Do you play the same race you did in SC1?

I wonder if any other players out there have had their taste in race to play change when moving from SC1 to SC2. I'd like to hear some opinions on this. I personally played either Terran or Toss in SC1, very, very rarely playing Zerg. In SC2, I play a straight random. While Terran and Toss retained a number of strengths and had changes in both the positive and negative directions, Zerg feels more player friendly to me in SC2.

Vote and give a reason why. :)

Edits/Updates/possible new discussion points:

(1) Note: It occurs to me through Tychus' 2nd post that perhaps the poll choices may be mildly unfriendly/confusing to Random players. If you were and still are a random player primarily, please consider Random as its own race if you need clarity on the choices. For example, if you are dominantly a Random player but choose your strong race to end a long losing streak such as I sometimes do, you could still take the "Yes, exclusively" choice or you could be most honest and choose the next one down. As my Dad likes to say: Choosing not to choose is still a choice. :)

(2) Possible discussion points: I did not consider choice differences between 1v1 and Team game types. I do not personally choose my race any differently in Team games, but some of you might do so simply to give the team your best effort. Feel free to discuss any choice difference you may have. Also, I am uncertain as to any pertinence herein regarding custom games and racial choice, and so cannot comment on them specifically.

w00t! Another poll!!1! Happy day!!!

I voted 'All of the above.'

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Originally Posted by TychusFindlay

w00t! Another poll!!1! Happy day!!!

I voted 'All of the above.'

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Lolz.

I tried to add that option just for you, but can't figure out how. :P

I play the same race as in SC1. Play a lot more in SC2 than I didn in SC1 though. For SC1 it was the dragoons and carriers that made me pick protoss. Just looked awesome.:P Similar reason why I picked protoss for SC2. That and warp gates.:D

Seriously though, I voted 'Yes, but not exclusively because I play Random' because I currently play Random and have always played Random.

I loved protoss in sc1 and in sc2 too, but play some random too often!^^

I play Zerg, as I did in SC BW, and always will play Zerg as my main, but I was thinking about changing to Protoss...
Don't get me wrong, I can play all 3 races, and I enjoy all 3 races a lot, Zerg fits my style the best, but it is so frustrating sometimes.

I thank you all for your participation in my poll and would like you to note the 2 points I added just now to the OP to clarify the poll and elicit fuller discussion.

@Jackhammer: I was a Toss in sc1 and also loved me some goonies and carriers. I also threw in some arbiters. Against a Zerg going air I would pop a few scouts and corsairs at times. I also scouted exclusively with observers. Maybe that's why I couldn't win more than a few 1v1s back then... lol.

@Ramiz: Zerg can be quite frustrating to play at times indeed or I would have moved to Zerg exclusively within the last month or so. The consideration is ongoing, in fact. I feel Zerg can counter well, but you have to scout like a maniac to do it. I'm struggling to balance scouting, harassing and spawning larvae at times.

Was exclusively protoss for a while like in bw, then recently converted to random, and now I even occasionally play Terran exclusively.

YEs. Entaro Adun.

In BW my main was Terran. In sc2, my best is Terran but I play random.

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Originally Posted by flak4321

@Ramiz: Zerg can be quite frustrating to play at times indeed or I would have moved to Zerg exclusively within the last month or so. The consideration is ongoing, in fact. I feel Zerg can counter well, but you have to scout like a maniac to do it. I'm struggling to balance scouting, harassing and spawning larvae at times.

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Indeed, I mean Zerg is reactive race, and that is the whole problem.

At first it was no because Zerg had the least unit changes and most mechanic changes, but now that I've adjusted Zerg is probably my best overall. But I now play Random for achievements.

I still play zerg, as I used to.

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Originally Posted by RamiZ

Indeed, I mean Zerg is reactive race, and that is the whole problem.

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This might be a little off-topic, but in some other games (Galactic Civilizations 2 and Empire Earth 2), units had an auto-explore command. Do you think certain units in the game would benefit from such a command, say overlords/seers, observers, ravens?

didn't play too much melee on SC:BW, but when i did, i'd pick either toss or terran, now i play random on SC2

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Originally Posted by flak4321

This might be a little off-topic, but in some other games (Galactic Civilizations 2 and Empire Earth 2), units had an auto-explore command. Do you think certain units in the game would benefit from such a command, say overlords/seers, observers, ravens?

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I played Empire Earth long time ago, so I forgot what auto-explore is. :P

Played Zerg in BW first, then later I switched to Toss; now I play Terran in SC2.

En Taro Tassadar, Xecutor.

I played protoss in BW. Tried Zerg and pursued the career up to this day.

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Originally Posted by RamiZ

I played Empire Earth long time ago, so I forgot what auto-explore is. :P

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In long form: automated exploration. The so-ordered unit(s) would move about the map in a pre-programmed (by the game makers) fashion randomly exploring the whole map, or those parts the unit(s) in question could traverse. You would still have to direct a scout or 2 in the area of your target destination, but you would have a scout in the area more often. It would take some of the thought out of scouting expos certainly, but it wouldn't do much for scouting mains and other defended areas. The benefit of the automated scouting is mostly offset (if not, it's at risk of being overwhelmed) by the increased death rate of the scouts. You could accomplish a more sophisticated version using the shift key and setting multiple scouting points.

Point is, if I understood you correctly, is that that would reduce skill needed for a good scouting to an non-existent level. So, the answer is that would certainly help, and a little bit too much so I wouldn't implement it, and In my opinion they don't have to make this game easier. There is big difference between great scouting, solid, and bad scouting.
Master league player can lose to gold if he doesn't scout something that gold is doing, which can be cheese, all-in or whatever, and even though he is a lot better player, with better micro, macro, multitasking, attention, he will still lose if he face the unexpected.

Scouting actually isn't the problem, you can always sacrifice the Overlord, or charge with few Zerglings, problem is that Zerg doesn't have generalist units like Protoss and Terran does. I mean, they have, Hydras are the one, but you will never blindly go for Hydras, unlike other races, where Protoss will make Sentries, Zealots and Stalkers, whatever you have, that will be at least 50% of their army. Same as Terran when going for Marauders, Marines and Medivacs, or Hellions, Thors and Tanks. They start making some units, and then they dictate what Zerg should make, and it already is easier for them, because they can counter it before it is even there. That is at least how I see those things.

You got it. :) I agree on the scouting. As I wrote that last post, I kind of realized it would be a novelty option. Upper level players certainly would find it useless.

Actually, a Zerg can dictate his opponent's strategy a little, if you have a viable fast start build and you can keep your opponent off balance long enough to do it. I start always with a 7 or 8 pool (7 vs Terran, 8 vs Toss). I send 8-12 lings in as disruption as fast as I can. I sometimes win right here, but when I don't, this is where you can begin dictating the game. If I get the majority of my opponent's workers, I make my next move quickly.

I like the roach hydra build for its versatility, but I will go more of a muta roach or muta corriptor ling to ensure I can at least stall anything. Maintaining my harass, into which I will throw burrowed roaches and mutas (and even an occasional infested terran run) as available for confusion, I begin expanding shortly after the ling rush, getting 3 bases vs a Toss and 4 vs a Terran by mid game. The harass maintenance is key because you can slow your opponents economy and force a cheap unit build, and thus be able to expand at will and eventually starve your opponent.

I will make more broods vs. a Terran to handle possible Thor and/or Marine builds, which are very common in bronze (3 of 4 at least, inclusive of mixed builds; the rest are viking/bc builds with occasional raven play). In fact, brood hydra is my favorite vs these Terrans, though it is gas heavy. Note that I am still learning baneling play, but am comfortable with everything else. I stick with a greater number of mutas and corruptors vs. Toss because bronze Toss's like voids and carriers, tho I beat one last night who went voids to void phoenix when he scouted my fast spire, and then tried carriers, but by then I was 4 bases to his 3 and 2 of those were nonfunctional (1 mined out, the other destroyed minus one refinery).

If any of my harasses fail at any time, I default to roach hydra as a balance of cost vs. power and begin scouting heavily, more so the later the game goes. I am at best a very average harasser, so an excellent harasser will have an easier time with this. The major key is to get the first harass and succeed at least so far as to stall his economy for your next harass, to force your opponent to react to you or go cheap. I also ensure a steady upgrade stream as often as possible. Once I get comfortable with baneling micro, they will be playing a role for sure. For example, vs. marines and vs. a Toss that walls w/ cannons more than larger buildings. :)