In today's games that I played, I tried to focus on using camera hotkeys. Although camera hotkeys may not be essential to moving up in rank, I think that it can only help me. Camera hotkeys were mostly something that I avoided earlier mainly because the F keys were a little bit too far out to reach... and I just didn't feel like changing around my hotkeys. From today's practicing, I decided to change around and make use of 3/4 camera hotkeys, using the F1-4 keys. However, since my hands are fairly small, I can't always reach the F keys with ease.... I might change the camera hotkeys to something like J, M, and N so that my thumb can hit them around (that's gonna need some getting used to, however).
Lastly, before getting into my game, I'd like to put out a question for you readers; Is there some sort of hotkey configuration that is considered "optimal" for players? I know that each individual may have slight preferences, but maybe there's something that I could be doing to help me out a lot more.
Done with the rambling, on to the game!
replay : http://drop.sc/346361
The Game
Early Game
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Today's game is a PvZ on the map Star Station. My opponent was a random, so I was a bit off with positioning and timings of my buildings this game. Oh also, here are around about where I set my camera hotkeys.
Not exactly those spots.
As do most random zergs, my enemy takes advantage of the fact that I only know that I'm against a zerg later by going hatch first. FAR better for me than him doing a <10 pool, but still kind of annoying that he's being so greedy. I recently have started disliking randoms with a passion...
13 hatch, sounds legit.
I decide to just follow it up normally, with a gateway, expo, then cybernetics core/wall off. I scout his pool isn't down yet so I decide that I can also be pretty greedy. Going along with my build, getting a gateway, and then suddenly he strikes me with all of his douchebag glory. Proxy hatch.
Late cannon = late at dealing with proxy fucking hatch.
I was there thinking "Great, now I'll have to deal with some sort of bull shit follow up"... but I actually was barely damaged at all by the proxy hatch. He didn't make use of it to even make a couple of lings, nor a spine crawler. He just let it finish then let it die. Such wasted potential, but it's understandable for the enemy to suck since he probably rose up in the ranks on the crutch of being able to start with an advantage.
It's that time of the month again...
Once his thatch hatch is killed off, I start up my stargate productino and make my nexus as soon as the creep actually recedes. My enemy didn't use this advantage he got to really tech or be very greedy, but instead created abaneling nest. Not a terrible idea, but since I had already made a few units to kill off the hatch, it honestly wasn't the best idea.
Right as his baneling attack commenced, I was using my voidrays to harass him at home. I picked off 3 queens and also managed to snipe his spawning pool, helping me GREATLY to end the steam that could have gone behind his baneling bust.
Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
As for his baneling bust, I actually handled it fairly OK. His banelings bursted down my cybernetics core AFAP, but I amazingly enough managed to react in time to throw down 1 force field. The force field split his banelings' paths slightly, containing half of the damage to a pylon while letting none of my sentries die.
Aw yeah that almost-perfect FF. No not really but whatevs.
All the while I try to use my camera hotkey to utilize chronoboosts and build buidlings . Still didn't go perfectly, but I think I'm starting to get there. An extra trick up my sleeve can only help. Oh yeah, and at the end of the baneling bust attempt, the resources lost were 550 (me) against 2475.
Mid Game
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Although I had forgotten about it during the game, I had sniped his only means of ground defense. If I warped in a couple of zealots I might have been able to win right there (then again I had no proxy pylon so it may have been slim). But oh well. I continue to macro up, place my 3rd base before the zerg's, and continue light pressure with the voidrays.
All dat blud! Blululululululululud!
My advantage, as well as opportunities to just go fucking win, keep increasing. My enemy just turtles up and finally makes a hydalisk den, scaring me off for a while.
I begin to tech up once my 3rd is established. I allow the zerg to come back a little bit into the game... gah, so annoyed. It could have been so much shorter!!!
I realize now how boring the rest of this game is. I keep macroing.
End Game
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At long last, my death ball goes in for the kill. My army consists of a bunch of voidrays, zealots, archons, and HT. Pretty damn good unit comp, and the zerg's smaller army is no match.
OP protoss ball, move out!
He utilizes some cute micro with burrow, although he can't just sit and heal since I decide to storm his burrowed army. He runs around a lot, but since push came to shove I decided to just run into his base and kill him.
You can burrow? Aww that's cute, too bad it can't save you from a mutha fuckin storm.
Nothing much more to say, my zealots swarm into his base while my HT/voidrays clean up the only reinforcements he has available.
Swarm like bees, sting like wasps, storm like a god!
P.S.
Although no longer part of their community, Phalanx continues to support DarkOnyx.
www.facebook.com/DarkOnyxFTW
P.P.S.
Now part of Not A Chance Gaming, Phalanx provides a helpful link for anybody support NAC!!
www.nacgaming.net
www.facebook.com/nacgaming
P.P.P.S.
CORGI MEETS BUBBALS!!!