StarCraft II Q&A Batch 29

w00t! Awesome Q&A overall. :good:

That "medic inside the bunker" strategy sounded like it pwn'd, but I don't think it's overpowered for a few reasons:

In the scenario that was depicted, it sounded like the SCV was being chased in one direction. Ordering one zealot to chase the SCV while bringing the other around the opposite way would have a) killed the SCV or b) the controlling player might have panicked and moved the SCV away from the bunker, thus losing the advantage of being healed. Also, depending on how high/low on the tech tree it is, the "Charge" ability could be upgraded fairly quickly, further helping to stop the bunker rush. On the Terran Side of things, we'ved seen the Medic in action during the small clip of the Crucio in Siege Mode - it would pause briefly between healing, suggesting that it could heal at a slower rate than in Brood War. It's also nice to hear that Salvage is still in. I never even knew it was out

The Viking attacking air while in Ground Mode is ridiculous. While we're at it, let's just let it attack ground units in Air Mode. :no:

The Mine Drone sounds amazing! As BirdOfPrey said, it was always annoying to have to buy new Vultures every time your mines went off. What I'm wondering is what it will look like, and how far apart the mines will be placed. Another obnoxious thing about mines in the original SC was that multiple mines would run into one unit, every mine after the first being a big waste (this is assuming the new mines will run, of course). Perhaps the mines will only run in a certain direction corresponding to where they are around the drone?

Using water in the maps...how?

The new AI sounds interesting. Does this mean the computer won't know where we are from the getgo like in the original? ;D

 

I am guessing Salvage works like the undead's unsummon ability where the structure slowly loses hitpoints so any damage that has occured you don't get back so blowing up the structure while it is being taken down is a good way of depriving you enemy of resources

 

If think salvage can stay the way it is unless it is imba, in which case it should get a refund of some % < 100.

Viking GtA attack is fine. It don't think it will be very powerful so it would only be useful when fighting against anti air units like Vikings vs Vikings or Vikings vs Phoenixes. It probably won't be imba.

Medics in a bunker healing units outside a bunker might be imba. If it is and the devs want to keep this feature they might want to make healing slower or cost more energy while the medics are in the bunker. Having ghost be able to snipe or having mariens being able to stim pack in bunkers seems to be a good idea to me.

The Nomads structures sound interesting and useful.

 

Quanta, you said medics can heal marines outside bunkers...can they heal ones inside the same one they're in too?

 

I'd think not, since the whole point of bunkers is preventing all damage to the units inside. Units can still be hurt before entering, however, so I guess it's anyone's guess

 

I think they could, but like Kaaraa said, its anyone's guess.

Now if only they'd bring back the predator or some other unit to replace the valkary.

 

I think that the current status of Salvage is perfectly reasonable. As LK said, time is a critical resource. While no minerals or gas are lost with Salvage, time is. That's how you're paying for the refund. It's just like lifting off the larger structures, you spend time while in flight in order to relocate.

As BoP said, it is likely that units being Salvaged will lose HP as they come down. So not only is the player sacrificing time, they're sacrificing HP too, meaning that this ability can only be used when your base is perfectly safe- and it never is unless you've earned that safety.

I do not really care about giving the Viking a GtA attack. As long as it is different in air mode, it is worth having. I expect that the damage dealt is different for each form.

I like the Mine Drone, but now I really wonder about how the Nomad will pay for things. If the Mine Drone doesn't die over time, taking its mines with it, and if the Nomad is continuously placing them as it gains energy... they could build a free minefield. But then again, I suppose they're paying in time.

I think it is weird that the Medic can heal units outside from within. I suppose it works, but it's strange. I'd rather it just heal units that are inside. It's all preference though. The real thing that bothers me is the healing animation! It's not fluid like it was in Brood War...!

Anyway. I like that this stuff is being fleshed out. We don't know enough to be calling imba in these new mechanics, because they aren't or won't be. The other races are getting their own "imbalanced" units and mechanics that will be able to counter them, beat them to the ground just like that Bunker trumped those Zealots. Actually, that particular situation could have been dealt with with a single Phase Cannon or a Stalker, both reasonable by that point in the game, dealing damage from outside the Marine's range. It'll all come down to knowing what you're enemy's gong to do and knowing how to use what you've already created. It'll be about knowing when and how to reallocate resources, even more than it was in the first game. It's going to be intense and awesome.

 

I read earlier in the Q&As that slavage could not be cancled which could be used for strategical pruposes. Like, there is a zergling swarm attacking your poorly defended expansion and you can lift off your comand center and salvage your missle turrents and everything. But it turns out, the zerglings were reppeled, or went back, just so you could disassemble your turrents and send some mutalisk to your unprotected expansion.
I also like this batch, this should be how all of the batches should be. This is why I check this site like everyday.
The mines should be smart mines rather then lets all send our mines out and all blow up one zealot. The mine drone should be able to trigger the enemy rather then the mines itself. That way you could use allied mines, which I never learned to use. And turrents should cost minerals, not energy or time. And turrents should have marines in them or something and get some extra health.
And I think Vikings should have ground to air, the ground to ground is prety weak already, like a more expensive stronger marine that costs gas and is bigger that can fly. and should shoot slower. This could have strategical purposes again lol.

 

i dont really like were they're going with the viking but i do enjoy the minefield ability of the nomad.

plus i dont think the terran are going to be doing any jumping with the bunkers, they probably will be very easily destroyed.

 

Bunkers will definitly be destroed easier than some people don't see since we got Warp rays, Thors, Mothership and Mines.

 

Thor and MS are extremely late game units, which didn't have a problem with bunkers even in SC1 (BC, Carriers, Corsairs, etc.). The bunker can very well be a reliable fortification/pain in the arse against tier 1 and 2 units though.

 

There's probably not much hope for the tier 1 units, but that's how it should be. If bunkers were owned by units from every tier: what's is the point of having them?
As a Terran you should get Siege Tanks, as Zerg you should get Banelings and as Protoss you should get dark templar or stalkers perhaps.

So I don't think you need to depend on Thors or MS:s, he just didn't mention the ones I just mentioned I guess.

 

I agree with what other people are saying about the salvage ability, as the building is being salvaged you gain minerals/gas back in proportion to the health being lost by the building, but I still think that the maximum amount you can get back should be around 90% and not the full 100%.

I think that medics should only be able to use heal on the units inside the bunker they are in. This makes a lot more sense than them healing units outside the bunker, and would increase the micromanagement of the bunker rush strategy since you would constantly being switching the SCV inside the bunker with one outside the bunker. Also, I think that being able to use abilities while inside the bunker doesn't necessarily make sense because with this logic the SCV should be able to make repairs while inside the bunker.

I am perfectly fine with the Viking having an air to ground attack because there is no way that it is going to be as strong as the Goliaths was, and the Vikings ground to ground attack still won't be good enough to justify it as being a unit that is good against everything. I think that stimmed marines will do as much damage as the ground to ground attack of the viking at a better range, and I think that Stalkers will absolutely own Vikings, so I don't think there is any need to worry about Vikings as anything other than a counter to air units and a base raider.

This is just speculation, but wouldn't a Protoss player just be able to fortify their bases choke point (all bases have one) with photon cannons (or whatever they are now) and build up an army to repel the bunkers? If the choke point is a ramp the photon cannons will be able to fire at anything coming up them with out being able to be targeted since units in the fog aren't revealed when firing on enemy units anymore. Or the Protoss could just tech to Stalkers and go raid the Terrans base.

 

I dont like the fact that scvs can be healed, I mean wtf?? they are mechanical and should only be able to get repaired. I like all the other things of this Q & A though especially the part about how it would be possible for players to make a navy mod if they desired :thumbup:

 

Medics have been able to heal SCV's since Brood War. I think that it is balanced, if you made your SCV's repair each other instead of letting a Medic run loose around the mineral patches, you would loose mining time since a few of the SCV's would be busy repairing, and you would also loose some resources from the repair itself It costs too much to be worth it all the time. It's better to let people have both options.

 

haha! Now that is some sweet update! Medics in bunker healing scvs! now that is creative!
Now I LOVE the Nomad! Gun Turret AND Mine Drone! Now thats the Nomad I want! The Devs Nailed It this time! Thumbs up for Devs!

 

Going with what Neon said about having the anti-air attacks of each mode of the viking different I would like to remind you of my suggestion Imade in th Viking poll:

The GTA attack in walker mode could have a lower fire rate which would balance out the fact that it is safe from anti-air attacks itself but when it takes off and is put in the mode specificly for AA attack then it gains a fire rate bonus and is able to kill air units quickly. That would make it an effective anti -air vehicle and still give you a reason to put it in air mode. If you are attacking air units the only time you would want to land is if the enemy brings some heavy AA to the fight themselves. Also remember that on the ground the Viking would be vulnerable to more units including dark templar, reapers, tanks and maraders so it would be more vulnerable in walker mode as well.

 

The answers to these are fantastic!

I can't wait to play against a computer, non the less a player.

 

I really don't like how dependent terran's will seemingly be on the Viking...too many jobs for one unit.

Salvage ability seems fine to me...compensates for a lot IMO and makes plenty of sense lore-wise...I'm sure we'll hear about it in another QA soon if it ends up being too unbalanced.

 

I like the Nomad's defense supporting skills, but I wonder if it needs a limit to how many each one can place, so someone can't build a bunch of Nomads and- given enough time- fill the entire center of the map with gun and mine turrets. Btw, can the gun turret attack air?

Salvage definatly needs to get less than 100% back or cost something to do the salvage. When anything in the real world is torn down, even IF all materials are recovered, some amount of energy is but into it. To break down metal back into minerals, it would need some sort of furnace or something which would consume energy, which would come from burning vespene gas. So maybe for each salvage it would cost 50 gas? Just throwing different ideas out there.

I haven't come to a decision on the healing from a bunker idea.. I have mixed feelings about it.

On the water subject: While I think that ships would incredibly stupid and pointless(especially in the space maps), I do think water should be used somehow. Something like certain terrain crossing units could go over it. Although, the only one that makes sence so far would be the Collosus, but if no other race could cross water, that would be horribly inbalenced, so I don't know. I guess my idea is undeveloped.