Masters of Control

Abstract

Most user interfaces require the user to focus on one element at a time, but StarCraft 2 is a game where players often more than a hundred units simultaneously. The game interface provides an optional mechanism called control that allows players to select multiple units and assign them to a group in order to quickly recall previous selections of units. From an analysis of over 3,000 replays, we show that the usage of groups is a key differentiator of individual players as well as players of different skill levels---novice users rarely use groups while experts nearly always do. But players also behave differently in how they use their groups, especially in time-pressured situations. While certain group behaviors are common across all skill levels, expert players appear to be better at remaining composed and sustaining group use in battle. We also qualitatively analyze discussions on web forums from players about how they use groups to provide context about how such a simple interface mechanic has produced numerous ways of optimizing unit control.