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Hey TL, I just did some quick analysis of APM by race for a couple of different datasets.
I used sc2gears to get APM info (so the APM will be much higher than what is shown in game, especially after patch 1.4) and then used a one way ANOVA in SPSS to analyze the differences between groups.
The first dataset was my last 209 opponents over the last month and a half in high masters (I'm currently 950+). Here are the results:
Protoss: 129
Terran: 158
Zerg: 185
I used Tukey's HSD to determine that all three groups differ significantly from each other (p <.01, in all cases). This means that Terran APM is statistically significantly higher than Protoss APM and Zerg APM is statistically significantly higher than Terran.
The next dataset is the 236 replays in the MLG Raleigh replay pack just recently released. Here are those results:
Protoss: 168
Terran: 201
Zerg: 221
Terran and Zerg do not differ significantly. However, both Terran and Zerg APM are significantly higher than Protoss APM.
I thought this was neat because it lends support to the idea that Protoss is the easiest race (mechanically). I know many people already believe this, but many Protoss players out there are in denial. These results, of course, aren't the final word on the issue, but they are piece of objective, empirical evidence in support of the "Protoss mechanics are EZPZ" hypothesis 
P.S. I'd love to do an analysis of Korean data, but I need a big replay pack of a Korean pro (100+ replays). Or, if anyone wants to take the time to just download 100+ korean replays off a replay website and send them to me as a zip, that would work too.
EDIT: Big thanks to prom1se for sending me 104 korean replays (not sure where he got them, still waiting to hear back) but without further ado, here are the results:
Protoss: 246
Terran: 265
Zerg: 290
Terran and Zerg again do not differ significantly. However, in this dataset, Terran and Protoss do not differ significantly. Only Zerg and Protoss differ significantly. Damn those Koreans are fast!
Edit: Changed my argument from Protoss is the easiest race to Protoss is the easiest race (mechanically) 
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It's interesting data, but I'd still say there's a reasonable gap between T and Z.
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Great research. I do agree and generally believe that Zerg requires the highest level of actions to execute at a high level. However, being a Zerg myself, I must strongly disagree with your statement of Protoss being easy because they take the least amount of APM to execute at a high level. Despite their APM being low, their strategical execution far supercedes Zerg strategies at a similar ELO level, due to Zerg being a reactive race, which just counters the strategy implemented by Protoss.
This isn't a thread relating specifically to that topic, so I'll just say that it's interesting data, and I would like to see more behind the numbers if possible; i.e, how many of those actions were spam? What would the numbers be in patch 1.4 (I saw what you stated above), now that APM has been changed? Would Zerg still necessarily be THAT much more ahead of Protoss in 1.4?
Edit: As a side note, Sjow's average APM is around 60 I believe, and he clearly dominates any non-Korean (and Koreans too, as we have seen in Code A). It's not an indicator of skill, and never will be.
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Protoss is the easiest race to learn at the lower level. The problem with Protoss is the lack of strategies that go with it due to a lack of a harassment unit. In the lower levels, ur gonna see a lot of protosses but in the pro level, u will see a lack. That's why there are so little Protosses in the GSL right now.
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zerg apm is also infalted as hell because of holding down a keywhen spending larva
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Just because protoss requires less apm doesn't mean it is easier. It is the least mechanically challenging but obviously it isn't super easy other wise protoss wouldn't be down on its luck right now (don't forget back from about September to early December protoss wasn't doing so hot).
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protoss op
User was temp banned for this post.
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On September 24 2011 13:00 LolitsPing wrote:
Protoss is the easiest race to learn at the lower level. The problem with Protoss is the lack of strategies that go with it due to a lack of a harassment unit. In the lower levels, ur gonna see a lot of protosses but in the pro level, u will see a lack. That's why there are so little Protosses in the GSL right now.
Warp prisms, DTs, Blink Stalkers, phoenix
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On September 24 2011 13:02 Nothingtosay wrote:
Just because protoss requires less apm doesn't mean it is easier.
This.
It needs to be understood. Moreover, <1000 reps aren't enough to judge the whole race.
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The data in the post is great, however the attitude isn't. This data hardly justifies that P is the easiest race, and your post tries to effectively say P players are just bad when in reality this couldn't be farther from the truth.
Then again, maybe I'm just in denial and all P players are bad right?
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Hmm yeah holding down a key to make 40 zerglings gives like 500 apm, so i think this is pretty meaningless right now, but after the new blizzard change to apm the results should look much different. This just tells me that terran and zerg spend more time spamming than anything. underdog race protoss fighting~!~!
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On September 24 2011 12:59 KimJongChill wrote:
It's interesting data, but I'd still say there's a reasonable gap between T and Z.
You can call it reasonable, but you can't call it statistically significant. The p value was 0.19 (needs to be less than 0.05 for significance).
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On September 24 2011 13:03 Moldwood wrote:Show nested quote +On September 24 2011 13:00 LolitsPing wrote:
Protoss is the easiest race to learn at the lower level. The problem with Protoss is the lack of strategies that go with it due to a lack of a harassment unit. In the lower levels, ur gonna see a lot of protosses but in the pro level, u will see a lack. That's why there are so little Protosses in the GSL right now. Warp prisms, DTs, Blink Stalkers, phoenix
Don't forget the forcefields and positioning as well as HTs
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I think table tennis is much more difficult than golf because it has more Actions Per Minute.
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When you want to make 30 roaches you just hold down the R key and the commands click in what...3 seconds?
Clicking 30 stalkers around a pylon field would take significantly longer.
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I don't think this is thread worthy. But your mlg info is skewed because the top talent there (koreans) were heavily representing terran and zerg.
Also zerg gets inflated apm from holding down keys to build as well as spam clicking zerglings around which is hardly difficult. Terran stutter step micro increases apm as well. Protoss does not stutter step nearly as fast as terran and FF casting doesn't spike apm in the same way although I would say.
I play protoss and my apm goes up when i offrace terran or zerg. I am way worse at terran and zerg.
AM =/= equal skill. Nor does it make protoss the easiest because you don't spam click zerglings/mutas or stutter step marines. Even blinking stalkers is a lower apm exercise than stutter stepping.
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On September 24 2011 12:55 Cambam wrote:EZPZ
For the love of fuck artosis, did you really have to start people saying this?
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Northern Ireland26063 Posts
Protoss bread and butter units are warped from gates to particular positions. The race doesn't have to constantly re-rally things which I feel inflates the average APM of the other races
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APM is usually spent on multitasking ability, that's why terran and zerg normally have the highest and protoss the least. Protoss should start to learn how to multitask and innovate strategies that actually take skill rather than turtling and building up a deathball, it just won't get them very far
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On September 24 2011 13:03 Moldwood wrote:Show nested quote +On September 24 2011 13:00 LolitsPing wrote:
Protoss is the easiest race to learn at the lower level. The problem with Protoss is the lack of strategies that go with it due to a lack of a harassment unit. In the lower levels, ur gonna see a lot of protosses but in the pro level, u will see a lack. That's why there are so little Protosses in the GSL right now. Warp prisms, DTs, Blink Stalkers, phoenix
these "harass" unit requires the toss pretty much all in early game...toss tech tree isnt as easy to switch as other race...
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EPT
