As zerg there is an easy way to keep from getting blocked. Each time you go for injects you also construct an overlord. So basically 1 OL for every hatchery you have. Late game you'll have to make more though. I think it is similar for the other races. -> Make units -> make a supply depot or pylon.

Might be easier to realize that 1 depot = 4 marauders / 8 marines. 1 pylon = 4 stalkers / zealots. 1 overlord = 4 roaches / 500 000 zerglings.

You can't do much with a single supply building. You'll need to constantly build them, and if you don't need to, there is a problem with your macro somewhere else.

Surili

United Kingdom1141 Posts

October 11 2011 08:56 GMT

#42

I know this sounds silly, but after every game watch your replays of you getting supply blocked. Think of it like revision at school: Sure, you already know that you got supply blocked, but if you go over it again suddenly it will be reinforced in your mind for the long term.

Personally that i what i think that all people who say they don't need to watch there replays should do. Run the game at x8 and every time you get supply blocked go back to faster speed and feel the pain of the supply block again. It is like being stabbed by a rusty fork.

Klyberess

Sweden345 Posts

October 11 2011 09:00 GMT

#43

as terran I generally dedicate 1 scv per base or so to building depots nonstop, so I know when I get an idle that it's time to build.

ChrysaliS_

United States261 Posts

October 11 2011 09:04 GMT

#44

Make more pylons? Doesn't seem so complicated to me...

Dudevico

Sweden53 Posts

October 11 2011 11:14 GMT

#45

Practice makes perfect... How you practice is important too. I feel like I don't get that much better in a certain aspect of the game by just mindlessly massing games. Instead, load up a build-order trainer (YABOT is good), and just focus on one thing at a time. Dedicate 20 games to just max out and make sure NEVER to get supply blocked. Check your supply ALL THE TIME! I know its boring, but personally I find it even worse losing say 50 games cause you never really adressed the problem directly. Glhf! :D

Azera

3800 Posts

October 11 2011 11:18 GMT

#46

1) Record Day[9] saying 'Probes and Pylons'
2) Make the recording into a song by putting it in an infinite loop.
3) Listen to the 'song' while you play.

proerthantoss

United Kingdom16 Posts

October 11 2011 15:30 GMT

#47

put a sticky note or something near/or on your computer saying build pylons or something, thats what i did to get me to constantly make probes

CapnAmerica

United States508 Posts

October 11 2011 15:33 GMT

#48

Hire someone with a paper fan to smack you every time you get supply blocked or try to build units when you're already supply blocked. You'll learn.

Micket

United Kingdom2163 Posts

October 11 2011 15:35 GMT

#49

Every time you make a round of units and you have 200 minerals left over, consider making 2 supply structures. Pros often have 100/160, and even though it may look wasteful, it is absolutely fine.

Chinesewonder

Canada354 Posts

October 11 2011 17:45 GMT

#50

Well you could leave a crap ton of sticky notes all around your monitor that say BUILD PYLONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I actually just thought of that and as a matter of fact, I think I'm going to do that tonight when I get home from work. haha

tac0

Sweden14 Posts

October 11 2011 17:50 GMT

#51

+ Show Spoiler +

On October 11 2011 14:13 ComaDose wrote:
blog about it.

how do you even start i blog at TL? I dont get it..

day9 said one thing, and this actually helped me friend to NEVER be supply blocked. he's gold protoss

what to do?

think at the start of the game : pylon probe pylon probe pylon probe pylon probe. and focus only on that, in a little while u'll be pro at making pylons at the right time and having a good amount of probes to help your economy

best tip i can give you for learning that. also its Day9 approved (y)

Plansix

United States60190 Posts

October 11 2011 17:52 GMT

#52

On October 11 2011 13:53 lordsurya08 wrote:
Since I started playing starcraft - 2 months ago - supply blocks have been the bane of my gameplay. There is nothing I hate more than getting supply blocked. It happens to me at least ONCE (on average like 10 times). Every. Single. Game.

I've switched to Toss, I've tried to shift myself into a build-pylon mindset...nothing works. The warp-in-then-pylon trick works occasionally, but as soon as I get more gates and robos it goes out the window and I lose track of supply.

Any suggestions? Is there, say, some sort of legal third party software that makes a little beep whenever my supply cap is nearby?

Treat supply like probes. If you asking if you have built do many, you are asking the wrong question. It easy to scale back your pylon building once your in the habit of building them.

Once you have three warpgates, you should get in the habit of building a pylon after every warp in. I build a pylon per base after every warp in I do. I also try to check after ever chrono I use.

Also try to get a lead on your supply at some point. Nothing crazy, just one or two pylons. I normally make these my foward pylons I stash on the map, so it has some purpose. There is nothing worse than winning a huge fight with style and flare, only to be supply blocked afterwords and not able to follow up with an even bigger army.

Ultimahunter

Canada20 Posts

October 11 2011 17:57 GMT

#53

Day[9] mentioned a technique for fixing mechanical problems like that. I can't remember which daily it was (within the last few weeks) but the idea was to play a bunch of games with your focus being on nothing but one specific problem that you wish to fix. In your case, you should play a bunch of games with your focus being on nothing but not getting supply blocked. After enough games you should be getting supply blocked a LOT less. It worked for me, just keep at it and you'll get it soon enough. :D

Veriol

Czech Republic502 Posts

October 11 2011 18:00 GMT

#54

Just get used to that after every warpin/inject you should make at least one pylo/ovie. This is how I deal with it.

Demonace34

United States2493 Posts

October 11 2011 18:01 GMT

#55

I tend to try and not think about it like it is work. Extending the pylons utility makes them better to build than just for supply. If you have a probe out on the map, make an initiative to produce pylons to improve your vision (this makes building them feel more than just for supply).

Also, you have to get a rotation of what you need to be doing in your head. Warp-in look at top right for supply blocks, look at your money to see if you need more gates/tech/whatever and then look at the minimap again while you cycle through your buildings. If you do this over and over enough you'll eventually see when you need to build pylons easily.

If you are supply blocked and have extra money, throw down more than just the 1 or 2 to get unsupply blocked if you are over 100 supply...I'd throw down 4-6 and then go back to worrying about other things.

This does take a ton of work but you can make it much less of a hassle if you have safeguards in your head to not get supply blocked.

Jagd

United States71 Posts

October 11 2011 18:05 GMT

#56

If you watch the pros playing (minigun, IdrA come to mind) you will notice their eyes constantly going TOP RIGHT -> BOTTOM LEFT -> CENTER;

I'm trying to get into that habit and it's been helping me with map awareness and with supply blocks.

hersimp

Norway40 Posts

October 11 2011 18:10 GMT

#57

Make yourself constantly look at the supply count. That'll help alot
And always make a pylon just before you do a warp in early-mid game.
When later in the game can feel free to make several pylons at once. 2-4

The most important think is to focus on removing your supply blocks.
Play games focusing on only that and dont care about the other stuff. Then it'll kinda go naturally for you quite quickly

glhf

DW-Unrec

492 Posts

October 11 2011 18:11 GMT

#58

Wow, so many shitty posts here

Overlords and pylons before 6 minutes are part of the build order. There is no "rule" like make overlords before making units, make pylons after warping in.

If you open 15 hatch 16 pool, the overlord will be on 17.
If you open 12 gateway, pylon will be on 16.

If you have solid play, 28 supply will be one phase of the game, 36 will be another, just like 44.

After 44 you'll have strong economy and the build order becomes weaker (you can't follow a BO at 44 supply).

If you want a "rule" to not get supply locked after 44 supply, here it is:

Larva pops every 40 seconds. You want to have money saved up and free supply to spend this larva. Its ok if you dont spend all the larva at once, but ideally you want to keep 2 or less larva at each hatchery.
Larvas spawn every 15 seconds. Overlords take 25 seconds to build. Injects and overlords can be like infestors; when the glens upgrade is 30/80 done, you make infestors. When larva is 15/40 done or less, you make an overlord. Use the larva that spawn every 15 seconds to make the overlords. You may use the larva that the queen made to make overlords, but as I said before, you want this larva to make units.

ODKStevez

Ireland1225 Posts

October 11 2011 19:54 GMT

#59

Practice is the best way, play some games on yabot and ONLY focus on getting to 200 supply with no supply blocks.

I have the same problem with you and I play zerg so I do have the tricks of queen inject spawn overlords ^^

eugalp

United States203 Posts

October 12 2011 04:04 GMT

#60

I'm still struggling with this myself. If anyone has nice tips/tricks, they are welcome. For me, its as follows (as protoss):
- Until around 50ish supply you just have to be keep checking your supply count and remember to build pylons. There is usually not much going on on the map anyway. Not being supply blocked should be one of your highest priorities at this stage of the game.
- Anticipate sudden jumps in supply. Warpgate tech about to finish? Better check your supply. About to make an immortal? Immortal takes half a pylon so make sure you have room. A Colossus takes almost an entire pylon. Any robotics build is generally very "pylon intensive"
- Once you have your second base up and running, it will not be the end of the world if you simply overmake pylons. It is suboptimal but it is MUCH better to have 2 or even 3 pylons too many than to ever be supply blocked. In addition, this way you won't be supply blocked if you get dropped and lose 1 or 2 pylons.
- Once you have 6+ gates, get in the habit of making ~2 pylons after every warpin (except during battle, obviously)