Null Shield : Why it should be brought back...

Almost everyone has agreed that PC has really no alternative. This argus link ability just plain sucks.

So, I suggest that we bring back Null Shield to replace Argus Link, only with a few changes.

Null Shield http://forums.battle.net/thread.html...03043&sid=3000

According to Karune in Batch 49, the dark pylon had this ability. This is what he said:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Karune

Null Shield: a single-target ability that causes a Protoss Shield to shimmer and warp, cloaking the targeted Protoss unit. The Null Shield lasts only a short time.

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Now, On the sc wikia, it says that the energy was 50, and it seemed like there were some limitations on what it could be cast on.

So, here is how I think it should be added:

Null Shield

Energy Cost : 25 energy
Time ability lasts: 30 seconds
Radius to cast: 12
Units that can be effected: Any

I think this provides much better strategic choices throughout a game then a replenish shield ability. Throughout a game detection is important, and 30 seconds should be enough time to get past initial defense to harass, or save your base from destruction with a few cloaked units not being hurt. This will definitely provide a better alternative, in my opinion.

Possible Balance issues:

-Building a lot of obelisks to cloak entire armies.
-Time may be too much or too little

Well I'd ditch the Shield Battery and keep Argus link (the Protoss 'rapid but delayed shield recharge' seemed good enough)

Otherwise, Null shield seems like a good idea for a strong Tension

To be honest this ability would be much better on the Nexus to make it compete with the all too spamable probe. Players should have to decide every 30 seconds whether they want to gather more minerals or use some ability.

I don't see the point of this ability when it comes to competing with Proton Charge. There's not enough energy tension with "mine more minerals!" You'd use PC all the time unless the enemy has penetrated to the center of your base (at which point, your probes won't be harvesting anyway, they'll be running or dying).

Whereas you could use Null Shield with the obelisks you have at the edge of your base (competing with the other combat abilities). Unless you give Null Shield unlimited range, which would be overpowered considering how early you can get an obelisk.

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Originally Posted by ArcherofAiur

To be honest this ability would be much better on the Nexus to make it compete with the all too spamable probe. Players should have to decide every 30 seconds whether they want to gather more minerals or use some ability.

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Nothing should compete with the Probe... period.

Please tell me you were joking. :|

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Originally Posted by Artanis186

Nothing should compete with the Probe... period.

Please tell me you were joking. :|

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He wasn't. Welcome to my own personal hell.

Actually the reason they probably won't bring Null Shield back is that they are saving it for the Grey Templar.... the unit that replaces the High+Dark Templar units in the Legacy of the Void expansion (almost same ability as the OP describes, but cloaks non-massive, non-Psionic units for ~40 sec)

Same as some interesting Spells are probably being saved for the Grey Archon.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ArcherofAiur

To be honest this ability would be much better on the Nexus to make it compete with the all too spamable probe. Players should have to decide every 30 seconds whether they want to gather more minerals or use some ability.

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For the record, just so new readers don't think we're incapable of answering your 'points,' probes already HAVE competition. Other units, other buildings. Spend 50 Minerals on a Probe, or spend it on something else?


But, y'know, DSquid's thing is more catchy.

Not mineral competition. Production tme competition. Time is one of the most important resources in Starcraft.

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Originally Posted by Krikkitone

Well I'd ditch the Shield Battery and keep Argus link (the Protoss 'rapid but delayed shield recharge' seemed good enough)

Otherwise, Null shield seems like a good idea for a strong Tension

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The delayed super-regen is gone. Now it works exactly like it did in SC1: a slow but constant regeneration.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ArcherofAiur

Not mineral competition. Production tme competition. Time is one of the most important resources in Starcraft.

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Not every resource needs competition.

Every action needs some type of competition.

With Probes/SCVs there is mineral competition and supply competition*. That is enough.

*Supply competition being a combo of time+mineral competition. (As in you might have to wait to prodce that marine since you produced that SCV.)

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Originally Posted by n00bonicPlague

The delayed super-regen is gone. Now it works exactly like it did in SC1: a slow but constant regeneration.

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And it would be better to Remove Shield Batterry and put that back in.

I'd rather see.... Argus Link, PC, + new Obelisk ability + Unique regen than
Shield Battery, PC, New Obelisk abiity, + boring old regen (which messes with the Immortal's balance... possibly overpowering it)

Or even put it back in and keep Shield Battery.... just

1. Give the Obelisk a somewhat long range so you can have a Proxy Obelisk near Actual combat
2. Allow the ability to be used on buildings (Photon Cannons... or even the Obelisk itself)
3. Allow the ability to be autocast
4. Make the ability very fast, and a good ratio (say 1 Obelisk energy->2 Shield energy... and it works at up to 100/sec.)
5. make the delay Long (20 sec before your shields recharge..... or at LEAST 10) that makes a Shield Battery wortwhile.

That makes it useful... IN combat, not after combat like Argus link but In combat, when the Protoss shields are suffering

If you the give the Obelisk either...
Shared energy Pool
or
Ability to cast anywhere in pylon power/on map
or
Ability to move/warp in

Then it gives competition with PC

That's the wild nature of things that cost minerals, gas, and/or supply. They automatically compete with like 30 different things for the same resources. I think that may be an important key to the whole macro issue. Perhaps we need to re-implement the idea of using one or more resources to gain more of another resource. In a way, we could make a secondary type of worker.

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Originally Posted by Krikkitone

Not every resource needs competition.

Every action needs some type of competition.

With Probes/SCVs there is mineral competition and supply competition*. That is enough.

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What is the frequency that the player needs to choose the other option inorder to count it as decision making?


In other words what frequency to players need to choose to not make probes inorder for making probes to count as a decision?

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Originally Posted by ArcherofAiur

What is the frequency that the player needs to choose the other option inorder to count it as decision making?


In other words what frequency to players need to choose to not make probes inorder for making probes to count as a decision?

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I think it honestly has to be a choice that is used frequently over the other. It doesn't have to be 50/50, but even 70/30 means that less used one is used throughout a game.

I dont think anything on the obelisk right now will be used other than PC, so right now its 100/0

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Originally Posted by Santrega

I think it honestly has to be a choice that is used frequently over the other. It doesn't have to be 50/50, but even 70/30 means that less used one is used throughout a game.

I dont think anything on the obelisk right now will be used other than PC, so right now its 100/0

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And what do you think probe cutting is?

Probably 90/10 (depending on the amount of raiding+expansion in a game)

Assuming and 16 min+6 gas=22 is saturation, then for your main you want to be building probes for 22-6 (starting) = 16 *17 sec.=272 sec = ~4.5 minutes... Assume by that point your second nexus is up, to saturate The natural will take 22 *17/2=187 sec=~3 minutes.
Assuming your first expansion Nexus is up at that time (3 minutes after natural) Then you have 22*17/3=~125 sec =~ 2minutes. that it will take to saturate it. Future expansions are even faster to saturate, and future raids even easier (time wise) to come back from.


Actually, the faster you expand, the less time you spend building Probes, because if the Nexus is up before the previous mineral line is saturated, it saturates that mineral line Quicker.
So most of the time you will be building probes, SCVs slightly more... but then you have to Build OCs/PF some of the time, ie Terran needs more workers, so some tension was introduced.

Basically early in a game it is probably like 99.9 : 0.1 but that slowly changes depending on the coure of the game, after about 10 minutes or so into it, it is probably close to 70 : 30.

It is enough that putting autobuild in would probably be a good idea, especially if Terran and Protoss were the only players, but since it is Not that way for Zerg, beyond the first minute or so, and Zerg has a Necessary complicated control scheme, because of that choice, the MBS, auto-mine is acceptable.

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Originally Posted by ArcherofAiur

And what do you think probe cutting is?

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Honestly, I dont even want to talk about probe production because it really has nothing to do with the obelisk. I understand you have to make countless remarks about random macro related material to prove a point, but this isnt the thread to do it.