Which evolutions would you like to see in HotS?

[Alex06]

Evolution paths meant to either evolve the unit to make them more swarmable (Green) or make them into more powerful individual units (Purple).
Someone who likes swarming as Zerg will generally evolve their units into the Green variant, whereas someone who plays more like Protoss, with strong, costly units, will rather evolve them into the Purple variant.

[Alar]

That's true... then perhaps it would be something more along the lines of having one evolution of drones enable two drones to mine Minerals or Vespene at the same time (green), as well as having less supply cost (maybe spawn two drones at once as well for one supply)? I'm not certain what to do with purple, however...

[DemolitionSquid]

Personally I'm not entirely sold on Blizzard's way of making distinct evolutions. I'd prefer a more efficient than creative approach, because creativity isn't Blizzard's strong suit. If I was leading, the evolutions I'd suggest would focus more on defining the roles of the units. For example:

Overlord Evos

Patriarch:
- Build time 12 seconds (reduced from 25)
- Supply granted 16 (increased from 8)
- Generate Creep spread rate doubled

Emperor:
- Ventral Sacs and Pneumatized Carapace researched by default
- Carry capacity 16 (increased from 8)
- Hit points 250 (increased from 200)

This way, the Overlord evolutions are focused more on economy and swarming, or on scouting and aggression, to suit different play styles.

[RamiZ]

Personally I'm not entirely sold on Blizzard's way of making distinct evolutions. I'd prefer a more efficient than creative approach, because creativity isn't Blizzard's strong suit. If I was leading, the evolutions I'd suggest would focus more on defining the roles of the units. For example:

Overlord Evos

Patriarch:
- Build time 12 seconds (reduced from 25)
- Supply granted 16 (increased from 8)
- Generate Creep spread rate doubled

Emperor:
- Ventral Sacs and Pneumatized Carapace researched by default
- Carry capacity 16 (increased from 8)
- Hit points 250 (increased from 200)

This way, the Overlord evolutions are focused more on economy and swarming, or on scouting and aggression, to suit different play styles.

And both of them having detection by default, since Overseer will probably have to go.

[Alar]

And both of them having detection by default, since Overseer will probably have to go.

I would personally hate to see that. Currently, each race has to tech into getting detection. Terran have to either build one (or multiple) Orbital Commands, or build an Engineering Bay and then turrets. Protoss have to build up either to get Observers (Robotics Facility) or get a Forge and then build Cannons. Zerg have to (currently) tech to Lair and evolve Overseers for detection.

I'd rather see Detection become an upgrade you can evolve for Overlords at the Lair, rather than give it to them right away.

In the campaign? Sure, give it to them right away. In the multiplayer? No way.

I seem to have diverged from the topic a bit... I wonder if they might include any building evolutions?

And I love your ideas, Demo!

[RamiZ]

I would personally hate to see that. Currently, each race has to tech into getting detection. Terran have to either build one (or multiple) Orbital Commands, or build an Engineering Bay and then turrets. Protoss have to build up either to get Observers (Robotics Facility) or get a Forge and then build Cannons. Zerg have to (currently) tech to Lair and evolve Overseers for detection.

I'd rather see Detection become an upgrade you can evolve for Overlords at the Lair, rather than give it to them right away.

In the campaign? Sure, give it to them right away. In the multiplayer? No way.

I seem to have diverged from the topic a bit... I wonder if they might include any building evolutions?

And I love your ideas, Demo!

Nobody is even talking about Multiplayer here. We are giving examples for Campaign, all of those would be pretty overpowered in Multiplayer. And even though I am an Zerg player, I love that Overlords lost detection, because there are a lot more strategies that you can play vs. Zerg that involves invisible/burrowed units.

[DemolitionSquid]

This thread is for campaign, not multiplayer.

Hydra Evos

Basilisk
- Grooved Spines researched by default
- Needle Spines apply Ensnare
- Cost reduced to 75/25 (From 100/50)

Hunter Killer
- HP 120 (increased from 80)
- Needle Spines splinter (12, 6, 3 a-la Glaive Wurm)
- Movement speed off creep raised to match speed on creep

So we have a more defensive Hydra, and a more main-army push focused Hydra.

[Twilice]

Nice ideas there Demo.

[Sheliek]

Bumping this thread since I didn't want to start a whole new one for it. Some of these ideas are from my custom campaign, others just came to me as I was doing the list. I can genuinely see some of these making it.

DRONE:
Upgrades:
Genetic simplification: spawns drones two at a time from one larva. (SCVs got this, drones might as well too.)
Accelerated reflexes: drones mine 20% faster.
Tunneling claws: drones can move while burrowed (this will make expanding across the map simpler).
Evolutions:
Crawler drone: drones can spawn crawlers without sacrificing themselves in the process.
Hive warden: drones can mutate rapidly into a moderately strong melee combatant. It can switch between this mode and mining mode with a slight cooldown.

OVERLORD:
Upgrades:
Antennae: overlords gain detection and plus 2 site range.
Creep sacs: overlords can continuously spawn creep, even while moving. Radius while moving is half, but it spreads twice as quickly.
Abduction: overlords can abduct an enemy unit for 10 seconds, holding it from combat. Unit is visible under overlord.
Evolutions:
Behemoth: overlord can transport twice as many units, and give plus 4 supply.
Overseer: same as WoL, plus spore cloud ability, which blocks line of sight.

ZERGLING:
Upgrades:
Feral link: zerglings cost .25 supply.
Adrenal glands: increase zergling speed and attack rate.
Rapid genesis: zerglings spawn instantly.
Evolutions:
Unchanged.

BANELING:
Both unchanged.

ROACH:
Upgrades:
Tunneling claws: roach can move while burrowed.
Bile ducts: plus 2 damage.
Organic carapace: roach regeneration is doubled above and below ground.
Evolutions:
Leech: unchanged.
Prowler: roaches are faster and can use a melee attack while burrowed.

QUEEN:
Upgrades:
Feral link: queens require no supply.
Generational evolution: queens become stronger as you level up from hatchery to hive. Only one lair or hive is needed for this evolution. They become larger, stronger, faster and sturdier.
Gliding mesh: queens hover above the ground, gaining no movement bonus on creep, but moving just as quick off creep.
Evolutions:
Colony queen: queens can spawn two new structures. Creep colonies in place of tumours, which can evolve into sunken and spore colonies, stronger immobile versions of the crawlers. And shriekers, which grant detection to all defensive structures in their radius.
Brood keeper: queens gain the ability to parasite enemies, showing what they see, and ensnare, which slows down units in radius. They are now air units. They keep their existing abilities. Use BW queen as model PLEASE, if this gets in.

HYDRALISK:
Upgrades:
Muscular augments: increase hydralisk range and speed.
Acid spines: plus 5 damage to mechanical.
Genetic simplification: hydralisks can built built at hatchery tech.
Evolutions:
Hunter killer: gains additional armour and health. Can move while burrowed.
Basilisk: hydralisk attacks stun enemies for a short time, with cooldown between each stun. When not stunned, units are slowed.

LURKER:
Upgrades:
Vibrational sensitivity: Lurkers can detect while burrowed.
Tarsal hooks: lurkers can climb cliffs.
Seismic spines: lurkers become range 10 attackers.
Evolutions:
Abductor: lurkers can abduct and kill light biological units that walk over them. They have to switch between this mode and attack mode.
Dunno a second.

MUTALISK:
Upgrades:
Shredding glaive: glaive wurms bounce four times.
Streamlined carapace: mutalisks can move twice as fast.
Cannibalise: mutalisks can feed on the hp of other zerg to regain their own. Works on buildings.
Evolutions:
Kukulza: mutalisks' attacks gain an acidic coating, reducing enemy armour by 1 for each attack, up to 5 lost.
Mutagenic aspect: mutalisks gain the ability to evolve into swarm guardians or devourers.

VIPER:
Upgrades:
Compound eyes: grants vipers detection.
Cannibalise: vipers can feed upon zerg units to gain energy. Works on structures.
Feral rage: cast in an area, grants all zerg (allied and enemy) bonus damage and attack speed (say, 25%).
Evolutions:
Not sure on this.

CORRUPTOR:
Upgrades:
Corruption: ability to turn opposing air units into turrets at death.
Evasive burrow: corruptors can burrow like ground units.
Posthumous mitosis: corruptors spawn a pair of scourge on death.
Evolutions:
Feederling: can siphon resources from enemy structures.
Contaminator: can corrupt automated defenses.

INFESTOR:
Upgrades:
Pathogen glands: infestors gain plus 50 starting and max energy.
Tunneling claws: the infestor can move while burrowed.
Hyper-evolutionary glands: the infestor can spew a liquid version of the zerg hyper-evolutionary virus, infesting terran and protoss structures.
Evolutions:
Defiler: the infestor gains the dark swarm and consume abilities.
Choker: the infestor gains an anti-structure corrosive, damage-over-time attack. This attack can only be used on structures.

SWARM HOST:
Upgrades:
Spongiform carapace: the swarm host can hold up to 6 light units inside its egg-pat.
Rapid genesis: locusts spawn one third faster.
Subterranean birthing: the locust spawns and can move burrowed. It unburrows automatically to attack (this one is most likely a given).
Evolutions:
Ravener: locusts gain the ability to regenerate HP based on half their dealt damage.
Swarm lord: locusts spawn 4 at a time.

BROOD LORD:
Upgrades:
Posthumous mitosis: the brood lord spawns two scourge on death.
Metabolic boost: the brood lord can rush into battle, or quickly pursue fleeing targets. Timed ability.
Alternating volley: the brood lord launches one broodling at a time, at a much faster rate.
Evolution:
Brood tyrant: the brood lord gains a third broodling and additional armour and speed.
Scourge lord: the brood lord can launch scourges at air or ground targets.

ULTRALISK:
Upgrades:
Anabolic synthesis: ultralisk speed is increased.
Blood rage: the ultralisk becomes immune to stun, slowing, and mind control abilities.
Assault charge: the ultralisk gains the burrow-charge ability.
Evolutions:
Torrasque: the ultralisk gains a massive hp boost and can regenerate from death like campaign thors.
Omegalisk: the ultralisk gains impaling tentacles that can attack independently of each other.