Oracle changes!

[RamiZ]

Thanks for everyone's feedback regarding the Oracle. We wanted to give you guys an update on where we're at right now.

1. Revelation is same as before.

2. Pulsar Beam - Passive anti structure ability that deals 20 damage per second. Drains 2 energy per second while channeling. Auto-cast on.

We feel that Pulsar Beam is better as a core harassing ability compared to Entomb. This ability makes better use of the unit's main traits of fast mobility + low durability, and doesn't have Entomb's biggest issue of forcing almost the whole army to stay at the mineral line.

Not only that, we feel this ability has a much greater skill differentiation depending on how well the ability is used. Entombs, no matter who uses them, had pretty much the same effect. Whereas Pulsar Beam will greatly reward players who are able to pay close attention and not lose the Oracles while quickly moving around all over the place in order to harass the opponent's base.

3. Time Warp - Creates a warp field at the target location that reduces enemy ground units' movement speed by 50%

We were aiming for a spell that gets us two main things with this last spell. One was something players can use in combination with Pulsar Beam when harassing the opponent's base. Second was something Protoss players can use in combination with their army. We feel this ability meets both requirements.

One thing we're discussing with Time Warp is if it should also be a time altering spell for timed life units as well. In this scenario, it would have an additional component that speeds up the timer on timed life units such as locusts, infested terrans, or mules.

Our current plan is to patch in the initial ability as fast as possible, and continue discussing/gathering feedback regarding the second component.

Oracle now feels like a unit that you build a few of and harass throughout the course of the whole game. Please let us know your thoughts and when the Oracle patch goes out, please take your time to play with it. Thanks~

I actually like this a lot. Pulsar Beam might need a few tweaks in numbers, but Time Warp(or should I call it Time Bomb?) is actually quite decent on this unit. It can harass the economy(gas mining included) by slowing down workers, and it can be used on the open field, your Zealots won't be kited by Roaches/Bio anymore.

You can also go for few Oracles instead of the Sentries for aggressive play, and commit more to the Zealots and Stalkers instead.

So, what do you guys think?

[Kimera757]

Was there a new patch today? Link?

[DemolitionSquid]

I fully support Time Warp, suggested Time Bomb awhile ago. As to Pulsar, we'll have to see.

[Triceron]

Good to see the Oracle has a combat support use. I don't exactly know the goal of Pulsar is yet though, and can't tell if 20/s damage is going too be powerful or negliable. For a 3 food unit though, I guess the damage is pretty decent, though I would probably have rather seen it get something like the Corsair's disruption web instead. Have it be the completely passive support/harass unit.

[Visions of Khas]

I wonder what the range on that Pulsar Beam is? Using a group of four of those in tandem to destroy weapons emplacements would make Cannons, Colonies and Turrets obsolete.

[flak4321]

Good to see the Oracle has a combat support use. I don't exactly know the goal of Pulsar is yet though, and can't tell if 20/s damage is going too be powerful or negliable. For a 3 food unit though, I guess the damage is pretty decent, though I would probably have rather seen it get something like the Corsair's disruption web instead. Have it be the completely passive support/harass unit.

I agree it is good. As for your concern, a group of 5 would take out a nexus in 4-6 seconds. As for anti-static defense uses...

I wonder what the range on that Pulsar Beam is? Using a group of four of those in tandem to destroy weapons emplacements would make Cannons, Colonies and Turrets obsolete.

...the unit's low hp would make even four or five unable to take out the same number of cannons/turrets/spores. What would happen in all honesty with the damage where it currently is, is static d for oracles would mimic what is needed to deter a slightly large number of mutas. But, if it can't strike units with pulsar, then any vs air unit will defend equally well. This does however depend heavily on what the range will be. I would think it would be the same as the now defunct void siphon.

Edit: Then again, of time warp is used first and the remaining energy is used to attack static d or nexii/hatches/cc's, you might just have the time you need to do the damage you want.

[flak4321]

Since we're talking about changes, I thought I'd add a sub-topic in here. Blizz developer Rock, in a thread primarily whining for Terran mech buffs, answers the question of Haywire missiles on the Thor:


"We did test out Haywire missile on the Thor yesterday. It has some value, but didn't do all that much because of the cost of the Thor. The unit is expensive enough that it is difficult to get a lot of them into play.

The other concern we had was that it was just a huge burst of damage at the beginning of a fight and not all that interesting. You just know that when you engage a force with a couple of Thors you were going to lose some mech units to start with.

I'm not sure I agree with the others but we will discuss."

Rock admits later in the thread that the 250MM strike cannons "are not awesome" and that they will be looking at them.

A link to the discussion: http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/forum/to...4365340?page=1

[Cotcan]

I like how they made the Orcale more useful than just sitting outside their mineral line. I'm glad to see the time bomb come back in some form, it will be a great harass, but I think 50% maybe too much for an army that is all compressed. Especially protoss armies which usually do that. I think it would be nice to split it to 50% on workers, and maybe 25% on all other units.

[RamiZ]

Since we're talking about changes, I thought I'd add a sub-topic in here. Blizz developer Rock, in a thread primarily whining for Terran mech buffs, answers the question of Haywire missiles on the Thor:


"We did test out Haywire missile on the Thor yesterday. It has some value, but didn't do all that much because of the cost of the Thor. The unit is expensive enough that it is difficult to get a lot of them into play.

The other concern we had was that it was just a huge burst of damage at the beginning of a fight and not all that interesting. You just know that when you engage a force with a couple of Thors you were going to lose some mech units to start with.

I'm not sure I agree with the others but we will discuss."

Rock admits later in the thread that the 250MM strike cannons "are not awesome" and that they will be looking at them.

A link to the discussion: http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/forum/to...4365340?page=1

By the way, the Rock is Dustin Browder. ^^

They've already said before this that they will be changing Thor, and that they will maybe give them some ability to adress the Immortal problem in Mech TvP.

And on your thoughts about the Oracle, problem is, they aren't really fragile anymore, they have 100 HP and 60 Shield, and are as fast as Warp Prism with upgraded speed(so pretty damn fast). It isn't really easy to defend vs. them even with air, and we still don't know will the Time Warp affect the air units, if it does, there is no way that you will be able to catch them.

To be honest, I am quite pleased with the new Oracle, as Grubby said, just Time Warp opens a ton of possibilities.

[flak4321]

By the way, the Rock is Dustin Browder. ^^

They've already said before this that they will be changing Thor, and that they will maybe give them some ability to adress the Immortal problem in Mech TvP.

And on your thoughts about the Oracle, problem is, they aren't really fragile anymore, they have 100 HP and 60 Shield, and are as fast as Warp Prism with upgraded speed(so pretty damn fast). It isn't really easy to defend vs. them even with air, and we still don't know will the Time Warp affect the air units, if it does, there is no way that you will be able to catch them.

To be honest, I am quite pleased with the new Oracle, as Grubby said, just Time Warp opens a ton of possibilities.

I agree it won't be eaasy to catch these guys, but enough vikings/mutas/phoenix will get the job done. The HP is still low enough that players will retreat them rather than lose them in the face of the right counters.

Also, imagine time warp used to prevent a zerg from unclumping his/her broodlord ball right before a vortex.