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So after watching Day[9]'s awesome video in regards to a mental checklist I started asking myself how I can improve on the efficiency of such a list while at the same time making it easier to remember?
So I brainstormed for awhile taking in to consideration how my brain thinks. I realized that if I ask myself a preset list of questions mentally (such as: Are my minerals low?, Am I building probes?, What's my food?, What's next in my build order?) that my efficiency wasn't all that great and I wouldn't remember half of what I wanted to.
I find that with such a list I am literally word for word asking myself in my head the questions on my list and that it was quite inefficient and was compounded by the issue of a small delay trying to remember what the next question was. You literally have to wait for yourself to ask the question before your brain frees up enough capacity to begin answering the question.
So the solution? Well for me the answer was to find a way to ask the question quicker so your brain can get to the answer much quicker. In combination with some visualization techniques I will list below my speed improved a ton! The key is something I learned while in the military and as anyone who has served can tell you the military loves acronyms. Acronyms have the ability of truncating those long questions into small concise questions that are astonishingly easy to remember.
So heres my Mental Checklist and what I actually think about as I try to answer them in my head:
1. M & B.O. (Money & Build Order)
- I immediately check my money and see if its high while simultaneously thinking of the next building on my build order. While I'm doing this if I'm beyond the initial build order and into the midgamge/lategame I visualize my opponents base and army to help me determine where the money can best be spent.
2. P.P.C. (Probes, Pylons and Chrono)
-Rather than think aloud probes, pylons and chrono I attempt to visualize how they look. My brain is much quicker at visualizing a probe followed by a pylon and a nexus casting chronoboost than it is saying them in my head. So i simply say PPC in my head and instantly the vision of all three flash across my head and i check them very quickly.
3. S&S (Scout & Strategy)
-For this I simply visualize my opponents base if I can't do that it's time to find a way to scout. I think about the composition of the and how I should properly transition. I also think of creative ways to scout my opponent if it's been uncomfortably long since I gathered intel. Try and retain that knowledge so when you get back to Money & BO you are armed with the knowledge to adjust your BO on the fly.
4. T.E.E. (Timing, Engage, Expand) pronounced Tea Eee Eee not TEA
-At this point I look at the clock and determine if my timing is correct to engage, I will rely heavily on my S&S phase to see if it's a good time to push and where. I also think about expanding and maintaining & defending my current expansions.
Now time yourself trying to ask yourself:
Hows my money? Whats next in build order? Am I making Probes?, Is my supply good? Am I chronoboosting? Am I scouting?, How do I react to the meta? Is it a good time to attack? should I expand and how are my expansions doing?
Keep in mind how difficult that is to memorize and how much harder it will be to remember once in a game.
Now try asking yourself:
M & BO, PPC, S&S, TEE
Your brain shouldn't have a hard time picking this up quickly and it will understand what the acronyms mean rather quickly. In fact if you take a moment or two to memorize it you will quickly find you can name every single question in the top list with only a few minutes practice.
Hope you find these mental exercises useful in your macro!
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheThinkingGamer
Edit: In retrospect S&M might not have been the best choice as that seems to be a pretty well known abbreviation already and one that has some awkward meanings...but non the less I shall keep it.
Edit #2: In double retrospect I'm going to take the below posters suggestion and change it to S&S not only because it makes more sense but its also easier to remember.
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I lol'd at "I will rely heavily on my S&M"
Good stuff though, it's nice to hear other people's methods to multitasking.
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On September 23 2010 07:05 TheThinkingGamer wrote:
3. S&MS (Scout & Meta-gameStrategy)
-For this I simply visualize my opponents base if I can't do that it's time to find a way to scout. I think about the meta-game and how I should properly transition. I also think of creative ways to scout my opponent if it's been uncomfortably long since I gathered intel. Try and retain that meta knowledge so when you get back to Money & BO you are armed with the knowledge to adjust your BO on the fly.
Fixed that for you. You should look up some of the threads explaining its actual meaning. 
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Err I'd call half of those just "playing the game" I mean what would you do without these questions, just sit there like a lug or something?
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Nice job. I think memory assisting devices will help me remember to do all of those at once.
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On September 23 2010 07:52 Penecks wrote:
Err I'd call half of those just "playing the game" I mean what would you do without these questions, just sit there like a lug or something?
It's not about needing this to play but its about improving your efficiency in the game. How often do you forget to do something? Find yourself supply blocked? Find yourself with 1200 minerals because you were too busy doing something else?
This is a simple mental exercise aimed at helping your memory develop and improve your macro and subsequently your APM.
If you run this list through your head at all times while playing you will never run out of things to do or find yourself wondering...what the hell do I do now?
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On September 23 2010 07:52 Penecks wrote:
Err I'd call half of those just "playing the game" I mean what would you do without these questions, just sit there like a lug or something?
actually all of them are playing the game, it is just a tool so remember to play every part of the game and dont forget to macro or continute to build probes. He took what day nine suggested and actually did it. I bet it made him a better player.
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Could you create Zerg and Terran equivalent of your second step; P.P.C.?
Probably something like Drones, Overlord, Larva Inject; D.O.L. and SCV, Supply Depots, Mules; S.S.M., amidoinitrite?
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On September 23 2010 16:38 Dauntless wrote:
Could you create Zerg and Terran equivalent of your second step; P.P.C.?
Probably something like Drones, Overlord, Larva Inject; D.O.L. and SCV, Supply Depots, Mules; S.S.M., amidoinitrite?
is it so hard, to try it yourself?
what the TE mentioned is imo basically the most important point to win a game.
although i would always put scouting and strategy over the economy.
(because economy should be the hardest thing to forget)
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I'm a Protoss player, so I'm not sure if those are the things you wanna check in that order and whatnot.
Anyway, I made an image based on this thread, which I'm gonna have on my additional monitor while playing. Just to learn the pattern, and hopefully I won't need it after a while.
Thought I'd share it for anyone interested.
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/U20fE.jpg)
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It's more or less second nature to me now, but if any full, conscious thought goes in to these reminders, it's not and condensed to the top-right and bottom-left. Top-right, I check my supply to see if I'm capped. That also reminds me of my build order, which, of course, includes constant production of SCVs and whatever else is needed. All right there. Check. Step two is checking my minimap, making sure my opponent isn't getting the jump on me, which reminds me to continue scouting.
Top-right, bottom-left.
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My mental checklist usually consists of just a single point: "Play systematic"
Which means:
-Take a look at my Ress and Food and react accordingly.
-Then take a look at the minimap and react accordingly.
-Use macro mechanic (e.g. check Queens and afterwards spread creep).
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Hi !
I Like that !
I am an oldschool player (Dune II, WCI/II, SC/BW, now SC2)
The mental checklist is for me "instinct" BUT I think your method is great, specially for new players.
I think every new player should read this. Good Job man.
If I had to add an advice, that would be "to use" where you look on the screen, to keep you in the game.
For exemple : when you are driving a care, no mater what you will look randomly in your rearview mirror.
This is the same for thing such as : mini-map, psy limit, money, CC/hatch/nexus (to keep building workers, spawn larva etc).
So even when you ARE doing something else like throwing down some supply depo you ARE ALREADY looking the mini-map for exemple.
So your eyes do this : center screen - bottom left - top right - center screen etc.
"Voila" sorry for my bad english, and keep the good work man !
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Not everyone's mind works the same way, but this could be useful to some people.
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Hello.
I'd like some comments about this.
My mental checklist is inside my hotkey groups:
1 - Command centers >> worker production constant, muleing/scaning.
2 - Production buildings >> Checking minerals and gas, unit production without queuing constant.
3 - Scouting SCV and builder(s) >> scouting, checking supply, following BO.
4, 5, etc - Scout, army, casters... >> Checking minimap, micromanaging.
9, 0 - In theory could be upgrades (but it's too much to handle for me with the keyboard, i dont do that yet.)
Notes:
- Press 1 to 'x' in a cycle and your mental checklist comes naturally. At each group there is something to check. For example 1-1: check (or pass if queueing), 2-2 check/pass, 3-3 check/pass, etc..
- When the cycle is too fast, meaning you don't have money, you can work on micro for a bit and harass.
- By double clicking you cover a big portion your base and map : early game you are able to check mineral line (i.e.mules), simcity, opponent, watch towers, ramp/chokepoint.
- And further in the game, it allows to build workers first, build army second, buildings (supply!) third, minimap fourth, micro fifth...
- When money is too high, you can work on macro without forgetting anything strictly in this order: worker, army, supply, build.
- It keeps money low without queuing and, if you don't have good mid/late game macroplan, it helps improvising strats, depending on the opponents moves.
- If your buildings aren't able to constantly produce units or only marines/hellions are available, it triggers the choices of thinking about upgrades, expand for gas or build static defenses.
- It seems easy in theory but it needs a lot of practice not messing up the groups and updating them while playing, It adds so much apm.
Voila, I hope it helps somebody.
This has brought me from newbie beginner to platinium. I started with group 1 only, then I added 2 and 3 when it felt right, which improved my macro and got me to gold. It makes me get used to keyboard play and learn hotkeys fast. Now i'm getting better with the micro groups (4,5..) and i'm in platinium!
gl hf
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On September 23 2010 18:32 Dauntless wrote: Neat picture, 13:37 on timer made me smile :D
I prefer hotkey checklist described poster above me.
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lol at S&M
good checklist. should help out a lot of newer players until the process is second nature.
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Very interesting post on the very part of my game i'm trying to improve.
Thumbs up.
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EPT
