@Rand0mAsian actually, i think that in in starcraft 1 you couldn't bind buildings to a control group nor could you bind more than 8 units (i believe) to a control group, so he's selecting groups of units (scv's probably) to build structures. he has to manually select his tech structures (barracks, factories, etc.) to build units.
You can use F2-F4 to assign a specific location on the map to a key. For instance you might want to keep an eye on the entrance to your base. Center the screen on the area you want to watch, hold down the Shift key, and press F2, F3 or F4. To center your screen on the location again, simply press the appropriate key.
Boxer is just plain sick. I'd love to see a vid of two views at the same time - a keyboard view from the top, and the 1st person game play view. I can see his gosu hand movements, but can't see what the hell his units are doing...
It's a warmup exercise. You're meant to go through cycles like you would when macroing as you react faster later if you are already constantly pressing stuff and going through a cycle.
no he uses the arrow keys to move the screen, this allows him to use his mouse to move the units around quickly and still be able to keep them on screen.
@AdrenaI1ne I agree with everything you've said. Basically, my point was that there's a lot more to StarCraft than just keyboard or mouse action. It's one thing to issue orders quickly, it's another to analyze the situation and formulate tactics/strategy in real-time.
@Kerenskyz15 this is prep for later in the game when you have more to watch over. most of the apm in first few minutes is mainly spam but as more things come into the game it fills up more apm. the cycling is usually to check if workers are being produced, units being made, positioning army, ect.
Because when he scrolls around the map, he must have his mouse ready to click the target - using arrows allows him to do that faster than by scrolling with the moue.
I think it is so that he doesn't accidentally hit it and exit the screen, causing him to lose time. Because you might know already that pressing the windows key jumps you out of BW and into the windows screen or you see the start list pop up anyways.
@sliperuknot i can only think of 2 reasons. 1st would be a confirmation of where his fingers are (he always has his little finger over where it should be) so hes more precise and the 2nd would be he probably smashed it in a fit of rage for whatever reason
@shumped blue and brown are the same switches, with the same feeling, the only difference is that the blue has a clicky sound, and the brown are quiet.
@Intelus 3. Especially given the fact that there's a lot more than just the clicking of buttons going on. They have to deal with the never ending changes happening in the game, making quick decisions in their minds and adapting the right strategies to counter what's happening or to pull through and win. It takes an incredible amount of intellect and focus. So keeping a high APM despite all the different factors required to play the game well is quite a feat.
Space makes the camera center to whatever was just indicated, like an SCV finishes building, press space and it centers the camera on the SCV. Same with buildings, and also when you're being attacked :P
@benroolz It's to get your hand-eye coordination and hand muscles ready for the fast reflexes that will be required later in the game. Think of it as stretching before exercising.
@Intelus 2. Furthermore, I think comparing this to a piano player or professional typist is unfair, considering a piano sequence is already set and predictable, there is no improvisation or unexpected tasks that require you to use different keys given the situation. And a professional typist just memorizes the positions of the keys and teaches his fingers to move accordingly, which is much easier than pulling off specific sequences like in SC2...
@tulp35000 its like a warm up. also get you in rhythem. reminds stuff like check group for army, move htem, check base, move works, check army, check enemy, more of a rhythem thing
@Vodd9 If you use the arrows, when you are in the battle, you can focus on using the mouse to select units, and target with spells. Instead of wasting time, and losing focus while scrolling against the side of the map with the mouse.
At this level of play, you have to keep your hands moving, so your keyboard strokes will be just as fast when you really need it. 300 apm is not required for the first 3 minutes of the game, but the pros do it be prepared. Much like stretching before a run.
It's to warm up for times when he does need 250 apm. It's a lot easier to get 250 apm if you maintained it than if you had 100 apm and immediately had to raise it to 200.
@cOlz23 looks like he was just moving the camera really quick slightly. Not sure though, that is a good question. Maybe his mouse was occupied so it was easier to just do that to peek up a little bit. Looking closer at him doing it a few times it looks like he is microing some units so moving the camera with the arrow keys frees up his mouse for a few seconds while letting him pan over easily.
@Ahbooshasha they ice their wrists before/after match and incase there is an emergency in their hands (carpel tunnel syndrome) they can quickly ice it.
@corrawinftw it's due to the low res of the game and the dpi of the mouse. @waterloonightmare22 the windows key is usually popped out because of its proximity to important keys and the danger of accidentally pressing it (accidentally minimizing could seriously result in an automatic gg early game or during a fight/harass). starcraft 2 allows you to actually disable the key in the Options menu.
@sheebshag Apples to oranges. A piano is fucking huge so you can see every key getting hit. The timing of this is much smaller and requires much more precision. The keys on a keyboard are tiny and the mouse is extremely sensitive. Also, just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it's "child's play".
(continued) I mean you really have to memorize build orders and how to respond to certain situations and scenarios. While there's definitely a higher level of decision-making invovled, lot of your actions happen practically on instinct based on experience accumulated over thousands of hours of practice. I'd imagine a top player like this has been through pretty much every scenario in the game and is practically playing on auto-pilot. And certainly there's a high degree of multi-tasking in piano.
@AznLonelyBoi sc2 has the option to turn the windows keys off, most new high end keyboards also have switches to make the windows key simply not work. Most high end keyboards can be switched in and out with different keys that have different setups. The reason they are using ghetto keyboards is because they are from korea.
actually, you can't get carpal tunnel from typing or any repetitive action with the hand. Carpal tunnel is caused by the pinching of a nerve in the wrist.
@extreemru The reason he uses arrow key is so that he doesnt have to move the mouse all the way to the side of the screen. By using arrow keys allow less time to move around the screen and couple sceonds mean big in sc
@liurr90 Yeah. I briefly looked over Boxer's TLPD page, and this game looks like it's Boxer vs YellOw from the 2005 CYON OnGameNet Dual Tournament. I assume the floppy disc is for saving replays.
@FusionNinjin he uses the arrow keys to scroll while hes microing units in a battle, you cant move units around and scroll at the same time unless you use the arrow keys
@JSprayaEntertainment This happened long time ago. And the screen(and all gaming computers) is new. Where as the keyboard and mouse is prepared by individuals, to their preference and comfort. Its like playing with a familar kind of racket or equipments for certain sport, you might get used to one that will be eventually out of fashion and looked as antiques. Doesn't stop you from using it and being the best in the sport, u know.
Ive played SC2 and i tell u its alot of all stuff, macro and micro, scouting is even more important in SC2 than it is in SC, since there is a gold mineral expansion, and diferent types of attack/armors units. U rly need the perfect counter to win a game, since u can still loose even if u have alot of advantage.
whats the sensitivity on that mouse? if u look at his pinky it stays on the pad to anchor his entire right hand. the movement on his mouse is really slight
@MiniDonbeE It seems like most "pros" Boost their apm by clicking the same move command 3 times or stuff like swapping between groops for no apparent reason. Its a lot of excess.
@ZanderMander progamer doesn't give a shot about some number you can look up after the game. It's to warm up, and to be used to moving fast so that when you have to, you don't have to change what you were doing, you are already there.
@Intelus 1. I will say this, you're right about some of what you said. But actually looking at this again, Boxers average APM, in this video at least, is a lot lower than some of the faster players. Some of them can reach 400+ APM, and let me tell you, it gets pretty crazy when they reach that speed. The level of muscle memory and focus involved to pull that off accuretly is incredible...
@cOlz23 looks like he was just moving the camera really quick slightly. Not sure though, that is a good question. Maybe his mouse was occupied so it was easier to just do that to peek up a little bit.
And for the record, I agree piano and SC are two completely different things. I just thought this video was about showing off his "amazing" fingerwork on the keyboard, hence the "keyboard view". Again, my bad.
it probebly is very old. I had the same keyboard/mouse... well over 10 years ago. It's amusing to see the ancient keyboard next to the LCD screen. Oh and I totally understand someone prying off the windows keys but you'd think he'd learn to avoid that after playing for so long.
@StevXtreme it may look like hes pressing random buttoms, but infact, he may have say, barracks bound to a key, and command centre to another, and he may just tab between those two to check up on how far the marine is from finished, or how far a +1 attack is away, and theres a lot of stuff he's doing, sure, some of he's key presses might not be doing anything, but most of them actually do something. watch day9's video on micro and keyboard set ups for more info
@TwistedMetal0100 Looks like boxer uses them here at 1:40? But it's just the introduction/start, I guess, so everyone can relax and do whatever they want.
