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Macro tips for mid-game?

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
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Striverz-G
Profile Joined February 2010
United States63 Posts
March 03 2010 08:06 GMT
#1
My avg minerals is above 1000+ mid-game once I hit like 60 supply and increases as I battle. What are some Macro skills that the pros use?

-Hotkey every building
but in groups, the buildings don't spread out unit production sometimes (marines, marauders sometimes cue in one building
-Do you guys double tap hotkey to jump around on the map quickly? I should build this habit

I feel like I'm missing a lot more, Tips anyone?




I get it in.
Insane
Profile Blog Joined November 2003
United States4991 Posts
March 03 2010 08:12 GMT
#2
It will pick the 'best' building to build it at. Unfortunately, it treats buildings with different addons as different buildings; if you have a Barracks with Reactor grouped with a Barracks with Tech Lab, you have to make make units at the Tech Lab one, then tab in order to make the units at the Reactor one.

Yes, I use double tap hotkeys to move around when need be.
Gnarg
Profile Joined October 2009
Netherlands165 Posts
March 03 2010 08:13 GMT
#3
Im a newbie as well but I can think of 2 tips.

1. You can put all your barracks in 1 group instead. When you press the group, you will automatically only select your rax with tech lab and build from those, but with tab you switch to your reactors, and another tab switches to your barracks without addon.

2. Keep building construction facilities. Around the time you can stop SCV production the available minerals shoot up alot. Just plant down 2-3 additional barracks to macro from.
Striverz-G
Profile Joined February 2010
United States63 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-03 08:22:40
March 03 2010 08:19 GMT
#4
So TAB selects the sub-groups in a Hotkey?

In general, How do you guys jump from expansion to expansion?

If I want to edit a hotkey group 4, I have to CTRL+4 the group I want, then SHIFT+4 ? Is this the best way to do it?

Are there any uses for the F1 through F10 keys?

I get it in.
Gnarg
Profile Joined October 2009
Netherlands165 Posts
March 03 2010 08:21 GMT
#5
Yeah tab selects sub-groups and it pretty much works for anything. For example if you have mutiple casters in 1 control group tab will switch between them.
Striverz-G
Profile Joined February 2010
United States63 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-03 08:30:37
March 03 2010 08:24 GMT
#6
On March 03 2010 17:21 Gnarg wrote:
Yeah tab selects sub-groups and it pretty much works for anything. For example if you have mutiple casters in 1 control group tab will switch between them.


if I have 3 ghosts in a 50 man army (hotkeyed to 1), will it auto select each ghost with energy for me if I wanted to cast multple EMPs?
I get it in.
Insane
Profile Blog Joined November 2003
United States4991 Posts
March 03 2010 08:27 GMT
#7
Spells are smart cast, so if you cast it with multiple units it will only cast it with one of them. Tabbing will tab between different types of units instead.

I suspect (but haven't tested) that it will cast with the one which has the most energy currently...
Striverz-G
Profile Joined February 2010
United States63 Posts
March 03 2010 08:33 GMT
#8
So in a 50 man army, how do you easily different ghosts?

Hotkey the subsequent ones to a different hotkey? 2 = ghost #2, 3 = ghost#3?

I get it in.
CursOr
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
United States6335 Posts
March 03 2010 09:10 GMT
#9
Tab will let you select buildings with different attachments.
IE: [8] is 2 Facts with Tech and 2 with reactors.

It always selects the tech ones first. So with one hotkey you can
[8][S][S][Tab][E][E][E][E]
to get 2 siege and 4 hellions all being made at the same time.

As TAB will also let you sub-select different units in the same group.
If all your attack units are HotKey'd to 1, pressing Tab a few times will allow you to siege your tanks without de-selecting the whole group.
CJ forever (-_-(-_-(-_-(-_-)-_-)-_-)-_-)
CharlieMurphy
Profile Blog Joined March 2006
United States22895 Posts
March 03 2010 10:22 GMT
#10
On March 03 2010 17:27 Insane wrote:
Spells are smart cast, so if you cast it with multiple units it will only cast it with one of them. Tabbing will tab between different types of units instead.

I suspect (but haven't tested) that it will cast with the one which has the most energy currently...

no, I think it casts whichever is closest.
..and then I would, ya know, check em'. (Aka SpoR)
Mr.Pyro
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Denmark959 Posts
March 03 2010 10:28 GMT
#11
On March 03 2010 17:33 Striverz-G wrote:
So in a 50 man army, how do you easily different ghosts?

Hotkey the subsequent ones to a different hotkey? 2 = ghost #2, 3 = ghost#3?





If you have an army of for example marines marauders and ghosts, you just select all of them and the hotkey for casting is available from having them all selected.

One hotkey = one spell, it's smartcast as in BW, and there seems to be a priority queue to this.

Anoter example could be sentries zealots and high templar mapped together

I'm farily certain that initially you would have hotkeys available for high templar

press tab --> hotkeys from sentries available. tab again --> back at HT
P⊧[1]<a>[2]<a>[3]<a>tt | P ≝ 1.a.2.a.3.a.P
Mr.Pyro
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Denmark959 Posts
March 03 2010 10:29 GMT
#12
On March 03 2010 19:22 CharlieMurphy wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 03 2010 17:27 Insane wrote:
Spells are smart cast, so if you cast it with multiple units it will only cast it with one of them. Tabbing will tab between different types of units instead.

I suspect (but haven't tested) that it will cast with the one which has the most energy currently...

no, I think it casts whichever is closest.



I do believe it considers all of those who are in range, and cast with those in range who has the most energy!
P⊧[1]<a>[2]<a>[3]<a>tt | P ≝ 1.a.2.a.3.a.P
Mikilatov
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
United States3897 Posts
March 03 2010 11:58 GMT
#13
Yeah, I'm feeling myself getting a lot better at SC2 macro as I play. I also play T. I'm not saying what I do is correct, but here's what I do:

I personally put all my buildings of each type (rax,fact,port) on 5, 6, and 7 respectively, regardless of addons. This makes it easier for me because I don't have to change the keys if the addons change or get added. The only time I change the keys is to add more buildings to them.

While in battle, or moving around, or whatever, I'll just randomly press "5, ddd, tab, aaaaa" to make maras and marines, or "6, ss, tab, eee" to make tanks and hellions, or "7, b, tab, dddd" to make a BC and some medivacs.

Remember, once you start getting addons, tech labs are always auto-selected first when you press your hotkey (5,6,7), then reactors.

♥ I used to lasso the shit out of your tournaments =( ♥ | Much is my hero. | zizi yO~ | Be Nice, TL.
EximoSua2
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
United States216 Posts
March 03 2010 12:04 GMT
#14
On March 03 2010 20:58 Mikilatov wrote:
Yeah, I'm feeling myself getting a lot better at SC2 macro as I play. I also play T. I'm not saying what I do is correct, but here's what I do:

I personally put all my buildings of each type (rax,fact,port) on 5, 6, and 7 respectively, regardless of addons. This makes it easier for me because I don't have to change the keys if the addons change or get added. The only time I change the keys is to add more buildings to them.

While in battle, or moving around, or whatever, I'll just randomly press "5, ddd, tab, aaaaa" to make maras and marines, or "6, ss, tab, eee" to make tanks and hellions, or "7, b, tab, dddd" to make a BC and some medivacs.

Remember, once you start getting addons, tech labs are always auto-selected first when you press your hotkey (5,6,7), then reactors.




I'm still going back to my base while attacking to macro... ::ashamed::
seRapH
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States9808 Posts
March 03 2010 12:30 GMT
#15
On March 03 2010 21:04 EximoSua2 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 03 2010 20:58 Mikilatov wrote:
Yeah, I'm feeling myself getting a lot better at SC2 macro as I play. I also play T. I'm not saying what I do is correct, but here's what I do:

I personally put all my buildings of each type (rax,fact,port) on 5, 6, and 7 respectively, regardless of addons. This makes it easier for me because I don't have to change the keys if the addons change or get added. The only time I change the keys is to add more buildings to them.

While in battle, or moving around, or whatever, I'll just randomly press "5, ddd, tab, aaaaa" to make maras and marines, or "6, ss, tab, eee" to make tanks and hellions, or "7, b, tab, dddd" to make a BC and some medivacs.

Remember, once you start getting addons, tech labs are always auto-selected first when you press your hotkey (5,6,7), then reactors.




I'm still going back to my base while attacking to macro... ::ashamed::


im still doing this out of habit when i play, tab is a really annoying thing to remember
boomer hands
jimbobdwayne
Profile Joined March 2010
United States53 Posts
March 03 2010 12:34 GMT
#16
Just wanted to say thanks for pointing out the Tab feature, makes it a lot easier when things get crazy imo.
Make it as simple as possible but not simpler.
Striverz-G
Profile Joined February 2010
United States63 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-03 13:43:30
March 03 2010 13:43 GMT
#17
Implementing TAB and double tapping important buildings/units to jump to screen locations will help a lot. Thanks guys.

Are there other macro tips?

-If you hold SHIFT with a worker you can have them build different buildings one after another right?
-How does Auto Repair work with Terran?
I get it in.
FortuneSyn
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
1826 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-03 14:14:25
March 03 2010 14:13 GMT
#18
On March 03 2010 22:43 Striverz-G wrote:
-If you hold SHIFT with a worker you can have them build different buildings one after another right?


Yes but I believe it takes the minerals away from the second building ur gonna build already. I.e. you tell ur SCV to build 2 supply depots 1 after the other, 200 minerals will be subtracted.
Striverz-G
Profile Joined February 2010
United States63 Posts
March 03 2010 22:04 GMT
#19
yea it won't be able to cue buildings without required minerals
I get it in.
Hammy
Profile Joined January 2009
France828 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-03 22:49:39
March 03 2010 22:48 GMT
#20
On March 03 2010 17:27 Insane wrote:
Spells are smart cast, so if you cast it with multiple units it will only cast it with one of them. Tabbing will tab between different types of units instead.

I suspect (but haven't tested) that it will cast with the one which has the most energy currently...

Actually from what I've seen (with queens specifically), distance is also a factor. Maybe there is a minimal distance as of which it will start looking at energy rather than distance. But the AI definitely seems to be doing a lot for us.

edit: Ah I hadn't seen murphy's response. It might only be distance then : )
Hammy
Profile Joined January 2009
France828 Posts
March 03 2010 22:53 GMT
#21
On March 03 2010 21:34 jimbobdwayne wrote:
Just wanted to say thanks for pointing out the Tab feature, makes it a lot easier when things get crazy imo.


Back in WC3 there was this awesome feature where using ctrl and issuing a simple command would only give the command to the selected sub-group (not your whole group). Putting this back would be awesome for microing because it means you can have blings and lings in the same groupe and regulate their speed by using tab and ctrl-click.
I would also make great use of when it comes to building hotkeying (especially if you intend to hotkey your queens with your hatches for macro purposes, want to set rallies but don't want to use Y...).

I made a post about this on the suggestion forums (EU)... I hope it gets some attention.
guitarizt
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States1492 Posts
March 05 2010 07:31 GMT
#22
I read the other thread where someone explained tabbing with queens and how they would autocast on the nearest hatch, but I still don't get it. Can someone explain in detail what to press and what happens? Can I hotkey all my queens to control+4 and then have them spawn more larva without going back to my base?
“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” - Hemingway
Mastermind
Profile Blog Joined April 2008
Canada7096 Posts
March 05 2010 08:02 GMT
#23
On March 05 2010 16:31 guitarizt wrote:
I read the other thread where someone explained tabbing with queens and how they would autocast on the nearest hatch, but I still don't get it. Can someone explain in detail what to press and what happens? Can I hotkey all my queens to control+4 and then have them spawn more larva without going back to my base?

I havnt tried this, but I see no reason this wouldnt work. Put the hatcheries and the queens in the same control group. Tab to the queens. Select spawn larva and click one of the hatchery icons. The closest queen should go to the hatchery and inject. Repeat as necessary.
Koffiegast
Profile Joined February 2010
Netherlands346 Posts
March 05 2010 13:47 GMT
#24
A somewhat different question,
say I got 5 lings in a group, is there a hotkey that allows me to give each ling a different order? Like say, you move here, you move there, you move there, etc. That would be so much easier then to select individually and then move the mouse again to a point when you want for example a line of units.

Is there also a key that allows your units to 'move away from each other'? I remember such a thing in red alert, where you pressed X and the units would move randomly, eventually resulting in a more spread out army.
Wut
ImBa_JaCkAsS
Profile Joined September 2009
Canada200 Posts
March 05 2010 14:00 GMT
#25
well first of all you have to practice a lot for it
building placement do matters too
what I do is
If I tend to micro less n macro more unless its a big battle
and always make a more buildings if you have alot of money
lets say u have 1k money then you will have that much less units
than good player however if u built more building lets say one more barrack
u will just have 150 minreals loss yet almost same units count

5 Pool for late games
Clonze
Profile Joined October 2009
Canada281 Posts
March 06 2010 03:17 GMT
#26
I keep all my buildings in one hotkey (4) and i use tab to go through them... Don't put starports in the same group because Medivacs seem buggy atm and they will pick up your unit instead of following. use 1-3 for your groups (MMM 1 group)<- maybe add banshees (vikings in another) (Ghosts/thors).
Use shift to queue up actions while you do otherstuff... You don't have to double tap keys and be perfect.. yet. Just use the minimap!
Putting zenio on your fantasy team is almost as bad as putting him on your actual team. -Alex Smith
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