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How to get better?

Forum Index > Brood War Strategy
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1 2 3 Next All
iNCuBuS_
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States905 Posts
November 15 2004 03:24 GMT
#1
This is kind of broad, but what is the best way to get better. I know practice, but what should I be practicing the most. Builds? Micro? Macro? Strategy?
Also, whats the best way to analzye a replay? Should I even be watching replays to get better or just try it out myself without replays?
Kind of dumb question, thanks in advance
rei
Profile Blog Joined October 2002
United States3594 Posts
November 15 2004 03:28 GMT
#2
power of recon!! send a peon to recon every min
GET OUT OF MY BASE CHILL
Orome
Profile Blog Joined June 2004
Switzerland11984 Posts
November 15 2004 03:30 GMT
#3
On October 23 2004 14:12 Orome wrote:
Plz read this, I spent a lot of time writing it

The two main things in SC are theory and execution. You have to practice each one individually.

For theory:

Analyze the replays where you lost, analyze what you did wrong, where the point was where you started to lose and how that point came to be.

If you are unsure, what you should do against a certain strat, watch progamer reps and look, what they do. BUT DON'T JUST COPY, WHAT THEY DID, UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DID IT, AND MAKE CONCLUSIONS.

When you are thinking about something, it can help alot, if you talk to other players. They might give you new ideas, which you hadn't thought about yet.

Try to make generalisations about MUs. Don't just say I go reaver because it can fuck up Terrans eco and that's good. Say: TvP is all about not letting Terran push you to death and expo as much as you can, without losing the expos, while trying to get enough eco for carriers, which will give you an advantage. Therefore, I go reaver, because if it succeeds, the terran will be set behind with economy and have to play a safer game, meaning I can expand more safely and turtle easier to Carriers and kill him.
Of course this isn't true everytime, you don't go for Carriers every time in TvP, but it's good to make some sort of generalisation, which will make a goal. For TvP you can also have some generalisation like P has to overmacro Terran.

Try to get some theory first, so you'd actually know what you have to do, but can't do it because your execution sux. ->

For execution:

Play alot. Practicing is the first step to becoming better. It is so insanely important, if you don't practice enough, you won't get good.

Don't play with players that are worse than you. If a player is worse than you, it means you can kill him, with the skills you have, meaning you don't have to get new skills, meaning you won't get better. Ideally, your practice partners will be better than you, but so you still have a chance (PGTour's very good for that).

If you want to practice BOs do it in single player, practice them so long that in the end, you don't have to think of what to do anymore in 1 fac exp for example, but do it naturally. THIS WILL NOT MAKE YOUR BO GOOD, BECAUSE YOU WON'T HAVE GOOD TIMING OR ANYTHING. But it's a good start, so you have some basis.

Once you really know some BOs, play Multi Players and practice them. Here is, where the theory also comes into play, you have to know, when to use which BO. I wouldn't practice one BO 100 times in Multi Player single player's for that I'd say. In Multi Player you also have to learn to scout correctly and make the correct conclusions -> good counter BO.

Now, both theory and execution come together and you know some of both, know, you just have to practice, practice, practice. gl

If you follow these steps, you should become a good player in quite a short time I think
On a purely personal note, I'd like to show Yellow the beauty of infinitely repeating Starcraft 2 bunkers. -Boxer
iNCuBuS_
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States905 Posts
November 15 2004 03:31 GMT
#4
Thats all I have to do to get better. Somehow I doubt that :/
_GniL_
Profile Joined August 2004
Canada66 Posts
November 15 2004 03:32 GMT
#5
play games/watch replays you will get better over time next
Orome
Profile Blog Joined June 2004
Switzerland11984 Posts
November 15 2004 03:33 GMT
#6
On November 15 2004 12:31 iNCuBuS_ wrote:
Thats all I have to do to get better. Somehow I doubt that :/


That's a fucking lot to do, even if it doesn't look like it. And of course it's only the approach to how you should try to improve. The most important thing is still practice.
On a purely personal note, I'd like to show Yellow the beauty of infinitely repeating Starcraft 2 bunkers. -Boxer
iNCuBuS_
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States905 Posts
November 15 2004 03:37 GMT
#7
No I meant to rei sorry.
Thanks orome didnt see this when I looked in the forums for a topic like this
baelrog
Profile Joined July 2004
Austria705 Posts
November 15 2004 03:38 GMT
#8
just watch reps and play 8 hours per day
i love u
baelrog
Profile Joined July 2004
Austria705 Posts
November 15 2004 03:39 GMT
#9
btw with play i dont mean hanging in channels and just hang around i mean real play time
i love u
iNCuBuS_
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States905 Posts
November 15 2004 03:47 GMT
#10
Yeah I want to improve not become pro, and I dont have 8 hours a day to play.
Ada
Profile Joined October 2004
Germany150 Posts
November 15 2004 03:55 GMT
#11
maybe you reached your personal max. skill level? I mean a point where you can't improve without a lot more time and really good opponents.

If not search for players that are better than you and play them a lot. Maybe you lose 10 games in a row, but you will improve a little bit every game. To keep this improvement play vs players that are at least the same level.
rei
Profile Blog Joined October 2002
United States3594 Posts
November 15 2004 04:13 GMT
#12
iNcubus_ if recon is essential in this game. it\'s simple if you don\'t know what is comming at you, you will get surprised, and play style become passively adopting the other guy.

your question is what you should work on the most Builds? Micro? Macro? Strategy?

recon is crucial to builds, and strategies, where micro and macro are through partice and experience, which needless to say that you must play alot. but mindless playing is no use at all, it's really like most people that plays 10 hours a day cause they get piss every time they lose and go into another game mad and just want to make the same build he just used and lost to work. and end up lossing without thinking what happen and why they lost.(yes most of you did this at least once)

For macro better you need a reminder that somehow keep you aware that you need to keep your macro up every few seconds. there are a great tool name bw coach, just turn off everything and keep apm live active, everytime your apm gets below 200 set a annoying beeeeeee noice. that will tell you it\'s about time you go back to your unit production buildings and crank up your apm.

i would suggest you not worry about micro right now, since you don\'t even understand the importance of recon. because if you want to get good at micro you must be also good at mutiltasking. or you will find yourself lossing games due to lost of one fight cause no macro while fighitng to rebuild your force. of course that\'s not possible if you are playing tvz(most micro intensive match up for terran if not for the whole game).

If you recon constantly it\'s like you playing with map hack and know at all times what the other guy is doing. isn\'t that a huge advantage?
GET OUT OF MY BASE CHILL
iNCuBuS_
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States905 Posts
November 15 2004 04:24 GMT
#13
I used bwcoach a few times, as you suggest (I even had it set on 200), but just got more into spamming hotkeys to stop the warning. Right now Im at a comfortable 150 apm, I just need to learn to use it better.
iNCuBuS_
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States905 Posts
November 15 2004 04:25 GMT
#14
I wasnt denying recon is important, your first post just said 'scout'. That isnt going to help someone who has never played before and has little or no skill.
Pafnucy
Profile Joined October 2002
Poland1124 Posts
November 15 2004 04:40 GMT
#15
focus on one race, with that race, focus on 1 build for period of time, then go to another build and again. Watch reps. see their build, you should be more aware of what they can have at each point in game, thats timing. The more you are familliar with matchups, builds and timing, the less you have to think to do certain stuff like get a good combo or have proper amount of shit. You become more automatic with macro and base management and develop good multitasking habits. Sometimes they start being outdated for your next level of play, change them. Play decent and better opponents, they will make your game more solid or show you something new or what will be your next step in getting better.

If you play all races or change your build each game, it will be a lot harder.
Member of the "Fuck Yeah, Canata !" committee :-) to join copy/paste this
ahk-gosu
Profile Joined July 2004
Korea (South)2099 Posts
November 15 2004 05:13 GMT
#16
play vs a person thats better than you
lose to him ( not on purpose)
watch the rep
see what you did wrong
adjust
win
Micro.Macro.Scouting.Harassment.
sundance
Profile Blog Joined May 2004
Slovakia3201 Posts
November 15 2004 05:41 GMT
#17
On November 15 2004 14:13 ahk-gosu wrote:
play vs a person thats better than you
lose to him ( not on purpose)
watch the rep
see what you did wrong
adjust
win

Best way to improve.
And also think about starcraft all day and night (work pretty well for me ).
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
neSix
Profile Blog Joined November 2004
United States1772 Posts
November 15 2004 05:55 GMT
#18
I think Macro > Builds > Micro assuming you can survive long enough to get to a point where macro becomes difficult (might be hard with a bad build).

Asking lots of questions on forums can help you improve your theory, and just playing will improve your execution.

When watching replays, make sure you note things even as simple as building placement and timing. Every time a player attacks or expands, pause the replay and ask yourself why. It can also help to watch replays with someone who knows the matchup well, so they can answer any questions right on the spot.
rednob
Profile Joined October 2004
Korea (South)210 Posts
Last Edited: 2004-11-15 07:20:31
November 15 2004 06:25 GMT
#19
I agree with Orome's emphasis on a construct of Broodwar, for purposes of improvement, as two the elements theory and execution. Orome's first post in this thread expresses the "perfect" attitude for a learner like you, iNCuBuS_.


Because his post was long, I will try to make my agreements short:

On the theory side, watch replays to understand them, from both perspectives, and let your imagination run wild as well. If you are unsure about something, experiment with it for many games and you will learn about it. Get others to watch your replays you will get a fresh perspective. Not everyone will be right for you but eventually, some will.

On the execution side, this is what "good spamming" and playing "hard strategies" are all about. That is one facet, that of the korean school of Broodwar execution. The western tradition is simply to play a lot, and where both traditions overlap is with the phrase "try hard as many games as you can."


More theory or more execution? This I do not know.

In my estimation, your theory can hit a wall if your execution does not grow. If you grow your execution, your theory plays in a wider field. Execution is strength, speed, stamina, dexterity of your mind and body -- theory is the form.

If you lose a game you should learn to know easily how much both your execution and your theory failed, but you may need to see the replay to be sure about the theory aspect.
A forum is as good as its worst member, or maybe a little better than that if you are good at skimming.
7op
Profile Joined February 2004
Canada654 Posts
Last Edited: 2004-11-15 07:16:46
November 15 2004 07:16 GMT
#20
stop whinning only a select few will ever get better
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