Ok, I was thinking of a way to bring back the predator in a new way. Its controversial role of blocking projectiles might have been the reason as to why he got cut. So I thought of a new way for it to work. Predator fighter mode: fast ship with fast firing rate and low damage, like a Corsair without AoE. Predator interceptor mode (no need to research): takes time to change, just like the Siege-tank and Viking. In this mode, the Predators would redirect their thrusters to point several directions in order to quickly change direction. It loses this way the ability to move out of place, but the spare energy is redirected to the lasers, which double their firing rate and get a faster re-targeting. Predators, instead of firing at projectiles, can now fire at multiple targets better than stronger and slower firing ships. Note that it still fires at one target at a time, it just deals with multiple targets better because it fires faster. Strengths: can shoot down small swarming low armored units such as interceptors and scourges, what no one else can effectively. Weaknesses: it can only work as a defense mechanism, as it takes time to change between one form and another, and it cannot move in defense form. It cannot hurt armored air-units such as Carriers and BCs, since even tho they damage pretty fast, it is a small damage that is severely blocked by a decent armor. Role: to take down Mutalisks, Scourges and Interceptors, posing as a back-up unit to make up for the Viking's slower firing rate and difficulty to target many different units. Although not an AoE, it works almost as one, firing so fast that small units get fried. It could even have an A.I. directed to aim at the lesser HP targets, so tanks don't work at them. Maneuvering: microing them would require moving them to a determined location and switching between modes on the right time. Since they're fast, they can escape most units. But only as an air-to-air combat. Predators would be sacrificed in place of Vikings in case they aren't able to stop a scourges' cloud while the Vikings land. Since the Vikings can move out of the way, even dieing the predators might work for the best, getting rid of the air-threat by posing as static targets when in defense mode. It seemed to me like a good idea. Instead of aiming at projectiles, aim at low armored units. It is not an overcharge copy, as it still only hits one target at a time, it only hits twice as fast.
Actually, the Phoenix end up being the basic air unit, and this one could never quit being a sidekick. It hits too low, and only hits air. Their attack is completely different: Phoenixes do AoE skill and regularly hits on average speed. This one hits single targets very fast and when in defense-mode hits as fast as cracklings. Phoenixes could only halt a swarm when in group, so all of them combined can do a big amount of damage to many units. This unit proposed could kill alone let's say, 4 scourges in the time required for them to enter its range and actually get to the unit. Only 5 out of every scourge would hit its destination with one of these around. They don't work at all the same way. Phoenix overcharge = area blast; "Predator" defense-mode = "machine-gun"; Phoenix regular = all purpose fighter; "Predator" regular = low armored air-units and backup. I don't see any similarity except that they could, in theory, deal with swarms of small units in their own way. But are very different. ________________________ Putting in other words: Protoss: Phoenix - basic multi-purpose air unit; Warp-ray - long range heavy fire air unit; Terrans: Viking - basic and raiding air unit; "Predator" - support anti-swarm specialist air unit; Battlecruiser - capital heavy fire air unit; This 'Predator' would be a specialist opposing to what the BC is to the Viking. BCs are tougher units that shoot stronger, more spaced shots, while Vikings deal average damage in an average speed. "Predators" would deal low damage in a very fast rate. It is meant to enable the Terran to get to air should the Zergs get Scourges. Now that Scourges can be so easily selected, making use of the new system, it is necessary a more effective counter, right? And "Predator" only works as static defense, because in order to move, it gives plenty of room for scourges to act.
Scourge might not be in the game. In fact, chances are they're not. I liked the old predator. *sniff*
The thing is though, anti swarm unit = killing several at a time, not one by one. Im not sure how well it will handle swarms of units even if its killing them fast one by one. It will basically be like a warp ray, good single target damage, but thats not swarm units, sounds more like capitol ship killer(not taking into account the enemy armor). Do you agree with that? Corsair and Valkyrie were swarm killers, both of em were AoE, so is the phoenix.
Colossus is a swarm killer that goes one by one. ;-) It does so by quickly re-targeting its thermal lances. This suggested Predator wouldn't be able to deal high damage, so it is not like a Warp-ray, that builds up power over time. It is a way to apply the fast-hitting of a marine, combined with Colossus quick re-targeting (but not sharing damage between units), combined with a ship. And even if we use all of these to exemplify its function, the "Predator" wouldn't be anything like them. Phoenix has a skill that enables swarm killing, that is AoE. But Colossus has proved that there may be other ways to apply swarm killing without AoE. I'm using the machine-gun concept to kill many units, just like machine-guns were used in WW2. Machine-guns can't harm tanks, but they take down small infantry like flies. Applying it to a sky scenario, that's the same. Except that it fits better as a back-up and defense than actual attack, as there are more armored air-units than low armored ones. It would fit well against Carrier interceptors and Scourges, should they remain on the game. Here's some concept idea of how it would look: Fighter mode: [img width=329 height=187]http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/1152/vulturepredatorzs8.jpg[/img] Defense mode: [img width=329 height=187]http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/1018/vulturepredatordefmodego5.jpg[/img] I tried to make it look like a Vulture, to symbolize its shape-conversion and its speed. I only used the X-wing as a start because I can't draw a decent cockpit. :-(
Is there a reason no one is metnioneg the Banshee? it wasn't scapped when I wasn't looking was it? I really like that thing.
Because Banshees weren't necessary to make my point. And Banshees are so good that no one worries about it. It's that kind of unit that was born ready. What's there to discuss? ^_^
Banshees look like they've been nerfed pretty bad...look at the observer demonstration video on the main site.
What are you referring to? From what I saw, the Banshees in that video worked exactly like the Banshees at BlizzCon.
I was thinking that some kind of airfighter with long range AA missiles will be good enough. Quick and agile, launching rockets at enemy flying fatties, then escaping them.
