TeamLiquid Macromanagement Article

[PsiWarp]

It is true the very nature of Macro does enforce its usage in order to win, due to their massive scale of effect. However, you must not be forced to used them due to their huge advantages.

They should be very attractive, game changing even, but not completely necessary. That is my definition of a good mechanic.

Warp-In is great because of its clear disadvantages, MULE, Spawn Larvae and Photon Charge, simply does not possess clear disadvantages. At least to me, the loss of a self regenerating resource does not seem significant.


-Psi

[ArcherofAiur]

It is true the very nature of Macro does enforce its usage in order to win, due to their massive scale of effect. However, you must not be forced to used them due to their huge advantage.

They should be very attractive, game changing even, but not completely necessary. That is my definition of a good mechanic.

Try not to think of it as like a micro mechanic. Think of it more like the making workers or production buildings mechanic.

You always want to keep making workers.

You always want to keep making buildings.



There are times you may pause to save money for something but your still repeating the mechanic the entire game. Micro abilties are much more situational. So yes macro should always be beneficial. However because it requires a targeting action it must have position-based decision making.

[PsiWarp]

Then my only concern is the scale of the benefits of said Macro mechanics, which continue to prove to be "too good" by their very nature. Here comes the standard excuse of "Balance will find a way".


-Psi

[Blazur]

I think it still works as its purpose; to provide some more macro abilities while not forcing anyone to do it. Casual players dont have to build a mule at all, sure they will be making 300 minerals less per minute than people who do, but those are the players that dont make more than 10 scvs anyways, so what do they care.

The macro mechanics are pretty much compulsory. During competitive play anybody who chooses not to take advantage of them will be disadvantaged. Sure a casual player won't have to use them, but on the same principle they may not build multiple barracks or properly saturate their peon line.

Truth be told, if these mechanics remain in the game and there's not enough tension to justify ignoring, then then every single published strat guide will be hinged on their optimal use. It'll become habitual. And what worries me most is that after 100+ games this habit will become monotonous and tedious. That after 2 years of regular playing it'll become sickening. A chore that saps the fun out of the game and keeps players from focusing on the real action and excitement, namely the battles and attack strategies.

Plus on top of that, the notion of watching a replay or televised event where players are constantly recalling their base to enact a few repeated commands doesn't sound thrilling.

I'd like to see more tension built into these macro mechanics, with more decision making on when to use them, and possible drawbacks on using them. The Proton Charge could sap shields from the probes. The mule could deal friendly AOE damage on impact or death. Spawn larva could slow down production of larva for a period of time while providing a quick stimulation in production. And in all cases the cooldown or duration is extended so it's not such a repetitive chore.

[Pick]

The macro abilities are here to stay, just need to work on the tension between multiple abilities.

We don't need to play the game to understand that mass building select and rallying workers to resources will make macro much easier than SC1. We need new macro mechanics to seperate the noobs from the pros.

Ugh... I think we have had this same conversation for two years now. When are they starting the beta!?

[Pandonetho]

I don't think macro is exactly "required" in SC for the elitists to be satisfied. The game just needs to have enough stuff to do so that you can never be 100% on top of the game where there's ANY situation in any point of the game where you have nothing you need to do.

If macro mechanics are doing that WHILE removing fun from the game (by becoming overly tedious and clearly non-optional) I would prefer the game just scrapped macro mechanics and find a better way to keep players busy. It doesn't have to be in the form of macro, the game just needs to be busying.

[Pick]

If macro mechanics are doing that WHILE removing fun from the game (by becoming overly tedious and clearly non-optional) I would prefer the game just scrapped macro mechanics and find a better way to keep players busy. It doesn't have to be in the form of macro, the game just needs to be busying.

It is a tough call. Sometimes I think that tedious non-fun stuff is what seperates the casual gamers from the pros. Watching a pro macro-manage 4 bases and 10+ unit producing buildings does not look fun to me but the end result is still amazing.

Maybe the thrill of competition is the fun?

[Noise]

I don't think macro is exactly "required" in SC for the elitists to be satisfied. The game just needs to have enough stuff to do so that you can never be 100% on top of the game where there's ANY situation in any point of the game where you have nothing you need to do.

If macro mechanics are doing that WHILE removing fun from the game (by becoming overly tedious and clearly non-optional) I would prefer the game just scrapped macro mechanics and find a better way to keep players busy. It doesn't have to be in the form of macro, the game just needs to be busying.

100% agree with this post, the macro mechanics are really starting to chafe my balls.

[ArcherofAiur]

100% agree with this post, the macro mechanics are really starting to chafe my balls.

The reason you say that is because youve only been shown bad macro. Here what is your oppinion of Warp-In. Should that be removed?

[flabortast]

He's only talking about the forced macro mechanics; the ones Blizzard made to address the issue. Warp-In feels completely natural and it wasn't even advertised as a macro mechanic. Blizzard made it because it was "cool" and really fit the Protoss. Same goes with Overlord creep drop and Nydus which encourages creep expansion and strategies. Blizzard should make Macro mechanics more in line with Warp-In or Nydus or the original mutant Larva. They didn't make them to increase macro but they the effect of doing so. They shouldn't make mechanics for the sole purpose of increasing macro. They should make fun mechanics that give you advantages that has the consequence of increasing macro. Notice how the new macro mechanics don't feel as natural or integrated as Warp-In? They have to integrate new things into the gameplay instead of making patch ups.

Maybe Blizzard should just start making cool ideas without macro in mind. Maybe then something will happen. Macro isn't solely about returning to your base to do something. The game just needs to be very busy. There just shouldn't be a time where you aren't doing anything and doesn't need to be about production or economics.