Ideas for base defenses

[DemolitionSquid]

I'm disappointed no one took my idea seriously. A debuffing static defense would be new to SC, and it works well in other games.

[Triceron]

Debuffs could work well.

one of the early 3D RTS, Battle Realms, had Towers for defense. You could build up to a limit of 3 or 4. The towers themselves didn't do much damage, but they had an on-use ability on cooldown that did an AoE debuff on the enemy raiding force, something like a 50% movement/attack speed debuff. This helped minimize damage on your own forces (vulnerable workers could run away) and give the player time to get their defenses over there. I think it was a much more fun macro system than simply build-and-forget auto attacking turrets. Defenses with abilities would be fun to use.

[Quirel]

I guess this is kind of a 'no duh, everyone else has done that' idea, but I was thinking of a new aspect to the Shield Battery.
Shield Shelter:
Creates a protective shield over an area, similar to "Dark Swarm", except it's permanently over an area so long as the building is on-line. The shield selectively hardens against ALL incoming attacks, but drops momentarily to let outgoing attacks through. Once the building's shields are down, it and all of the units within it's barrier may be attacked.
Health: 500 shields, 100 hp.
Yeah, a lot of shields, but it's covering a decent-sized area, so you'd be able to get Zerglings all around it, or hit it with a bunch of Siege Tanks, or simply an EMP.

Also, to give the player something to think about, as soon as the building goes down, it gives off a low-power, wide AoE EMP...

Scourge Apiary:
Zerg defensive unit, generating a swarm every 1.5 seconds and storing up to five, without cost. When an enemy air unit comes close enough, a scourge swarm is loosed, dealing 25X3 damage against the air unit.
Health: 125
Cost: Whatever nixes it enough.

I don't agree with Electricmole's addiction to "UBER-PWNZER" weaponry. If something is rare and special, but every faction has such a rare and special unit/building, and it appears in every late multiplayer game, it ceases to be rare and special.

Ergo:
Hull-Down Emplacement.
A Neosteel trench that allows the Crucio Siege Tank to go hull-down, it shortens the transformation time (no need for the X-treads) and gives +5 armor, +50 health.

[electricmole]

Ion canon for the terran (AOE damage).

Floating (air) static base defenses for the protoss.

and i dont care for the zerg. they just look like sc1 zerg anyway.

AOE base defenses! Include it!

Here are some of my ideas.

1.) An aerial base defense (ATG), which is available mid to late game for balance reason. (originally for my UED concept race). Think about it, static floating protoss canon, now jackal, reapers, etc...can't do shit. Viking and Corruptor will be ideal against it. A lot of different strategy and unit raid decision is needed. The building can be mass but easily be countered by ATA units.


2.) AOE base defenses (lorewise base defenses should deal mass damage obviously). This should be a late game building as it is very powerful. I think the zerg needs this one. Major reason why you need battlecruisers, carrier, and mothership. Its about time the big guns makes a constant appearance in pro games. AOE defenses>smaller units. bigger units>AOE defenses. Combination of normal and AOE defenses = all units possible not just mass stalkers etc!

Zerg creep colony level upgrade fits well for this as zerg buildings can evolve. Upgrade the spores by the time you get hive and it will become a huge defensive building that shoots gigantic green balls (like the bugs in starship troopeers) which deal AOE damage. HP of this building is not greatly improve for balance and so that it will still be vulnerable to large units like thors and bcs and mass small units will still be able to handle it 50% of the time. It will not be able to walk. Also it cost supply you need 2 drones and morph them to the targeted sunken or spore hence not massable.


3.) Hardened shield toss canon, siege tank ultralisk battlecruiser will do minor damage. you will actually need small units like marines and zerglings to easily destroy this type of canon. for balance reason make it 1 per pylon field. SO the strategy is to build this in the middle of multiple normal pylons so that marine will have a hard time to attack it. yamato would still blow it in one shot though. ^^

4.) Super base defense. The terran need this. You can only build one. The Ion canon the ultimate terran base defense. You get it after building the fusion core. It has an attack radius and can only be build next to a command center. Will not overlap bunker siege tanks turrets etc. Deal massive damage in a linear pattern killing small units instantly and dealing damage over time. Requires 5 supply depots, after firing 5 supply depots will malfunction and wil be out of service. SO mass those depots well if you can. Good counter is to destroy nearby supply depots so that it will not be activated.


5.) Pylon detonation. All pylons near the nexus explodes and deals damage to surrounding units. Activate it in the nexus. Pros- it will kill your enemies. COns - you require addition pylons.

I like the idea of making new types and mechanics for base defenses it gives a lot of firepower feel.

This idea are never meant to turtle completely as there are counters for it. The idea is to make most type of units useful and add more complex strategy and decision in how you raid or you want to setup base defenses. If you dont know how to counter this base defense or make the perfect base defenses then your done.

[MattII]

I guess this is kind of a 'no duh, everyone else has done that' idea, but I was thinking of a new aspect to the Shield Battery.
Shield Shelter:
Creates a protective shield over an area, similar to "Dark Swarm", except it's permanently over an area so long as the building is on-line. The shield selectively hardens against ALL incoming attacks, but drops momentarily to let outgoing attacks through. Once the building's shields are down, it and all of the units within it's barrier may be attacked.
Health: 500 shields, 100 hp.
Yeah, a lot of shields, but it's covering a decent-sized area, so you'd be able to get Zerglings all around it, or hit it with a bunch of Siege Tanks, or simply an EMP.

RODTHEGOD was the first person I know of to come up with the idea (posted here) back on '06, so you could say it's done its rounds.

Also, to give the player something to think about, as soon as the building goes down, it gives off a low-power, wide AoE EMP...

Too harmful, this would prevent the idea ever being used.

Scourge Apiary:
Zerg defensive unit, generating a swarm every 1.5 seconds and storing up to five, without cost. When an enemy air unit comes close enough, a scourge swarm is loosed, dealing 25X3 damage against the air unit.
Health: 125
Cost: Whatever nixes it enough.

If you're going for 5 swarms then it'd be better to do 15*5 as opposed to 25*3. Also, what's the range of these?

[Quirel]

RODTHEGOD was the first person I know of to come up with the idea (posted here) back on '06, so you could say it's done its rounds.

Ah, RODTHEGOD... haven't seen him in ages, how is the old chap?

Too harmful, this would prevent the idea ever being used.

'Twas late, and I couldn't really think of any other caveat. I was just worried that such a defense would result in people stacking the batteries right next to each other. Anyhow, the intent was that you'd have more incentive to move your troops around after the shields are down, or face losing 50 shields/energy in the units within range.

If you're going for 5 swarms then it'd be better to do 15*5 as opposed to 25*3. Also, what's the range of these?

Five swarms of three Scourge. The Swarms are launched sequentially (although launching them all at once, like interceptors out of a Carrier) would be neat.
Each swarm is supposed to deal 25*3 damage, but that would probably have to be nixed down to 15*3 or 10*3.
Range? Aw, hell, less than a Goliath's, longer than a Marine's.