Plays strategy on the ladder and tinkers with everything.
CompetitionStrategySoloTinkerer
More of the Grandmaster
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Portrait
Thinking three moves ahead is your warm-up. You play strategy, and not casually but on the ladder. Your rating matters to you, your openings are rehearsed and your hotkeys sit blind.
At the same time you are a tinkerer: you want to know why the PC struggles at 300 units and what can be done about it. Mods, config files, benchmarks, you have seen it all.
Others see a game. You see a system that can be figured out. And then you figure it out.
Strengths
+You think long term and do not let short-term setbacks throw you.
+You understand connections that stay hidden from others.
+You can stay focused for hours.
Pitfalls
!One of your matches can last longer than a feature film. Credits included.
!You keep analysing even when the evening is really over.
!Games without depth bore you so quickly that you do not even start them.
Games that suit this type
StarCraft IIAge of Empires IVCivilization VIIHearts of Iron IVTotal War: Warhammer IIIChess.comHearthstone
Examples of the way of playing, not a list of what runs on which PC.
The right setup
Monitor
Big rather than fast: 27 inches in WQHD show more of the map. 144 Hz is nice, but not a must.
Graphics card
For strategy games, the graphics built into the processor or an entry-level card is often enough. You can always upgrade later.
Processor
Your most important component. Late game phases with many units and long turn calculations depend almost entirely on the processor.
Memory and storage
32 GB of RAM, because big matches and mods need plenty of room.
Accessories
A mouse with extra buttons for hotkeys and a good keyboard. Your hands work faster than your head admits.
Software
Your game's mod manager, a frame rate display and recordings of your matches for later analysis.
