Advice with Computer play

[HazzaDaShiz]

Okay, I'll cut to the chase. I don't have the internet on my current computer (using the family laptop for internet), and until I do, I can't play on Battle Net.
Therefore, I must play against the computer.

Basically, I'm having a bit of a difficult time, it's always the same strategy they use. Build up one group of the first tier units, and attack. Never has the computer built up first, stayed defensive, or anything else. And because of that, it means I can only play the start in a certain way. Chuck up a few sunkens (I play Zerg), get a few 'lings, wait, fend of their original attack, expand, rape, end.

Because of that, I'm really getting sick of the computer. I do want to try new things, but I feel as though I don't have the opportunity.

Do any of you guys have any suggestions? Obviously, I'm not a great player, so there's undoubtedly other things I can do that aren't like what I stated that I do currently do, but as of yet, I don't know them.

I'm happy to learn, be as harsh as you want.

Also, I've convinced a mate of mine to get Starcraft + BroodWar. So LANing looks likely, though not often.

[deadkat]

Okay, I'll cut to the chase. I don't have the internet on my current computer (using the family laptop for internet), and until I do, I can't play on Battle Net.
Therefore, I must play against the computer.

Wireless cards aren't that expensive. Even some of the lower bandwidth ones should be able to handle Starcraft. Consider getting one.

You could download ScmDraft 2 (located in my sig) and make a UMS map using the insane computer AI. It will attack a lot more aggressively.

Honestly, the normal AI is kinda stupid. I've had many a time where an early Assimilator on the computer's vespene geyser was all I needed.

[Vezer]

http://www.warboards.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5918&d=1164898439

You won't be beating this computer any time soon. :D

[HazzaDaShiz]

Wireless cards aren't that expensive. Even some of the lower bandwidth ones should be able to handle Starcraft. Consider getting one.

Eh, it's more the fact that I'm not allowed the internet on my own computer until I've finished high school, lest I spend too much time on it.
Thing is, once I get enough money for a laptop, I can come out to the family computer, hook myself up to the modem and go from there. But that means money = getting a job = handing in my cv = completing cv. And I'm allowed to do that because, well, they can just tell me to piss off and I lose internet access.

You could download ScmDraft 2 (located in my sig) and make a UMS map using the insane computer AI. It will attack a lot more aggressively.

Oh, that sounds like it could be useful? As for making the maps, would it be possible to just change the difficulty of an existing map, or?... Fact is, I can't make maps to save my life, so yeah.

Honestly, the normal AI is kinda stupid. I've had many a time where an early Assimilator on the computer's vespene geyser was all I needed.

Yeah, that makes sense. I concur.

http://www.warboards.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5918&d=1164898439

You won't be beating this computer any time soon. :D

Haha, okay, I'll give that a shot.

[KillerKow]

Download Entropy II (http://www.broodwarai.com/forums/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=849). It's an AI mod that gives you a very wide variety of AIs to practice against. They're substantially tougher than a regular AI, so you may be in for a bit of a surprise the first time you take one on.

[lammas]

If you really are into practising you don't need any opponent at all. Just practise some build order and think what kind of midgame strategies you would do against things your opponent might do. Randomly move your units all the time and make attacks to assumed expansion around the map. Watch your own replays and spot the mistakes in macro, then fix them. This of course does'nt teach you unit control but who the fuck needs unit control anyways? If computer is too much into 4 pool or something that disturbs your practising you can modify some standard map so that computer starts the game in island.

EDIT: mistakes in macro mean that you make scvs continously from every cc you have untill you have 80 of them. You make units continously from all gates / facs you have untill you have limit. You never hit suply limit. You never have more than 300 minerals (or when saving for expansion you can have 400 too) And if you are toss or terran and you dont have 200/200 at 13minutes you are playing badly.

[HazzaDaShiz]

Download Entropy II (http://www.broodwarai.com/forums/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=849). It's an AI mod that gives you a very wide variety of AIs to practice against. They're substantially tougher than a regular AI, so you may be in for a bit of a surprise the first time you take one on.

Thanks a ton, that should be really useful. I really appreciate it.

Edit: Only one problem, which directory do I install the mod into? I've never used mods for any of my games, so yeah...

If you really are into practising you don't need any opponent at all. Just practise some build order and think what kind of midgame strategies you would do against things your opponent might do. Randomly move your units all the time and make attacks to assumed expansion around the map. Watch your own replays and spot the mistakes in macro, then fix them. This of course does'nt teach you unit control but who the fuck needs unit control anyways? If computer is too much into 4 pool or something that disturbs your practising you can modify some standard map so that computer starts the game in island.

Oh? That actually makes sense. Haha, I wouldn't have thought of that, thanks.

EDIT: mistakes in macro mean that you make scvs continously from every cc you have untill you have 80 of them. You make units continously from all gates / facs you have untill you have limit. You never hit suply limit. You never have more than 300 minerals (or when saving for expansion you can have 400 too) And if you are toss or terran and you dont have 200/200 at 13minutes you are playing badly.

Ah yeah, I know that much. Though I think that right now my main problem is either getting too caught up in either macro or micro. Like, I keep building, pumping units, expanding, but my units sit around. Or I win battles because I'm controlling my lurkers + hydras, but then afterwards, I get slaughtered, mainly because I've not made any more units to replace my losses. But yeah, I'm sure that I can fix that easily with your suggestion, and KillerKow's.

[PaiN]

Macro > Micro most of the time.

So in most situations focus on that. If your getting ripped to shreds by a few lurks than yes do something but other wise it doesnt matter as much.

So download as many mods as you can from your internet comp and ferry them over to your SC comp. Then just fool around with them. (Just extract the zipped file and then you can run it off the desktop. very simply) When my internet isnt working I us Ahzz Mod. Downloaded it a while ago and it can be a difficult game. It just goes macro so other then four pool it can be tough to macro against if your used to regular SC AI.

Also fight lotsa comps. And do what Lammas said.

[HazzaDaShiz]

Macro > Micro most of the time.

So in most situations focus on that. If your getting ripped to shreds by a few lurks than yes do something but other wise it doesnt matter as much.

Fair enough. So focus on production and really just do stuff in battle if I have to take out a specific thing, use dark swarm or move my lurkers around, that sort of thing. Thanks.

So download as many mods as you can from your internet comp and ferry them over to your SC comp. Then just fool around with them. (Just extract the zipped file and then you can run it off the desktop. very simply) When my internet isnt working I us Ahzz Mod. Downloaded it a while ago and it can be a difficult game. It just goes macro so other then four pool it can be tough to macro against if your used to regular SC AI.

Also fight lotsa comps. And do what Lammas said.

Yeah, righto, shall do. Nice and easy, until it gets to the fighting, haha.

Thanks everyone, been really useful. I appreciate it.

[Lithium]

Try to see how many comps you can Fight at the same time. Ive only gone up to four. I was Protoss and I somehow held their attacks by early teching high Templars and then going on carrier rape. This was on proving grounds or something. I forgot but it' a really fun and time consuming.

[anderoo]

This of course does'nt teach you unit control but who the fuck needs unit control anyways?

And if you are toss or terran and you dont have 200/200 at 13minutes you are playing badly.

Spot the connection people.

Macro Whore

JK

Seriously though: Macro Whore

[HazzaDaShiz]

Well, Vezer's link didn't work. Edit: KillerKow thanks, got Entropy II working, good fun, good fun.

However, I've found a few basic build orders, and I've tried them out. I've attached one replay here, against the standard computer AI, and I think I did bearably, though I still have some problems with Macro.
Naturally, there's many more problems, but I'm not really good enough to spot them, I just know they're there.
Keep in mind that I only started playing recently, have no battle.net experience and am using a build order I found on a random site. Though I understand that criticism is intended to help me, so that's cool, say what you want.