New Year Macro Resolutions

[don]

Again there is this very fuzzy definition of optional and maintain. Is choosing to get high templar "optional"? Once you get the High Templar is casting psi storm with them "optional" or something you have to maintain?

Well, casting it would be optional. But any battles the HT is involved in has to be maintained so that the outcome is you win the battle. Be it that you casted that psi storm or not.

I'm treating APM/skill/attention as a resource that each player has to allocate and therefore has to choose where/when it is used. I define using this resource as game "maintenance". In that idea, there would be mechanics in the game that a player is "required" to put APM/S/A into and mechanics that are "optional" meaning you can use that or you can use another.

[ArcherofAiur]

Well, casting it would be optional. But any battles the HT is involved in has to be maintained so that the outcome is you win the battle. Be it that you casted that psi storm or not.

I'm treating APM/skill/attention as a resource that each player has to allocate and therefore has to choose where/when it is used. I define using this resource as game "maintenance". In that idea, there would be mechanics in the game that a player is "required" to put APM/S/A into and mechanics that are "optional" meaning you can use that or you can use another.

But thats always been the case. In Starcraft you have 50 things to do and time to do 3.

[don]

But thats always been the case. In Starcraft you have 50 things to do and time to do 3.

But there were some things that had to be done. Like order newly made workers to harvest. Newb or Pro, you had to. Now, you don't have to do it.

As a new years resolution, I don't want the macro mechanics to be as required as ordering workers to harvest back in SC1. I want to be able to completely skip the macro mechanics if I want to and still play a decent game (Of course in the Pro level where they have much more APM to move around, it would be different).

[ArcherofAiur]

But there were some things that had to be done. Like order newly made workers to harvest. Newb or Pro, you had to. Now, you don't have to do it.

As a new years resolution, I don't want the macro mechanics to be as required as ordering workers to harvest back in SC1. I want to be able to completely skip the macro mechanics if I want to and still play a decent game (Of course in the Pro level where they have much more APM to move around, it would be different).

But you still have to make new workers. The macro mechanic of making workers still exists and you will lose if you skip it.

[Norfindel]

But you still have to make new workers. The macro mechanic of making workers still exists and you will lose if you skip it.

He's obviously talking about the new macro mechanics: SL, MULEs, and PC.

[ArcherofAiur]

Lets say the macro mechanics make your macro 20% better and micro mechanics make your micro 20% better. You still "have to" do both. Its just a question of what gameplay style are you going to focus on.

[Norfindel]

Lets say the macro mechanics make your macro 20% better and micro mechanics make your micro 20% better. You still "have to" do both. Its just a question of what gameplay style are you going to focus on.

Only that not everyone wants to be forced to cast something again and again inside their bases, because while the "micro mechanics" (i assume you mean stuff like smartcasting) are UI improvements, the macro mechanics are spells designed just to eat APMs, which purposedly bypass UI design good-practices.

The question is: What players would need to use the macro mechanics (SL, MULEs, PC) or lose the game? The progamers? Everyone?

[Triceron]

I would assume micro mechanics means the new spells on units that previously weren't available. SC2 early game now has stalker blink, nullifier spells, roach burrow (healing bonus) and reapers with D8. Smart unit grouping makes it easier to select unit types and cast spells while selecting different units (ala War3) making it easier to micro.

I don't particularly prefer the current macro mechanics as an APM sink for an income increase, but I regard it as a nice incentive for macro players. To be honest it's not a crazy hard mechanic that micro players would easily disregard.

I would prefer if Macro Mechanics were part of the HUD rather than on buildings. I know a part of the mechanic is to be attentive to Macro buildings, but if it's meant to be an APM sink, why not just have it as a part of the player's HUD? Think of it like the 'idle worker' button that selects your macro building, that also lists available resource and cooldown timers.

I'm still speaking from the perspective of a micro player, and I hate the idea of babysitting Macro buildings to make use of Macro abilities. It doesn't hurt to display Macro information the way raw resources are shown without requiring you to select your Command building.

[ArcherofAiur]

Only that not everyone wants to be forced to cast something again and again inside their bases, because while the "micro mechanics" (i assume you mean stuff like smartcasting) are UI improvements, the macro mechanics are spells designed just to eat APMs, which purposedly bypass UI design good-practices.

The question is: What players would need to use the macro mechanics (SL, MULEs, PC) or lose the game? The progamers? Everyone?

The whole idea is to differentiate macro and micro gameplay. So yes if they are successful and thier are macro gamestyles then there will also be micro gamestyles and their will be styles inbetween. Now that doesnt mean your going to be able to not do any macro just like a macro player wont be able to get away without doing any micro.

[Norfindel]

The whole idea is to differentiate macro and micro gameplay. So yes if they are successful and thier are macro gamestyles then there will also be micro gamestyles and their will be styles inbetween. Now that doesnt mean your going to be able to not do any macro just like a macro player wont be able to get away without doing any micro.

But "not using a macro mechanic" =/= "not doing any macro".
If both players have "the same skill" (but not at pro-gamer level), one is using macro mechanics (so, neglecting some micro), and the other isn't using them, both should have the same chances of winning.

If both players needs to use the macro mechanics, where's the distinction between playing styles?

The macro mechanics are a boost to existing mechanics. You obviously cannot win without building workers, or warriors, or making buildings, or getting resources, but the macro mechanics are a boost to resource gathering, not resource gathering itself.

.