Starcraft 2, (Relatively) Open beta access! Options

[Crushinator]

You can now get SC2 beta keys for pre-ordering at Gamestop, so pretty much any of us who want in can do so!

I'll probably be snagging one later today, is anyone else going to get on this? We need to set up some AT games and b.net buddy lists!

[Oddies da Nerfed]

A few additional notes.

You can mark positions on the map and return to em, currently the keys to return are f5-f8, difficult to use realistically.

Zerg cocoons can have their own rally point set if you need a single unit or two different from the hatchery default. Select the specific egg(s) and right click where you want them to go.

Multi building construction. Lets say you have 2 Rax selected and want some marines. You hit your marine key once, this queues a single marine in to the first Rax selected. Rax two has nothing building. Hitting the key a second time will start a marine in Rax 2 while not adding a second to the first Rax. A third key press will queue a second marine to Rax 1 while Rax 2 still only has a single marine. The function remains the same over multi buildings.



edit: Todays patch = sadface. Maybe I need to roll with terran as well.

[Oddies da Nerfed]

Terms/Definitions.



AA
Anti-Air. Units or attacks that specifically target air units. e.g. Spore Crawlers are anti-air defense structures.

All-In
An early rush that puts all of the players resources into one attack with the sole intent of ending the game quickly. If this attack fails then the player is usually considered so far behind, they stand no chance of winning. e.g. 6 pool and Reaper Rush.

AoE
Area of effect. e.g. Ghost's EMP shockwave.

APM
Actions per minute. The number of clicks and key presses performed in one minute.

Backstab
After the enemy moves out with a push, attack the enemy's lightly defended base.

Ball
A tight group of units that travels the map in a pack.

BM
Bad-Mannered. Used to describe a player lacking basic etiquette. E.g. calling "gg" before their opponent when they're likely to win.

BO
Build Order. The order of buildings and units created in the very early game to achieve a specific strategy.

Choke
From "chokepoint". A small area, usually a ramp, leading from a base into a wider area. It's generally advantageous to create wall-ins at chokes to reduce the possibility of early rushes.

Contain
A small army of units left outside of the opponents base to prevent expansions or to limit the player from map control. "Contain" is usually prefixed by the units used for the contain, such as MMM contain, Roach contain, or Stalker contain. This strategy asserts map dominance and allows the player performing the contain to expand while the enemy cannot leave his base.

Creep Bridge/Creep Highway
A term used to describe a trail of either Creep Tumors or Overlords/Overseers pouring creep leading across the map to either an expansion or to the enemy base as a "bridge" or "highway" for units to cross over.

Distance mining
A situation when a mineral line with no established base is mined for one reason or another.

Economy
The player's income and active mining units, most often relative to his or her position in the game or to their opponent.

FE
Fast expansion. Creating another Nexus/Command Center/Hatchery quickly in order to later gain a material advantage.

Food
Generic term for Terran Supply, Zerg Control and Protoss Psi.

Gas Steal
Denying the enemy gas in the early game by building a gas collecting structure on the enemy's vespene geysers. e.g. Protoss quickly building an Assimilator in their opponents main base while scouting.

Greedy
A player takes a massive risk for a large economic gain. For Zerg, a double fast expand before a Spawning Pool would be considered a very greedy move.

Harass
Units that enter and leave bases quickly to attack peons or essential structures. Typical harass units are Banshees and Mutalisks.

Hard Counter
A unit or strategy that overwhelmingly dominates another unit or strategy. e.g. "Playing Scissors is a hard counter to Paper"

Kiting
Using micro to take advantage of one unit having higher range than another. The unit with the higher range attacks the other unit, moves slightly away, attacks again, and so on until the other unit is destroyed.

Natural
Closest expansion to the starting base, usually right at the bottom/top of the ramp to the main base.

Macro
From "macromanagement". The economic side of SC2. Macro refers to the creation of units, buildings, upgrades and expansions. Contrast with "micro".

Map Control
The amount of freedom you have gathered to move or scout around the map.

MBS
Multiple Building Selection. Allows unit production at multiple buildings/larvae at once. e.g. with three Command Centers selected, producing three SCVs will make one at each Command Center.

Micro
From "micromanagement". The controlling of units. Contrast with "macro".

Peon
A worker unit of any given race (Drone, Probe, SCV).

Proxy
Creation of a unit-producing building anywhere that is not part of a player's base. This reduces travelling time from the unit-producing structure and the opponent's base leading to a strategical advantage. "Proxy" is usually followed by the building being built, such as Proxy Pylon or Proxy Barracks.

Push
While a rush tries to get units in the enemy base as fast as possible, the push is a bit slower. Collect units outside of your base then, once achieving a sufficient amount of units, move out to attack.

Rush
Optimizing production to reach a specific unit quickly, usually with the intent of early pressure on the enemy. A rush is not considered as do-or-die as an all-in. If a rush fails, it's still possible to recover.

Scout
Revealing remote areas of the map to gain information about your opponent. Done with unit line of sight, or Terran Scanner Sweep.

Sim-City
Refers to building placements in the game, usually in the player's main bases.

Soft Counter
A unit type or strategy that has some advantage over another, but not so overwhelming an advantage as to be a hard counter. See "hard counter" above.

Timing Attack
Maximizing the value of a push by attacking during a specific time window where the opponent is weak. For example, a Zerg player will typically cut army production while a Spire is being built to save larvae/resources for Mutalisks. Attacking while the Zerg is saving larvae/resources maximizes the effectiveness of the push.

Turtle
Spending most or all of the game defending, as opposed to attacking.

Wall-in
Buildings placed at choke points to reduce the effectiveness of early rushes. This is commonly done by Protoss and Terran.


Toss:

Core
Cybernetics Core

DT
Dark Templar

FF
Force Field

HT
High Templar

Lots
Zealots

Robo
Robotics Facility

Speedlots
Zealots with the Charge upgrade.


Terran:

BC
Battlecruiser

Bio
A unit combination that relies primarily on units from the Barracks (Marine/Marauder/Reaper/Ghost)

CC
Command Center

HSM
"Hunter" Seeker Missile

Mech
A unit combination that relies primarily on units from the Factory (Thor/Tank/Hellion)

MMM or M&M&M
Marines, Marauders and Medivacs

OC
Orbital Command

PF
Planetary Fortress

PDD
Point Defense Drone

Rax
Barracks


Zerg:

Blings
Banelings

Baneling Bust
Using banelings to break through wall-ins or defended chokes

Cracklings
Zerglings with the Adrenal Glands upgrade.

FG
Fungal Growth

Hatch
Hatchery

Hydras
Hydralisks

Lings
Zerglings

Mutas
Mutalisks

NP
Neural Parasite

Pool
Spawning Pool

Speedlings
Zerglings with the Metabolic Boost upgrade.

Ultras
Ultralisks