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You need more supplies as a Zerg than you do as a Protoss or Terran player. Resource for resource, Zerg troops are just straight-out less powerful than the troops of other races. There is no reason for denying it; Zerg players should simply accept it as a fact and engage in techniques which permit them to get more resources than their opponents.
However, the game is balanced around Zerg being weaker than other factions as the Zerg have cheaper expansions. Since the Hatchery is the structure where you can train units at, expanding is really inexpensive as a Zerg user. The money that other factions would be spending on unit-training structures can be converted into a Hatchery. As a consequence, the strongest Zerg build order is the fast expansion strategy. It is not a shocker that this tactic is one of the principal Starcraft 2 strategies in Starcraft 2.
Of course, things may change as the game develops and after you scrutinize the faction of your opponent. When playing against another Zerg gamer, I typically am partial to go for the thirteen Spawning Pool and 16 Hatchery build. The reason you do this is because you need to be ready to defend yourself if the foe attacks you near the beginning of the game.
Against a Terran player, I actually prefer to make the vespene extractor as my first building, then a Spawning Pool, and then ultimately a Hatchery. By getting early gas, you can make Roaches somewhat rapidly which are great defensive troops. This helps protect you against any early Reaper hostility the Terran gamer might be going after. This is a very tangible threat to the Zerg user who opts for the quick expansion as Queens and Drones cannot defeat Reapers. For more tips, check this Starcraft 2 zerg strategy guide. The single thing that Zerg gamers can get early in the match-up that can stop Reapers are Zerglings with the speed research or Roaches.
When you are playing versus Protoss, you can go for a greedy strategy as the Protoss are slow starters. What you want to do is construct your Hatchery as your first added structure and build your Spawning Pool immediately after that. Even if the foe tries to rush, you ought to possess enough time to train troops and defensive structures before he can attack. Defensive buildings and Queens can kill any early Protoss attacks whereas Roaches are reasonably vunerable to Stalkers.
Zealots are produced too slowly to be good against a fast expansion, so the threat of an early attack is not relevant against Protoss players. Most of the time your expansion will finish before they even know what occured as by the time they discover it the building will be nearly finished. By securing this early expansion, the Zerg player sets herself up for having enough supplies to afford more troops than his foe. This is the only way Zerg gamers can make up for their pricy troops.
Tags: starcraft 2, starcraft 2 zerg guide, zerg build orders, zerg strategy starcraft 2