2/12/09
1st Game - 11 Min.
(Click for clear Picture)
2nd Game - 25 Min.
3rd Game - 11 Min.
And a 2v6 computer with some terran guy.
Feb 22, 2009
Pics of the Month
Redus Vs Fafner
2/12/09
2nd Game - 25 Min.
3rd Game - 11 Min.
And a 2v6 computer with some terran guy.
2/12/09
2nd Game - 25 Min.
3rd Game - 11 Min.
And a 2v6 computer with some terran guy.
Feb 6, 2009
How Humiliating!
One of the greatest strengths of Starcraft multiplayer is perhaps it's greatest weakness - The humiliation involved in losing or being the worst player on a losing team. Everybody that plays starcraft regularly knows what it means to humiliate, everyone has that struggle as a noob. As difficult as it may be to believe, it doesn't matter if the game is a low money map, somewhat ridiculous money map (Ex. BGH) or ridiculous money map (Ex. Zero Clutter). I would go so far as to include ANY game (other than starcraft) that consists of multiple players, there's a good chance of being embarrassed or humiliated, it's just heightened in 1vs1's.
This humiliation varies from player to player but it exists nonetheless; it either drives one to get better or drop the game for a different, more noob enticing game (UMS). The regular ZeroClutter player may play 3v3 bgh and think it's ridiculously unfair, difficult and especially humiliating. A simple 5 zeolots or 10 lings would prove to be too much for them early start. It's all basically because of the poor macro control commonly known among the majority of the battle.net world. When one's macro isn't in good shape early game, even when making it 10 minutes into a game, one is already far behind from a decent player with good macro, and in the end is left to call out the worst teammate a 'fucking noob' and to 'throw away your fucking starcraft CD NOW', although the other obviously did better but was triple or double teamed while you did nothing - an all too common scenario. It's not very fun when you happen to be the first one out, but it feels great when you are the strength of your team. Even if you lose, you can blame your teammates that didn't do so well. It's wrong, I know, but it's all a part of the game. Everyone has an ego, even if you keep it all to yourself. In my zero clutter days, I would feel proud even in losing because I'd always have the most unit kills out of everyone.
One on ones are indeed interesting for a reason. Win or lose, it's all fair and square (most of the time). You lose because you didn't play well enough. I believe I'd like it more to replay a guy on even ground with me from time to time. That way it shows how I've gotten much better, out of their league (I feel smarter :-P).
Back in high school, I wrestled and played football. Losing in wrestling was always more humiliating than football obviously. A person's soul could be destroyed for losing, especially when their self worth is connected to winning or losing. Back then, I'd lose mostly due to lack of practice and will to find out moves on my own, sounds all too familiar (we had a shitty coach btw). If you don't like losing, but want to keep playing a game you enjoy, why not practice and try to get better? Why play something you have no will to get better when you have much more to learn? Who likes losing to sucky players? In wrestling (age 13), I felt an odd sense of happiness when I made a kid cry for losing. I bet that kind of thing happens in starcraft for many koreans. That thought makes me smile.
Starcraft and wrestling have both provided me with sweating and an increased heart rate (although more so in wrestling), and that's partly why I like starcraft, because I know guys are out there sweating and panicking. They don't want to be outdone. There was a progamer korean game I watched the other day and one of the players has eye twitches when something unexpected happens, it's quite amusing.
This humiliation varies from player to player but it exists nonetheless; it either drives one to get better or drop the game for a different, more noob enticing game (UMS). The regular ZeroClutter player may play 3v3 bgh and think it's ridiculously unfair, difficult and especially humiliating. A simple 5 zeolots or 10 lings would prove to be too much for them early start. It's all basically because of the poor macro control commonly known among the majority of the battle.net world. When one's macro isn't in good shape early game, even when making it 10 minutes into a game, one is already far behind from a decent player with good macro, and in the end is left to call out the worst teammate a 'fucking noob' and to 'throw away your fucking starcraft CD NOW', although the other obviously did better but was triple or double teamed while you did nothing - an all too common scenario. It's not very fun when you happen to be the first one out, but it feels great when you are the strength of your team. Even if you lose, you can blame your teammates that didn't do so well. It's wrong, I know, but it's all a part of the game. Everyone has an ego, even if you keep it all to yourself. In my zero clutter days, I would feel proud even in losing because I'd always have the most unit kills out of everyone.
One on ones are indeed interesting for a reason. Win or lose, it's all fair and square (most of the time). You lose because you didn't play well enough. I believe I'd like it more to replay a guy on even ground with me from time to time. That way it shows how I've gotten much better, out of their league (I feel smarter :-P).
Back in high school, I wrestled and played football. Losing in wrestling was always more humiliating than football obviously. A person's soul could be destroyed for losing, especially when their self worth is connected to winning or losing. Back then, I'd lose mostly due to lack of practice and will to find out moves on my own, sounds all too familiar (we had a shitty coach btw). If you don't like losing, but want to keep playing a game you enjoy, why not practice and try to get better? Why play something you have no will to get better when you have much more to learn? Who likes losing to sucky players? In wrestling (age 13), I felt an odd sense of happiness when I made a kid cry for losing. I bet that kind of thing happens in starcraft for many koreans. That thought makes me smile.
Starcraft and wrestling have both provided me with sweating and an increased heart rate (although more so in wrestling), and that's partly why I like starcraft, because I know guys are out there sweating and panicking. They don't want to be outdone. There was a progamer korean game I watched the other day and one of the players has eye twitches when something unexpected happens, it's quite amusing.
Feb 1, 2009
Pet Peeve
I've got a pet peeve. Usually buildings exit their units to the south of the buildings unless it's blocked off. This is a problem for me because depending on my positioning of the map, the marines, medics or firebats exit on the outside of the building blockade. In normal 1v1 matches a scout could result in you having more time to prepare by lifting your barracks. But on a 3v3 bgh match (this could happen on 2v2 low money maps) your unit placement can be crucial.
I would have stopped that silly attack by yellow if I were in a better position with my units together (see purple sending 9 zeolots my way). It would be great if one could control which direction out of a building a unit exits, maybe in the direction closest to a rally point.
I would have stopped that silly attack by yellow if I were in a better position with my units together (see purple sending 9 zeolots my way). It would be great if one could control which direction out of a building a unit exits, maybe in the direction closest to a rally point.
Jan 30, 2009
Before and After
Before:
July, 2008 Replays
Click Here for a TvP loss - Here for a TvP win.
At that time, still fresh to low money maps with no knowledge of good macro or micro, I didn't particularly enjoy the game. If my tvp win isn't proof enough that apm isn't always reliable to determine skill level, I don't know what is.
After:
January 30th, 2009
iCCup Match D/D- (Here)
It's been six months, and I'm finally seeing obvious improvement, especially macro wise. I've been practicing. On one of TomPhoenix's comment sections, I saw that I could start the game all by myself, no computer (in multiplayer, change the computer to closed as the timer goes down).
Anyway, I'm not one to be easily pushed around anymore, at least not like before. This very moment is where I want to be because I'm beginning to macro like I should be, enough to carry over to starcraft 2; that's a pretty big deal in my book. I take great pride representing the race of fewest players - Terran. I hope terran stays difficult to use for noobs in sc 2.
For now, I believe I'm a decent D ranked player on my way to D+. Since my ego has been lifted a bit, I shall test myself in more games and commence a deep analysis next blog post.
TomPhoenix, Fafner, Stryxis and everyone... PREPARE YOURSELVES :-)
July, 2008 Replays
Click Here for a TvP loss - Here for a TvP win.
At that time, still fresh to low money maps with no knowledge of good macro or micro, I didn't particularly enjoy the game. If my tvp win isn't proof enough that apm isn't always reliable to determine skill level, I don't know what is.
After:
January 30th, 2009
iCCup Match D/D- (Here)
It's been six months, and I'm finally seeing obvious improvement, especially macro wise. I've been practicing. On one of TomPhoenix's comment sections, I saw that I could start the game all by myself, no computer (in multiplayer, change the computer to closed as the timer goes down).
Anyway, I'm not one to be easily pushed around anymore, at least not like before. This very moment is where I want to be because I'm beginning to macro like I should be, enough to carry over to starcraft 2; that's a pretty big deal in my book. I take great pride representing the race of fewest players - Terran. I hope terran stays difficult to use for noobs in sc 2.
For now, I believe I'm a decent D ranked player on my way to D+. Since my ego has been lifted a bit, I shall test myself in more games and commence a deep analysis next blog post.
TomPhoenix, Fafner, Stryxis and everyone... PREPARE YOURSELVES :-)
Jan 26, 2009
A Dose of Reality
Yesterday, I replayed Stryxis. He beat me before and I've told him I wanted a rematch over a week but postponed it because I didn't think I was prepared - wanting to practice against the computer a few times beforehand.
The game lasted 35 minutes. Check it out (click here). Sorry for the bad manners on my part at the end.
If you watch the replay, there is a game observer that says things at random. I found out later that he was acting like he was a noob. He explained that he would play people three times, the first time he would play as a complete noob, the second would be seemingly even with the other player, and the third he'd be serious and roll over them. He likes to mess with people's heads :-) It was a good thing I was suspicious when he repeatedly asked me to play him. This is the exact kind of skill that I plan to have one day. I would surely enjoy the game even more.
Anyway, I observed two replays of his and was blown away by how good he is. Here he is as dave-ex (click), and he says he was just playing around. I acknowledged that he was good and asked what he thought I should work on. He let me know that my build order was off. He said it seemed I was making more factories then necessary (moreso at the beginning). He pointed out that my macro was terrible. I only hotkeyed my vultures, and that itself could lead to a loss. Basically, he said I should work on pumping units out and hotkeying my units. When I pump, I should try not to take more than half a second to go through my buildings.
He pointed out my bad unit placements, that along with bad hotkeying. To follow up pumping units with good hotkeying, and laying good mines down. He says if I work on my macro and hotkeying, I'd have much more time to focus on an attack. I should have pumping units as just about second nature (of course), for that is very important and necessary throughout the game.
I knew he gave very good advice. I can see that at the beginning of the game, I can't make units with both of my factories because of lack of minerals when I expo. I've always had in mind to hotkey my units on the battlefield, but thought I could cut corners yet again. I wish I could take back that advice I gave to Fafner... kind of. It's important to hotkey but sometimes it's not necessary when you plan to turtle. Styxis hotkeyed his units whenever he attacked and it did a lot of damage after the fact.
I'm trying not to feel overburdened from what I need to learn.
In other news, remember the guy on Iccup with the terrible record that used to be 3-28 He's now 57-175. There is some obvious improvement in his game. How interesting.
One last thing I want to mention is that iCCup has finally upgraded to 1.16.1 -Very good news! I'd love to test myself out on some people :-)
The game lasted 35 minutes. Check it out (click here). Sorry for the bad manners on my part at the end.
If you watch the replay, there is a game observer that says things at random. I found out later that he was acting like he was a noob. He explained that he would play people three times, the first time he would play as a complete noob, the second would be seemingly even with the other player, and the third he'd be serious and roll over them. He likes to mess with people's heads :-) It was a good thing I was suspicious when he repeatedly asked me to play him. This is the exact kind of skill that I plan to have one day. I would surely enjoy the game even more.
Anyway, I observed two replays of his and was blown away by how good he is. Here he is as dave-ex (click), and he says he was just playing around. I acknowledged that he was good and asked what he thought I should work on. He let me know that my build order was off. He said it seemed I was making more factories then necessary (moreso at the beginning). He pointed out that my macro was terrible. I only hotkeyed my vultures, and that itself could lead to a loss. Basically, he said I should work on pumping units out and hotkeying my units. When I pump, I should try not to take more than half a second to go through my buildings.
He pointed out my bad unit placements, that along with bad hotkeying. To follow up pumping units with good hotkeying, and laying good mines down. He says if I work on my macro and hotkeying, I'd have much more time to focus on an attack. I should have pumping units as just about second nature (of course), for that is very important and necessary throughout the game.
I knew he gave very good advice. I can see that at the beginning of the game, I can't make units with both of my factories because of lack of minerals when I expo. I've always had in mind to hotkey my units on the battlefield, but thought I could cut corners yet again. I wish I could take back that advice I gave to Fafner... kind of. It's important to hotkey but sometimes it's not necessary when you plan to turtle. Styxis hotkeyed his units whenever he attacked and it did a lot of damage after the fact.
I'm trying not to feel overburdened from what I need to learn.
In other news, remember the guy on Iccup with the terrible record that used to be 3-28 He's now 57-175. There is some obvious improvement in his game. How interesting.
One last thing I want to mention is that iCCup has finally upgraded to 1.16.1 -Very good news! I'd love to test myself out on some people :-)
Jan 23, 2009
Don't play with Noobs
I've played two 2v2 games with a funny and interesting guy the other day. We had a lot in common with our thoughts about starcraft and the terran race. We both used them because it seemed the toughest to learn, TvP is the most interesting gametype and his APM is like my self 6 months ago (He was even good at halo 3 like I).
We started to play 2v2, all players were terran, and... he .. only made ... wraiths.. THE WHOLE GAME. I figure it's a good idea to go fast wraiths to catch them off guard, but after the first attack they are useless because the opponent would be ready. Not only did he only make wraiths but he couldn't kill 6 tanks packed together outside of his main. I think he made not one dropship. I think he lied to me when he said his APM was 70-80 because his avg. for the game was around 50.
I found this game to be interesting because at one point, I could tell my partner was going to make it a loss. When the time came where I knew we were heading up shit creek, I suddenly became really hot in the cheeks. I thought he would be better than that! So I gave it a second try with him as protoss. He didn't do well at all. I was attacked by lings and he could have retaliated with his 5 zeolots but he waited and asked me 'Well um... when are we going to attack?' He didn't have any idea of when to do things. I knew he was a bad partner because the opponent almost always goes after the weakest link.
I remember the olden days I was ALWAYS the ally that nobody wanted to be with (low money maps). Now, I'm thinking the same thing about others. I didn't play with this person any more. I probably would have played with him if he wanted to practice a little but... he didn't.
We started to play 2v2, all players were terran, and... he .. only made ... wraiths.. THE WHOLE GAME. I figure it's a good idea to go fast wraiths to catch them off guard, but after the first attack they are useless because the opponent would be ready. Not only did he only make wraiths but he couldn't kill 6 tanks packed together outside of his main. I think he made not one dropship. I think he lied to me when he said his APM was 70-80 because his avg. for the game was around 50.
I found this game to be interesting because at one point, I could tell my partner was going to make it a loss. When the time came where I knew we were heading up shit creek, I suddenly became really hot in the cheeks. I thought he would be better than that! So I gave it a second try with him as protoss. He didn't do well at all. I was attacked by lings and he could have retaliated with his 5 zeolots but he waited and asked me 'Well um... when are we going to attack?' He didn't have any idea of when to do things. I knew he was a bad partner because the opponent almost always goes after the weakest link.
My ally has 5 zeolots that could have taken this guy out easily.
I remember the olden days I was ALWAYS the ally that nobody wanted to be with (low money maps). Now, I'm thinking the same thing about others. I didn't play with this person any more. I probably would have played with him if he wanted to practice a little but... he didn't.
Jan 22, 2009
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