EPTA general guide to playing and understanding Starcraft
-Introduction
Everything I write in this guide is common sense combined with a bit of game knowledge. I'm no high level player myself but I feel I have enough understanding of the game through playing and mostly watching Starcraft for quite a while now that I can write this guide. The aim of this guide is to share this game knowledge and give players a framework of concepts they can fall back on when making decisions, creating strategies or watching/analyzing decisions and strategies. This guide is not meant to teach specific builds, tricks, techniques or even strategies but instead provide a framework from where they can be created, analyzed and discussed.
I see a lot of very specific discussions and guides on these forums and strategy discussions are often degraded to a "build unit x or y" discussion. I hope to give some insight in the bigger concepts behind the game that goes past unit types and buildorders. As such this is a very general guide that will most of all contain common sense rather than knowledge.
I decided to start the guide with some of the less interesting game elements as I feel it benefits the structure of this guide. It gets more interesting as you read on.
1. Mechanics
Mechanics is basically how well you control the game (using your keyboard and mouse). Your mechanics is what allows you to play and if they are not perfect you will be at a disadvantage and improving them is the fastest way to improve your play. In short mechanics are vital and will dictate the level on which you are able to compete. This is the reason why it's the first chapter in this guide. Everything I say after this chapter and everything you do in game is based on your mechanics which is why I have to mention it here. I will only point out the importance of having good mechanics and how it influences the game. Mechanics can be split in two categories, macro and micro.
- Macro
Macro basically covers building things and spending your money. You mine resources and if you invest those minerals you can give yourself an advantage in the game which in turn will let you win the game. If you don't spend your resources you neglect giving yourself an advantage and if your opponent is spending better you are slowly getting behind. Investing your resources is arguably the most important part of the game and often the first advice given to new players (often in the form of "build stuff").
- Micro
In the end this macro always results in making an army of units. Controlling these units is called micro. The goal of microing units is to get the most out of your investment (i.e. making your units "cost effective"). Micro is often seen as less important than macro (investing efficiently) and strategy (investing intelligently) but it can make a big difference by getting a bigger return on your investments.
- Multitasking
Multitasking is how much you can do at the same time or rather how many tasks you can do (at the same time or in a short period of time), how well you can switch your attention between different tasks and how well you can choose the right task at the right time. There are always a lot of tasks you have to do to keep up you macro and micro. Constantly investing and controlling your investments for maximum returns while deciding how to invest next and what the best way is to control your investments is a MASSIVE amount of work you have to do. This makes "multitasking" a very important skill toi have and explains why there is so much focus on apm in the community.
2. Gameplan
Before the game begins you need to have a plan to win the game. An example of a gameplan is this:
"I will FE and saturate 2 bases building a few lings and roaches to defend if necessary, then I will make roaches so I can take my third while I deny the opponent from getting a third base, this will either force him to attack or starve him to death"
It is a general approach to the game that gives you a direction and a goal. A gameplan gives you instructions on two parts of the game: How to invest (FE, make drones, make units and get a third) and how to use your investments (secure third, deny opponents third). A good gameplan will have you invest in a logical and smart way and then use your investments to get a (game winning) advantage.
In this example you first invest in economy and after that in units. This makes sense as investing in economy will pay exponentially later in the game while making units only gives you an army advantage which is static. You then use your units to secure your own third while you deny your opponent from getting one. Having a base over your opponent is a huge advantage and if sustained will end the game.
Having a good gameplan that makes sense gives you a big advantage by giving you a direction which leads to greater efficiency in investments and control.
- Investing in a smart way
In general there are 3 areas to invest resources in: Economy, Tech and Army.
Economy is arguably the most important area to invest in as having a better economy allows you to invest more which in turn allows you to get better tech and a larger army.
Tech doesn't give you an advantage later on in the game but instead gives an immediate advantage. From the moment your darkshrine finishes you have the option to make DT's. This advantage doesn't grow during the game but stays static. Investing in tech will open up options to do damage to your opponent, get information, defend against tech or make your army stronger.
Army gives you an advantage the moment you build the unit and it goes away the moment the unit dies. Investing in army allows you to defend and stay alive, get map control and damage the opponent.
In general it is best to invest in economy but not investing in tech or army can leave you vulnerable to your opponent. A good example is early game TvT. There are two common openings in TvT, gas openings and expand openings. The player who expands has an advantage over the player who takes his gas to tech unless the teching player does damage. The teching player will use his tech to get either reapers, hellions, banshees or a combination of those to damage the economy of the expanding player and depending on how much damage he does he is now ahead, even or still behind the opponent.
In general there are three ways to invest your money:
1. Invest in as much economy as possible while investing enough in army and tech to stay safe.
2. Invest a good amount in tech or army so you can do damage to your opponent while investing enough in the other to stay safe and the rest in economy.
3. Invest a huge amount in either tech or army so you can kill your opponent.
- Buildorders & openings
A buildorder or opening is the order in which you invest in the different components you need for the midgame/endgame. The goal of a buildorder or opening is to spend your resources as efficiently as possible while staying safe and getting an advantage over your opponent. A good buildorder usually has synergy between it's different components. Synergy is a great way to invest more efficiently (if you FFE you use your forge to make cannons, if you follow it up with a +1 push you use the forge for two components making it more efficient). You can find this synergy in most good buildorders
When choosing a buildorder it is important to realize the following:
1. In what way it invests in the three different areas and why.
2. How it makes sure you are safe.
3. How you have to control the units you produce when following the BO.
4. How the buildorder sets you up for or ties in with your gameplan (what advantages does it give you and what infrastructure does it leave you with).
Note on playing safe:
+ Show Spoiler +
Sometimes it's better to not play completely safe. If you wan't to be prepared for everything you will be behind against someone who presumed you wouldn't go all-in and played a bit risky by getting less early units or skipping some tech like detection. In high level play it's often the player who takes the better calculated risks who wins the game. This might lead to a few stupid losses due to unexpected tech or army advantages but most of the time gives the risky player an advantage due to cutting corners in their buildorder.
- Unit compositions
An important part of your gameplan is what unit composition it gives you. Most strategies are referred to by the unit compositions as the units are the "result" of your investments and the weapons with which the battle is fought. Making a healthy unit composition is vital if you want to win the game.
When creating a unit composition three things are important.
1. Having a good variety of units with good synergy so you can go toe to toe with the vast majority of unit compositions.
2. Being able to produce them efficiently.
A good example of a non-healthy unit composition is mass marines. It is a very powerful unit composition that can be produced with great efficiency (don't get gas, use mules, build barracks) but it can be countered really easily later in the game. (note: early game mass marine can be a healthy unit composition as it's counters are not yet available early in the game).
An example of a non-efficient unit composition is Thor, tank, ghost, raven. You have to go down two tech paths, you are only making gas heavy units with nothing to dump minerals into and you have a max of two units that benefit from the same upgrade.
An example of a healthy unit composition is zealot archon. You only have to go down one tech path, it has a good mix of mineral and gas units, it can cover both ground and air and you only have to make gateways to produce the units. It also gives you infrastructure that allows for good follow ups (twilight council for upgrades and switching to HT. It also allows for a strong tech opening (DT expand) which allows you to get to this composition safely while staying equal with or ahead of your opponent in terms of economy.
There are counters to zealot archon but with good micro you should be able to get somewhat even trades and with the good amount of gateways you can easily adapt this composition if it gets "countered".
Once you have done your efficient opening and have created a healthy unit composition you have to use those units correctly. What units you make dictates the options you have and thus your strategy and gameplan. You can't play a counterattacking style with an immobile unit comp and you can't take on a strong immobile unit composition with a weaker immobile army. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your composition in relation to your opponents and realizing what this means in terms of positioning, aggressiveness, map control and harassing is vital.
Attacking cross map with tank, marine, medivac might not be the best option against a zerg going ling, infestor but if you have to put pressure on him sending a few drops out while taking a good position with your main army can do the trick. If you are playing a TvT with a bio army against mech you can't engage his army head on but if you attack him when his army is out of position and, stay active to get map control (which allows you to get more bases) you will tire him out. Then when he moves out you can catch his army out of position or basetrade if your not confident you can take him on. Your goal is to get the most use out of your investments. Using your units and doing so efficiently and effectively is vital in building an advantage over your opponent.
3. Decision making and reacting to your opponent
Having good mechanics, a solid gameplan with an efficient buildorder and healthy unit comp will get you a long way but your opponent won't just sit back and wait for your masterplan to unfold. He will have his own plan to take you down and when these two meet is when you really start playing this game. Being able to execute one plan perfectly will get you very far (4gate to masters?) but when you have to adapt, invent, respond and outplay your opponent the man are separated from the boys.
- Gathering information
Scouting and having map vision allows you to gather clues to what your opponent is planning. When scouting it is good to spot what an opponent is doing (it's always nice to spot that dark shrine with your slow overlord) but spotting what he isn't doing can be just as effective (a low sentry count means he is using that gas for something else so maybe I should make sure I have some detection ready). Always have a list of possible options the opponent has in your mind and narrow them down until you have a range of options to which you can respond (a late expansion means he is either teching or making an army, no gas means he is either going economy heavy or army heavy etc.). Scouting is not the only way to unravel your opponents plan. Putting on pressure is a great way to force your opponent to reveal his hand.
Its also important to know what your plan is weak to. Sometimes you don't need to scout your opponent because non of the options he has available can threaten your plan. Sometimes there are very specific things you have to be weary about. If you play a PvZ and you forge fast expand scouting for abe imn early third might portant because you know you can or have to pressure sooner when the zerg does this. Scouting if the opponent goes roaches or lings might not be important for you as it doesn't change your plan.
- Decision making
[spoiler]When in a game it's always important to ask yourself the following questions.
1. Do I have the economic advantage or do I have to do damage?
2. Can I do damage (army advantage, tech advantage or mobility/position advantage)?
3. Is my opponent teching and how can I make sure I'm safe against his tech?
4. Is my opponent going "all in" and do I have to invest in extra defense?
5. Can I safely take another expansion/invest in economy?
6. Is my opponent taking an expansion and am I in a position to deny it?
7. Is there a weakness in my opponent which I can exploit?
8. Can I trade units and is this favorable for me
9. Is my unit composition cost effective against my opponent and how can I adapt?
10. Is my opponent more mobile and can I defend all important locations?
These questions should help you make decisions throughout the game and in strange situations.
A common mistake players make is trying to use their mobility to drop or harass a player on one or two bases who is sitting back. If your opponent is on two bases and you have map control just take a third instead of trying to do damage against a compact opponent. Then when your opponent moves out to take his own third or attack your you counterattack or drop him. This interaction between the player with mobility and the player player with the stronger army or the player with the better economy and the player with the stronger/more advanced army is very important.
Another important aspect of the game is taking initiative. If you put on pressure or take map control you have to invest in it which will cut into your economy but in return you get more information, more options and the ability to do damage. On top of this putting on pressure also has a psychological effect on your opponent. It does however force you to do damage and if the opponents defense is solid you are a bit behind (and if you don't retreat in time you might outright lose).
4. Conclusion
tl;dr
- Spend your resources efficiently and intelligently
- Use your units efficiently and intelligently
- Read and react to your opponent to get an advantage
- Steal kids ladder points
I hope this guide will give you the tools to take a step back and give you a more global view of the game and your strategy. This can help you to both make your strategy more effective and help you make decisions in game.
I tried to keep the use of the word "efficient" down to a minimum but in an economy based RTS where everyone starts with the same economic basis it is really easy to break down everything to it's economic value which makes efficiency a very important concept. As such I failed miserably
. Any advice on improving the guide (I'm still not sure about the title...) and mistakes I made is highly appreciated!
