Heart of the Swarm Pic of the Day

[TheProgramer]

HotS PotD #11: The new Bio Ball.

HotS PotD #11.jpg

[TheEconomist]

Hydras in front, roaches in middle, horrible surround due to choke, these screenshots keep getting dumber and dumber.

[RamiZ]

That is definitely one of the worst engagements by the Zerg I've seen. x)

[RamiZ]

Forgive my bronzeness - but changelings, gamebreaking? I figure how, but not why. Why is it any different from Observers? And if the opening isn't using rines/zealots/lings they're easy to catch.

It is easy to catch Changelings outside of your army, when it gets into your army without you noticing, it is almost impossible to find them. You will almost always have Zealots/Marines/Zerglings in your army, and even if you don't, from all those units in the Deathball, it will be pretty hard to spot Zerglings or Zealots. So you will basically have vision of his army, so you can engage it whenever you like, or when you find it in the bad position.
Observers are easily killed, and are quite visible when they move. Majority of players kill Observers, and Protoss is wasting a lot of gas. Zerg and Protoss almost always have detectors with their army, and Terran is scanning all the time, you will kill the Observers immediately, where even with detectors, you won't be able to find Changelings.

Since we're on the Overseer, here's how I'd fix it.


Retains Generate Creep from Overlord. Makes gas cost of Overseer a bit more of a non-issue, makes Overseer viable in combat situations as support.

Corruption - energy cost reduced to 100. Nice mid-ground between rush of 75 and never-use of 125.

Tick - energy 100, replaces Changeling. Basically a merge of Parasite and Broodling from SC1 Queen. Attaches to target unit, grants vision around unit for 60 seconds. Then dies, dealing 40-60 damage to target unit, with small AoE.

I would leave the Changeling as it is, Contaminate can be 100 energy, and would modify the Creep Spawn.
I would make it that Overseer can spawn Creep at range of ~8, and it instantly generates Creep as much as Overlord would do while channeling, but it will be instant, and it will instantly start to disappear.

I would like to try something like this, it will create some interesting scenarios when Zerg is rushing to the opponent, it would replace the Creep Tower(Nydus worm evolution) that is campaign-only unit right now.

[TcheQuevara]

Come on, Tychus. Stop being a chicken and make a bet with me. If Blizzard changes anything about corruptor design until launch, I'll write a open post about how cleverer and wiser than me you are. And you do the same if they don't. How about that? Unless you repent having doubted my words, and now acknowledge I'm right.

Demo, damage on an unit without supply cost? Seems terrifc for the late game. I don't know why don't they make Overseers cost 2 supply along with giving 8. It's ugly but not hard to understand. Or Overlords could spawn Overseers which costed supply and didn't give it. I miss parasite too, but changeling is more interesting.

Is giving them spawn creep really a buff? What could an Overseer do with creep that an Overlord couldn't? I like the idea of giving it more uses, make it more of a multiuse caster, but this doesn't feel enough.

[TheProgramer]

Hydras in front, roaches in middle, horrible surround due to choke, these screenshots keep getting dumber and dumber.

Listen man, I'm bronze in the Beta - I make mistakes. You don't have to point out all my flaws and make me feel bad every screen shot.

Also you don't have the whole story - just a screen shot for the whole game. For example for that specific battle I was trying to handle that attack while also handling mutas raiding my base.

[RamiZ]

Listen man, I'm bronze in the Beta - I make mistakes. You don't have to point out all my flaws and make me feel bad every screen shot.

Also you don't have the whole story - just a screen shot for the whole game. For example for that specific battle I was trying to handle that attack while also handling mutas raiding my base.

I don't think he wanted to put you down, I think he didn't even know that was you on that picture, well, at least I didn't. ^^

[Pr0nogo]

Even if he did, why does it matter? I don't have to put Blizzard down with every post. Doesn't mean I'm not going to do it.

[TheEconomist]

I didn't even know those screenshots were of you, LOL.

Still, I don't feel bad. You put the screenshots up for commenting, I commented. You can't only allow asskissing comments. Just ask the rest of the internet.

Never the less, I will stop with the tone. It's never my intention to put someone down for no reason. I honestly had no idea those were you. I thought you were just taking random screenshots of people you played with/against/replays.

Unless you repent having doubted my words, and now acknowledge I'm right.

Except I agreed with you from the beginning. I said it would be just like the last beta. One month before release and I really don't think there were any significant changes. The two months before, sure, but not this late. So, I agree with you. If you really want to make a bet, you'll need a different one and I'd be glad to go along with it.

[DemolitionSquid]

Really was a terrible engagement by Zerg. Blue Terran must have steamrolled.

My reasoning for the Changeling to Tick change is logical and multi-layered.
- Changeling is generally ineffective in its role until late-game. You cast them, run them in, and hope the enemy doesn't notice. Often they do, and it dies pretty quick, granting limited vision.
- Changeling is effective late game in roles outside its purpose, namely pathing interference and tanking. Zerg will spam Changelings in front of their army to absorb directed fire, and interfere with Zealots/Zerglings trying to get in range or M&M microing.
- Tick is basically a scaled-down version of the original timed Widow Mine from reveal, making that mechanic viable. Tick creates tension through delayed damage. Ex: A Tick cast on a worker in a base has the same scouting ability as a Changeling if not discovered. If discovered, the victim player must decide if they will let the Ticked unit continue its operations for the next 60 seconds before it explodes (possibly killing other nearby workers) or will micro it away somewhere it cannot be of value to the enemy Zerg player who Ticked it. Ultimately it's a buff to Changeling by creating a weak harassment option along with granting vision, equivalent to giving the Changeling a 1 DPS attack.
- Tick having the minimum damage to kill workers, Marines, and Zerglings, but nothing else (and only after a minute of exposure) makes it useful for possibly delaying an engagement, or forcing one, but never affecting any engagement directly. If needed, the AoE of Tick could be removed, meaning the Overseer could at most use 100 energy to kill a single Marine - which is not exactly cost effective.

My reasoning for retaining Generate Creep on the Overseer, is that its a minor ability with variable uses, that can only help make the Overseer more appealing to create. Every Overseer created is 50 less gas the Zerg has for other high tech units. That creates economic tension - tactics, strategy, risk/reward scenarios.

The goal of all of these changes is to turn the Overseer into an interesting, viable unit through versatility and catering to its strengths as a flying unit best suited for support and harassment.