Sorry it took so long to put up the second report, but here's the main discussion report submitted as well. Enjoy. As you can see our questions were ignored. ---------------- Top 5 Feedback Concerns: 1. Terran Tier Shifts - In one of the recently released "Chat with the Devs" there was a lineup change outlined that included moving the Viking to the Starport and the creation of a slot for the Firebat at the factory. This change has been met with a large amount of criticism, most especially since it will cause a shift in the lineup of the Terran toward the higher tiers. Part of the appeal of the Viking was its availability as an early support unit which could then translate into a well-timed air superiority function, as well as a relatively early ability to provide a powerful mineral raid option. Also, the reintroduction of the Firebat, while it does address Terran's need for a mass infantry counter and melee unit, it will again leave the Firebat with an extremely specialized—and therefore limited—roll. 2. Terran Unit Buffing - As the Terran have become the theme of the month on our forum, we have also noticed a large increase in the HP of a number of Terran units, including the Ghost and Seige Tank (not to mention the Marine's late-game buff). To a number of posters, this seems indicative of an overreliance on Terran durability to overcome the new Protoss mechanics, such as Warp-In and cliff-climbing. While there are a couple of new Terran mechanics which go a long way in countering these abilities (the Reaper jumps cliffs and the Viking provides an excellent counter to the Colossus), concern was expressed that these unit buffs were a way of compensating for the lack of mechanics for the Terran to combat the Protoss' threat. Therefore it has been suggested that new mechanics be implemented for the Terran. Perhaps a good direction would be in that of what the Terran Sensor Tower has started, centralizing around the idea of "early warning" systems that allow for the dispatch of quick response teams, like the Viking. As far as the Terran race right now stands, it is the opinion of some posters that the Terran will again become over-reliant on the Seige Tank as they were in Starcraft. While this is certainly an option for the Terran, one of the reasons the race is so exciting and appealing is that in Starcraft 2 they were offering a number of different options for the Terran player, including more of a reliance on Infantry rather than the traditional mechanical approach versus Protoss. 3. Thor Nuke - Recently there has also been some interest in the role of the Thor as a late-tiered heavy assault mech for the Terran. As the unit is now it really lacks a sense of identity and separation from either the Seige Tank or the Battlecruiser (It has Artillery Barrage, which is basically what Seige Tanks provide, and it's basically a Battlecruiser in ground form). As a solution to this lack of identity for the Thor, it has been suggested that the Ghost's Tactical Nuclear Strike (TNS) be shifted to the Thor in place of the Artillery Barrage. This would add durability to the Terran option of the TNS and would inevitably lead to the association of destruction with the Thor. The Nuke's deployment would then be drastically changed. Rather than depending on finesse and stealth to be effectively deployed, the Nuke would be deployed by a slow, durable, and very predictable unit. It would force the opposing player's hand in order to counter the threat that the Thor would pose, even on its journey toward the opposing base. That is, after all, a central theme in Starcraft strategy: the forcing of your opponent's hand. 4. Zergling Design - Another vehement discussion that occurred this month was that the Zergling looks terrible. There is a general consensus that they look like crickets. While the wings are certainly... interesting, they don't offer a positive change for the unit and really have no purpose. The original Zergling was much more threatening than the current one. There were also some stylistic complaints about the look of the Baneling as well. Judging by the opinion of the vast majority of members, it would be safe to assume they would be in favor of a general return to the more "alien" look of the original Zergling and Zerg units than the "insectoid" look we are currently seeing. 5. Protoss Shields – The change in the way Protoss shields recharge has sparked a greater debate about the nature of Protoss technology in Starcraft 2. A lot of discussion has centered around an obvious candidate, the Immortal, and its vulnerabilities. While we can’t see the state of the current build, from BlizzCon, it seemed obvious that smaller units simply weren’t enough to overwhelm the Immortals as their “weakness†would suggest. A change has been suggested that involves raising the threadhold at which the Immortal’s shield activates to 20 or 30, so any attack over that would be reduced to 10, but medium damage between 15-25 would still be inflicted. Furthermore, there has been significant discussion about the remaining need for a shield battery in battle situations in which Protoss forces cannot withdraw. It has again been suggested that the Star Relic (which is preferred to the Stasis Orb) serve as a battleground Shield Battery. Lastly, users have expressed a desire for the role of shields as part of the unit’s strength be emphasized. It has been suggested that shields have a base armor and that the races have different means of bypassing this shield’s strength at lower tiers. Traditionally the only answers have been at higher tiers (EMP, Plague, Broodling) and now with the shifting of the EMP to the Ghost the Terran have this ability early on. But the other two races still do not. Top 5 Fan Site Questions from your Site: 1. In one of the recently released screenshots that contained some Zerg units, there was a flaming substance over Zerglings. What was that? Dark Swarm? Thor Napalm? 2. In that same screenshot, over the flaming substance, there was what appeared to be a cloaked unit. It looked like either a Nomad or a number of Banshees. Are there current plans to include a cloaking ability on the Nomad? 3. Blizzard earlier had expressed some worries about the role of the Thor in Starcraft 2. What are the current production ideas being tested with the Thor to make its role more distinct? Is it being cut? 4. What has been decided regarding the Stasis Orb/Star Relic? 5. We had heard reports in October that the Zerg had to be scratched and totally reworked. Are these rumors true? If so, how far along are they as a race now?
OMG, that sucks... --> *deleting post* *grinning* http://forsaken.justgotowned.com/ edit: good suggestions then....
I would like to know more specifics on the Thor as well. Zerglings do look worse than they did in sc1. Protoss shield regeneration on the battlefield sounds interesting. But there has to be a drawback to that. Its basically a protoss medic, and we all know how incredibly hard marines were with medics. Taking into account the insane HP numbers on protoss having a battlefield shield battery may be OP. I agree on the Viking belonging to the Factory. They can share the 1st unit spot with the Firebat, or move the Cobra to the Starport(its a hover unit, so it KINDA makes sense) I dont feel the need for the Cobra to be in the Factory as much as the Viking.
