What should I watch as far as videos and instruction to better my game. I am stiill begginer status as far as skill.
If you want to watch something you should watch pro play replays.
You can find them if you search Starcraft Replays.
You then download and install them like a map and watch them inside the game where you can scroll around, pause and analyze whats happening. Youtube cannot offer this functionality.
Make sure you pay attention to the matchup, tvt, tvz, ect
Players will play much differently depending on which race they fight and whether or not the opponent went random.
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It is incredibly important to learn about damage types and unit sizes.
Normal(marine) - 100% dmg to all
Explosive(hydralisk) - 50% damage to small
Concussive(ghost) - 25% damage to large
There is more to it than this but you can see by the numbers that it is critical to understand which units are using which damage type and what unit sizes are what.
The size can be deceptive, a Wraith is the same size as a Battlecruiser(large) but a Mutalisk is small. It is very important to learn unit sizes as well instead of assuming.
Range and Speed are also important to know as well, ofc.
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Learning common Build Orders is another very important thing. There is a ton to explain about build orders so it is something you will have to research.
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Watch Pro Play Replays ingame
Learn Every Units Damage Type
Learn Every Units Unit Size
Learn and Research Build Orders
If you follow these steps you will become a much better player at SC but nothing beats actual hands on practice with 1v1.
There is much, much more and as I think of it I will update this post.
*Edit:
On the website scmscx dot com you can find Use Map Settings maps designed to help practice. These are incredibly useful.
UMS maps like worker split, muta micro, and even ling defense can be hugely beneficial to learning SC in a non-competetive environment where the pressure isnt so high.
Based off my replies there, I’m commenting on how they feel callouts should be allowed on the forums.
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Introduction:
Depends what you want to do…
I watched pretty much every lecture video of starcraft and i can say you, even though many gave me knowledge and somewhat improved something.
I would argue that there far better ways to improve. Lets face it most videos are a waste of time because you are not actually playing the game.
And they take away stuff you may find by yourself while playing, things which are important because they keep it fresh while playing/ grinding the game.
You should ask yourself what do you want just getting better in game ? As fast as possible humiliate otherplayers online with your improved skill?
climbing up the ladder to prove something to yourself? Be part of the community ? Get some sort of success or recognizion to be part of the 1 procent high ups? Be part of the Arty and friends? Or the We want to improve and be part of the CPL? Or just love the game? Beat one custom map after an other? Beat the campaign as fast and skillfull as possible?
Minimal APM total effectivness? Make maps to beat or create?
If you want to really improve the idea of “What should I watch as far as videos and instruction to better my game.”
Is already wrong.
Other people telling you what you need to do to play a certain way can only take you so far, but ask yourself how can i improve at the game?
Build yourself a strong foundation, because once you venture to get ideas you will not have that foundation, it will be foreign ideas which are not yours. As such you will not take them as your core ideas and your Subconscious will reject them.
What is Starcraft and how can i be better?
Starcraft is a RTS, but what does that mean?
It means mechanical precise inputs are essential.
→ APM, but only effective when they are precise and actually do stuff. Just like when you are typing a text. Typing a text fast will not make you faster, because you will make many missclicks and waste time correcting them.
As such you need to be clean and push a little to be faster without making missclicks.
Effectiveness:
You need reduce your mouse clicks and use them for stuff that cant be done by others things as such you need a good hotkey system for all the races. Since later you will need to play others races to improve as well. Make yourself a hotkey system and as the time goes by you will improve on it slowly. Things to consider:
(If you dont want to think just take the normal English version hotkey system, since it was used before remastered and when host of custom games check no custom hotkeys, they cant screw you. Though iam not sure what kind of playing you will be doing. ) An other thing is with time you will change equipment as such hotkeys system need to change too, because keyboards and desks,etc. are different… Personally i would recomende you to make it as easy as you can and dont use hotkey systems of some of the celebrities of this community. (Each person has its history you can take things of them, but never just copy it is bad for you).
Graphical interface:
You want to have one set up you go to, this is based on your PC things and the in- game settings. This is important because it influences the mouse consistency,etc.
-Resolution
-Aspect ratio
-Centered or not(basicly if your resolution is using this amount of pixels or is matching the aspect ratio of the resolution) . Remember each screen is different, different size of pixels,etc.
- Windowed or not
- Fullscreen with border or not,etc.
- Console with minimap left corner or more to the sidecenter - Cartoon version, HD version, free version, bars on side or not
-which console
-dpi of mouse the lower the better but keep so that you are comfortable, (example:i have that my mouse goes from left to right screen completly in like 2/3 of left to right of my mouse pad and bottom to top completly with bottom to top of 1/3 of mouse pad. ) Under no circumstance you want to go on the high dpi hype train used to sell mouses. ( i like logitech mouse, but use whatever you want Logitech 203 ok software and its other similar versions and the more expensive ones are the ones i like. These days using the superlight pro x but the software is pretty bad, which also used by pro gamers in korea like Zelot,etc. ) Generally you want a mouse that is light, doesnt have many buttons because you they may be in the way and you definitely dont want to press buttons you dont want to and a mouse that is handy to move with pace. As that you need a mousepad or some surface where you can move your mouse without hiccups…
First thing is to shut down mouse acceleration in windows and put the right setting in starcraft for the mouse… Most often check mouse hardware and shut down “replicate old broodwar feeling” that is if you dont play it. Because it is pretty weird. But when you go back to old broodwar the mouse behaves differently so if you want that probably keep it.
Mouse acceslartion should be 50 procent in starcraft and windows. Though, Starcraft is not affected by windwos in that regard.
-Keyboards really complex topic, but you grab what you can. It shouldnt move while clicking. Keep cables in check or just use wireless.
-The game:
Protoss the OP race least apm required but most buggy units by far, needs good knowledge and unit micro to be effective. Simcity is essential ( so units can just be created and move and not be stuck. Honestly one of the most rewarding things if you like to build your base layout. Just like Simcity or whatever. Also needs the fastest pylons to recreate.
Zerg: Basicly no simcity if you compare it to the other races. Yet, you still need it many situation. Worst economy in the game, just remake the drones after making the building. Zerg is a very different than the other two races.
Basicly, if you play the other two you will be ok playing between them. But the skill and way you play zerg makes a lot harder to play as Terran and Protoss. Zerg is like an all-in race, a drone race, a race that can remake instantly, but is a nightmare to move all units in late game or in certain situation. It has the most responsive units in the game, but you effectively need to read the game correctly otherwise you lose in very frustrating ways.
You always play on the knifes each trying to greed out the most or trying to surprise the most. I think it needs the most multitasking in a certain way.
Terran: The best race in game at the top top level and the bottom bottom level. Literally the turtle race. Best race for small maps most of the time, has the ultimate 200 200 army. A glass army that becomes unbeatable the biggers it becomes. Each unit unlimited potential, unmatched versatility and dont forget the most important thing with the stupidest worker. And the cheapest, versatile, and often most overpowered unit if used smartly and microed well. Autowin in base trades, overfilled bases so you need a even better simcity, base layout than protoss, walling even more essential than protoss and they have maphack. Needs the most apm to function.
Fundamentals:
1.Split workers/make them mine effective
2. Make workers -yes
- No
3. Suppl? → Need → make supply
→ Dont need
4.Money-> yes → make building->Greed or defence or tech or units
->No
5.scout what is going on? what is the plan, what is opponent doing or the situation, can i do something to block it or get on opponent nerves.
6.Army state, should i do something with it, attack defend -yes
-no
7. General situation Is there a problem can improve it ? Nervous- >control breathing, Sound to loud → lower, lag-> higher latency, mouse to slow increase accelaration a bit, Save location not right save new,rally wrong. 'Unit no where put it in a better position, Not sitting right-> sit right, Hotkey wrong correct.
Look at the MINIMAP.
REPEAT THE CYCLE
Build orders:
Are essentially recipes that tell you the best way, fastest way or a way to do something. This will improve your play by a lot, but it will never as good when you cant back it up with the mechanics behind. Because they are not autowins, but just a concrete plan of actions with a target, that may never happen, needs to change or doesnt end the game.
How to get a build ordER? Just take a video, replay of someone, hopefully with a certain level of skill, though you can do it from anyone and write down what he does. You can go very loose or super detailed.
Depends how deep you want to go, or can. Remember after that you want to practise this build order in singleplayer, essentially you can go quite like
very long, but realisticly you need benchmarks. And the longer the build, the more it will not happen and you want to focus on the earlier parts more. That is why getting a detailled build from someone really good, really detailed is good practise. But remember not all builds are as effective and may start with the simple ones with not many typs of units and not to long.
For example getting a build for some spell caster at such 7,40 time will not bring you anything, because you will not know how to use it effective or anything. As such you need to start super simple, most units you will not need. Like you can win and improve a lot in effectiveness with 1 attacking unit lets say zealots for toss, zergling for Zerg, and vultures or marines for Terran.
You can also make your own build order and improving it game by game. Which helps against the frustration and makes every loss more enjoyable.
Micro unit handling
There are many units and quirks and tricks, unit moving and attacking is not easy. You can use build order that focus on certain units to train those situations, and custom maps that help to train different areas.
Playing with other people:
Of course, playing with better players is generally better for practice, because it can show you were you are lacking. The problem though is that often it can lead to frustration, specially when those people dont care a bit about you. Often this improvement groups can have over lasting trauma, which destroys all the fun for you and makes you feel miserable. Further, when you enter such group most of these people are highly competitive and will run you over, waste your time for their practice but give you no pointers what so ever. Best thing is to just socialize as much has needed get your practice games and run away as fast possible. Repeat. Dont fall into the trap of trying to help people, trying to fit in, or normalize certain toxic behaviors of certain key persons that use this groups as their way to excess power and their stupid no fun zone.
-Playing with people much lower skill can have benefits, but will not challenge you as much.
Best thing is to have your routines and not fall into overusing time into one thing. Not to much fastest, BGH,etc. Not to much strange custom games,etc.
Either way, try to get the mechanic routines, follow the build orders as long as possible and challenge yourself again and again.
Practise partners are essential, because “LADDER” is nothing consistent.
Ladder is dominated with Protoss players, and there are so many different maps, play styles, Random as a race, different Turn rates, etc.
But you can get whatever race and maybe you practised one match up, and doesnt help because that day there wasnt that match up so much … Or it came that special map with a certain feature that total changes the game.
You basicllly want to do your own thing and practise whatever on ladder with the restrictions it has, and that is why fundamentals help a lot. Even though it may not give you the best results for a very long time on ladder.
Meta game:
This is essentially the stuff that people know, use or think. This may be some new build order that is trending used by a certain race on a certain map, which lets you counter it because you are expecting it and getting an advantage out of that knowledge. OR playing with a unit composition and a certain build, that is not trending/meta and as such is not expected from the opponent and harder to deal with because they are not used to play vs this composition.
On a more broader way, as an example, it could also be something like when there was found a new bug that made scv able to fly over the map, which was abused by many people to climb the ladder or just have some fun. With people adapting, and just making super fast defences when they suspect the other person being one of those “climbers” and stopping SCVs flying rushes, proxy barracks or in their bases barracks out of nowhere,etc.
In more normal situations, it also lets you deduce which build the opponent is doing or not doing. By reading the timings, which could only be a certain build,but cant be that other build. This is also abusable, in the way that i can show you certain things and you think it is that, but it isnt. Or you see something and i still continue with the same plan even though you already know iam doing it.
It is the fact that you see unis at a certain time and know what build order it is, like magic.
-Multitasking:
The ability to do many things at the same time or briefly after an other, while coming from one thing to the other. This is like you are attacking a base, while shortly producing units with hotkeys, while attacking or having the screen over the attacking area. It is changing your production area, when you think the Opponent will collapse if you keep the pressure. It is attacking with a group of air units briefly retreat and sending works to mine, than switching back to air units and keep attacking. It is scouting with 1 worker while essentially building your base without losing that worker and keeping scouting. It is keeping track of your upgrades and instantly as fast possible start the next on in sight of the great scheme of things. Changing hotkeys constantly, switching rally area to an other in seconds. Keeping an Eye on the minimap every so often to react to threats and stuff, a worker trying to build a ninja base,etc.
Prepared for battle:
Lets face it, knowing the map it a huge advantage, it can be fun to play on unknow maps, but most of the time it ends it frustration. Small maps details can make a huge difference. Maybe you wall isnt tight an opponents, ai units or whatever just walk through. Maybe it is a island map, but you didnt know it …, maybe it is “user settings” “normal map”, but opponent hosted a crack version, where he/she/it starts with 8 small, stacked 80 minerals block next to his Ressource gathering facility that will be mined before you ever can scout him and give him an unimaginable advantage. Each map can play different and if you want to play your game you need know the map. Play it on single player vs ai, or look at it on a big image, look at it in Scdraft 2, if it isnt protected. Try your wall, sim city, etc. and be prepared.
Latency, game speed, Mcdonald WIFI:
The game speed is Fastest in multiplayer, though you can alter it hosting, speed it up with certain commands in the title of the hosting games as well.
Playing with different Turn rates, makes the game quite different, altering unit behavior to your input speed. This can even make it easier for opponents to react to your micro, or let them do more,etc.
Essentially it changes the game and if you ever played that korean pro in lan conditions TR24 or whatever and though you had a chance because you beat him in some laggy game you will get quite the surprise.
Even the micro of units like Mutalisk can become difficult, specially for the lower players, but it also can make certain build less effective because of lagg and make you change your build to different units or a total different plan. You will be conditioned to certain reaction time of a attack of a unit and in different delays this changed, even certain commands you make can be not registered like making supply. This is why playing online can be hard for consistency, you maybe look for visuals cues or look at how units move,etc.
Macro
To build stuff. As mentioned base layout is essential here, also in connection with apm a clean base layout lets you be faster macroing up. Rally points are a massive thing as well, to prevent strange strange unit dancing in your base and have a drop point where you can go fast and select the things/units you want. An other component is to expand in time and have the right supply at the right moment. Not blocking your unit paths, or blocking only for the opponent. Having the right hotkeys on your buildings to macro while you are in the middle of the battle. And it goes on…
Walling:
What buildings next to each other you need to build to survive or have an massive advantage, super important for all races. But the core for Terran for sure. Buildings behave very strange in that you can not know without knowing , if they will shut down certain units or not, even different maps make it hard for experts to know, if the buildings bordering cliffs, eggs, sides will be tight or not, or only leave one hole or not.
Performance enhancement:
It is true, doing a routinely walk, some
exercises, drinking some good water, eating healthy, will boosts your capability, maybe some sunshine at the morning. 'Some fresh air, some nice talking with some nice people. Considering the toll on your body, hands, joins, eyes, wrists,back and arms you should do some relief routine, stretches to keep the game. After all this game is essentially also a attention game, and whoever is able to keep it up can have an advantage.
Mental health:
Never put the game over your social, well being. As fun it is to pretend that you somehow will be a pro, or somehow have a huge success from playing a game or this game. In the long run it will not. Since the decadence will also come to bite you later in the game itself, with negativity, bad playing, health issues, and ultimately not achieving your goals.
You need to rest your eyes, your soul and body. And ultimately you will enjoy playing more, if you are healthy and have a healthy relation with yourself and your surrounding. You need your rest, some sunshine, some water, some good food, fresh air and pauses. Either way you will get what you deserve.
At the end Consistency
always wins…
look up stuff there not all is allways correct, but most. htps://liquipedia.net/starcraft/AfreecaTV/StarCraft_League_Remastered/16
day9 complete starcraft beginner pack htps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3W4c8U4SDU
Casts of more or less insteresting games to see dynamic good cast, if you just want to rip off the build put the sound off. htps://www.youtube.com/@ArtosisCasts
zerg korean pro htps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZHBZUrLKMoL6FxpvdRzhKA
Terran korean pro htps://www.youtube.com/@HotubeLight
Protoss korean pro htps://www.youtube.com/@tv4776/videos
high level matches htps://www.youtube.com/@ETALENT-TV
Custom maps to practise different stuff htps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec45faHmD_g
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