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[G] Why you should play ladder on two accounts

Forum Index > Brood War Strategy
 
 vOdToasT   Sweden. August 03 2012 15:16. Posts 1567
Profile Blog # 
This guide will not be about an in game strategy, but I still think it belongs in the strategy forum because it's an approach to learning and improving at StarCraft.

In 2009 - 2010, I was a B+ level Protoss user. I recently came back and switched to Zerg, and after only a few weeks using this technique, I reached B-. I am currently rising in rating and expect to reach B soon. I improved much faster now than I did before, even after I had already learned the fundamentals and was focusing solely on strategy.

The jump from C+ to B- took much longer back then than it did now using this method. Also, this guide is not intended for complete beginners. It is intended for people who have reached a certain rank, but have never managed to get further.








First, you make an account normally. Play completely seriously. Play to win, using the strategies you are most comfortable with. Pick the maps you are most comfortable with. When you reach a point where opponents start getting really hard, you make another account. If your highest rank was C-, stop here.

Now, you will play on a different type of map, using different types of strategies. For example, if you are a Protoss user who has trouble with PvZ on 4 player maps because the Zerg takes a fast third, then a fourth behind it, and turtles until hive, you would have picked maps where that wasn't possible on your first account. Maps like Blue storm, that force the Zerg to fight your army head on with lair tech.

On your second account, you will only play on 4 player maps. This will force you to deal with that Zerg style. You can also try going corsair reaver and other strategies that you are uncomfortable with.

If you're a zerg user, you may have been avoiding maps where the hive turtle style was impossible. Now is the time to play on maps you have a hard time on, and to do new strategies. If you were relying on timing attacks and all ins, play more safe and standard. If you were defending until hive, start playing other styles like neo sauron zerg.




You may be wondering why you can't just do all of this on one account. The reason is that if you start branching out to other maps and styles, you will lose games, which will bring you down in rating, making you play against worse players. If you then go back to your main style / map choice, you will roll them over easily. By playing on two accounts, you can face the best opposition possible on your strongest map, using your most refined strategy, while at the same time learning other styles and maps vs the best opposition possible for you while you are on a lower level of play due to being handicapped by a map or style you're less comfortable with. Furthermore, while attempting to learn new strategies, it can be very beneficial to play vs worse players.

This podcast by Day9 explains why: www.teamliquid.net/staff/intrigue/Day90006PlayAgainstWorsePlay.mp3
Transcript:+ Show Spoiler +

I'm going to give you some examples for how this has helped me. I'm a Zerg user who plays Protoss vs other Zergs because I dislike ZvZ. In ZvT I often go crazy zerg (muta ling into hive with no lurkers). If this was all I did, I'd be screwed if the maps of the week changed to maps where this style was inferior to the standard style. I would also have a disadvantage playing vs the same player multiple times in a row, so on another account I play the standard style, on maps where the standard style is superior.

The end result is that I maximize the efficiency of my training of both styles, and in the end, no matter what map I am forced to play on (due to map of the week or tournament map pools), I can pick the best strategy for the map (and for my opponent).

I also do the same thing for ZvP. On some maps, you can take a fast third, a 4th behind it, and defend your 4 bases while you tech to hive. On other maps, you have to fight with lurker ling hydra for a while, and then add defilers, with ultralisks being very delayed. On some maps, both styles are viable.

This method works for every race. Protoss can alternate between corsair reaver and reaver-less strategies, and experiment with fast reavers. Terran can alternate between mech and bio (picking the best maps for both styles, of course) in TvZ. If all you ever do is play bio and you're forced to play on Destination, you may have wished you learned mech.

Even if all you play is Fighting Spirit and you have one strategy for each matchup, doing this can still help you. You learn so much more about the way the races and matchups work by looking at it from different angles. It reveals new facts that can actually help you when you play your original standard strategy. For example, if you learn the lair based ZvP style, you will know when it's good. On which maps, in which situations, etc. On a map where both lair based strategies and fast hive are viable, this will let you decide to do it in reaction to your protoss opponent, even if you originally intended to turtle until hive. Sometimes one style is just a better answer to what your opponent is doing. You have to be flexible! Playing a different style also makes you look at a matchup from a different angle, which can reveal a weakness in the enemy race that your original strategy can exploit, thus making you better at your main strategy. Also, it's fun. You get to play StarCraft differently without messing up your main accounts ranking.

Summary: If you are C- level while playing one style, but C playing another, play one style on one account and another style on another account. This way you can train more efficiently. If you just switched style, you would start falling down to C-. If you then switched back halfway down, you would be playing vs worse opponents and winning easily with the strategy you use the most and are most comfortable with, which isn't good for improvement.

Please comment and give me your thoughts, wether you agree or not. Criticism is welcome. :D
Last edit: 2012-08-03 19:29:25
If you see an amazing game, or moment within a game, on any Twitch.tv Brood War stream, PM me a link to the archived vod, tell me when it happens, and I'll upload that part as a clip to Youtube.
Old Post

 
 [sc1f]eonzerg   Spain. August 03 2012 16:39. Posts 1491
Profile Blog # 
4/5 good job
Old Post

 
 EnjoYmE   Germany. August 03 2012 17:37. Posts 211
Profile # 
nowadays we need to play an account to the point where are no opponents and start a new one -.- (just my iccup impression)
Old Post

 
 SnowFantasy   August 03 2012 18:10. Posts 3658
Profile Blog # 
Yeah, I do this kind of thing and it is great.
Old Post

 
 vOdToasT   Sweden. August 03 2012 18:47. Posts 1567
Profile Blog # 

On August 03 2012 17:37 EnjoYmE wrote:
nowadays we need to play an account to the point where are no opponents and start a new one -.- (just my iccup impression)


You can do this on Fish, too. You certainly do not need to make a new account just to get games on that server.
If you see an amazing game, or moment within a game, on any Twitch.tv Brood War stream, PM me a link to the archived vod, tell me when it happens, and I'll upload that part as a clip to Youtube.
Old Post

 
 Flip9   Germany. August 03 2012 18:57. Posts 151
Profile # 
I have an account where I try new things out and it helps^^
Old Post

  mca64[KDV]   Poland. August 03 2012 19:44. Posts 463Profile # 
vOddy is that You? This zerg had not common build vs terran
http://www.teamliquid.net/video/streams/mca64%5BKDV%5D
Old Post

 
 vOdToasT   Sweden. August 03 2012 19:51. Posts 1567
Profile Blog # 

On August 03 2012 19:44 mca64[KDV] wrote:
vOddy is that You? This zerg had not common build vs terran


Yes
If you see an amazing game, or moment within a game, on any Twitch.tv Brood War stream, PM me a link to the archived vod, tell me when it happens, and I'll upload that part as a clip to Youtube.
Old Post

  Sayle   United Kingdom. August 03 2012 22:37. Posts 2720Profile # 

On August 03 2012 17:37 EnjoYmE wrote:
nowadays we need to play an account to the point where are no opponents and start a new one -.- (just my iccup impression)


And if you have a hard time keeping track of your accounts, just start a team for them!
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=390936
Old Post

 
 stambe   Bulgaria. August 03 2012 23:06. Posts 452
Profile # 

On August 03 2012 18:57 Flip9 wrote:
I have an account where I try new things out and it helps^^


+1 and also the pressure is less when you explore different thing or things you aren't comfortable on a 2nd acc and allows you to learn them faster, while not thinking about screwing your main acc. I've been trying this for a while but never delved into it too much. Nice to see someone explaining it the way the OP did. 5/5 !
Valks rulzz
Old Post

  mca64[KDV]   Poland. August 04 2012 00:17. Posts 463Profile # 
i have one account, no pressure at all (even when im C and play vs D, there is a risk to lost a lot of points, but no risk no fun! Or when i play vs B+ and higher)
http://www.teamliquid.net/video/streams/mca64%5BKDV%5D
Old Post

 
 LRM)TechnicS   Bulgaria. August 04 2012 01:43. Posts 978
Profile # 

On August 03 2012 22:37 Sayle wrote:

Show nested quote +



And if you have a hard time keeping track of your accounts, just start a team for them!


lmwtfao
Enjoy the game
Old Post

 
 sheaRZerg   United States. August 04 2012 03:47. Posts 512
Profile Blog # 

On August 03 2012 22:37 Sayle wrote:
And if you have a hard time keeping track of your accounts, just start a team for them!

Haha...I did that. I used to make new accounts whenever I though of a new name I liked.
"Dude, just don't listen to what I say; listen to what I mean." -Sean Plott
Old Post

 
 ninazerg   United States. August 04 2012 04:54. Posts 1850
Profile Blog # 

On August 04 2012 03:47 sheaRZerg wrote:

Show nested quote +


Haha...I did that. I used to make new accounts whenever I though of a new name I liked.


I just have one account where I added all my alternate names as friends.
Holder of Excalibur, savior of Eria.
Old Post

 
 CaffeineFree-_-   United States. August 04 2012 08:46. Posts 641
Profile Blog # 
Ah mah gawd. G2G.voddy. I remember when my BW career took off and I shot from C- to C+/B- i ran into you on ladder and got stomped. Was the first time in a while I got completely wrecked. I remember every aspect of the game too lol.

Man that was around junior year in high school too. Shiet good times..
We say we love flowers, yet we pluck them. We say we love trees, yet we cut them down. And people still wonder why some are afraid when told they are loved
Old Post

 
 vOdToasT   Sweden. August 04 2012 11:16. Posts 1567
Profile Blog # 

On August 04 2012 08:46 CaffeineFree-_- wrote:
Ah mah gawd. G2G.voddy. I remember when my BW career took off and I shot from C- to C+/B- i ran into you on ladder and got stomped. Was the first time in a while I got completely wrecked. I remember every aspect of the game too lol.

Man that was around junior year in high school too. Shiet good times..


Lol

Nice :D
Last edit: 2012-08-04 11:18:55
If you see an amazing game, or moment within a game, on any Twitch.tv Brood War stream, PM me a link to the archived vod, tell me when it happens, and I'll upload that part as a clip to Youtube.
Old Post

 
 TheShimmy   United States. August 08 2012 07:10. Posts 1723
Profile # 
I believe I may start doing this. Although it truly isnt beneficial until reaching about C- or at least high D+.

Hyvaa #1 Fan. Gogo STX, Dear, Bogus, Classic, and Mini! Always a BW fan!
Old Post

 
 pigmanbear   Angola. August 08 2012 23:48. Posts 414
Profile Blog # 
I suppose I could do with a second D- account so I can fail in parallel
Old Post

 
 EnjoYmE   Germany. August 09 2012 04:03. Posts 211
Profile # 

On August 03 2012 22:37 Sayle wrote:
And if you have a hard time keeping track of your accounts, just start a team for them!


sounds like a good method
Old Post

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