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I an average noob in starcraft....

Forum Index > Brood War Strategy
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DragoonPK
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
3259 Posts
August 11 2007 09:35 GMT
#1
I play Zerg and I am an average noob and my Apm is about 40 something but sometimes i peak 200. Anywayz I have problems with ZvT. Well the most vurneble strategy I go against while playing ZvT is my friend using M&M with Tanks so he can push me way back. Another is at early game i lose my concentration if i get really annoying harassment, so I am wondering how can I stop being harrased too much. Mostly I always fast expand then build another hatchery In my base. So can anyone help me overcome these obstacles?
Daranee
Profile Blog Joined January 2007
338 Posts
August 11 2007 09:39 GMT
#2
you will just have to improve your multitask. Practice mass hotkeying (even your tech buildings) that way you will get comfortable by playing almost entirely with hotkeys instead of your mouse alone. I suspect that you multitask is a big part of the problem. practice buidling units while not looking at your hatchery also. While scouting, build drones by using hotkeys only. i.e hit 3 s d. That should help, once your multitask develops strategy and everything else will come much easier.
DragoonPK
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
3259 Posts
August 11 2007 09:48 GMT
#3
Well I know how to stack them and micro them a bit, but i think my problem is i don't go on the offense well rather i wait for his attack to finish and then go attack. And another thing i forgot to mention is that i try to use up all minerals i have but u know its a bit hard to concentrate everywhere on the battle field by the end so i forget about them and start to no use them and by the end i have like 1000-2000 unused minerals which is really bad. Most of the time i target their econ and go attack with 8 or 9 stacked mutas and really wear him up, but if i see that that fails i tech up. And i hotkey about 10 hotkeys in the match, my main hatchs and forces that i use alot.
5HITCOMBO
Profile Joined March 2006
Japan2239 Posts
August 11 2007 09:54 GMT
#4
You gotta learn how to improve your handspeed - you should have at LEAST 80 if you want to be competitive on bnet. And it shouldn't be just warmup spam, either, it should be hotkeyed buildings macroing and hotkeyed units microing. Anything else is building or scouting.

You need to keep the terran's numbers containable by your level of tech. Zerg have lots of cheap units, but they're not quite as game-changing without masses of them. So you have to be at mutalisk if you want to keep him in his base early midgame, but if he's well prepared, harass will be hard. At the same time, you need to be teching lurkers. He's still in his base, so you can contain him better than if you were trying to defend with lurkers. He'll need to wait for a tank to break out (or dmatrix if he's a baller, but you should be targeting his units with lurker spines to hit the most infantry anyway). Try to scourge vessels. The longer you can keep him without mass vessel, the better. It's worth getting a spire for NO OTHER REASON than to scourge vessels mid and late game. Chill explains this very well in his ZvT Commentary.

After that, there are two ways to play - one is hard economy while you contain, and then busting out with ultras, and the other is to use defilers. Defilers are SO MUCH HARDER, but they're the better choice by far. Guardian is almost never a good option unless you have mass hydralisk and speed/sight lords, and even then, you should be using ultra hydra defiler (and ling). Muta base runs do sometimes gain big advantages lategame, though, when you can mass up enough to take out a bunker without losing significant mass. Watch out for vessels, though, and get used to splitting irradiated mutas. It's the most important part of muta micro in ZvT, by far.
I live in perpetual fear of terrorists and studio gangsters
5HITCOMBO
Profile Joined March 2006
Japan2239 Posts
August 11 2007 09:55 GMT
#5
Oh and get upgrades as often as you can.
I live in perpetual fear of terrorists and studio gangsters
alffla
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Hong Kong20321 Posts
August 11 2007 10:00 GMT
#6
u should'nt raelly expect your mutalisk 'harassment' to totally kill your opponent lol.
thats why its called harassment

its just for taking out small bits and pieces of his army in the building and damaging his econ as much as you can, as well as keeping his pesky marines and shit inside his own base so as to enable yourself to expand and get GAS!! :D:D

while you're doing mutalisk harass u should be building hydra den if u haven't done so already and getting lurkers.

unless ur trying to do some all in mass mutalisk thing - _-a which is usually not a very good idea unless ur really really good with your mutalisk micro like savior or julyzerg...which i don't thnk you are from your description of yourself
Graphicssavior[gm] : What is a “yawn” rape ;; Masumune - It was the year of the pig for those fucking defilers. Chill - A clinic you say? okum: SC without Korean yelling is like porn without sex. konamix: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!
Chill
Profile Blog Joined January 2005
Calgary25981 Posts
August 11 2007 10:03 GMT
#7
ZvT is the hardest matchup to learn. Unlike TvZ micro (used ranged units to run away from melee units then fire), Zerg micro is not intuitive in ZvT. it will take you awhile to figure out what kills what and how. Furthermore, it will take you longer to figure out how to control Zerglings and Lurkers (and less, Mutas) to maximize kills.

There's nothing I can really say to help you immediately. As I said, Zerg versus Terran micro is the hardest in Starcraft. Most of the specific help people are giving you is useless at your level; just keep playing ZvT until you're comfortable at it. As of now, ZvT is my best matchup (despite ZvP bveing rumored as "imbalanced") and the matchup I feel most confident in.

If you ask more specific questions people may be able to help you more.
Moderator
DragoonPK
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
3259 Posts
August 11 2007 10:49 GMT
#8
Thanks guys for all the info, if i decided to go lurkers at early game which support unit do i send with them?
Daranee
Profile Blog Joined January 2007
338 Posts
August 11 2007 10:51 GMT
#9
lurkers/hydra. Since you're just starting out that micro will be considerably easier for you. Make sure to spread your hydras/lurkers and burrow your lurkers within range of his mnm
alffla
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Hong Kong20321 Posts
Last Edited: 2007-08-11 11:08:28
August 11 2007 11:01 GMT
#10
lurkerling early game. when u get more expos and minerals and gas are pumping in by the truckload change to hydraling

hydralurk takes a lot of gas :\\

acutally i dunno i've just never tried hydraurk from just my nat -_-a wtf
Graphicssavior[gm] : What is a “yawn” rape ;; Masumune - It was the year of the pig for those fucking defilers. Chill - A clinic you say? okum: SC without Korean yelling is like porn without sex. konamix: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!
red.venom
Profile Joined October 2002
United States4651 Posts
August 11 2007 11:40 GMT
#11
Focus on macro and get a small circle of buddies around and hopefully above your skill level. Improve with them. When you get a bit better and tighten up your game start laddering.

The only thing that really matters is to play a lot. Anyone who is quite good played a shit load to get that way.

Analyze reps you lose in as well. This will help you see timings and openings in yourself and your opponent.
Broom
red.venom
Profile Joined October 2002
United States4651 Posts
August 11 2007 11:41 GMT
#12
On August 11 2007 19:51 Daranee wrote:
lurkers/hydra. Since you're just starting out that micro will be considerably easier for you. Make sure to spread your hydras/lurkers and burrow your lurkers within range of his mnm


Oh and I was gonna say this too.

At low low level using mutas or trying to do nuanced high level strats is really pointless. Go with bold shit, learn how to expand your ass off and power and be greedy.
Broom
H
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
New Zealand6138 Posts
August 11 2007 11:56 GMT
#13
On a somewhat related note, does your APM climb higher as you get better? Or is it just one of those things encompassed in "innate talent" that everyone has a set amount of?
[iHs]HCO | のヮの | pachi & plexa ownz | RIP _
DragoonPK
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
3259 Posts
August 11 2007 12:04 GMT
#14
[url blocked]
This is a match i played with one of my friends, although I won, I played super crapily lol.
Try and watch it and feel free to criticize as much as you want.
DragoonPK
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
3259 Posts
August 11 2007 12:21 GMT
#15
Even better I got a replay pack with some of my games in it, some are recent others were really old. Anywayz try them and criticize if you want.
[url blocked]
PiSCeS
Profile Joined June 2007
Canada80 Posts
August 11 2007 13:02 GMT
#16
On August 11 2007 20:56 H_ wrote:
On a somewhat related note, does your APM climb higher as you get better? Or is it just one of those things encompassed in "innate talent" that everyone has a set amount of?


It rises as you get better.
I started playing at the start of the summer and my APM was at like.. 25ish on my first game, but now I get about 110-120 on almost all my matches.
It's nothing that a good amount of practice can't help.
"After today, this is the only site you'll ever visit."
sc0rchedst0rm
Profile Blog Joined June 2007
Ireland176 Posts
August 11 2007 13:04 GMT
#17
Yeah, APM increases over time. When I started playing Starcraft again back in May after a long hiatus my APM was only about 30. Now it's around 100. I was averaging 150-180 for a while but I realised I was mostly spamming pointless actions, when I calmed down a bit I found I was getting much better results even with lower APM.
Kill a man, you're a murderer. Kill 100 men, you're a hero. Kill 1000 men, LVL UP!!!
ahk-gosu
Profile Joined July 2004
Korea (South)2099 Posts
August 11 2007 15:33 GMT
#18
what i do with mutalisks is i use them to harass as much as i can and when the terran has turrets or mnm set up i just mix the mutalisks into my ling army.

so lurker lingmuta and then try to get hive with ultralisks. you should try to harass the terran as much as you can too. use lurkers on cliffs or lurkers near their mineral line.
Micro.Macro.Scouting.Harassment.
jkillashark
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
United States5262 Posts
August 11 2007 15:58 GMT
#19
StarCraft isn't a porno dude. You don't click play and just watch, you gotta keep clicking constantly tapping away at your keyboard.

If you have 40 APM, you're somebody who's attack clicking and WATCHING. Keep yourself occupied.
Do your best, God will do the rest.
DragoonPK
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
3259 Posts
August 11 2007 16:02 GMT
#20
Thanks people I appreciate all your comments.
Purind
Profile Blog Joined April 2004
Canada3562 Posts
August 11 2007 16:06 GMT
#21
On August 11 2007 20:56 H_ wrote:
On a somewhat related note, does your APM climb higher as you get better? Or is it just one of those things encompassed in "innate talent" that everyone has a set amount of?


It might help if you download a FP VOD and see how the pros click. Not necessarily to copy what they do, but to see what people do at the highest levels. For about 3-4 years, I played pub BGH games and my APM was around 60-80. Then I found out about the pro scene, watched some games and some FP VOD's, and just by watching and knowing what areas I can focus on, I got to ~150 APM within a month. Not even trying to get faster, just by knowing what sort of things there are to do during a game.
Trucy Wright is hot
H
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
New Zealand6138 Posts
August 11 2007 18:21 GMT
#22
On August 12 2007 01:06 Purind wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 11 2007 20:56 H_ wrote:
On a somewhat related note, does your APM climb higher as you get better? Or is it just one of those things encompassed in "innate talent" that everyone has a set amount of?


It might help if you download a FP VOD and see how the pros click. Not necessarily to copy what they do, but to see what people do at the highest levels. For about 3-4 years, I played pub BGH games and my APM was around 60-80. Then I found out about the pro scene, watched some games and some FP VOD's, and just by watching and knowing what areas I can focus on, I got to ~150 APM within a month. Not even trying to get faster, just by knowing what sort of things there are to do during a game.


Yeah, that's pretty much how it was for me. I was 12 when I started playing SC, and I've played it on and off during the years (I'm 18 now) but my APM always hovered around 40-60. I watched an fpvod of oov and found some people to play games with and it jumped to 90-120 overnight. I'm just wondering if this is where I'm going to plateaux, so to speak. Doesn't seem like I'm getting any better.
[iHs]HCO | のヮの | pachi & plexa ownz | RIP _
jeddus
Profile Blog Joined September 2005
United States832 Posts
August 11 2007 19:35 GMT
#23
More is not always better.

I think the real trick is to not so much practice "raising your apm" but practice your macro and your micro.

APM is a consequence of macro and micro.

I could spam hotkeys, but that might not be useful.

I've played starcraft since launch, and broodwar since 2004... but it wasn't until this year that my APM got above 40. My younger brother has always been between 110 - 180 average, but he just has a natural feel for the multitask.

The trick is to just know what actions to do, and the efficient ways of doing things (ie hotkeys.)

And don't be lazy! :D
sex appeal
wonnage
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States40 Posts
August 11 2007 19:48 GMT
#24
It would be better to dl bwchart and look at your apm during the game, there just aren't 200 things per minute to do sometimes. If you find that your apm stays low even during a battle then you can work on it, but if your average apm is 96 but it spikes to 200 when you need it then why spam? Save yourself from carpal tunnel syndrome too...
x_woof_x
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
United States659 Posts
August 11 2007 19:56 GMT
#25
ur apm is 40 but u sometimes peak 200? i dont get it. also mm with tank is just the normal strat. thats nothing to complain about.
STOP...... Manner time. 윤상현
SayaSP
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Laos5494 Posts
August 11 2007 19:58 GMT
#26
On August 12 2007 04:56 x_woof_x wrote:
ur apm is 40 but u sometimes peak 200? i dont get it. also mm with tank is just the normal strat. thats nothing to complain about.

Might be referring to like.. the line graph in bw chart.
[iHs]SSP | I-NO-KI BOM-BA-YE | のヮの http://tinyurl.com/MLIStheCV , MLIS.
Wizard
Profile Blog Joined May 2007
Poland5055 Posts
August 11 2007 20:02 GMT
#27
On August 11 2007 20:56 H_ wrote:
On a somewhat related note, does your APM climb higher as you get better? Or is it just one of those things encompassed in "innate talent" that everyone has a set amount of?


Well, APM is only valid if you discount spam, and you figure out the speed at which somebody correctly completes his/her actions during the game. Thus, the more you play, it is common sense to say that your APM will increase.
sAviOr[gm] ~ want to watch good replays? read my blog: http://www.teamliquid.net/blog/wizard
DragoonPK
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
3259 Posts
August 11 2007 20:23 GMT
#28
On August 12 2007 04:58 SayaSP wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 12 2007 04:56 x_woof_x wrote:
ur apm is 40 but u sometimes peak 200? i dont get it. also mm with tank is just the normal strat. thats nothing to complain about.

Might be referring to like.. the line graph in bw chart.


Yes I am reffering to BWchart :D
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