Q&A Batch 28 Released!

[img width=500 height=100]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a246/J0neagle/qna28.jpg[/img]​

Karune and the Dev team have posted this week's Q&A.There's a lot of interesting information, including discussion about the second BlizzCast episode, the return of the Thor to a ground-only attacking unit, the High Templar's loss of its forcefield ability, and mechanics behind the Phoenix's abilities.

Hope everyone had a great week! Make sure to keep that Q&A Questions thread packed, as we are making plans to tackle Q&As both in these batches, as well as the BlizzCast. Post your questions to be considered for Q&As here: http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?fn=sc2-general&t=9620&p=1&#post9620

Chat with Devs: It has been a busy week, in which I had a chance to talk to multiple Devs this and I am happy to say that we have finished recording for our second episode of BlizzCast. We have also added a mini Q&A section to the show, to get direct answers straight from the developers!

Gameplay Blog: Following up on the last game I played in Batch 27, I had mentioned the Terran Marauder being a huge factor in my defeat. This new Terran unit visually looks similar to the Firebat, but instead packs the punch of dual Concussion Grenades (also able to be Stim Packed), which slows the movement rate of biological units, and also does additional bonus damage to armored units. These units are excellent at supporting any pack of Marines & Medics, with the ability to slow charging Zealots, as well as fast moving Zerg units. Playing as Terran, there is a sense of relief, when you watch an incoming army slowed down considerably, to be mowed down by your Stim Packed Marines. In addition, because the Marauders are able to be built at a Barracks with a Tech Lab, they are considered formidable early support units, able to pick off units of a weaker early game army.

As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if your enjoying these Q&As!


---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 28---

1. I noticed the Stalker "Blink" ability looked as though it was on a cooldown (similar to many abilities in World of Warcraft). This seems appropriate for some abilities, but is this restricted to the Stalker or will other units have abilities on cooldowns rather than energy? (Battle.net Malorn)

Currently, the Protoss Stalkers Blink ability is on a 15 second cooldown and is one of the only abilities that do not require energy. One of the reasons this was done for the Stalkers Blink, was to make sure that players wouldnt have the problem of having only part of their Stalker army blink up on a hill with some left behind. The Protoss Phoenix also carries an Overload ability, which is based on a cooldown timer rather than energy. Whether the Stalker or the Phoenix will use energy or not, will be mostly determined through much more balance testing.

2. The Thor now is anti-aircraft unit, but will it continue to have surface-to-surface attacks? (www.Sc2-esp.com)

In the current build, the Thors role has been changed to exclusively hit ground units, putting the transforming Viking back in the primary role as an air to air fighter. The Terran Viking is also now built from the Factory rather than the Starport.

3. In the original SC, powers like Irradiate and Psionic Storm affected cloaked units and killed them even if you couldn't see them. Will the Phoenix's Overload ability target cloaked units as well? (Battle.net DrakeClawFang)

Yes, the Phoenixs Overload ability does affect cloaked units, such as Terran Banshees. The Devs are all for these types of soft counters.

4. Does energy regenerate at about the same speed as in normal SC? Since the game goes faster, has that been speed up too? (Battle.net nerdpride)

Energy regenerates at the same speed as the original StarCraft. At the fastest game speed, both StarCraft II and the original should feel the same in terms of speed.

5. Now that the Force Field ability has been moved to the Nullifier, what other abilities does the Templar have? Does he still have Hallucination? (Battle.net Blazur)

The Hallucination ability has been cut from the High Templar. Instead, it will have an Anti-Gravity ability in addition to its classic Psi Storm ability. This ability will allow a High Templar to lift up buildings and units in the air, disabling their movement and attack, while also making them an air target. This ability can be cast on Supply Depots blocking choke points, as well as incoming Thors, or even Pylons powering a base. This has been the first ability the Devs have been comfortable with, in giving players a real choice to be made, to use Psi Storm or the Anti-Gravity ability. This ability is still being balanced, in terms of the duration units and buildings will stay in the air, energy cost, and if it will be a channeling spell (which means the High Templar will be unable to move or cast other abilities while casting the Anti-Gravity ability).

6. Will there be an icon on the left hand side of the screen to alert the player of idle workers? (Battle.net- Elminster)

Yes, we currently have the ability to select idle workers built into the UI.

---End of Transmission---


Source: Battle.net Forums

 

So now the Thor has its original job again. They sure do have quite a way at making our topics obsolete quickly. I hope this means the Viking will be a factory unit again with the Thor GTG only and the Marader being a Barracks unit

 

Excellent Q&A! However, I don't think it's fair to make the overload ability target cloaked units because it's basically a simple attack (at all enemy air units). Psi storm and all the others that were mentioned are area of effect abilities so it's only natural that they'll damage non-detected cloaked units. But overload has to actually aim at all its targets, so non-detected cloaked units should not be damaged by it.

I'm absolutely loving the anti-grav ability even though we know very little about it. It reminds me of the whirlwind spell from WC3, which came in really handy in tight situations. And just thinking about removing terran blockades gives me a warm feeling inside ;D HT all the way.

 

I like the anty gravity ability. i hope they won't mess wit hit for long time. That would really fit the protoss, and the powers of the hight Templar

And as long as the Viking can transform to the assault mode it won't be only the basic terran air unit, it will count as a goliath either.

 

The Anti-Gravity ability sounds great!
I can't wait to see it.

 

Wow! Nice batch! I kinda like the Marauders, being early and all.
They moved back the Viking to the Factory which is great.
Thor is GtG again, great. Now all that's missing is another air unit IMO.

Anti-grav sounds amazing, but it should probably be channeled since lifting up a CC/hatchery/nexus should come with a price, stopping the income from an outpost is huge.

BTW, I wonder if it can lift Zerg buildings up their roots.

 

Well, the thor is nerfed once again now losing its only strengh.

 

I'm holding out for the Thor to regain the bombard ability and become a defense breaker again

 

anti- gravity ability is the exact opposate of the glue ability i came up with for zerg like 4 months ago. instead of going down they go up, still immobilized. same thing

 

Not a fan of the disabling attack thing though. If they have a ranged attack it should be fired at the ground. Also it would be sweet to anti-grav a group of zealots into a mass of mutas and watch them get to chopping (for 2 seconds before the zerg player flies away)

 

Your point being...?

 

Perhaps but they didn't mention anything. It just sounds like the Thor not only lost the artillery strike but also its AA. Nothing much to cheer about. Brings hate to me....Dumb weak unit will suffer! >

 

Hey, GM_k, cheer up! I think you're on the wrong track. I doubt they removed the GtA attack and called it a day. It was mentioned that it was smaller before, so my guess is that it's big again, with more HP and GtG damage.

 

this anti graivity doesnt feel much starcraft like, and can be kinda overpowered, lets see how they can balance it, they continue to make protoss ridiculously overpowered, and im afraid they will have to nerf em big time on beta

and btw i think terran need a GTA unit, as the viking while very good anti air, is able to get shoot by air to air figthers too, so there can be a weakness there, if the oponent owns a lot of air to air, togheter with its other ships.

thats why goliaths were so useful on SC, and that was because they were unable to be hit by air to air, only air to ground, and normaly those kind of attacks are way weaker than air to air

 

*sign* I hope you are right, but it still wont match the original design. I wasn't a big fan of AA either, but it could have worked.

If it turns out to be the way I fear, Im just going to stockpile them and aim my own tanks at them

 

The anti-gravity spell is just like the lift ability in the game Mass Effect. An awesome ability.

 

this q&a just got rid of most of my complaints
im happy

 

Terran nds AtA not GtA as most of their ground units attack air anyway.

I agree, the anti-gravity abilitiy should be channeled as it could become op.

I'm glad the Thor has possibly been resized, lets just hop it's ground attack is stronger than 27.

Lol @ 15 second cool down for Blink, good luck harrasing now. Before it usd to be like 8-10, I counted.

I also think its stupid for th Overload abilitiy to attack cloaked units with out a detec, I mean I can see why they'd do it. Imagine your obs died and you needed to find some cloaked ghosts harrasing your base, you Overload at the cost of the unit dying, but atleast you prevented a nuke. But I'd rather they left it as a normal attack without attacking cloakers without detec.

How come theres never questions featured from our site? I thought the top fan site would atleast get that chance...

 

The questions we ask are WAY to good. If they answered them we would already know all there is about the game by now

 

Note the Anti-Gravity spell, does not lift up a Nexus/Command Center/ or a Hatchery.

Link: http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?fn=sc2-general&t=367521&p=1