Starcraft II Insights

[trace wm]

I don't know if it makes too much sense. Traditionally, you must get close to use abilities, so as to put your caster in danger. Most are pretty short ranged.

But it's Snipe.

Sniper Rifle.

Long Range.

[Norfindel]

But it's Snipe.

Sniper Rifle.

Long Range.

Yes, but reality has nothing to do with game balance and mechanics.

[Triceron]

I feel snipe's role has a lot to do with how smart cast and a casting delay plays into it. If one ghost has a casting delay then would two ghosts selected (with both 75+ energy) be ably to cast two snipes as quick as you can click the hotkey and target?

If this is the case, or if there is no casting delay whatsoever, (and if they do indeed have decent range with snipe), then I see ghosts being a little like sci vessel balls in tvz, where 10-15 ghosts approach hydras, lings, roaches, lurkers, banelings, whatever, snipe away and retreat with only energy depletion to show for it. Of course they can't retreat easily like the flying vessel, but if they are close to a terran ball it hardly matters.

Ghosts cost 150m 50g 2supply

You're not going to make 10-15 ghosts without seriously limiting your army in another area. 10-15 ghosts is like 10-15 Science Vessels. Ghosts are better at support than SV's were (having an attack, decent stats) but they aren't the kind of unit you want a lot of. - For Pand - Don't read this as 'Massing ghosts is impossible!!1111'

[Pandonetho]

I don't know if it makes too much sense. Traditionally, you must get close to use abilities, so as to put your caster in danger. Most are pretty short ranged.

Uh what?
-Maelstrom?
-Feedback?
-Broodling?
-Lockdown?
-Optical Flare?
-Parasite?
-Ensnare?
-Yamato Cannon?
-Psionic Storm?
-Stasis?
-Dark Swarm?
-Plague?

All the spells I've listed have 9 range or more.

[Norfindel]

Uh what?
-Maelstrom?
-Feedback?
-Broodling?
-Lockdown?
-Optical Flare?
-Parasite?
-Ensnare?
-Yamato Cannon?
-Psionic Storm?
-Stasis?
-Dark Swarm?
-Plague?

All the spells I've listed have 9 range or more.

Yep, it seems like they go mostly on the 7 to 10 range. The only one with range > 10 is Parasite, with 12. Sight range also goes from 7 for basic units to 11 for big air units, defensive buildings, etc. The Ghost with the sight upgrade has 11, also.
I had the impression it was less. Still, in-game the difference between 9 to 11 range is notorious. 12 is the range of the Siege Tank (if a spotter provides vision, the Tank itself has only 10 sight).

[Pandonetho]

raditionally, you must get close to use abilities, so as to put your caster in danger.

9 is not close range. And for something like psi storm?
Why should both snipe and psi storm have 9 range? Psi storm is by far a more powerful ability.

It's called snipe for a reason, and 11 range fits perfectly for it seeing as how snipe doesn't work against nearly the amount of units that storm rapes.

However, no matter how much I support snipe being range 11, I also get the feeling that it really isn't that much range.

[Triceron]

So what exactly is snipe's range if 11 was a made up number?

[Pandonetho]

We have no evidence of it being anything at all.

Just speculation.

[Norfindel]

So what exactly is snipe's range if 11 was a made up number?

6, according to sc2armory. That's probably too short. But on the other hand, you cannot do too much to avoid being sniped, so it's difficult to tell.

[Triceron]

I saw that as well for Snipe, but that doesn't really make sense since they list the ghost's attack as 7 range, making Snipe even less. I'm not sure how credible or up to date that information is.