• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 21:29
CEST 03:29
KST 10:29
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Code S Season 1 (2026) - RO4 & Finals Preview4[ASL21] Ro4 Preview: On Course12Code S Season 1 - RO8 Preview7[ASL21] Ro8 Preview Pt2: Progenitors8Code S Season 1 - RO12 Group A: Rogue, Percival, Solar, Zoun13
Community News
Code S Season 1 (2026) - RO8 Results2Weekly Cups (May 4-10): Clem, MaxPax, herO win1Maestros of The Game 2 announcement and schedule !11Weekly Cups (April 27-May 4): Clem takes triple0RSL Revival: Season 5 - Qualifiers and Main Event12
StarCraft 2
General
Code S Season 1 (2026) - RO4 & Finals Preview Code S Season 1 (2026) - RO8 Results Code S Season 1 (2026) - RO12 Results Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - The Finalists MaNa leaves Team Liquid
Tourneys
Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament KSL Week 89 2026 GSL Season 2 Qualifiers Maestros of The Game 2 announcement and schedule ! $5,000 WardiTV Spring Championship 2026
Strategy
Custom Maps
[D]RTS in all its shapes and glory <3 [A] Nemrods 1/4 players
External Content
Mutation # 525 Wheel of Misfortune The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 524 Death and Taxes Mutation # 523 Firewall
Brood War
General
Pros React to: TvT Masterclass in FlaSh vs Light vespene.gg — BW replays in browser BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion ASL21 General Discussion
Tourneys
[ASL21] Semifinals B [ASL21] Ro8 Day 4 Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 2 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues
Strategy
Muta micro map competition Fighting Spirit mining rates [G] Hydra ZvZ: An Introduction Simple Questions, Simple Answers
Other Games
General Games
Path of Exile Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Starcraft Tabletop Miniature Game
Dota 2
The Story of Wings Gaming
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas TL Mafia Community Thread Five o'clock TL Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread UK Politics Mega-thread YouTube Thread
Fan Clubs
The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece Anime Discussion Thread [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread McBoner: A hockey love story Formula 1 Discussion
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
streaming software Strange computer issues (software) [G] How to Block Livestream Ads
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
How EEG Data Can Predict Gam…
TrAiDoS
ramps on octagon
StaticNine
Funny Nicknames
LUCKY_NOOB
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1542 users

How AI Difficulty and Handicap Work..

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 HotS
Post a Reply
Virt
Profile Joined February 2010
5 Posts
January 14 2012 09:12 GMT
#1
Hey TL,

As we all know when playing against an AI, a difficulty and handicap can be set.
Is a Insane AI on 50% the same as, a very hard AI on 100%?
And how does the handicap apply mathematically to the difficulty or strategy of the AI?



Cheers!
If someone says *pls* because its shorter then *please*, I say *no* because its shorter then *yes*.
Iwbhs
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States195 Posts
January 14 2012 09:28 GMT
#2
handicap effects the units health / shields if they are protoss. I don't think it effects AI at all, the units/buildings just have less hp.
Everyone loves Milano cookies.
REALAKM
Profile Joined January 2012
Bangladesh14 Posts
January 14 2012 17:06 GMT
#3
Things have less health, my friend, MANNER!
KOREA!! KOREA!! KOREA!!
etan994
Profile Joined August 2011
United States7 Posts
January 14 2012 18:18 GMT
#4
Pretty sure Insane AI get more minerals, right? like a normal base for them is like a gold base for a normal player. and handicap only affects the health of the units. So a computer or player on 50% handicap will have units with half the normal health.

Hope this helps you understand more about the AI and handicaps :D
FeiLing
Profile Joined March 2011
Germany428 Posts
January 14 2012 19:46 GMT
#5
Just in case someone wonders: You won't get achievements, if you set a handicap for the AIs.
Madous
Profile Joined August 2011
United States21 Posts
January 15 2012 07:18 GMT
#6
On January 15 2012 03:18 etan994 wrote:
Pretty sure Insane AI get more minerals, right? like a normal base for them is like a gold base for a normal player. and handicap only affects the health of the units. So a computer or player on 50% handicap will have units with half the normal health.

Hope this helps you understand more about the AI and handicaps :D

Just wanted to confirm this. Handicap only effects health/shields. Not AI or it's ability to do anything.

And yes, a normal base that the AI starts with is the equivalent of a gold base for them.

Here's a scary thought: Imagine an Insane AI using a MULE on a gold base. :p
Hydras exist for the sole purpose of getting to trick your opponent into making them so that you can hard counter them with pretty much any other unit in the game.
Yokoblue
Profile Joined March 2010
Canada594 Posts
January 15 2012 08:54 GMT
#7
Insane AI get x2 ressource rates + maphack if I remember right (not sure about maphack). They usually blind counter Dts and other things like that.
Master League playing Protoss and Zerg
aRRoSC2
Profile Joined March 2011
Denmark241 Posts
January 15 2012 23:47 GMT
#8
Pretty sure it's 7 or 8 minerals for Insane on blue minerals, not 2x
Lunchador
Profile Joined April 2010
United States776 Posts
January 16 2012 05:51 GMT
#9
Insane gets a 40% bonus on mineral gathering (same bonus as the gold minerals). So all their blue bases are really gold bases and their gold bases are... yeah.

Dem dirty cheaters. =P

Handicap is just health/shields.
Defender of truth, justice, and noontime meals!
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Patches Events
22:45
Patches' Patch Clash #6.5
davetesta38
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
SpeCial 205
RuFF_SC2 32
Dota 2
NeuroSwarm164
LuMiX0
Counter-Strike
tarik_tv6520
Other Games
summit1g13810
FrodaN2072
JimRising 527
WinterStarcraft202
ViBE135
monkeys_forever122
Livibee71
Trikslyr61
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick1297
BasetradeTV91
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Hupsaiya 92
• EnkiAlexander 68
• musti20045 25
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• masondota21656
Upcoming Events
GSL
6h 31m
Cure vs herO
SHIN vs Maru
IPSL
14h 31m
Bonyth vs Napoleon
G5 vs JDConan
BSL
17h 31m
OyAji vs JDConan
DragOn vs TBD
Replay Cast
1d 7h
Monday Night Weeklies
1d 14h
Replay Cast
1d 22h
The PondCast
2 days
Kung Fu Cup
2 days
GSL
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
[ Show More ]
GSL
4 days
WardiTV Spring Champion…
4 days
Replay Cast
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
WardiTV Spring Champion…
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
RSL Revival
6 days
Classic vs SHIN
Rogue vs Bunny
BSL
6 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Escore Tournament S2: W7
WardiTV TLMC #16
Nations Cup 2026

Ongoing

BSL Season 22
ASL Season 21
IPSL Spring 2026
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 2
Acropolis #4
KK 2v2 League Season 1
BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
SCTL 2026 Spring
RSL Revival: Season 5
2026 GSL S1
Heroes Pulsing #1
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Finals
ESL Pro League S23 Stage 1&2

Upcoming

YSL S3
Escore Tournament S2: W8
CSLAN 4
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Maestros of the Game 2
WardiTV Spring 2026
2026 GSL S2
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 2026
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.