Originally posted by beatspete
Although in both of your 'tutorials' you are playying a money map. Where yes, protoss are the strongest. But on a non money map, i don't think they are.
No... Protoss are
always the strongsest, no matter what map you're playing... but what you should say is that on a non-money map they are not
practical...
Protoss are the most powerful, but they are by far the most expensive. For example, a marine costs 50 minerals, a zealot costs 100 minerals, and a zergling costs only 25 minerals; BUT, two marines can't take on a zealot (protoss is more powerful) but a marine can't take on two zerglings either, proving that the order in which the 'powerfulness' of the species go is Zerg --> Terran --> Protoss.
But power always costs more, since Zerg are the cheapest but weakest, and protoss are the most expensive, but most powerful. In a non-money map (which i grew up playing)... walling is a necessity, not a luxury. A Barracks and supply depot, with four marines in a bunker right behind it, can take on dozens of marines without needing repair. The same walling technique can be used with any species, but Terran has got the best defense, and so therefore is the best at the walling technique too.
Remember also that since protoss is strongest they also have very strong defense (i'm talking in non-money maps here)... a photon cannon can take out a marine in two hits. If five marines are attacking it (no upgrades on either) the photon cannon will manage to take all five of them out, [even though] the photon cannon only costs 150 minerals while the five marines cost 250, almost double the price, and after a few minutes the cannon will have full shields again!
In a money map i generally play either as Terran or Zerg. Zerg are fast, and Terran are fast and have good defense too.
So you bring out a very important point beatspete, beating a computer in a money map would be much harder, if not near impossible. The only thing to do (which i've done before) is just as soon as the game starts secure your main base, and also more minerals (usually in a non-money map, like Big Game Hunters, Lost Temple, etc. it's right outside your base) and then build nothing but defense... don't build too MUCH defense, just enough to successfully hold them off. Then let your minerals and vespene grow. Build marines/zerglings slowly (always keep more than 300 minerals available in case you have to quickly pump out more units if your defense is breached)... and then eventually, you'll have used up all your minerals. (this is a good thing, because it means the computer has used all its minerals up already too)... they'll send virtually every unit they have at you... i've even had a computer throw about 30 drones at my wall, but it won't work... now keep the wall up, instead of cutting it down (bad idea, in case they have more units left) fly (with overlords, or dropships (much more expensive)) as many marines/zerglings/a few hydralisks into their base as you can. Take out their drones first. The drones/probes/SCVs (depending on species) will be out of minerals, so they'll just be sitting there. Take out all the workers first (probes/SCVs/drones) so that they can't repair anything/warp anything in/build anything somewhere else. Once that's done, even if your entire wave is almost destroyed, it doesn't matter, because you've taken all the computer's stuff out, and now even if you rush with workers you're likely to win! One very good method i usually do is drop 4 lurkers behind their base by their workers, and burrow them. Lurkers have attacks that keep going, and in the 'cramped' space where all the workers are, after 10-15 seconds they'll all be destroyed! (also, when burrowed, lurkers are invisible, so remember this tactic can be used against you too)
Very smart thinking though beatspete... i don't even think i've played a long game on a non-money map with more than about 3 computers
lol
I'll have to try someday
~Stealth~
