StarCraft Isn't Free? Guess I'll Pay Up

I’ll just stream instead of gaming!! (2) StarCraft wasn’t free? I actually have to pay for this? Can’t be helped. I already said I’d do it. Still, the install size was tiny for a game. If anything, it finished faster than some bloated mobile games.

“Starting right now!! Everyone, spam all the advice you’ve got. I’ll soak it all up and get better. So, what race should I go? Hit me with the easiest recommendation!!”

“Race… let me correct that. What should I pick? What are my options? I seriously know nothing. I’m a total newbie, so please go easy on me.”

“Uh… no. Viewership killer… what the hell!! Who is that person. I’m picking StarCraft. I’m really going to try my best. Please recommend a race!!”

“I’m doing it. What’s the easiest? Tell me quick.”

The chat suddenly exploded. That part was fine. But Protoss? Terran? Zerg? Seeing them all balanced out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like that made my head spin. Couldn’t they just pick one clearly broken race and stick with it? I’m terrible at choosing.

“I just want to play the most broken race. A completely overpowered one… that just wins everything. Super strong. That kind of race.”

“No… I know that too… I just want an easy race even a beginner can play…”

Who doesn’t know that? Even I get it. But still… there has to be one. A ridiculously strong race that even newbies can handle. Every game has characters that completely break the balance. People with bad hands just pick those. It’s natural law. Didn’t they say StarCraft was made by actual doctors and professors? Even mobile games have PhDs squeezing every last cent out of players. Hmm.

“Hmm… just try everything? Got it. I’ll try them all. But… how do I even play this game?”

The UI was way too cruel for a beginner. I went into single player and… what was I supposed to do? How? This was the first game I’d seen without even a tutorial.

“Where’s the tutorial? Oh, the campaign is the tutorial? I’ll try that.”

Wait, this game had a story? Whoa. Some female AI was explaining everything, but I wasn’t listening. Straight to the mission. Objective: build three supply depots, a refinery, and gather 100 vespene gas. Easy. What if I end up becoming a StarCraft god?

“Where’s the refinery?”

I clicked on everything one by one. Started with the big buildings… what does this one do? Okay, noted. Now where’s the refinery? I need to build it fast.

“You gather the blue minerals with SCVs. Ah…!! Thank you.”

I sent my SCV toward the blue minerals. There were also some guys with guns, so… I sent them over too. They’ll just mine on their own, right?

“Marines? Do the gun guys have to only shoot guns? Wouldn’t it be better if they mined too?”

I read through the chat. A lot of people were mad, and there was a ton of advice. I only absorbed the useful parts.

“SCVs mine minerals? The blue stuff is minerals, right? You have to click on it to gather… got it.”

Good advice. I’d been doing everything wrong until now. Finally, the SCVs were actually mining. Yeah. Work hard, guys. Watching the chat, I also figured out how to build more SCVs. Press S at the Terran Command Center. I just kept mashing S whenever I had money.

I knew my own limits a little. I understood that each press cost 50 minerals. I got it.

“I know. I know 50 minerals got deducted. I pressed it on purpose. Guys, I’m not going to sit here pressing this every time. It’s easier to just fill up to five and play, right? You agree, don’t you?”

“What’s a supply depot? I don’t see anything like that…”

I clicked every building and unit on the field. Nothing called a supply depot existed.

“It’s not here. I don’t have one.”

“Ah, supply depot… SCVs can build that, right? It costs 100 minerals? What does it do? Oh, it increases population, not SCV count… Ah. Yeah… I’ll build it.”

Where should I put it? I just built it right next to the minerals. Closer is better, isn’t it? I need to raise population anyway. Isn’t this like where Terran guys sleep? Like sleeping bags in Pong World? If Pong guys need sleeping bags to rest, Terrans should need them nearby too. Building it far away would waste movement. Makes sense. So why was everyone mad?

“Cancel it, you crazy bitch, that’s too much. Wait, this person’s been subscribed for five months… and their chat count is 999+. You’re that angry? Fine, I’ll cancel it.”

“I already did that once… and got flamed so hard. So I’m never doing it again. I already got yelled at for it. Coddle me. I’m a newbie. A newbie!! I’m really doing this for the first time.”

“Ah, supply depots at a reasonable distance… Ah, thank you!! That’s such a nice message… I’m gifting this person a subscription. Perfect chat score!!”

A genuinely kind message from someone without even a sub almost made me tear up. I immediately gifted them a subscription and focused back on the game.

“Okay. Supply depot built… this should be fine, right? Good. I placed it.”

It didn’t finish instantly. The SCV started constructing. Hmm… maybe? I moved another SCV right next to it. Would that speed up construction? I secretly hoped so.

“Nope. Doesn’t work. Lame. Still, it was creative, right? Give me that at least?”

“Oh, really? Good good.”

Once the supply depot finished, my population went up. Now what? I had nothing left to do. I basically put the controller down. The Command Center was already at five SCVs, so there was nothing else to press.

“What should I do now?”

This is why you have to watch chat. They keep throwing out good ideas.

One idea stood out—marines? Probably the marines. Let’s have them patrol. That’s actually a great idea.

“Okay. I’ll have the marines patrol.”

Now I understood. StarCraft pro gamers are insane. How do you control each marine individually? Moving ten is already hard… controlling a hundred must require god-tier finger speed. My fingers would literally explode.

“Drag? Ah…!! Whoa…!!”

I got it. Why didn’t I think of that earlier? I immediately dragged across all the marines and grouped them. Ten marines appeared selected at the bottom. When I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moved them, all ten followed at once.

“Ah!! Seriously. Why now? Whoa. No, this. If I’d known from the start. Whoa.”

I was grateful, but the first feeling that hit me was pure frustration. Why tell me the most important thing only now? People really are petty… I felt a little resentful. If I’d known this from the beginning, I wouldn’t have been microing them one by one!!

After that, I cleared the tutorial while taking all the advice. Learned how to build SCVs. Learned how to build a refinery. Learned how to build supply depots. Learned how to move marines. Learned how to attack with marines. I learned everything there was to learn. Time for a real test!!

Just playing normally would be boring, so I announced the content I’d spent over ten minutes thinking up.

“Lose to Seon-a! I’m doing a special content. If you barely, deliciously lose to Seon-a, I’ll gift you a subscription and a hamburger. If you win, nothing. How about it? Since ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it might get boring, I’ll also let you give free advice in-game as much as you want!! Sounds good, right? You like that?”

“Ooh, the reaction’s hot. Should we try a custom game then? I made this content myself!! Me!!”

The best way to improve is to just keep bashing your head against it. I’ve had tutors before. My teacher always said reading theory books a thousand times won’t make you better. You have to solve actual problems and apply it. That’s when your skill skyrockets. So don’t be scared, just try.

Yeah. Don’t be scared. Just try.

“Please make a custom lobby. I’ll join!! Only people who are seriously going to let me win should make one. I’ll check your nicknames before joining.”