EPTI recently played a ZvT match on ICCup, and ended up winning in the early stages of the Midgame. My average APM was 67 and my opponents was 191. With that being said, I didn't feel like the game was even that close, and I didn't really have too much trouble winning the match. Is having a really high APM really that important? I tend not to spam rally points, movement points, or constantly switching between hotkeys for no reason. I like to think that despite having a low APM, each of my actions is relevant to the game.
How important is APM?
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Drakonis
Canada97 Posts
I recently played a ZvT match on ICCup, and ended up winning in the early stages of the Midgame. My average APM was 67 and my opponents was 191. With that being said, I didn't feel like the game was even that close, and I didn't really have too much trouble winning the match. Is having a really high APM really that important? I tend not to spam rally points, movement points, or constantly switching between hotkeys for no reason. I like to think that despite having a low APM, each of my actions is relevant to the game. | ||
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Stratos_speAr
United States6959 Posts
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VorcePA
United States1102 Posts
As a Terran player, you are going to need some ridiculous EAPM to really get high up in the ranks, but once you have your mechanics down and the speed to make use of those mechanics*, you'll be untouchable. * I make it sound so easy, but it takes a couple, if not several years of dedicated practice to get it down. Your practice today will only be to have fun (always!) and to prepare you to be good at Starcraft II. | ||
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Cu(oCo)
Italy358 Posts
noone can tell if apm are rly much important to you otherwise tvz is the most micro abuse match up so i recommend you to watch some FPVODS to improve your micro at least @ 150 apm ↑ broken english | ||
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eMbrace
United States1300 Posts
at least that's how i see it -- i've never heard anyone complain about not being able to physically move their fingers fast enough. | ||
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nicoaldo
Argentina939 Posts
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Jonoman92
United States9104 Posts
Strategy and knowledge of what to do is more important than APM though, however APM is important because you need to be quick enough to do all the multitasking that needs to be done. How high your APM will need to be depends on how good you want to be, but remember, you can't increase your APM to get better, you get better and your APM will improve (at least when you are sub-200 APM, beyond that I think it comes with talent and hardcore practice.) | ||
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Cu(oCo)
Italy358 Posts
On November 05 2009 14:23 VorcePA wrote: It's not the APM that matters, it's the effective use of that apm, which is known as EAPM (effective actions per minute). Your opponent was likely spamming the same actions with reckless disregard to how useless they were, and, as a result, ended up wasting time, so you crushed him. As a Terran player, you are going to need some ridiculous EAPM to really get high up in the ranks, but once you have your mechanics down and the speed to make use of those mechanics*, you'll be untouchable. * I make it sound so easy, but it takes a couple, if not several years of dedicated practice to get it down. Your practice today will only be to have fun (always!) and to prepare you to be good at Starcraft II. Q: how i can check my EAPM? A: here or here | ||
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Drakonis
Canada97 Posts
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EvilTeletubby
Baltimore, USA22256 Posts
On November 05 2009 14:30 Drakonis wrote: Yeah SCII was my main reason to start playing bw on a more competitve level, I'm currently a Zerg player, not a Terran player btw. I really enjoy the game, and practicing is fun (a little intimidating sometimes though). I'm trying to work on improving my APM, by using hotkeys more effectively and learning to micro better. I was just surprised that someone with a very high APM compared to my own didn't crush me into the ground. That's because APM by itself is fucking meaningless. Welcome to TL.net.  | ||
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Cu(oCo)
Italy358 Posts
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VorcePA
United States1102 Posts
On November 05 2009 14:30 Drakonis wrote: Yeah SCII was my main reason to start playing bw on a more competitve level, I'm currently a Zerg player, not a Terran player btw. I really enjoy the game, and practicing is fun (a little intimidating sometimes though). I'm trying to work on improving my APM, by using hotkeys more effectively and learning to micro better. I was just surprised that someone with a very high APM compared to my own didn't crush me into the ground. Like I said: if you're spamming, you're wasting actions and getting -nothing- done. Someone could have 30,000 APM and if all they're doing is telling the same SCV to mine minerals over and over again, what is getting accomplished? Instead of building a building, or buildings more SCVs, starting marine production, upgrading stim, getting a comsat, scouting your base........ they're spamming an SCV to mine minerals a 1,500 times. This is likely what your opponent did. Spammed the same actions multiple times while accomplishing very little effective actions. His micro might be a little better than yours when it comes to battles, but you'll find as you progress through D -> D+ -> C-, macro is more important in those stages, as well as having a solid build, more than commanding each individual unit to be as effective as they possibly can be. If I had to guess, I'd say your opponent likely came from either DotA/HoN or Warcraft III, of which both of those games are diametrically opposite [in the perspective-view game genre] of Starcraft. Starcraft is about commanding very fragile and very many units all at the same time. War3 and DotA are about commanding a small number of very tough units. | ||
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lone_hydra
Canada1460 Posts
You can have as many resources as you like, but you gotta spend it. The guy who has 5000 minerals/gas and spends 4000 is gonna beat the guy with 10000 that spends 2000. Same with APM, the guy with 80 APM who uses 70 to do meaningful things is gonna beat the guy with 200APM who wastes 3/4 on move and select commands(spam). | ||
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DoctorHelvetica
United States15034 Posts
If you don't push yourself to play as mechanically and quickly as possible, you won't improve as much. APM by itself is indeed meaningless. | ||
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Athos
United States2484 Posts
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Zapdos_Smithh
Canada2620 Posts
Though your apm is simply too low to compete. Don't even bother with saying "I can max at 250-300" because if you are 60 apm more than likely you are spamming that. Average EAPM is really what's important in terms of APM. Just get a good hotkey set up (day9's podcast on mechanics) and your apm will improve slowly. | ||
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Saracen
United States5139 Posts
Don't worry about APM. You're well over a year of practice away from the point where it even matters. | ||
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zekie
Canada380 Posts
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Drakonis
Canada97 Posts
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Zapdos_Smithh
Canada2620 Posts
On November 05 2009 15:07 Drakonis wrote: Yeah, hopefully I improve enough by the time SCII comes out (which could be anytime between now and the time I get old and die) to be somewhat decent at the game. Thankfully I've been around bw long enough to understand the units and strategies, I just need to learn to do everything as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Are you aiming to be a pro-gamer?  | ||
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