New Spine Crawler Attack Animation

Sorry guys- I split the original conversation out of the Battlecruiser model thread, and absently permadeleted the head post, which apparently deletes the whole thread. I'll see what I can do to give this discussion a new home.

The Spine Crawler attack animation has changed from a subterranean tentacle to an over-the ground animation.

You can see it in a number of screenshots, as well as this video. I chose this version, with the commentary, because the commentator specifically mentions the new animation.

A screenshot, from Joystiq:

Spoiler

A number of people, including myself, speculate that the reason for this change was to make the attack more visual, making it easier for players to micro away from Crawler attacks, and for observers to tell what is going on.

 

Hrm, is it still a "line" attack?
Or does it only damage one unit..

Stupid question, sorry

 

It has never been a line attack lobster. The Lurker has one, but the Zerg ground defense has never had an AoE attack.

 

With this new animation it's also easier to see, if for example 2 spine thingies are grouped close together, which one is attacking you. But I guess that's what the OP meant with easier micro

 

The colossi attack animation seems different too. But that might be cause I dont pay a lot of attention anymore.

BTW, I think the new Spine crawler animation is ugly.

 

I knew this, damn it I could of posted that. :/ Anyway, ya in the commentary they said it was for spectators knowing whatever I guess, easier.

 

It needs to curve more along the length of its tentacle when attacking. Like a coiled snake.

Rather than a long straight as a ruler leap kinda thing. Thats what makes it not look natural.

 

All the other defensive structures attack above ground which made the subterranean attack that much more diverse and special, especially since utilising ground (burrow, creep) is a substantial Zerg trait. Hence I really don't like the new animation and don't even see the reason behind it.

If the tongue was made to extend and go underground in the direction its target was it would already make it clearer, although I don't see why it would need to be made clearer to begin with. Not to mention that for such a movement in the air to be possible at a force capable of dealing any considerable damage the tongue would need to be three-four times as thick to hold enough muscle, which would make it more believable, but would cause more visual clutter. But even then I doubt it would be anything more than an evolutionary failure, from a lore point of view.

Going underground is the only logical way of attacking for the Zerg GtG defensive structure both from a lore and an aesthetic point of view, imo. In addition to the directional burrowing of the tongue it could also be made visible in a similar fashion moving infestors are with a small bulge of earth over the tongue, which would be visible without detectors, unlike with the infestors.

 

^ I agree with the last two posts. And is that the new spawning pool in the top of the picture? If so it looks soooo much better then the original that had made. That one was too shiny for the Zerg.

 

Anyone else thinks they look like giant zerg dildos that are whipping the enemy to death?

Maybe its just me then but it cracks me up whenever i see them in the new videos.



A coiling animation like some cobra with a single giant fang would look better.

 

I like the idea, but they are taking too much space up in the screen, looks too much like warcraft 3, and not sc1.

 

@ Sueco: Please, don't even go that far but the attack animation does look bad.

 

its an attention getter alright, but it draws to much attention and all the screen as well.

 

I think the screenshot doesn't make justice to what it actually is. I think in BR3 you can see the spine crawler's new attack animation, and to me it looked pretty awesome

 

disgustingly good...

 

I don't like these new Zerg defences. I guess I understands that they were pretty shiny for Zerg but the have to do this? Why didn't they just do a really dirty virsion. And if it was because of the "not being able to be seen" why didn't they just make the spines glisen with blood and go really high in the air through the unit. Would that not work( of course that could be bad if your perverted but look at SC1 defences it wouldn't be any different) I mean sunkns literally B*** R*** the competitionin all reallity

 

I agree on the WC3 thing maybe if they made it thiner and made the attack look a bit more organic.

 

This must be what Starcraft tentacle porn looks like.

I think if they wanted to make it easier to see they should have just made the spine stick out if the ground much further. imo this animation just adds clutter and mess.

There is however the argument that underground spines going across open space looks strange, but I'd say a giant dildo that can strike quite far horizontally but can't swat air units is equally strange, and far more hilarious.

 

LOL

i never thought that we had a man-lover member in here... you took it waaaay down... the pants...

 

you sir have obviously not been to japan to see what real tentacle porn/sex looks like =o

on a side note and going off topic a bit, i think the zerg was heavily inspired by the movie starship troopers. if anyone seen that movie then you can see how that movie and the zerg are almost EXACTLY related in almost every way and creature lol... even the "troopers" of the movie are like the terrans. i can beleive that movie inspired both the terran and zerg races. if you havent seen it then i recommend you do, its pretty good.



tell me that dont remind you of a ultra and a terran marine =O they even have baneling type creatures in this movie o.o. theres even also a "overmind" in it lol... it eats brains but ya w/e, basides the brain eating part it pretty much play the same role as the zergs overmind o.o