July 27, 2010 saw the worldwide release of what will most likely be one of the biggest games of the year: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. The sequel to 1998's colossally popular real-time strategy game, StarCraft II will allow you to control one of three races as you face off online in massive, high-tech space battles.

But just like any game with a rabid following, StarCraft II's online scene will likely be dominated by real-time strategy veterans, kids who log on everyday as soon as school is over, and frankly, the proud residents of South Korea, where original StarCraft games are a televised sport.

Luckily, despite the notoriously complex nature of Blizzard's real-time strategy games, there are a number of simple tips and tricks that can be employed to significantly up your game, whether you're a fan of Warcraft, Starcraft or both. Get ready to dominate your opponents with our exclusive advice.

Use Hot Keys

One of the biggest differences between skilled RTS gamers and novices is found in the ability to utilize both the mouse and keyboard simultaneously. Most every unit command has a Hot Key assigned to it, and as a user, you can even assign specific numbers to buildings, units or even groups. By memorizing even some of the most basic Hot Keys, you'll effectively double your in-game speed, meaning you'll build more units and get more upgrades quicker.

Assign Numbers to Your Units

As mentioned above, gamers can assign numbers to different groups of units, making it easy to cycle through your squadrons. Since every unit has it's own strengths and weaknesses, this is extremely important. In the heat of battle, you might want ranged units to focus on a particular flying unit, or direct all units of a certain type to use their special abilities. By assigning numbers before the attack, you'll be able to micromanage much more effectively.

Micromanage

Blizzard programs pretty impressive AI into its games, making it tempting to simply send your armies into the fray and let the computer sort out who to attack and how. But, no matter how good a game's AI is, it still isn't a match for the best human players, who can develop shifting strategies on the fly. Thus, it's vital that you keep as tight control over your units as possible, which means keeping weak ranged units at the back and strong melee units up front, while taking full advantage of each unit's special abilities.

Don't be Afraid to Retreat

It's humiliating when an attack doesn't work out, especially when you've spent the entire game building up what you think is an unstoppable army. But for every great unit, there are a number of ways to counter. It can be tempting to write off your last three or four attackers once it's clear you've lost the skirmish, but in the long run, you're better off pulling your men back. You might not get to do that final bit of damage to your opponent, but in all likelihood, the cost of building new units will far outweigh whatever havoc your final blows will cause.

Variety is the Spice of Life

In any RTS, the most expensive units are some of the best and the most fun to control. But absolutely no unit is completely unstoppable, no matter how much it's upgraded, and how many of them you have. Outside of team games, where each player has a specific focus, building only one, or even two, types of units is just asking for trouble, since your fleet of expensive ships could possibly be taken down by the exact right combination of much cheaper units.

Reconnoiter

While some maps are practically claustrophobic in nature, many of them are exceptionally large, which makes reconnaissance profoundly important. Not only do you need to know where your enemy is to save valuable trudging-around-the-map time, but it's also extremely helpful to know what types of units they're building so you can effectively counter. Additionally, resources can run out, so it's always good to know where you can find more.

Expand

A lot of online games end reasonably quickly, after one player or team has struck a decisive blow on another. Even if the losing player doesn't immediately quit, usually it's simply a matter of cleanup at that point. However, in case your first attack doesn't work, you need to be in it for the long haul, which means expansion sites. Don't wait until you're almost out of resources though, as by then you might not have enough to build a new settlement, and all of the acceptable sites could very well be taken. Expand early and expand often, as too many resources are never a problem.

Flesh out your Workforce

Obviously, resources are necessary to do pretty much anything in RTS games. So, before you start creating new structures or building units, make sure you have a full workforce. It might result in you not getting attack units as quickly as other players, but the difference will be more than offset when you've got resources rolling in.

Be Shameless

There is no such thing as a "cheap" way to win in RTS games, no matter how loudly some might proclaim the contrary. Rushing your opponent early on, surrounding their base with towers, killing their workers then disappearing - all of these are acceptable, and sometimes even effective ways to win. There is no sense in meeting your enemy head-on when you don't have to, so be sneaky and take advantage whenever and wherever you can.

Keep Moving

You should rarely just be sitting around waiting, either for units to be ready or for someone to attack you. StarCraft and WarCraft are both complex, multi-tiered games, so there should always be something for you to do while you wait for units to be completed, whether that means scouting out new areas, or simply harassing your opponent.