So I've somewhat gotten the hang of how to control my army. I see that the terran in tvz has more strength in evasion. When you've stimpacked your marines and evade... it's much harder for lurkers to hit and makes it more of a necessity for them to flank from some angle. For your vessels, evade scourges. For tanks, try to keep them alive for lurkers. It's okay to attack, but when the zerg is pushing back, definitely have an evasion path ready and try to know what's coming at you. If you have enough alive and a few tanks, you can do some real damage.
Man, I love this game :-D I just beat someone that beat me last month. In both games, I slacked when I had a clear advantage. I guess my advantage this time was so large that I HAD to win it. And I'm sure the guy thought he could come back, and I'm sure he had a small window of hope, but he only prolonged his loss for about fifteen more minutes, trying to kill me off with only his main (I took his expo out really early and set up bunkers and turrets). heh
My old partner DetZero hasn't been on in a while. I'd surely like to play him now.
I'll also be looking forward to playing the So I Suck at Starcraft guy. He seems to be around my skill level. I wonder how my TvP will change when I do standard and pro BO's. I must finish 40 more TvZs asap!
Jul 27, 2009
Jul 22, 2009
Training in Starcraft
I've been away for a month... but I'm back.*
I'm going to be homeless in the next month (long story). Just got a job to pay for a future home. I may or may not have easy access to a computer in a few weeks, I'll have to use computer time wisely.
Anyway, after a month of no interest in SC (playing Dodge the Rapist), I came to a fork in my starcraft career. Either I continue to play this game and learn the standard builds of experts, or quit it forever. Playing through trial and error is too tough these days, and it's simply idiotic doing that kind of thing. I was stupid. I look onto my blog, and remember my goal... I suddenly want to make it to 100 games ASAP. I've had a pleasant surprise waiting for me... I play exactly the same as I did a month ago, like I haven't left at all. It's just that I now actually work on the pro builds, mainly the TvZ vs 3 hatchery ... pretty standard...
ugh.
A few games, the first guy was super easy. Second guy had a record of 62 - 132 with 1121 points, yet took him down fairly easily.
Third guy... 205 apm and gave me a pretty hard time.... lost.
But the one I really want to talk about was around 1500 ranked and played almost 200 games this season (I check profiles on iccup before the game starts). Thirty minute game... and I had lots of trouble winning. Turned out his apm for the game was 70. He started out with 2 hatchery, and I'm still not quite sure how to do gosu build against that so I start screwing up... panic mode settles in (after looking at replay he built a third hatchery immediately after my scout died). He sends a few mutalisks and kills about four of my units... and about 3-4 minutes later drops many lurkers and hydras into my main, just as I'm moving halfway across the map. I go back, fend it off, feel like I've lost but find myself able to effectively push out again. My attack and the next fail, but I managed to kill most his lurkers so I wasn't all a complete waste. After looking at the replay, I see my marines stay in one spot, there was a hill to the side but didn't think of moving up while I had the chance. Map awareness is shit. I lacked unit production for most of the game, but towards the end I had a decent amount of tanks and vessels (he quit after telling me I suck).
There is good news... I've learned a key vessel micro technique (thanks to a guy in my team), but seem to have trouble doing it in the heat of battle. I select all my vessels and tell them to irradiate something. The ones that have enough energy for the spell will begin to move. I, then, can deselect one of them and make the others return. Now that I think about it, it seems to be better to find out which ones have energy and just hold those momentarily ... irradiate one at a time. It may be good enough to just know which have energy. I'll experiment.
sigh
I'll now allow all D+ players into my games. Rank must be 1001-2999 points. Must be Zerg.
Lastly, I'm not excited about starcraft 2 as I was before. It's been too fucking long without a release date.
* I guess that's a curse that comes with 'Learning Starcraft'.
Jun 20, 2009
Learning Starcraft
I'm sitting in my comfy writing chair with mixed feelings. My goal... as it stands, is 6.25% complete. Here's a list of what has happened.
1. DetZero beat me 6 more times. I came incredibly close to beating him three times. In one of those, I had an extreme advantage, I had about 50 units more than him, but defilers owned me as I had only 1 vessel with no energy. Scourges always seem to have their way with my vessels. I have started to upgrade as much as possible in every game. It's becoming natural to do so. Before, I'd try to push out way too soon, and be too aggressive. Mostly due to how I suck against lurkers. Now, I usually try to have a hefty army when trying to end the game. My lurker killing has gotten a tad bit better... I'm still working on expanding as I push.... I also notice that a terran can be quite deadly with only one expo.
2. I have gotten better, but am not sure if it shows in my rank. My rank is still D. It fluctuates between 1200 and 1600 points.
3. In the last 8 games, tactics have changed a bit. Mech was largely mixed with my army for a while, only to realize goliaths weren't all that good except for lurkers.
I wanted to go on to play the protoss but now I want to work on my vs. zerg for a bit longer. I may do another 50 against those bastards -_- I'm really starting to enjoy the match-up and I haven't quite got down my vessel tank push timing down.
I've got a FPVOD of my 49th game.
Replay Here. I've got replays of all the others if anyone is interested -_-
I should have went up the upper right side of the map first instead of left. If possible to get behind there, range to his minerals and gas will be devastating.
I want to work on my terran mid-game, it's crucial to not give the zerg much freedom. Shouldn't let them have their way with vespene geysers everywhere. For now, I'm not sure if I want to play any other maps.
Tools of the Trade:
Hotkey use is getting better and better, although I have noticed that I 1a2a3a4a far more than necessary. Oftentimes, his army isn't even close and I can just click move. Then, there is less chance I skip over one of the hotkeys. Unit separation is quite annoying. I'll be happy to group everything into one hotkey as will be done in SC 2.
Poor Macromanagement: An attack is usually the best time to expand, but overdoing an attack can be a poor thing. It would be wise to give self a chance to drop somewhere.
Poor Unit Composition: The reason zergs keep me at bay for so long was a general lack of enough barracks and factories. Basically, my follow-up attacks suck. If the zerg has enough gas, ultralisks make a fool of me. Firebats would be very useful in follow-ups, yet I rarely do that.
Poor Micromanagement: Marine (and even firebat) placement is particularly important. Firebats should be moved toward zerglings - marines to absolute edge of lurker range. Stim pack becomes very important, and I struggle with that.
Lack of experience: New trials and tribulations smack me in the forehead. I'm like a guy wobbling on a tightrope. Like a fat guy walking on ice. Like... a little kid trying to drink from a cup and run at the same time.
Jun 11, 2009
So I Suck at Starcraft
Lately, I've been wondering if I should have ever came back to starcraft... and that can attest only one thing... I've been losing. Man, I suck.
A team member named 'DetZero' has now played me in 8 mind numbing games. He's a zerg player, I figure him to be a great practice partner. He isn't the kind of zerg player that likes to finish the game asap, but instead likes to tech up and focus on macro just as I would like to. The only let down is that his macro is much better than my own, superior. To make it to his section of the map is in itself a huge pain in the ass. Multiple times, he only has to attack move his units and easily take my lunch money. Approaching the end of each game, I can even see he usually upgraded 2 weaponry/armor higher than myself.
In the midst of my tormented soul, I suspect struggling to spam the entire game isn't much help, as I usually only regrab my army and attack move them around. For now, I will attempt to drop the unneccessary spam (except for at the start of the game) so I can SEE a bit better.
Gah... am I even getting better? Or is it not possible to be better in 8 games? No matter... I have a goal. Surely, I'll see DetZero every day, and I will play him every day (unfortunately, likely to be beaten everyday). My mind is bountiful of things I know I can correct and strengthen, but it's going to take time.
Too many times, I've got too many minerals stored up... embarrasingly over 3,000, with 6-7 barracks. Taking a week off isn't a bright thing to do. I'm 26 of 50 into my vs. zergs games, and I'm craving protoss.
My next post will consist of my 50th zerg game. It shall be lengthy.... so keep in touch ^_^
Maybe I will suck a little less.
A team member named 'DetZero' has now played me in 8 mind numbing games. He's a zerg player, I figure him to be a great practice partner. He isn't the kind of zerg player that likes to finish the game asap, but instead likes to tech up and focus on macro just as I would like to. The only let down is that his macro is much better than my own, superior. To make it to his section of the map is in itself a huge pain in the ass. Multiple times, he only has to attack move his units and easily take my lunch money. Approaching the end of each game, I can even see he usually upgraded 2 weaponry/armor higher than myself.
In the midst of my tormented soul, I suspect struggling to spam the entire game isn't much help, as I usually only regrab my army and attack move them around. For now, I will attempt to drop the unneccessary spam (except for at the start of the game) so I can SEE a bit better.
Gah... am I even getting better? Or is it not possible to be better in 8 games? No matter... I have a goal. Surely, I'll see DetZero every day, and I will play him every day (unfortunately, likely to be beaten everyday). My mind is bountiful of things I know I can correct and strengthen, but it's going to take time.
Too many times, I've got too many minerals stored up... embarrasingly over 3,000, with 6-7 barracks. Taking a week off isn't a bright thing to do. I'm 26 of 50 into my vs. zergs games, and I'm craving protoss.
My next post will consist of my 50th zerg game. It shall be lengthy.... so keep in touch ^_^
Maybe I will suck a little less.
Jun 4, 2009
iCCup and Koreans
I've been watching a korean online gaming television station thingamajig lately. How interesting is that? Koreans really love their starcraft. I've watched a few matches and feel the intensity from each game. They show the faces of the players and quite often seem on the edge of passing out. I don't know any of their names or what the fuck the commentators are saying (except for "stuuum!" and "tempwaar"), but I like them all. I finally understand what Starleague is.
Those Koreans have already taken over iCCup in the first four days of the new season.
And I noticed something rather peculiar, most of the top players have only played Destination. That map must be most fun and balanced.
Look at the picture. The one in fifth place has played EIGHTY GAMES and it's been about 3 days! He must be insane. I've never been one to take games too seriously, as that seems to be missing the whole point of gaming, but I at least offer respect to people that dedicate so much time.
In other news, I joined the team "funtastic". It consists of mostly D ranked players, and there's about 80 of us at the moment. Just a bunch of well mannered folks. You can get a decent game from almost any of them and they offer tips afterwards. Whether the clan has helped me become better is not completely clear. The chatting more than anything helps. ICCup is soulless as it is, almost no personality in a ranked game, you have a more comfortable (human) experience with a team. One may even find a worthy rival.
Lately, I've been going back to Battle.net for some mindless gaming. A part of me doesn't want to go back to iCCup.
Those Koreans have already taken over iCCup in the first four days of the new season.
And I noticed something rather peculiar, most of the top players have only played Destination. That map must be most fun and balanced.Look at the picture. The one in fifth place has played EIGHTY GAMES and it's been about 3 days! He must be insane. I've never been one to take games too seriously, as that seems to be missing the whole point of gaming, but I at least offer respect to people that dedicate so much time.
In other news, I joined the team "funtastic". It consists of mostly D ranked players, and there's about 80 of us at the moment. Just a bunch of well mannered folks. You can get a decent game from almost any of them and they offer tips afterwards. Whether the clan has helped me become better is not completely clear. The chatting more than anything helps. ICCup is soulless as it is, almost no personality in a ranked game, you have a more comfortable (human) experience with a team. One may even find a worthy rival.
Lately, I've been going back to Battle.net for some mindless gaming. A part of me doesn't want to go back to iCCup.
May 26, 2009
It's Still Fun
I've played Fafner in the last two days, five games in all. In one, he spanked my ass all around the map. I'm feeling the improvement on his part. Before the games, I remind myself to experiment with spam, but it's difficult keeping it up for long. We have great games and I believe we will strengthen each other.
In the first couple of games, I see he gets many more minerals than I. He also loves to storm my workers. My gameplay had to adapt and I tried to use the map to my advantage.
Where do I go from here? I think I've reached the level I wanted in preparation for starcraft 2. I can actually enjoy the game and slowly get faster and better after each match. It's quite simple to calm down for the sake of learning and experimenting. I'm not even halfway with my mass TvZ (50) games.
Lately, each game (TvZ) I've won felt on the brink of a loss. I dislike that feeling. So:
1. Work on spamming, make changes where necessary, keep it up. My avg. apm is 150 (TvZ) but around 130 when losing.
2. Against zerg, atttack ASAP. I rarely go for a second expansion -spending all my money is already difficult enough, but I should work on it if the zerg tries too. I could always queue many tanks just so minerals go out faster.
Lastly, given the choice of D+ rank or beating FafnerX 4/5 games, I'd choose the LATTER! It's all good ;-)
Ohooooo, I've looked at BWChart, and see the first game between Fafner and I. One can't help but smile at his 64 apm, followed by 79 in the rematch... and to think that was just in January. Map: Othello, the same map in our last 5 matches. Me: Impaired. FafnerX: Knows not WTF to do. I will save that replay for the rest of my life.
TomPhoenix, I may have to play one handed against you.
In the first couple of games, I see he gets many more minerals than I. He also loves to storm my workers. My gameplay had to adapt and I tried to use the map to my advantage.
Where do I go from here? I think I've reached the level I wanted in preparation for starcraft 2. I can actually enjoy the game and slowly get faster and better after each match. It's quite simple to calm down for the sake of learning and experimenting. I'm not even halfway with my mass TvZ (50) games.
Lately, each game (TvZ) I've won felt on the brink of a loss. I dislike that feeling. So:
1. Work on spamming, make changes where necessary, keep it up. My avg. apm is 150 (TvZ) but around 130 when losing.
2. Against zerg, atttack ASAP. I rarely go for a second expansion -spending all my money is already difficult enough, but I should work on it if the zerg tries too. I could always queue many tanks just so minerals go out faster.
Lastly, given the choice of D+ rank or beating FafnerX 4/5 games, I'd choose the LATTER! It's all good ;-)
GG
Ohooooo, I've looked at BWChart, and see the first game between Fafner and I. One can't help but smile at his 64 apm, followed by 79 in the rematch... and to think that was just in January. Map: Othello, the same map in our last 5 matches. Me: Impaired. FafnerX: Knows not WTF to do. I will save that replay for the rest of my life.
TomPhoenix, I may have to play one handed against you.
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