An idea for the Zerg

What if the hydralisk and/or the mutalisk would be the evolution of a different unit that has a similar role instead of being evolved from a larva? This can be done in many ways and I will give a small example later in this post but first I want to explain why I believe this would fix some problems. The main problem we have with the zerg atm is that they are too much similar to what they used to be in SC1. Why? Because too many core units are returning. The main problem is that no one is really willing to replace any of those units because they are all iconic and loved units. I believe that making 2 of those main units (the mutalisk and the hydralisk) an evolution form for a weaker unit we would be a nice compromise between adding something new to the race and keeping what players like at the same time.

Here is an example of how this could be done:

Avianling

Mineral: 25
Gas: 50
supply: 2
Build time: 10
Mutater: larva
Requires: spire
Special note: 2 from one larva


Hit points: 40
Type: light, biological, air
Damage: 3 w/o splash
Speed: fast
Target: ground/air

Special ability: can suicide on friendly units to heal them

Evolution into mutalisk cost:
Minerals: 75
Gas: 50
No additional supply cost
Morphing time: 13

You can't arbitrarily shove new units into the middle of a preexisting evolution chain.

Zergling -> Baneling = OK

Roach -> Ultralisk = Not OK

Hydralisk -> New Unit = OK

New Unit -> Hydralisk = Not OK

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Originally Posted by DemolitionSquid

You can't arbitrarily shove new units into the middle of a preexisting evolution chain.

Zergling -> Baneling = OK

Roach -> Ultralisk = Not OK

Hydralisk -> New Unit = OK

New Unit -> Hydralisk = Not OK

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I don't see why not. Lore wise this whole race doesn't make sense anyways so you can pretty much explain the change the way you want.

I can see why some hardcore fans of those units wouldn't be happy with the change but like I said this is a compromise for the sake of introducing something new to the race.

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Originally Posted by sandwich_bird

I don't see why not. Lore wise this whole race doesn't make sense anyways so you can pretty much explain the change the way you want.

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If you knew ANYTHING about evolution or genetics you'd see why its a stupid idea. Zerg actually do "make sense." Your idea, does not.

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Originally Posted by sandwich_bird

I can see why some hardcore fans of those units wouldn't be happy with the change but like I said this is a compromise for the sake of introducing something new to the race.

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A compromise is finding a balance between two desired outcomes that is acceptable to both parties. What you have suggested is simply a bad solution to a problem.

I wouldn't like it for SC1 Zerg units, but the as far as I'm concerned the Roach and Infestor aren't exactly canon until the game is released, so do what you will with them. And don't forget that you could always bring back some form of the Scourge and make it do something else.

It's an extra step we don't need.

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Originally Posted by Triceron

It's an arbitrary step to make units we're already familiar and comfortable with.

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Either my brain is failing or something about what you said doesn't make a bit of sense.

Please clarify what you just said in some other words.

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Originally Posted by DemolitionSquid

If you knew ANYTHING about evolution or genetics you'd see why its a stupid idea. Zerg actually do "make sense." Your idea, does not.

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I know probably more than you on the subject ( One more year and I have my bachelor degree in biopharmaceutical sciences, option: GENETICS). Just because something doesn't seem logical doesn't mean it can't be true (earth is flat, sun gravitate around earth...). In any case you're talking about a world that comes from someone else's mind. This means that only this person decides what is logical and what is not.

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I wouldn't like it for SC1 Zerg units, but the as far as I'm concerned the Roach and Infestor aren't exactly canon until the game is released, so do what you will with them. And don't forget that you could always bring back some form of the Scourge and make it do something else.

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The problem is, I don't think that if we keep the core units that there is much place for anything else to be useful without overlapping with the role of those core units.

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Originally Posted by DemolitionSquid

If you knew ANYTHING about evolution or genetics you'd see why its a stupid idea. Zerg actually do "make sense." Your idea, does not.

. . .

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Evolution is species-wide, so calling this, or the Hydralisk to Lurker chain evolution is just as stupid.

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Hit points: 40
Type: light, biological, air
Damage: 3 w/o splash
Speed: fast
Target: ground/air

Special ability: can suicide on friendly units to heal them

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That's a terrible unit. Sorry. I wouldn't build that for anything other than to make Mutalisks.

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The problem is, I don't think that if we keep the core units that there is much place for anything else to be useful without overlapping with the role of those core units.

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We've had this discussion over and over again. The Zerg are built out of 2 kinds of units: massable generalists and specialists. There are only so many ways you can make a massable generalist unit. And the Zerg in SC1 already had them: ground only (Zergling), ground attack anything (Hydralisk), and air attack anything (Mutalisk).

You can play with the numbers, maybe poke around with some passive effects or something. But these are basically the 3 roles for any massable generalist unit. And since the Zerg also have the racial trait of "no activated abilities except burrow and spellcasters", you don't have very many options for playing with these 3 kinds of units.

These two characteristics (unit differentiation and lack of activated abilities) are a substantial part of what makes the Zerg the Zerg. If you remove these restrictions just to satisfy some "I need new things" urge, then they aren't the Zerg anymore.

Brood Lords, Lurkers, Ultralisks, those are all optional. They're specialists. Even if you started from scratch, if you want to make the Zerg using Zerg principles, you will come up with a trio not entirely unlike Zergling/Hydralisk/Mutalisk. It's inevitable.

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If you knew ANYTHING about evolution or genetics you'd see why its a stupid idea. Zerg actually do "make sense." Your idea, does not.

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Why'd you have to say that? You were doing so well. But this is just pure, total ignorance.

Species evolve. Populations evolve. Individual organisms do not evolve! That's Hollywood Evolution, not real evolution.

Hydralisk to Lurker is a metamorphosis, not evolution (it even produces a cocoon). Same goes for anything else like this the Zerg do. Larva metamorphose into other creatures, not evolve. Lairs do not evolve from Hatcheries. And so on.

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In any case you're talking about a world that comes from someone else's mind.

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A world where words mean different things from what they do in reality? If they're going to talk about something "evolving", then it should mean actual evolution. If you're going to talk about something going through a "metamorphosis", then that's the word you should use. Not "evolving."

Words are used for communication. If you use the wrong word, you are not communicating. There's no bad writing quite like being unable to actually communicate with your audience.