I got my hands over an article while surfing the » TeamLiquid.net forums, called "Playing to Win". It is written by a guy called David Sirlin, and is originally about Street Fighter, how it differs from player to player on what kind of unwritten rules they play with.He talks about cheapness, also known as cheese. He takes the example of using the 'throw' move in Street Fighter instead of using complex moves like a dragon punch or some other combination.
The first step in becoming a top player is the realization that playing to win means doing whatever most increases your chances of winning. The game knows no rules of "honor" or of "cheapness." The game only knows winning and losing.Of course he is not saying yes to map hack and other 3rd party programs, he means that you should do whatever possible and not breaking the tournament rules. What is cheese, and what is skill?
The scrub has still more crutches. He talks a great deal about “skill” and how he has skill whereas other players—very much including the ones who beat him flat out—do not have skill. The confusion here is what “skill” actually is. In Street Fighter, scrubs often cling to combos as a measure of skill.He has divided the article in three parts, where the first one was released in the year 2000, and the last two in 2003.
» Playing to Win Part 1
» Playing to Win Part 2
» Playing to Win Part 3
All three articles are very interesting to read, even if it's not entirely about StarCraft. StarCraft or not, it's still Gaming.
While we're on the subject, there's another forum post on » TeamLiquid.net, where a guy is trying to compile a replay package called Pimpest Cheese 2004. In the thread, all kinds of cheesy strategies are discussed, as well as some replays showing a cheesy match.
Do you play to win, or for fun? What's your view on 'cheese'?
Links
Sirlin.net - Theory of Game Design
TeamLiquid.net - Forum post about Playing to Win
TeamLiquid.net - Pimpest Cheese 2004