[Bloodmyst]

As the title says, what is your method for building structures?

Recently, I've just found I've fallen into a bad habit using the shift key before buildings my structures.

Let me use the 1 Rax Fe for example;

After throwing down my 16/18 CC. When going to throw down my next 2 raxes I will box select my workers at the mineral line>hold down shift>b>b>and rally workers back to the mineral line (all this while holding down "shift")

Problem with this method I find is the workers do not go and build the raxes right away! So I end up with about 350 - 400 minerals before both raxes even go down! Despite actually throwing them down right on 300 minerals.

I think this is just a bad habit I have fallen into now abusing the shift key :s

I know others who use the same method as I do, however the difference is they do not hold shift before actually building the raxes.

After watching one of Thorzains replays I have found a much better method. He hotkeys several workers specifically to build structures. So his method to build structures is;

hotkey for scvs>b>b>b>b> (this is achieving the exact same thing as what I'm trying to do). I find using this method, 300 minerals are spent quicker (not having to drag the screen around) and the workers will go and build sooner then the method I utilize.

The benefit I see to grouping several workers on a hotkey is the fact you do not have to go back to your mineral line and box select. Just look in your base and start building!

However, after the raxes are completed.... I'm not sure if he hits "ctrl+F1" (selects all idle scvs by default) and rallies the workers back to mining "after" the raxes are finished. Or, if he simply shift queues them to go back to mining whilst they are building. So the method would be "(hotkey for scvs)>b>b>b>b>shift queue back to mineral line"

What method do you use? For any of the GM/M Terrans out there, what do you find is the most effective method?

I know one thing for certain, I need to get out of this shift key habit :s

[ETL.ViTaL]

I'm only a plat terran but what i do is shift on the two or more workers required or just plain box them and go build barrack with both shift for two different racks and then shift to put them back to the worker line

[sRDante]

I simply build the buildings, then shift click it back to the mineral line..

Quick Comments

PiG:

I think this is the best way! Who cares if they have 5 mins in their hand?

[Apostrophe]

Interesting observation, I thought I was the only one who faced troubles with the shift method haha. At my level I don't think it messes up the rhythmic flow of the game that much (silver TT), so even if I'm late by 50-75 minerals I still find someway to spend the minerals I guess.

That being said, it might also be the reason why my macro ALWAYS slips up mid-late game. > So thanks for the suggestion anyway!

[ETL.ViTaL]

To be honest you shouldn't worry about little things like this until your in masters league or above just focus on your mechanics and macro, then micro and the little things will come later

[eCKo`Tazerenix]

You don't even need to do the shift. If you just place the buildings down, once they are building you can box all the scv and click on the mineral line without shift and they go back there afterwards.

[MaTterJunKie]

I just box them then click c (for them to return the minerals if they have any) then build the raxs and que them back to work

[MooZfY]

I just Box my entire mineral line and build then ctrl+f1 back to mins

[ToRSpookToR]

Originally Posted by ViTaL

To be honest you shouldn't worry about little things like this until your in masters league or above just focus on your mechanics and macro, then micro and the little things will come later

this is mechanics..... but you still right over thinking it.

[ETL.ViTaL]

on this topic of doing things how do you load up scvs in your cc?

Quick Comments

Bloodmyst:

I thought this was apart of mechanics ?!?!?!?!

[aLtMrFool]

Just click F1( if you've binded your main to it ) or double click hotkey of CC, box select as many mineral workers as you like and b>building hotkey etc etc, no need for shifts - in - between, but after building, let the workers stay boxed and shift-click minerals. Finish everything in one cycle unless you have lightning speed APM and well-trained macro cycles.

Also, another thing that can help slightly with macro is to hotkey building lift-off to Z so that you don't have to move your fingers to L to lift them!

Quick Comments

Bloodmyst:

I changed mine to "F" :P

[Bloodmyst]

I think the benefit of hotkeying several scv's as stated in my OP, is purely just the fact of not having to go back to your mineral line to select/box the scv's to build.

The many times you do go back to the mineral line to select/build scvs...... if this can be negated. Wouldn't this spare up some free time to be spending apm elsewhere?

The difference is;

- having to position your camera on the mineral line to select scvs and then drag the camera to build structures.

- by hotkeying your scvs, there is no need in having to look at scvs in your mineral line at all. Apart from shift queueing them back to the mineral line. In which case, if you have bound a camera key to your main CC this is faster again (no screen dragging). Myself, I have switched the backspace and spacebar around so I can toggle through all the CC's.

I have spent the last couple of days trying the latter method and I can say, although I'm not quiet used to this yet. For some reason it feels much more smoother.

P.S - One downfall is if for some reason your opponent killed the scvs that you had hotkeyed. LOL! However, how many times do you lose that many scvs that early in the game?

[ETL.ViTaL]

This would be a good strategy but you would have to have multiple workers on hotkeys cause you don't just build one building at a time and having multiple workers on your hotkeys takes up room for the more important things like your army or ghosts or vikings or a drop that you may be doing.

[Mr_Zain]

only shift back to the line. the buildings are thrown down without shift (also prevents creating a useless queue).

[FS.Kezz]

I select the number of SCV's I need (it doesn't matter if there are a few more) and build the buildings, THEN hold shift and right click back to the mineral line.

Originally Posted by ViTaL

on this topic of doing things how do you load up scvs in your cc?

'O' is the default hotkey for loading nearby SCV's to the CC/PF

[SweatyGremlinsClub]

do the pros hotkey designated builders or do they just jump back to base and select any random scv to build stuff?

i ask cause i saw a guide that said to hotkey a group of builders to 5 so you can immediately start building after double tapping it

[Nemo]

I personally use that method since the begin to help my old fingers keep up with the pace of the game. The SCV of this group build all buildings in the main including depots, turrets etc.

That's a big help.

[SweatyGremlinsClub]

thanx i'll try practice it