Re: StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 40 by Karune

Re: StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 40
by Karune​

Wait, so now we're removing features from the game?

Is that not a step backwards?

also in regards to the whole "feature" of not being able to see up cliffs and therefore not attack, that isn't really new or unique. RTS games have had this since 1998 for !&$%s sake.

I'm not completely sure to which features you are referring to, but in general, features are a tool to shape the gameplay of a game. Features may be good or bad, depending on its effects on the game. Not all features fit your design goals. For instance, multiplayer is about competition. Random factors like a random % of missing based on terrain is not optimal for a balanced competitive game (similarly chess does not have random factors involved when a player wins or losses). On the other hand, in single player, our goal is to immerse the player into the StarCraft world. Here is where the details that add to the story and immersion really count! Thus, there will be LOTS of content not seen in the multiplayer, as well as animations, heroes, additional units, and more...

The more I think about this the more it has me worried. Take the map Lost Temple as an example. It was common for players to wall their choke ramp with first tier units to prevent their bases from being breached. In SC2, does this mean the players wouldn't even be able to climb that ramp unless they have detection or air units to see at the top of the ramp?

Know what I mean?

This is true, though in StarCraft II, there are more units that are able to give you sight in those situations (Reapers, Medivac Dropships, Colossi, Banshees, Sensor Towers (to let you know units are on cliffs), Overseers, as well as older units including Observers, Terran's Scan, and others).

Furthermore, new abilities like Anti-Gravity help break the choke points, as well as more incentives to build dropships for Terran, Phase Prisms for Warp-In, and Nydus Worms to unload your whole army in a place that bypasses well defended positions.

On top of that, the better pathing in StarCraft II allow units to get to where you want them to go much faster, such as up ramps and around units.

[Clarification by Karune] If the attacking units move halfway up the ramp, they get their full vision radius above the ramp. If the ramp is blocked at the bottom, the attacking units will not be able to target what is beyond the top of the ramp, though they will be able to see snapshots of units that attack them so they will be able to understand the scale of the threat that exists at the top of the ramp.

One Question:
Thor got Anti Air Area Attack and Battlecruiser now too. Are there any big differences in their anti air attack?

The Battlecruiser's ability takes energy, whereas the Thor's ground to air attack is standard.

The Battlecruiser's ability is to make it more effective against what it is already effective against. Also, users have the choice to go with the air to air missiles or with the Yamato Cannon. If you are in a game where they have massed a lot of light air units, then you know what to get. This ability simply gives the Terran player more flexibility of options against air in late game.

Karune, if your reading this...

Do units that move out of the Jackal's flame take less damage then units that stay in the flame for the entire duration of the flames existance?

EX: A marine moves out of the flame and takes 10 damage total, but a marine that was in the flame for the entire duration of the flame, would it take more damage?

Yes, units that move out of the flame will take less damage.

Karune does that meant the units can be targeted when you snapshots for the brief moment? Or do you only just get to know they are there?

No, the units you get a brief glimpse of will not be able to be targeted during that time. Players will need a spotter, giving line of sight on that unit, to be able to fire back at them.

Source: http://sc2pod.com/trackers/blue/?id=211#573

ps Jon, I didn't submit this as an article for two reasons:
1. I didn't want to get punished if it's already been posted
2. I don't have any template images on which I could just slap some text to head the post - please attach a few

 

this is all the stuff after the the batch that Karune could freely talk about, not sure if any one posted this all in one thread

 

I like the part about units getting their full sight when they're only halfway up the ramp, as well as the part about the snapshots, I never really thought about it, but they sound like they prevent abuse well enough. I still don't like the direction the Thor is headed. I guess there must have been a reason to change it, but it still sounds meh. The rest isn't really new but nice find anyways.