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[G] TheStaircase - An Alternative Improvement Method - Pag…

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dsjoerg
Profile Joined January 2012
United States384 Posts
April 08 2013 14:29 GMT
#721
On April 08 2013 16:58 Becuula wrote:
Unfortunately I have problems using ggtracker. If I upload a replay vs ai it doesn't show my spending skill. How can I fix that?
http://ggtracker.com/matches/2704049


There's a bug at the moment where your games vs AI are shown twice: one with your Army and APM, and another with your Spending Skill and other Score Summary stats.

Here's the second version of the game you linked: http://ggtracker.com/matches/2704874


Then there is a random list of my games I didn't upload. What games should be on that list?


Whenever you upload a game, GGTracker pulls the Score Summaries for all your recent games from your match history, and adds them to your GGTracker profile page: http://ggtracker.com/players/228278
card-carrying grubby fan. developer of GGTracker.
MotherFox
Profile Blog Joined March 2013
United States1529 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-04-08 19:59:30
April 08 2013 14:29 GMT
#722
@Bec:

I suspect that for whatever reason game #'s 112 and 113 are actually the same game, but the entry got split--- you can see that 113 is the game you linked, and 112 is a verrrry similar game where you got a master rating. For me this has been happening quite a bit over the last few days, and it looks like it happened again to you on your most recent game.

edit-> Beat to the punch by ds! Regardless, this has been happening to me too
double edit-> Was just e-mailed by ds saying the bug was fixed for me. I presume this means it is fixed in general?
Don't Panic
Strajder
Profile Joined August 2010
60 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-04-09 14:01:13
April 09 2013 13:28 GMT
#723
On April 06 2013 06:15 JaKaTaK wrote:
Step 1 - Choose any 1 unit, you may build only this unit (in addition to workers, overlords, mothership core and detectors)
Step 2 - Choose any 2 units
Step 3 - Choose any 3 units
etc
[...]
What do you all think?


Well, as some of the previous posters mentioned, I am not sure if focusing on units is a good basis for improvement. When starting their SC2 career, lower league players often tend to catch up on the wrong idea of "unit counters" and think in terms of "what unit should I get to counter some other unit", instead of improving their mechanics. So my suggestion would be to make a training method around the principles explained by Day[9]. That is:

1. Pick a build, one build (preferably an economic one), and stick with it. Do it over and over, until you have perfected it.
2. Forget about winning, focus on improving one aspect of your play at a time (baby steps). That can be not getting supply blocked, making a set amount of workers by some time marker, spreading creep, multitasking (which comes down to ordering priorities), scouting the front, etc.
3. Analyze your games, identify what was the earliest time that you had problems.
4. Know what is the optimal number of buildings in relation to the number of bases.
5. Don't switch to another build, think about how to adjust your current one according to various in-game situations you encounter.
Succsex Dragon #1 GM 2013
JDub
Profile Joined December 2010
United States976 Posts
April 09 2013 14:24 GMT
#724
On April 09 2013 22:28 Strajder wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 06 2013 06:15 JaKaTaK wrote:
Step 1 - Choose any 1 unit, you may build only this unit (in addition to workers, overlords, mothership core and detectors)
Step 2 - Choose any 2 units
Step 3 - Choose any 3 units
etc
[...]
What do you all think?

So my suggestion would be to make a training method around the principles explained by Day[9]. That is:

1. Pick a build, one build (preferably an economic one), and stick with it. Do it over and over, until you have perfected it.
2. Forget about winning, focus on improving one aspect of your play at a time (baby steps). That can be not getting supply blocked, making a set amount of workers by some time marker, spreading creep, multitasking (which comes down to ordering priorities), scouting the front, etc.
3. Analyze your games, identify what was the earliest time that you had problems.
4. Know what is the optimal number of buildings in relation to the number of bases.
5. Don't switch to another build, think about how to adjust your current one according to various in-game situations you encounter.

I believe TheStaircase was created explicitly as an alternative to your suggestion, since Jak found that the "learn 1 build order and perfect it" method doesn't work for all people.
MotherFox
Profile Blog Joined March 2013
United States1529 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-04-09 15:40:42
April 09 2013 14:48 GMT
#725
@Stra:
I feel like I've been learning more about the game since switching from practicing one build to doing The Staircase. When I did a single build if my build order messed up I often lost on what I should be doing. This is because the goals I should have been striving for were not clearly laid out---basically all aspects of my game needed in massive improvement. With TSC I've found myself getting back into the groove of the build I was trying to learn in the first place, but now I have better comprehension of why the build order is the way it is. This lets me deviate from the build when things happen which don't allow the build to be followed perfectly.

Also, in terms of getting caught up on "unit counters": I don't think TSC focuses on these at all--- it explicitly tells players to ignore unit composition and just make more stuff than the opponent.
Don't Panic
JaKaTaKSc2
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States2787 Posts
April 09 2013 15:25 GMT
#726
@Stra
Basicaly what JDub and Fox said. What you described is the standard improvement method that is very much "unfun" for many people. TheStaircase is an alternative improvement method. It is designed on the principles of autonomy mastery and purpose so that improving is both motivating and fun. Of course it is not for everyone, but neither is the learn one build and stick with it method. Everyone has their own style.
Commentatorhttps://www.youtube.com/JaKaTaKtv
insOmnium
Profile Joined November 2012
Switzerland5 Posts
April 09 2013 16:21 GMT
#727
Hello everybody and hello to JaK as well.

First of all, thank you very much for the method! After reading about it for a while, I started it yesterday and so far it's really enjoyable .

However, I have a silly question, and reading the instruction several times did not allow me to clarify things. Thus, sorry for asking... It's about the different steps. From what I understood:

1. As a protoss player, I first start building only probes & Zealots, playing around with that until I reach my target (master). When I manage it 3 times in a row, I can move forward to the next one.

2. I do the same, except that I can now chose another battle unit (thus, I can do zealots & stalkers BUT ONLY those two units, plus probes & observers). Then I work hard to reach my targets.

3. I redo step two but choosing another unit than the stalker, let's say the sentry. Then, I'm only allowed to produce zealots & sentries, but NOT stalkers anymore. Is that correct?

4. I continue with this until I did use all the battle units and restard with only zealots + 2 battle units of my choice, etc.

Is that the supposed way to do the Staircase? I know that we must feel free to do how we want, but is that what you thought would make sense in the first place? And if not, can you please explain once again the instructions?

Thank you very much, keep up with the good work

insOmnium
JaKaTaKSc2
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States2787 Posts
April 09 2013 16:33 GMT
#728
Right now that is what we're trying to decide: whether its best to do 2 units at a time, or 1+1st unit, or 2 then 3 then 4 etc. Try whatever you think would be fun and let us know what you think is best and why. Still open to new ideas as well
Commentatorhttps://www.youtube.com/JaKaTaKtv
azurespace
Profile Joined March 2011
Korea (South)39 Posts
April 09 2013 17:18 GMT
#729
Well, It's interesting way to improve but I'm not sure this is a good practice method. I'm a master league player in KR but I'm not good at production mechanics. That's because I know somewhat of what to do, when to do as reaction for my opponent's move. So, practicing by this method may be helpful to me.

But for lower league players who don't understand the game well, this might be harmful. I think so. Because the decision making is much more important than just tapping keys in RTS game like SC2. the latter is also important though.
JaKaTaKSc2
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States2787 Posts
April 09 2013 18:27 GMT
#730
@azurespace

I think decision making is incredibly important as well. Its hard to tell on paper, but this method very strongly teaches decision making through exploration. It gives the player a good general basis of decision making before moving into the very specific responses required for high level play.
Commentatorhttps://www.youtube.com/JaKaTaKtv
Thorrn
Profile Joined September 2011
Australia4 Posts
April 11 2013 01:34 GMT
#731
First I am enjoying having benchmarks to aim for so thanks for the guide.

My question is about when to move on from one unit to the next. I can hit the macro bench marks for my current step but have a long way to go before I would be happy with micro. Is it normal to delay the next step till I am happy? Or do I push on with the next step?

Thanks.
JaKaTaKSc2
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States2787 Posts
April 11 2013 15:09 GMT
#732
Stay on the step as long as you want! If you aren't happy with your micro, then stay on that step until you feel you've mastered it! Remember, try to isolate the particular bit of micro you want to learn (ex. patrol marine splits vs banelings), and drill the fuck out of it for a day, then see how much stuck with you the next day, and continue until you are satisfied with your ability. Then, incorporate that micro into the game.
Commentatorhttps://www.youtube.com/JaKaTaKtv
Fiziks
Profile Joined December 2010
United States59 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-04-11 21:31:31
April 11 2013 17:45 GMT
#733
Hey JaK-

I've been using TheStaircase to help me improve for the last few weeks and I think it's awesome. I've even been going through your archives and watched a lot of the videos you've coached players through the staircase method. I'm hoping to make some really major strides in my game play over the next few weeks/months.

My only major feedback with it would be that the Reference Sheet and videos area little tough to decipher. The concept of this entire exercise is actually super easy to understand, but when I first opened the reference sheet, I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing and how the whole system worked. I know it's not just me because I recently got my practice partner to start using TheStaircase as well and he had no clue how to use any of the information in the reference sheet until I simply sat him down and explained it over skype. I think the videos are pretty good, but the reference sheet could definitely use a little simplification.

Since I like to look back at it every once in a while between games, I changed the reference sheet around so that it was visually easier for me to personally look at. Not sure if you would find this helpful, but I thought I'd share it with you, in case you wanted to take a look at how I changed it and presented the information. Here's my copy of the reference sheet: Custom Reference Sheet Redesigned. Either way, I hope you find this helpful.

Edit: grammar
JaKaTaKSc2
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States2787 Posts
April 11 2013 18:41 GMT
#734
Holy shit that looks awesome! I'll start using it asap. Thanks
Commentatorhttps://www.youtube.com/JaKaTaKtv
Fiziks
Profile Joined December 2010
United States59 Posts
April 11 2013 18:47 GMT
#735
No problem, man! Feel free to just save this onto your own Google Drive, keep linking to this one, or copy it over or whatever. I like the system and I'm just glad I could help out.
JaKaTaKSc2
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States2787 Posts
April 11 2013 20:28 GMT
#736
TheStaircase Update:

Commentatorhttps://www.youtube.com/JaKaTaKtv
MotherFox
Profile Blog Joined March 2013
United States1529 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-04-12 20:29:56
April 12 2013 20:15 GMT
#737
With new staircase if you decide to go archon are you locked into picking high or dark templar that step? It seems like a better thing to do would be to includev archon with dark or high templar. I suggest this since they are often what I turn those units into after those units are not useful anymore (out of energy or you are facing lots of detection)

edit-> or maybe making zealots a "given" unit would fix this. The other thing I'm thinking about is that zealot/stalker/sentry/collossus is not that hard of a mix to manage--- and is a useful thing to practice making all at once. With the staircase 6.0 I don't see how you'd ever practice that mix until you stop using the staircase. Zealots often play a vital role in my macro of being a mineral only unit--- if they were not one of my three units I guess I'd transfer this to making more cannons?
Don't Panic
MotherFox
Profile Blog Joined March 2013
United States1529 Posts
April 12 2013 20:31 GMT
#738
Also, a minor grammar quibble regarding Staircase 6.0-- in steps 3 and 4 it should read "These are the only units you may build."
Don't Panic
Dragnmn
Profile Joined May 2011
Netherlands52 Posts
April 12 2013 21:18 GMT
#739
In the main page of your spreadsheet, you say "- For Hard SB, consider nexuses, hatcheries, and command centers as supply structures only if they are close to completion. (25 seconds for Zerg/Protoss, 30 seconds for Terran)". As hatcheries give a grand total of two supply, I think counting them as supply structures might be somewhat optimistic. I would propose rephrasing to something like "For Hard SB, consider nexuses and command centers as supply structures only if they are close to completion. Hatcheries only count if they bring you from 198 to 200 max supply," or just leaving them out entirely.
JaKaTaKSc2
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States2787 Posts
April 12 2013 23:45 GMT
#740
I've gone back and forth on the Archon, still not sure how I feel about it. It does kind of take away from the utility of templar. I think I might change it in the future.

Fixed grammar (I hope)

We'll be replacing the HSB benchmark with a much better one for 6.0, so I'm going to leave this as it is. I think you make a good point here.

And TheStaircase Update, Enjoy




Commentatorhttps://www.youtube.com/JaKaTaKtv
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