Ideas for base defenses

[ArcherofAiur]

I used to share your concern, but the Obelisk actually offers some nice flexibility for both base defense and aggressive pursuits. It's like a pimped out shield battery that also offer pylon power.

Obelisk no longer provides pylon power or supply. But it will still be very useful in base defence.

[Nicol Bolas]

Why don't they let the photon cannon teleport again? I don't know why that was ever removed.

They never teleported; they could simply convert into a mobile form. Like the current Zerg crawlers. That's why they removed it; they put it on Zerg defenses instead of Protoss ones.

[Blazur]

Obelisk no longer provides pylon power or supply. But it will still be very useful in base defence.

Oh, well that's disappointing to hear. I had entire strategies planned revolving around the use of the Obelisk under the assumption it could be used in lieu of regular pylons

[mr. peasant]

For the Protoss, what about giving them a second defensive structure (or an upgrade for individual Photon Cannons) called a Phase Cannon that can, for a cost of 25 minerals and 10 second casting time, translocate to another location within the psionic matrix. With this, players can move their defenses from base to base in the event of an enemy attack (saving on defense expenses). It also makes defending a proxy Pylon much more achievable.

[DemolitionSquid]

Maybe we're looking at the idea of a Phase Cannon the wrong way. Right now, all the suggestions involve the Cannon changing forms, moving, or teleporting. What if we apply a change to its target instead? Regular Photon Cannon deals damage to target, Phase Cannon upgrade does X to target. None of the other races defensive structures apply a debuff.

Maybe Phase Cannons can fire slowly, temporarily phasing out enemy units so they miss their own firing cycles.

[Wankey]

Some defense towers off the top of my head:

Terran
- Railgun tower defense, shoots in a line, kills in a line.
- Flame tower defense, a la Hellion. Able to scorch the ground in front of it.

Protoss
- Psi Storm tower defense, shoots psi storm like lightning at 1-3 targets, dealing appropriate damage (3 targets = 1/3 damage to each unit) Can chain towers together to deliver more dmg (a la prism towers in RA2)
-

Zerg
- Mantaling Shooter - shoots mantalings that do a total of 30 damage (20 impact damage and 10 strike damage, the mantaling is alive for only 1 second or can swipe the enemy unit once before it dies)
- Morphing defense, default defense is a spine crawler, but you can send units into it to morph it into multiple types of defensive structures.

[Sheliek]

...
- Flame tower defense, a la Hellion. Able to scorch the ground in front of it.
...

Aside from the scorching, that actually appears in the campaign if Kotaku is to be believed.

[pure.Wasted]

They never teleported; they could simply convert into a mobile form. Like the current Zerg crawlers. That's why they removed it; they put it on Zerg defenses instead of Protoss ones.

But looking at it from another angle, couldn't we say that now the Protoss are the odd man out? Zerg defenses can get up and walk away. Terran defenses can be deconstructed for a full refund and set up shop elsewhere. Now Protoss are the only ones who can't move theirs.

If Terran and Zerg overlap in this area is fine, is it really so wrong for Protoss to get it, as well?

[Aldrius]

Why don't they let the photon cannon teleport again? I don't know why that was ever removed.

Because they gave it to the Zerg. Photon Cannons are fine as they are.

Oh, well that's disappointing to hear. I had entire strategies planned revolving around the use of the Obelisk under the assumption it could be used in lieu of regular pylons

I know, right? I think removing it makes the Obelisk LESS versatile, not more contentious. It shouldn't provide psi of course, but power? That just opens up the strategies with warp-in.

Personally, I think warp-in is all the Protoss need in terms of new defenses.

[DemolitionSquid]

But looking at it from another angle, couldn't we say that now the Protoss are the odd man out? Zerg defenses can get up and walk away. Terran defenses can be deconstructed for a full refund and set up shop elsewhere. Now Protoss are the only ones who can't move theirs.

If Terran and Zerg overlap in this area is fine, is it really so wrong for Protoss to get it, as well?

I'm inclined to agree, and I always have. I don't see why all three races can't have mobility in their defenses.