When I'm playing zerg and select all my hatcharies and then larva and give commands to build units, how does the game decide from which hatch the units are spawned?
Is it random? The larva/hatch that is closest to where my screen view is? Age of hatch/larva?
I want to work this out so i can best decide how to build units to prevent them from being rallied from across the map if possible, especially if i need them urgently.
On October 05 2012 15:31 shihido wrote: When I'm playing zerg and select all my hatcharies and then larva and give commands to build units, how does the game decide from which hatch the units are spawned?
Is it random? The larva/hatch that is closest to where my screen view is? Age of hatch/larva?
I want to work this out so i can best decide how to build units to prevent them from being rallied from across the map if possible, especially if i need them urgently.
I spent about 3 hours researching order of larve use several months ago. Unfortunately, I couldn't notice/find any rule. There was a small sign that some kind of rule might exist (particular larva being used first very often), but it could be just a coincidence in randomness. If someone else has an insight and time (or programming knowledge?), then he/she might find out the truth that I couldn't reach.
My conclusion: Regardless of the existence of the rule, it is random enough that planning just isn't worth it.
On October 04 2012 06:25 Durmaz21 wrote: I'm having trouble with my macro. About the time I expand there's just way too much stuff going on I feel and my macro goes south as a result. I feel like my brain can't keep up with all the stuff that's going on in the game. I also get really stressed out when I play, and silly stuff occurs. For example, if I mess something basic up (accidently missing the mineral patch at the start of the game, making my workers go idle for a moment) then I'll let that affect me the whole game.
I used to be an fps player for about 6 years so making the switch to RTS is so incredibly hard for me. I also play zerg, which to my understanding is one of the most macro heavy races.
So yeah. If anyone got any tips, if you know of anything I can do before a game to make myself perform better, anything I can do in-game, then I'll gladly take that.
If your problem is keeping your cool. Physical workout before play is almost magical.
Experience helps a lot to. Just learn your build really well vs easy computer. Play many games.
Try, but this is hard, to accept that losing is just part of learning and a precursor to success. That every loss teaches you something about the game or yourself. Also remember that it could be worse, you could be a MMA fighter getting beaten to a bloody pulp ;-)
This is more of a "history" question. In ZvZ who started this placing of the baneling nest right in-front of your natural hatchery, and what is the purpose of doing that?
Is it some sort of throwdown like, yeah there is my tech path buddy, I'm playing macro. You got the balls to outmacro me?
On October 07 2012 11:32 Slardar wrote: This is more of a "history" question. In ZvZ who started this placing of the baneling nest right in-front of your natural hatchery, and what is the purpose of doing that?
Is it some sort of throwdown like, yeah there is my tech path buddy, I'm playing macro. You got the balls to outmacro me?
Not sure who started it, but the intention is to utilize the baneling nest as simcity compromising on the fact that creep takes a while to spread from your nat. It reduces the surface area on your hatchery, as well as an adjacent spine crawler, and depending on the map, it can help choke off your ramp.
And baneling nests are practically required for zvz, so there's not really any downside to showing the tech to your opponent immediately.
So there's two things I never understood when it comes to Zerg macro.
1. Why do they need to be up one base? I understand production comes from the Hatchery/Lair/Hive but there this generalization that same bases as opponent = auto loss? Unless you're going for some sort of all in like a baneling bust or something, then there's a chance you can win.
2. Why do Zerg need like 100 drones over 4 bases? Terrans and Protss can get by with approximately 60 to 70 harvesters no problem.... Plus pretty much every game, Zerg would be down a significant amount of army units, yet still hold off their opponent's push relatively fine.
Some of the replies I got include that drones are used as sacrifice to build buildings. Well I meant my numbers as in 100 harvesters over 4 bases, not 100 drones. I guess I should've put that instead of 100 drones. And while 100 may be absurd, then let's tone it down to like 85 or 90 drones. Still an absurd amount considering Terran and Protoss get by with like 65 to 70 harvesters over 3 to 4 bases. Rarely have I seen Terran and Protoss go up to 80 harvesters.
This philosophy comes from the general strategies that tend to be most effective for Zergs. Until you get to Hive tech, Zerg units are cost inefficient and/or die quickly. So in order for Zerg's army to be "even" with a Terran or Protoss army, Zerg needs to spend more money on their army or be able to quickly add reinforcements. Zerg also tends to be a more gas-intensive race than Terran or Protoss, so a lot of times those extra drones/bases are mainly just for mining gas.
On October 05 2012 15:31 shihido wrote: When I'm playing zerg and select all my hatcharies and then larva and give commands to build units, how does the game decide from which hatch the units are spawned?
Is it random? The larva/hatch that is closest to where my screen view is? Age of hatch/larva?
I want to work this out so i can best decide how to build units to prevent them from being rallied from across the map if possible, especially if i need them urgently.
Anyone got any idea? Is the only way for me to dictate which hatch the units are spawned from is by manually selecting the hatches?
On October 07 2012 18:46 LEAD.Nightmare wrote: As a terran, if I try to harass a zerg player with hellions, should I attack the queens or just run past them and attack their drones instead?
It depends on how much you want to invest in your harassment. The normal hellion banshee opener consists of 6 hellions and 1 banshee without cloak. After that you start your transition into either mech or marine-tank-medivac. In this scenario you can´t afford to loose your hellions, because you need them to stay alive, so just poking a little at the queens is the best you can do. However if you invest into more hellions and banshees with cloak, then you can afford sacrificing your hellions to kill drones and you should do it to delay the zerg, since your transition will be much later than normal.
In the Code its "Audio: A TL.net link \Audio, Can someone shead some light on if this function will work with external links, like youtube and additional if the file has to be .ogg to work , thanks in advance
On October 07 2012 18:46 LEAD.Nightmare wrote: As a terran, if I try to harass a zerg player with hellions, should I attack the queens or just run past them and attack their drones instead?
Since the metagame now involves zergs getting more queens, it would more often that not be more effective to run by for the drones. You need to watch out for something like a zergling flank tho, if you run in your hellions, and there are 30 lings waiting you would have been better off just poking at the queens, even if that doesnt do any significant damage
More of a judgement call imo. I wouldn't suicide the hellions into unknown territory for the hope of roasting drones. Hellion job: 1) Map Control 2) Creep control 3) Pressure
A good chunk of hellions do a great job in roasting lings, plus it can hide a lot of scouting if you plan to do an all-in strategy. Unless you know the Zerg is being too greedy, don't dive with hellions.
On October 07 2012 18:46 LEAD.Nightmare wrote: As a terran, if I try to harass a zerg player with hellions, should I attack the queens or just run past them and attack their drones instead?
In the mid-late game when you mech, go for drones and larva.
In the early game, keep those hellions alive! The threat of a hellion run-by is much more ominous than an actual hellion runby. Actually running in means you lose your hellions, and probably won't do enough damage. Worse still, the threat of hellions running in and fucking things up is gone, so zerg can move out a lot more liberally.
So dApollo posted a video the other day on how to reinforce a Zerg army. Essentially he just talks about adding eggs to control groups, which is something I've been working on.
What I was wondering though was is there any negative side effect to NOT control clicking the eggs and then adding them to the control group? In other words, if you skip the control clicking step and just directly add the eggs to a hot key, it will also add the spare larvae to that hot key. Does this interfere with anything or does it just make the control group look a little messy?
On October 08 2012 12:14 shadogi wrote: So dApollo posted a video the other day on how to reinforce a Zerg army. Essentially he just talks about adding eggs to control groups, which is something I've been working on.
What I was wondering though was is there any negative side effect to NOT control clicking the eggs and then adding them to the control group? In other words, if you skip the control clicking step and just directly add the eggs to a hot key, it will also add the spare larvae to that hot key. Does this interfere with anything or does it just make the control group look a little messy?
Terrible, don't let this happen ever. Larvae aren't a big deal, but once they are morphed into something they stay in the control group. So if you make a wave of drones, your roach hotkey will have drones in it too! And drones are better at mining than fighting, this is just one example.
The video does well in explaining the method. Been using it for over a year since I saw Stephano first employ this method. Drones unless commanded to move to a different location will default go to the primary mineral node the hatchery is right clicked on, which is fine. Rebinding and creating groups is a big part of SC.
Plus you can make 3 fresh control groups quite easily for multi-pronged attacks. Keep army clustered at one point. All Hatchs --> S ZZZZZ 10 lings, ctrl click eggs, shift 1, right click opponent 3rd base. All Hatch SZZZZ, Ctrl click eggs, Shift 2 right click near enemy natural. 4 infest hit squad, shift 3, burrow off to another location. Becomes natural after awhile, but the most important thing is you have 100% control of your army always. There is no scrambling in defense, or units going to their death.
On October 08 2012 12:14 shadogi wrote: So dApollo posted a video the other day on how to reinforce a Zerg army. Essentially he just talks about adding eggs to control groups, which is something I've been working on.
What I was wondering though was is there any negative side effect to NOT control clicking the eggs and then adding them to the control group? In other words, if you skip the control clicking step and just directly add the eggs to a hot key, it will also add the spare larvae to that hot key. Does this interfere with anything or does it just make the control group look a little messy?
Terrible, don't let this happen ever. Larvae aren't a big deal, but once they are morphed into something they stay in the control group. So if you make a wave of drones, your roach hotkey will have drones in it too! And drones are better at mining than fighting, this is just one example.
Excellent! Thanks for letting me know. That would have been embarrassing the first time that happened!
On October 05 2012 15:31 shihido wrote: When I'm playing zerg and select all my hatcharies and then larva and give commands to build units, how does the game decide from which hatch the units are spawned?
Is it random? The larva/hatch that is closest to where my screen view is? Age of hatch/larva?
I want to work this out so i can best decide how to build units to prevent them from being rallied from across the map if possible, especially if i need them urgently.
This would be a completely useless thing to figure out.
Think about it, even if you knew the larvae were ordered by the hatcheries age or location, how would you know how much larvae each hatchery has? There is no way to tell, for exmaple, whether 7th larvae listed belongs to your 1st, 2nd or 3rd hatchery (3 situations where you hatches could have 3, 3, x; 4, 3, x; or 7, x, x respectively).
Even if you could figure out the order, you would still need to individually check how much larvae each hatchery has to know where all the larvae is, and if you're doing that then it would be more efficient to just build the units at each hatchery when you are checking it.
Is there a key to auto-split your units? I noticed this while watching a replay from the opponents perspective. He somehow split all selected units at once. Does anyone know how he did that?