|
Hello,
I am a gold player and was looking for a way improving my playstyle. I can build workers, supply, units and upgrade on time, but recently I disovered the power of build orders. No big new news so far.
But I had problems recalling BOs from memory so I recalled a memory training technic I read some years ago. While most of you may have heard of this I thought it might be useful to show adaption to our craftworld.
I searched the forum and I could not find something similar, sorry if I did not look at the right place. I am no native english speaker, i hope you get my points. Also, some people might have a more comprehensive knowledge on this than me but this is a system that works great for me, and maybe also for you so I thought sharing it.
What is this about?
The most leveraging factor for me when it comes to training memory is imagination.
As most of you will have experienced in life the human brain is no good in storing raw data, number sequences, shopping lists, historical dates whatever. But the brain is really supergood in storing experiences, ecpecially flashy and emotional experiences.
Such memory last very long in the long term memory as everybody might find out when mind-browsing memories of the past.
The core of the technic is to train a conversion system from raw data to a (fictional) experience and vice versa. While there are many technics depending what type of raw data I would like to focus specifically on how to easily access build order informations, so raw data in a specific order like pylon, gate. gas, pylon,core,gas, pylon and so on.
While this systematical approach feels distressing at the first moment, believe me, once the conversion system is familiar to you it quickly becomes more and more usefull as storing new info will fasten up a lot and retrieving will become as common as car driving without directly thinking of the system. Becoming familiar is just a question of training which can be done just by playing mind-games. You can train everywhere, at night in bed before sleeping or waiting on dentist whatever.
What do I need?
Association is the key. Binding imaginary elements with something what is very known to you, helps a lot. For example a specific pathway you walk every day is very known to you, you know what elements are somewhat prominent there (a corner here, a door here, stairs there etc.) to be remarkable you can remember everything out of your head. You should be able to mind-travel the pathway with all the key elements which are used to bind mind images to it.
Now you need a conversion helper elements, in my case I use the following:
pylon = clay brick
gateway = a closed mystical door
gas = green goo
core = huge apple core
warpgate tech = sparkling haze (hard to explain what I think here  )
twilight council = ghost-like praying monk
blink tech = the red devil-like teleporter mutant from x-men
and so on. Of course you should create an own, unique and intuitive system (what comes first to your mind is best). This you need to learn, so everytime you see a brick you need to know "ah ... pylon" in a millisecond. I think you get what I mean.
How to make use of this
Now it comes all together, mind-travel your pathway, combine each eye-catching element with a conversion element, for example: at the beginning of the stair there lies a brick I need to step over.
Contruct the story. Start the pathway mind-travel, integrate the conversion elements step-by-step until all raw data is integrated. This is the time you need to invest (this goes more fluently over time). The most important thing is to use your imagination skills, you are not bound to the real world. Use fantasy, in mind a purple elefant can make a headstand. And if you successfully immerse into that situation, the curious feeling about that, the smell of the elefant etc. you almost will never ever forget this as your memory cannot distinguish between real and fantasy experience, just between intense and sketchy experiences. And as these fantasies will not leave your brain, nobody will ever know how you do that, so you are absolutely free to go.
Example: How I make use of this (Warning: welcome to my mind)
+ Show Spoiler +To successfully memorize blink stalker push bo I use the following story: I leave my home, closing the door, there's a brick I jump over, then a closed mystical door on the right I am afraid of; I turn around a corner where some green goo on the floor I step over to reach the stairs; on the 2nd step of the stair there is a brick I step over. then there is a huge apple core in my way I need to queeze past. Once through is green goo bubbling out of the wall onto a brick I make a huge step and being close to slipperig that pukey slime. I take a breath and look out the window and see 2 stalkers running fast, go around next corner and I see a sparking haze I quickly went through to the next stairs. Suddenly 3 worker people with green goo-stained overalls squeeze me in my way running to that 2nd goo (bubbling off the wall). Back on track I walk downstairs passing 2 mystical doors wondering what's in there when I suddenly stumble upon a brick and I need to save myself on the handrail to avoid falling downstairs. After this moment a ghost-like praying monk hovers in front of me I immediately way away with my hands to continue my journey. After the ghost-like monk dissolved a frightening door assumes shape, which I open and 30 worker protesters (we stop work) staring at me. I close the door and open it again, out of curiousity, and see a devil-like teleporting mutant laughing at me. I stop here as I did not need to implement the rest of the story for this build.
Tips / References:
Always combine one conversion element with another one (after the ghost-like monk dissolved a frightening door assumes shape) using activities, or something that is familiar with you (elements on pathway). This is the only way to keep the storyline intact.
Close your eyes and imagine the story: with emotions, colors, irregular and irrational things, use all senses. Repeat 10 times, then you will be able to exactly say what comes after what, and what was before (so in any direction).
You will become used to the system which eases learning new stories (bo's) massively.
mnemonic link system
litemind article
|
I have no imagination so thinking of a story would take way longer for me and only confuse me. I think it is easier to think "rax expo rax rax gas gas" but if it helps you, nice o.o
|
If it helps you then that's great. I remember having problems remembering build orders in the beginning but when you get a better understanding for the game it's much easier to remember because you understand when and why to do what.
|
For me, remembering the build was never the difficult part. I end up spending enough time doing the same build that it becomes easy to remember the order long before I actually use it to the best of my ability. I think there may be other benefits to not consciously memorizing it as well. Multitasking seems easier to handle when my brain just knows when that next supply depot needs to go down. Not that I never get supply blocked.
|
I stuck with a notebook and rote memorization, but if having a more elaborate mnemonic device helps you good on you.
|
haha, using the loci method to remember build orders! though I would make your associations much clearer, if you need to remember a pylon, place an actual pylon in one of your loci. There is no need to turn it in to a clay brick as thats just one more thing to remember.
For sc2 you could use house numbers to represent supply, place a pylon outside number 14, a gateway instead of a house at 15 etc. The trick to these memory methods is to make things as bizarre and vivid as possible so that they stick out in your mind.
|
That's weird, I thought it's not that hard to remember build orders.
I just tend to follow the rough guide, goes like:
9 pylon
12 gate
14 gas
15 cybercore
then depending how i feel, I just drop the tech down or a nexus then gateway then tech
Toss's build order seems really easy to remember compared to Terran's
but oh well, I am not that spot on with my timings, basically just go along with whatever is needed lol still works fine in Diamond though :p
|
Interesting technique; though i have to say it will probably only help at lower levels anyways, later on the last thing you can worry about is a build order. You pick one before the match and from there on its basicaly muscle memory until you have to react (which means you have to analyze and think (so this technique will, again, be of very limited use).
|
cant imagine someone thinks this easier than actually remembering a buildorder.
|
Hey there,
to begin with this technique you use and assumptions you made on how to trick the mind/memory in order to memorize a plethora of "raw data" seems absolutely consistent to what science says on this topic. Those people memorizing unbelievable numbers of Pi decimal places and such link cyphers with pictures/symbols, then build up stories with the replacements and so on.
Still I think this whole mnemonic link system adapted to SC2 build-orders is making it even more complicating. You are forcing yourself to derive from pylon, gateway, gas, etc. beforehand and transcribe back during game.
Since I feel e.g. pylon, gateway and gas themselves are only a means and what you build them for is the end, to me the idea of learning a build-order by heart (because that's what your are doing) doesn't seem like a good idea if you do not constantly keep the purpose of it all in mind; if the purpose is to Blink-rush, then building pylons to open up supply, gas to acquire the necessary capital to build/tech and finally the Twilight Counsel + Blink research are only your instruments. Media, lying inbetween your starting point and victory (or terrible, terrible economic damage - if thats what you are going for).
So, since this is the mindset you should play with imo replacing a gateway which already is a replacement or derivation (it's a production facility for basic units) and you try to derive again by making it "closed mystical door" - how does that help you to stay focused on your objective(s)?
Now with this thesis as a basis, you do not limit yourself to play according to your memory during game but instead should able to adapt to the opponents gameplay or other unforeseen situational incidents.Having reached a certain level of techniques in SC2 that's what you want to practice to become outstanding.
I hope you can follow my trail of thoughts.
|
I have played sc2 for so long that the build orders are more in the subconsious than anything else.. My fingers more or less do the work while i think about what i've scouted, and how im suppost to react to the scouting, in order to reach the desired branch of the build.
|
On January 29 2013 23:39 ETisME wrote:
That's weird, I thought it's not that hard to remember build orders.
I just tend to follow the rough guide, goes like:
9 pylon
12 gate
14 gas
15 cybercore
then depending how i feel, I just drop the tech down or a nexus then gateway then tech
Toss's build order seems really easy to remember compared to Terran's
but oh well, I am not that spot on with my timings, basically just go along with whatever is needed lol still works fine in Diamond though :p
15 cyber core? wtf ;D
|
On January 29 2013 23:55 Sulphurized wrote:
Now with this thesis as a basis, you do not limit yourself to play according to your memory during game but instead should able to adapt to the opponents gameplay or other unforeseen situational incidents.Having reached a certain level of techniques in SC2 that's what you want to practice to become outstanding.
This is what I basically do since years, building workes, production, facitlities intuitively until I spot something to react.
Maybe this is the reason I would like to discover the world of best-practices builds forcing me to use them to get a timing or being ahead. I totally agree that following strict build orders limits the dynamic possibilities of the game, but it gives you a solid tool how to execute effective strat. Though it is only one tool in the toolbox.
While doing this I had complex build orders in mind. I do not have lots of sparetime playing bo's over and over, so trying to be more effective this way. Generally everybody figures out a system which works best. This is just another style.
|
On January 30 2013 00:50 CyTruS wrote:Show nested quote +On January 29 2013 23:55 Sulphurized wrote:
Now with this thesis as a basis, you do not limit yourself to play according to your memory during game but instead should able to adapt to the opponents gameplay or other unforeseen situational incidents.Having reached a certain level of techniques in SC2 that's what you want to practice to become outstanding.
This is what I basically do since years, building workes, production, facitlities intuitively until I spot something to react. Maybe this is the reason I would like to discover the world of best-practices builds forcing me to use them to get a timing or being ahead. I totally agree that following strict build orders limits the dynamic possibilities of the game, but it gives you a solid tool how to execute effective strat. Though it is only one tool in the toolbox. While doing this I had complex build orders in mind. I do not have lots of sparetime playing bo's over and over, so trying to be more effective this way. Generally everybody figures out a system which works best. This is just another style.
I could say that there is nothing wrong with memorizing a good build and exactly following it's order - but I can't see it having any benefit to memorize longer than to the midgame, lets say the final purpose being a Blink-Stalker rush. After it failed or succeeded you will have to adapt anyway.
Maybe I'm trying to say that it is just a dead end within the learning discourse. And of that I'm pretty sure because if you are familiar with the game, there should be only 1 certain way to go if you know what you want to achieve and how you want it done: I want my first attack to kill him or damage his economy with Blink-Stalkers thus the only way is to get as many Blink-Stalkers as early as possible.
The consequence would be that there is nothing to memorize (not even in the early game) but focus on the goal and its end with the rest being what they call mechanics (which are to be acquired by constant training they say). There is just no way around building a Twilight Council; you are going to need it in order to research Blink. Also you will need a Cybernetics Core to enable the Twilight Council and so on.
Now there are various ways to derive from the basic need to get the Blink-Stalkers you will say: e.g. you could Boost your first Stalkers out to pressure and therefore have your researches/tech delayed (I'm not playing Protoss so please think of whatever deviations you want). But also these choices should be made in account to what you scout or want to risk instead (blind all-in).
So you see that I'm actually very opposed to learning anything by heart if its of unknown purpose and if it is then you can not probably call it learning by heart (as I already claimed).
Now I'm pretty sure that you won't appreciate this response the reason mainly being its length and metaphysical drift-off 
|
lol wow... Interesting concept, it seems like you use your visual memory a lot here.
I find build orders are easy to memorize if you just think "gas then rax then factory then port" and go off of the cue you get from how much gas you have (i.e. okay i have 85 gas time to start thinking about making this factory).
Once you have your gas timings down, the amount of gas you have basically plays your build for you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
