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When I was really horrible at starcraft
--> Losing in every single public game, I was given a practice exercise that drastically improved my macro and apm.
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The conditions for the practice was:
-- Minerals below 300 (unless saving up for expansion or mass units i.e. mutalisks)
-- APM over 300
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Basically, there were only two conditions, and it would normally be practice against a computer. Throughout the entire game, you had to maintain both your money and apm. For about a week and a half, all I did was practice this exercise against a computer and I remember one thing. It felt like the dumbest waste of time in the world. It was boring and irritating because at first, it was hard enough just to reach 300 apm and even harder to maintain such a low money count. I lost against computers. I felt like a horrible player, but I continued this exercise with the enthusiasm provided by my friend.
My only goal was to spam and make units. Micro was out of the question (for me at that time). For two hours a day, for a week and a half, I woke up at 6 and played till 8. I held myself back from playing on the internet. My only opponent was the computer.
After about the first week, the exercise became easy and I began to incorporate micro and other aspects than simply speed and macro.
By the end of the week and a half, those restrictions were gone and I was able to play on the internet. The first thing I noticed was that my once 100 apm became 250+ without even trying. I was getting compliments from my friends that I played like a pro. That was just my speed.
My macro was incredible, and without the psychological burden of having to follow the conditions, I was able to play calmly. Rather than only focusing on macro; micro, macro, apm, all came in less than two weeks.
*(Before this exercise, I had great micro with alot of the starcraft units, but because of this, my macro was horrible for my screen would only focus on the units that I was so carefully controlling)
Sure, I didn't know all the ins and outs of stacraft, but I was playing great. The moment I came back on the internet, I played 10 pubs and won every single one of them. I beat the players who I couldn't beat before and somehow, I felt like the training was actually worth it.
Maybe it was just my personal potential or the effectiveness of this practice, but I felt that I would like to share this exercise with the TL-Net Community. In my incredibly long "career" in starcraft, those 2 weeks always stayed in my memory.
In reality, I was playing against a computer. However, I believe that with this exercise, I was actually playing against myself and in essence, teaching myself.
If you feel the need to dismiss this topic, feel free to do so. I am simply providing a summary of what I had to do in order to be at the level I am at now. Feel free to ask any questions 
-BlueIris
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heres a questions what program to you use to keep count of your apm because i could use something like that
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United States3612 Posts
That's cool. I guess it's a good way to increase your speed and non-strategy aspects of the game. Maybe some others should try it and report their results.
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well everyone wants to maintain a low money count and APM, but what program did you use to monitor this?
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Sweden33719 Posts
On July 09 2007 19:30 garoth wrote:
heres a questions what program to you use to keep count of your apm because i could use something like that
http://www.bwchart.com
or if you mean realtime, I think this topic deals with that:
http://teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=55711
As for the first post of this thread, interesting topic, I don't think I could EVER force myself to play vs a computer tho.. I used to want higher apm for a while when BWChart came out so I was spamming every game until I was playing at a natural 200 apm when I stopped spamming, a little bit similiar I guess.
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On July 09 2007 19:39 Pressure wrote:
well everyone wants to maintain a low money count and APM, but what program did you use to monitor this?
At the time, bwlauncher was still available. I used it to monitor my apm. Monitoring my mineral and gas count is simply at the top right corner of your screen.
On July 09 2007 19:39 FrozenArbiter wrote:Show nested quote +On July 09 2007 19:30 garoth wrote:
heres a questions what program to you use to keep count of your apm because i could use something like that http://www.bwchart.comor if you mean realtime, I think this topic deals with that: http://teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=55711As for the first post of this thread, interesting topic, I don't think I could EVER force myself to play vs a computer tho.. I used to want higher apm for a while when BWChart came out so I was spamming every game until I was playing at a natural 200 apm when I stopped spamming, a little bit similiar I guess.
Haha I guess i was just desperate at that time to get better, because the person who introduced me to the exercise had done the same exercise and she was an incredibly good player. But playing against a computer does get dull
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Canada7170 Posts
So it took a week and a half for 2 hours a day? Or is that 14? 6-8 could be either.
If it's two, that's about 22 hours of practice, which I guess is a reasonable amount of time to increase your apm.
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what race do you play? and did you switch the computers race every game?
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5673 Posts
A problem I have in increasing my APM is that spam clicking sometimes makes me do things that are counter productive (like moving my probes away). I've watched FPVODs, and what most players seem to do is to keep selecting and deselecting units. Is there a formula or rhythm for doing this? What are your personal preferences in keeping a high APM?
Also, does mouse sensitivity have anything to do with this? I have a low end optical mouse, and sometimes I feel I'm not accurate enough. Is high accuracy a big part of SC, or am I just imagining things? I mean, I don't mis click, it just feels really slow sometimes. I increased the mouse scroll speed to max today and it feels better now, but is there anything else I should do?
Any help will be much appreciated. Thanks.
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Why play against a computer though? Why not just focus on these things and play actual games at the same time?
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Gad, I remember when you told me to do this...I failed horribly T_T. When i got above like at 250 APM my macro was going down so much xD.
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I hardly spam. and I get 250++average games.
who the fucks knows.
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i'd like a replay of you playing a person
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@Mikeymoo
2 hours a day. I couldn't sit down and play this game for 14 hours. No matter how fun it is ^^
@rushz0rz
I was a terran player at the time. I played against protoss and zerg, choosing depending on my mood
I play protoss now though ^^ Just because they are so underused and considered weak at the higher levels
@TheFoReveRwaR
When your doing this exercise, you need to focus all of your attention on simply meeting the conditions. It may sound easy on paper, but hell it took me a long time to even meet the conditions. When your playing against another player, you will most likely get slaughtered before you are able efficiently practice your apm and macro (practicing this exercise for 7 minutes is useless. It gets truly difficult when you are able to take 2 or more expansions). Playing against a computer is hard enough. However, if you are able to keep that high of an apm and macro while playing another player and win, you don't need to even read this thread.
@ riptide
I believe that everyone has a different style of maintaining apm. I really don't pay attention to apm any more, for it comes naturally. But I have a tendency to shift through my troops and at each of my gateways and nexuses. (1a2a3a4a556677889900) When I click at a location, I make alot of useless clicks. I click about 5-10 times to send a unit towards that direction. Its not that I purposely do it to increase my apm, but it has become natural.
Your question on mouse sensitivity is all about preference. I play with a slightly lower mouse sensitivity for I use my wrist alot. Yet some of my friends who play in Nal have a incredibly sensitive mouse. I tried playing a game with that high of sensitivity. My micro was killed.
@ crazie-penguin
hey 
Its hard stuff isn't it XD
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5673 Posts
Thanks BlueIris. Anyone else have any suggestions?
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Calgary26004 Posts
I've found I got a lot better once I realized I could be better. It's cliche, but whatever. I used think "if I could send targetted units away that would be so good." Now I realize I can do that and I do do that. This story helps no one so I don't know why I'm posting it. Gogo post count boost.
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Wow; that's a great idea BlueIris. I should try this ASAP
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
I've seen nothing but quality information in your posts in the past, and there's not reason for me to think otherwise about this latest one.
Thanks for this advice; hopefully some of us can report back to you in ~2 weeks with results.
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This looks interesting, and since it's summer break, this would be a great time to try it!
I'll see if I can work up the courage to start this 
Hopefully, I can report in two weeks with success (or that I got lazy <_< Hope that doesn't happen)
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i just started it and im about 30 mins into it. And its very frustrating keeping up ur apm
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EPT
