The incomplete story of the Zerg Spellcasters

[Aldrius]

Well cause there is no point to have 2 very similar abilities.

Ah, but they're not that similar.

Similarities

• They both inhibit vision.

Spore Cloud

• Area effect spell
• Blocks vision of an area instead of just specifically units

Corrosive Pollen

• Works on air targets
• Blocks detection

I admit there are quite a few similarities, but I think they're different enough.

And it won't have effect if it is an single unit cast, since if there is an unit that doesn't have debuff, the Blinded unit will actually see cause of that unit.

So? The point being made was that a single air unit could put a stop to any spore cloud usage. With corrosive pollen a single air unit cannot stop a spore cloud. And if the only air units your opponent has are a single mothership and a couple of Observers or in the case of Terran a few Ravens, he's in trouble.

So in fights with more then 10 units, it will be worthless... And with duration it will be even more worthless if it is single unit cast.

You won't use it against groups of ground units, though. It'll mainly be used for air units. Or small groups of harassment units. I think the ability has a lot of potential personally.

Note: I wouldn't make spore cloud a Hollow circle, I'd make it a Solid circle... ie a unit that is inside can't see or be seen (by other ground units)...this works because it is cast by the Overseer, so it won't significantly limit the Zerg themselves.

I think you're underestimating how powerful an ability like spore cloud could be. Sure it'll take some thinking, but I like the misleading simplicity of it. There are a lot of strategies and situations where the hollow circle could be used.

I have a question, though.



In this instance, what can see what?

Can C see into B and D? Or is everybody isolated, and nobody can see into any other area. I tend to think the latter is true and not the former.

Yeah, that suggestion should be posted on SC2 B.net forums.

I'll do that then. =)

[Todie]

curious to know what other SCL beta testers think about the suggestion & if they'd "root for it officially" as if taht'd make a difference :P

a given is that its rather funky & intricate and thus unlikely to get included.

but the optical-flare clone alone is cool enough, straightforward & easy to implement.

[Aldrius]

a given is that its rather funky & intricate and thus unlikely to get included.

What? Spore Cloud?

It WAS in the game... I didn't make up a single thing about it other than a potential energy cost.

[Nicol Bolas]

It WAS in the game... I didn't make up a single thing about it other than a potential energy cost.

It may have been removed for technical reasons, though. Line-of-sight is something that is normally static. Making it dynamic might have been too much, either in performance or in engine stress.

[Aldrius]

It may have been removed for technical reasons, though. Line-of-sight is something that is normally static. Making it dynamic might have been too much, either in performance or in engine stress.

Yeah, I think that's a possibility.

Though if that were the case, I don't know if they'd have told us about the ability...

But that's true of unit movement as well. And ground height. And that was able to be changed through triggers in WC3. (I.E. There were elevators for different terrain heights.) And triggers aren't actually any more complicated than Blizzard's ability to program unit spells as far as I understand it. In fact they're less complex.

Maybe they thought the ability was too difficult for new players to pick up, though. I don't know. Really wish they'd tell us because I LOVED the ability. It sounded exactly like the kind of tactical spellcasting the Zerg were (and sort of are) missing.

[Asfastasican]

The answer is simple. You add the defiler back in the game alongside the infestor and then give them abilities that compliment each other.

The only other option is to give corruptor a more innovative spell thats spammable alongside infestors, or to scrap the corruptor's concept and just make them into some sort of air caster as opposed to AtA.

[Aldrius]

The answer is simple. You add the defiler back in the game alongside the infestor and then give them abilities that compliment each other.

What would that solve? That'd just be a huge amount of overlap. It's not even like Sentry vs. High Templar where they're at least a fairly substantial tier apart from eachother (and have dramatically different spells). Infestation Pit leads directly to Hive which would lead directly to Defiler Mound.

I'd rather see them IMPROVE the spellcasters they already have. I don't think the Zerg lack in spellcasters.

The only other option is to give corruptor a more innovative spell thats spammable alongside infestors, or to scrap the corruptor's concept and just make them into some sort of air caster as opposed to AtA.

What would the Zerg do for ATA then? Again, they're not lacking spellcasters. What's incomplete is that their spellcasters are either terribly mediocre (Infestor) or they just don't have any spells. (Overseer)

[RamiZ]

I didn't know that Fungal Growth do AoE damage(!) and Immobilize... O_o

[Aldrius]

I didn't know that Fungal Growth do AoE damage(!) and Immobilize... O_o

Yep. And they just buffed it.

[Raisk]

Yep. And they just buffed it.

How exactly did they buff it? The patch notes read that they reduced its damage? Did they increase its radius or something?