You guys will love this - new protoss macro mechanic in the works

[ArcherofAiur]

Hmm I have allot of minerals but the enemy is right outside my base. Should I risk it for more gas? Nah Ill just cast PC on the bases I have. Maybe then use that minerals for proton cannons at my front.

OR

Hmm I have allot of minerals but the enemy is right outside my base. Should I risk it for more gas? Oh nice hes not at this expansion right now Ok drop two vortex and get back to the base. Whew I made it.

OR

Hmm I have allot of minerals but the enemy is right outside my base. Should I risk it for more gas? Oh nice hes not at this expansion right now Ok drop a vortex and... OMG hes right there good thing I still have energy for a town portal. Whew I made it.

[DemolitionSquid]

Hmm I have allot of minerals but the enemy is right outside my base. Should I risk it for more gas? Nah Ill just cast PC on the bases I have. Maybe then use that minerals for proton cannons at my front.

OR

Hmm I have allot of minerals but the enemy is right outside my base. Should I risk it for more gas? Oh nice hes not at this expansion right now Ok drop two vortex and get back to the base. Whew I made it.

Can't escape base safely, need minerals = PC
Can't escape base safely, need gas = PC
Can escape base safely, need minerals = PC
Can escape base safely, need gas = VV

You do not have choice. Reacting to a situation in the most efficient logical manner is not choice. Creating a situation is choice. Creating a bad situation, like sending your one-of-a-kind Macro Mothership out when it's not safe, is a bad choice.

Why you insist on making up situations that encourage bad choices is beyond me.

[ArcherofAiur]

You have adopted some kind of extreme viewpoint where choices with correct answers that you have to figure out arnt choices. Combined with your increasingly hostile attitude I dont think this conversation is going anywhere.

[DemolitionSquid]

You have adopted some kind of extreme viewpoint where choices with correct answers that you have to figure out arnt choices. Combined with your increasingly hostile attitude I dont think this conversation is going anywhere.

Nice to see we finally agree on something: these conversations are cyclical.

[Pick]

I can't believe you guys are seriously discussing turning the top tier one of a kind Mothership into a resource gathering mechanic.

I am going to go back and watch that original SC2 announcement video and mourn the loss of the original ass kicking offensive uber unit.

[KneeofJustice]

AoA: I am sorry to hate upon your idea (assuming you are even serious), but in short, it is retarded. A mothership "sucking" vespene? Ludicrous! At least sell the word choice better.

A person on the SC2Armory had the idea of letting the overlord or overseer "tap into" a geyser and slowly fill with gas like a balloon, either choosing to drop it off at the hatch or explode like a big fat scourge. I like this idea about 100x better. At the very least it is humorous.

Anyways. I shall be watching that video with Pick. Im sure some protoss members jack off to it. Once SC2 comes out, we will all have long talks on Bnet 2.0 about how the mothership once pwned back in the good ol' days and how pathetic it is now (if it even is still there).

I have often wondered what would happen if you had to pay resources for macro mechanics. For example, using the current proton charge mechanic: pay a flat fee of, say 10-15m per probe. With 10 probes affected, that is 100-150 resources. Balance the income of that charge to give you 2x or 3x that income. The strategy comes from being willing to choose between the loss of x minerals NOW vs the gain of getting 2 or 3x minerals later.

Isnt that the nature of SC macro? Pay now, benefit later?

I have also toyed with the idea of a race-specific resource (maybe metal ore for terran, khaydarin crystals for toss, and some type of exotic nutrient for zerg) that each race has to amass and protect and which certain units require to build (but not all).

The enemy would have to destroy the "silos" where these resources are being held which would greatly inconvenience the building of certain units. Not really sure how it would work, but i thought id mention it anyways.

Another idea is a demi-resource, like larvae in SCBW. You had to manage them properly, but they werent a strict resource. Perhaps each race could get one of those type of resources?

[Eligor]

I have an interesting one.

What if the Obelisk would cast a PC like Area of Effect (in all visual mechanics identical to PC) but one that wouldn't make the Probes mine faster (or anything like that).

Instead, it will convert the minerals mined by the affected probes into energy (1:1 ratio), stored IN the Obelisk. You would then be able to transfer that energy to a unit from any Obelisk you may have around the map (basically all the Obelisks you build having a shared energy reserve).

One: this is a mechanic with a direct and easily felt benefit.

Two: it involves much more choice, and thought than PC.

Three: it involves more clicks than PC too, and some potential jumping from base to battlefield and back again, so we have the APM and Player Attention issues covered as well.

Four: the trade-off created is unique, and Protoss are the race most fitting for an energy based mechanic.

And lastly: it ties up neatly with the lore and the idea of a Psionic Matrix permeating a Protoss base.

[SaharaDrac]

I have an interesting one.

What if the Obelisk would cast a PC like Area of Effect (in all visual mechanics identical to PC) but one that wouldn't make the Probes mine faster (or anything like that).

Instead, it will convert the minerals mined by the affected probes into energy (1:1 ratio), stored IN the Obelisk. You would then be able to transfer that energy to a unit from any Obelisk you may have around the map (basically all the Obelisks you build having a shared energy reserve).

One: this is a mechanic with a direct and easily felt benefit.

Two: it involves much more choice, and thought than PC.

Three: it involves more clicks than PC too, and some potential jumping from base to battlefield and back again, so we have the APM and Player Attention issues covered as well.

Four: the trade-off created is unique, and Protoss are the race most fitting for an energy based mechanic.

And lastly: it ties up neatly with the lore and the idea of a Psionic Matrix permeating a Protoss base.

It's an interesting idea, but you would need some seriously kick ass spells to make losing all those minerals worthwhile.

[Gifted]

It's an interesting idea, but you would need some seriously kick ass spells to make losing all those minerals worthwhile.

Interesting yes, but tweakable in it's form. For example, instead of it simply replacing the minerals, it could increment the "energy" based on it's return trip.

If probe returns 8 minerals, increment energy by x. The minerals don't need to be a cost persay.. I don't think this would work but it's still something that may spawn a better suggestion on that aspect.

[MattII]

Here's my idea, what if the Obelisk, rather than being a spellcaster, were a sort of mini-Nexus, much weaker and unable to produce Probes, but able to collect resources from the Probes?