Hey, I thought about writing a guide about doing this, but I decided on a whim that I would rather try a video.
What I'd like to say, is that this video basically introduces a way to learn complicated actions gradually, and that if you are Masters or higher, you probably do this already and do not need to watch the video.
However, for people in the lower leagues, it should help give an idea of how to practise ANYTHING really. I just use Camera Hotkeys because that is something I am trying to learn myself right now.
This is my first video ever, but after a fairly successful (according to students) coaching experiment, I am also just diving into water without knowing how deep it is here.
Kind of like how Day9 wants you to be a better gamer, I legitimately want to help lower league players to increase their skill level and to bring the overall skill level of the community up. So, if you like or despise this video, please critique and if it is not welcomed with open arms I will never do one again o.o
Edit: too lazy to watch?
Essentially, you take a series of complicated actions, then focus on the core of it. This video was about camera hotkeys. The ultimate goal is to move from parts of the map quickly, be able to do a simple task, and macro at the same time. However, trying to learn that all at once is rather difficult, so first you should learn to strictly move your fingers through the motions of camera movement. Then add in SCV and depot production. Then once you are comfortable with that, add in multiple unit producing structures on seperate hotkeys.
Eventually, by learning each step one at a time very well, you will be able to condense the thought process behind the actions into a quicker flash of the mind, and be able to execute the task much more quickly. This only comes through heavy repetition, and the concept of learning this way is applicable to any mechanical aspect of the game.
I use camera hotkeys for the early game, and its really funny because I have a worker rushing/smurf account (because Gheed made me want to try it, don't judge me <3) and I still try to hit those hotkeys even when I haven't made them yet, because its only a worker rush :D
When I play Protoss or Terran against my friends (Zerg player here), they really come in handy to hop back to my base in a way that my queens do once I have them up as Zerg. (Queens supplant the utility of camera hotkeys for me personally, although I should start hot keying my rally, as I've been messing with "forgetting" to hotkey units and just make more of them all the time, and its been working really well for me.)
Thanks for this thread! I am also in higher masters and have wanted to start using camera hotkeys. I just tried this out and it feels like it really helped. The hardest part was probably finger positioning back to macro keys after the cycle and also I have a habit of double tapping the F-keys which is unnecessary.
I am happy about this new trend of focusing on mechanics here on the TL strategy forum, I really believe focusing on mechanics lead to a much higher skill level long term and also is somewhat transferable as we can see how good BW and Wc3 pros are doing here in Sc2.
I've recently started to play SC2, before I have been enjoying Dota and Dota 2 for several years on a very high level. I've watched starcraft for about a year now and decided to switch games for HOTS, so I bought SC2 this month.
Currently I'm only focusing on my mechanics and I've set up a nice hotkey profile that works very well for me, but I'm having trouble incooperating camera hotkeys in my play so I am looking for an efficent method to learn them. So far I've tried practicing them in singleplayer, while doing the standard builds.
I have edge scrolling disabled for that purpose. I've been searching the good old interwebs for methods on how to improve your usage of camera hotkeys but I hardly came across anything but this thread. So I am wondering if somebody remembers the video in the OP and has a link to it or what your method have been to get used to the camera keys.
It's not about setting them up on good keys, but how to get used to them.
Edit: Uhm yeah, the singlerplayer thingy is obviously not that efficent so that's why I need some help. Sorry if i did not clarify that x)
My personal setup: I set my positions using alt to center around a selection(CC's). I set the camera hotkeys using ctrl+(q,w,e,a,s,d,f) and g And I recall using F(1,2,3,4,5,6,7) and space. I use G and space for rallies/early game walling.
And I also suggest tapping trough control groups to see if you're producing. like 23452345234523452345 it's like playing on a keyboard although I suck at piano but hey I can play Canon Rock on guitar. :D
my setup, easy to set, easy to recal <--- makes it easier to get used to, spam them in the early game. Spam them like a madman, thats how i learned it
I am using alt + a cam1, alt z cam2 alt q cam3 etc... (azerty keyboard) and set cam with f1 f2 f3 or ctrl+arl+a.. Btw the video is not working even on youtube
if you set f1 as camera hotkeys, then where you put for idle workers? I find that key quite important since if you pulled workers away from drops, the key really helps in telling all workers back to mining
On February 26 2013 23:00 ETisME wrote: if you set f1 as camera hotkeys, then where you put for idle workers? I find that key quite important since if you pulled workers away from drops, the key really helps in telling all workers back to mining
You can waypoint the workers to go some place and return right away, meanwhile you fight off the drop and the workers return immediatelly. Or you can click the button, this will probably happen once ever 30 games or never if you use the waypoint thingy.
On February 26 2013 23:00 ETisME wrote: if you set f1 as camera hotkeys, then where you put for idle workers? I find that key quite important since if you pulled workers away from drops, the key really helps in telling all workers back to mining
On February 26 2013 23:00 ETisME wrote: if you set f1 as camera hotkeys, then where you put for idle workers? I find that key quite important since if you pulled workers away from drops, the key really helps in telling all workers back to mining
After a few years of playing FPS games and WoW on the PC, I was extremely used to moving around with the standard WASD, and using the adjacent keys for abilities / items.
I kind of dislike reaching all the way up to the F keys in SC2 for the camera controls, so thinking about the WASD movement set up for many other games I figured, "Why cant I do something similar with SC2 Camera controls?".
Right now I use CTR + WASD for cameras 1-4, with WASD as recall; and ALT + WASD for 5-8, with SHIFT + WASD as recall. With all other caster abilitys on QERFZXCVGT, with Q and E as the main and alt abilities, I dont have to move my hand out of position at all.
I placed Attack Move on the Space bar, since I never used space prior to that.
I found myself using cameras much more frequently :D
On February 23 2013 03:29 FancyCaTSC2 wrote: Bumbing this for the following reason:
I've recently started to play SC2, before I have been enjoying Dota and Dota 2 for several years on a very high level. I've watched starcraft for about a year now and decided to switch games for HOTS, so I bought SC2 this month.
Currently I'm only focusing on my mechanics and I've set up a nice hotkey profile that works very well for me, but I'm having trouble incooperating camera hotkeys in my play so I am looking for an efficent method to learn them. So far I've tried practicing them in singleplayer, while doing the standard builds.
I have edge scrolling disabled for that purpose. I've been searching the good old interwebs for methods on how to improve your usage of camera hotkeys but I hardly came across anything but this thread. So I am wondering if somebody remembers the video in the OP and has a link to it or what your method have been to get used to the camera keys.
It's not about setting them up on good keys, but how to get used to them.
Edit: Uhm yeah, the singlerplayer thingy is obviously not that efficent so that's why I need some help. Sorry if i did not clarify that x)
Nice way to get used to them and actually improve your game and mechanics is to force yourself that you use only camera hotkeys if you need something done or built in your main, natural or third. That means no mouse scrolling to your location unless you first consciously came to nearest camera hotkey and scrolled from there. I was P before, and camera hotkey usage improved my overall game by at least 20%. Since i started using them i never looked back . My setup is shift+f2; f3; f4; f5; f6; capsLock for setting locations and f2; f3; f4; f5; f6; capsLock for calling locations.
capsLock location call is really cool stuff if you have a forward pylon for warpins or something similar. I recently switched to zerg to freshen up this game a little bit for myself and still find the cameras something i can't play without.
So againg, since you are not asking how to set them up but how to get used to them - it's simple forcing yourself to use them and think about all the concepts that this feature can boost in your game. My learning process was setup my main, natural and 3rd and simply build stuff and move but only! with camera hotkey first. Example: I am somwhere on the map, i need to build a gateway lower left of my main nexus. While i am pressing f2 to jump in my main i am ready with my mouse to scroll the screen to the place i have in mind and soon after i pressed f2 i go to b->g. You get the picture - you can have from simplest exercises to some nasty ones that your mind could come up with.
The whole point of using camera hotkeys in the first place is to increase EAPM. In that vein, using F keys for cameras is non-optimal. JaKaTaK has already mapped out a configuration that is as near to optimal as is probably possible: the Core 0.6.
In the context of this kind of thinking, the premise of most of these posts is garbage. Please educate yourselves on the concepts of economy of motion and maximum attainable EAPM! Do not use F keys!
On February 27 2013 13:13 Zamiel wrote: To most of the people in this thread:
The whole point of using camera hotkeys in the first place is to increase EAPM. In that vein, using F keys for cameras is non-optimal. JaKaTaK has already mapped out a configuration that is as near to optimal as is probably possible: the Core 0.6.
In the context of this kind of thinking, the premise of most of these posts is garbage. Please educate yourselves on the concepts of economy of motion and maximum attainable EAPM! Do not use F keys!
Yea, theCore exist, if people want they can use it but to say "Do not use F keys" with "!" is just dumb. It's not like any of you optimal core users will storm the scene of sc2 anytime soon. No? You say posts are garbage? The thread i suggested is written by Alejandrisha, high level player and TL strategy admin, and the topic is about what is disscused here. Who are you to say these claims, Jakatak is inventing warm water, it's not really that spectacular, theCore and everything about the hotkey setup.
On February 27 2013 13:13 Zamiel wrote: To most of the people in this thread:
The whole point of using camera hotkeys in the first place is to increase EAPM. In that vein, using F keys for cameras is non-optimal. JaKaTaK has already mapped out a configuration that is as near to optimal as is probably possible: the Core 0.6.
In the context of this kind of thinking, the premise of most of these posts is garbage. Please educate yourselves on the concepts of economy of motion and maximum attainable EAPM! Do not use F keys!
Telling people how to play is stupid. JaKaTaK has never made it out of plat and most of the people who fanboy his setup are below that skill level too. Making a hotkey setup that fits you rather than copying what some guy says is best has worked far better for a lot of people.
I actually find I use the f keys more when I switch to SC2. I'm so used to hopping back and forth between bases with 00 99 and 88 from BW, but when every Nexus is on one hotkey, double tapping 0 doesn't bring me back to the main base anymore. F2, F3, F4 allows me to do that. (My hotkeys are weird/BW converted so that I don't have to change macro patterns switching between games.)
Really it's one of those things you add in as you are able. I suspect for many people it may be one more thing then they are capable of doing. But you build up your macro pattern without it and start adding it in as you get more comfortable. Macro starts feeling easy, push yourself to add more.
advice for hotkeys: delete all and make your own in a way to use as less as possible and how you feel pressing the keys. Personally I use F1 to F4 to cam, ² 123456 for group and QWERTY for everything else that it i keep with this 3 lines and space bare for main army.
EPT
. My setup is shift+f2; f3; f4; f5; f6; capsLock for setting locations and f2; f3; f4; f5; f6; capsLock for calling locations.
