I think the main gist seems to be that, different people play in different strokes. Even on the fourms itself, we can see that a lot of players tend to assume build orders for their personal playstyle and mode. Some players like to speedrun and complete a run as possible while using self inflicted advantages.
To them, the perfect build might not be the build that works well 99% of the time but slowly, but a build that only works 5% of the time, but when it does, leads to a new record speedrun solo. Even if their game history is just like quitting or abandoning/repeating 50 games in a row for the PERFECT comp.
Others might want a build that can consistently clear the mode and carry their allies, and keep their units safe while having constant aggression and minimal human losses. No marines lost / No unit loss sc1 and sc2 runs were a thing, though before medics were a thing you couldn’t heal damaged 2/40 marines in sc1. I remember keeping supplies of injured 2 hp soldiers in the back or in bunkers to ‘save them’ while another person would recommend killing them for supply. XD. I like to be able to carry or hard carry a ally if needed but lean a bit away from killhogging and constantly heal their armies and open up their base for them. I also kinda find commanders where you mostly memorize one or two builds and repeat it over and over with mostly F2A combat ± occasional stim or mini heros repeatative, so i like leaning into Tychus comps where i can use Mind control bc/thor/carrier fleets just for fun, and the odd unit here and there to learn more about Amon’s tech abilities. (The amon Medivac for instance, has unlimited Boosters if it wants.
The amon Arbiter can give tychus teleports anywhere, or even teleport a ally. Some miner evacuation units used to have like ‘Debug BansheeAttack2, Bansheeattack3’ text written on them (but it’s been so long i can’t remember or know if they fixed it or not, etc. ). So what i enjoy are mostly chill games where i can make sure my ally constantly has something to do, and constant pushing and longer maps where there should always be something to do like Malwarefare or Part and parcel. Where you can have fun a little bit, but your ally can always help you push for parts, capture other towers or do bonuses etc. I also like getting better at multi piloting the odin as well as adding on Main crew abilities + yamatos + vision jump Vacs + spy with stolen units and occasionally run double healer so i can split my army into 3 groups. 1 Main group (Abilities outlaws), 2: P3 dogwalker odin set to solo assault points, assist ally pushes, assault seperate bases or capture seperate part and parcel points or defend a 2nd or 3rd gate or objective, etc. and 3: sometimes a nikara + 12-17 carrier/bc/odin fleet. Just there to help cap extra points on Malwarefare etc.
Other people too, all will have their own playstyles. As seen people will sometimes do self inflicted challenges like 12 workers, while another person on the polar end might think you’re bringing shame upon your family/throwing by intentionally making yourself weaker or vice aversa for not challenging yourself to it even if it makes a lvl 13 random tie with it. Most people seem to have a personal playstyle of what they enjoy.
Whether or not from running the fastest maps, keeping the most units and their allies alive, pushing with good mobility, self challenging themselves to complete the game on the lowest workers. etc.
But yeah, i think the good thing is, everyone seems to enjoy the mode they pick. Different strokes for different people. To be honest i was actually surprised more people didn’t play it as well. I just thought i was the only one. I do remember trying it out like 20 games in my first day and yeah not really enjoying the gameplay but completing the ones people stayed for. (Though like 20-30% of mutators people seemed to instaleave for).
Like Nova + Tychus Killbots. (Sacrifice like 15-30 workers on 90/100 supply commanders who had to pay like 1000 minerals a bot)
Diffusion + double edged Kerrigan + alarak. Enemy comp: Swarmlings + banelings.
I remember my ally just leaving on abathurs. Which i think is just stupid but i was told “abathurs are bad commander because he only makes 1 unit!! FFS ARE U TROLLING U !@#)(&!@##!@(*” (Brutalisks. Player was a 10-20 apm dehaka 800 Prestiege hero Unit only who averaged 90-150 kills per 300 of a ally.)"
As mentioned, there were also the times i had raynor allies who sat in nukes and did nothing the whole game. We completed it but. I just thought it was me mostly. I think it was more or less not being able to complete it, of the ones people stayed for, i only remember losing to a memorable first double edged zeratul Tychus encounter where the first grenade exploded tychus, and the first spin killed zeratul.
Going back now with better general knowledge, it’s easier going back but you still definitely need to experience the mutation to learn the interactions. What triggers what and is a good counter on paper that sucks. (Chainfire blaze, hit and run fires vs diffusion on paper when grenade didnt’ trigger. VS Blaze instantly self detonating every encounter. Whether it was chainfire or swarmlings was beyond me, but it seemed like a big tanky 1000 hp unit with chainfire could be a good diffusion swarmling answer. But sirius’s suicide turrets were. )
I think brutal+ definitely does change your interactions up as well as weekly mutations. But also at the same time i was surprised to. For my personal play i decided after lvl 90 there wasn’t any point tryharding for xp over fun, so i’d play whatever i found most fun and brutal was that. I actually remember quite a few missions that didn’t block completion, just didn’t really seem enjoyable. Most of the bad stuff zones are pretty ignorable. but when you combine concussive or fatal attraction, Being sucked into a slowmode / slug zone really kills the fun. It was more or less not viewing it as a mountain but more like a keyboard covered in sticky syrup and your little brother would randomly spam keys. Base brutal is more fun starcraft for me and i like spending my apm getting better at ability use, chainfires + main army + yamato medivac jumps or screwing around and assaulting multiple armies. Blizzard brutal+ games are just normal brutal games with more area denial.
Concussive + Fear + Short sighted is just my idea of a unfun game where a ally might instaquit or spend the game moving at 5 mph, while feared around the map by targets your commander might not even be able to see. etc. But yeah, it’s good to see what different people prefer. Just when i go into a game and i think i had a bad day with my ally 40 in a 800:40 mission where they were a lvl 2 p0 karax that wasn’t even topbarring their own base, i go and sometimes see a game in with someone i played for a brutation weekly or a brutal+ game… and sometimes when i just see like one mission repeated 3-17 times with losses and the same person. And have no information on if they were trying brutal +1-6 but see them failing weeklies like 3-17 times before a success. I just kinda go. “I think im good” lol, but then there are people who complete the same weeklies like 17 time or who enjoy that. And great for them! Different strokes, for different people right? But i was actually surprised how many it was. I thought it was just me tbh. I assumed like half of people not like 10-15% were brutal+ ers.
If i was purely after exp though i’d just do the karax tomato farm or void thrashing / lock and load most times haha. XD. But after 90, i just kinda play whatever i want lol. not in a rush for 900 but im surprised more people weren’t doing brutal+ to 900 tbh.
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