Build Orders are Evil!
Gibb
You've seen it before, strategies and tactics telling you to "Keep pumping out the peons" and "Build a supply depot after your 8th SCV." Will they help you to win? To an extent, yes. If you follow the orders exactly and don't do it at a very slow pace, you may get the win. But that's not why I'm writing this, this is why:
I HATE BUILD ORDERS
But why? They are only to help you win! True. They are, and that's why there are so many out there. This is why I hate them:
They're no fun!!!
Build orders take the fun out of Starcraft, a game that was meant to be fun. Playing SC and using them makes the proverb "It's just a game" an oxymoron. Starcraft, like all games, are created and meant to be fun. Using build orders makes the game almost like a job on an assembly line. You're doing the same thing over and over again, and all you will get is maybe some bragging rights. Eventually, you will probably get bored and stop playing Starcraft. This is the reason I believe that Starcraft is slowly but surely dying.
I can understand using build orders if you're in a tournament or very important game that has a lot riding on it. I'm just saying that in normal games, build orders are downright stupid. I believe that each and every Starcraft game is different in some way or another, but that margin of difference decreases greatly when one uses build orders. Starcraft is supposed to be a Real Time Strategy, meaning that you have think about what you will do next instead of just reading off of a piece of paper.
Well you're probably tired of me saying that build orders aren't fun, so here's what some other people have to say about them. They also may cover some points that I didn't.
Cerberus (Webmaster of Gamesurge)
"I think build orders are very useful. if youre doing something specific, then youre gonna wanna know how to do it correctly without screwing up.
however, you should change the build order every so often because if you use the same build order over and over against the same person they will adapt to your strategies"
Falcon (Head Webmaster of Gamesurge)
"They're good if you know how to adapt them to different situations, or for comparing how you would do it yourself to how it says to do it. But they shouldnt be done as fixed moves as cerb [Cerberus] says it takes away the randomness and strategy elements plus you're going to be stuffed when people start developing counters and you dont have a clue what to do."
Mystikal (Another webmaster at Gamesurge, and creator of the Starcraft Strategy Index)
"There good when used in Tournaments, but other than that, they seriously do take the fun out of the game, unless your playing a really important match."
Death (News guy at Tao of Gaming)
"I think build orders don't work because it always depends on what your opponent is doing too....But then it could be good thing when you're going for a specific strat.....If it fails, things may be worse though. So I stick to not using "build orders" after the first 5 minutes of the game"
TheDarkOne
"I use a build order when i am doing very very specific things and also i use a build order early in the game as im sure everyone does. my build order basically goes 7probes pylon 8thprobe gateway 9th gateway or gas or forge and from there i adapt as needed. I think it is imposible to use a long build order as there are to many things that might come up. I also use build orders only when i am trying out a new strat because it is helpful to know what to do and when."
Yefei Pi (Webmaster of The Starcraft Zone)
"I personally think that building orders depends on the race one is using, if I'm zerg then I would ususally go for a short term building order meaning an order for a short game as zergs aren't as powerful as other races in late games. If I was terran or protoss, then the building order does not really matter in terms of short or long game preparation, they are both good races for late games, however do require defence early. Also build orders should vary between the size of the map which one is playing, small size means more of a rush building order, and big size means for more of a defence-first-then-offense order."
TI-IE^(V)aTI2iX
"i think build orders suck. whenever i play i always make things up as i go. i rarely lose and i believe this is especially good when playing human opponents. they'll have no idea what you're going to do next."
Executioner (KBK-Promotion, Starcraft.org-Tech Support, CamSys.org and BlizzardAddicts.com-News Poster)
"Build orders completely suck. You should never have to adapt to
any situation. Hell, if you are playing in a tournament screw using build orders. Thats
what they will expect. Toss together a mix of units, if you run in with 24 dragoons you
run the risk of being wiped out by DT's and a bit of Psi Storm. But what if you f---in
flank them out? Go in with 6 DT's 3 observers, 12 dragoons, 10 zealots, some reavers, and
a few Dark Archons. Then while your opponent bashes on your units drop in from the side
with a s--t load of Archons and High Temps. Psi storm his SCV's and crush the base from
the inside. He will be completely unprepared for the attack. On the other hand if you did
a build order you would be running in with 32 dragoons that will probably overrun by
zealots, and tons, or in some cases tanks and bunkers. If you are a newbie then stick with
what the other guys said about "adapting" you should never have to adapt. Make
your opponent adapt. Take control of the map.. block him out.. make your opponent think.
Meanwhile you sit back in your leather chair with a 6 pack on the side and pump out goonz
and reavers. Laughing to yourself histerically thinking.. DA*N! EXECUTIONER WAS RIGHT!
"
Legal stuff- Don't copy this editorial and say you wrote it. All rights reserved,
(c) 2000. I welcome comments about my editorial, but swearing profanely won't make
you special. Anyway, send it all here. Also, thanks to
everyone at Gamesurge for their comments and
help. And thanks to everyone else who gave me feeback for this
editorial. Also, don't flame the people that made comments about build orders.
Flame me instead
