Poll: Units show battle scars?

Well this all really depends on the system blizzard uses, some programs are really good at handling in game physics and effects to the point where they can cause changes to occur in some modeled unit based on the type of interaction it gets from the environment. If Blizzard runs on such a system then the battle scars would be a very possible and cool idea, and the reason this kind of system wouldn't overburden your computer is because it changes the models structure instead of placing a mask over it. Now considering the systems in Wc3 and Wow that blizzard uses I can tell you that they unfortunately don't use such a system. Of course this is also based on the demos I've seen to. You see in order to have an interactive system as I mentioned earlier you would need to create ridiculous large interaction codes for each different unit. So that it could tell the difference between a bullet to the side and one to the arm, or the difference between a zerglings slash to the stomach and a zealot blade to the same spot. And that could would have to run for each unit and have to be able to detect every separate interaction, which would be ok if this was a game like Crisis where you only have to have a few units and and such which still takes the 60 to the limit, but for a game where you have a few 100 units on the feild at the time it is not very piratical to have such a system.

So basically I like the idea but it would take a ridiculously pumped computer to be able to run it.

 

The general consensus a while ago was that any added visual effects were unnecessary, unwarranted and therefore unwanted.

Still, it's a good idea, especially with vehicles and whatnot. The engine apparently handles physics fine, in fact, it's quite a topic showed off in certain videos.

I also want Blizzard to consider terrain scarring, just so the map doesn't seem so bland all the time.

 

im actually more optimistic about more combat animations, id like the zealots to have like 4 different kinds of slashes, that would make the battles a little less repetitive than seeing the same attack repeat itself 50 times in your screen, and i think it could be easier than animating battle scars.

 

@don_bocci-
I see where you're coming from that every unit would have to be seperately programmed for the script to run but don't you think the movement/attack/dying animations use more memory than simple texture work such as the terrian's grass or something.
On the system thing, they said they designed a whole new system which allowed them to do many things which were limited on the previous system they tried, now remember on the demo's, for example when the warp ray blew up each piece of it fell to the ground then slid down the ramp, I think that would be greater memory cost then the scars, but that doesn't happen as much as the scars would so it may be equal after a certain amount of units have been damaged and show scars. But, sc is a game where units are more expandable and I doubt too many units that have a lot of scarring would build up simply cuz they'll die.
Also don't forget units have lights and stuff which adds to the hardware strains meaning Blizzard have a method of cutting down hardware strain with their new system.

@Sagathox-
Thats a whole different topic than the battle scars. But on that they already have different attack animations
They do:
Forward punch
Downwards slash
Right attack
Left attack
Double slash from above

Atleast thats what I think, I'll check videos then edit is needed but plz don't get off-topic

The terrian does get scars but if you mean permanent it wouldnt allow certain lore to match with gameplay, for exmaple: you nuke a mineral area and a huge crack in the ground is left, lore-wise you can't build on there but that would affect gameplay.

My ideas are simply to increase realism and the visual experience so that more tactics and such are added at little cost.

 

Well Zerga that is exactly what I was saying lol, but at least my point has come across then

 

Well, in the video showing the protoss, it showed the mother ship on fire, so I guess they have been experimenting this way before this thread started.

 

Yeah but they already accomplished fire and such in Wc3 so thats nothing new

 

Yeah, but that was just for the big units, like the mothership and probably the battlecruiser (not sure though). I hope they add battle scars to the units, as that would add a lot of realism and gameplay value to the game. Also, Zerg battle scars could be something like bleeding wounds I think.

 

I think they will still be setting things on fire at most, all that happened to the carrier, was that it was smoking. I think that is all they will do with it, but it would be intresting to see limping zealots. Or zerglings regenerating limbs and stuff.

 

Be nice if this applied to buildings also.

 

According to the blizz tradition of gameplay over visual, unit scars will never ever be a consideration.

Remember they took iterations after iterations to develope one look for each unit. Making sure that they are all recognizable on the field with 1 glance.

If you want battle details, go try out Dawn of War with it's unsurpassed unit animation details. ^_^

 

Dawn of war is cool but it could never quite match the supreme balance of SC. Not much can really

 

I agree. Which is why gameplay over graphics is the way to go!

 

Pretty much. I just hope that blizzard can get at least some sort of resemblance of the balance in the previous SC to appear in SC2

 

Wait weren't you complaining about graphics in another thread?

 

I was complaining about the graphics of an entire game engine built for chubbiness and colours. Read my original post about SC1 and WC2.

Incidentally I said "gameplay over graphics" NOT "gameplay and ignore graphics". Graphics is still important in all games as far as I know.

 

Depending of if the game depends of graphics you mean. As in basic text dungeons which use no graphics's at all.

 

Well I think it would at least be a good idea to show battle damage since that has a very important gameplay use by providing an at-a-glance way of determining the health of your army without the need to select them.

Still I have no problem with the little extra fluff of permanent battle scarring as long as it won't adversely affect the game or cause baalance problems

 

Now that you mentioned it. This idea seems more useful than I first thought.

 

In reality if Blizzard were to incorporate battle scars they would probably do it at a basic level so not to overtax their already burdened graphic engines.