• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 18:05
CEST 00:05
KST 07:05
  • 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
Team TLMC #5: Winners Announced!1[ASL20] Ro8 Preview Pt2: Holding On9Maestros of the Game: Live Finals Preview (RO4)5TL.net Map Contest #21 - Finalists4Team TLMC #5: Vote to Decide Ladder Maps!0
Community News
5.0.15 Patch Balance Hotfix (2025-10-8)50Weekly Cups (Sept 29-Oct 5): MaxPax triples up3PartinG joins SteamerZone, returns to SC2 competition245.0.15 Balance Patch Notes (Live version)119$2,500 WardiTV TL Map Contest Tournament 154
StarCraft 2
General
5.0.15 Patch Balance Hotfix (2025-10-8) 5.0.15 Balance Patch Notes (Live version) The New Patch Killed Mech! Team TLMC #5: Winners Announced! Classic Games #3: Rogue vs Serral at BlizzCon
Tourneys
SC2's Safe House 2 - October 18 & 19 RSL Offline Finals Dates + Ticket Sales! SC4ALL $6,000 Open LAN in Philadelphia Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament $2,500 WardiTV TL Map Contest Tournament 15
Strategy
Custom Maps
External Content
Mutation # 494 Unstable Environment Mutation # 493 Quick Killers Mutation # 492 Get Out More Mutation # 491 Night Drive
Brood War
General
Whose hotkey signature is this? BW General Discussion ASL20 General Discussion Question regarding recent ASL Bisu vs Larva game [BSL21] - How to Qualify to Each League ?
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL20] Ro8 Day 4 Small VOD Thread 2.0 [ASL20] Ro8 Day 3
Strategy
Current Meta TvZ Theorycraft - Improving on State of the Art Proposed Glossary of Strategic Uncertainty 9 hatch vs 10 hatch vs 12 hatch
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread ZeroSpace Megathread Dawn of War IV Path of Exile
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion LiquidDota to reintegrate into TL.net
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
SPIRED by.ASL Mafia {211640} TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread UK Politics Mega-thread The Games Industry And ATVI
Fan Clubs
The herO Fan Club! The Happy Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
Movie Discussion! Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece
Sports
Formula 1 Discussion 2024 - 2026 Football Thread MLB/Baseball 2023 NBA General Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
SC2 Client Relocalization [Change SC2 Language] Linksys AE2500 USB WIFI keeps disconnecting Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
Recent Gifted Posts The Automated Ban List BarCraft in Tokyo Japan for ASL Season5 Final
Blogs
From Tilt to Ragequit:The Ps…
TrAiDoS
What your "aura" says about…
Peanutsc
Try to reverse getting fired …
Garnet
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1330 users

Build Order Notation

Blogs > Navane
Post a Reply
Navane
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Netherlands2748 Posts
Last Edited: 2024-05-04 16:18:43
May 04 2024 16:16 GMT
#1
[image loading]


+ Show Spoiler +

vp- bunker FE vs standard
9 depo
11 rax
12 gas
13 scout (N search)
15 depo(with rax scv)
@88 gas -2 scv
17 factory
22 CC (low ground)+ add on + 1 gas (2 on gas)
23 bunker+1 gas (total 3)
24 depo
27 aca
32 armory @2nd tank
2nd gas @ 2 tanks
38 2x scan asap
2nd factory
+1 when armory done
siege mode after +1 is researching
scan @ first goliath
- 3 gate=not reaver
- 2 gate=cannot rule out reaver
3rd cc
starport @ 50% +1+ebay (~72)
After 4 goliaths->vultures
3rd fact as you start vultures
science facility @ 100% starport+ 2nd armory
Vulture speed after 3rd
save up gas for 9 factories as soon as gas allows
~~ begin building depo 3 at a time, produce 8 vulture, 1 tank constantly)
After 9 factory built->add on+vessel
After vessel->mine upgrade


In the past I have played broodwar with a midi keyboard, the parallels between playing piano and playing broodwar never eluded me. I found a TvP build order, and the regular notation always seemed so clunky, compared to the beauty that is sheet music.

Transcribing build orders into sheet music might only be appreciated by broodwar musicians, not many I suspect. I reuse a lot of concepts form music, as sheet music is also a recipe for actions in time. It concerns with orders of things, simultaneous, sequential. I'm still in the early phase of bending this notation to broodwar, but these are the ideas so far:
  • cc, depot and scv are lower, middle and upper c
  • buildings on the lower staff, a descending triad following the tech tree
    • barracks: a
    • factory: f
    • starport: d
  • units on the upper staff, following their buildings
    • marine (baracks): a
    • vulture (factory): f,
      • tank: e (i thought of making it f-flatto follow the addon?)
      • goliath: g (similarly, f-sharp?)
    • dropship (starport): d
  • addons are flat: b
    • acadamy: b barracks
    • fac addon: b factory
    • port addon: b port
  • upgraders are sharp: #
    • engineering bay: # barracks
    • armory: # factory
    • science facility: # port
  • upgrades are staccato: . (dot)
    • siege (factory addon upgrade): b f-dot
    • +1 attack (factory upgrader (armory) upgrade): # f-dot
  • expression:
    • prerequisites: when "b" is done immediately upon completion of "a", they are connected with slurs: a~~~~b
    • timings are noted where applicable: supply, mineral and gas timings. When timings are let go, they are denoted with a fermata, the little umbrella.
    • domino cascade: things happening almost at the same time, depending on each other, are noted with an arpeggio: the squiggly vertical line.
    • unit timings are a bit off, as it is not prescribed in the original build order.

All these concepts are explained in the partiture the first time they are encountered. Later releases with build orders for professionals will omit these explainers, resulting in a cleaner sheet. Multiple openers can be printed on a single sheet, and the concept can be expanded to all matchups and races.

+ Show Spoiler +

% lilypond code to generate the sheet above
upper = \relative c'' {
\clef treble
\key c \major
\time 4/4
\partial 2 c8^scv c c c |
c c c c c c c c |
c-> c c ces^88 <ces a>-marine ces <ces a> ces |
<c a> c <c! a>^100 c <c e,>-tank( c c c |
<c e,> c c c) c c c c |
c c c c <c g>-goliath c <c g> c |
<c g> c <c g> c <c f,>-"vulture"\arpeggio <c f,> <c f,> <c f,>\fermata \bar "||"
<e, f> f f f f f f f
}

lower = \relative c {
\clef bass
\key c \major
\time 4/4
\partial 2 c2-cc |
r^5 c'4^9-depot a8^11-rax( bes^12-gas |
r4^13 c4^15) f,2^17-fac |
r8 c16^22 fes-"addon" b8^23-bunker c^24 r4 aes^27-"academy"( |
r4 r8 <fis bes>^32-"armory" r2 |
r8 cis16-"scanner"^38) cis f4\fermata \slurHalfSolid fis8-.-"+1"( fes-.-"siege" r4 |
c4 d8-"port")\( ais'-ebay f4\arpeggio dis8-"scifa"\) fis16 fes16-.-"speed"
\tuplet 3/2 {f4^4 f^5 f^6}
\tuplet 3/2 {f4^7 f^8 f^9}
}
\score {
%\remove "Bar_number_engraver"
\new PianoStaff \with { instrumentName = "TvP" }
<<
\set PianoStaff.connectArpeggios = ##t
\new Staff = "upper" \upper
\new Staff = "lower" \lower
>>
\layout { }
\midi { }
}


Let me know what you think. Keep in mind that this is not a serious effort, but it's also a very serious effort.

*****
MegaBuster
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
167 Posts
May 04 2024 17:17 GMT
#2
awesome!

played mezzo-formaggio

I can see an orchestra score for a team game, with a more drum-styled notation for the carrier players of course.
sharkeyanti
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States1273 Posts
May 05 2024 18:32 GMT
#3
This is pretty cool! You might want to use tremolo notation over the high C for SCVs to save a bit of visual clutter.

I love the idea of the slurs, which can make it super clear about the function of the build order.

Could add a symbol for scouting maybe?
Hi Mom
Navane
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Netherlands2748 Posts
May 05 2024 21:40 GMT
#4
You get it sharkeyanti, thanks! The 13th scv is the scout; it has an accent. Another thing is taking the SCVs off gas (flat on 88g) and putting them back on (the natural on 100).

I actually like the "visual noise" of the scv building, as it shows you a base rythm to hang the rest of the build on. I was even thinking of going into 16th notes once the second CC is built, and triplets once the third is built. Maybe once the BO leaves the hard supplies, the tremelo can denote "just keep making this".

I have to clean up the supply though, I forgot to count the army in the unit supply, so the BO is quite off in the example above. But the idea still stands of course.

And MegaBuster, it took me a couple of seconds, but I take it you consider this a cheeze opening?
Peeano
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
Netherlands5156 Posts
Last Edited: 2024-05-07 21:27:37
May 07 2024 21:26 GMT
#5
Reading music notation is already hard enough as it is, regardless of that this idea is very cool!
FBH #1!
Navane
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Netherlands2748 Posts
Last Edited: 2024-05-09 20:56:28
May 09 2024 17:17 GMT
#6
[image loading]


I added Flash's goliath builds for TvZ.

The supply should match this time. I used the build orders from LUCKY_NOOB's thread, which include pretty detailed unit production.

+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


I choose to keep the timing constant, so when you have two command centres, the scv production goes from 8th to 16th notes, and when the third factory kicks in, the goliaths production goes from 2/4 to 3/4. This way the sheet shows where it gets busier, both for building and the unit production.

The accents (>) are the scout timing for scv, or the move out timing for the three vultures.

One little musical trick to ease the sheet on your eyes, is the turrets. Those are actualy 4 64th notes; the extra two flags mean: play this note 4 times in the given time (one flag means, do it twice; two flags means do it twice twice, so four times).

It ends in supply acadamy (into scanners), with tanks, goliaths and scvs.
_fool
Profile Joined February 2011
Netherlands678 Posts
May 12 2024 07:54 GMT
#7
It's stuff like this that puts SC in a league of their own. Absolutely brilliant!
"News is to the mind what sugar is to the body"
sharkeyanti
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
United States1273 Posts
May 14 2024 19:24 GMT
#8
Love the updates, Navane. Very creative!
Hi Mom
AhGaeza
Profile Joined April 2024
1 Post
May 17 2024 18:13 GMT
#9
--- Nuked ---
WombaT
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Northern Ireland25849 Posts
Last Edited: 2024-05-21 17:44:09
May 21 2024 17:43 GMT
#10
This is such a cool idea, I was actually thinking of this particular problem the other day, there’s seemingly no standard universal way of noting BOs.

This is a much more elegant answer than I could come up with! Unfortunately I’m rather rusty on my musical notation, in that ‘I can’t fluently read it but I understand it’ kind of level.

Anyone tried pumping this ‘piece’ into music software to hear what it sounds like yet haha?

'You'll always be the cuddly marsupial of my heart, despite the inherent flaws of your ancestry' - Squat
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 12h 55m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
SteadfastSC 164
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 18553
Sea 2187
Larva 288
Artosis 85
ZZZero.O 47
ajuk12(nOOB) 12
yabsab 11
Dota 2
PGG 184
League of Legends
JimRising 783
Counter-Strike
Stewie2K217
flusha172
Super Smash Bros
Liquid`Ken93
PPMD13
Heroes of the Storm
Liquid`Hasu476
Other Games
Grubby2705
FrodaN2014
UpATreeSC669
fl0m591
C9.Mang0182
ViBE144
rGuardiaN34
Dewaltoss18
feardragon15
fpsfer 3
Organizations
Other Games
BasetradeTV85
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 17 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Hupsaiya 72
• davetesta34
• musti20045 32
• RyuSc2 30
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• sooper7s
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
StarCraft: Brood War
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• WagamamaTV417
League of Legends
• Doublelift2781
Other Games
• imaqtpie1605
Upcoming Events
Map Test Tournament
12h 55m
OSC
14h 55m
Korean StarCraft League
1d 4h
CranKy Ducklings
1d 11h
Map Test Tournament
1d 12h
OSC
1d 16h
[BSL 2025] Weekly
1d 19h
Safe House 2
1d 19h
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
Map Test Tournament
2 days
[ Show More ]
OSC
2 days
IPSL
2 days
Bonyth vs Art_Of_Turtle
Razz vs rasowy
The PondCast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Acropolis #4 - TS2
Maestros of the Game
HCC Europe

Ongoing

BSL 21 Points
ASL Season 20
CSL 2025 AUTUMN (S18)
C-Race Season 1
IPSL Winter 2025-26
WardiTV TLMC #15
EC S1
ESL Pro League S22
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025

Upcoming

SC4ALL: Brood War
BSL Season 21
BSL 21 Team A
RSL Offline Finals
RSL Revival: Season 3
Stellar Fest
SC4ALL: StarCraft II
eXTREMESLAND 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8
SL Budapest Major 2025
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025
PGL Masters Bucharest 2025
Thunderpick World Champ.
CS Asia Championships 2025
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 © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.