EPTI have searched, and I believe I am the first one to introduce this new spawn larva technique: Shift*click spawn larva.
As a noobie 1000 Diamond Zerg, I often have trouble remembering to spawn larva (even in the early game) if I am against a rush or something important is happening. I realized, I can set the queen to spawn larva and then go on a walk path with shift*click and then shift*click the spawn larva button on my hatchery again. The queen will spawn the larva, walk the entire path, and then spawn the larva again.
With exact shift*clicking, I have been able to get a queen to do 5 rounds of larva spawning COMPETELY by herself after I am done shift clicking. After practicing this technique for about 15 min, the initial set up now takes me about 10 seconds. But that 10 seconds gives me 200 seconds of NOT having to worry about my queen at all (given that I always want to spawn larva).
THE QUEEN WILL NOT BE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE!! SHE DOES THE LAPS IN THE BASE!!!
How to do it:
1) You need to time the walk path so that the queen spawns larva, walks the path, and then spawns larva again at perfect times. A way to do this? Markers. The marker needs to NOT be map specific. I used the HEIGHT of my screen when zoomed out.
2) Select your queen and shift click her away from the hatch (far enough away to give you time to set up -- I will explain this later) and then shift "v" click the hatchery. Then shift click move the queen to a point JUST a TOUCH above the top of the screen (if the screen is centered on the hatchery). Then shift click a point just a TOUCH below the bottom of the screen (if the screen is centered on the hatchery).
3) Using the HEIGHT of the screen sets the "laps" the queen has to run to 5. So, remember that number: 5. Using shift click, make the queen go to the top point (1) bottom point (2) top point (3) bottom (4) top (5) and then shift "v" click the hatchery again. Now, keep shift clicking and click the bottom point (since you ended on the top last time) and repeat the process. After 5 more clicks, shift "v" click the hatchery. You can shift click 32 commands so that gives you 5 free spawn larvas (25 for the pathing clicks and 5 for the shift "v" clicks to spawn the larva.
4) This may seem complicated (partly because I am terrible at explaining) but trust me, after fifteen minutes, I could start my queen just a bit off creep and finish all my clicks in just about 7-10 seconds. The queen then worked WONDERS, spawning larva almost PERFECTLY 5 times (with 4 energy to spare after 200 seconds).
5) Why do you need to shift*click your queen away? Because as you are shift "queing" commands, you need to have done all the "v" clicks on your hatchery before your queen comes along and does the first injection (otherwise it will not let you shift "v" click anymore).
6) If you are going to use height as your marker, know that the path has to be fully covered in creep for the timing to be right (so just make adjustments if that isn't possible or use a different marker).
7) Things to be careful of: You CANNOT underestimate the "path" distance the queen must run. If she arrives on one of her "shift v clicks" and she doesn't have 25 energy or the hatch still has larva on it, she will not spawn larva and you will miss a WHOLE cycle (she will still spawn the later cycles 40 seconds later). But this can throw off your whole shift click set up if you want to fix this, so be SURE your shift click path is long enough.
8) The fun doesn't end at 200 seconds! I suggest ALWAYS ending your shift clicks on a shift "v" click. That way, while the queen is running around, you can select her again, shift click 5 more pathing clicks and then "v" click the hatchery as many more times as you want so that the queen continues to perfectly spawn larva. Obviously, when you want to re-assign shift clicks to the queen, you have to wait shift "v" click when the larva has JUST popped so that you can shift "v" click the hatchery (which just takes some timing).
ONE EXAMPLE
Here is one example of an EASY way to put this into action. This is going to be a VERY specific example.
Let's say you were zerg and you spawn on the bottom left position of steppes of war. If in the late game you ever take the top gold expansion (the gold above your third), there is a VERY easy way to set up that queen. Given only the hatch creep, sending the queen to spawn larva, then sending the queen to the middle of the VERY bottom edge of the ramp that leads to your third, then sending the queen back, and "v" clicking the hatch turns out to be a PERFECT 40 seconds.
I was able to quickly set the queen to spawn 10 FULL rounds of larva this way (and she also checks up on the xel naga tower for you! Seeing as how this would only come up in the late game, setting 10 rounds of larva would probably last you most of the rest of the game. Also, there is no instance vs Terran where the queen is any safer sitting by the hatch then she would be walking back and forth (if they push the gold, the queens dead anyway).
Other markers like the bottom of the ramp can be found for every hatch on every map. You can factor in creep spread or not, but just adjust the marker.
I REALIZE that this is VERY minor in terms of gain over just remembering to spawn larva. But this is a technique that can be mastered. And if mastered, spawn larva will be PERFECT. If pro zergs in BW were willing to spend hours EVERY day practicing mutalisk vs scourge micro, I feel like this is a technique worth learning.
Also, I picked it up pretty quickly and I am terrible. Jaedong would be able to shift click his queen in a second (and wouldn't have to bring his queen off creep to set it up).
Now, I have a feeling many people will say that this is dumb and a huge waste of time for no gain. Maybe. But if it turns out that I discovered a new zerg technique, I do NOT want it named after me. "Queen Noodling" sounds rediculous. I prefer to call it "Queen Hustling" because the queen is always chugging along. Hmm maybe "Queen Chugging..."
If someone could come up with a name for this, that'd be great.
To clarify: the queen will be walking up and down around the hatch the whole time. It will still be there for defense.
Also, if someone understands this thread at all and can explain Queen Hustling more clearly than I, please feel free to explain it to the masses.
More tests, markers, and info will be coming soon. I wish I knew how to make VODs.
. If you suggest keeping it walking inside your base, then the distance is much smaller and you won't be able to fit as many effortless spawn larvae in.
