Splitting workers

[blupp74]

When I read about the cloning-split, I started using it, and got fairly fast doing it. But it never really felt as fast as it could be.

So I started splitting a different way: I select all 4 workers (after starting a worker building), and right-click on a mineral patch (somewhere in the middle).
I select the 2nd worker in line, as they start moving towards the minerals, and right-click on a mineral patch close by. Then select the 3rd in line, and right-click on another mineral patch.
By this time, the 1st and 4th worker has already reached the first mineral patch, the 1st has started mining it, and the 4th got tired of waiting so he starts mining the patch nearby (which I make sure to not assign to worker 3 and 4). When executed properly, this feels like the fastest way to do it. I never got this fast with the cloning method.

So how do you guys do it? Should I keep this up, or try to become faster with cloning?

[Ahzz]

first I make another probe, then I make em all go to the same patch. then I select one of, them, make it a different patch, second, a different patch, and I'm not sure how I do the last. its either by clicking or cloning. it might be that I also clone all of them after I've selected one go to different patch than the others. I can't remember stuff like that

[blupp74]

first I make another probe, then I make em all go to the same patch. then I select one of, them, make it a different patch, second, a different patch, and I'm not sure how I do the last. its either by clicking or cloning. it might be that I also clone all of them after I've selected one go to different patch than the others. I can't remember stuff like that

Thanks for input, but...you mean you can't remember something you probably do in the beginning of every single game you play? Or do you do it differently every time?
And how do you clone the last one? You don't have them group selected anymore, if you started clicking individual workers...

[Ahzz]

K I actually had'to try it out so that I'd remember. I just select them all one by one.

[MrBobby]

(i play zerg)
i select all workers, right click one mineral patch, then start a new worker building. i then select individual workers and send them to the correct mineral patches. leave one going to the original. i usually get all 3, always 2. so basically like you do it, yes. but then, i'm not pro
anyway. cloning's more useful for things like scourges.

[blupp74]

K I actually had'to try it out so that I'd remember. I just select them all one by one.

You mean you start building a worker, then (while they're just sitting there) click one, right-click mineral, click the next, right-click mineral etc etc?

Doesn't that slow you down in the beginning?
And if I recall from your replays, you have very high apm from the start.
What are you doing to get that apm? Spam only?

[ShadeZ]

No he means he selects them all one at a time once they're allready moving towards the mineral patch

[B.A.Baracus]

I...
Make a drone, use my mouse scroll to select the four initial workers, send them all on one patch, then send the two on another while the group is moving to the min line. I see no real reason to send all drones to different patches, they do a decent job of doing it themselves.
After the split I commence to spamming rally point behind mins, and constantly resetting my hatchery to hot key #1.^^>>

[DragonPraetor]

I select CC first, make Scv, this way if I screw up my split I'm not already doomed...

Then I send all 4 scvs, splitting them to my best, usually I get all 4. After they are all there, I hotkey my CC number 3, and two scvs... Then I spam apm while watching my CC's building times.

[blupp74]

The question ws how you split your workers, which was answered ok, but how you fake your APM is of no interest to me :P

[DragonPraetor]

Yes, but the APM spam is part of my worker split, as it helps me get my workers pumping as quickly as possible. ;)

[Cpt.Chronic]

I will either clone or manually select them on the screen to split them. It just depends on where the miners start in relation to the minerals. For instance, it's easier to clone them at 6 o'clock on LT because the minerals start close to the miners which cause the workers to stack on themselves which makes it harder to select them manually. Also, the fact that the minerals are on the bottom make it easy to scroll from the minerals to the wireframes for deselecting. Say if I'm at 12, I'll just manually select them to split because the workers start further away from the minerals, and the minerals are on the top of the screen, which creates a long scrolling distance between the wireframes and the mineral patches.

[TheBlackAbyss]

I've always split them by selecting, and always get the second and third to their own respective patches. Sometimes number four cuddles up with number one, though.


For instance, it's easier to clone them at 6 o'clock on LT because the minerals start close to the miners which cause the workers to stack on themselves which makes it harder to select them manually.


I find that selecting the four workers and sending them to a more left patch when at 6 solves this. Instead of sending them all to the center, click on the left-most patch. (Or somewhere around there.) The workers, instead of closing in together before even reaching the patch, stay in a nice, selectable line.

[WickedImposter]

i split than make. it works for me so idc

[U-238]

Grab hatch then "s-d"

Ctrl + Click on workers (faster then double click) and move them to mineral patch.

Then select one move to other mineral patch and continue till they're all split.


UNLESS: As chronic said the minerals are place directly below you. Then you want to clone.

[blupp74]

Grab hatch then "s-d"

Ctrl + Click on workers (faster then double click) and move them to mineral patch.

Then select one move to other mineral patch and continue till they're all split.


UNLESS: As chronic said the minerals are place directly below you. Then you want to clone.

I abandoned cloning cause I felt clicking them separately was faster. But like you (chron) say, when at 6, cloning is really fast, so maybe I should alternate.

And I neither double-click or ctrl+click to select all workers. I click and drag to make a pretty box around them, which I find to be sufficiently fast.
After all, both click-methods leave a (albeit small) risk of missing the worker you want to click, which could waste precious time.

[GroG]

I clone, and it works like 90% of the time. Practice makes perfect.

This is such a small factor of the game anyways, just as long as you don't totally mess it up badly you'll be OK.

[WickedImposter]

ya. cloning is easier for me, especially if the patches are in a vertical line. you can just move the workers donw, its a lot easier

[U-238]

And I neither double-click or ctrl+click to select all workers. I click and drag to make a pretty box around them, which I find to be sufficiently fast.

A box is fine however I just use Ctrl+Click since I'm Z because if you select a larvea with your drones and tell them to mine they won't mine.

[blupp74]

A box is fine however I just use Ctrl+Click since I'm Z because if you select a larvea with your drones and tell them to mine they won't mine.

THe few times I play Zerg I use the same method, ie the box. And it doesn't matter if I get some larvae selected too - i have no problem telling them to mine. So I think you're wrong there.

[WickedImposter]

ya. i still like double click. next time maybe ill try soemthing else, see if it helps

[adidas343]

i usually send all workers to one patch then push shift to select two and then pick em off so they can mine their own individual patch. Its simple i almost always get all of them to work on their own before the first mine.

[blupp74]

Usually when I get my individual selecting right, I have > 50 minerals half a second after the first SCV is done.

[WickedImposter]

ya normally if you split right you should have 50 minerals slightly before your 1st SCV finishes

[Ahzz]

nope, actually if you do it right, your first worker will be done before you get 50 minerals

[blupp74]

nope, actually if you do it right, your first worker will be done before you get 50 minerals

Errr....that's what I said...I have >50 minerals just *after* my first worker is done.

[WickedImposter]

whoops. oh maybe thats because i build SCV after i split. Would that make a big diff early game?

[UnHoly-Assassin]

Right when the game starts, I use a hotkey to make a probe.

Then I drag select all the probes to mine a mineral patch. Holding down shift, I deselect one worker and order the 3 to mine a different patch. Holding down shift again, I deselect once more and order the 2 probes to another patch. If I did it fast enough, or if there was lag, then I would be able to select the final probe and get it to another patch. Or I could be lucky, and one of the probes would be smart enough to automatically mine a nearby patch.

[blupp74]

whoops. oh maybe thats because i build SCV after i split. Would that make a big diff early game?

No matter how fast you split, it will always take longer than selecting your cc and pressing "s". So yeah, start building scv first.
If you don't, it will take longer before your 5th scv is done, thus making it take longer before you have 5 scv's mining.

Depending on which location I'm at, I usually set rallypoint to the mineral patch at the end, to avoid the worker getting hindered by the other workers (I've gotten the impression that the workers only go through eachother when they're in the mining-process...when using the move-command, other workers will get in their way).
Then I continuosly (until the time comes to build the depot) shift the workers, so the one that got assigned to the patch at the end, I move to the patch nearby (after he's left his mineral chunk at the cc), and the scv mining THAT patch has, before this, been moved too.

I've found income goes up a little with this.I can build my barracks faster, I can start the first depot sooner, which makes it get done in time to build my 11th scv right after the 10th is done.

Also, it keeps my hands busy in the beginning, so my APM goes up a little without spamming.

This works best when the minerals are NOT to the south of the CC though, but it can still be helpful.