Mental Strategy #1: Introduction

I have run three seperate Mental Strategy sections on two different webpages. Each one of the mental strategy sets have been different in the basis behind their thoughts and their messages that are being sent out to the community. I believe that before I start documenting more mental strategies at this site at this time I should explain the basis of my train of thought for this series.

The first set of strategies which are located here at Starcraft Millennium, at http://www.scmillennium.com/ment.shtml were focused apon details that included preparing for several different game types, the races and the such. I also focused on moral issues such as How to deal with the Newbie and things that I found were problems at the time in the community, including my suggestions. I also took a harder look at attitude, talking about the means of thinking, being confident and the such. In 1999, the key word to describe everything was the word that started this description and that 100% simply, was preparation.

The second set of strategies are located at our affiliate Starcraft Legacy in their strategy section at http://www.sclegacy.com/sections.php?op=listarticles&secid=1 listed underneath as Strategical Intellect focused a lot on the basic details of Starcraft. Teaching the thoughts and the actions behind the most basic moves and details that each player thinks about during a game. I looked at Multitasking, a common tool that players use in every game of Starcraft. I looked at the Art of Expansion and the Art of Deception which are two things that a player is trying to do in every game of SC. You expand to give yourself a mental advantage and you attempt to confuse/trick your opponent so your attacks work perfectly. These articles will be continued to be written and will go into a lot more of these means. They will be teaching you the mechanics/thoughts behind more of the advanced SC manuevers in the game of Starcraft. This set had to deal a lot with the "Strategical Know-how, and improvements."

This will be my third set of mental strategies and it seems like it would be quite difficult to produce a third set of strategies considering that the two above are quite important to the means of how a player like yourself plays the game of Starcraft. However, there is one major thing that I have forgotten about in preparation and the strategical know-how. With preparation you will be prepared for what to do in a game of SC, you will have a thought of what to do. Using the Strategical Know-how you understand the manuevers that will help get you to that goal. You've prepared, you know the strategical know-how, but that isn't everything to the game of Starcraft. The third set of strategies will be focusing a lot on Judgement. A player in a game of Starcraft has to determine periods of time DURING a game in which they need to adapt their strategy, or when to take a risk in their game that could kill them.

Let me take a simple example to explain this thought.

In my first set, I taught you how to prepare for the opening of a game of Starcraft, through the discussion and the thought of the strategies that you are going to use on that specific map. You understand that you will need to expand in the game of Starcraft at a certain time in the game. However, my strategies have left you clueless apon one thing. How do you know when to execute the manuever for the expansion. Is there a possible method of judgement? And indeed there is. It varies from player to player. Some people believe that expansions are only meant to be done at a time during or directly after a major battle occurs. Others expand when they reach a specific number of drones or probes. Or in some people's case they even expand whenever they feel like they need the minerals/gas to do more. Or do you scout the map and make a "judgement" call apon whether you need to expand based apon the # of expansions your opponent has? That's just a sample of many situations in a game in which a specific judgement will come back to help you or haunt you.

It will all make more sense when you start to read some of the documentation I will be preparing. If you've never read any of my previous mental strategies, please do. You'll start to understand things about the game of Starcraft, that you might not of ever thought of, or expand your train of thought. And even if you don't read these strategies, you can ask FatBoySr, our SCM/SCX admin about the difference is "mental" attitude of the game of SC has made a difference on how well he plays the game of SC. He's expanded his realms from being a one-strat wonder, to a multi-strat wonder.

This set of strategies I think could be considered some of the most useful, because most people understand the basics of preparation or just completely neglect it. Most people understand the terms and understand the basis behind the strategical knowhow. However, I will guarantee that each of us at one time or another has regretted a move we've made in the game of SC. Made a huge attack at the wrong time, and was countered quickly. Or neglected to attack and allowed the opponent to take over the map? It's difficult, and it's hard for me to give you a 100% difinitive answer of the correct method to follow. However, I have developed some basic systems that should help players.

Just remember, there are 2 types of players. The first are players who are good and who know they are good, and the second are players who are good and know they can be better. It's like a simple science experiment. Who will be the smarter person? The one who went to High School, or the one who went to High School and College? I think you understand.

Welcome to the 3rd Revolution of Mental Documentation,

-SpaceDominator(8/12/01)