Well, we were talking about 4 gating, not the most subtle build. But yeah you are right about mechanics being the most important thing to learn, I was just trying to explain how I learned the game (by focusing on mechanics while copying pro players styles). I am really stubborn though and if i find myself with tons of banked resources early-mid game i will just accept my mistake and try to smooth out my play next game rather than add a bunch of extra production.
Tbh as improvement methods go, frankly, as long as you're still kicking my ass every game, I think your method wins
..Ok I'm not tired yet at 0400, so can i do a 'my personal experience of the 4 gate' braindump instead?
I assume we're talking about 4 gating as an all-in. Obviously at lower levels 4 gates can simply be coincidental for make up missing production cycle timings.
But assuming allin, let's assume PvP with a standard small ramp (lost temple, shattered temple, Shakuras, metalopolis etc.). In this case, we certainly have potential 4 gate defences. Then 4 gating on these maps (especially korean 4gating) does rely on abusing timings. Missing that timing makes a 3 gate defence not only viable, but maybe inevitable. Yes it's obnoxious that you can warp in a zealot on the ramp and then 3 more straight into the main. But at diamond level, the people I meet simply dont hit the timings that make it difficult to take on. Only once so far have I met a protoss who hit a timing perfectly on a korean 4gate to kill me. Otherwise, the delay allows me to defend with stalkers and sentries. Similarly with the standard 4gate.
Consider also that my 3 gate defence is by no means refined, so I think my timing for when I can defend a korean 4 gate or a standard 4 gate is probably a good while later than for a top player.
In my mind, the builds for the 4 gates I think can be quite subtle in PvP. The precision in when you're cutting probes and the all-important offensive 3rd pylon in the standard 4 gate really help to make it so strong against a reasonable player. Indeed, the defence is very tough when dealing with super-early zealot warpins.
That's why I think people in lower leagues who want to improve should avoid 4 gating regularly as an all in. Yes it will win a lot of games despite being done badly, because you can still get quite a lot of units reasonably fast. But eventually the terminal 4 gater will encounter someone who plays well enough to defend it (getting as many, if not more units from 3 gates) and suddenly they're stuck in a position where they havent the mechanics to take on the players they're encountering in a long game, and their cute allin doesnt work any more.
Ok timings are less of an issue for the protoss player in PvZ/PvT, in that case it's all about scouting and response. In other words, zerg needs to know when to have roaches/spines out and terran needs to know when they need their bunkers. So the only mechanics issue is whether protoss has lots of units really fast vs how well Z/T respond in their defence.
Nono, but protoss is totally OP!
I'm so glad to see people finding that Protoss isnt unbeatable. Any Terran who thinks this should see Thorzain vs MC and marvel at how awesome ghosts are.
What I can appreciate is Zergs who have trouble in close positions on small maps versus Terran and Protoss. But that's really a matter for map designers more than Blizzard's balance team.
For months, Terran was imbalanced. Stim + concussive shell + medivacs?
Imba! But then protoss and zerg found that their units could be stronger than they thought before. Nowadays protoss has these fantastically strong colossus balls which are totally imba! Thorzain has shown us a great example of how a terran can actually take this on directly, without cheesey, stupid unstable tactics. Next? Zerg I suppose...Mass infestor imba?What I certainly can't accept is that the game is so broken that one race has a way to win no matter what. It's possible that one race can get into a particular situation where the opponent has no way of defeating them, but the only way that can be considered actually imbalanced is if there is no way to stop that from happening.
Ok i'm tired. End of post. Someone please say something intelligent to balance my ravings...
