StarCraft 2 - 7 Easy Tips to Winning With Zerg, Protoss, and Terran

Winning in Starcraft is much easier than many believe. The truth is that many players are simply unaware to basic game mechanics that will give most new players a 90 % win rate in bronze all the way to top ten in diamond league. There is just a few simple tips that one must remember in order to do this. Here are 7 tips that will change your game play so much you wont believe it was that simple.

1. Picking your Race: There is much debate about which race is the easiest to play out of bronze and up to diamond. The truth is any race can be played and win games with, as long as the player is comfortable. But, honestly in my opinion it will be much easier for a player to master protoss than zerg or terran. This is due to the straight forward nature of protoss. As for terran you can still reach the same levels as you would with protoss but it will be more difficult for you to compete once u reach diamond and above. Finally zerg will take a deeper understanding of the game alongside a grasp on game mechanics in order win consistently

2. MACRO!, MACRO!, MACRO!: The term macro which refers to hotkeying your units or structures by holding down Ctrl and pressing a numerical number. this will allow you to control the unit or structure while not having to click on it or even be looking at it. So you can focus on attacking while still building workers and sending reinforcements to aid in the battle

3. Workers win games: It is a must to constantly produce workers through the game till all expansions are saturated with 20 workers on minerals and 6 on gas. The key to winning is a strong economy hands down

4. Scouting: Many low level players do not scout nearly enough, by watching what your opponent is building, you are able to prepare for the units he is using. Rather than being surprised when he knocks on your back door with 40 void rays and your forces are on other side of map

5. Map control: this is achieved by having units in all areas of map especially expansion zones. furthermore, this aided by having multiple expansions all across map.

6. Controlling opponents economy: You will win every single game you play if you can prevent your opponent from expanding his economy. As long as u keep building units and preventing him from expanding you will starve him to defeat

7. Keeping up with supply: One of the worst mistakes a player can do is supply block himself by not building enough pylons, supply depot's, or overlords. this will severely cripple your unit out put as well as worker output and in return gives your enemy enemy the upper hand. NEVER become supply blocked

These tips will greatly improve your game to the higher leagues, and they will amaze you. If you want to see my complete guide to winning with Full strategy analysis for every race, as well as powerful build orders that will crush your opponent at http://sc2pro.blogspot.com/

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StarCraft 2 Review

Players can make their own maps with the included map editor, but unlike the first StarCraft, the only way to distribute them is through Battle.net, where they are screened for objectionable content and security risks. This is very convenient, but it is more limiting than the open mapmaking tools offered with earlier Blizzard titles.

Multiplayer match types include 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, and free-for-all. You can also set up cooperative matches against the AI.

Old School vs. New School

Many recent RTS games have de-emphasized building or eliminated it altogether to give players more time to concentrate on controlling combat units which are central to the action. StarCraft 2 hasn't taken this route, so base construction remains a big part of it, and there are no limitations to how many units you can have other than the amount of resources on the map.

The game brings the series up to date graphically and makes many improvements to the interface, but it stays quite true to the gameplay of the original. If you were expecting Wings of Liberty to revolutionize the genre, you maybe disappointed. On the other hand, if you are an old school RTS fan, you'll likely be pleased with the approach Blizzard has taken with StarCraft 2.

Stiff Competition

Starcraft has a long history as one of the most competitive RTS games available, so there are definitely some extremely skilled players on Battle.net, but Blizzard has done everything possible to ease people into the contest. You can skirmish with the AI, which is quite difficult on harder modes, until you are comfortable with the game's controls. They've provided challenge missions as well, which focus on getting you acquainted with particular units and their abilities. There is also an abundance of documentation available if you need more details. On top of all that, you are given 50 unrated practice matches on Battle.net if you want them, so there's plenty of time to learn the ropes before getting serious.

There are a lot of people playing, so once you do jump into the competitive ladders you'll find that Battle.net does a pretty good job of matching you with players of a similar skill level.

Battle.net

Wings of Liberty is intimately entwined with the new Battle.net. It is possible to play the single-player campaign offline, but game achievements are all tied to your Battle.net account. There is also no option for LAN play. You can have a game with friends on your network, but it will still be hosted on Battle.net, so there is no way to take advantage of the low-latency connection a LAN provides. Given that broadband Internet is widespread and LAN parties are a lot less common than they used to be, I doubt the feature will be missed that much.

The playerbase is divided by region, which makes international matches a lot more difficult. If you want to play with friends on different continents, about the only way is to buy multiple copies of the game.

The Bottom Line

While it could be that no game is perfect, StarCraft 2 certainly leaves very little to complain about. Sure, there will be some grumbling about the lack of LAN, the three-part campaign, and the centralization of mod content on Battle.net, but these don't detract significantly from the core game, which is first-rate by any standard. The single-player campaign is very robust and I suspect that people will be wrapped up in multiplayer StarCraft 2 for years to come. You'd be hard pressed to find a more finely crafted and beautifully presented RTS game.

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StarCraft 2 Preview

Review Date: Mar 1 2010
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: RTS

A sequel to StarCraft, perhaps the most highly-regarded multiplayer real-time strategy (RTS) game of all time, is no small event. It's hard to understate the impact that StarCraft had on the genre, or the dedication of the incredible cult following that has grown around the game in the decade since its release, especially in Korea. In that country, StarCraft matches can be followed on TV 24/7, and the top players are national heroes. For professional RTS gamers looking to win tournaments, it is the undisputed favorite.

Well, here we are some 12 years after the original game launched, and StarCraft 2 is undergoing multiplayer beta testing. These are my first impressions of Blizzard's latest RTS game.

A Bit of Background

There are 3 dramatically different races in StarCraft: Terran, Zerg, and Protoss. The story behind this is set in a distant part of the galaxy hundreds of years in the future, after Earth's government decides to ship thousands of prisoners into space. These exiles end up missing their destination, but they find a planet, rebuild their technology, and call themselves Terrans. The Terrans come to realize that they are not alone; two hostile alien races threaten their new home. The Zerg are an insectoid species that can reproduce very rapidly, and the Protoss are highly-advanced aliens with powerful technology.

The story doesn't play a big role in the multiplayer game, but the 3 races remain intact in StarCraft 2. These races aren't different just in terms of appearance, but also in terms of gameplay; they have completely different units and require different strategies. You will likely find yourself getting attached to one of the races and honing your skills accordingly.

The Competitive Edge

As I implied earlier, there is an intense level of competition surrounding StarCraft and several of Blizzard's other games. StarCraft skills carry over into StarCraft 2 quite well, even though many of the units are different and some of the mechanics have changed. The top players dissect strategies for each side down to the most minute details. They know exactly how many units of a certain type it takes to counter a given number of enemy units of a certain type. They know how long it takes to construct this and research that. They also have all the game's shortcut keys memorized, and they're capable of robotically crunching out hundreds of game actions per minute.

While it has a lot in common with other RTS titles, it can all be pretty daunting for new players, and you'll probably find yourself getting your butt kicked repeatedly at first. If you do manage to crush someone, chances are it's me, because I evidently suck at StarCraft. Of course, this isn't everyone's idea of "fun," but you can take heart in the fact that there is considerable help at hand, including tech trees and tool tips that explain roughly what each unit is capable of. Those who find the leagues too brutal can hook up with their (hopefully less dedicated) friends for an unrated match.

I should also note that, because this is beta and the pool of players is relatively small, the matchmaking system is configured to pair opponents off quickly rather than create the most even match possible. This will be adjusted as the number of players in the beta grows, and should work a lot better by the time the game gets released.

StarCraft in 3D

One of the most striking differences between this game and its predecessor are the graphics. The original goes way back to the 2D era and makes little use of the computer technology available today. StarCraft 2 brings the visuals up to speed with what other RTS games have been offering for some time now. You can enjoy a full compliment of lighting effects and high-resolution textures with a beefy system. Maxed out it's a bit much for my aging graphics card, but it runs very smoothly on medium settings and still looks good. In Blizzard tradition the animation is exceptional, and just watching a building get constructed can be cool (if you have the time).

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StarCraft 2 Review

Review Date: August 21 2010
Publisher: Blizzard Enertainment
Developer: Blizzard Enertainment
ESRB Rating: Teen
Genre: Real-time Strategy Game
Platforms: Windows, Mac

It has been many years since Blizzard released an RTS game and more than a decade since the original StarCraft came out, but the long wait for StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty is finally over. Sequels can be risky because some people want unique and innovative changes, while others want the game to stay close to its roots, which, after all, bought about the franchise's popularity in the first place. StarCraft 2 manages to walk a fine line between the old and the new that is likely to go over well with both long-time fans and those that are just introducing themselves to the IP.

Although the single-player campaign will be broken into three parts, one for each race, the multiplayer component of Wings of Liberty is complete. As in the original, you play as either Terran, Protoss, or Zerg, three races that are dramatically different from one another, both in how they look and how they play.

Terran

Featured in the single-player campaign in Wings of Liberty, the Terran are technologically advanced human descendants. Terrans have fewer limitations on building spots than the other races, because Protoss can only build near pylons and Zerg need creep to build on. Terran supply depots make handy walls and can be lowered to allow friendly troops through.

Although they still have Battlecruisers, Ghosts, and Marines, Terrans have several new units in StarCraft 2. Firebats are replaced by Marauders, which have an attack that slows the enemy and does high damage to armored units. The Banshee is a new air unit that can only attack ground targets, and the Thor is a large mechanical walker that makes quite an impression on the battlefield.

Protoss

The Protoss are an advanced alien race with powerful psionic abilities. When playing Protoss you have to plan your construction around pylons, which are needed to increase your unit count. Probes, the Protoss worker unit, summon buildings into position, so they fill requests quickly compared to Terran SCVs. Protoss structures gradually heal themselves, but there is no way to repair or heal Protoss units.

Along with their customary Zealots and Templars, Protoss now has the Colossus, a tall spider-like vehicle armed with lasers that sweep through enemy targets. They've also been granted the Mothership, a costly flying fortress that deals out considerable damage and cloaks friendly units in its proximity.

Zerg

Least like the other races are the Zerg, an alien insectoid species that relies on the strength of numbers to overwhelm the enemy. Most of the Zerg units, including their worker Drones, begin as Larva that spawn from the hatchery. Instead of requistioning Drones directly from the hatchery akin to the other factions, Zerg players need to turn a Larva into Drones, which are then sacrificed when a structure is created.

Zerglings, Mutalisks, and Hydralisks are among the units that remain from the original. New to the field are Roaches, suicidal Banelings, and Overseers, which are like Overlords with different abilities, such as detection.

The Zerg are one of the most unique races ever seen in an RTS game, and it takes a while to adjust to the unusual play style they require. There are a lot of small things Zerg players constantly need to attend to. Both their bases and their units seems to demand more management than the other factions, and they have no structure that makes an effective wall. I'd wager that Zerg are at a slight disadvantage right now, but there is likely to be more balance tweaks in upcoming patches.

Maps and Match Types

There is an incredibly large selection of 52 multiplayer maps that ship with StarCraft 2, typically designed with a certain amount of symetry to ensure that neither side starts with a big advantage. They aren't all available on every Ladder because they have different numbers of starting positions, ranging from 2 to 8.

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