Starcraft2Forum.org Official SC2 Q&A Compilation

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Questions asked by starcraft2forum.org members.
All questions answered by Joneagle_X.



How does the Pheonix work? Still its abbility or not?

The Phoenix still has its overload ability and is very effective against air units


Does the Medivac Dropship heal units while they're being transported? Can it heal them at range like a normal Medic?

I'm not sure if it heals while transporting wounded units, but I think it does. And yes it heals units at range.


Can you give us ballpark cost estimates for the new Zerg units?

The Roach costs about the same as a Hydralisk and most units that aren't new cost about the same. The Baneling morph is already known, it's about another 75 minerals. I believe the Ultralisk is 200/200


How were the Queen's abilities managed? How much did her structures cost? Did you pay in energy or resources?

The Queen's abilities were mostly based on cooldown although one was based on mana. The building swarming ability costs 75 mana. The construction of buildings varies between 30 minerals (creep tumor) and 75 minerals (sunken thing) and has a 15 second cooldown. But you can just queue them up and she'll build as many in a row as you want.


Did the Lurker still morph from the Hydralisk? You said the Hydralisk Den was Tier 3... which would make the Lurker, tier 4?

Yes, the lurker morphed from the Hydralisk. The upgrade to be able to do so was a researched upgrade but I did not mention the Zerg's new upgrade system in my article. Each unit has a "level up" system of upgrades. So instead of upgrading all melee or all ranged attacks, now you upgrade individual units. So you can have level 1, 2, or 3 zerglings. At level 1 they get speed, 2 they get attack and armor and increased attack rate, etc... So it has revolutionized the way the Zerg upgrade.


A general tech tree update would help a lot....

I will try to get to this when I get home.


Can you elaborate on how upgrading the Queen works?

The Queen is upgraded similarly to a Lurker. You just "grow" her to the next level whenever you have the appropriate tech and resources. However, if she is killed you will need to generate a new Queen that will be back at level 1.


Do buildings do different things when infested? What do infested Protoss buildings do? Is it reversible?

The Protoss buildings CAN be infested, but right now no Protoss infested units have been completed. So right now Protoss infested buildings produce Infested Terrans. The ability is not reversible.


What abilities are natural and what have to be researched?

Not sure what you mean by this....


Can Zerg buildings be infested? Can Zerg air units be corrupted? (Is it ugly? It's ugly, isn't it?)

Actually, that's a very interesting question, and one I don't have the answer to as I didn't try it.


Since you've played the game, how do you feel about the units' portraits and voices? I know some of them may not even be there, but some others are already there from what we've seen in the movies.
So how do they look like? Are the portraits of old units similar to what they've been? Are there alot of changes to voices/lines or more things like changing Adun to Tassadar etc?

The Thor sounds like Schwarzenegger, which is REALLY funny... but otherwise a lot of the old unit sounds are still being used as well as portraits. If I remember more I'll try to mention them.


Is Hydralisk really that incomplete? On the main sc2 site it doesn't have animation indicating hitting an air target, was it noticable in the build you've played?

The Hydralisk was fully playable and targeted ground and air units. I'm not a big fan of its animation ATM because it looks like its swimming.


Do other Zerg suffer from it as well?

Not sure what you're referring to.


A question regarding nydus worms: since they are a cloaked unit while moving around I was wondering if they blur the ground that they are passing over liked normal cloaked units, or if the only way to detect them is by some for of detection?

No, you cannot even tell the Nydus Worm is there unless you have a detector. It's a bit overpowered right now.


What abilities are natural and what have to be researched? --What abilities do casters like the Queen and Infestor have when the units are freshly unlocked? As opposed to ones where you have to research the ability to unlock them.

The Queen automatically has the ability to build the Swarm Clusters and Creep Tumors, but you must have the lair and she must be a Large Queen in order to build Shriekers and cast the "Swarm" ability.


The Infestor can cast Dark Swarm right out of the gate, but all its other abilities like Infest must be researched.

Now my main concern is the upgrading system, its an unique idea, but i feel that the cost of upgrading each new attack force will drain your money, so the question is:
How much will the upgrading generally cost for each unit?

The upgrades in the new Zerg system cost roughly the same. The level 1 Zerg upgrade (researched at spawn pool, no evo chamber required) costs 100/100.


Does it flow like the first Starcraft?

Despite being "fastest" the game progresses incredibly fast. Tech is very quick, mostly because you already start with 6 probes. Overall the game is much faster paced. Even the units move more quickly.


Are the cartoony graphics not an issue while playing it?

The graphics didn't seem cartoony to me at all in gameplay, the new graphics looked great.


How many games did you play?

We played for around 4 hours total. About an hour of that was just screwing around with the races, another hour and a half was playing just pickup games as different races, and then the remaining time was spent in a 2v2 tournament.


Did you get to try previous stats and builds of units, e.g. the focused beam Colossus. If so or not, in your honest opinion which did you like better, and which worked better?

We only got to try the latest build, which had the Colossus' new attack. But I can tell you that this attack is MUCH more devastating than the old. Four or more Colossus together are unstoppable by any ground force that I tried. The Seige Tank might do the job, but I'm unsure of that.


Are Zerg very vulnrable early game if they get rushed with 9+ Zealots?

Yes. It is much more difficult to stop Zealots with Zerglings at this time than it was in SC1. Swarm Clutches definitely help in the same capacity that the Sunken used to, but again it's tough early game for the Zerg. Roaches are very effective against Zealots, however, because of their high regen rate. A single Zealot will do hardly any damage to a Roach 1 on 1.


Did you use the Thor, if so was it really that effective?

The Thor is VERY effective against air units. It is unimpressive against ground units. It also moves rather quickly for its size.


How is the -endless- unit selection working out? Does it give you some more advantages as a zerg player with their big unit masses, and what are your thoughts on that possibly being imbalanced?

MBS is very interesting, but at this time I think it affects the 3 races drastically differently. I think it favors the Protoss very heavily because they are reliant on a number of Gateways to produce their units whereas before you had to individually click, now you can produce any number of units at once.

The Terran are quite different because they have the Reactor which doubles a building's production. So really the Terran have LESS production buildings than before and so the MBS isn't as much of an advantage.

In last place on the MBS front is the Zerg. They already had MBS in that they could select all their larvae at once. While its a bit easier now, it's just a different way of doing things.

Also, the unlimited unit selection is rather nice. Units move in a fluid way even when you select a bunch of different types of units. There's no real confusion, it's just different. I think it's a great characteristic of the game, but it does diminish the need for hotkeying your forces. However, in order to effectively use the different units in your army, you will still need to hotkey.


Please tell us all non-zerg unit stats that you recall. For instance, all Marauder stats and cost you remember
(How much did it slow down units BTW? 50 %?).
How much does an Immortal damage? The new Thor? Jackal? Etc...

The Marauder slows enemy units to a stop every time it hits it. It's like you're hitting them with a shotgun. They stop for a moment, then proceed at normal speed. But when you spraying the enemy ranks with these shots, it will slow a large group of units very nicely.

The Immortals are very costly for the service they provide. They do around 20 damage if I'm not mistaken (I didn't specifically write all the damages of all the units out, and bonuses are very hard to track), which is the same as the Stalker. So its shields are its primary asset.

The Thor I am very unsure of, but I know it has 300 HP. It doesn't significant damage to air units, much in the same way a WWII flak cannon does damage. The attack is very effective against groups of Mutalisks and is much more damaging to them, specifically, than psi storm ever was. My group of mutas was absolutely demolished by two or three shots from one Thor.

The Jackal is very effective against large groups of units, but once against its attack isn't very strong. I believe it does 10 damage (again I'm not 100% on this number), so its not especially damaging to individual units. It has a bonus of +5 against armor as I remember.

The Banshee is another unit that has changed a lot. It no longer does AoE damage, but it is nevertheless extremely effective. I never used the unit as Terran so I'm unsure of the exact damage amount, but I would guess it does around 30 damage. It absolutely destroys ground units of all types and is very effective against buildings as well. I'm unsure how well they do against Cannons and base defenses, however. Stalkers are a good counter because they can blink under the Banshee and the Banshees seem to have trouble shooting units directly underneath them. Also, they have a relatively low HP of about 150 (This is an estimate again).


How effective is it to tech up to build a mothersip as the protoss at this stage? For example: is the cloak usefull, and has the planet cracker the strength to do decent damage, or is it still weak? Also, what is that ability or channeling thing that the Queen has in the newest zerg trailer? Or is that just a unit stance?

The Mothership is very powerful, but I have yet to confirm whether you can build one per player, or multiple Motherships. I saw one player build 3-4 during one game, but its possible that those were other players' Motherships. When I built one, it grayed out once I had one, so I'm unsure.

The Mothership has very strong abilities, including Void, which is basically its old Black Hole ability. It is casted, and then 5 seconds later begins to destroy everything within range, air or ground.

The Cloak is a rather expensive upgrade and I did not opt to use it because I felt it was too expensive. However, I tested it later and it has a nice large area of effect. It cloaks a much larger area than the Arbiter used to.

The Planet Cracker wasn't too bad... but neither was it amazing. It certainly does damage but it doesn't look like they've increased its strength significantly.


The Zerg unit and building regeneration (secluding the Roach), was it the same as in SC1?

I didn't really sufficiently explore this part of the Zerg as it was tough to determine. However the regeneration rate does not stand out in my mind, so I would assume the rate is about the same as it was in SC1.


Please estimate the Marauder's stats, and it's slowing attack. Is it capable of replacing the Medic as the second M in M&M?

Well, obviously, it doesn't heal. I believe it had around 100 HP, or the same as the Ghost. It costs around 75/25 (not 100% on this) and has 80 HP (THIS IS CONFIRMED AT 80 HP). It does 6 dmg (same as Marine) and does +4 bonus versus armored units. It also has a range of 6 (same as Marine). However, when combined with Marines this unit is absolutely deadly effective. Solo it isn't as destructive because of its relatively high cost.


How useful/devastating can a BC be, considering it's late game and all? Is it as unusual to see one on the field of battle as it was in SC1? Plasma torpedoes, effective?

The plasma torpedoes are VERY effective against groups of units if they don't move, but it is possible to avoid it. I did not try using Yamato. However, the BC is now useful in ones and twos rather than just large groups. One or two Battlecruisers can change a battle whereas in SC1 they were only really effective in large groups.


Did you use warp in?

Yes. While units warp in somewhat quickly, I still thought it was a bit slow for it to be practical in use for surprise attacks. I attempted to warp in Dark Templar into an enemy base, and my attempt failed. It was just a bit too slow. Also, the cooldown time at your WarpGate is VERY LONG so unless you're really good at maximizing your build time, it's not entirely worth it.

However, the Phase Prism is very useful. I found it very effective to transform my cannons into plasma form and move them up into offensive positions. This tactic was extremely useful in supporting offensive operations.


Any fun scenarios you remember.

Ummm.... I used a large group of about 12 stalkers, 15-20 Zealots, 2 WarpRays and 5 or so Nullifiers to entirely wipe out a Terran army. They were walled in behind supply depots and bunkers. So I anti-gravitied a supply depot and three bunkers, rushed in, killed the tanks and other units, then killed the supply depots and bunkers as they returned to earth. Deadly effective.

In another scenario a teammate in a 3v3 (versus Karune) used 12 or so Banshees to effectively fend off a 3 player combined army. We were 2v3 because we lost a partner early and it was basically a matter of time. But he did rather well and finished off one opponent. I also managed to severely cripple the other Terran player with my DTs sneaking in to his mineral line, but Karune was built up enough, and we were significantly weakened. So Karune ended up taking the field.


in most pics of them, there's been a cloud of green spit between the Roach and whatever they're after, but then in several pictures it looks like they're slashing at them with their blades.

The Roaches definitely have a ranged attack, but Hydralisks are superior in strength.


Do Stalkers practically measure up to the Dragoon but in a slightly less 'in your face' manor?

Yes, the Stalkers are worthy replacements of the Dragoon.


Did you get to raid a base by 'cliff jumping' with the Stalker, how did this work out?

Yes, I did use blink to raid a couple mineral lines. It is very, very effective. The response time of the enemy is drastically reduced and often by the time they react their miners are already dead.


Did players use a lot of raiding tactics with the new 'cliff jump'' mechanic, how did it feel to be raided like this, vice versa?

Actually, for the most part, mostly because we were unfamiliar with the game, most opted to use traditional tactics.


Are drops commonly used, and does Zerg have an air transporter? (e.g. Siege Tank drop)

The Zerg currently do NOT have an air transporter, just the Nydus Worm, but that is very potent.


Did players tend to target the Queen? Would it be a viable tactic to directly use warp-in so units can engage a Queen and kill her quickly using units like Colossus?

Yes, the Queen was targeted, but she isn't strong enough to warrant a special all-out attack just to kill her specifically.


Are they planning or experimenting to add or change the current static base defenses like the toss phase cannons. like new AOE static defenses. Powerful single static base defense? Floating static base defenses?

As far as I can tell they are not planning any more base defense mechanisms. The Zerg's base defenses are the only ones that are clearly subject to change because they are so radically different.


How does the cooldown for Queen's buildings work? Is the building set up instantly and you have to wait to get a new one? How long does it take?

The buildings are supposed to have a 15 second cooldown, but you can queue up like 15 of them and she'll just methodically keep building. Their build time is also ridiculously fast.


Is blizzard trying to implement the day and night cycle in the game? just like the short clip in blizzcon where there is a colossus attacking some turrets in a very dark(night) enivronment.

The design team was certainly considering this option, but they said any effects, including weather effects, would be determined by beta testing further down the road. They do not want to affect gameplay in any way. They did mention that there are currently weather effects on Char maps.


What's the best looking Terran unit overall for you? I want to know what do you think about the terran units models in real gameplay.

Personally I think the Ghost and the Seige Tank look absolutely great. The Ghost seems a lot slimmer and they may have eliminated his backpack. In contrast I'm not a big fan of the Viking in air mode. It just looks chinsey at this time. But in ground mode he is very imposing, but weak in actual combat. We'll see where that unit goes.


How fast do the larva appear?

About the same speed as they did in SC1, perhaps a bit faster, but not noticeably so.


If you cancel a zerg unit production will the egg die or revert back to a larva?

The egg dies.


How fast are overlords now? similar to sc1 or not.

Actually, without upgrade, they're pretty slow. Probably the same speed as in SC1. But Overseers are rather quick, and so are upgraded Overlords.


Is the physic storm and it's animation pretty? Karune said that screenshots do not justify it. What do you think yourself? And as for gameplay, is it still popular vs. masses of Zerg units?

The animation was only used once i the games I was playing, and it does cover a slightly smaller area. However, the animation is pretty cool. While I wouldn't say the screen shots don't do it justice, it doesn't look as weak in actual gameplay.


I like the new individual Zerg unit upgrading system you recently told us about. I am just wondering how it works. For every lvl, does the attack and carapace, and possibly even an ability get added?

Ex. lvl 0 Zergling - Nothing.
lvl 1 Zergling - Carapace 1, Melee 1, Metabolic Boost.
lvl 2 Zergling - Carapace 2, Melee 2, Metabolic Boost.
lvl 3 Zergling - Carapace 3, Melee 3, Metabolic Boost, Adrenal Glands.

Is this how the system works?

Yes, this is pretty much how it works.


Did the Viking (and the Thor) cover all Terran AA needed? Then perhaps there is no need for a Predator equivalent.

While the Thor is very effective, I wouldn't say that the Terran are taken care of. I think all Terran players would prefer to have the option of a more mobile air unit.


Is there gas similar to the yellow, high yield minerals?

Similar? High Yield minerals were present on every map we played. They were a high spot of contention and a HUGE advantage if you could attain them. It's a good gameplay mechanic.


Did you ever mine from yellow minerals? Worth to fight for?

Yes, I did. They're not absolutely necessary to your victory, but you will need two expos instead of just one at a high mineral field in order to counter its value. However, while it is high yield, it also contains about the same minerals, but you will gain them faster.


Does Terran and Zerg really lack detection, or did all Z and T players just forget to use their new detection mechanics?

Terran has a lot of detection with their Sensor Towers, but because their range is so significant, they often only build one or two. So it was quite easy to walk in and wipe it out before progressing on to other parts of the base, or to use another unit to take it out in a suicide attack. I did this a number of times to different players. Even with the need for the Overseer upgrade, Zerg players did not seem to be wanting for detection. The Shriekers are very useful even without detection and easy to attain. Also, the Overseer upgrade is very easy to obtain and does not require additional tech beyond the lair.


How well do the Immortals fare vs. Zerg? Most Zerg units do less than 10 damage.

Immortals are pretty effective against Ultralisks, but I think its pretty apparent that you don't want to use them against regular Zerg troops. They're not the weapon of choice, for certain.


Did the Medic have any abilities we don't know about? How do you use Flare and for what?

The Medic was not in the build we played. And the Medivac Dropship had no other abilities other than heal.


Your units will no longer be revealed when attacking. Did you ever shoot from a cliff to leave the opponent confused about your whereabouts? Or did someone else do it to you? Are strategies like these effective?

This was not used in combat as far as I know, but probably only because we were only partially aware of it.


Are there visual changes to the Queen when it levels up, more than an increase in size?
I think it should be similar to Hatchery->Lair->Hive. The final Queen should be spikey and totally grotesque.

She seemed only to increase in size. But she's huge by the time she reaches level 3.


Are the factions overly dependent on certain units? Sounds like Terran will rely on Siege Tanks again. Same thing with Zerg and Protoss?

Yes, from what I could see the Terran are either reliant upon the Banshee or the Tank, but I was pleasantly suprised by this. The Banshee is actually effective enough that you can skip tanks if you get them quickly enough.

The Protoss are very adaptable and do not rely on one type of unit. However, you need either a lot of Zealots of some Colossus against Zerg. But you do not require both.

The Zerg are very unpolished at this time, but yes, they need to use Banelings and Roaches to counter Zealots, especially once the Zealots get Charge.


Estimate the tier 3 Hydralisk's stats (It was tier 3 when you played, right? They were planning on making it tier 2 though). It must have been buffed somewhat.

While it must have been buffed, it didn't seem overly so. The Hydralisk was still not effective enough even to take down Colossi in a group, which I had assumed they would be since they were at a higher tier and ranged. I think the Hydralisk was a bit weak for being at Tier 3 and I expect it to be moved to a lower tier.


Would Ghost be realiable attacking behind Marines, meaning is their general damage and rate of fire useful in battle or are they only worth using when sniping and nuking?

The Ghost has an effective attack but it is no more effective than Marines.


When you used the Nomad, did you initiate any assult tactics with it?
Could a large group of Nomad turrets kill an expansion?

The Turret is VERY effective against miners and small units. It was able to stand up to a tank 1v1, but it will not win large battles for you. Also, it is very ineffective against buildings.


If the Thor is still built from an SCV and you canceled its production half way would it take a short time to 'dismental' or did it just stop straight away?

The Thor is built from the factory.


How was the salvage ability to your liking?

I disliked Salvage because I think it's a bit unfair to get all your money back. However, it is very effective. You can disassemble unnecessary buildings.


Immortal vs Ultralisk?

Immortal would inflict more damage, but would eventually lose because of the Ultralisk's high HP, that's assuming the Immortal has the Hardened Shield upgrade.


Phoenix vs Mutalisk?

Phoenix for sure. A Phoenix can take on 2-3 Mutalisks even without Overload.


Viking vs Stalker?

Stalker wins even without blink.


Hydralisk vs Viking?

This is not a matchup I actually saw... one on one I would say the Viking wins, but it would be close.


Stalker vs Hydralisk?

Stalker, hands down.


Assault Mode Crucio vs Roach?

Hmm.... close matchup. Probably the tank though. The only question here is the regen rate of the Roach relative to the damage of the tank.


Did you noticed any Terran building that is now able to lift off that was existed in Sc1 but wasnt able to lift back then?

No that I'm aware of. It was all the traditional buildings... pretty much anything that can build a unit, plus the Engineering Bay.


I havent seen anyone (or maybe i missed it) talking about the Starport, is there any building that produces the Battlecrusers + Banshees and is there anyscreenshot showing with that?

I haven't seen any screenshots of it, and the building is rather unremarkable anyway.


What was the in the current build the Motherships abilities? Did you try any? Comment?

Cloaking, Planet Cracker, and Void. Void is similar to black hole.


What is your favorite race now?

Well I really like the style of the Zerg, as I always have, but now they're just so radically different that it's even more awesome!
But it is still painfully obvious that Protoss is my best race.


Is there a limit to how much a single nydus worm can transport at once, or can you load up as many units as you want?

In order to travel through the Nydus Worm, units must pass through the Nydus Warren, which is a prerequisite building for the Nydus Worm. As many units as you can get to pass through the Nydus Warren will pass through the Nydus Worm. It takes only a few seconds to transport a VERY large Zerg force.


How has the Carrier changed from SC1 or has it changed at all? Do groups of Carriers still put the kind of fear into your opponent as they did in the original?

The AI for the Carrier seemed a bit different, but it is otherwise unchanged. I opted to use the WarpRay much more readily because it is just so effective against so many units. It rips through tanks, Ultras, anything with an HP of higher than 150. I'm sure its still fearsome but in such a fast paced game it's tough to amass large, high-tiered air forces.


In general did any race stand out in ground or air strength by comparisson to the other 2 races? And if any did why did they?

The Protoss are overly strong on the ground because of the Colossus. I didn't test them against tanks but if you can get more than 4 in a group your opponent is in trouble on the ground. In the air I think the advantage currently goes to the Zerg. The Corruptor is very potent.


which race is pretty stable thru out the game if any?

Protoss is by far the most stable race. All of their units are useful in some capacity. That's just not true of the Zerg or Terran at the moment. Early game Protoss seem to rule the land. Zerg aren't as potent as they used to be because of our lack of understanding of how their defensive structures function. Terran have a REALLY easy time blocking their main entrance, but the Protoss anti-gravity abiliity will take care of that problem very quickly.

As mid-game approaches and Roaches come out, the momentum swings to the Zerg until Protoss gets a lot of Stalkers or the Colossus. Seige Tanks are somewhere mixed in there with the Marines and Marauders, so there is obviously room for a Terran Tank push. However, if the Protoss manages to get more than 4 or so Colossi and a few Stalkers, someone is in trouble.

In the air, the WarpRay is king against ground units but the Banshee is also very potent. I would give the Protoss the edge in the air because I don't think the Viking will cut it in the air alone. The Phoenix and the WarpRay are both good air units.

But when the Corruptor shows up all air units are in trouble because of its ability to turn units.

The Mothership is obviously potent but will not buy you air superiorty. Zerg still has the advantage in the air ATM. Just watch out for the Thor.


Based on the blatant strengths and weaknesses of each race what changes/additions to each race's units do you forsee coming? Also what do you personaly want to see changed?

I think the Baneling will go up to Tier 3 and the Hydralisk and Lurker will drop back to where they were in SC1.

I also think we'll see some nerfing of the Colossus, possibly back to its old form because it's just too strong right now.

Furthermore there will be some changes with the Medivac Dropship and the transport mechanisms of the Zerg. The Overlords might either get the ability to transport or Zerg might see a unit able to climb cliffs.

Lastly I think we'll see some role shifts with the Viking, Thor, etc. The usual stuff.


After what time does the shield start to regenerate?
What triggers the counter - not being attacked or not being attacked+not attacking?
What is the regeneration rate? Would you say, 5 points per second?

I didn't notice any difference in regen rates in or out of battle. I don't think this is still included for Protoss shields.


How many different turrets did the nomad have?

Just one turret.


How was the nomads ability to create turrets limited?

It costs minerals and has a cooldown. It was unlimited as far as I could tell other than that.


How Many MAPS was available in the build i think i show 4 in a korean demo? dimensions? sets/graphics?? how many you played?

There were four maps available: Kulas Ravine, a jungle four player map with bases in the corner and natural expansions on either side that were blocked by destructible rocks, Quicksand, a 6 player desert tile map, Scrapy Yard, a 2 player 1v1 map on desert tileset, and Burning Rift, another 2 player map.


Did you see any Xel Naga tower? it works as gamespot says?if yes how much more you can see? e.x 2/4 of the map? etc

Yes, there were quite a few on Kulas Ravine. They simply revealed a large area, not a particularly large fraction of the map.


What abilities does the archon have now?

As far as I'm concerned, none. There is a rumored ability called Power Overwhelming that increases its splash damage for a short time while weakening its shields. However, this was not in the build we played and has not been confirmed by Blizzard, so I will continue to treat it as rumor.


Is there still a dedicated ATA unit for the Terrans?

The Viking and Battlecruiser are the only ATA units available. They do a decent job but I'm still of the opinion that a specialized ATA fighter is necessary.


How much armor does the shield upgrade give to the marines?

I'm not sure of the exact number, but I know they are buffed. I believe it increases their HP by 15 points to 65.


And does the thor still have the bombardment ability?

The Thor did not have any abilities in the build we tested. Just it's attack.


Does the armor upgrade use the same system as SC1 or does it use WC3's system?

I'm not sure what you mean by the "armor system" but the armors in SC2 work similarly to how they do in SC1.


Do weapon upgrades work the same way and are the attack bonuses affected by upgrades?

Weapon upgrades work the same way as they did in SC1, except there are no reductions between unit types, only bonuses against certain unit types.


Does the infestor have consume? (i.e. will the ultra/ling swarm combo be as effective as in SC1?)

No, the Infestor does not have consume.


Would plasma torpedoes be a good counter for dark swarm?

Yes, because it is an AoE attack it would be a good counter, it's similar to psionic storm.


How does the attack speed of the marauder compare to the marine and does the marauder have stim?

The attack speeds are very similar, and its damage and range is the same as the Marine (except it also gets a +4 bonus against armor) but no the Marauder does not have stim packs.


Do you know how much damage does a collosus do with his new attack?

I do not have an exact number of the damage that the Colossus inflicts, but it is significant enough that if more than 4 Colossi are grouped, they will annihilate any ground units sent at them. Forget Zerglings and Zealots all together, they just won't do it. Any number of Zerglings can be sent without effect.


Does the thor still turn uber slowly?

No, the Thor is much quicker and has about the same speed as the Seige Tank.


What was the cpu-ram-vga-screen resolution in the PCs you where playing, and if you had
many many units on screen in battle did you feel the FPS drop or any glitches at all?

I'm unsure of the exact specifications of the machines, but they were clearly very fast. I would estimate upwards of 3.0 Dual Cores, with probably 8800 equivalent video cards, but we were unable to see the stats of the computers. For the most part they ran very smooth but we had our fair share of technical difficulties.


We have seen the latest zerg hd video with the zerg gameplay the last battle demostrates how Blizzard is Balancing Visual effects-explosions etc over Gameplay and practicality and "clear" battlefield, how did that felt to you?

The Battlefield was very easily interpreted to me. I didn't have any problem distinguishing generally what was going on. Yes, there are some glitches, and some things are a bit confusing, but for the most part its a very slick interface.


Did you photograph the New NOMAD? If yes could you post that new look?

Unfortunately, no, I could not take photographs directly on the screen. However, when I get a chance I will draw out what it looked like. ASAP


Why did you leave from there???? You should try and camp by force!

Haha, I thought about it, trust me. Especially when they showed us where Team 3 is working...


Can you corrupt a Colossus?

Yes, the Colossus was corruptible in the build we played.


Did you see the new Swarm Guardian? According to the information on the new Zerg,, as you can see them on every SC II fansite, there have been taken some pictures of most Zerg units. Nevertheless no fansite has a picture or a screenshot of the new Swarm Guardian.

The new Swarm Guardian is very similar to the old Guardian. I'm pretty sure they used the same model and just made it larger and 3D. It's probably just a placeholder model. The broodlings picture (that used to be a Queen ability) is the same picture as from SC1. A lot of units in the current builds are just placeholder, i.e. the Nullifier.


Your model of the Nomad is really amazing.^^ Compared to the old Nomad it has changed positivley. Nevertheless I hope that its smoothy and very detailed. Does this ring round the ship move like the warpray does? I cannot wait till we will see the new model. Did you play with the Nomad or did you just fight against it?

The rings don't move. It's basically just an outer shell of plating that conceals the inner hull. I'm not 100% on how close my model actually looks to the new Nomad, but it's pretty close. I fought against it and then messed around with Terran and built it just to see it.


As the Dropship was changed to the Medivac Dropship, did Blizzard change the design of the model? I hope not, the old Dropship really looked great. How does the Medivac Dropship look like?

It has the same model as the Dropship we've seen for SC2, but the colors are red and white. Think of it like a Red Cross Dropship.


Did Blizzard tell you if they''re planing to produce more units for Terran and especially Zerg?

They were very clear in that the units for each race are not yet finished. They also mentioned that they are trying to keep the unit count of each race around 12 or 13. So they don't want to add too many units. But we will probably see some unit changes in the coming months.


The Thor was changed a bit as I heard. Are the cannons on the back of the Thor stay down as seen on a new screenshot?

Yes, the Thor does not utilize its shoulder cannons as far as I can tell. It only uses the cannons in its arms.



As far as we know, the nydus worm is produced by mutation from a larva. We just saw the unit breaking out of the ground but we didn't see the Nydus Worm in its full size on the ground. So do you see the Nydus Worm in its full size from its head to its end after having a larva morphed to it?

No, it's direclty into the ground. I think it's pretty clear from using the unit that it's not the most polished unit. Right now it just jumps in and out of the ground right over cliffs, etc. It's pretty rough and strange.


Do you have the same opinion on the visual look of following units than me:

a) Viking: Its air mode really looks ugly as its plump and not sleeky and elegant like the other terran units. I would make it more aerodynamic just like on the concept art what means that you also would have to change its gorund mode.

I agree totally. The Viking's air form does not appeal to me either, as I mentioned in other questions. However, ti's ground mode is very imposing, but it's rather ineffective in my opinion on the ground. Not meant for any serious combat.


b) Marauder: It looks great. The only thing you should work on is its back as his canisters look a bit weary, especially the team colour on the canisters.

I love the Marauder's model. I don't think any changes should take place because his current silhouette separates him easily from the Marine.


c)Reaper: Blizzard should work on it's visuals and make it more clear like they did with the Zealot armor and legs.

I think he is also very distinct and don't have a problem with his model. However, he is being undercut for his raiding role by the Medivac Dropship which allows the sturdier Marines to be brought in on raids without seeking two branches of separate tech.


d) Stalker: Its legs are too plump. They sjould be sleeky and thin, rather elegant just like on the concept art.

I actually think the legs make the unit look more substantial, but it still reminds me of something from WC3.


e) Infestor: Needs a new modell.

I like the idea that not all Zerg units are skinny, scaly things. Not all insects are pretty, you know, and as Samwise referred to them: "The Infestor is a big, fat, sack of bile and spooge." That's a direct quote, btw.


f) Lurker: Should look more like a Hydralisk. -> New Model.

I agree, I think the Lurker looks a bit too much like a crab. It's original model was much more imposing. I'm also a bit worried as to how the Lurker will fit into gameplay. It's not as useful as it once was.


g) Roach: Needs new model.

I like the Roach's model. It fits its name. They kind of flutter around the map like little insects. Very cool.


Why is the Lurker not as useful as it was in SC1? What new mechanics and units have changed that?

The Lurker doesn't seem as useful for a couple of reasons:

1) It's at a higher tier for some reason.

2) It's attack is avoidable and hasn't gained any real buffs. Because of this it isn't exactly a desirable unit that players will be teching for. If you had to choose between a Lurker that does splash damage and an Ultralisk, I think you would go with the Ultralisk.


Can you name other SC1 units that now are more/less useful in SC2?

1) Lurker - less.

2) Marine - about the same, perhaps slightly less because of the Medivac Dropship change.

3) Zergling - less at this time.

4) Seige Tank - More.

5) Mutalisk - It's just as effective as it once was but there are more direct counters for the unit this time around (Thor, Ghost, Phoenix).

6) Hydralisk - Less because it's higher on the tech tree.

7) Queen - Much, much, much more useful, obviously.

Zealot - Much more useful. It's charge ability is absolutely devastating. It's the new crackling.

9) High Templar - Less. Because units move so quickly, this unit is very vulnerable on the Battlefield and Psi Storm has been dampened somewhat. It's still devastating, but not like it once was. The Colossus is much more devastating a unit and is overall a better choice on the tech tree.

10) Carrier - Less. This unit depends on being in large groups and from what I saw it is difficult to amass units at such a high tier. This unit also is in competition with the Mothership whether Blizzard likes it or not. Right now I would opt for the Mothership for the increased effectiveness per food ratio.

11) Archon - Much more useful. This unit is POWERFUL!!! It's probably a result of a lack of balance, but this unit tears through the enemy.

12) Battlecruiser - More useful. This unit is now very useful in groups of one or two rather than 12. It's more of an army support unit than it was before. It's Plasma Torpedoes are very useful against groups of ground units, especially Stalkers (if you can get them before they blink away), and its Yamato is great for knocking out Colossus and Ultralisks, and still retains its key ability of knocking out specific buildings and specialty units like detectors.


Did the Viking still have a damage bonus vs. light?

The Viking did bonus damage versus light armor.


Was Nuking (or using Ghosts in general) a more common strategy this time around?

I didn't see nukes used at all, but because of the prolific use of the Ghost, I would assume it will become more common. Strategically, however, I think the Drop Pod might be a better use of your resources.


Can you give a rough estimation of the Immortal's cost?

From what I remember the Immortal cost around 175 minerals and 100 gas.



Did rushing end more, or less games than in SC1?

That depends on the timing of the rush. Because of increased unit speed, units are more effective against static defenses like Cannons, so mid-game rushes were much more effective. It was especially difficult to stop a 2 on 1 attack in 2v2 games. However, because of the ease of use of the auto mining, earlier rush attempts were usually ineffective because of equivalent numbers of units.


Was focusing on Pylons more effective than in SC1?

Yes, the Pylon HP was significantly reduced. Pylons are now an effective target for enemy players.


About the Battlecruisers abilities: Could you buy either upgrade immedietly, or did you also have to research them (like you researched Yamato in SC1) ?

You have to research each ability, but then once you churn out a BC, you can then select at any time in the future which ability that BC will have. However, once you choose you cannot revert. Also, it then becomes a different type of unit. If you double click your BC, only other BCs with the same ability will be included in that group.


Did it cost additional resources per BC when you picked one of them?

No.


What made the Siege Tank stronger? Does it have a longer range now?

Yes, it's range is significantly longer and it also seems to have a bit of a buff, especially against armored units. I have a feeling this is the one type of ground unit that can stop the Colossus.


There's currently some confusion about how the Infestor's Disease ability works. Tell us about it's effects.

It works very similar to plague from SC1 the original. I was not able to fully test the ability because of time restrains, but what I did see was that it reduces a unit's health to the red area, somewhere between 5-10% of its full health, and if it comes into contact with a non-infected unit outside the AoE of the original ability while the Disease is still "contagious," that unit will also become infected.

So in an army not being carefully quarantined there is technically the possibility that it could quickly spread through the ranks. The "spread" did not seem to jump from Unit to Building, but it would jump from Building to Unit.


Was the Infestor's tunneling capabilities balanced?

No. I think that both the Infestor and the Nydus Worm should have some sort of visible animation to the enemy player when it is moving underground because in its current state the Infestor was able to use its abilities while burrowed. Not fair at all.


A lot more Zerg units can burrow now. Did that change how you played as Zerg? Did you try to ambush more?

Hellz yeah!! The first time you burrow an Ultralisk and wait for the Terran army to pass in between 8 Ultras buried neck deep... you know this is the sequel to the greatest game ever played.


Did the Surveillance Station upgrade work the same as the Comsat addon?

It was actually a bit difficult for me to figure out, and I didn't get much playing time with the Terran, but I know it's a building ability rather than an "addon." I'm not sure how it works.


How effective was the Planetary Fortress? Is it early tech, allowing it to stop rushes? What did it cost?

It's pretty effective early to mid-game, but it won't do anything at all to a Colossus. It's enough to stop a small raid.


You once said that it the Ghost changed visually but how did it change?

I believe his little antennae was removed, or his backpack entirely. I'm not sure but he seemed slimmer.


Just how useful was the siege tank's tank form? Useful enough to use on its own, or is it still less useful than the siege mode?

The assault mode on the tank was... meh... decent as long as there aren't too many units. It's still way less useful than its traditional seige mode.


Is the Nullifier's Anti Gravity spell channeled?

No, they don't have to hold still while their spell takes effect. You can move them.
In the build we played you could lift things like destructible rocks (weren't supposed to be able to do this according to Blizzard).


Did the Nullifier also have a regular attack?

Yes, it has a regular attack.

___________________________________________________________


Can The Queen's claws reach air units? (Blizzard mentioned she is your only early game air defense; were they referring to swarm clutch?)

No, she cannot melee air units. Her Swarm Clutch building hits air or ground units.



Swarm Clutch: structure that hatches multiple low HP (50-70) units that defends the base? Does so permanently, how so: similar to a Carrier that makes interceptors, Hatcheries that constantly spawn larvae, Nomad's Mine 'Turret': creates a set number of mines?

She can spawn as many Clutches as you would like so long as you can pay for them.



What exactly hatches? Can these creatures attack air? Air and ground? Variable units: GtA, GtG, AtA, AtG, all around?

They can attack air and ground units with the same damage. They're little eggs that throw creatures at the enemy. They do not have a limited number of rounds.



Swarm Clutch can be destroyed, as well as units spawned from it?

No, in order to stop its firing you must kill the Clutch. You cannot kill the creature fired from it.
The creature is not a unit, just an attack, similar to the Spore Colony.



Can you describe what happens: from the time the structure is laid, to the time when the 'eggs' hatch?)

It's just build, small build time, and then it can fire at any unit within range. The Shriekers greatly extend this range.



Creep Tumor: Leaves a visible structure that can be destroyed?

Yes, the structure is visible.



How does Toxic Creep work?

It's an ability, and its an AoE spell. So wherever she casts it that small area becomes infected. Yes, she can cast it on areas that Overlords are spawning. It lasts about 15 seconds.



Nydus worms have 2 forms? Worms load units, burrow and transport underground, upon command, they burst forth and spew their units, that were loaded during the worm state?
Canals are the second form of worms? Canals are exits to Nydus Warrens? How do you ensure that units that enter a Nydus Warren exit from the specific Nydus Canal you want? Is a Nydus Canal simply the name of a Nydus Worm that has becomes stationary/deployed (whether before or after the worm has unloaded)?

There is only one type of Nydus Worm. When you want it to create a passage, you give it the command and it will shoot out of the earth. It takes about five seconds before you can send units through it. You can load up to 8 units (I think) in the Nydus Worm that will pop out almost instantaneously. You load any further units through the Nydus Warren, which is NOT another transport option. That Nydus Warren will go to the currently open Nydus Worm.



Swarm Guardian: Broodlings, is it a energy ability (like SC1 Queen), or an after effect of attacking? If an after effect, is it after the units death, (organic only?), or after any attack connects (organic only?) Could they still outrange static defenses?

It is an after effect of attacking. It seemed to work on most all units. I didn't differentiate between any specifically mechanic units and biological units that it worked on. Yes, it still outranges static defense.



Overlord/Overseer
Slime creates a destructible 'barrier-esque' formation over mineral patches, (Xel'Naga Observeration T's)?
Overseer is available after Lair Upgrade. Is Overseer Evolution an upgrade from the Lair itself (like antennae were)? Individual Overlord evolution costs resources?

Yes, slime can block access to minerals and can also disable enemy detectors. Also, Overseers are available as soon as you tech to the lair. It does not require additional tech. The morph time to Overseer is about the same length as it is to build an Overlord initially.



Overseer Sight, starts off at a fixed range. As the Overseer is stationary, the sight range increases slowly, or does it jump to a specified size? Is there a limit to the range at which an Overseer can see, if it doesn't move?
Does their amount of Supply produced actually increase?

It seemed to add an additional four supply. Yes, it's range extends the longer it sits still. It's sight range was pretty considerable after about a minute. It could see an entire expansion base with ease. Five or six spread out would just about cover the map.



Xel'Naga Observeration Towers: Do they reveal a large area, with the Tower at the radius' centered? Overlords can Neutralize them? (meaning the slime makes the inaccesible?) How do you 'obtain' it, Workers?

I do not know if the Overseer's slime will disable the Xel'Naga towers. You "obtain" them by placing one of your units at its base. This creates a great mechanic early game as players end up fighting small groups of units to maintain possession of these towers. They reveal a decently large area, but not too large. Probably an area equivalent to the range of the Seige Tank in the original SC.



Infestation
Produces X units over X amount of time; is X static for all buildings infested, or do some produce more/less? (pylon, nexus, command center, assimilator?)Can infested buildings be lifted off? Might queens Deep Tunnel to infested buildings (doubt anyone tested that)? Does infest require energy? Supply? Minerals?

I only got the chance to infest production buildings and those put out a significant number of units. I think the Infestation ability has changed since we played it, and I certainly didn't fully understand its functionality at the time.



Infestor must be above ground to cast, or is it similar to ghost casting cloak=burrowed?

Yeah, it was able to cast while burrowed in our build, but I'm pretty sure that will change in the future. It was very overpowered.



Corruptors
Attacks deal damage, and upon finishing blow, enemy becomes a derelict turret? Corrupted retain some health? Are they on timers?

I believe the unit must be in the red health range to become infected, but again, I'm not exactly sure how this mechanic works. However, it dealt full damage of the infected unit. No, it did not seem to be on a timer, the unit just died after a while. I think it's health continues to lower.





You mentioned earlier that the medic dropship made reapers totally not useful, but wasn't it added to make Reapers stronger (Blizzard said that at least)?

Yeah, that was the intended effect. But my reasoning is, if you're already bringing a Dropship along to heal your Reapers, why not just fill it with the more powerful Marines?



I want to know just how powerful the queen is. So, in a toe-to-toe match between a Hive Matriarch and an Ultralisk, who would win?

The Queen vs. an Ultralisk the Ultra wins without the Queen's abilities, of course.

 

Wow! Thanks for posting this!!
<3 Starcraft

 

Very nice compilation you made there. Have a owerup:! Now let's hope people read through this first before asking the same thing over and over again...

 

Excellent way to make minerals. Well done tho

 

owerupower up from me too! i am glad you did what i asked...and helped Jon.

oh there is and an other topic about Q&A Jon started there you will find more Q&A dont miss a think

http://www.starcraft2forum.org/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=47&topic=6432.0

i propose to Rename the Topic to

Q&A Batch 01 (Starcraft2forums.org)

and include as aHeadline into the 1st Post

Mission to Blizzard's HQ Irvine 11-3-2008

 

Thanks guys, I appreciate it a lot.

 

Good job man. owerup:

 

oh boy this is getting HUGE and new quastions are still comming in!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gasmaskguy trey not to copy paste without reading a little, i think over the other topic lots of question are repeted ;-) or answered differently.......its getting confusing!

wondering........will this ever end? ???

an other owerup: for the updates

 

May you ask questions here?
Because i have one:
What do you think of the "fast" speed of the game? Is it faster then SC1, and if it is, should it be slower?

 

@furrer. I am sorry, but you shouldn't ask questions here. Ask them here:
http://www.starcraft2forum.org/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=47&topic=6433.180

@johnnyxp64. Thanks! Yeah, I will update this as often as I can, with all question and answers I can find! And this will only end if you stop asking questions.

Sorry for duplicate Q&A's, it's just that the compilation is sooo long (and it will keep growing) and remembering what questions have been answered or not will probably drive me insane.
And if I mistake a question for a duplicate and delete it, we will lose more than if it occurs twice.

Oh, and I will start to occasionally colour the answers with a new colour, to make it easier for you to find old answers.

 

Ok No problem GMG!
And thanks god that you edit those questions I post, they are so ugly grammar wise!

 

Great !

I hope the Thor can be lifted up to land on another island.

I believed to have understood that the Thor will not use the big cannons of his back. I want this unit to use them.

 

The Thor at this time has no mobility options. It cannot be disassembled, cannot lifoff, and cannot be placed in a Dropship. And yet it has half the HP of an Ultralisk. Weird.

 

the term I would use is lame

 

Dude, you can't even give people a owerup: yet. Also, please don't double post, just use the edit function.

By the way, the Thor is a factory unit now, the answer is already outdated...

 

Massive wall of text, needed massive half an hour to read or more, but it did worth it. Thank you very much.

 

Hey there!

First of all: Great work you have done there!

As the post is a bit older: Is there any newer (up to date) Q&A or do you have the intention to update this one? I would also consider helping you.

Greetz,
Dodo