Winning MindSet

TechniQ.UK

United Kingdom391 Posts

January 26 2008 21:54 GMT

Today I started thinking about why i lose much of my games and i came to the conclusion that in everything that i do in a game of starcraft im never thinking of how to actually win either now or down the road, im always just thinking about reacting to say a spire or a 4 hatch hydra or whatever, my whole style is about just sitting there and trying to stay equal to a person and to just survive and its why i lose. I think ive only really won games when ive done something good early or when someone pushes out or expos or something like that and i kill their army or i stop their rush, THEIR tactic.

Ive never got any tactic of my own i never like say im planning on doing a push or attack at this time, or expo'ing at this time to get ahead. I'd like some suggestions.

fanatacist

10319 Posts

January 26 2008 21:59 GMT

Look at the strategy guides. Any strategy people do against you or anyone, is a viable strategy for you to use against others. I think it's a common problem for players to be play the reactionary side, being the black chess pieces in the first set of moves - fortunately, SC has no turns. You can set the pace of the game in your own way if you force the opponent into reacting to YOUR gameplay. This way, unless they are rushing, you can set the pace and the strategy to what you are capable of doing best. And that's something only you would know, not random people on TL.

So, in other words, read up, try them out, be assertive but not foolhardy, pick the ones you did best, practice them, see if you can get consistent, etc.

Southlight

United States11768 Posts

January 26 2008 22:17 GMT

I think one thing you could try experimenting with (I'm not sure if it'd work, nor do I know if it would conversely give you bad habits) is simply coming up with a game plan and playing it, opponent be damned. Like, I'm going to reaver drop into carriers. I call it a wide sort of bad names when I play any kind of team game and my teammate does it (casual BGH or whatnot, as it's static, unadaptive and generally useless), but it does help you get into the mindset of being assertive and playing your own game. Chances are you'll lose a bunch of games because that strategy won't work, and sometimes it might, but it should help you feel more confident about playing out a strat *you've come up with.* If you're already being reactionary, theoretically it shouldn't be too hard for you to eventually merge those two mind sets, and start playing your game while being able to tweak it based on reactions. Just a thought.

Midnight)Sun

United States256 Posts

January 27 2008 04:34 GMT

hey techniq are you techniq[3x] by any chance?

TechniQ.UK

United Kingdom391 Posts

January 27 2008 05:12 GMT

Motiva

United States1774 Posts

January 27 2008 06:33 GMT

I have very similar problems.

On the subject, I always feel like I have to win every game. I think this mindset of you have to compete and be competent off the bat every game isn't the proper approach. Instead of winning, I should be more concerned with practicing. This mindset I've found really inhibits any creative strategies or tactics I might otherwise attempt.

Don't be afraid to do ridiculous nonsense just to get the feel for it.

For example, I'm horrible at ZvT.. I always try to just play a standard game, going muta harass into lurk/ling ect ect. I've found that even in practicing all-in ling rushes, or sneaky nonsense strats that they won't expect like muta harass into massive ling drops i can squeeze out not only a better wni ratio in that matchup, but also beat players that are better than me. I feel Playing around with these not-so-standard and not-so-viable builds has helped me improve my understanding of the standard play and why it's so standard.

In essence, by not concentrating on winning, and instead concentrating on being creative and having fun, I find that I play much better and have a lot more fun. I improve the most this way.

I played something like 15 ZvT back to back just trying my standard muta harass -> lurkling -> Hive, and being the n00b that I am I only won a prolly 4 of these games. But then I played like 5 ZvT and each time tried something totally unorthodox and I think those 5 games helped my improve my standard play more than the 15...

Start each game with an agenda that has little to do with victory. At the start of the game decide you have to do something associated with the mind game... Try proxies, get a successful lurker-hold off, fake a drop on his main and then drop on a more isolated expansion.

I don't know, just a few thoughts... I have problems with this as well...

KwarK

United States44307 Posts

January 27 2008 09:22 GMT

Want me to teach you?

fanatacist

10319 Posts

January 27 2008 13:42 GMT

On January 27 2008 18:22 Kwark wrote:
Want me to teach you?

Kwark is the guru of the Slow-Hands Dojo of Starcraft, using economy of motion and chi instead of the popular Spam Like Shit technique. Hwayaaaaa~~~~

P.S. I'm high

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