• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 01:03
CEST 07:03
KST 14:03
  • 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 - RO8 Preview3[ASL21] Ro8 Preview Pt2: Progenitors8Code S Season 1 - RO12 Group A: Rogue, Percival, Solar, Zoun13[ASL21] Ro8 Preview Pt1: Inheritors16[ASL21] Ro16 Preview Pt2: All Star10
Community News
Maestros of The Game 2 announcement and schedule !6Weekly Cups (April 27-May 4): Clem takes triple0RSL Revival: Season 5 - Qualifiers and Main Event12Code S Season 1 (2026) - RO12 Results12026 GSL Season 1 Qualifiers25
StarCraft 2
General
Code S Season 1 - RO8 Preview Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book Weekly Cups (April 27-May 4): Clem takes triple Blizzard Classic Cup @ BlizzCon 2026 - $100k prize pool Code S Season 1 (2026) - RO12 Results
Tourneys
GSL Code S Season 1 (2026) Maestros of The Game 2 announcement and schedule ! Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond) RSL Revival: Season 5 - Qualifiers and Main Event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament
Strategy
Custom Maps
[D]RTS in all its shapes and glory <3 [A] Nemrods 1/4 players
External Content
Mutation # 524 Death and Taxes The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 523 Firewall Mutation # 522 Flip My Base
Brood War
General
Do we have a pimpest plays list? BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ (Spoiler) Asl ro8 D winner interview BW General Discussion AI Question
Tourneys
[ASL21] Ro8 Day 4 Small VOD Thread 2.0 [BSL22] RO16 Group Stage - 02 - 10 May [ASL21] Ro8 Day 3
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Fighting Spirit mining rates What's the deal with APM & what's its true value Any training maps people recommend?
Other Games
General Games
Path of Exile Nintendo Switch Thread Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread OutLive 25 (RTS Game) Dawn of War IV
Dota 2
The Story of Wings Gaming
League of Legends
G2 just beat GenG in First stand
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
European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread US Politics Mega-thread The Letting Off Steam Thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread 3D technology/software discussion
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece [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: 2113 users

The Curious Case of soO's Macro Mechanics - Page 3

Forum Index > SC2 General
534 CommentsPost a Reply
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 25 26 27 Next All
mishimaBeef
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada2259 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 19:24:00
August 03 2015 19:21 GMT
#41
I don't get why people compare SC2 to moba or even WC3... totally different scales.

Also, I agree with the person saying it would be nice to have TL write an article taking the opposite position. If it's true that nobody on the staff agrees with that position... well then it starts to smell like a groupthink factory.
Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
DSK
Profile Blog Joined February 2015
England1110 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 19:53:11
August 03 2015 19:24 GMT
#42
Those quotes you responded to make my head hurt. Good write up.

To anyone that doubts the skill it takes to macro, I would ask you to take a look at this YouTube playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlyM2Qynscz6EDXuyUaZj_8ljrrhAmSxh

[Added]

Ugh, the fact that those quotes came from Blizzard has me very worried.
**@ YT: SC2POVs at https://www.youtube.com/c/SC2POVsTV | https://liquipedia.net/starcraft2/SC2POVs @**
Yiome
Profile Joined February 2014
China1687 Posts
August 03 2015 19:26 GMT
#43
Not agree with OP here but thanks for the writing anyway.
A important aspect that seems to miss in this article is the possible change will be applied in LotV, and if anyone still remember, it fast paced like hell with boosted economy and new units that require much more micro.(hence action packing like blizzard love to phase it)
As a causal zerg player, while I do like the rhythm feeling injects give zerg, I am not sure I will be able to keep up with the game in LotV, not mention have fun with it.
It is not “fun to play” or watch.

Well this is a game so I would assume people want to have fun?
Superbanana
Profile Joined May 2014
2369 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 19:29:52
August 03 2015 19:28 GMT
#44
Alright, what is fun or not is really subjective.
As much as i enjoy being overwhelmed with more tasks that my coordination can handle i undestand a lot of people don't.
I would be inclined to say "then why are you playing Starcraft?" but LotV is supposed to be more acessible and bring more people into the game so this point is invalid.
In PvZ the zerg can make the situation spire out of control but protoss can adept to the situation.
Jono7272
Profile Joined November 2010
United Kingdom6330 Posts
August 03 2015 19:30 GMT
#45
Hopefully this will help them see sense, good article.
Innovation | Flash | Mvp | Byun | TY
TheOneAboveU
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
Germany3367 Posts
August 03 2015 19:33 GMT
#46
I actually do have fun trying to improve my injects and creep spread, it's such a substantial aspect of the game for me, because it's something I can really watch myself get better and back it up with numbers (like checking how far my creep got in X amount of time, when/in which situation I missed my first inject etc.).
Moderatoralias TripleM | @TL_TripleM | Big Dark Energy!
Tuczniak
Profile Joined September 2010
1561 Posts
August 03 2015 19:34 GMT
#47
I disagree with a lot of thing OP wrote, but it's a good article. First part came more as a rant, but that's ok.
Big J
Profile Joined March 2011
Austria16289 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 19:37:59
August 03 2015 19:36 GMT
#48
On August 04 2015 04:20 Sholip wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 04 2015 04:08 BisuDagger wrote:
On August 04 2015 04:02 Sholip wrote:
Nice writeup, although I disagree with a lot of things. At this point, though, it seems that about half of the community does not want changes because they are happy with what they got (used to), and the other half wants a change because they find macro mechanics tiring/not fun. Not that it's a problem, but it seems neither side can convince the other with any amount of arguments.

It's a shame, though, that the article is biased in favor of the macro mechanics. I don't say it would have been easy to stay neutral about the case, but it would be nice to see someone from the TL staff write such an article from the other perspective.

Also, this.
On August 04 2015 03:35 Big J wrote:
I guess I'm not gonna make a lot of friends here, but the first part of the article is a crap-pile of strawmen that made me stop reading, but one thing I can't get around to respond to is this sentence:

Being “not fun” is not an argument.

Well, it fucking is. It is a fucking game. It is the best fucking argument you can bring for or against a feature of a game. Maybe not on its own because you very well go on to argue why the not fun part can improve the the game overall, but in essence if you were to made a pro/contra-list for a feature the very first question you should ask "is this thing fun?". It's a damn good argument. You may be able to overrule it by considering the overall picture, but you can't just wipe it off the table.
Although not with this exact wording, I was going to say the same thing myself.

I'm not sure anyone on staff shares that perspective. Maybe someone who is good at Devil's Advocate could try it.

Really? That's unfortunate.
I mean, I could write an article myself but I'm afraid it would not have the same weight as an "official" TL writeup. I think a lot of people will now remember, "Ah yes, that debate. Even the TL staff themselves were against the changes."
If someone from TL could show the other side of the coin, that might get people to actually think instead of blindly clinging to their own opinions they formed immediately after the topic was brought up.

Also, I think it would be a pretty good trend for the future to write double critics like in case of some film reviews, coming with two texts from people with generally opposing ideas.


If you want an elaborated counter-opinion against the current macro mechanics Jakatak's last video is amazing.
+ Show Spoiler +
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GxW0c414Pk&t=10m16s


For some reason it doesn't start at the timestamp I linked for me. 10:16 the talk on macro mechanics start.
Yiome
Profile Joined February 2014
China1687 Posts
August 03 2015 19:36 GMT
#49
On August 04 2015 04:34 Tuczniak wrote:
I disagree with a lot of thing OP wrote, but it's a good article. First part came more as a rant, but that's ok.

Rant is the word I'm looking for ><
Yeah the first part almost made me stop reading it.
The_White_Visitation
Profile Joined August 2015
3 Posts
August 03 2015 19:39 GMT
#50
I'm on the verge of really hating LotV so far. I've had beta access for months now and I can't bring myself to play it.

The 12-worker start is a huge turn off for me. This talk of simplifying the macro mechanics sounds awful and I truly hope they don't go through with it.

Blizzard, please don't simplify my game..
myRZeth
Profile Joined June 2011
Germany1047 Posts
August 03 2015 19:41 GMT
#51
incredible work!
mishimaBeef
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada2259 Posts
August 03 2015 19:42 GMT
#52
I found your points about attention confusing and hard to follow. To me, one of the most interesting effects of the proposed changes is that people will have more attention and actions to spend on tactical movements (including securing more resources a.k.a. macro).

I would appreciate a careful and accurate analysis of the effects on attention and action spending.
Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Vaftrudner
Profile Blog Joined May 2012
Sweden1185 Posts
August 03 2015 19:42 GMT
#53
Being DT rushed is not fun. Incorporating defenses into your build and finding a good balance is challenging but rewarding. Working on your scouting and reading up on timings takes time and effort. Successfully being able to defend stuff like that is fun!

Injecting is not fun. Supply depots are not fun. Working on it is work. Feeling the results in game once you've worked on it, the flow and speed of it and knowing where it comes from... That's amazing. My point is basically that even though something is not immediately fun on the surface (and even feels like the mechanic is pointing and laughing at you), that doesn't mean that it isn't deeply rewarding along the line. I think things like this have kept me playing this game for so long.

Now, I'm sure Blizzard can come up with other ways to create those feelings without these exact mechanics. But I like them the way they are and I fear the substitute might not be as enjoyable. So it's a bit of fear talking, but it's also contentment. I love having this steady rhythm of actions as an important baseline and substructure carrying the fancy stuff on top.

Now I'm gonna go play some customs and spread creep..
"Starcraft 2 was designed to have a best race. You play the worst one." - Day9
RaFox17
Profile Joined May 2013
Finland4581 Posts
August 03 2015 19:50 GMT
#54
Awesome job! Agree totally with you.
myk3
Profile Joined June 2010
Austria80 Posts
August 03 2015 19:51 GMT
#55
Thanks for that article, hopefully it will be noticed and understood by relevant people in charge.
Being a zerg player myself I am strongly against dumbing down macro mechanics. Auto inject takes away the chance to actually hit injects regularly and feel the difference between playing good and playing bad.
A game is made for players to play, not for someone to watch. Making stuff easier to do won't bring more players to the game, it might just bring other players to the game and drive away others. What got me into sc2 was the overwhelming difficulty of managing macro and micro at the same time, if you are scared away from the game by that fact, you wouldn't be in for a longer stay anyways.
Nowadays I mostly watch instead of playing because I just don't have the time. Understanding a certain strategy is easily achieved, but what is impressive in pro-play to me is that I know they have to have mastered the mechanics to a level I personally will never achieve. Taking that major factor away is just a bad design choice in my opinion.
[PkF] Wire
Profile Joined March 2013
France24238 Posts
August 03 2015 19:52 GMT
#56
Thanks, thanks, thanks a thousand times for this article.
DonJimbo
Profile Joined July 2015
6 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 20:11:11
August 03 2015 20:08 GMT
#57
I always thought Terran had the most interesting macro mechanics. They have 3 different choices (Mule, Scan, Supply Drop) for how to spend their energy. Maybe Mules are a little bit too good in general because that is almost always the best way to spend the energy (with exceptions of course). Maybe a good way to make Terran macro mechanics more interesting would be if the 3 choices were more equally balanced.

Chronoboost is really interesting in the early game, but it becomes dull later in the game. Openings and early/mid game strategies are built around chrono (mass early probes, warpgate timing attack, blink, storm, rush out colossi, etc.). But after a certain point, you just chrono production facilities. And I don't think anyone believes late game chrono is as powerful or impactful as late game Mules and Spawn Larva. It would be interesting if Blizzard added a late game upgrade to let chronos stack or recharge unit shields or something crazy like that, just to keep it interesting.

Spawn Larva seems really tedious compared to the other two mechanics. There really is no strategic choice about it. It's just something you have to do no matter what strategy you are using. And that's something that always turned me off from Zerg as a casual Diamond or Platinum player (depending on the season). But of course the OP is correct that Spawn Larva is the core of SC2 Zerg and it seems many Zerg players relish it.
watchlulu
Profile Joined February 2013
Germany475 Posts
August 03 2015 20:10 GMT
#58
Sometimes I'm wondering if I'm the only one out there having fun with the game through actually playing better than my opponent which contains micro and macro mechanics.

I just don't get it. HOW can anybody think cutting down on complexity would make a game more fun?

How should this attract new players and make them stay in the game?

I was so bad at this game for such a long time and still I had so extremely fun games at EVERY level of play. Just because the game would be more simple the guys from bronze league wont be in diamond because as the article says if everyone gets better, no one is.



Have a nice day!
Zero-K
Profile Joined September 2011
Portugal3 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 20:17:14
August 03 2015 20:16 GMT
#59
This is a very well written article, thank you.

I've been a bit away from the game lately but I still watch some big matches on occasion. And it's true that some details are not apparent to every viewer but that happens in pretty much every sport and even in music.

People not familiar with the game will focus on the battles and effects and it's okay.
Those that are more knowledgeable can appreciate individual skill and that is okay too.

The same argument that the article makes can be made for music.

While learning to play the guitar it's not fun to get sore hands and fingers, repeating the same chords and scales while keeping up with the metronome for hours on end is not fun either.
And people that don't know much about playing the guitar will not notice every technique used, or the difference between an easy chord or a difficult one.
Most people will focus on the end result, the melodies, the flashiness of the player.

We can make the same argument for a lot of other things. It has worked for so long, why change it?

I think making changes like the starting number of workers is enough to help new viewers bypass that early game stage where nothing happens, but removing things from the game because a casual viewer doesn't notice is a bad policy.
Dingodile
Profile Joined December 2011
4139 Posts
August 03 2015 20:18 GMT
#60
Why is "not fun to play or watch" no argument? I like the macro mechanics of Terran and Protoss. Injects is the most unfun and dumbest thing in sc2. And especially very dumb if you have to inject DURING a fight, otherwise T or P outmacroing Z (easily).

Zerg definitely need/should other macro mechanic than the current one. Forgetting one circle of inject is very unforgiving compared to Terran and Protoss macro mechanics.
Grubby | ToD | Moon | Lyn | Sky
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 25 26 27 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 4h 57m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
WinterStarcraft433
ProTech119
Nina 114
-ZergGirl 70
StarCraft: Brood War
GuemChi 5731
Mind 724
Snow 99
910 89
yabsab 70
JulyZerg 56
Noble 54
Nal_rA 40
Icarus 8
Bale 7
[ Show more ]
ZergMaN 6
Dota 2
monkeys_forever430
NeuroSwarm99
Counter-Strike
m0e_tv594
Super Smash Bros
hungrybox145
Other Games
C9.Mang0522
Sick94
Mew2King62
ROOTCatZ4
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick853
BasetradeTV339
StarCraft: Brood War
UltimateBattle 60
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• practicex 28
• OhrlRock 2
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Nemesis2314
• Stunt430
Upcoming Events
Escore
4h 57m
The PondCast
4h 57m
WardiTV Invitational
5h 57m
Zoun vs Ryung
Lambo vs ShoWTimE
Big Brain Bouts
10h 57m
Fjant vs Bly
Serral vs Shameless
OSC
16h 57m
Replay Cast
18h 57m
CranKy Ducklings
1d 4h
RSL Revival
1d 4h
SHIN vs Bunny
ByuN vs Shameless
WardiTV Invitational
1d 5h
Krystianer vs TriGGeR
Cure vs Rogue
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
1d 9h
[ Show More ]
BSL
1d 13h
Artosis vs TerrOr
spx vs StRyKeR
Replay Cast
1d 18h
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
RSL Revival
2 days
Cure vs Zoun
Clem vs Lambo
WardiTV Invitational
2 days
BSL
2 days
Dewalt vs DragOn
Aether vs Jimin
GSL
3 days
Afreeca Starleague
3 days
Soma vs Leta
Wardi Open
3 days
Monday Night Weeklies
3 days
OSC
3 days
CranKy Ducklings
4 days
Afreeca Starleague
4 days
Light vs Flash
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
The PondCast
6 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2026-05-05
WardiTV TLMC #16
Nations Cup 2026

Ongoing

BSL Season 22
ASL Season 21
CSL 2026 SPRING (S20)
IPSL Spring 2026
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 2
Acropolis #4
Escore Tournament S2: W6
SCTL 2026 Spring
RSL Revival: Season 5
2026 GSL S1
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

KK 2v2 League Season 1
BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
YSL S3
Escore Tournament S2: W7
Escore Tournament S2: W8
CSLAN 4
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Maestros of the Game 2
2026 GSL S2
BLAST Bounty Summer 2026: Closed Qualifier
Stake Ranked Episode 3
XSE Pro League 2026
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
PGL Astana 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.