In preparation for IEM Katowice starting tomorrow (aka the world championship of starcraft, aka the first big LAN we are having since covid started, aka what the whole universe has been building towards, aka find out more at liquipedia), I decided to make a post to promote the tournament in my favorite forum (r/zen), and to bring some of my favorite tradition (Zen) into the starcraft forum, where I’ll be crossposting this.
Obviously we are not gonna talk about having a plan for your games, or how to have a solid opening, or how to macro in the midgame, or how to control a late game army. Those are all things any good starcraft player can tell you to do. I’m talking about real stuff here. I’m talking about how a Zen Master plays starcraft.
I have three hot tips for you zen students and starcraft twitch GMs to better your chances at either getting that sweet orange border in your in-game avatar, or get enlightened. Try getting that deal from Vibe’s bronze to GM series.
Tip #1 Meeting people where they are
From the verse for the 33th case of the Wumenguan (aka the Gateless Gate):
Present a sword if you meet a swordsman;
Don't offer a poem unless you meet a poet.
When talking, tell one-third of it;
Don't divulge the whole at once.
So how do you like playing starcraft? The beauty of this game is that you can play it however you want. You have creative geniuses in the mad man that is SoS, micro gods like ByuN or PartinG, macro virtuosos with impecable mechanics like Serral or Innovation. And all other kinds of players in all three races (defensive players, timing pushers, all-rounders, strategic savants, and on and on and on).
The thing is, you can’t play this game by yourself. You have to consider the person on the other side helping you play, because without them, there is no game. You wanna surprise your opponent? You gotta think about what they are expecting. You want to out-macro your opponent? You gotta scout to see what they are up to. So if your opponent is rushing you, don’t meet them with an expansion, make your own units and fight that tank push in the middle of the map. If they are turtling, don’t just suicide your units into an expansion that’s full of static defense, make your own expansion and get ahead economically.
Zen is a tradition that lives in conversations. Zen Masters don’t just stick to one build order and execute it endlessly and then wonder why they lost to the latest Maxpax build order, they make their play become alive and do what needs to be done to meet their opponent.
Tip #2 Cutting off thinking
Foyan:
This reality you actually cannot figure out by conceptual interpretations
HuangBo:
Ordinary people all indulge in conceptual thought based on environmental phenomena, hence they feel desire and hatred. To eliminate environmental phenomena, just put an end to your conceptual thinking.
When you are practicing on the ladder and you lose to a cannon rush or a muta switch it’s really common for people to become tilted. In my experience it’s also accompanied by thoughts like, "I suck, I’m never gonna be good at this game because I’m stupid and slow and I am never gonna get any better." Or something close to that. What would happen if instead of conceptualizing and judging, I just looked at the replay? What if instead I abstain from value judgments and just say, "well, if I put a probe on patrol over there, he can’t build a cannon." Or, if I scout for a Lair I can know when more tech is coming from the zerg." If I focus on what's happening next game if gonna play different than the one before.
Tip #3 There’s nothing to do
Linji once said:
Followers of the Way, even if you should master a hundred sutras and 282 śāstras, you’re not as good as a teacher with nothing to do. If you do master them, you’ll regard others with contempt. Asura-like conflict and egotistical ignorance increase the karma that leads to hell. Such was the case of Sunakṣātra bhikku—though he understood the twelve divisions of the teachings, he fell alive into hell. The great earth had no place for him. It’s better to do nothing and take it easy. When hunger comes I eat my rice; When sleep comes I close my eyes.
Fools laugh at me, but
The wise man understands.
Who cares about your rank or your winrate or how well you can follow a build order. Sure, becoming better at something is great, but understanding you don’t have to reach the next league, and you don’t have to reach any goals if you don’t want to is gonna leave you with the most fundamental thing: take it easy, and enjoy this amazing game.
See you in twitch chat, you nerds.
Submitted February 22, 2022 at 08:25PM by astroemi https://ift.tt/PGEhtTq
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