Tips For n00bs

Tips for Newbies

Well, we all know that there is only one way of getting better in StarCraft and it is playing b.net. However, this doesn't mean that it is the place where you learn how to play. Anyway, here is a list of advices:

GENERAL B.NET WORDS
(Well, someone has to teach you and if you don't know them you'll get the newb tag right away)

tvb
Stands for "Top vs. Bottom", meaning the two first players (1,2) vs. the bottom players (3,4), also written as 12:34.

ac
Ally chat, meaning that you only chat to allies. Although this is the simplest of the simplest, there are always those who ask for ac, just return "on". You can use Shift+Enter to talk to all (you will see the message, "To All"), or use CTRL+Enter to talk to allies only ("To Allies"), or normally use Enter for your selected choice, over the minimap.

gl hf
Stands for "good luck have fun", and is good manner before playing a game (all players will must likely write it), also "gm" stands for good manner and means that you are not cheating or using hacks etc.; just be sure not to use them.

gg
"Good game". This will probably enter the English dictionary as a whole word, since there is no SC player that won't use it. If you are the losing guy, gg means that you lost and you are using the just-mentioned good manner. I usually ask for vision if I got owned, some people even give it to you just before winning. If you are winning, gg means that you just beat your opponent.

LT
Oh come on, Lost Temple... you have to play this map.

obs
Someone who observes the game, usually on a 1v1 passworded game, just tell "me obs" and select terran as your race, most good players trust you and know you aren't cheating. Some LT's even have a place for "Gosu observers". When the game starts, select both as allies (don't put shared vision) then lift your command center into a corner and kill your SCVs; the other two guys should have given you vision, if not ask after a while.

gosu
The korean word for telling good, nice, cool, whatever... gosu has a unique meaning in StarCraft and you have to discover it by yourself, it is plain art.

hasu
Perfect!

chobo
Bad, sucking, etc...


GENERAL IN-GAME ADVICES
Though this are very elemental, I've seen many players not doing them, and they must be present in every SC player.

Cloning
See the four miners you start with? First, select the Hatchery/Nexus/Com Center, and make a miner, then, select the four miners by double-clicking them or pressing CTRL+Click, then send them to a single mineral patch, then press shift on one of the icons and you will have 3 selected, send them to the next mineral patch, do it until each one of them has a single mininig spot. The best bases for cloning in LT are 12 and 6 (if you don't know what it is, stands for bases clockwise). Always clone.

Rally-points
The first and most important rally point in early game is your Command Center/Hatch/Nexus. Press "R" then click at the nearest mineral patch that doesn't have a miner (you cloned them right?) and as soon as it comes out, make it worth the mineral cost and put it to mine; and wnen you wanna send a miner to build an structure, set the rally point in the center of the base, then set it back. When you have like 15 miners and you can't concentrate on putting them to mine, just put the rally point to one side and ocasionally look for lazy miners. As for buildings, always set rally point to choke points, attacking points, defending places, etc.; use them as you like to but always use them; Marines sleeping next to the barracks aren't too sexy.

Never stop producing miners
Just follow the advice, and keep mining, the more the merrier. Watch replays and you will know what this means.

Hotkey your production structures
First, always, ALWAYS, hotkey your Nexus/Command Center/Hatchery (CTRL+# to hotkey that number, then press # to recall it) and all your production buildings, as you will have to do a good attack/defend - produce cycle; remember, never stop producing. As for hotkeying, I usually hotkey the hatcheries as they are (1 for the first, 2 for the second, etc); for Terran, I keep the CCenter with 1, the barracks with 2, and so on, as for the scan sweep, I keep it at hotkey-0. For Toss, I usually set the Nexus in 0 or 9 since it is near to the "P" key, and then gateways just as hatchs. If you double-tap a hotkey, it will focus that building or units.

Use hotkeys
You must probably know what this is, if you don't; hotkeys are keys that do something specifically, for example "B" for build, "A" for attack, etc. Learn them as you play, and always use them, and never select commands in the panel with the mouse, always use hotkeys, it is a must. For example, if you need to make hydras, go "1-s-h, 2-s-h, 3-s-h", (in fact, I always go "1-s-h-h" etc., if you play you'll see why) which is faster than looking for each hatchery and selecting the larvas and making hydras.

Unit waypoints
You know what this is right? Play the campaign if not. Anyway, always use waypoints and remember to set miners back to their minerals using waypoints.

Always produce and keep your money low
Remember, never keep queue lines too big (except for rines which pop out real fast) and use your money as soon as possible, if you have lots of money, build more production buildings. If 5 hatchs isn't enough, build more, if you need more factories, build them, and never doubt it, Toss needs at least 8 gateways to keep producing.

Choke
The ramp where your units go down is your choke point and it is really what could decide who wins or not at early game; always protect your choke with your life.

Wallin
Wallin is the usual terran strategy for walling up your base by building two depots at your choke and then a barracks (except at 9), so that only real small units can go in. Watch replays and you will learn to do the right wallin. However, against zerg, it is not usually a good idea to make wallin.

Cliff
The top area over the natural expansion; the perfect place for templars, guardians and tanks.

Turbo Newbie
This is a usual Strategy in LT, where they get your cliff with tanks and turrets, making it almost impossible to pull out... and it is nice.

Micro
Opposed to "macro", micro is being able to control units as if they had their own life, in order to win a fight. For example, if someone rushes you in TvZ, if you can kill all 6 lings with one rine and SCVs without getting hurt, that is micro.

Macro
Mass-producing.