most overlooked key to victory?

[brianlala]

Probably the biggest key to winning in SC2 (and also the most overlooked) is to invest in the maximum number of intelligence chits that is allowed and to tech up your intelligence level ASAP.

I've found that this strategy can be completely overpowering and in my games on intermediate/+1 I always tone down my investment in this area because it makes it too easy to win sometimes.

Each new level of intelligence research reached increases your research bonus by 1% (I'm assuming the game means 1 percentage point and not 1%, i.e. your chance of scoring a research hit goes from 5% to 6% and not 5% to 5.05%).

Why is this so powerful? Let me show an example: Lets pretend that you want to invest in advanced aircraft so you put one research chit into advanced aircraft.

If intelligence increases your research by 1 percentage point then your chances of successfully scoring the advanced aircraft research that you invested in goes from 5% every turn to 8% every turn if you are at the max intelligence research level of 3. If your opponent failed to invest in intelligence, their chance of hitting advanced aircraft research with an investment of one research chit into advanced aircraft will only be 2% every turn. So you will have an 8% chance every turn and they will have a 2% chance to get advanced aircraft. Not only that, but you will also have a 3% chance to spot each of your enemy's units every single turn.

For some countries like Japan, getting an advantage in one particular research area like infantry weapons is completely dominating. As Japan with +2 infantry weapons, beating China becomes much easier. So as Japan I invest in infantry weapons and intelligence and that is how I beat China on single player. As the Commonwealth, I'd do this strategy with antisub, naval, and intelligence research as my primary targets. With Germany it is heavy tanks, advanced aircraft, and intelligence. This is the secret to winning the game, I believe.

So what do you think? Am I on to something? Anyone else have any other secret to victory that is overlooked?

[SeaMonkey]

I'll agree that if indeed you get some early advances in intel it can be very helpful, but like most other scripted strategies in SC, I don't believe there is a foolproof "key" to winning.

Just the fact that the entire technological system in based on variables precludes any tech category from being a/the "key" for success and mixed with the almost limitless variation of actions in the SC engine it's difficult to adhere to a cookie-cutter philosophy. Then again if you are talking exclusively in reference to the AI as being your opponent I'm sure eventually a pattern of action could be deduced that would be considered typical. That's when you uncover the ultimate satisfaction from SC and play against a human where the variables approach infinity.