Fighting for Diamond: Season 8 so far and musings

Just before the last ladder lock, about 1 of 6 or 7 players I was matched up with on the ladder were Diamond players. I was even beating them some of the time- of course, there were always the games were I'd get utterly smashed, probably due to superior macro.

I played a lot during the ladder lock, staying at the top of my division, winning some and losing some against Diamond players. Now that Season 8 is here, I've been playing a hell of a lot, and streaming almost all of it so that others can watch me work towards the promotion I want so much, and also so that my more experienced clan-mates can give me pointers and such during my games.

Mom only just recently found out about this 'streaming' thing that I do, but I don't think she knows exactly what it means yet. She thinks it means that she can't come into my room while I'm playing... and she also still thinks this is just some computer game that I spend too much time on.

It's not a GAME, this is competition! And there is no FUN in StarCraft; there is only hard work, practice, and victory or defeat.. and I 'play' this for the sake of improvement and progress, as do so many others in this community.

I'm still a high-Platinum Terran. I have a Master Zerg friend, a Random friend who got promoted to Diamond last season, and another friend who is a high-Diamond Zerg and trying to get promoted.

And then there's me, who is still stuck in Platinum. Is it that I haven't stepped up my macro as much as they have? Or is it that they play Zerg and it's more forgiving/easier to get the hang of macro? Part of me feels this sense of having to catch up.

Only a couple of weeks ago it might have felt like my macro was the biggest issue (though, when isn't it?) but now I feel like I have definitely improved, at least from high-Plat macro to low-Diamond macro, if you can say there's any difference there. Bomber's delayed 2nd gas TvP build really helped a lot, as did starting to do mech in TvZ. My TvZ build still needs a bit of refining to get the Thors out after my initial hellion phase, because mass mutas have been ruining me.

Lately most of my matches vs Diamonds have been games where they do stupid shit, as in non-standard and cheese.
For example, there's the Forge Fast Expanders, where they followed up with a 5 or 6 gate attack and killed me in one game (scouting fail).

In another game where the Protoss FFE'd, they went 2 base, 2 robo, mass Colossus. I had never seen so many Colossi in even a standard game before, and the only way I could've seen myself winning that was to do some kind of early timing attack when they were defending with 2 sentries, a couple of zealots, a cannon and a wall on TDA. -.-

Then in another game I died to mass banelings (good at killing bases, if inefficient...) and there was also the game where I got baneling busted off 2base and didn't see it coming...

I was thinking that maybe I should scan more, even though it feels like I always need the minerals from MULEs... guess it's better than dying.

So, I have been scanning Zergs more than usual. I just need to remember to do it for the other races and maybe I'll hit Diamond sometime soon, before I go crazy.

Cokefreak Finland. June 17 2012 07:44. Posts 5662

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Good luck, you can do it!

I am the 4%, http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=17208214 Also known as Heather~ a cancer to teamliquid and probably a terrible, possibly bed wetting, person.

ZeromuS Canada. June 17 2012 08:12. Posts 8288

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Work hard, you will get diamond one day.

Scan is always better than mules in the lower leagues. If you know whats coming you can defend, if you dont I dont care how much money you have in the bank when you die.

uOttawa SC2 Club/CSL Team join@uostarcraft.com | Will we see a hatchery this game? - Tasteless (Game 2 Naniwa vs. Leenock MLG winter Arena)

ProGamerX Luxembourg. June 17 2012 08:16. Posts 42

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Fast-expanding in PvT, Forge First, is your opponent? lol. ERROR. THERE IS AN ERROR.................... , .. .... . .. . . . . . and approximations are softer

and then they fire the devil, because we all get too high

torm3ntin Brazil. June 17 2012 08:20. Posts 2368

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i`m stuck like u in plat. BUt as long as i keep having fun it doesn`t matter for me.

Grubby and Ret fan, but a TERRAN player :D

Vestrel Canada. June 17 2012 08:32. Posts 266

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On June 17 2012 08:16 ProGamerX wrote:
Fast-expanding in PvT, Forge First, is your opponent? lol. ERROR. THERE IS AN ERROR.................... , .. .... . .. . . . . . and approximations are softer

Usually it's Nexus first then Forge, then Gateway

Froadac United States. June 17 2012 08:58. Posts 5604

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If you need help I could help coach you today/tomorrow por gratis. (just review a replay or two, identify issues)

Best of luck; D

#1 EGSuppy fan!!

FuGGu United States. June 17 2012 10:14. Posts 176

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Hey keep up the hardwork man! I recently hit masters, and I know how long and tedious league transitions can be...you can do it!!

mizU United States. June 17 2012 10:57. Posts 9977

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Should definitely look into free coaching when you can, it helps a lot, especially with metagame, and builds and the general flow of the game. Mechanics can be improved on your own. ^^

if happy ever afters did exist <3 @watamizu_

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