• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 18:28
CET 00:28
KST 08:28
  • 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
ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT28Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book19Clem wins HomeStory Cup 289HomeStory Cup 28 - Info & Preview13Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info8
Community News
Weekly Cups (Feb 16-22): MaxPax doubles0Weekly Cups (Feb 9-15): herO doubles up2ACS replaced by "ASL Season Open" - Starts 21/0258LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals (Feb 10-16)46Weekly Cups (Feb 2-8): Classic, Solar, MaxPax win2
StarCraft 2
General
Terran AddOns placement How do you think the 5.0.15 balance patch (Oct 2025) for StarCraft II has affected the game? Nexon's StarCraft game could be FPS, led by UMS maker ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT Oliveira Would Have Returned If EWC Continued
Tourneys
PIG STY FESTIVAL 7.0! (19 Feb - 1 Mar) SEL Doubles (SC Evo Bimonthly) WardiTV Team League Season 10 RSL Season 4 announced for March-April The Dave Testa Open #11
Strategy
Custom Maps
Publishing has been re-enabled! [Feb 24th 2026] Map Editor closed ?
External Content
Mutation # 514 Ulnar New Year The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 513 Attrition Warfare Mutation # 512 Overclocked
Brood War
General
TvZ is the most complete match up BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ Soma Explains: JD's Unrelenting Aggro vs FlaSh ACS replaced by "ASL Season Open" - Starts 21/02 BW General Discussion
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [LIVE] [S:21] ASL Season Open Day 1 ASL Season 21 Qualifiers March 7-8 Small VOD Thread 2.0
Strategy
Soma's 9 hatch build from ASL Game 2 Fighting Spirit mining rates Simple Questions, Simple Answers Zealot bombing is no longer popular?
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread Battle Aces/David Kim RTS Megathread Path of Exile Beyond All Reason New broswer game : STG-World
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
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
Vanilla Mini Mafia Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine US Politics Mega-thread UK Politics Mega-thread YouTube Thread Mexico's Drug War
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion TL MMA Pick'em Pool 2013
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Laptop capable of using Photoshop Lightroom?
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
YOUTUBE VIDEO
XenOsky
Unintentional protectionism…
Uldridge
ASL S21 English Commentary…
namkraft
Inside the Communication of …
TrAiDoS
My 2025 Magic: The Gathering…
DARKING
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 2350 users

Games of Speed

Blogs > datscilly
Post a Reply
datscilly
Profile Blog Joined November 2007
United States529 Posts
June 15 2009 15:50 GMT
#1
This is more on philosophical thoughts about getting faster than any specific tips. A lot of games depend on speed for depth of play and enjoyment. For example, once you learn how to solve a Rubik's cube or finish an expert game of Minesweeper, then you are done. If just being able to do it is the game, then there is nothing more to learn. But add in the the element of time and suddenly a vast array of techniques and skills arise in order to deal with this new game, one which the goal is to do it as fast as possible. The subconscious and muscle memory comes into play; if you have to think about it, then you've already lost a second. The time it takes for the pointer to move from one location to another becomes a factor. The time a single mouse click takes becomes a factor.

The speedcubing website shares tips on how to get faster. The most important tip in getting from 30 seconds to 20 second is "go slow, and look ahead!" This may be surprising to some people. The idea is that at solve times of around 30 seconds, people tend to turn the cube too fast. It's not difficult for an intermediate to turn the cube at 3 or 4 moves per second. The result is that as they're doing the current step quickly they can't see the faces of the cube, they can't see the next step, and they pause significantly in between steps. For a fast cuber a solve is one continuous, fluid motion, without pause. The same thing applies to Starcraft. Concentrating on doing your current action as fast as possible is pointless. Instead, you should always be looking ahead, thinking of your next move. Your game should be one continuous, fluid motion, without pause.

There are tips online for improving your times for Minesweeper as well. The tip I'll like to share is to "make the time it takes to click and to move the pointer from one location to another as short as possible". When people think of the word "fast" they tend to think of physical speed or agility. So they'll imagine someone running really fast or moving the mouse as fast as possible from one physical location on the desk to another. But how fast you can wave your arm with your mouse in your hand really has nothing to do with how fast you can play a game. Another thing is that we tend to think of a mouse click as an instant, no time at all. But in fact a mouse click does take some time, and the time can differ depending on whether we are aware of this fact or not. So a mental trick we can do is to make the mouse clicks, and the linear movement of the pointer from one click to the next click, take a short amount of time as possible.

*****
EchOne
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
United States2906 Posts
June 15 2009 15:57 GMT
#2
This was a good read. 5/5.
面白くない世の中, 面白くすればいいさ
Reason
Profile Blog Joined June 2006
United Kingdom2770 Posts
June 15 2009 16:08 GMT
#3
Yeah I've noticed progamers aren't actually THAT fast but they have a sick way of ticking over at a reasonably high speed that NEVER slows... it's like I can play faster in bursts but they just constantly play this really impressive speed.
Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood.
Blyf
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
Denmark408 Posts
June 15 2009 16:50 GMT
#4
Interesting read. Similarly, the reason pros have significantly higher APM is that they always know what to do next, making the game flow without pauses for thinking.
"ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge" - Charles Darwin --- wtf? begets isn't a word. quit trying to make up words, fuckface. - Some idiot --- D3 Evelynn main with a side of Ashe/Tristana
B1nary
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
Canada1267 Posts
June 15 2009 16:51 GMT
#5
Interesting ideas. I always think 4 or 5 clicks ahead when I play minesweeper. The biggest problem I have is if I mess up a right click or something, it totally screws up my flow.

If you think about it, 300-350 apm isn't too fast in terms of sheer speed. Almost everyone can press 4v5v6v7v in a span of 1 second but noobs like myself spend so much time deciding what to do next. I guess the ability to see ahead is something that only comes with experience.
imperfect
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Canada1652 Posts
June 15 2009 16:58 GMT
#6
Actually I've thought about this too! but you put it in much better wording ^^

this is one of the reasons why i try to come up with a game plan. it helps you play smoothly, knowing what to do and able to react appropriately.
blind bisu free and anytime fanboy.
Husky
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States3362 Posts
June 15 2009 18:22 GMT
#7
I just want to note that peoples speed at minesweeper is amazing, I have a friend who is the fastest I've ever seen. Good read
Commentaries: youtube.com/HuskyStarcraft
ghermination
Profile Blog Joined April 2008
United States2851 Posts
June 15 2009 18:34 GMT
#8
Some people are really fast at minesweeper, i think there even used to be a small competetive scene for it at some time... i've never been able to solve a rubik's cube in my life, lol. So what are your tips for starcraft?
U Gotta Skate.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
AI Arena Tournament
20:00
RO8
DaveTesta Events
18:15
The Dave Testa Open #11
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Liquid`TLO 143
StarCraft: Brood War
ZZZero.O 53
nyoken 38
NaDa 19
Dota 2
420jenkins364
League of Legends
JimRising 398
Counter-Strike
Fnx 1204
fl0m1029
Stewie2K629
Super Smash Bros
hungrybox1003
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor222
Other Games
summit1g5534
Grubby3182
tarik_tv2993
crisheroes288
ToD248
ZombieGrub69
ViBE13
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick959
Counter-Strike
PGL227
StarCraft 2
angryscii 54
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 19 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Hupsaiya 194
• HeavenSC 167
• musti20045 52
• Kozan
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Migwel
• IndyKCrew
StarCraft: Brood War
• Azhi_Dahaki18
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• masondota2814
• Noizen22
League of Legends
• Doublelift3619
Other Games
• imaqtpie972
• Shiphtur234
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
32m
PiG Sty Festival
9h 32m
Clem vs Serral
Maru vs ShoWTimE
Sparkling Tuna Cup
10h 32m
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
15h 32m
Replay Cast
1d 9h
Wardi Open
1d 12h
Monday Night Weeklies
1d 17h
Replay Cast
2 days
Replay Cast
3 days
Replay Cast
4 days
[ Show More ]
The PondCast
4 days
KCM Race Survival
4 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
6 days
CranKy Ducklings
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-02-27
LiuLi Cup: 2025 Grand Finals
Underdog Cup #3

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Acropolis #4 - TS5
Jeongseon Sooper Cup
Spring Cup 2026
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round
[S:21] ASL SEASON OPEN 2nd Round Qualifier
WardiTV Winter 2026
PiG Sty Festival 7.0
Nations Cup 2026
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025

Upcoming

ASL Season 21: Qualifier #1
ASL Season 21: Qualifier #2
ASL Season 21
Acropolis #4 - TS6
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
CSLAN 4
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
RSL Revival: Season 4
NationLESS Cup
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
FISSURE Playground #3
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Finals
ESL Pro League S23 Stage 1&2
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.