Ghosts, Drops-pods and Terran Mobility.

Its fair to say that from the current look of Starcraft2 the Terrans will again be the most immobile of all the races.

Protoss have their Warp-in Warpgates mixed with Phase Prisms, and the Zerg currently have their Nydus Worm which looks like a very deadly mobility feature.

Now to give the Terrans a little more chance in the battle here's what i come up with.


Seeing the Drop-Pod technology in action scientists and generals alike found it a very useful way to transport troops in the battlefield. The casualties from getting the army on the battlefield was greatly reduced using these drop pods. Having Ghosts deliver these drop pods also extended the role of these black ops and made their expensive maitanence more reasonable.

Now the way i see this work is to be able to select what units to be loaded into the drop-pod, each unit will costs its original price. Each drop-pod filled will also cost additional money, something along the lines of 50 minerals and 50 gas for EACH filled drop pod. For instance one drop pod may have 6 limit, 3 goliaths or 6 marines or 1 tank and 2 marines etc, you get the picture.

Now the way they drop is first build first drop, the first drop pod thats filled is the first one that gets dropped.

You have all the units built either in the Shadow Ops, or an add-on to it, or you can have a special building for that such as a Loading Dock. You can only have a certain amount of drop pods on standby in either of those buildings so its not overpowered and you still need to make a few buildings to keep replenishing your army. This way you can raid more effectively and keep a steady supply of troops on the battlefield.

Whatdya think?

 

If I remember correctly in one of the Q&As it was actually stated that Blizzard was toying with the idea of having customizable dropods. Im not 100% on this so if someone can confirm me that would be great.

I do think this could be a good idea and I hope I am remembering correctly.


P.S. If it wasn't in a Q&A it was in a blue post in the B.net forums. (Assuming Im not mistake of course)

 

I think it was in the Q&A (forget which one). I hope this ability does come into play, because it give the Terrans an excellent level of flexaibility with the drop pods. I can imagine sending a pair of ghosts out, finding either an enemy base or a vauable resource spot, then dropping a small in.

Plus think about the excellent single-player games that you could do with this ability.

 

I think instead of using the first drop pod loaded, the drop pod ability should open up to a submenu with the different drop pods there, and if you move your mouseover one, it will say what units are in it. The submenu would be like the build menu, and the higlight would be like if you highlight an upgrade. Where It says what it does and it's cost and stuff. Only for drop pods, it would say the units.

 

That becomes a little complicated imo, and too many windows opening.

The way this could work is you can select drop pods from the building they are built at.

Lets say you have a building called a Loading Dock, there you load them up, this building has a pod launcher, where the pods are stored, and you see the ready pods, you select each pod and than FROM there not with a ghost you shoot them to the battlefield.

The ghost can keep his ability to only call in marine drop pods.

 

Warp Gate will only warp in units from the the Gateway (i.e. tier one units)
Nydus Worm will only transport small ground units (i.e. tier one units)
Drop Pods will only drop in units from the barracks (i.e. tier one units)

 

how do you know that about the nydus worm?

Gateway has zealots, immortals, stalkers, high and dark templar, thats every ground unit exept the Colossus. Also dark templar + high templar = archon too, so its almost every unit they have.

 

I think that they should make it so ghosts can just drop a big ol spray of spider mines in over one spot on the map...

Okay thats somewhat overpowered but it would still be frickin sweet.

 

Dark and High Templars are Tier one?

 

I suspect that Drop Pods will be scrapped. The Nomad Auto Turrets are pretty much the same, and, the Ghost has like 10 abilities anyway.

 

gasmaskguy there is a huge different between auto turrets and drop pods, nomads auto turrets is a support building which gets destroyed after a while (i think it was time limited)

its used to support attacks and defenses doh


Drop pods are simply fast transports

 

Ain't the Drop Pods used like that too? I don't think that they will be used to just transport units between locations, they will be used in battle to support, just like Turrets. If there is no actual fighting (no stress) Drop Ships (not limited to infantry either) would do just fine instead. Would not waste your Ghost's energy.

I don't think that I will use Drop Pods when I have Auto Turrets. They don't occupy supply and are deployed by flying casters, not walking.

 

auto turrets cost minerals, and they need to be built before deployed too, and when i think about it they MAY share some similarities but you could say that drop pods is more effective but costier

i would use auto turrets for defenses and drop pods for attacks

dropping 18 marines at a expansion would pretty much destroy it before they could bring back up cause from what i know it wont come any message like DROP POD DETECTED

 

Blizzard never said that they will cost minerals and need to be pre-built. Those are ideas of other members of this forum.

 

nomands got a buildanimation, it says on starcraft2.com that they construct stuff, even though its not sure they will cost minerals and be pre built its a large chance they will

anyway if not they will cost energy and the nomad wont be able to use the turrets as often if thats the case

 

As often as what? Drop Pods? They require energy too, so it changes nothing.

 

The idea is that drop pods will give mobility to the terran army, much like the warp in and the nydus worm. Its not a unit ability as much as it is a mobility mechanic.

 

The Warp In mechanic can be used to warp in almost every Protoss ground unit. They stretch between tier 1 and 2.5 or something like that. It doesn't even require energy at all, as far as we know. The Nydus Worm can transport every zerg ground unit just like the Nydus Canal, as far as we know.
...Terran Drop Pods? It doesn't bring "mobility to the terran army", it brings mobility to Marines and perhaps Medics (Reapers got jetpacks and Firebats are most likey too big, being manifactured in the Factory and all) .
It's just a "spell" that summons a bunch of Marines, and the Nomads Auto Turrets seem to serve the same purpose.

The Drop Pods can not be compared to Warp In and Nydus Worms who are far more superior.

 

I agree, GMG. They're in different catigories,

Either way, The Terrnas are known for mobility. there's something Blizzard hasn't shown us yet, I'm sure of it.

 

Did you not read my post?

I suggested to be able to load any unit in the drop pods...