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Obviously, yes, and yes and yes. To state the obviously obvious — if you think this is an attempt to explain how to win against actual pros, you are right and wrong. But first, let me write some limitations to limit limitless embarrassment.
This is a blog entry about preparations and does not cover gameplay at all.
![[image loading]](https://i.ibb.co/Vt7mJdw/Screenshot-2024-01-04-113148.png)
However, depending on your computer setup, it might take considerable time and effort to mimic the necessary steps. Most pros didn’t start out by executing a meticulous plan to become professional Starcraft players. Only a few players who did and did not enjoy a formal StarCraft education in team houses are still active, especially in SC2. This is why we can exceed some of the more lazy pro players regarding preparations (not gameplay).
My perhaps most important point is — do nothing in and around StarCraft, that you don’t genuinely enjoy. Unless you are getting paid, it’s not worth it. You might start and give up in an awkward moment, too early to benefit and too late to not feel regret about not implementing something that might improve your gameplay. So, unless you are sure that you want to take this step, I advise you to stop reading.
Hotkey preparations
If you are playing on a computer designed to forward emails, watch YouTube and purchase things you don’t need, this just might help you.
Remapping the Windows key:
After trying different tools (Microsoft PowerToys and AutoHotkey) I found a software called https://sharpkeys.de.softonic.com/download ]Sharpkeys[/url] (more information on randyrants.com) which I used during my World of Warcraft days. While PowerToys worked to exchange alt+F4 with alt+F12 and AutoHotkey offers a huge number of options, Sharpkeys worked by simply editing the registry. Important to me wasn’t the key I ended up with, but the option to choose and to make sure accidentally hitting the Windows key wouldn’t start up Edge.
The same goes for alt+F4:
I like to use alt+F1-F3, and not having to worry about fat-fingering onto alt+F4 goes a long way. With all three of these tools plus two thumb buttons on my mouse, I am prepared to start working on keybinds. For example, Windows could be used as an additional modifier key (control + alt + SomeThing).
The laptop FN keys
I managed to switch the FN keys to only use their F1-F12 functions as default. I was considering switching the FN key to a barely used key and using it for the Base Camera hotkey in SC2. So far, that seems impossible. Having the option to quickly turn off the sound, for example, is useful outside SC2.
I’d appreciate it if someone explained or linked a method to remap the FN laptop key on Windows 11.
So, how did we exceed pros and why should we do so?
SC2 is a game in which the slightest difference can have a tremendous impact. Instead of telling you which hotkeys to use, I linked three tools. Instead of insulting your intellect with a step-by-step instruction, I kept the blog short.
Pro-players use gear intended to work perfect with a game, but we learned a method today. ByuN is an example of one of the best players having a bad hotkey setup (armour upgrades started over attack upgrades mistakenly) causing him to lose games. ByuN started out playing from home and won BlizzCon without being on a team roster. This is why me, and you, can exceed a player who single-handedly was the reason for a nerf to Reapers in a small, but important area.
Reading a poll among pro-players about how happy they are with their hotkeys would be compelling and stimulating.
Remember not to take the time to implement this method if you don’t enjoy it.
Some links about me:
You are welcome.
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This is a genuine question, haven't you just moved to playing against humans? If that is the case, I don't think it is the best idea to start giving advise, as much as I like the goal of helping out ofc. Also, as much as I like the general idea of people having unlimited potential, I don't think I will ever be able to play like any pro player, and I do prefer being real instead of playing with the idea that I "could" become anything that I want to.
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On January 04 2024 22:31 Infested.rine wrote:
This is a genuine question, haven't you just moved to playing against humans? If that is the case, I don't think it is the best idea to start giving advise, as much as I like the goal of helping out ofc. Also, as much as I like the general idea of people having unlimited potential, I don't think I will ever be able to play like any pro player, and I do prefer being real instead of playing with the idea that I "could" become anything that I want to.
Yes, I started playing a bit against humans, but that's not all that interesting for now. My skill-set is far too low, except for sharing my ideas about how to actually start as a new player. In addition, there are some areas in which I actually know what I'm talking about. These include AI, some philosophical topics like the Systemtheorie or Laws of Form, strategic communication and hotkeys.
I exceeded World Champions in World of Warcraft in my knowledge of key bindings, macros, and interface techniques and the UI I helped Vadrak with, the ArenaLive [UnitFrames], was used by Blizzard, retrogressive, for many years. If you have a look at the Rogue Guide (link in the original post) you can clearly see that I have extensive experience of writing guides for competitive gameplay.
I entirely agree with you that me giving gameplay advice would be inappropriate. However, the example of ByuN, including reasoning why he still hasn't addressed this issue, despite Lambo talking to him about that, feels appropriate. This blog was about building the foundation of SC2 gameplay in a way that gives options. Nothing more, nothing less. If you find that inappropriate — please let me know why. Critique is always welcome if the intention is improvement.
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France12906 Posts
Pro-players use gear intended to work perfect with a game, but we learned a method today. ByuN is an example of one of the best players having a bad hotkey setup (armour upgrades started over attack upgrades mistakenly) causing him to lose games.
What hotkey setup does ByuN use? Don't most pros use the normal hotkey setup, maybe with some minor modifications here and there (such as lift key for terrans)?
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On January 04 2024 23:52 Poopi wrote:Show nested quote +Pro-players use gear intended to work perfect with a game, but we learned a method today. ByuN is an example of one of the best players having a bad hotkey setup (armour upgrades started over attack upgrades mistakenly) causing him to lose games. What hotkey setup does ByuN use? Don't most pros use the normal hotkey setup, maybe with some minor modifications here and there (such as lift key for terrans)?
That I don't know. Lambo mentioned, during a tournament cast, ByuN's recurring mistake and talking to him about it. According to Lambo ByuN said that it was difficult to resolve that issue.
It would be great having pros like Lambo reading tl.net and responding occasionally. What can we do to draw the pros back to tl.net?
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Dude, that's some serious "reminds me of me when I was without a PC in the countryside for the summer and when I was 13 years old" theorycrafting right there.
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It's been bugging me for a while how a lot of beginner tutorials and such on Youtube focus so much on hotkey setups and technicalities. Your hotkey setup does not matter if you can't do an unharassed 7-8 minute max out. Also what is rhetoric about ByuN being some player from home who won without a team? He was a part of a team until the previous year of his insane run and was teamless in the first place because Prime disbanded.
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On January 07 2024 04:11 Akio wrote:
It's been bugging me for a while how a lot of beginner tutorials and such on Youtube focus so much on hotkey setups and technicalities. Your hotkey setup does not matter if you can't do an unharassed 7-8 minute max out. Also what is rhetoric about ByuN being some player from home who won without a team? He was a part of a team until the previous year of his insane run and was teamless in the first place because Prime disbanded.
When ByuN won the BlizzCon in 2015, (?) everyone was talking about how for the first time someone from outside the team houses won that tournament. At this time, the Proleague still existed and most, at that time mainly Korean, competitors lived in team houses. ByuN's hotkey issue would likely have been fixed because a coach would have told him to. This not a remark about teams or team houses, but rather to showcase the different backgrounds of players that make Starcraft so special.
And what matters is to be seen. I'm still far away from using my games to say if a training strategy is successful. I do, what I like to do and what I perceive as fun. Likewise, I'm not learning build orders from other players, but I sometimes use custom games on slowest speed to try things out.
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United States1906 Posts
On January 08 2024 22:03 Hildegard wrote:Show nested quote +On January 07 2024 04:11 Akio wrote:
It's been bugging me for a while how a lot of beginner tutorials and such on Youtube focus so much on hotkey setups and technicalities. Your hotkey setup does not matter if you can't do an unharassed 7-8 minute max out. Also what is rhetoric about ByuN being some player from home who won without a team? He was a part of a team until the previous year of his insane run and was teamless in the first place because Prime disbanded. When ByuN won the BlizzCon in 2015, (?) everyone was talking about how for the first time someone from outside the team houses won that tournament. At this time, the Proleague still existed and most, at that time mainly Korean, competitors lived in team houses. ByuN's hotkey issue would likely have been fixed because a coach would have told him to. This not a remark about teams or team houses, but rather to showcase the different backgrounds of players that make Starcraft so special. And what matters is to be seen. I'm still far away from using my games to say if a training strategy is successful. I do, what I like to do and what I perceive as fun. Likewise, I'm not learning build orders from other players, but I sometimes use custom games on slowest speed to try things out.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. First off, ByuN won in 2016. Secondly, ByuN winning Code S without a team was a big deal (Rain had previously won GSL on a foreign team, but no one had done it teamless), but by the time the WCS Finals rolled around, all the Proleague teams were disbanded (the players knew months ahead of time, so it's not like this suddenly happened and everyone had a massive advantage over ByuN until the last mignute) and, while a few players were still sponsored by KeSPA teams, it was in name only. Also the pros talk to each other all the time. They know all the "cool secret keybinds" and all the tricks you can do to give yourself an edge.
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On January 07 2024 04:11 Akio wrote:
It's been bugging me for a while how a lot of beginner tutorials and such on Youtube focus so much on hotkey setups and technicalities. Your hotkey setup does not matter if you can't do an unharassed 7-8 minute max out.
It's because fixing bad habits is harder when you've kept them up for over a decade.
(I still don't use camera location hotkeys even though I've reached GM...)
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EPT
