[SC] Self-Improvement Drills

MarcoJ

Germany145 Posts

May 20 2018 19:21 GMT

THIS GUIDE IS WIP AND I TRY TO KEEP IT AS UPDATED AS POSSIBLE. ANY SUGGESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS!

1. Introduction

This guide is meant for new people who are seeking for drills to improve on certain aspects of the game. I give no guarantee on completeness, but I will add new methods along the way and from hints in the comments. This guide is not meant to teach any general game information, but I will hint to resources that helped me. I will link the source where you can find this type of information at the end of the drills and also the maps.

2. Knowledge

In this section we will look at topics that doesn't include the improvement of mechanics but rather on learning certain aspects of races or matchups that you just need to know. This are mostly not mechanic heavy parts of the game.

2.1 Scouting
Scouting in general has a three step structure

Gain Information
Read Opponnent Strategy
React Properly

If you want to gain information you need to know what to look for. Additionally you need to use that information to predict the opponnents strategy and react to it within your frame of strategy propely. A very simple approach is to use index cards.

Example (PvZ 3hatch hydra):

Front
- early gas (~1:16)
- early hydra den (~3:40)
- low drone count
- no lair
Back
- 3h hydra
- Reaction: ~6 cannons

Source: mostly talking with experienced player, liquipedia has also some articles

2.2 Wallins/Simcity/Base Design
In some matchup it is critical to have a certain setup of building. Either in Base Design to maximize the amount of production facilities you can place in your main. Or two help as a defensive maze so you can defend with less units and be more greedy. This includes Wallins and Simcity.
In general you want to use the Single Player mode here. Just open a game on the map you want to practice. Use the cheat codes "show me the money" - for resources - and "operation cwal" for instant building. Now save the game. Do that for every spawn location needed. You just load the game and perform the task you want to train and check with your reference if you did it correctly. Repeat that until you nail it without thinking about it.
P Wallins: http://walls.tips/ , map articles on liquipedia

3 Mechanics

In this section we want to improve on precision, speed and multitasking. For the smaller drills you dont need any actual knowledge, for others you should at least have a build order.

3.1 Build Order Benchmarking
Build Order (BO) execution is in most matchups very critical. Sometimes you need a specific unit withing a timeframe to simply not die to certain strategies. For example if you don't have your Stargate at a specific time, the zerg can kill you with mutas. If you don't have enough Dragoons in PvT you die to a FD Push, no matter how good your micro is.

You want to have a sheet or a spreadsheet with the crucial buildings that delay your tech or that are essential for survival and for early pressure pushes respectively. Most importantly you want to have a reference time from a very good player or a pro. This is your benchmark you want to come close to. Now you just practice your BO in a chosen environment and track your performance. I recommend to start learning any new BO on the MacroAlone provided in the next chapter.
Sources: Korean Pros(translated), Korean Pro yt channel, LMaster guide, endiyamon 3h hydra
Example:
[image loading]

3.2 Macro/Multitasking
In Macro/Multitasking we want either just focus on producing units without getting supply blocked at max out our army.

3.2.1 Macro Alone
The MacroAlone map provides several drills. First you can train your base building you layed out before. Secondly you can do the maxing out drill. Your goal is to reach 200/200 supply as fast as possible. Its important to note that you should follow the general flow of the matchup. So for example don't just marines out of 20 Barracks or optimize it just for the sake of maxing out faster. You should rather focus on the units you would actually use at least before lategame. Again track your performance. As soon as you hit 200/200 you take the game time as a reference and improve on that.
TODO: (What are good reference deviations from benchmark?)
Map: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TofNSKgutfyTFphUa-ZAUt9BNOMgikDI

3.2.2 Worker and Macro
Worker and Macro takes the MacroAlone drill to the next step. You have your base where you again focus on maxing out asap. But additionally you have a worker that is chased by a Zealot. If you lose five workers you lose. That forces you to macro and micro the worker and improves your multitasking in general.
Map(just Protoss unfortunately): https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BzgCH7m8oOID2_-NqTCwtVPoHqBsi2S6

3.2.3 Hotkey-Trainer
The Hotkey-Trainer takes it to the next step. Your worker will be chases by a Zealot again and you have a base to build. Additionally you have to kill a zerg defense north and rescure units with a dropship. Your base will also be attacked by lings in the beginning. You have to solve all tasks withing a given time. While this drill is heavy on the multitasking it has some weaknesses. First you cant use a base design, because the map layout is nothing like a 1v1 map. Secondly the ling attack and the time constraint will not let you execute arbitrary build order nor will you max out.
P Map: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ye0sZDBoYam0Cbl7iOTiXezIk-tud8O5

3.3 Micro
In Micro we want to be precise and fast with our key and mouse actions. Great speed without precision looks better than it is, and great precision with low speed might turnout better than the APM suggest. Real greatness emerges from being good at both.

3.3.1 Unit Setups Training
There are for most matchups some typical unit setups. On the PvT map there is a Dragoon vs FD Push scenario. If your BO execution is on point but you can't win with the units, than use those maps. Practice with them until you consistently defeat the CPU.
PvT pushes: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1tQwsUIjHt3uPJDV7fWaR-PxgG23XhHc3

3.3.2 Special Techniques
Some races use special techniques or have very unique units that need to be microed. Muta-Micro, mine defusing with goons etc. For most of those maps also exist.
P Mine Defuse: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YqvDhH-1L2Ohrs_6C-eUy2iZwuGr2P1M

3.3.3 Hotkey Sequences
Hotkey Sequences reference to something like 1a2a3a4a5a. To move your army fast and cohesive around the map you need to give them commands fast and you dont want to slip on your hotkeys. A great tool to practice this is to use your army hotkey (1-5) and your attack (or other command you want to practice) hotkey. Several websites for competetive typing exist. Use custom challenge with your hotkeys and practice. After each run you will receive some stats. Save them in a spreadsheet to track your progress and performance. I personally use 10fastfingers.

An example challenge with 1a2a3a4a5a with 60s testing time can be tried here: https://10fastfingers.com/widget/typingtest?dur=60&rand=1&words=1a2a3a4a5a

Reference (P, ~1300MMR)
[image loading]

3.3.4 Mouse Precision
Mouse precision is important, because if you micro your units and want to click ON an enemy unit you dont want to miss it. It can cost you a lot. Again its key to be fast and precise. I use http://mouseaccuracy.com/ on Epic|Medium settings. And by now you should be used to tracking your performance in a spreadsheet.

Reference (P, ~1300MMR)
[image loading]