EPT
Over view:
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As a Protoss I was not sure when to expand and how to spend my chronoboost. This guide is the result of my research. According to my calculations the best time to get your first expansion is 3:00 and second expansion at 7:00. These timings are good only to gauge when the best time to expos are, if you actually do take expos this early you are very open ta a early rush...
Premises:Mining
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Maximum saturation is 3X8=24 miners + 6 on gas = 30 probes per base. The 3rd probe cannot mine optimally-this because miners in Star craft 2 take turns sitting at minerals [the exception to this is mules]. So now the real optimum mining saturation is 16 on minerals and 6 on gas… The So this would mean the best time to expand would be at 22 probe with two gas, 19 probes on one gas, and 16 with no gas.
By the way:
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15 Assimilator along with a chronoboost on the nexus is the most economically optimal timing for gas; the 30 seconds it takes to build the assimilator will produce the 3 workers needed to saturate it.
Further explanation: Skip if you understood the above
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So basically it would behoove you to expand right as you get 2 probes on each of your 8 mineral patches… Ideally the second nexus would complete a few seconds after your 17th probe 20th or 23rd finishes at your main. I haven’t done the math but It is impossible to get your second nexus up before you get to 16 probes without cutting production from the nexus. So what am I going on about? Essentially; you’d rather have less probes mining on more mineral patches than more probes mining on less mineral patches. This is due to diminishing returns on each probe after you reach 2 per patch.
Advanced technique:
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[url=http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=197826]Probe micro to get small economic advantage.
Chronoboosting Probes:
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Normally it takes 17 seconds to build a probe… the math on Chrono-boosting roughly comes out to an extra probe and a half every 2 two chronos spent on the nexus... meaning you can get 4 probes in the time it takes to make 3… Spending 4 consecutive chronoboosts will yield 11 probes instead 8 in the same time… the math can get complicated with multiple nexus and energy regeneration being slower than amount it cost to chrono boost.
Timing: Elaboration
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With constant probe production (with-out Chronoboosting) at around (4:40) and [4:20] [with Chronoboosting] your investment in more probes one base will start to diminish returns. At (6:15) [5.40] your will be fully saturated, thus more probes on base will not net you any real gains. For the proposes of this example I assumed that both gases have been taken and saturated. 60 Probes working off of two bases can harvest roughly 1625 minerals and 440 gas per minute. 66 probes mining off of 3 bases can harvest roughly 2025 minerals and 660 gas per minute.
Roughly the best expansion timings 1ST Expo at 3:00 – 2nd Expo 7.00. At 11:30 saturation on 3 bases will be optimul. Times here reflect roughly around the time when an extra nexus would get you more income… so any time past these expo timings your investment in a new base would be worth it..each nexus would pay the greatest deviance at 3.00 and 7.00..
How to use this information:
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Coming soon...
Why cutting probes is better than maynarding:
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Coming soon...
Reasons why Protoss is the new macro race:
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Coming soon...
Concluding remarks:
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Coming soon...
Q&A
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Coming soon...
Replays
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Coming soon...
