Macro Mechanics Discussion Thread

[Nicol Bolas]

The real problem is that potentially good macro mechanics are ignored in favor of mechanics that require frequent maintained.

For example, in the category of altering the resource curve, being able to set workers to mine more minerals per-trip but waste minerals doing so (you get 8 per trip instead of 5, but the mineral patch goes down by 12 per trip) is an interesting one. You're sacrificing long-term prospects for short-term gain. This is a strategic tradeoff, and one that would create some variation in play.

But no; ArcherofAiur and those who think like him will instantly point out that this is a simple on/off switch. It's not something you have to go to your base for, and it's not something you have to do regularly. Therefore, it is of no value towards creating interesting gameplay.

[MattII]

How old is that idea, one of the oldest isn't it (still good though)?

[Nicol Bolas]

I'm fairly sure that it was one of the finalists in the macro design contest.

[MattII]

Oh it's older than that, I'm just trying to remember whether it predates the Zerg announcement (I think it does).

[n00bonicPlague]

Yeah, it's crazy old.

[ArcherofAiur]

Further, you're missing the point. There are other possibilities that are not viable solely and entirely because of these arbitrary mechanics. That the balance of SC devolved down to only two choices is not a good thing; there should be many more options than that.

Having more viable strategies is the best defense against "standard play".

Just so we are clear youve completly dropped all alegations about imbalance and are now complaining that it limits strategy right?


Also that "wasteful mining" idea was proposed on TL. The consensus was that more minerals now are almost always better then more total minerals later.

[n00bonicPlague]

Also that "wasteful mining" idea was proposed on TL. The consensus was that more minerals now are almost always better then more total minerals later.

I think I would be part of that consensus, as the mechanic would punish the minerals rather than punish you, and I've never seen that many games where all of a player's minerals totally run out. However, there are numerous mining mechanics we can conjure up, not just the wasteful mining one.

For instance, my mechanic would be spending one resource to get the other and vice versa. With this it would be more about the player shifting to his/her desired strategy instead of just boosting like crazy. However, there could be ways to make a macro building that uses it's energy to either increase mineral gathering or increase gas gathering, as this would still allow gas and minerals to compete.

[ArcherofAiur]

For instance, my mechanic would be spending one resource to get the other and vice versa. With this it would be more about the player shifting to his/her desired strategy instead of just boosting like crazy. However, there could be ways to make a macro building that uses it's energy to either increase mineral gathering or increase gas gathering, as this would still allow gas and minerals to compete.

I think there is allot of value in looking at the mineral and gas pathways and different ways they can interact. However before that can happen there are certain decision making problems that still need to be addressed.


All of this centers on how often you want the player to actively macro and what actions actively macroing should entail.
All of Blizzards macro mechanics have pointed to macroing about every 30 seconds and that the player return to base. At the same time I know many of you dissagree with those goals.

[RODTHEGOD]

I really don't think thats how you should go about creating a macro mechanic. Like if you look at the more effective current macro mechanics, like warping in units or the new properties of the creep(and how you expand it) or spawn larva (I really like this ability for the zerg so I thinks its successful, if you don't thats fine), they all really took a cool idea and expanded on it.

To me the idea of something allowing the player to turn minerals into vespean and vespean into minerals is a cool idea and I think it fits well with the terran utility sort of theme.

[ArcherofAiur]

I really don't think thats how you should go about creating a macro mechanic.

If the macro problem had been addressed right when they were building the economic infrastructure then they wouldnt have to. However it wasnt.