The Price of Victory: Managing Resources

The Price of Victory: Managing Resources

There's more than meets the eye when it comes to StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty multiplayer matches. At first it seems deceptively simple: collect resources, build an army, fight. Dig a little deeper, and you'll find that it's more than just deciding on the correct build order. It's about making your resources work for you and putting time on your side. Buildings and units have different costs, whether in minerals, vespene gas, supply, or a combination of all three. Factor in the time they take to build and things get complicated. Managing your resources is crucial to being able to build the units you need as you need them and failing to use them efficiently (or at all) can mean defeat.

For our discussion topic today, we want to ask: how do you manage your resources in multiplayer matches?

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VPSuspiria #141
VPSuspiria
9/11/2010
http://www.youtube.com/user/day9tv#p/u/17/htYrUKryZFM

This is the video where day9 talks about expanding and time-sense.
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VPSuspiria #141
VPSuspiria
9/11/2010
Basically, I go by the rule of thumb that if you have an advantage whether in army size, a recent battle, or economy, I take one. I like to make sure I either have a decent sized army that can defend itself while expanding. Must make sure to scout! Also, an opportune time to take an expo is if you've won a battle or significantly wiped out a portion of the other guys troops without losing your own. He'll have to rebuild while you have a small buffer to capture that expo. Another good time is if you've taken down his expo.

There's a recent day9 video that talks about expanding if you can. Why not? It will give you the edge. When you can means thinking about timing and having a good sense of it.
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CookieMonstr #868
CookieMonstr
9/7/2010
i find that once your original economy is on the upswing but right beafore it peaks u build an expansion so ur economy keeps going up instead of peaking and plateauing this helps alot with toss since heavy units ike voids collosi and stalkers are mineral heavy same with mothership
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bambam #544
bambam
9/6/2010
i love kulas ravine..
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Hammerfist #455
Hammerfist
9/6/2010
I've started putting up photon cannons (as toss) around my minerals and Gateways/Forge so when you get those guys who like to reaper or zergling rush you're not screwed and beaten in 5 minutes. it only takes a couple and you're pretty well off
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GorekillerIV #526
GorekillerIV
9/6/2010
When I expand I make sure that I have a small army sent with the expansion, to defend it while it grows an army of its own. Rushing could do the trick if you quickly build a better army to back up the base.
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TeaTime #311
TeaTime
9/6/2010
A useful thing to keep in mind every game (and while watching replays) is to not queue. Imagine you've queued one extra scv, marauder, and tank. That's 300 minerals and 150 gas that you could have used to, say, get a supply depot on time or start a starport earlier.
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Hammerfist #455
Hammerfist
9/6/2010
@TeaTime: Pretty much exactly what I was thinking
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VPSuspiria #141
VPSuspiria
9/11/2010
@TeaTime: I can't imagine production as Terran or Protoss because of this.
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OmegaSniper #994
OmegaSniper
9/5/2010
When looking to fast expand what build order is best? During first early rush/hit?
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Jim
9/5/2010
I'm sorry and i know this isn't the topic right now but the zerg need the lurkers back in multi- cause for some, thats the only reason we played as the zerg. so plz blizzard put them back in cause we know u can and if any1 here agrees wit me reply in abundance so are favorite zerg can again be in the multi-
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Uwdnt #936
Uwdnt
9/6/2010
@Jim: Agreed. I loved putting my first hatchery at the choke point and backed with lurkers. Their range and damage is impressive; even if a few are out they can turn the tide. They can also be used for back of base tactics. I was thinking the same thing when i first started multiplayer, "where the hell are the lurkers?"
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Uwdnt #936
Uwdnt
9/6/2010
@Jim: Agreed. I loved putting my first hatchery at the choke point and backed with lurkers. Their range and damage is impressive; even if a few are out they can turn the tide. They can also be used for back of base tactics. I was thinking the same thing when i first started multiplayer, "where the hell are the lurkers?"
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HazardCookie #125
HazardCookie
9/5/2010
my strat is pretty simple : have a plan

in every game i go i always have a mindset for what im going to do for example if i want to go for a barracks heavy build (Marines&Marauders) im gonna put more saturation on minerals while if i go for a Mech build i will put some more on my gas but for me the key is to spend spend and keep spending
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Cowboyballer #359
Cowboyballer
9/5/2010
Put the gear in the rear!! thats how i get it done! depending on the game type is the strategy...depending on your allies...hopefully you dont have too..
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Andtron #365
Andtron
9/5/2010
**Note to blizzard/bnet staff***

It would be very beneficial for the community if you could envoke a comment rating system similar to youtube's. This way members of the community can 'like' comments they think are the best , and that way the best comments can be highlighted and put at the top.
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stephen #907
stephen
9/5/2010
@Andtron: I think that would be an awsome idea so we can see the better guides from the spam
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maddog #252
maddog
9/5/2010
@Andtron: yes that is a great idea
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Jim
9/5/2010
ya blizzard you should probably do that @Andtron:
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Andtron #365
Andtron
9/5/2010
Dont stop building scv's until you have fully saturated your mineral line.
Thats 24 SCV's per mineral line, 6 SCV's for 2 Vespyne. You should never have more then 400 minerals saved unless youre getting ready for an expansion.
Use hotkeys and groups to build units, this way you can macro while you are on the offensive.
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cruxXenocide #769
cruxXenocide
9/4/2010
Best tip ever, spend. Do NOT save. Unless your at a 200 man army there is no excuse, even then if your not zerg you should have new units in the que for when some die.
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ZEROGT #995
ZEROGT
9/4/2010
protoss chrono to high yeild early game ftw.
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qualbert #193
qualbert
9/4/2010
SPEND SPEND!!! USE YO STIMULUS MONEY
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BeowulF #268
BeowulF
9/4/2010
I always have 2-3 SCvs on each mineral field
constantly build Scvs for a strong economy. slowly at first, so as to have enough money for essentials lika a barracks, depot, ect.
but hten more rapidly once you have money. i always build a reactor first so i can quickly combat any rushes. then simply liftoff your building and build a tech lab when nessecary
Good Luck C:
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Smedley #391
Smedley
9/3/2010
I've read many of of the previous posts and find them informative, yet i don't see nearly as many suggestions to watch your replays. Even though i'm only about to leave the practice league, i watch every replay multiple times to spot not only what i could do better, but what my enemy did and WHEN he did it. Replays are extremely informative when you cycle through all the information drop down tabs in the left hand corner: units, income, units lost, etc. Through replays, you tube commentators, co-op games (replays too), and switching to grid, I've improved my game 100% (apm is up 20-30 points.) Just a little friendly advice from your neighborly noob.
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Reborn #723
Reborn
9/4/2010
@Smedley: Yes it is true I go and look back at alot of games to especially if I got slapped hard in the face. But I would reccomend to do your research online with diamond players tactics for all races as well, they are the best for a reason. But I warn you not to just look for the build tree and think it's a cure all like most people do but to understand why they are doing it. Understand sometimes you will have to totally ditch what you are doing on your initial plan and go another direction. I have learned alot from both the review and the diamond tactics. I will also say I don't agree with all diamond tactics either but I understand them and why they work well and where they are weak. One more suggestion I offer too is to look at all the players when you review and try understand why they doing what they are doing to counter you or anybody else and what weak spot they are going for. Then look at the build tree and see the tendencies i.e. what they have to build and how long. If you can catch on to that you will be light years ahead because you can anticipate what they doing by there tendency even if you get just a glimpse. It will also teach you when and where you need to ditch a tech tree and start another early on in the game. Bottom line if you ever get in a game where you don't have a solution immediately to what your opponent is doing go back and don't stop reviewing until you have a solution and a strong counter to it.
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YogiBear #409
YogiBear
9/3/2010
the problem with this is there is fail-safe strategy, except for one: scout what your opponents are doing, and counter.if there taking there sweet time, building lots of sophisticated buildings, rush them. If there rushing u, hold their rush, then hit them back. If they're massing probes, come from behing and hit them with air and kill all their probes. The only thing that doesnt change is scout them, or u might find urself with an army of seige tanks, only to find you're fighting an army of void rays.
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Willis #756
Willis
9/3/2010
@YogiBear: I agree that having some notion of what your opponent is building, is going to be the biggest factor in determining what you want to build to use against that.
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Reborn #723
Reborn
9/4/2010
@YogiBear: I can't agree with more with what you are saying I don't how many times as a toss player I have sat and watched people build away with a probe in there base. Half the time I freak out my terran teammate because he wants me to put max units out asap. Yet I don't because I'm waiting to see what I need plus it makes me look wide open when I'm not. Sure I have some but the unit looks small. I have won majority of my games because of the counter and hitting the soft spots or by pinching an attacking army and working the micro with a smaller army that counters them. When I personally worry is when I don't know what the other player is doing or when I have to play a game attrition by holding the map. You can gain alot but loose it quickly too because of insane multitasking.
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Dave #1182
Dave
9/3/2010
I never get a chance to mine much because I always get killed in like 5 mins... whatever the game still rules
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Flux #309
Flux
9/3/2010
and watch supply being supply blocked is never much fun and that can be a costly 25-30 seconds
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Flux #309
Flux
9/3/2010
spend as much as possible because extra resources don't turn into cash. know how much gas you need, spend your resources wisely, and build effective units.
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Shemp #290
Shemp
9/2/2010
the way to beat me, as I have learned the hard way, is to expand quickly into a non-obvious spot. mid game I might have time to send scouts to every available resource nook, but much earlier I will be hitting your starter. building at an off location is awesome. for instance, mass zealots and stalkers in sight of my ping, build your void rays at a second nexus on teh other corner of the map.
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DouggieFresh #171
DouggieFresh
9/2/2010
Constant spending is the way to go. Always have enough supply/psi/carapace in the works so that when it comes time to build your not sitting there collecting money as you have to wait for a build order / evolution of overlord. If that's in check SPEND AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AS FAST AS YOU CAN, with constant attacks.
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Docphd #835
Docphd
9/2/2010
spend spend spend spend spend.
scout, find what your opponent is making, and build the counter unit. then build the counter unit for that counter unit! (he makes marines, you make roaches. prepare for airborn and make corrupters/mutalisks/hydralisks, for example)
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Jetdrag #212
Jetdrag
9/1/2010
Have a plan. Don't use queues. If you scout and have a plan for your army/gambits then you're always going to be ahead. Don't build any unnecessary buildings that don't fit your strategy, try to keep your opponent scouted so you always have army composition to be theirs. Hotkey your production buildings to keep your macro game going. Keep static defenses to a minimum to keep a stronger mobile army.
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Ultraspank #515
Ultraspank
9/1/2010
U don't wanna know what i do... i can't win to save my life :)
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Grunt #593
Grunt
9/1/2010
for units and buildings.. :)
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Pandapwns #614
Pandapwns
8/31/2010
basicaly its this, build up your resources,buid up an army, attack and while attacking build more bases, harvest from those bases,wash rinse repeat and pwn :D
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zuwer #397
zuwer
8/31/2010
at first use it all as fast as u can because what your saving your opponent is spending get a few units going. find out what u need to build then build the building you need and if your bank account is to low to keep making them none stop u need a expo no soon should you expo as toss any way. unless u see them doing it and you need to keep them from finishing it or get your own.