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Remember also that games are recorded by default. If you lose, consider reviewing the replay and watching what the other player was doing. If they beat you, chances are you can learn from them.
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Remember also that games are recorded by default. If you lose, consider reviewing the replay and watching what the other player was doing. If they beat you, chances are you can learn from them.
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It's never a good idea to forget a learning experience.
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It's never a good idea to forget a learning experience.
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EDIT:
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EDIT:
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On that note, here is my evaluation of that replay (times are approximate):
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On that note, here is my evaluation of that replay (times are approximate):
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1) You dropped your comm first and fairly quickly in pre-battle preparation stage. This suggests you may not have taken much time to think about the map and the sorts of tactics it will favour. That said:
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1) You dropped your comm first and fairly quickly in pre-battle preparation stage. This suggests you may not have taken much time to think about the map and the sorts of tactics it will favour. That said:
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2) I noted both of you went cloak, a fair choice on that map. While a bot factory, it has units that are fast enough to run around the map quickly which is good when it is a wide open field.
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2) I noted both of you went cloak, a fair choice on that map. While a bot factory, it has units that are fast enough to run around the map quickly which is good when it is a wide open field.
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3) Your opponent builds first from his factory, you are many seconds behind. By the time your first scythe (we'll come onto this in a bit) comes out, your opponent has 3 glaives.
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3) Your opponent builds first from his factory, you are many seconds behind. By the time your first scythe (we'll come onto this in a bit) comes out, your opponent has 3 glaives.
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4) In the first minute you squander resources on an unaffordable caretaker and advanced radar. Caretakers will only help you build faster if you have more income, they do not just magically increase rate of build as similar structures might in other games.
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4) In the first minute you squander resources on an unaffordable caretaker and advanced radar. Caretakers will only help you build faster if you have more income, they do not just magically increase rate of build as similar structures might in other games.
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a) Zero-K has a streaming economy - resources pour in at a steady rate based on the number and value of metal extractors you control. Similarly every construction unit including caretakers drains resources at a steady rate. There isn't much point in building caretakers unless you have more than 20 metal/second (m/s) income: the caretaker will drain 10m/s alongside the 10m/s your factory does.
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a) Zero-K has a streaming economy - resources pour in at a steady rate based on the number and value of metal extractors you control. Similarly every construction unit including caretakers drains resources at a steady rate. There isn't much point in building caretakers unless you have more than 20 metal/second (m/s) income: the caretaker will drain 10m/s alongside the 10m/s your factory does.
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b) BASIC radar used to be an almost mandatory build until commanders were given radar by default in a recent patch. Advanced radar is very rarely worth the trouble. When you do need large area coverage, you're better off with a net of basic radar.
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b) BASIC radar used to be an almost mandatory build until commanders were given radar by default in a recent patch. Advanced radar is very rarely worth the trouble. When you do need large area coverage, you're better off with a net of basic radar.
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5) By 1 min 30 seconds, your opponent has built 5 metal extractors to your one, and has more energy income. The outcome is likely sealed at this point. Economy is crucial: if you're pumping enough resources, it doesn't matter how much you lose.
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5) By 1 min 30 seconds, your opponent has built 5 metal extractors to your one, and has more energy income. The outcome is likely sealed at this point. Economy is crucial: if you're pumping enough resources, it doesn't matter how much you lose.
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6) You get raided and lose your first expansion constructor at about 1 min 50. This seems to deter you from attempting any further expansion.
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6) You get raided and lose your first expansion constructor at about 1 min 50. This seems to deter you from attempting any further expansion.
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7) Between about 2 mins 30 and 3 minutes, you make your first offensive move by trying to knock out some economy. However, Scythes are micro-management intense units. Simply leaving them to hit things will simply result in losing them, as happened here. It was easily intercepted and destroyed.
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7) Between about 2 mins 30 and 3 minutes, you make your first offensive move by trying to knock out some economy. However, Scythes are micro-management intense units. Simply leaving them to hit things will simply result in losing them, as happened here. It was easily intercepted and destroyed.
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8) By 4 minutes, your opponent has about 2x more income than you do. You do a bit more poking with scythes but again to little effect. They are taken apart by defenders, doing only light damage.
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8) By 4 minutes, your opponent has about 2x more income than you do. You do a bit more poking with scythes but again to little effect. They are taken apart by defenders, doing only light damage.
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I could go on, but the outcome was sealed early.
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I could go on, but the outcome was sealed early.
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That is no surprise of course, and no shame to you, you were matched against a considerably more experienced player. Bear in mind the matchmaker is only as good as the material it has to work with and there are often not many players around playing 1v1 matchmaker (I will often get matched against people so much better than me that they stomp me almost as hard as you got stomped).
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That is no surprise of course, and no shame to you, you were matched against a considerably more experienced player. Bear in mind the matchmaker is only as good as the material it has to work with and there are often not many players around playing 1v1 matchmaker (I will often get matched against people so much better than me that they stomp me almost as hard as you got stomped).
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Key lessons to consider:
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Key lessons to consider:
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1) Expand, expand, protect - this means taking mex and balancing offence with defence so that you can deter raiders from your own economy and constructors.
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1) Expand, expand, protect - this means taking mex and balancing offence with defence so that you can deter raiders from your own economy and constructors.
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2) Build what you can afford - light raiders like glaives will accomplish more for you than heavy ones like scythes and at less cost when you lose them.
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2) Build what you can afford - light raiders like glaives will accomplish more for you than heavy ones like scythes and at less cost when you lose them.
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3) You can build nearly 4 glaives for the cost of a scythe - 4 glaives can be in up to 4 places at once, scouting, identifying and engaging easy targets - or consider point 2, you can have 2 or 3 glaives poking your opponent and 1 to protect a constructor.
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3) You can build nearly 4 glaives for the cost of a scythe - 4 glaives can be in up to 4 places at once, scouting, identifying and engaging easy targets - or consider point 2, you can have 2 or 3 glaives poking your opponent and 1 to protect a constructor.
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| 35 |
None
of
this
is
easy,
but
if
this
was
an
easy
game,
you
probably
wouldn't
have
people
around
who
have
been
playing
for
years.
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35 |
None
of
this
is
easy,
but
if
this
was
an
easy
game,
you
probably
wouldn't
have
people
around
who
have
been
playing
for
years.
They'd
have
moved
on
long
ago.
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Can't wait to forget my first multiplayer battle...