I don't know if there is already a topic on this, or if it's common knowledge, I'd be embarassed if it was. But recently I realized something. I used to think that pros drag selected from bottom left to top right because it's cool, or different. But I realized that maybe they do that because it's more efficient, because your mouse has probably just been at the bottom left to start with, that is, on the minimap. It's less movement to drag select after going on the minimap from bottom left to top right, as opposed to from the minimap to the top left then back down to bottom right. Less movement for the mouse means higher APM with less effort.. Could this be true?

whiteguycash

United States476 Posts

January 01 2011 19:50 GMT

its possible, though I don't know how Korean is read, I do know that English is read from left-to-right top-to-bottom. That *might* have something to do with it. Someone that has any knowledge on Korean reading/writing might be able to deny/confirm.

kineSiS-

Korea (South)1068 Posts

January 01 2011 20:03 GMT

Korean is read from left to right.

Z3kk

4099 Posts

January 01 2011 20:05 GMT

On January 02 2011 05:03 kineSiS- wrote:
Korean is read from left to right.

D'awww, the "-_-" face added personality

The effect is probably minimal at the speeds at which they play, but it's probably just the more natural thing to do, I think...as you mentioned, you move from the minimap. There's nothing ever in the other corners that they want to click, but the minimap in the bottom left probably influences them....?

Firien

Poland115 Posts

January 01 2011 20:24 GMT

well, i just do it from any side depending on what i select ;d

gongryong

Korea (South)1430 Posts

January 01 2011 20:26 GMT

whiteguycash United States. January 02 2011 04:50
its possible, though I don't know how Korean is read, I do know that English is read from left-to-right top-to-bottom. That *might* have something to do with it. Someone that has any knowledge on Korean reading/writing might be able to deny/confirm.

language/reading has little to do with it. as a matter of fact, to disabuse the OP, most progamers box from topleft to bottomright. while i am not sure about the minimap argument, im sure that the distance from area just above minimap (for bottomleft - topright movement) to the area where you start topleft is practically negligible (unless your mouse speed is set to 0.5 xD). most importantly, carpal and metacarpal tendons and muscles are easier to contract (closing the hand) than expand (opening the hand). topleft - bottomright is a close hand motion, and bottomleft to topright is an open hand one.

xD

theramstoss

Canada242 Posts

January 01 2011 20:32 GMT

Yeah, I just saw shine do it (bottom left to top right), I didn't check how the other pros do it. Closing the hand IS easier tho.

supernovamaniac

United States3047 Posts

January 01 2011 20:58 GMT

I think its personal choice, rather than how they read or how efficient it is.

Navi

5286 Posts

January 01 2011 21:25 GMT

On January 02 2011 05:58 supernovamaniac wrote:
I think its personal choice, rather than how they read or how efficient it is.

Seconded, as people have noted there is significant differences among progamers (if you look at FPVODs of JD and many other pros there is variance). Of course bottom left to top right is more effective when the action in question is to the right, and vice versa from top right to bottom left or whatever. But in the end the difference is not that big. I personally like going from top right to bottom left and can manage 300+ apm with it, and my brother who can do the same goes top left to bottom right.

SpeaKEaSY

United States1070 Posts

January 01 2011 21:39 GMT

#10

On January 02 2011 05:26 gongryong wrote: most importantly, carpal and metacarpal tendons and muscles are easier to contract (closing the hand) than expand (opening the hand). topleft - bottomright is a close hand motion, and bottomleft to topright is an open hand one.

xD

This just blew my mind when I did a few practice drag box clicks to check it out.

niteReloaded

Croatia5282 Posts

January 01 2011 21:47 GMT

#11

wtf from bottom left? shit's crazy

i do it from top right to bottom left, it's the ONLY right way to do it.

Shikyo

Finland33997 Posts

January 01 2011 21:48 GMT

#12

Ehhh if you're planning on moving your units to top-right, its most efficient to drag from bottom left, and the same holds for every other direction. o.O If you were superpro, it'd probably be good to think like this. By the way, I always select by dragging from top-right and haven't had problems.

lac29

United States1485 Posts

January 01 2011 21:50 GMT

#13

That's an interesting detail to note.

Saracen

United States5139 Posts

January 01 2011 22:08 GMT

#14

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=17511

floor exercise

Canada5847 Posts

January 01 2011 22:16 GMT

#15

Isn't there something about the direction that you draw a circle that says something about the way you think, like you are left or right brained or am I making that up completely? You kinda make a circle when you drag select and return to the same place

Chimpalimp

United States1135 Posts

January 01 2011 22:19 GMT

#16

I honestly don't know which I do most. I just use the one that is more convenient for me, or which ever one I subconsciously choose to do.

Yoshi Kirishima

United States10366 Posts

January 01 2011 23:09 GMT

#17

Wow sweet, thanks :D

(lol is the xD in red a mod edit?)

gongryong

Korea (South)1430 Posts

January 01 2011 23:10 GMT

#18

supernovamaniac United States. January 02 2011 05:58
I think its personal choice, rather than how they read or how efficient it is.

Well, i'd like to think that personal choice is merely secondary to the mechanical logic at work here: any other cursor-based interface (like click-dragging icons), hand muscles (as i've explained earlier), reading direction (as others suggest), etc. the choice is personal only AFTER these elements are accounted for. consider, if it's all about personal choice, we should get a more or less even distribution among four possible directions (topleft-bottomright, bottomleft-topright, topright-bottomleft, bottomright-topleft). but, more than 80% of the progamers ive watched in live games and fpvods use topleft-bottomright. and this

(lol is the xD in red a mod edit?)

no just mine. hope mods dont mind :p

xD

Loser777

1931 Posts

January 02 2011 08:50 GMT

#19

Moving top left to bottom right is a movement preference thing if you're right handed. There's a discovery channel show called "Dogfights" or something where Aces from WWII//Vietnam are invited to talk about their experiences. I remember one pilot distinctly who said that when you're on someone's six, he/she is more likely going to turn left than turn right because it's easier to move the stick left if you're holding it with your right hand. I would say the same kind of thing applies for when you're moving your mouse.

I've seen some exceptions though--if you've ever watched KawaiiRice's stream, you'll notice that he spams some boxes bottom left to top right.

oBlade

United States5854 Posts

January 02 2011 10:32 GMT

#20

I thought about this a few weeks ago when I realized my dexterity favored top left to bottom right just out of habit, but actually you should be able to drag select from any point to any point easily. It's better to be fluid, I mean. If you drag top left to bottom right, now your cursor is in the bottom right so you can cut time by starting your next drag from bottom right. It takes some practice to do it in a new direction.