2 weeks into the beta, and WOW! I'm surprising myself... Long blog warning...
 
Well, after a couple days of further pounding the computer in skirmishes, I finally managed to build up the courage to test my mettle online. I decided that the Zerg was probably my best choice for race so I stuck with that and jumped right in.
 
The practice league matches were a depressing bunch. Loss and after loss. My record was 1-4, only winning due to a disconnect. I was ready to give up and spend the rest of the beta screwing off with the ai. I decided to give the game a couple more shots before tossing it away. I jumped into the placement league and the first couple matches were the usual loss. I felt myself getting a bit better but I still wasn't winning anything. I took a look around the beta forums on Blizzards site and read some stuff for tips.
 
And I found something... :)
 
As it turns out, I wasn't building enough drones for resource gathering and I wasn't exactly using the right units. 90% of the beta players are terran right now so they all barracade their base entrance with supply depots and bunkers. No matter what sized force I built, their smaller force could totally destroy mine from their upper position. So I figured out what needed to happen, I had to take these guys from the sky! So, I rethought my build order a bit and worked out a way to tech up to mutalisks (flying dudes that can attack air and ground, for those unfamiliar with starcraft) and do bad things. Not many players expect flying dudes in their base early on, so anti air is somewhat rare. 
 
Well after racking up 3 wins in the back half of the placement league, I got placed into the copper league (the bottom of the 5 leagues), but that's where I belong, so no complaints here. From here on out it's been about a 50-50 split of wins to losses, which really surprises me. I've been using my mutalisks a lot but I've also just got better at using the zerg in general. I'm actually currently ranked 7 in my division and that's WAY better than what i expected to do!
 
Playing this beta has definitely been a very unique experience. There's really never been anything like it for me. I really feel connected to the community and for the most part people seem to be really good sports about stuff and I've had some good conversations playing the game and even when I win or lose, I'm having a great time! Most people seem to feel the way I do and that is really awesome. I crushed this one guy with my mutalisks and he was very friendly and asked me how I did it, instead of the usual "Fuck You! You cheated!." It's way different than my usual online experience where people are big dicks and the only things people say are rude and hateful.
 
Probably the most exciting thing that's happened to me so far was getting in a 1v1 with OneupNetwork. I literately shouted when I saw I was against them and it was one hell of a battle. Of course, I was totally stomped but it's not very often people get to play one on one with game journalists... It was a surreal experience throughout the entire match and I'm just glad i got a good attack on their main base before I was crushed.
 
Other than that crazy, dream-like match, I did have one other amazing match. I was playing this other zerg player who would just not give up. I had taken out 90% of his building, drones, and units, but he had a small base off in a corner where you had to fly to get to. Of course, by this point he knew I was using mutalisks so he built 15 or so anti air spore colonies. And no matter how many mutalisks I sent, I'd lose them all... and by the time I built more he'd have even more colonies up. So I had to do I very precise operation to use my Overlords (troop carriers) to bring some hydralisks (ground troopers) over to a bare corner (about 2 X 2 units in size) and use mutalisks to draw his anti air fire. It worked, but just barely, I ended up losing 2 hydralisks when he killed my overlords, but i got him, the base was wrecked... At this point he only had 2 extractors (useless buildings at this point) on the other side of the map... and he wouldn't give up. I had to fly and destroy them, I would consider this bad sportsmanship on his part, except I just think he was stubborn, and it made my victory that much sweeter. 
 
So in closing, I love Starcraft 2, I don't totally suck, I played 1up, and I'm gonna keep playing the shit out of this game! More to follow!
 
Other Things:
-General Knoxx is really hard...
-Battlefield Bad Company 2 is not for me... not enough structure
-Got Fable 2 for 20 bucks... maybe I'll play it
-FFXIII hits nets week, contemplating a purchase
 
Thanks for reading guys!
-Inf225