Just curious... how many games do I have to lose before I get any good?

Almost all of the games I've won are 4pools, and trying to play standard always ends horribly. I don't feel like I'm making any progress at getting anywhere in SC.

http://www.iccup.com/starcraft/gamingprofile/dr_left.html

For reference, I was in the top 500 in Kane's Wrath and played TF2 competitively, so its not like I've never seen a computer before. Granted, I've played SC for probably two months now, but I feel like I'm not making any progress.

Any advice?

Binky1842

United States2599 Posts

July 29 2009 05:53 GMT

Railxp

Hong Kong1313 Posts

July 29 2009 05:58 GMT

i'm practicing with friends/practice partners and its a lot less demoralizing than always loosing on iccup. Plus you get to try stuff like "oh go 2gate vs me so i can practice my early pressure" or other specifics like that to train your weaknesses.

Grobyc

Canada18410 Posts

July 29 2009 05:58 GMT

*Insert obligatory over 9000 joke*

Your stats are not that bad for 2 months actually. Gotta keep playing more I guess lol. Also, I would recommend playing Protoss(just because) or Terran(using Stylish's VODs to learn) to start out. Starting out as Zerg is probably the hardest IMHO.

BanZu

United States3329 Posts

July 29 2009 05:58 GMT

1. Stop doing cheesy/all-in strats
2. Exactly 1 billion games.

LuckyFool

United States9015 Posts

July 29 2009 06:00 GMT

I've gone 3-20 on iccup in the past few days on one account. Only playing on korean hours at C+/B- though and always ask for a re after I get raped. Yeesh.

randombum

United States2378 Posts

July 29 2009 06:01 GMT

Your stats are pretty similar to mine when I first started, so don't be too discouraged. Basically, you are going to lose a lot. Its one of the things about starcraft, the skill ceiling is so high, and the climb towards is pretty slow.

Artosis

United States2140 Posts

July 29 2009 06:02 GMT

takes about 2 years to get good at sc.

Heyoka

Katowice25012 Posts

July 29 2009 06:09 GMT

Progress in starcraft will be short periods of time of huge improvement followed by long plateaus where you don't go anywhere or even backslide.

Shit takes time, find people you enjoy playing with and have a good one.

ForTheSwarm

United States556 Posts

July 29 2009 06:12 GMT

#10

First, quit 4 pooling. It feels good when you win, I know, but you're doing yourself any favors by not getting comfortable with standard builds and macro.

Obviously massing games will make you better, but I would also suggest watching many many more replays. I have a feeling many people don't improve as quickly as they could (myself included) because they don't watch enough replays.

Also, by watch I mean SERIOUSLY CONCENTRATE on what exactly is going on, and what exactly the decisions and motivations for each player are at each moment.

Translation: Pause often.

GL HF!

Highways

Australia6105 Posts

July 29 2009 06:13 GMT

#11

Props for not going noob Protoss.

It does take quite a long time to get decent, particularly with Zerg or Terran.

o3.power91

Bahrain5288 Posts

July 29 2009 06:13 GMT

#12

On July 29 2009 15:02 Artosis wrote:
takes about 2 years to get good at sc.

Not arguing or anything, but around what ICC level will 2 years of casual gaming get you to?
I've been playing casually for around a year and a half now (including a long period of "UMSing") and I just got to D+ last season

cujo2k

Canada1044 Posts

July 29 2009 06:14 GMT

#13

Depends how good your mechanics are. If you have good mechanics, multitask, and micro, then it's just about studying starcraft outside of the game, and you can get good that way if you studied how to play well enough(This would take a lot of dedication towards studying though). If you have bad mechanics, then that's the first thing you need to fix imo. Although a lot of that takes practice, fixing your hotkeys, and macroing the right way and trying to get as high of an apm/multitask as you possibly can, without necessarily caring if you win or not :o

micronesia

United States24761 Posts

July 29 2009 06:14 GMT

#14

On July 29 2009 15:02 Artosis wrote:
takes about 2 years to get good at sc.

This is actually a pretty good estimate. If you keep up with it for 2 years doing melee and having a decent attitude you will definitely be getting good by then.

DrLefTy

United States36 Posts

July 29 2009 06:28 GMT

#15

Wow, thanks for the positive comments, everyone. I was expecting to be bashed for this.

especially

On July 29 2009 15:13 Highways wrote:
Props for not going noob Protoss.
It does take quite a long time to get decent, particularly with Zerg or Terran.

I appreciate that... I often wonder if I should try toss since people say its easier, but I just like the style of the swarm, so I want to get good with that.

Avidkeystamper

United States8556 Posts

July 29 2009 06:29 GMT

#16

Are you using the right BOs?

Ideas

United States8167 Posts

July 29 2009 06:30 GMT

#17

On July 29 2009 15:14 micronesia wrote:

Show nested quote +

This is actually a pretty good estimate. If you keep up with it for 2 years doing melee and having a decent attitude you will definitely be getting good by then.

depends on definition of good. I would say only about 6 months to stand on your own in D levels, where you are actually doing real builds/strats and such and not just "making stuff."

DrLefTy

United States36 Posts

July 29 2009 06:33 GMT

#18

On July 29 2009 15:29 Avidkeystamper wrote:
Are you using the right BOs?

I try to execute the BOs on liquipedia, but I always botch them. Sometimes I focus on the timings so much I forget something embarassingly stupid, like to put down a pool after a 12hatch or to get the spire when the lair finishes. More often, I forget overlords, or forget to make scourge against a toss getting sairs.

Ronald_McD

Canada807 Posts

July 29 2009 06:56 GMT

#19

On July 29 2009 15:33 DrLefTy wrote:

Show nested quote +

When I was trying to get good, I found that as soon as I practiced hard to nail my build orders into my head, that I went from D- to D+ pretty fast.
Just keep practicing and it will become automatic. Getting your build order to come naturally every time is something that will get you better rather instantly