603
Mlord553
DeMusliM250
KnowMe162
XaKoH 140
syndereN140
ToD133
Organizations
Counter-Strike
PGL27486
Other Games
gamesdonequick1155
StarCraft: Brood War
lovetv 8
[ Show 12 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• HeavenSC 37
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• ChaeLyn 7
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• C_a_k_e 3671
League of Legends
• Nemesis2734
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
7h 57m
WardiTV Weekly
20h 57m
IntoTheTV X SOOP
1d 19h
ByuN vs Lambo
MaxPax vs Bunny
PiGosaur Cup
2 days
The PondCast
2 days
Kung Fu Cup
2 days
IntoTheTV X SOOP
3 days
SHIN vs GuMiho
Clem vs Classic
WardiTV Invitational
4 days
GSL
4 days
Epic.LAN
4 days
[ Show More ]
Replay Cast
5 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
Epic.LAN
5 days
Yamato Cup
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Acropolis #5 - GSC
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
HCC Season 3

Ongoing

Acropolis #5
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 4
BSL Season 23
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026
1win Private Club #2
Thunderpick World Champ. '26
ESL Pro League Season 24
Stake Ranked Episode 4
1win Private Club #1
Logitech G Play Connect 2026
SL StarSeries Fall 2026
FISSURE Playground #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026

Upcoming

IPSL Winter 2026-27
SC4ALL II: Brood War
BSL 23: Non-Korean Championship
HSC XXX
Stellar Fest 2: Lunar Cup
SC4ALL II: StarCraft II
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Offline Finals
eXTREMESLAND 2026
PGL Major Singapore 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 6
BLAST Rivals Fall 2026
IEM Beijing 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 5
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.