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On November 05 2010 07:55 vsportsguy wrote:
I copied my hotkeys exactly as Idra does it, 1-3 for units, 4 for hatch, 5-8 for each queen, 3 or 0 for overloard/overseer. I find it hard to make control groups sometimes because my pinky rests on shift, not on control. I've heard of players using their upper palm to hit control? Do a lot of good players do this? Is it faster once you get used to it? And what do you use to hit c, v, b with then, your thumb?
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Also, if you have multiple hatcheries in a hotkey, is there a way you can toggle/set which one you want to jump to when you double tap it, or do you always have to go to the closest one?
I really care about high apm players because my apm is not very high right now (100) and if I'm going to improve it, I'd rather change my playstyle now rather than later when I'm capped because of how I play. Some of this stuff may seem small, but I'm just trying to play the game as efficiently as possible.
For hotkeys, I highly suggest the method IdrA uses. After I saw his setup and switched to it, I feel my control has significantly improved. As for hitting control, yes, I use the top of my palm, right next to the base of my pinky finger. This will, of course, depend on which keyboard you use and the size of your hands. Find what works best for you. Try different methods to find what works best for you. When I'm spamming drones at the beginning of the game I have my ring finger on 's' my middle finger on 'd' and my index finger on '4'. when I go to make an overlord, I personally use my index finger. your thumb may be a better choice and I'm going to try that out later today to see how it works for me as I have never tried it.
Yes, zerg use one hotkey for a hatch. As far as I've seen with double clicking on that hotkey is that it will go to the last hatch you looked at/clicked on? I've been really confused about this and that is what I came up with. The way you can go to a specific hatchery is the reason zerg players use separate numbers for their queens. To go to your main double click '5'. For your nat, double tap '6' For your 3rd base or for me, a dedicated creep spreading queen, double tap '7'. It takes getting used to but it is a great method.
Having an apm of 100 really is pretty good for a casual laddering player. In mid diamond, whenever I have watched my replays, which is a lot, I haven't seen any players with an average apm over 150. I usually top out around 140 (avg apm) in a really good game and I consider myself to be a relatively skilled player.
Increasing your apm can be a really good idea but only if you're doing it the right way. I can have an apm of 300 for an entire game if i do nothing but build drones and overlords and just spam my keys as fast as possible. I will lose that game. Everyone will unless they seriously know how to use that high apm. I would recommend by honestly spamming at the beginning. This is primarily done to warm up that hands and to get blood flowing. Your apm could be anywhere between 250-400 apm depending on how much stuff you're doing. As the game progresses, your apm will naturally decrease but over time it will improve. I saw this personally after having an average apm of 60-80 and after working on improving my apm I am now around 125-140. My macro and micro is significantly better than when my apm was lower. Whether this is due to the fact that when I spam and increase my apm I pay more attention to the game or if I'm constantly making sure I'm doing something in the game. Specifically I found that I was scouting a lot more and had the potential to do a lot more harassing, dropping, and I had more map control just because I made sure I wasn't twiddling my thumbs watching my drones mine.
A warning about worrying about your apm. I assume this will not apply to you but I will include it in case it does. I personally believe that spamming and dramatically increasing your apm will decrease the quality of your play if you do not have a plan set for the game. You need to have a build picked out and practiced and only then does the apm truly help you. I found early on when I was just winging my games that focusing on apm occasionally resulted in a nasty supply block or two per game. I also would get really high on minerals because I didn't have my tech structrues planned out. Make sure you have a plan and can execute it before focusing on your apm.
I hope this post has been helpful to you!
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There is usually a best way to interface but there are so many other things you need to work on if your not at least 1k diamond. I made up some hotkeys in beta that I generally stick to and they work ok but I will optimize them later.
I went from wireless M/KB w/ generic crap mousepad to FILCO + Abyssus q/ QCK+ mousepad and its a huge improvement however my rating didn't shoot up (in fact I am still learning the layout).
I recently switched from entire forearm resting on desk to hand on the edge of the desk using the bone to pivot and its extremely useful (but still getting used to it). I actually used to play standing up because sitting for long periods of time is actually bad for you and used that bone to pivot but lost my callus so I am getting it back.
So make sure you have your hands on the edge of the desk, get some decent hotkeys that make sense to you, and get decent equipment for gaming (no wireless). Then focus on strats and ingame stuff and adjust the external later.
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You never have to reach for the control key. Shift+1 does the same thing as Control+1. The only use control has is when you add something you don't want to a group, and need to re-hotkey it without that something.
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Grid, in graphics theres 2 routes you can take shaders and shadows to ultra so you see shadows from flyer units outside of vision or off completly. I go with off because its really distracting unless you know what your looking for.
3D Portraits off, effects ultra, textures high and everything else low.
54% mouse speed (otherwise it fractions the mousespeed and isn't pixel perfect.
Turn keyboard repeating speed to the max so you don't need to keyboard spam and instead can hold down a key. Use non-usb keyboard mode PS2 so your keyboard inputs are instant as opposed to polled.
Mouse acceleration off.
Change capslock in windows to either shift or control for more natural hotkeying.
Have fun =]
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On November 06 2010 00:37 Uncultured wrote:
You never have to reach for the control key. Shift+1 does the same thing as Control+1. The only use control has is when you add something you don't want to a group, and need to re-hotkey it without that something.
You need control for shift clicking units rather than double clicking and for making new hotkey groups when one gets messed up. EXAMPLE: I have 10 zerglings in group one, and morph 4 into banelings. Control click zerglings, hit 1, control click banelings, hit 2. DONE! I don't even have to let go of control. I don't know how you can say you don't need control to play... It's way more accurate than double clicking.
On November 06 2010 00:45 Carefoot wrote:
Mouse acceleration off.
Change capslock in windows to either shift or control for more natural hotkeying.
Have fun =]
I did all this today; no more mouse acceleration (wow it's different playing that way) and changed caps lock to control. I love the new changes, remaking groups with the above method is 10x easier. Thank you, and thanks for the apm tips too.
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On November 05 2010 12:51 Uranium wrote:
For increasing your mouse sensitivity, don't overdo it. You are much better getting a mouse with very high DPI. I use an Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 which only has 450 DPI and I have my mouse sensitivity at 85% and I do NOT get pixel-perfect precision. My mouse actually skips 2 or 3 pixels each time I move it. This can really fuck with your ability to click on small units properly (I notice it the most when trying to ctrl-click my Zerglings). The only reason I haven't upgraded to a mouse with better DPI is that I haven't found one that is ergonomic enough. My next try will be with an MX518 but I just can't afford it right now.
And don't listen to the guy who told you not to change your setup. Of course it will hurt you in the short term as your brain adjusts, but in the long run it is always worth it to use a setup that is inherently more efficient. I remap my hotkeys in ANY game ANY time I think it will give me an advantage, and there is usually about 2 hours of adjustment followed by a lifetime of ownage. For christ's sake you aren't 80 years old, don't be getting stuck in your ways now.
Top fps pros use the intellimouse! Just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's bad! 450 dpi is more than enough...and it's probably your windows sensitivity that is causing the mouse to skip pixels. Try setting it to 6.
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On November 05 2010 07:55 vsportsguy wrote:
Hi,
I watch a lot of pro replays and I learn so much from them. There are a couple of things that I cannot see though.
I was wondering if anyone can tell me general settings that high level players use OR what you use yourself if you are a high level player (as these are the most efficient ways to do things usually).
Things like how they move their cameras aside from control groups (side scrolling, middle mouse drag scrolling, saved camera positions; f5) and what general sensitivities.
What hand position do they use?
I copied my hotkeys exactly as Idra does it, 1-3 for units, 4 for hatch, 5-8 for each queen, 3 or 0 for overloard/overseer. I find it hard to make control groups sometimes because my pinky rests on shift, not on control. I've heard of players using their upper palm to hit control? Do a lot of good players do this? Is it faster once you get used to it? And what do you use to hit c, v, b with then, your thumb?
Should I continue to increase my mouse sensitivity slowly until I'm at the max?
Also, if you have multiple hatcheries in a hotkey, is there a way you can toggle/set which one you want to jump to when you double tap it, or do you always have to go to the closest one?
I really care about high apm players because my apm is not very high right now (100) and if I'm going to improve it, I'd rather change my playstyle now rather than later when I'm capped because of how I play. Some of this stuff may seem small, but I'm just trying to play the game as efficiently as possible.
First of all, even Day9 says that he thinks in SC2 you need not more than 50-80 APM to do all the Stuff you need to do. (remeber SC2 apm != real apm.. its like +40% or so)
Next is, you can not copy a Playstyle of others, because of different Hands Size, ability to stretch Fingers etc. You said, your Finger is resting on Left Shift Key and you find it hard to use CTRL, right? Yeh for me, it is nor Problem, ive actually not my Finger resting on the Shift Key.. because its most of the Time in use. making CTRL Grous and/or addin/removing Units from Groups with Shift. so no time for "resting" actually.
I use Key 1 for all my Hatches. 2-4 for Units, where 4 is always Mutas or Hydras if i dont play Mutas. 5-7 for Queens, to inject at Hatches. I can tell you why i use 1 for Hatches and 2-4 for Groups.
While i spam/press 1 for Building units with my WeddingFinger (correct english word?) I can hit 2-4 for Units Groups without having to rearrange my Finger(s) because i do something at my Hatches.
If i would do it with Hatches on 4 i have todo 4 -> Q etc. (grid user left hand) and i cant reach Number 1 with the MiddleFinger! So ive to use WeddingFinger for that, means moving the Finger(s) again. (hard to explain my thinking on that lol)
So there is alot more why i use this Setup for me, you should actually so something on your own, find the Perfect Setup what fits YOU the best not what fits others the best.
About the jumping to Hatches... just do one Hotkey for every Queen at every Hatch, so u jump to the Queen and you are at the Hatch? Or use 8-0 for extra Hotkey on single Hatches.
Camera using... i never ever use Middle Mouse Button to move the Camera, i hate it, i find it slow and uncomfortable for me. With a Good small Mouse you can use it to the edges of the Screen to "scroll". I find that the best Solution.
About APM, my APM is between 100-150, depending on the Map and Matchup and daily feeling. And i got the feeling that i do not need any more APM, i never had the feeling "wooaahh if i had more apm i could do more stuff" IMHO right decision making is sometimes much more important than the APM.
"Yeah i got 300 APM DUDE!!111!1eleven.. massing Roaches.... oh shit FUCK he has mass Marauders! Sigh.... i need more APM i guess!"
c,v,b etc. i use my Index Finger of course, im using Grid Layout.
About Mouse Sens. don't mess with the Windows Sens. Keep it at 6/11. But there is also a good Thread here on TL about the InGame Sens in SC2 not affecting Windows Sens.
Here: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=165625
So, SC2 Sens 51-54 (%) is equal to the 6/11 in Windows Settings. All other Stuff is skipping Pixels etc. i would never mess with the Windows Sens, better set DPI on the Mouse and keep Windows at 6/11 (for SC2 it means 51-54 ingame settings).
greetings
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When the alert goes off in the game, space bar is sometimes helpful.
Anddddddddd sometimes it can really $%*# you up :-P
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On November 05 2010 07:55 vsportsguy wrote:
I find it hard to make control groups sometimes because my pinky rests on shift, not on control. I've heard of players using their upper palm to hit control? Do a lot of good players do this? Is it faster once you get used to it?
As a tiny tidbit: on ALL of my computers I make Caps Lock function as a left control key. This is due to programming (emacs) and I've been doing it a long time. Clearly this can make playing on a computer that's not your own tough (I'm not even close to that being a problem). This makes hitting ctrl a bit easier for me though so I stick with it in gaming as well as programming 
You can google to find out more but in windows you can do this via registry hacks: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/disable-caps-lock-key-in-windows-vista/
On mac you can just do it in the system options for the keyboard.
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On November 06 2010 12:25 nodq wrote:
First of all, even Day9 says that he thinks in SC2 you need not more than 50-80 APM to do all the Stuff you need to do. (remeber SC2 apm != real apm.. its like +40% or so)
About APM, my APM is between 100-150, depending on the Map and Matchup and daily feeling. And i got the feeling that i do not need any more APM, i never had the feeling "wooaahh if i had more apm i could do more stuff" IMHO right decision making is sometimes much more important than the APM.
"Yeah i got 300 APM DUDE!!111!1eleven.. massing Roaches.... oh shit FUCK he has mass Marauders! Sigh.... i need more APM i guess!"
Trust me, I'll be the first to tell you, I believe decision making is 100x more important than apm. I would never want to be a 300 apm player, that is way too much spam... I'm at a point where my decision making and tactics are coming to a halt; I've developed all the basics, I'm at a point where I need to EXECUTE them now. And execution comes down to productive apm. You need way more than 50-80 apm to do everything you need to, especially in the mid/late game. When you are microing mutas, keeping up with your injections, trying to saturate a 3rd base, teching to tier 3, spreading creep, scouting bases for his expo's, and setting up a ling/bling attack all at one time, you have to have good apm.
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On November 06 2010 14:45 vsportsguy wrote:Show nested quote +On November 06 2010 12:25 nodq wrote:
First of all, even Day9 says that he thinks in SC2 you need not more than 50-80 APM to do all the Stuff you need to do. (remeber SC2 apm != real apm.. its like +40% or so)
About APM, my APM is between 100-150, depending on the Map and Matchup and daily feeling. And i got the feeling that i do not need any more APM, i never had the feeling "wooaahh if i had more apm i could do more stuff" IMHO right decision making is sometimes much more important than the APM.
"Yeah i got 300 APM DUDE!!111!1eleven.. massing Roaches.... oh shit FUCK he has mass Marauders! Sigh.... i need more APM i guess!"
Trust me, I'll be the first to tell you, I believe decision making is 100x more important than apm. I would never want to be a 300 apm player, that is way too much spam... I'm at a point where my decision making and tactics are coming to a halt; I've developed all the basics, I'm at a point where I need to EXECUTE them now. And execution comes down to productive apm. You need way more than 50-80 apm to do everything you need to, especially in the mid/late game. When you are microing mutas, keeping up with your injections, trying to saturate a 3rd base, teching to tier 3, spreading creep, scouting bases for his expo's, and setting up a ling/bling attack all at one time, you have to have good apm.
Yeh thats what i said basicly. You said you have 100 apm? And i tell you from my experience, that 100 apm is okay to do all the stuff. And i am also pretty sure Day9 knows what hes talking about, too.
I had lots of Matches where i did not need more than 90apm to do all the stuff i needed in that Match.
I cant believe that you are not able to execute all your stuff with 100 (sc2 apm!) without spamming? Really, i cant understand that. I can, others can, why not you?
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I use 1-4 units, then 5-6-7-8+ for hatches (then when I saturate a base I group it up with another, for example, when main+nat are saturated I put them both on 5, then move the rest down for ease).
Is this optimal? I mean, I see the advantage of putting all hatches on one key.. but I hate the idea of not knowing where the drones are building. If I need to saturate "6" more then I will build drones on 6, and workers on 5. This doesn't seem as easy to do without looking if I put them all on one hotkey.
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On November 06 2010 00:45 Carefoot wrote:
Mouse acceleration off.
Change capslock in windows to either shift or control for more natural hotkeying.
Have fun =]
I did all this today; no more mouse acceleration (wow it's different playing that way) and changed caps lock to control. I love the new changes, remaking groups with the above method is 10x easier. Thank you, and thanks for the apm tips too.[/QUOTE]
You're welcome unfortunately I don't use the capslock setting as I go to a lot of lan centers where they don't allow you to rebind windows keys but when the patch comes out where we can configure our own keys I will more then likely move all my 1-0 keys to my mouse so I can access them easier. It would be very cool if I could scroll through my hotkeys with the scroll wheel as opposed to having the "zoom into the game" function.
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EPT
