• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 02:32
CEST 08:32
KST 15:32
  • 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
Team Liquid Map Contest #22: Results and Winners7Code S Season 2 (2026): RO4 and Finals Preview12TL.net Map Contest #22 - Voting & Ladder Map Selection7Code S Season 2 (2026) - RO8 Preview5[ASL21] Finals Preview: Two Legacies21
Community News
Douyu Cup 2026: $20,000 Legends Event (June 26-28)8[BSL22] Non-Korean Championship from 13 to 28 June4Weekly Cups (May 25-31): Clem doubles, 2v2 circuit heads toward finale0StarCraft II 5.0.16 PTR Patch Notes may 26th156Weekly Cups (May 18-24): MaxPax wins doubles0
StarCraft 2
General
TL Poll: How do you feel about the 5.0.16 PTR balance changes? RSL S6 finale at Blizzcon Oliveira Would Have Returned If EWC Continued Team Liquid Map Contest #22: Results and Winners High level ptr replays? where can I find them?
Tourneys
Douyu Cup 2026: $20,000 Legends Event (June 26-28) Maestros of The Game 2 announcement and schedule ! Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond) GSL Code S Season 2 (2026)
Strategy
[G] Having the right mentality to improve
Custom Maps
[D]RTS in all its shapes and glory <3
External Content
Mutation # 530 One For All The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 529 Opportunities Unleashed Mutation # 528 Infection Detected
Brood War
General
Where is EffOrt? BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion vespene.gg — BW replays in browser Quality of life changes in BW that you will like ?
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL21] Grand Finals [BSL22] Grand Finals - Sunday 21:00 CEST Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 2
Strategy
Creating a full chart of Zerg builds Relatively freeroll strategies Why doesn't anyone use restoration? Any training maps people recommend?
Other Games
General Games
Path of Exile Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread PC Games Sales Thread ZeroSpace Megathread
Dota 2
Looking for a Dota Mentor Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
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
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Trading/Investing Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine
Fan Clubs
The HerO Fan Club! The herO Fan Club!
Media & Entertainment
Movie Discussion! [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books [TV/BOOK] *SPOILERS* Game of Thrones Discussion [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion Cricket [SPORT] TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NBA General Discussion
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread Facing Challenges in Mobile App Development
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Does Workplace Frustration D…
TrAiDoS
An Exploration of th…
waywardstrategy
I'm an arrogant trash talke…
FlaShFTW
Gauntlet SC2: A Retrospectiv…
Ctone23
Why RTS gamers make better f…
gosubay
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 8743 users

Is SC skill natural or trained? - Page 2

Forum Index > SC2 General
Post a Reply
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 28 29 30 Next All
Kanil
Profile Joined April 2010
United States1713 Posts
March 21 2011 13:37 GMT
#21
I think natural talent has a role, but only at the highest of levels -- I don't think Flash just practices harder than everyone else. I'd say any person can practice his way to grandmasters if he really devotes himself to it, though.

Most people will never have the mindset to actually devote themselves to it, though.. which sort of seems like a natural talent in itself.

If you want to be good, if you really want it, then it's within reach.
I used to have an Oz icon over here ---->
hoby2000
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States918 Posts
March 21 2011 13:37 GMT
#22
If you believe that people are just "natural" at some things, then you probably believe in a deity.

Why do I say this? Because if you believe in "natural" talent, you don't understand the world around you. These players like Jaedong, or Flash, or anyone else who is really good at SC or SC2, are only good because of the amount of practice, and their method of practicing. They have been doing this for a very long time, and what people perceive as "natural" talent, is just an accumulation of their experiences poured into the game.

For example, if someone grows up working hard at everything they do, then they discover SC2, and decide to devote their time and energy to it, chances are that they will probably pick up the game pretty quickly, and be able to start beating people who are gold leaguers pretty quickly. This isn't because of a natural ability though, it's just because they understand the method they need to practice to make them understand the game better.

Musicians are the same way - I have a friend who has been playing piano since he was 4 or 5 years old. He's a wizard at piano now, and is a master of music in general. When he plays video games, he knows what he needs to do to already, to become good at said video game. He already has 15+ years of experience playing, practicing, and performing in the music arts - Playing, practicing and performing in video games won't really be a stretch.

However, this ability to play, practice and perform isn't all that you need - You also need determination. This is critical, because if you can get good at something, but don't really put forth enough time or effort, all your practice is pretty much wasted. You have to be determined to be good.

Determined play, practice, and performance - That's what makes someone good.
A lesson without pain is meaningless for nothing can be gained without giving something in return.
Geiko
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
France1978 Posts
March 21 2011 13:42 GMT
#23
On March 21 2011 22:32 Markus138 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 21 2011 22:28 Geiko wrote:Take a look at those bronze players with >500 games played.
Now look how many games it took you to get to your league.


the number of games played has nothing to do with it. people can be in bronze after 500 games because they don't care much about the game or because they don't know (and don't want to know) what they made wrong.

I think everybody could get into higher masters rank without any problems (given that he/she invests enough time and effort into it). The best players in the world might need some natural skill


Same goes for everything, skill isn't just about having a higher potential then someone else, it's also how fast you learn, your intuition of things that are going to work etc...
I got to diamond in the beta in a couple of days (well plat actualy at the time was the highest league) without watching any VODS or analyzing replays or reading strategy threads or even putting a lot of effort in understanding the game. Then I had to work to understand the matchups, perfect BOs etc... to ladder up and make it to masters.
I know some people who just fool around, never watch anything SC2 related and who are in masters with less then 100 games played total.

Natural skill and work both contribute to being good at starcraft. Currently, not that many people are playing starcraft so you can get into GSL by work alone, but that doesn't mean that everyone has equal chances to do good in starcraft.
geiko.813 (EU)
dras
Profile Joined August 2010
Kazakhstan376 Posts
March 21 2011 13:43 GMT
#24
random luck and chance is the way it goes in my opininion.
ClockToweR
Profile Joined March 2011
United States61 Posts
March 21 2011 13:43 GMT
#25
Talent certainly plays i part in it but IMO i think its mostly practice
Pendulum.161 "Please ignore the burrowed banelings..."
KOVU
Profile Joined September 2010
Denmark708 Posts
March 21 2011 13:44 GMT
#26
"You can train a noob, but he will always be a trained noob" - some wise man

Natural skill has a lot to do with it in my opinion, but dedication and training hard will get you pretty far.
ChaseR
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
Norway1004 Posts
March 21 2011 13:47 GMT
#27
Champions aren't simply born, they're made! By us...rising them above others.
Life is not Fucking Fair and Society is not Fucking Logical - "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"
Tyree
Profile Joined November 2010
1508 Posts
March 21 2011 13:49 GMT
#28
I do not believe in "natural skill" or "talent" really, anyone who is good at SC2 from the get go is good because they played BW or Warcraft 2 or any other RTS game. With hard work you can hone that skill, and perfect it.

The reason why you have great players different from good is mainly due to their training regiment and how they approach the game. Flash is good at BW because his mindset and hard work have propelled him into being as good as he is.

Playing 10 hours a day wont turn you into Flash, you would need people around you to hone your skills to perfection and top notch competition to challange you so that you have to keep improving.
★ Top Gun ★
Siwa
Profile Joined August 2010
91 Posts
March 21 2011 13:50 GMT
#29
I think most pros do it max 3-5 times a week. Now compare that to average SC2 player with 1-2 times a day. With preparations and recuperation one moment takes about 15-30 minutes. Thats almost three hours more practice every week. Things like this can make a difference who goes to GSL and who is not.

That being said, quality and quantity of practice = 90%. So called natural talent (your whole life and experiences) is the rest.
RealRook
Profile Joined September 2010
Czech Republic54 Posts
March 21 2011 13:51 GMT
#30
talent is definitely less than 10%, persistence, will and hard work are way more important
Stropheum
Profile Joined January 2010
United States1124 Posts
March 21 2011 13:51 GMT
#31
Honestly, at the highest level of play, so much practice goes INTO improving, that natural talent has little to no impact. Natural talent basically dictates what skill level you start at and how fast you learn the fundamentals. After that, it's 100% practice that makes you better
Double Letters
Profile Joined March 2011
United States58 Posts
March 21 2011 13:53 GMT
#32
I suspect that it's a little bit of both: Some people can be naturally good at multitasking etc, but those who aren't can train for it.
abc
Blackthorne
Profile Joined June 2010
Norway69 Posts
March 21 2011 13:54 GMT
#33
I have a good friend who has been to two Winter Olypmics in slalom/downwill, and won several world cup events. So, she was one of the very best at a very competitive sport. She now works as a trainer for kids. I remember asking her about the talent/hard work thing, and she basically said that talent for slalom wasn't important. However, having the "talent" for training, meaning you could train for hours and hours without going bored or losing concentration, was everything. And I believe this applies to pretty much everything, including SC.
sVnteen
Profile Joined January 2011
Germany2238 Posts
March 21 2011 13:57 GMT
#34
i think if you just start early enough (not with like 27 or so years) and work a lot you can become a pro if you really dedicate yourself to it
but you of course should be open to the game and not be totally dumb xD
MY LIFE STARTS NOW ♥
iSTime
Profile Joined November 2006
1579 Posts
March 21 2011 13:59 GMT
#35
Anyone intelligent enough to succeed at anything is probably intelligent enough to be really good at SC2. Especially a few years from now when strategy has been worked out a lot more and mechanics become relatively more important.
www.infinityseven.net
PariahCaste
Profile Joined November 2010
United States73 Posts
March 21 2011 14:05 GMT
#36
I started with no RTS experience, and at the lowest bronze level, and I'm now a high diamond, So i would say anyone can be pro if they train hard enough.
YokaY
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States108 Posts
March 21 2011 14:07 GMT
#37
On March 21 2011 22:49 Tyree wrote:
I do not believe in "natural skill" or "talent" really, anyone who is good at SC2 from the get go is good because they played BW or Warcraft 2 or any other RTS game. With hard work you can hone that skill, and perfect it.

The reason why you have great players different from good is mainly due to their training regiment and how they approach the game. Flash is good at BW because his mindset and hard work have propelled him into being as good as he is.

Playing 10 hours a day wont turn you into Flash, you would need people around you to hone your skills to perfection and top notch competition to challange you so that you have to keep improving.

This doesn't make sense to me. You seem to contradict yourself with the first and last statement. If your first statement is true, then all of Flash's teammates should be on his level of play.

I am uncertain what bearing talent plays on skill, but people serious about improvement shouldn't concern themselves with this; because between hard work and talent, there's only one factor that they can control.
nihlon
Profile Joined April 2010
Sweden5581 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-03-21 14:10:07
March 21 2011 14:08 GMT
#38
I also depends on what you mean by 'natural talent'. I for instance are a little color blind (hard to seperate green/red etc), which definatly limits me in some ways in a game like sc2. Something as simple as seeing what units are yours in a ZvZ, where the dot for a nuke are (rarely see it). That is from birth and could be seen as a natural limitation, and it's not too hard to imagine there being more subtle limitations in people that you can't overcome by simply training hard. Even though that is probably a much bigger factor.
Banelings are too cute to blow up
intrigue
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Washington, D.C9935 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-03-21 14:11:00
March 21 2011 14:08 GMT
#39
pretty good quote from idra:
On September 27 2010 12:19 IdrA wrote:
you can spontaneously decide to be good at something and be successful if you can make yourself work at it. until the very very top, in almost anything, all that matters is how much work you put in, the only problem is most people cant work hard even at things they do enjoy, much less things they dont have a real passion for.


i'd like to add that hard work does not mean just mindlessly grinding out games. starcraft is an rts, after all. nothing is sadder than seeing people stuck at a certain level over thousands of games - at that point, they're just reinforcing bad habits.
Moderatorsloppy little slug
Gheed
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States972 Posts
March 21 2011 14:14 GMT
#40
One would have to qualify talent. Naturally high handspeed? Innate ability to see and understand strategy and timings? Able to stick to a practice regimen and train?

I think you would need to at least be naturally good at something to become a top tier professional gamer. On the other hand I bet you could be "bad" and grind your way to masters by just playing a ton and slowly working on things.
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 28 29 30 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 4h 29m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
ProTech83
Nina 20
StarCraft: Brood War
Rain 3325
GuemChi 2967
Shuttle 2661
actioN 471
Leta 273
Mind 74
HiyA 60
Sexy 41
ZergMaN 18
Icarus 7
[ Show more ]
NotJumperer 7
Britney 0
Dota 2
NeuroSwarm117
LuMiX1
League of Legends
JimRising 864
Other Games
summit1g8104
WinterStarcraft730
hungrybox264
Happy249
C9.Mang0230
kaitlyn29
RuFF_SC223
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Secondary Stream1718
Other Games
gamesdonequick491
StarCraft: Brood War
lovetv 5
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 12 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH251
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Lourlo1583
Upcoming Events
Wardi Open
4h 29m
OSC
17h 29m
Replay Cast
2 days
The PondCast
3 days
Replay Cast
3 days
OSC
3 days
CranKy Ducklings
4 days
BSL22 NKC (BSL vs China)
5 days
XuanXuan vs Jaystar
Mihu vs Messiah
eOnzErG vs Dewalt
Bonyth vs Jaystar
TerrOr vs Messiah
XuanXuan vs Mihu
eOnzErG vs Jaystar
BSL22 NKC (BSL vs China)
6 days
Dewalt vs Messiah
Bonyth vs Mihu
TerrOr vs XuanXuan
eOnzErG vs Messiah
Jaystar vs Mihu
Dewalt vs XuanXuan
Bonyth vs TerrOr
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Acropolis #4 - GSB
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Heroes Pulsing #1

Ongoing

IPSL Spring 2026
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 2
Acropolis #4
CSCL: Masked Kings S4
YSL S3
BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
SCTL 2026 Spring
Maestros of the Game 2
WardiTV Spring 2026
Murky Cup 2026
Heroes Pulsing #2
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1

Upcoming

CSLAN 4
Blizzard Classic Cup 2026
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
RSL Revival: Season 6
CranK Gathers Season 4: BW vs SC2 Team League
HSC XXIX
Douyu Cup 2026
BCC 2026
Heroes Pulsing #3
BLAST Open Fall 2026
Esports World Cup 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026
BLAST Bounty Summer Qual
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 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.