The Friendly HotS Update Thread

Umpteen

United Kingdom1570 Posts

January 11 2013 15:18 GMT

Welcome!

Perhaps it's just me, but I'm not really enjoying wading through the HotS forum at the moment. I find it to be overwhelmed with bitter, unproductive and usually knee-jerk posts, especially in the aftermath of a balance update before anyone's had a real chance to explore the implications of the changes. Quite frankly it's bumming me out.

Threads with a dedicated purpose, such as this one, tend to fare better, but the update threads are like acid on my soul. I totally understand the tone of the discussion is outside the remit of the TL mods, and that people are just expressing themselves. This blog is in no way a criticism of the way the forum is being run. I'd just like to be able to chat about what's going on in good humour, without having to shout over the theorycrafters of doom and people who think Blizzard employees catch a shorter than usual bus to work.

Therefore, assuming TL considers this to be an appropriate use of my blog, I'll be posting a "Friendly HotS Update Thread" for each balance patch (starting with Update 12, whenever that drops), and pseudo-moderating it with blog-bans. I'm not asking people to suck any particular part of Blizzard's anatomy; I just think we should stick to some basic principles:

1. Positive Theorycrafting. What can we do with what we've been given? Ideas for things to try, and the results of trying them.

2. Good humour and a sense of perspective. This is a beta test of a game. It is not mankind's last desperate stand against the darkness, and Blizzard is not sleeping with your dad.

3. Respect. Everyone in every league is trying their best, including the guy who just beat you with an OP race. So let's say things like "Wow, X unit/strategy seems really strong; I'm all over the place trying to fend it off, and it could have been even stronger if my opponent had macroed / microed better - anyone have any insight?" instead of "Fucking patchzergs."

Hope to see you soon!

FFW_Rude

France10201 Posts

January 11 2013 15:35 GMT

Yeah i don't really like the original updates thread as well.

For the last Patch (i think you should post what is there in the 12patch).

There is something i don't understand. I don't really play HOTS for now and play Zerg but what is the point for the tank buff ?

I read the it was for mech in TvP but what are the implication to TvT and ZvT. Because if you have siege mode more early does that make banelings less effective ?

Umpteen

United Kingdom1570 Posts

January 11 2013 15:49 GMT

On January 12 2013 00:35 FFW_Rude wrote:
There is something i don't understand. I don't really play HOTS for now and play Zerg but what is the point for the tank buff ?

I think the goal is to reduce the cost of 'meching safely'. No siege research means you can:

1. Get tanks with siege much earlier and with less gas, so you can keep more workers on minerals and pump your economy harder whilst also being safer against 1-base attacks.

or

2. Get tanks with siege around the same time, but start them later (and for less gas), so you can keep even more workers on minerals and pump economy / infrastructure even harder.

All of this helps you afford stuff like ghosts, banshees and vikings further down the line: you can be in the exact same shape you were, but with more stuff to support your tanks.

The same applies to the Hellbat changes: now that blue flame isn't necessary to make walker-mode awesome, they're a much more cost-efficient defence.

mmK_

Sweden16 Posts

January 11 2013 15:53 GMT

On January 12 2013 00:35 FFW_Rude wrote:
Yeah i don't really like the original updates thread as well.

For the last Patch (i think you should post what is there in the 12patch).

There is something i don't understand. I don't really play HOTS for now and play Zerg but what is the point for the tank buff ?

I read the it was for mech in TvP but what are the implication to TvT and ZvT. Because if you have siege mode more early does that make banelings less effective ?

Well ofc they are less effective when you´ll have like another tank. It feels though really odd that I don´t need to upgrade it anymore ^^ The change makes mech early game alot easier and might be a good change if you think of what all the new threats are with MS pushes blinkes and zergie stuff etc... It will probably creat a snowballing effect where a mech player can get a faster expo or third while being safer and then faster fourth and everything will be abit faster. I like that blizzard trying something... very diffrent.

The one change that surprised me evenmore was the reaper chjange. It takes 4-5 shots to kill a worker now. But I´ve find them still effective and you can get a reaper into a zergs base before queen comes out without rushing for them. Really cool but you wont be able to kill more then a few workers tops because well... it takes a long time to kill a drone. Trying them out also in TvT where i 2 rax reaper expand. They may not be strong but if he moves out I´ll kill the workers of his but this is probably really weak to cheese so I´ll see how that goes.

FFW_Rude

France10201 Posts

January 11 2013 16:09 GMT

Hum yeah i did not thought about the gaz. Means you will always have banshee with cloack. (Or is it just 100gas for Siege mode ?). Damn i need to watch less and play more i forget the costs.

Yeah i was surprise by the 4damage to the reaper (less than a worker) but you can get them super fast so... i don't know. It's been a long time i played terran.

Thx for the explanation

It will really change early game dynamics.

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