Aura abilities in SC2

I've been recently playing w3 and noticed, that something that is higly used in warcraft3 is missing in sc2, the aura abilities or buffs(area affect buffs). And i'm wondering how so, i know that sc1 didn't have them, but i liked them in w3, they were simple but effective :)
So what do you think, why were they not added in sc2, they would ad something fresh to the game, just imagine how many posibilities of new abilities and units would there be if there would be aura buffs. Or do you think that something like that does not belong in sc2 and its playstyle?


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There was 1 aura in SC1. The Arbiter had it.

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Originally Posted by Perfecttear

I've been recently playing w3 and noticed, that something that is higly used in warcraft3 is missing in sc2, the aura abilities or buffs(area affect buffs). And i'm wondering how so, i know that sc1 didn't have them, but i liked them in w3, they were simple but effective :)
So what do you think, why were they not added in sc2, they would ad something fresh to the game, just imagine how many posibilities of new abilities and units would there be if there would be aura buffs. Or do you think that something like that does not belong in sc2 and its playstyle?
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I think it would be cool if some heroes had it. For instance, a hero like Arcturus Mengsk could have a command aura (units around him hit for more damage).

It's not necessarily wrong in multiplayer, but in Warcraft III, armies are smaller and units are tougher, so auras are more balanced (IMO). In a game like StarCraft II, an aura would affect a lot more units ... but the aura-producing unit would have a lot less health. (I suppose that's self-balancing. Or maybe not.)

....and we should be reading a rebuttal from DSquid in....3....2..1

If it can fit...and it isn't all "magicky" - I'm all for it. I had an idea for the Nullifier (back then) to have an 'aura' of sorts - a kind of shield enhancer for units within a certain perimeter of the Nullifier. It worked more or less like the Spirit Walker's, "Link" ability in WC3 - but see, at least here, there is some technical jabber that can be used to explain the ability -

In contrast, a WC3 style "aura" just wouldn't work for me - For example, having units gain an armor or attack bonus for simply being near Jim Raynor would be a little silly - or at least not fit Starcraft IMO.



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It is actually based on reality. When near a known hero (Rommel, for instance) or a national symbol (Stalingrad) troops would fight all the harder because they were fighting for their country/hero.

So a command aura is not a bad thing to have on certain units, even in multiplayer. It would, however, have to be either low-level, or the unit itself would have to be vulnerable.

Or we could merge the idea with the Archon thread and give Archons a command aura to make up for their lack of other stuff.

The idea usually works best with one-unit-at-a-time hero-type units, which are not present in SC/SC2 multiplayer

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Originally Posted by Caliban113

....and we should be reading a rebuttal from DSquid in....3....2..1

If it can fit...and it isn't all "magicky" - I'm all for it. I had an idea for the Nullifier (back then) to have an 'aura' of sorts - a kind of shield enhancer for units within a certain perimeter of the Nullifier. It worked more or less like the Spirit Walker's, "Link" ability in WC3 - at least here, there is some technical jabber that can be used to explain the ability -

In contrast, a WC3 style "aura" just wouldn't work for me - For example, having units gain an armor or attack bonus for simply being near Jim Raynor would be a little silly - or at least not fit Starcraft IMO

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QFt

I agree 100% it should be somewhat realistic :P

ALTHOUGH I do like the idea of say, RAYNOR or Mengsk having those random ass auras in the Campaign. Just keep em out of multi

Auras are implemented into the current mothership, zerg creep, dark pylon and probably into some other units rather unknown to the public like the overseer, infestor, raven, high templar, brood lord, etc.

They might work out in single player, like disruptors, healers, etc.

But the level of micro and its atributes into the army itself and not heroes, might make this type of buffs, rather confusing in SC 2.

Idk, I just can't see Aura's fitting into the SC universe. The Arbiter did alright implementing it, but I can't see people having increased attack just 'cuz some guy is near 'em.

Perhaps the Overseer could emit pheromones/aura that increases ground unit speed by 30%, might make it more attractive than having a stationary Overlord Excrete Creep?


-Psi

The most basic aura of SC is Pylon power. I think the Protoss could have some sort of psyonic aura or shield-type aura, but other than that, I think an aura would be totally out of place.

Well, just throwing this out here...
But what if the Archon had an aura that let nearby units regain energy/shields faster? It's a walking ball of psionic plasma, so SOME sort of energy is going to be hovering around it...

Auras... NO.

Other tech related stuff, yes!

Targeting laser will make all units do more damage to targeted target. Or something like that.

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Auras are implemented into the current mothership, zerg creep, dark pylon and probably into some other units rather unknown to the public like the overseer, infestor, raven, high templar, brood lord, etc.

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No, they aren't. First, there's no Dark Pylon anymore. Second, Creep is nothing like an aura effect; it's a terrain effect (it doesn't move). And none of those other non-Mothership units have auras of any kind.

I think a few aura spells would work wonders for SC2 micro. StarCraft generally has more units in a battle than WC3. So auras wouldn't be as powerful, unless you build more aura-producing units. Plus, aura-producing units would have to stay close to the units they're helping, thus exposing such spellcasters to ranged attacks.

Auras should (usually) not be constant effects; they should be something that the unit has to cast, which means that there are limits on them.

I could see a Shield Regen aura for Protoss that causes their shield regeneration cycle to always be active (which basically gives Protoss units Roach regen). This would be for a late-Tier unit or upgrade; you wouldn't put it on a Disruptor. Something like a Dark Archon equivalent. Or maybe it gives them shield regen, but at a lower rate (until they cycle).

Auras aren't anything specific to the fantasy genre, and I think SC2 could benefit greatly from. With systems like unlimited unit selection and warp ins, reactors, mutant larvae increasing unit production, units will be easier to create and manage. Auras or aura-like abilities could help diversify support units.

Auras were best on heroes, single powerful units that didn't require to be massed. SC2 has some niche units that could use auras, but I really think it would help some diversify some existing units.

There are two types of units that could benefit from auras: Spellcasters and Meatshields.

Casters are usually sit-in-the-back support units with very specialized roles. Because they are so specialized, there are times when they would not be valued being brought to a battle with troops, and only when they have full energy reserves. An aura would make them beneficial even if not casting, and since auras don't stack, it counters the need to mass casters for any given situation.

Meatshields are tough units meant to take damage to protect smaller, more vulnerable ones. Auras help meatshields become prime targets because in essence, they are boosting the ability of all the units around them. It gives an added incentive to pick out and take them out if killing the masses of weaker troops is not an option.

What I would like to see experimented on is short-range auras. In WC3 you just needed to include an aura guy in your ctrl+1 and suddenly your whole army became 20% stronger. Auras that you need to position, and pull back as they take damage, would be great. Make auras something that will only effect the 10 zerglings that are practically stepping on your toes.

I don't think they're out of place, if they have some sort of real justification, and they're subtle enough as to not break anything. For example: if Thors continue to be huge, they could block vision. Not a "traditional" aura, but sort of. Most units in multiplayer aren't important enough to have an aura, however.

An aura unit in SC would probably have its sole function to have auras. Like a small robotic drone that buffs all shields in an area or something like that.

Auras in particular are extremely diffucult to balance in multiplayer. Although I do like many of the aspects of wc3, I'm glad auras are not going in.

For the single player campaign though, it may be a good idea.

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Originally Posted by Quirel

Well, just throwing this out here...
But what if the Archon had an aura that let nearby units regain energy/shields faster? It's a walking ball of psionic plasma, so SOME sort of energy is going to be hovering around it...

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I had a wild idea like this over in the Archon thread. It was a +3 buff to all friendly ground unit shields in a range of 4. I think it would makes sense considering the Archon is, like you said, a giant ball of energy. Plus it would give the Archon some sort of purpose other than "zomgmyHTsareoutofenergymergemergemerge!"

I do agree that we shouldn't have tons and tons of auras in the game. There are certain types that either wouldn't really make sense or would overlap with something that was already there. There are many aura-ish abilities, such as Mothership's cloak, all units with detection, creep speed boost, stim packs, Medivac heal, and so on that give buffs to units without being restricted to a halo of sorts. With almost every unit having an ability, we don't really need them.

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Originally Posted by PsiWarp

Perhaps the Overseer could emit pheromones/aura that increases ground unit speed by 30%, might make it more attractive than having a stationary Overlord Excrete Creep?


-Psi

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Dude, Psi, you realize you just mentioned pheromones and attraction in the same sentence for ... zerg!

Ew! lol! :cool:

new zergling ability: rape

I am, in general, against auras in SC.
WC3 could handle auras because armies were small. But armies in SC get very large, and its hard to balance.
WC3 had auras operate on percentages, which was fine because there were many different damage types which added or decreased based on percentages too. Auras could have worked in SC1. But SC2 functions on bonuses now. So again, the percentage balancing would need to ignore those bonuses in some cases, and use them in others. Its just not conducive.
We also have to consider that auras are not unlike aoe spells. The only difference is they usually don't cost energy. But for all intensive purposes, Irradiate is a debuff aura. Dark Swarm is a static buff aura. And as mentioned before, the Arbiter's cloak is an aura.

Despite all this, however, I believe that auras can serve an important function. Namely, to counter mass effect. For example, the Carrier is either never built, or built en mass. There's never any reason to just build one or two, they're too weak by themselves and easily countered. But if the Carrier had an aura that effected all the other units in your army, suddenly building a few Carriers as actual buffs to your army becomes viable.

I think auras have their place. But its a very small place in SC2.

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Originally Posted by DemolitionSquid

But for all intensive purposes,

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ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHH



and I agree with everything DS said.

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Originally Posted by Quirel

Well, just throwing this out here...
But what if the Archon had an aura that let nearby units regain energy/shields faster? It's a walking ball of psionic plasma, so SOME sort of energy is going to be hovering around it...

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I really like this idea!

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Originally Posted by trace wm

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHH

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Them purposes are quite intensive.

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Originally Posted by n00bonicPlague

new zergling ability: rape

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New Zergling macro ability:
Teabag en masse.

We've got to mod that into StarCraft II.

It's late I haven't read the thread and I'm just throwing in my opinion.

I totally am for Auras as long as they're invisible (and only shown on the interface).

I'd really not prefer magicky glowy circles around my units.

I think auras can be used pretty well in the single player.

Hell even creep can sort of be considered an aura for all Zerg units.

I doubt anyone is interested in my opinion. I'm sure Flabortast will want to kick me for this. But I have to say it.
To hell with auras!!! People, do you want to merge WC and SC or what? Those who adore auras can play WC, but, please, do not mix it to where it's not suppose to be! It is not necessary, it is not needed, it does not fit. Phew.

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People, do you want to merge WC and SC or what?

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What do auras have to do with WarCraft? I mean, it's not like SC1 didn't have Arbiters with their CLOAKING AURA or anything.

It is a legitimate dimension of gameplay for them to use.

Maybe it's Cloaking FIELD, huh? I may be terribly wrong, but I thought auras are to boost some stats or add some effects, but not to change properties like visibility(there is such a word, right?). I correlate WC with auras because there are plenty of them. And I don't see anything in SC that could really be called an aura.
Also, if you want auras in SC2 so badly, there is a Cloaking Field of the Mothership. One "aura" here, one "aura" there. Fair and square.

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Originally Posted by Kknewkles

I doubt anyone is interested in my opinion. I'm sure Flabortast will want to kick me for this. But I have to say it.
To hell with auras!!! People, do you want to merge WC and SC or what? Those who adore auras can play WC, but, please, do not mix it to where it's not suppose to be! It is not necessary, it is not needed, it does not fit. Phew.

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To be against a mechanic just because WC3 uses it isn't reasonable. In fact, it was even on SC1 (Arbiter).

I just said, I can't consider Cloaking Field to be aura. Maybe some sort of, or what may be called an aura as a slang expression, but not really aura.

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Originally Posted by Kknewkles

I just said, I can't consider Cloaking Field to be aura. Maybe some sort of, or what may be called an aura as a slang expression, but not really aura.

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No cloaking field/aura is definitely an aura..

Hm... well... yeah, according to definition of aura it is something like it...
Maybe my main point is that Arbiter uses technology to make units invisible, and what I got used to consider as aura is usually a magical power of some characters, like the Unholy Aura of the Death Knight. Guys, do you see what I was thinking now? Do you get me? :D

Hm... and what if Zeratul can make units around him invisible? Maybe auras should be in SC2? :rolleyes:

circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because [ad infinitum]

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Originally Posted by DemolitionSquid

circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because circular logic works because

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Eighteenth "because" is not needed. :D
And yeah, after all those... circulars my head's... wizzy... oh.

You're too caught up in the semantics and not the mechanics.

Aura is just a name for a passive ability that radiates around a unit.

Ok, I accept my defeat.
But still, lorewise aura is something more like an effect of living things, various heroes; machines cannot have auras... they can't, right?...

But ok, if you wan't to put a random term on a passive - feel free. Seriously, no offence.

There's nothing that says auras are generated from living things. If you're worried about lore explanations, then it's irrelevant, because it can be explained by anything.

If you can accept shield generators, medivac healing beams and teleportation, you can accept a vehicle with technology that enhances surrounding troops. I could even bullshit an explanation, like a short-ranged psi-emitter that stimulates brain activity and enhances reflexes of troops, or a magnetic field generator that helps deflects damage of ranged projectiles.

Doesn't Irradiate technically count as an aura? It gives a unit an aura (temporary though it may be), and with the Eraser technique, can even be used on itself.