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

[Triceron]

Ultimately we'll all be using the most efficient and effective builds to tap resources. Two geysers gives us choice in the beginning, but once tried-and-true builds get used, we'll know what the priorities for gas and minerals are.

[ArcherofAiur]

I'm just curious as to why we even need such a distinction. Both are rather necessary resources for any race, and neither gas nor mineral makes the Protoss any more 'Protossy', and even if we're talking about bountifulness of one resource over the other, why should we favour the macro on one resource over the other?

Well do you think of terran having an affinty for mineral and zerg for larva (unit production)?

[AegisKHAOS]

Uh... I think they simply need minerals and gas. :P

[Norfindel]

Well do you think of terran having an affinty for mineral and zerg for larva (unit production)?

That's not so easy to tell. Terrans certainly need gas for their metal, but TvP or TvT isn't the same than TvZ, so it all depends. The Zerg have normally high unit casualties, and needs resources constantly, including larva, but they need a lot of minerals and gas, also.

The resource use and acquisition has changed substantially in SC2, and also the gameplay itself, so i think it would be pretty much impossible for we to know who needs more of what.

[pure.Wasted]

But if it had to be one or the other which would be more appropriate for protoss. I know everyone has there own unique solution but I want to find out if there is a resource that aligns with protoss playstyle better then other resources (kinda like larva resource for zerg).

Why in the world are we so limited that a macro mechanic has to do either?

Using Overlords to spawn Creep is a macro mechanic. Transforming a Gateway into a Warp Gate to warp Zealots into a Warp Prism's field is like, three macro mechanics combined into a super mechanic.

Notice how both of those even sound more interesting? Here's one off the top of my head.



Warp-Out -- Nexus/Pylon/Warp Prism

Protoss units can be targeted by nearby sources of the Psionic Matrix to have a beacon placed on them. When a unit targeted for Warp-Out 'dies,' the player is awarded X minerals and vespene to represent its recovery, where X is 1/5th (or 10th, or whatever is deemed balanced) of its cost.

Warp-Out would represent in-game the lore reason for the Zealots'/Templars' shimmering 'spirit' effect upon death. If it is not researched and used, the units will actually be seen to die, as opposed to the shimmering effect we're familiar with. Although all Protoss units would be eligible targets, the salvageable portions of non-infantry units are so small that no traces of the teleport would need to be shown. The Colossi's core processors are so tiny that its teleportation can go unnoticed.

The mechanic perfectly encapsulates the divide between macro and micro players that Dustin was talking about in the TL interview. Consider: two skilled Protoss players, one micro and one macro-styled, have rally-pointed units to the battle taking place at the middle of the map. The micro player will be focusing his attention on producing reinforcements while getting the most out of his units in combat. The macro player will also focus on producing reinforcements, but instead of ordering his units individually in the battle, he will be switching his screen constantly back to base, to target a newly-produced reinforcement unit, which is already on its way, with Warp-Out. He may lose particular engagements, but his superior ability to stay on top of reinforcements AND to 'salvage' the ones that will die will give him a considerable unit advantage.

On the other hand, Warp-In a sneak attack into an enemy base, and getting the Warp Prism to place Warp-Out beacons on all your invaders before the defenders kill them off can be more of a timed micro challenge than a macro activity.

In both instances, the micro player and the macro player are rewarded for doing well what they do best -- micro for making perfect sense out of a single screen's worth of activity, and macro for staying on top of multiple locations' activities at the same time.

Especially in the early game this would provide lots of macro opportunity, as players would choose to insure their newly-constructed Probes' lives at any spare moment they have. Not for any immediate benefit, but to make safe against future raids. You never know exactly which Probe is going to get killed in a Reaper harass, so you might as well get them all.