Hi. I'm practicing macro and I've come up with a challenge. Here it goes:
#challenge: max out zerg on drones only in under 10:00 or better.
conditions: 1. map = CircuitBreakers 1.0 (current ladder ver) 2. vs no opponent (launch vs computer and set to closed before the countdown ends). 3. the exact moment u hit 200/200 counts as the result.
Under 10:00, on that map, is a rather non-issue for any stronger player.
(sorry if this is not the proper section to post it to, if that is the case please move the post)
My current best - 9:58. On 22 attempts - I succeeded 2x (200/200 before 10:00). Went over 10:30 3x. Went over 11:00 2x (two first attempts). On average I do it in about 10:15.
As warmups every once in awhile I do 9 minute drills and 15 min Max challenges. I use the drills specifically for ZVP since it's the macro based matchup. with the 9 minute drill I follow a specific build then get as many hydras I can after getting 42 drones, and with 15 I get to Defiler tech by 12 mins and max out before 15.
got to 9:34 on third try. Should be possible for faster players to do it a bit faster, but I think the approach was a good one - spread out very quickly, but once you get to the 80 drone stage start massing hatches and start caring less about having drones perfectly spread around, because you're about to get way more income than you're able to spend anyway. (first two attempts were 9:52 and 9:49)
here's a model assumption of how zerg macro works in general.
concept
the point of this model is to find out where and in what conditions it is wrong so a new and better one can be constructed.
it doesn't involve performance in real time factors - it's exclusively about understanding conceptually how the optimal macro really looks like (when that is complete one can start involving practical performance factors, at least that's the approach taken there for now)
very simple model and nothing special but I wonder how do you see optimal macro in concept
my best is 9:50 keep getting supply block my macro is badd reeee
i wonder if gunning right for the 4 main starting bases would be most optimal, they provide 9 starting mineral fields the highest as opposed to the 7/8 in the other expo areas. highest mineral saturation output would more than make up for the longer drone transfer distances?
also anyone interested in the terran/toss version :D?
My best after 4 tries was 9:35 (twice). Could definitely be faster. Not sure when the best time is to start adding hatches but i added them up as minerals allowed without cutting production much, might be better to stop drone production for a round or 2 and add a bunch at once? idk
edit: idk why i was interested to try T - i got 9:17 on 2nd try, I guess P would be even faster with probes not having to stick around to build nex/pylons
On September 03 2019 08:16 LG)Sabbath wrote: 10:10 or something, at 100 supply you'd think that 11 hatcheries is enough but no, 3k minerals and no larva, gotta get like 20 hatcheries
When I did it 1st time I had 1 drone per mineral in 9 expos and 17 hathes. :p And yes, I felt like 20+ hatchies would given me a time of 9:15-9:20 easily
Did it again with terran and got 9:56 I made like 2 timing mistakes with sending SCV out to make a base when I didnt have enough money because maynarding and my first depot got fumbled up in the line and was a bit late.
On September 04 2019 19:29 MarlieChurphy wrote: I think maybe best 3rd base to take is another main since there are more crystals and better formation.
So overlord>nat>main>hatch at that main>3rd>hatch at 3rd
Travel distance would be a concern then, no? Especially since it will take a while to saturate there, as travel distance again would impact any transferring you do. I don't think it's necessarily the best option.
A more important question is, IMO, what build to open with. For example, I did Over 10 Hatch to get that earlier larva production from a second Hatch/base. I hit 9:45 with a slight supply block at one point on the first run through, haven't compared it to 12 Hatch or something similar. Perhaps someone who is doing this more can play around with the different openings.
On September 04 2019 19:29 MarlieChurphy wrote: I think maybe best 3rd base to take is another main since there are more crystals and better formation.
So overlord>nat>main>hatch at that main>3rd>hatch at 3rd
Travel distance would be a concern then, no? Especially since it will take a while to saturate there, as travel distance again would impact any transferring you do. I don't think it's necessarily the best option.
A more important question is, IMO, what build to open with. For example, I did Over 10 Hatch to get that earlier larva production from a second Hatch/base. I hit 9:45 with a slight supply block at one point on the first run through, haven't compared it to 12 Hatch or something similar. Perhaps someone who is doing this more can play around with the different openings.
yea i couldnt time the 3rd base corectly and ended up making 3rd hatch in nat, and 4th at a main, 5th there as well, 6th at 3rd. ended up getting 10:14
On September 05 2019 13:16 LG)Sabbath wrote: Been trying with terran and 9:14 is the best I could do, hit that time several times, no idea how someone did it in 8:45 on the other thread lol
got like 9:47 on first attempt. like others i was not used to needing to add so many hatcheries.
Edit: Tried adding hatcheries earlier but could not get less than 9:36 in next few attempts. I added them faster but cut very few drones in the process. I suspect the optimal way to do it involves cutting multiple drones and adding many many hatcheries at around 5 minutes.
On September 05 2019 16:03 Anc13nt wrote: got like 9:47 on first attempt. like others i was not used to needing to add so many hatcheries.
Edit: Tried adding hatcheries earlier but could not get less than 9:36 in next few attempts. I added them faster but cut very few drones in the process. I suspect the optimal way to do it involves cutting multiple drones and adding many many hatcheries at around 5 minutes.
What BO did you use? I never could get less than 9:45
On September 05 2019 16:03 Anc13nt wrote: got like 9:47 on first attempt. like others i was not used to needing to add so many hatcheries.
Edit: Tried adding hatcheries earlier but could not get less than 9:36 in next few attempts. I added them faster but cut very few drones in the process. I suspect the optimal way to do it involves cutting multiple drones and adding many many hatcheries at around 5 minutes.
What BO did you use? I never could get less than 9:45
honestly i didnt really have build but at around 5 minutes-ish i prioritized making hatcheries over drone (i would keep making hatcheries and only make drones when I felt there was soon to be 3 larva for the hatchery). Also I got 5 bases and made a bunch of hatcheries between the natural and third so i could send drones with less distance and ctrl click many larva. After 100 something supply it's not as important to send drones because you reach basically max saturation already so it's more important that you spend every larva asap.
edit: on my 5th try i got 9:30 by cutting many drones and building macro hatcheries up to almost 8 minutes (afterwards i thought that they would not be worth it because it take 75s to build and time to create enough larva to compensate for lost drone). my macro optimization and speed are not very good (i'm more of a micro player), so I have feeling that the absolute fastest is probably around 9 minutes.