2 minor and 1 major terran unit graphic issues

I am a total fanboy and I love the pretty much every unit so far in SC2 and the gameplay. I just have a few issues (in order of importance):

1. Battlecruiser- I wasn't a fan of the model in the original so I was disappointed to see the same for SC2. I feel it is just too clumsy looking. I realize many may be fans of the hammerhead look and disagree. So while I would like to see a total model change, I realize that probably wont happen.

However, at the least I feel it is way too static when it is airborne, especially in groups. To fix this, I would like to see it bob back and forth along its long axis, basically port and starboard sides alternating dipping slightly, much as classic maritime vessels did when firing cannons.

The Zerg air units avoid this problem with the ever-flapping wings. For Protoss, it makes more sense that the supreme tech race would have perfectly-still ships, but not for Terran.

2. Marauder- possibly my favorite looking Terran unit, but with the UGLIEST firing graphic. I hate the streak behind the shells of their ammunition. It looks so squarish, and when massed, cartoonish. I propose something like a quickly-dissipating smoke contrail, or, a trail of smoke rings that fade as they expand.

3. Helion-not my favorite looking unit in general, but again my issue is with the firing graphic. It is much better than the marauder's but still something seems off. Maybe make it more red and fiery like the firebat from SC1?

Again, these are my only issues with the game and blizzard is doing an excellent job with the kinks. I was just inspired to post for the first time because I haven't seen anyone else bring this up. For these three issues only, let me know how you feel and give me a bump if you agree.

 

Battlecruiser has a bulkier design now, looks a bit off compared to the old design at first, but I've warmed up to it.

I personally like the Marauder stream behind the grenades.

Hellion's fire could look more firey.

 

Battlecruiser looks fine to me... although I wouldn't mind a graphic revamp if required. But then again as you said, probably this will not change at all.

Marauder looks fine to me. Im ok with his attack animation.

Hellion... meh.. attack animation looks pretty lame imo.. it should be A LOT more firey.. and the fire burst should look faster. It would seem it comes out in slow-mo when fired.

 

the BC and the Marauder are fine, but the firing animation for the Hellion could be improved.

 

1. What sort of change were you looking for? Were you looking for a change along the lines of the StarCraft1 Carrier to the StarCraft2 Carrier or the Firebat to the Marauder? Or were you expecting something far more drastic like the equivalent of the Wraith being changed to the Banshee?

Frankly I think it's a bit unrealistic to have expected it to have changed, as it was such a recognisable and iconic unit. I do see how much it would suck to dislike the model though.

As for rocking, the thing is that it is supposed to be in orbit, in space, and not flying at the same level as Banshees and other ships do, so from that point of view, it makes sense that they do not rock from side to side.

2. I don't have a clear recollection of the Marauder's attack, but I do remember its projectile and impact animations looked very odd. It did have a really odd trail, but I mainly remember not being all that appreciative of the radiant purple static field that it exploded into. I seem to recall that I just assumed it was a placeholder. I certainly hope it is. The only two visual problems with the Marauder at the moment are its attack projectiles and its portrait. The first time I saw the helmet draw back and the head emerge I thought it was some prank a fan had made.

3. As for the Hellion, I'm not really that keen on it at all. I do think a redesign is in order, as they really need to come up with something that really suits for a unit like that, although its design does already make a lot of sense from a technical viewpoint. As for the fire, I think it's ludicrous to expect to be able to have such a long flame animation like that without it looking odd or corny. I reckon the rail gun idea would work much better, and could still conceivably achieve the same effect that it has now.

 

imo the bc looks a little on the small side

 

I also feel like the battlecruiser and the marauder look okay, although I will admit I don't remember the streak behind the shell too well. The Hellion though does look like an eyesore to me, but I'm confident that Blizzard already has something up their sleeves.

 

With the announcement of SC2 the only units that I was sure wouldn't change were the Marine, Zealot, Zergling and Hydralisk. Low and behold tis true they remained as did a lot that I really didn't think would, the Mutralisk for instance. I must say though the models that they did redesign I absolutely love, the carrier was possibly my favorite unit from SC1 and seeing it now is just as good as I could have hoped for. I honestly didn't care for the Queen, but the new rendition looks fantastic and I'm excited to implement new strategies with her. The only redesigned unit I don't like thus far is the Ultralisk really.

@Itza good call on the rail gun idea, I think that would work perfectly.

 

Didn't the helion originally have a rail gun instead of a flamethrower?

 

Not sure but the hellions predecessor, the cobra had twin railguns with the marauders slowing effect.

 

Are you sure Ovie? I followed the Terran developement quite closely (of course I could still be wrong) and what I gathered is that the Cobra went through many many transformations, and during one period it had a single target slowing attack (basically what the Marauder is now), and during another it had an aoe railgun attack shaped like the Lurkers attack (basically what the Hellion is now).

Never heard of it having a slowing railgun attack. Maybe Blizzard tried this in one of their many builds, but never informed us about it.

 

Wasn't the slowing attack still a railgun lore wise?

I didn't know it had the linear area of effect at all.

 

The slowing attack was s'posed to be electric, I think.

 

Yes an electrified railgun

Anyway, i think a flamethrower could work fine, if they made the animation like a liquid flamethrower

Spoiler

But they are probably trying to make the hellion seem like a replacement for the firebat, which is riduclous and should go for whatever works the best on the unit, which i would like to see a railgun for aswell.

 

Id rather had them change their weapon to sticky bombs lol like the ones used in the movie saving private ryan, now in that sense it really would make anything get slower due to that gooey substance splattering..

 

You are actually right about the bobbing of the battle cruiser, but a little problem. I would agree that it might be a good idea for blizzard to draw it doing that, but only if it is injured. For a ship like that with such advances as the terrains have, they have got to have stabilizers that stop the ship from doing that. Mostly because they will be fighting over planets, and the gravity will get to them, so if the ship is bobbing there and back, then no one will fly those ships. But if a ship is injured enough that those stabilizers malfunctioned, then it would be a good idea. The ships would for sure have stabilizers, so the bobbing idea doesn't work for a fully working ship.

 

that's a good point, Orestul, I would settle for that. Also earlier someone mentioned that the BC should be still because it is in orbit unlike other flyers. Then how does a mutalisk attack a BC?

Overmind, thats a sweet picture, I think the smoke coming off the stream is really clutch and would make the helion firing graphic. It gives me an idea for when the helion fires being able to see the faintest hint of gasoline, seeing it ignite, and then seeing the smoke cloud briefly, and then repeat, changing it to a burst fire similar to the rate of fire of the marauder.

But no one agrees the marauder firing streak is ugly?

 

The Ultralisk is perfect! It's a perfect refinement of the original, and looks more zerg like to me. I seem to remember some old concept art, and it seems the new version took a lot from that.

 

If you are referring to the yellow tail as seen in the battle report then i'm rather impartial, it could be better but i don't think it's too bad.

 

Holy crap... Are you fair dinkum? I've finally found someone who agrees with me on this!

The new Ultralisk is far, far from the original concept art. In both the original game and in the concept art it has always appeared as a far more insectoid creature than it is now, and given the turn that Zerg has taken in regard to being an insectoid race, that's detrimental to the Zerg, in my opinion.

Without getting too into it now, as I've seriously got to be running, it shares few similarities with the original. In my opinion it's too static and rigid of a design to be portrayed naturally as it is now. AGain, the more insectoid designs of the original Ultralisks would do it wonders.