Random Idea for Terran dropships.

Upgrade: Gunports

Researched at: Starport tech lab

Requires: Barracks with tech lab

Effect: Up to 2 marines inside a dropship can man defensive positions and fire their weapons from gunports in the dropships hull. It takes 5 seconds before the marines can fire from the gunports, and it also takes 5 seconds for the marines in the gunports to exit the dropship (so they are likely to go down with the ship, and you have to plan ahead of time to use them as gunners). The gunners do not exit the dropship when the unload all command is used, they have their own unload command. The gunners still take up the normal amount of space in the dropship for marines.

Reason: Give dropships a little bit of self defense and allow them to directly support ground forces they carry, at the cost of the gunners taking up space that could be used on other units, and the fact that the marines are likely to die without ever having to be damaged directly. Encourages players to use dropships as part of their forces, and not just drop units off then hide the dropship.

Not likely to happen, especially since blizzard seems set on using them as medivac dropships so giving them gunners too might make them too multipurpose, but I think it would be interesting.

[Edit] I added a poll, personally while I like the idea I don't think it would be balanced for MP. Maybe it would make a good campaign only upgrade.

 

I'd take this over the healing pew-pew lazor any day. But well observed... Blizzard seems to like the alien abduction beam a lot.

 

This is a really great idea....If only Blizzard would consider it....

 

I like this idea, would be awsome to see a bunch of marines getting overrun and needing an evac, than getting chased by some mutas would be awsome.

OR, it would be cool if you could include to hatches that 2 marines could fire from, and still take up space, it would be better cuase even if you fill er` up with tanks, they will not have any gunners

Would be pretty epic, great idea!

 

Dig this thread then.

I think the idea is great. Not really a lot to add, other then that it seems logical that marines can still shoot from inside the dropship. --Sudden idea.-- Maybe let them fire some sort of mounted gun then. With a cooldown. Then you can use it when picking units up, but not as a regular air support. That balances it and helps it to stay in its role.

 

they should just make the drop ship with two abilities: either heal with medics or become an attacl ship with marines right?

 

The purpose of a dropship is not to attack, aem1. I believe that Necromas just wants the dropship to become less vurnerable. And his solution is quite good.

One more idea on this: maybe reduce the accuracy of the marines. After all, they are quite high. And as for the firefight-while-being-chased thing: no Terran unit should be able to fire on the move. It may seem unrealistic, but it would ruin the gameplay. Players would just keep skimming enemy bases while doing damage on the move. The dropship is to fast for that.

 

I was thinking about reducing the marines fire rate a little, but I don't see why it would be able to fire on the move in the first place assuming the micro tricks don't allow it in starcraft 2.

It should definitely be possible to implement in the map editor if it has the same functionality that allows warcraft 3 maps like battleships to work. Except the special loading and unloading would be tricky without affecting all the passengers.

 

i know that, im just saying when it comes to the medic..

so then the medic can return for early game and medivac for late

 

This idea has a thumbs up from me for sure.

Would it be just marines, or any small infantry unit (a la a bunker?).

We've had the mobile bunker idea in the past, but I think this is the best iteration.

 

Why would it not be possible? Like they actually might remove any functions from the editor. XD As Karune said: look in the signature of Aurora.

 

I like this idea. But the bc, or any other heavy anti-air units would just kill the dropship. The marines would still be good against zerglings. I can see this has a air ground support, like the banshee. It would help the dropship fit it's role easier. We can even add the ability to choose the healing ability, or the guns. It would be a upgrade like the bc. This would even fix the mobile bunker idea we had. This is better than a Humvee. It's a flying one.

 

I guess marauders would work if they took up both spaces like they take 2 spaces in a bunker. That would kind of make it like a poor mans banshee.

 

Not really. A Marauder and a Medivac combined are more expensive than a Banshee.

 

The point of the saying is that it would be weaker but easily improvised if one did not have banshees available. I guess I could have just said that though to clarify.

 

A flying bunker then. This exists in the US Army. Cool idea. But with marines only. I don't see marauders firing against units from the air, they have to launch their "rockets" and their targets must be clear.


edit : 911, call the police !!

 

I have to agree with you SOGEKING with the marauder part.

 

Thank you Cotcan. I didn't mention the ghost : should he shoot from the flying dropship ?
mmm .... no, as some of us said, just the marines should be available.

 

It makes a lot of since too. A mean I can't see a ghost using a machine gun. The marines know how to use a machine gun, and they know how very well.

 

As far as strategy is concerned, it wouldn't make much sense to put your expensive ghosts in a high priority target like a dropship when they probably will not be able to exit the dropship fast enough to get out and use their abilities, or escape a dropship being shot down.