[Idea] Move Changeling To Overlord

[Jabber Wookie]

This is why overseer has the ability. Let's put this way: You can have an overlord with energy to be hit with feedback, to be able to drop a changeling that will be killed (as the enemy knows it isn't their's so early on).

First of all, the opponent will not be able to feedback an overlord pre-tier 2 so that won't be a problem. Secondly, a tier 1 changeling would almost blend in better in the early game when the opponent is still producing them only tier 1 units.

[Norfindel]

First of all, the opponent will not be able to feedback an overlord pre-tier 2 so that won't be a problem. Secondly, a tier 1 changeling would almost blend in better in the early game when the opponent is still producing them only tier 1 units.

Not quite. If you have 4 Zealots blocking the ramp, and you see one of them at the mineral line, it would catch more attention than a lighthouse.

[Jabber Wookie]

Not quite. If you have 4 Zealots blocking the ramp, and you see one of them at the mineral line, it would catch more attention than a lighthouse.

Which is why you run the changeling to the ramp as quickly as possible and simply use vision to scout as much as you can. Or, you use destraction techniques to run your changeling around their base. Actually, a tier 1 changeling might create much more interesting micro imo.

And how is a zealot in the mineral line during early game any worse than a marine amongst an opponent's knowingly army of marauders?

[Maul]

Zerg was in the same boat in SC1, Protoss had Obs, Terran had Scan. If you want to fix what you believe is imbalanced with Zerg then I believe you're looking in the wrong area in this instance.

May I point out that a Zerg player is in the finals for the GSL? :P

[Norfindel]

And how is a zealot in the mineral line during early game any worse than a marine amongst an opponent's knowingly army of marauders?

It isn't. Why do you ask?
Anyways, is a pure Marauder army common in TvZ?

[GnaReffotsirk]

This is why overseer has the ability. Let's put this way: You can have an overlord with energy to be hit with feedback, to be able to drop a changeling that will be killed (as the enemy knows it isn't their's so early on). This changeling also gets a shorter life span due to an 'attempt' to keep the balance. Or leave the changeling where it is, and wait 17 extra seconds to drop a changeling that can last longer get all the scouting that is needed done. With much smaller chance of it being killed. Which do you prefer? A weak early changeling or a useful mid game changeling?

Well, basically, lowering the duration of a changeling would not make it useless. The idea is you will extend he vision and expectancy of your ovies. Say have the changlings some more HP. Say, 15.

Having a shorter duration means an opponent would know he has been scouted, we wont have to force the opponent to chase around changelings, and all the other effects. It doesn't mean CLs would die in 3 seconds. Maybe 5 or 8 would do. 8 realtime seconds, or 10 game seconds, where the cooldown would be 20, for example.

Training overseers or researching ovie speed would then make sense.

And limiting Changeling count can be done in the editor, where the ability cannot be cast if the player has N changelings in the field.

[dustinbrowder]

Its a start so why not.
Its probably not the brightest idea, but I voted "brilliant" nevertheless.

Anything that can help Zerg is good, though I don't think the problem is in the scouting, not at all. While its certain Zerg have a problem, its certainly not the scouting.

In fact with enough creep spreaders you can gain much constant vision. Its not the same as scouting, but its more than protoss has.

[GnaReffotsirk]

DB, this "fix" is supposed to help Zerg "know" during the early game, since it has been presupposed that Zerg is reactionary.

But yes, I agree in that there's much more deeper issues with Zerg than just scouting.