Fourth race: Plants

This isn't my idea but something I saw mentioned on some other forums.

Someone suggested a plant race as the fourth race.

I thought maybe it could work.  We've got the human race, superior alien race, and the bug/insectoid/reptilian race all covered.  Maybe a plant race makes good sense in a way.  Night Elves in WC3 kinda have this with their buildings already. It's too late for SC2, but perhaps SC3.

First, watch this short video Plant race in action.

Do you think it could work?  Why or why not?

 

not like that i dont think, zerg already have broodlings,

although it could be quite cool, you win a battle, but then all your men become enemy buildings, that slowly spawn hundreds of little tree people or something.

infected creep could be quite cool as well, i woudnt mind, new ideas new hthings comeing around always good

 

It could work, but adding a new race will mean that every other race needs re-balancing.
I do like the idea of a plant race, the problem is how would they attack? given the fact that plants don't really move...

 

I don't think movment will be a big issue.

NE buildings already uproot themselves and walk around.

A plant with super fast growth rate that constantly grows out roots/vines to move while the vines left behind quickly wither away is one idea. Some others could float around with propeller-like leaves or whatever.

I was thinking for a plant race to even work in the first place, they would need to involve Zerg in their origin somehow. Like, on one of the planets that Zerg infested then left behind, they effected the native plant life to cause constant mutation and evolution like the Zerg. And some of the conciousness of the overmind/cerebrates rubbed off on the plants, or whatever crazy things that need to happen to justify the state of things.

But once that's there, you could really just make up any kind of crap for everything.

 

nice video, I think im addicted to planet earth now XD

 

5th race. The Robot Race. XP

Kinda like when you put Protoss and Terran together.

Meh,

The Hybrid could be Protoss/Zergs

Plant=Terran/Zerg

Robot=Terran/protoss. =O

 

plant race? firebats can handle them well.

 

Why not have a pathogenic race? Small little micro organisms that enters other's body and slowly kill them from the inside.

 

Unless all of the plants are as quick as Venus Fly Traps, I wouldn't like to wait 10 years for a Plant Command Center to grow...

 

I lol'd

 

lool if only it were true

 

If there any good skinners here maybe it can be made into a mod?

 

the plant race, they could have a special ability, where they call down a huge infected asteroid (huge ni the starcraft sence) and out poors spore and things, then the player could spend a litle money and in no time some little sporlings pop out.

 

I'm bored from not having any new info to talk about.  So I basically constructed my idea of a Plant Race.

Please excuse the stupid names, I didn't feel like giving the names too much thought.

Comments are welcome but not necessary.  Like I said, this is out of boredom.  This is kinda long... I might have to break it up.

Here I go...

+++++++++++++++
Plant Race Basics
+++++++++++++++
- Plant Race grows all the buildings and units out of the ground.

- Buildings can only be built on special enriched soil where the highly evolved mutant growth rates of the Plant Race buildings and units can be supported.  Only exceptions are the main building and Cultivation Trees(explained below).

- Plant Race workers, Seedlings, plants into the special soil to grow into building like the Drones of the Zerg race.

- Unlike Zerg Drones, worker Seedlings also directly grows into all other Plant Race units.

- Plant Race must plant Cultivation Trees which provide their food supply.  Cultivation Tree is also the only Plant Race building that provide and spread enriched soil for other buildings to be built on.

- Unlike Creep Colonies of the Zerg, Cultivation Trees can be built anywhere, not just on enriched soil.

- The Plant Race main building, the Life Trees, can be built anywhere.  However, unlike Zerg Hatcheries, Life Trees themselves do not provide and spread enriched soil.  Life Trees still provide supply just like other race main buildings though.

- Plant Race units only regenerate HP when they are positioned on enriched soil, this could be friendly or foe.

- TAKE ROOT (Tier 1 research) allow ALL(ground or air) Plant Race units to plant themselves down into enriched soil to regenerate HP at 5 times the normal rate.  While taking root, the units can not move or attack, nor can they use any abilities.  Air units taking root are effectively considered ground targets while they take root.

- Seedlings could grow into Cultivation Trees anywhere to spread enriched soil, in order to create an area where other Seedlings can plant themselves to grow into buildings/units, as well as for other units to take root to regenerate HP quickly.

- Unlike Protoss buildings which can not function in the absence of Plyon power, even if all Cultivation Trees were destroyed Plant Race buildings can still continue function because they have already matured enough.

 

Here come the units. All unit stats I based on SC1/BW unit stats.

This is long, but you might be just as bored as I am...

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VINE CREEPER
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Unit type: Ground
Unit size: Small
Food cost: 1
Cost: 50 mineral
Base armor: 0
HP: 45
Ground attack: 8
Air attack: none
Attack cooldown: 15
Attack range: 2
Attack mod: 1
Sight range: 7
Build time: 24
Movement speed: average(slightly faster than marines)

Upgrades: Piercing Vines (100 mineral 100 gas, Tier 1) Increase the attack range of the Vine Creeper by 1(to 3; firebats have a range of 2 btw), also allow the Vine Creeper to attack up to two targets aligned in a straight line.

Comments: Basic tier 1 infantry. Attacks ground targets by whipping out torny vines. Can attack an additional target with each attack after researching upgrade. Travels the ground by quickly extending the root-like vines that carry it. The extremely boosted rate of growth for the vines that it uses for movement leave it unable to maintain them for long. The vines left behind quickly die off and wither away as they gain some distance from the main plant unit.


===============
THORN WALKER
===============
Unit type: Ground
Unit size: Large
Food cost: 2
Cost: 75 mineral 75 gas
Base armor: 1
HP: 180
Ground attack: 15
Air attack: none
Attack cooldown: 40
Attack range: 1
Attack mod: 2
Sight range: 8
Build time: 40
Movement speed: slow

Special notes: Passively damages all range 1 melee attackers by 6 damage per attack received. Requires separate pre-req building(like the academy) at Tier 1.

Upgrades: Hardened Spikes (150 mineral 150 gas, Tier 1) Increase Thorn Walker's base armor value by 1(to 2) and its passive damage return by 6(to 12).

Comments: The damage dealing potential of the Thorn Walker is not very impressive directly, but the combination of their durability and the passive damage return to melee attackers, allow them to heavily punish opponents who have not scouted well to prepare enough ranged units to counter them. Countering masses of small melee units is their specialty. This unit looks like a giant walking cactus.


===============
SEED LAUNCHER
===============
Unit type: Ground
Unit size: Small
Food cost: 1
Cost: 75 mineral
Base armor: 0
HP: 60
Ground attack: 12
Air attack: 12
Attack cooldown: 22
Attack range: 4
Attack mod: 1
Sight range: 8
Build time: 24
Movement speed: average(same as marines)

Special notes: Requires the same pre-req building as Thorn Walkers.

Upgrades: Dense Seeds (150 mineral 150 gas, Tier 1) Increase Seed Launcher attack range by 1(to 5).

Comments: Basic tier 1 ranged unit, attacks both ground and air.


==============
HIVE CREEPER
==============
Unit type: Ground
Unit size: Medium
Food cost: 1
Cost: 75 mineral 50 gas
Base armor: 0
HP: 85
Ground attack: 4(x4)
Air attack: none
Attack cooldown: 30
Attack range: 4
Attack mod: 1
Sight range: 7
Build time: 30
Movement speed: slighty above average

Special notes: The Hive Creeper is a specialized version of the Vine Creeper at early Tier 2 that carries a hive containing small wasp-like symbiotic insects called "Stingers" that it sends out to attack nearby ground targets. The Stingers that it carries have limited flight capabilities and can not stray too far from their hives, so they can not fly out to attack units high in the air. Each Hive Creeper initially carries 4 Stingers, upgradeable to 6. Each Stinger may each attack a separate target, Stingers themselve are too small to be targeted. The Hive Creeper can also be upgraded to scale cliffs.

Upgrades: Enhanced Hive Chamber (100 mineral 100 gas) Increase each Hive Creeper's Stinger carrying capacity by 2(to 6).

Grappling Vines (100 mineral 100 gas) Develop specialized vines that shoot out and latches onto cliffes, then quickly pulls the Hive Creeper to sling it over to the top.


===============
SPORE SEEDER
===============
Unit type: Ground
Unit size: Large
Food cost: 2
Cost: 125 mineral 200 gas
Base armor: 0
HP: 140
Base energy: 200
Ground attack: none
Air attack: none
Attack cooldown: n/a
Attack range: n/a
Attack mod: 0
Sight range: 10
Build time: 70
Movement speed: average

Special notes: Requires separate pre-req building at Tier 2.

Upgrades: Enlarged Seed Chamber (100 mineral 100 gas) Increase the maximum energy of the Spore Seeder by 50(to 250).

Special abilities:

Archoring Vines (initial ability) Range: 8, Energy: 75. Fires a seed at any ground or air target. The seed immediately burst into a growth of vines that extends growth downward and roots into the ground. The effected target can no longer move but may still attack any targets within range. Effected air units still remain airborne due to the vines/roots forming a bean stalk type growth. The effect lasts for 14 seconds.

Trapper Seed (100 mineral 100 gas) Range: 7, Energy: 100. Shoots a seed at the foot of any ground unit, friendly or foe. The seed immediately takes root and grows a Trapper Plant(think giant venus fly trap) which instantly engulfs the target unit. The entrapped unit may not attack and may not be attacked by other units. The Trapper Plant may be controlled to move(run on little root-feet) the entrapped unit anywhere as desired, Trapper Plant has an average movement speed. The entrapped unit is released after 10 seconds after which the Trapper Plant withers away. The unit inside may be released by attacking the Trapper Plant directly and killing it. Trapper Plants have 80 HP and 1 armor(can not be upgraded).

Sprouting Spore (150 mineral 150 gas) Range: 9, Energy: 200. Shoots a deadly spore into a target ground unit. The spore then immediately takes growth, killing the host instantly. The growth produces a nut-like fruit in a short amount of time(like lurker/baneling mutation), and drops a permanent "Sporeling" unit. A Sporeling takes up 1 unit supply and will only spawn if there is spare food supply available, otherwise the spore growth quickly withers away.

Comments: The Sprouting Spore ability is much like the Spawn Broodling ability of the Zerg Queen, except with some differences. Zerg players almost never use Queens in serious games, thus, Zergs have always made it without the Spawn Broodling ability. Which is why I believe Zerg will not have it in SC2. Hence, I'm recycling the ability after some adjustments. The Trapper Seed special ability can be used to preserve a friendly near-death unit and move it away from the frontlines, as well as used to capture key enemy units such as caster units to bring them into reach of your combat units while keeping them from using any abilities in the process.


===========
SPORELING
===========
Unit type: Ground
Unit size: Small
Food cost: 1
Cost: spell
Base armor: 0
HP: 50
Ground attack: 6
Air attack: none
Attack cooldown: 8
Attack range: 1
Attack mod: 1
Sight range: 5
Build time: spell
Movement speed: fast

Special notes: Permanent units produced with the Spore Seeder's Sprouting Spore special ability. Each Sporeling requires 1 unit supply and will only be produced if there is at least 1 spare food supply.

Comments: Small ground units, nut-like in appearance, with a small leaf sprouted out of the top. Uses small "feet-like" roots to quickly move about.


==============
SEED BOMBER
==============
Unit type: Air
Unit size: Large
Food cost: 2
Cost: 150 mineral 150 gas
Base armor: 0
HP: 150
Ground attack: 24 explosive splash
Air attack: 12 explosive
Attack cooldown: 15 air / 50 ground
Attack range: 5 air / 1 ground
Attack mod: 2
Sight range: 7
Build time: 60
Movement speed: average air unit speed

Special notes: Require separate pre-req building at Tier 2.

Comments: Basic tier 2 air unit in the same class as muta, wraith, and scout. Specialized propeller leaves spinning at high rates allow this version of the Seed Launcher to fly. In order to compensate for the weak propulsion, the seed launching mechanism has evolved to quickly fire smaller seeds to minimize recoil to maintain flight stability. Its air attack is weak but relatively fast, but still weak compared to others in its class when damage dealt over time is factored in. It has a specialized type of large seed filled with abrasive chemicals to use as its ground attack, the seeds break open when dropped to the ground splashing the highly corrosive contents about. The ground attack has a very long cooldown but the damage is very high for its class and the splash damage is very useful.


===============
SPORE WALKER
===============
Unit type: Ground
Unit size: Large
Food cost: 2
Cost: 200 mineral 175 gas
Base armor: 1
HP: 200
Base energy: 200
Ground attack: 26
Air attack: none
Attack cooldown: 32
Attack range: 1
Attack mod: 2
Sight range: 8
Build time: 80
Movement speed: above average

Special notes: Require separate pre-req building at Tier 2.

Special abilities:

Parasitic Spores (initial ability) Range: 2, Energy: 75. The Spore Walker expels specialized spores in all directions effecting all enemy ground units and buildings in close proximity. The spores latch onto enemy ground targets and increase the damage received by the effected targets per attack by 1. Up to 5 spores may accumulate on a single target.

Comments: Special tier 2 melee ground units, resemble giant walking mushrooms in appearance. Has the initial ability of Parasitic Spores, which is its only ability, there are none other that could be researched and its energy reserve can not be upgraded. A few Spore Walkers using their Parasitic Spores abilities at the frontlines can quickly stack up and increase the damage done by your army to the effected targets.


=============
LEAF DANCER
=============
Unit type: Air
Unit size: Medium
Food cost: 2
Cost: 125 mineral 100 gas
Base armor: 1
HP: 160
Ground attack: none
Air attack: 10 splash
Attack cooldown: 12
Attack range: 2
Attack mod: 2
Sight range: 8
Build time: 40
Movement speed: fast air unit speed

Special notes: Require additional pre-req building at Tier 2. Large specialized leaves grown around the plant forms a circle, Leaf Dancer flys by spinning at a high rate. Leaf Dancer attacks its targets in the air with the same leaves that allow it to fly. These specialized hardened leaves are razor sharp and damage all air units in close proximity.

Comments: The Leaf Dancer can only attack air units. While its attack range is very limited, it damages all enemy air units in 360 degrees around itself. It is essentially a flying buzzsaw.


===============
QUAKE BRINGER
===============
Unit type: Ground
Unit size: Medium
Food cost: 2
Cost: 200 mineral 250 gas
Base armor: 0
HP: 180
Base energy: 200
Ground attack: 10 explosive
Air attack: 10 explosive
Attack cooldown: 40
Attack range: 5
Attack mod: 2
Sight range: 10
Build time: 100
Movement speed: average

Special notes: Requires separate pre-req building at Tier 3.

Upgrades: Advanced Photosynthesis (150 mineral, 150 gas) Increase the maximum energy of the Quake Bringer by 50(to 250).

Special abilities:

Volatile Spore (initial ability) Range: 8, Energy 75. Plants a spore into a friendly ground unit. The spore greatly increases the movement speed of the effected unit for 5 seconds, during this time the effected unit reflects a red color. After the 5 seconds the effected unit explodes, dealing 50 damage to all enemey ground units and buildings around it in a 2x2 area.

Earth Ripper (150 mineral, 150 gas) Range: 0~12, Energy: 100. Sends out a large root of mutant growth rate that travels from the caster forward up to 12 matrices away damaging all enemy ground units in the path by 75, and buildings by 35. The damage is considered normal melee and is effected by armor.

Geoshock (150 mineral, 150 gas) Range: 7, Energy: 150. Commands a network of subterranian roots to rip apart a 4x4 area in the ground, causing a powerful tremor and cracks the ground(temporary visual effect). The effect momentarily stuns all enemy ground units in the area, as well as deal 150 damage to all buildings.

Comments: The Quake Bringer relentlessly pursues the interests of the Plant race even at the expense of sacrificing its brethren. Forcefully causing a friendly unit to combust is its way of getting the last bit of use out of inevitable losses.


===================
BEHEMOTH WEAPON
===================
Unit type: Ground
Unit size: Large
Food cost: 4
Cost: 300 mineral 200 gas
Base armor: 2
HP: 320
Ground attack: 100 exposive splash
Air attack: none
Attack cooldown: 100
Attack range: 10
Attack mod: 8
Sight range: 0(blind)
Build time: 120
Movement speed: slow

Special notes: Requires separate pre-req building at Tier 3. The Behemoth Weapon itself is blind, and can not see anything that is not adjacent to itself. It requires other units to provide vision.

Comments: Evolved for the sole purpose of hurling gigantic seeds over great distances, most other basic functions not essential for this purpose, including sensory functions, were abandoned. The launching mechanism is over-evolved into what can only be described as a monstrosity. The launching process is extremely time consuming, but once the projectile makes its way to its target, serious damage is inflicted even to the immediate surroundings. Its enormous roots used to walk are evolved to provide the most stability for firing while still providing some mobility, the down side is that the movement of the Behemoth Weapon is not very fast.

 

how does plant race air units looks like? just a leaf.

i like the spore units.. walking musrooms!

mother gaia please help this plant race bloom. 8)

 

Remeber the giant flying plant that spins in the air in Zelda:OoT?  There's one.

It's a little different from what I had in mind, but the spinning part and how it has leaves all around the edges is similar.  For a leaf dancer anyway.

For the seed bomber I was imagining something closer to a helicopter, but with two or more propellers, made of leaves of course.

 

Not as detailed as Remy's ( owerup: for the neat ideas, btw), but here are a couple more unit ideas:

##########
Leechroot
##########

The Leechroot appears humanoid in shape, made of a hard, wood-like substance, and has several vines growing out its back. It can implant these vines into organic foes, draining them of life while increasing the Leechroot's energy. This is the only way the Leechroot can attack, and it cannot regenerate energy in any other way. During this process, neither the Leechroot nor the target can do anything. The Leechroot can also implant the vines into allied units, healing them. This process is faster than the Terran Medic's heal ability, and of course requires energy.

##########
Ocarina
##########

The Ocarina looks like a large lizard, but has a hard shell with several holes in it on its back. The Ocarina has the ability to manipulate the air around it. It has two abilties: Hurricane and Wind Bastion. Hurricane creates a burst of wind that hits all enemies around the Ocarina. When using Wind Bastion, the Ocarina makes the air around it spin rapidly. This wall of spinning air defects projectiles that touch it, protecting allied units near the Ocarina as well as the Ocarina itself. Enemy ground units also cannot enter the Bastion.

 

Well, i like the idea but I dont think Blizz would do it as we have already got the:

Terrans = Versatile Race, Super Mirco Required.

Zerg = Cheap-ass Mass Production Race

Protoss = Few and Expensive but powerful.

 

sounds like a good idea, but they would probably have difficulties trying to include the race's storyline. Anyway a plant race could share a similar advantage of the zerg having able to produce cheap and higher number of units however with a relatively different strategy