it's ZvZ defending a 2 hatch early ling all in, followed by the transition into ling/bling all in
once again just to note, I am trying to keep my apm at 40 or below for a majority of the game (not really counting all of the spam to make units since that spikes it up) so it's not going to be optimal play. The reason I do this is because I want to show you how you can still hold something and win even with only a few clicks. So yes when he sends in 4 banelings I could send 1-2 lings per bane to go attack each individual one, but that is more APM than a lot of people have so instead I just send a few banes over to blow up, let my queen and a few lings tank some of the damage, and then save the majority of my stuff so I can still be fine without using too much APM.
hope you enjoy, feedback is appreciated!
btw, it was originally supposed to be live but I had to do it over the replay instead. which do you prefer? Live you can see my mouse move which could be helpful but replay you can see apm and I can have more time to describe everything.
I greatly appreciate these tips. I don't have that great of APM/mouse precision (I like to think im above average) so I'm looking forward to putting these tricks to use.
On August 12 2012 06:23 Murtag wrote: I greatly appreciate these tips. I don't have that great of APM/mouse precision (I like to think im above average) so I'm looking forward to putting these tricks to use.
Glad I can be of help!
If you have any specific problems fill out the example form and I'll see what I can do
So I watched the video and at the start you mention "decisions per minute" which is basically why my APM is low. When I have someone shouting what to do at me I literally over double my APM, but alone even if it takes less than a second between each planned action to decide on the next one, that's 40 apm right there.
What I found watching your video though is whilst you highlighted well that you can play with low APM and you did explain the game well including some useful advice for general play, you didn't follow through on the decisions per minute theme and essentially I learnt nothing more than a player with not so great APM could make it to Masters league (with regards playing with low APM anyway). I don't even know if it's possible to focus on "thinking correctly" for increased Decisions Per Minute but it seems like that and explaining hotkeys would go much further towards helping those with low APM use their actions more efficiently and so play better.
I don't know if this feedback is useful at all, but I hope it was.
On August 13 2012 23:35 Iyerbeth wrote: So I watched the video and at the start you mention "decisions per minute" which is basically why my APM is low. When I have someone shouting what to do at me I literally over double my APM, but alone even if it takes less than a second between each planned action to decide on the next one, that's 40 apm right there.
What I found watching your video though is whilst you highlighted well that you can play with low APM and you did explain the game well including some useful advice for general play, you didn't follow through on the decisions per minute theme and essentially I learnt nothing more than a player with not so great APM could make it to Masters league (with regards playing with low APM anyway). I don't even know if it's possible to focus on "thinking correctly" for increased Decisions Per Minute but it seems like that and explaining hotkeys would go much further towards helping those with low APM use their actions more efficiently and so play better.
I don't know if this feedback is useful at all, but I hope it was.
This feedback is EXTREMELY useful to me.
it was my first video and I was trying to feel it out, but I have a couple more coming now.
I'll be getting more than zerg videos up btw, I'm just doing zerg to start while I get the hang of this.
I have another video I'll upload here soon and I'll try to incorporate your advice. Thanks again.
On August 13 2012 23:13 caznitch wrote: Great video! Was helpful seeing you keep your cool even though I don't play zerg. As far as the replay goes - is it on the "player cam" mode?
Yeah I'm putting it on player cam most of the time so you can see where I'm looking.
I have a couple of TvP requests if you do Terran too:
Your Build: Standard 1 rax expo into 3 rax etc. His Build: Blink Stalker All-in Specific Map?: Preferably Antiga Shipyard (don't mind Cloud Kingdom, Shakuras Plateau or Condemned Ridge though). Replay: http://ggtracker.com/matches/385093 Comments: I feel like there's lots I could have done to hold this. e.g. Taken the oppurtunity to snipe his obs (he was pretty careless with it, hadn't left some SCVs doing nothing in my base (me being careless), perhaps added 2 more barracks + tech labs on the low ground early on, or maybe started seige tanks. But I have no idea what the best way is, or how best to do things / spend my limited apm in this situation. So I'd love to see a game done with masters players and the decisions explained.
Your Build: Standard 1 rax expo into 3 rax etc. His Build: 2 base Colossus / Stalker all-in Specific Map?: Any really. Replays: http://ggtracker.com/matches/385139 , http://ggtracker.com/matches/385140 Comments: I don't think I've ever managed to hold this sort of push. In the second replay, I got supply blocked a lot, and my upgrades were late (probably could have been maxed out), but the fight is so not close that I don't think it would have mattered.
I have a couple of TvP requests if you do Terran too:
Your Build: Standard 1 rax expo into 3 rax etc. His Build: Blink Stalker All-in Specific Map?: Preferably Antiga Shipyard (don't mind Cloud Kingdom, Shakuras Plateau or Condemned Ridge though). Replay: http://ggtracker.com/matches/385093 Comments: I feel like there's lots I could have done to hold this. e.g. Taken the oppurtunity to snipe his obs (he was pretty careless with it, hadn't left some SCVs doing nothing in my base (me being careless), perhaps added 2 more barracks + tech labs on the low ground early on, or maybe started seige tanks. But I have no idea what the best way is, or how best to do things / spend my limited apm in this situation. So I'd love to see a game done with masters players and the decisions explained.
Your Build: Standard 1 rax expo into 3 rax etc. His Build: 2 base Colossus / Stalker all-in Specific Map?: Any really. Replays: http://ggtracker.com/matches/385139 , http://ggtracker.com/matches/385140 Comments: I don't think I've ever managed to hold this sort of push. In the second replay, I got supply blocked a lot, and my upgrades were late (probably could have been maxed out), but the fight is so not close that I don't think it would have mattered.
I've got a lot of TvP to do so I'm gonna have a field day with it very soon!
There was a lot of TvP so I'm going to get right on more of those, but I'll probably also bunch a couple of them together since many of them are simply about the unit control and decisions and less about specific attacks or timings.
Such as, in the 3 gate aggression TvP video below, I also talk about the viking micro.
Episodes 7 and 8 are up! Both showcase how to defend a 6 pool, though each is different based on if your opponent brings a drone for a spine or simply charges with lings only.
I find that apm is linked considerably to game knowledge. I'm in mid gold right now and feel my macro is pretty good, so I decided to learn to play more standard to increase my skill, and as a result of knowing what to do my apm has gone up from 50 to 80. As more proof of this, early game while following a build order, scouting, and mineral stacking I can reach ~100 apm, while mid and late game it slips to about 80-90 as I'm less sure of what to do.
Your apm increases the more you focus on your mechanics. I can tell my story. My race is zerg.
When I was silver I didn't need many injects i could build additional hatches, get decent worker number get units and go win. When I got to gold I noticed I need to optimize my minerals, thats when I started using injects and expand more agressively, have less fear of moving around the map. When I got to plat, I wanted to get on top of my injects and get a little bit of creep spread between my bases. I had average scouting to find out if he cheeses or goes for macro. Now at diamond my injects are not missing almost a beat up to first 8-10 mins of game if I am not heavily harassed and my creep spread goes to approx half of the map. And I go heavy scouting, try tracking army movements understanding his opening.
So as you increase in skill your needs and requirements increase as well. Each small thing adds lets say ~5apm. I will sum it up a bit. For me:
Silver: ~30 apm Gold: ~30 apm + 5 (injects) + 5 (agressive expanding, tapping d buttont more to build drones) = ~40 apm Plat: ~40 apm + 5 (to injects to be on top of them) + 5 minimal creep spread + 5 scouting + 5 improved unit movement= ~60 apm Diamond ~60 apm + 5 improved creep spread, + 5 improved scouting + 5 advanced moving (such as having map presence with your units) and lets add +10 for knowing what you are doing and having a plan (there are no moments where you feel dull and think mmmh what should I do next....), so that makes ~85apm
Apm kind of corelates with your knowledge and hunger for win/action as you continue improving.
On August 19 2012 06:34 M4nkind wrote: Your apm increases the more you focus on your mechanics. I can tell my story. My race is zerg.
When I was silver I didn't need many injects i could build additional hatches, get decent worker number get units and go win. When I got to gold I noticed I need to optimize my minerals, thats when I started using injects and expand more agressively, have less fear of moving around the map. When I got to plat, I wanted to get on top of my injects and get a little bit of creep spread between my bases. I had average scouting to find out if he cheeses or goes for macro. Now at diamond my injects are not missing almost a beat up to first 8-10 mins of game if I am not heavily harassed and my creep spread goes to approx half of the map. And I go heavy scouting, try tracking army movements understanding his opening.
So as you increase in skill your needs and requirements increase as well. Each small thing adds lets say ~5apm. I will sum it up a bit. For me:
Silver: ~30 apm Gold: ~30 apm + 5 (injects) + 5 (agressive expanding, tapping d buttont more to build drones) = ~40 apm Plat: ~40 apm + 5 (to injects to be on top of them) + 5 minimal creep spread + 5 scouting + 5 improved unit movement= ~60 apm Diamond ~60 apm + 5 improved creep spread, + 5 improved scouting + 5 advanced moving (such as having map presence with your units) and lets add +10 for knowing what you are doing and having a plan (there are no moments where you feel dull and think mmmh what should I do next....), so that makes ~85apm
Apm kind of corelates with your knowledge and hunger for win/action as you continue improving.
Sure I think APM does increase with time and skill, but I don't think we still know how to use our apm as efficiently as possible. Every player that I play against is a Masters player and while my normal APM is probably 150-200, I'm showing that with important decision making you can have the apm of a low league player and still be able to beat anyone Masters and below.
I've never really thought of APM aside from being like "oh hey, my APM got up to 120 this game, woot!". I honestly realistically just practice builds over and over with no mistakes, doing the minimal amount I need to do outside of macro (simulating scouting, moving out with first units, etc...I only use 1-2 clicks, the rest is for macroing). Practicing this way has helped me keep a perfectly stable macro economy going while slowly increasing speed and making room for extra actions such as mineral stacking, moving my worker scout, simulating attacking, etc.
If you want to have more efficient APM, just spend some time shoring up your builds and making sure there are literally no hiccups or delays in your economy or production and that you're spending all the money you have constantly. Once you are able to do this stably, you can focus on using your extra APM to do extra stuff.
EPT
