DemolitionSquid Reviews HotS Multiplayer Changes

[Aldrius]

Well, I also think that Fungal should have the Corruption effect instead of damage, or they should change it to be a slow effect instead of root effect.

One thing I noticed was that they changed the way the ability works. They buffed it's damage HUGELY. Not even the outright damage boost, but the fact that it used to last 8 sec instead of 4.

As it doesn't stack, that means it's DPS went way, way up. Putting the emphasis of the ability more on the damage dealt and less on the root effect. So even if they just bumped it back up to last 8 sec, that'd be a pretty significant damage nerf.

[Todie]

yeah but an 8 second fungal would probably be preferable with blinding cloud around.

[RamiZ]

One thing I noticed was that they changed the way the ability works. They buffed it's damage HUGELY. Not even the outright damage boost, but the fact that it used to last 8 sec instead of 4.

As it doesn't stack, that means it's DPS went way, way up. Putting the emphasis of the ability more on the damage dealt and less on the root effect. So even if they just bumped it back up to last 8 sec, that'd be a pretty significant damage nerf.

Fungal never should be about massive damage. It is supposed to be support spell, that is why I said that I am hoping for corruption effect, because I just hate how Zerg plays currently with mass Infestors and Lings/Roaches in the middle game, destroying whole armies with just Fungals, re-casting it over and over again.

[Drake Clawfang]

A question I'm not sure has been asked or answered - will the Oracle's mineral-force field thing trigger an alert?

[JackhammerIV]

A question I'm not sure has been asked or answered - will the Oracle's mineral-force field thing trigger an alert?

Well...there's this idle worker button above the minimap....then there's the minimap itself. So at the highest levels it doesn't matter. But i imagine they'll put in an alert. Hell they even put in an alert for larva injects and chronoboost.

[RamiZ]

A question I'm not sure has been asked or answered - will the Oracle's mineral-force field thing trigger an alert?

I think not, because that thing can be destroyed(mineral-force field), so there is really no point in spell if it triggers an alert...

Well...there's this idle worker button above the minimap

That also doesn't work, because Workers aren't idle, but they try to mine and they just keep switching from patch to patch, they don't completely stop. Or maybe they do stop if you actually trap all of the minerals, but you can always leave just one, so they don't stop. ^^

I really like this spell, if you see it coming it can be countered easy, with few units standing near the mineral line, on the other hand, if you don't see it, your mining on that base will be shut down for 45 sec, which is huge.

[Drake Clawfang]

I really like this spell, if you see it coming it can be countered easy, with few units standing near the mineral line, on the other hand, if you don't see it, your mining on that base will be shut down for 45 sec, which is huge.

That's my concern too, we saw two Oracles slip into their base, disable their turrets and mineral field and then just run. I'm worried this may be too strong, especially late game when you may have several bases and your attention is divided, an Oracle could just disable an entire base and you could just not notice.

The one thing I think could work, if not an alert going out, is making it a channeled spell - the Oracle has to stay nearby while the shield is up and it goes down when it leaves. The player is more likely to notice the Oracle that way, as opposed to "get in, cast spell, get out"

[RamiZ]

That's my concern too, we saw two Oracles slip into their base, disable their turrets and mineral field and then just run. I'm worried this may be too strong, especially late game when you may have several bases and your attention is divided, an Oracle could just disable an entire base and you could just not notice.

The one thing I think could work, if not an alert going out, is making it a channeled spell - the Oracle has to stay nearby while the shield is up and it goes down when it leaves. The player is more likely to notice the Oracle that way, as opposed to "get in, cast spell, get out"

It is strong but pretty easy to counter though, all you have to do is leave ~4 lings/Marines/Zealots or Stalkers, and they will remove the shield easily because It doesn't have that much hit points as I heard.
We will see, it is definitely going to be easier than defending from two Shredders being dropped in your mining base via Medivac.
I just feel that this is going to be great expansion.

[DemolitionSquid]

So I've been thinking about ways to effectively use the 200/200, single transform cost of the Replicant. Here's my general opinions.

Cannot Copy/Massive
Battle Cruiser
Thor
Colossus
Archon
Tempest
Ultralisk
Brood Lord

Not Cost Effective
Marine
Marauder
Reaper
Probe
Zealot
Stalker
Replicant
Zergling
Roach
Hydralisk
Baneling
Mutalisk

Borderline
Battle Hellion
Warhound
Viking
Observer
Phoenix
Corruptor

Viable
SCV
Ghost
Siege Tank
Shredder
Medevac
Banshee
Raven
Sentry
Immortal
Warp Prism
Void Ray
High Templar
Dark Templar
Drone
Queen
Overlord
Swarm Host
Viper
Infestor

I needed a Borderline category because these units are generally too weak to justify the Replicant's price tag, but could have extremely situational use, in anti-air and AoE situations.

Anyone disagree with my assessments? Questions about my choices?

[RamiZ]

I would disagree just with Observer, since Replicant comes from Robotic Facility, it is much easier to just make one Observer instead, it is much cheaper, it would be in really rare situations, where your Observer is dying, and you see enemy Observer, and quick you Replicant to copy it. So I would put Observer in Borderline.

And we still don't know if Warhounds are considered as massive, my assumption is that it is massive unit, since Terran needs something to crush Force Fields, and that thing is still pretty big, at least bigger than Archon that is also massive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Bh6UBQ1Y8 In game look if you hadn't seen it already.