Idea for Zerg Caster Revamp

[mr. peasant]

First of all, I would like to state that I've yet to actually play the beta. However, I have noticed that a number of people seem to feel that the Zerg's spellcasters are somewhat lacking/unpolished compared to the other two races. Indeed, Blizzard's updates have actually changed the way some of the abilities function rather than just stats and research status (I'm looking at you Neural Parasite). Hence, I thought I'd take a stab at it. This, for the most part, is more of a spell reshuffling/redistribution with one or two new ideas. However, I think it addresses the following 'issues':

1. Spawn Larva is a very unforgiving mechanic vs Chrono Boost and MULEs.
2. There is little energy tension for the Queen.
3. Overseers no longer have any spells to compete with Changelings.
4. Infestors don't really infest anything.
5. Corruptors aren't all that great vs 'massive' units.
6. Zerg spellcasters don't seem to have an instant tide changer (e.g. EMP, HSM, Psi Storm, Vortex).

For easier reading, altered abilities are labeled in green while new ones are in orange.


QUEEN

Spawn Larva ~ Costs 25 energy. Spawns 4 Larvae after 40 seconds. Can be cast on any player-owned biological structures.*

Create Creep Tumor ~ Grows a Creep Tumor for 25 energy. Same as before.

Transfusion ~ Restores 125 hit points to any biological units or structures. Same as before.

Organ Donor (New ability) ~ Costs 25 energy. Causes the Queen to temporarily mimic any tech structure accessible from the tech tree for 40 seconds, giving temporary access to the relevant units. Cannot spawn Larvae or perform research/upgrades.

*As counter-balance, players can only build 1 Queen per Hatchery/Lair/Hive at a time.


OVERSEER

Spawn Changeling ~ Costs 50 energy. Spawns a Changeling that lasts 150 seconds. Same as before.

Slime (Previously Fungal Growth) ~ Costs 75 energy. Immobilizes units within an area for 8 seconds; revealing burrowed and cloaked units for that time period. Does not deal damage anymore.*

*This should potentially give Overseers a more active role in combat and make it less helpless in the field. Also, it would be a good competitor vs Changelings; worker harrass or a spy/scout that can help with Nydus Worms?


INFESTOR

Terran Zombie (Previously Terran Infestation) ~ Costs 25 energy. Raises a Zombie Marine from the ground for 20 seconds. Same as before.

Infestation (Previously Corruption) ~ Costs 50 energy. 4 range. Channeling. Unleashes a tendril that disables an enemy structure until the Infestor moves elsewhere or is killed.

Devouring Swarm (New ability) ~ Costs 100 energy. Range 6. Unleashes a swarm of insects that devour everything in its path; up to 500 damage in total against up to 8 units. Effect is similar to 'chain lightning' except it kills the first target before moving to the next. Targets both, enemy and friendly units. Uses 'acid death' animation. Requires research.*

*This ability would help Infestors vs both, 'swarm'-type units as well as tanks. However, it's potentially dangerous as you might accidentally decimate your own forces by accident if they happen to be closest or if you cast it when too close to the enemy. Hence, practice is needed to master.


CORRUPTOR

Corruption (Previously Neural Parasite) ~ Temporarily mind controls any enemy unit for 10 seconds at 50 energy/population count. Multiple Corruptors can pool their energy together to control the same unit. Ability is non-channeling.*

*This should help make Corruptors better counter both, capital and light air units. Should make Corruptor vs Corruptor battles interesting as mind controlling a few allows you to subsequently mind control more.

[Brutaxilos]

sounds good to me ;] but just rename overseer slime to ensnare

[Triceron]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the way Queen works right now. There really isn't a huge problem with larvae if you macro Spawn Larvae well enough and make more than one queen. After playing this game, I feel limiting one queen is too much of a hindrance, because not only is this unit used for macro, but it's great early-game anti-air defense as well. Two queens in a given location can thwart early void ray or phoenix rushes. If you were limited to one queen, it would be easy prey for most early rushes and the Zerg player would be down the ability to macro until they remake their queen.

[pure.Wasted]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the way Queen works right now. There really isn't a huge problem with larvae if you macro Spawn Larvae well enough and make more than one queen.

You may note that that was only one of mr. peasant's concerns. The other being:

2. There is little energy tension for the Queen.

Which is a valid concern. Of all the macro abilities, this one has become the most busywork-like because you can't even pretend you're saving the energy for Scans vs. DT/Roach/Banshee. If you're not using the energy, you're doing it wrong, period.


I'm not really a fan of the Overseer changes because I don't think they solve the problem identified, namely that the Overseer does not have enough tension for abilities. In reverse. This ability is so much more useful than Changeling that now I don't see Changeling, already mostly a joke used because the energy has nowhere else to go, ever being used.

Now let's say we removed Changeling entirely and instead gave the Overseer back Spore Cloud. (50 energy - The overseer can create a Spore Cloud, which covers an area, blocking line of sight for a period of time. Units above the fog can see over and into it.)

[KadajSouba]

Corruptor mind controling????? I dont like that. I liked the old turret stuff.
Tranfusion doesnt seem to useful at all. Thet need something else to create the tension. Its like the terran macro thing. The mules and the scanner are the most useful ones. The extra supply is kind of useless. Id better save that energy building a new supply depot.

[sandwich_bird]

No Terran Zombie please... Just bring back the old infest building.

[GRUNT]

Would Spawn Larvae be too powerful if you could cast it up to three times on the same hatchery?

What about if each time it was cast on a hatchery already under the effects of Spawn Larvae, the spell spawns 1 less Larva?

IE - when you cast Spawn Larvae on a hatchery which already is under its effect, you get 3 Larvae instead of 4. If you cast it again while the hatchery is under both spells' effect, you get 2 Larvae instead of 4. So basically, if I've not been on top of my macro and I cast Spawn Larvae 3 times on one hatchery, I get a total of 9 Larvae from Spawn Larvae.

[The_Blade]

I would like to see transfusion as an AOE ability with a limit on the total HPs it can heal.

[SoFool]

I think queen is ok except transfusion (not really useful), I'm also a bit concerned that because of creep drop the creep tumor is not often used.

I would prefer that the infestor goes into a building for infestation, if the building gets damaged too badly (half life) it forces the infestor to lose control of it & comes out from where it goes in. Not a fan of spawning infested terran zombie too, but I really like the devouring swarm idea xD

I also prefer the old corruption ability =\

[Aldrius]

I don't understand these changes. I think how drastic they are is really unnecessary.

Why give the Infestor a really crappy version of the Corruptor's corruption ability? (7 range is too short for a unit as fragile as the Infestor as it is. 4 range will just wind up with a lot of wasted vespene gas) I don't really understand the distinction between the Infested Marine being a zombie and not being a zombie...

Don't really love Devouring Swarm either. And I really dislike the idea of transferring mind control from the Infestor to the Corruptor. I really want to test out the Corruptor's old Corruption ability. It seems like it had potential to me. And it'd have a lot of the same principles of what you're talking about here without some of the drawbacks.

*As counter-balance, players can only build 1 Queen per Hatchery/Lair/Hive at a time.

Sigh. This has been suggested a thousand times and I really dislike it. I like the balance they have now with one Queen per hatchery being optimal for spawning larvae. Then it's implied without being enforced.

Plus it's just too arbitrary an enforcement. I think the only change I'd make to the Queen is to switch Spawn Larvae around so that you get the larvae first, then wait 45 seconds. or maybe let it stack. But the second set of larvae will not being spawning until the first has completed spawning. So you could 'queue' it (up to... let's say... 4 times). And then it'd be a bit more forgiving.

I think the value of Transfusion and Creep Tumor will become more apparent when we get some bigger maps into the pool. Something like Destination where terrain control plays an important part. Pushes with spine crawlers I think will be more common.

Slime (Previously Fungal Growth) ~ Costs 75 energy. Immobilizes units within an area for 8 seconds; revealing burrowed and cloaked units for that time period. Does not deal damage anymore.*

Uh... okay. Why would you nerf Fungal Growth like that? The spell is in an awesome place right now. Really useful.