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2 Starcraft Questions that always nagged me

Blogs > tdotkrayz
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tdotkrayz
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States136 Posts
February 17 2009 05:52 GMT
#1
Okay, I have two things that really bothered me about the game. No, I'm not gonna talk about gameplay, I'm gonna ask about the story.

First of all, what is the mechanism by which dark swarm operates? I always assumed that it makes all ranged units miss because they can't see anything under the swarm to fire accuratedly but that's just silly if you have like 50 marines shooting into it at once. So wtf, how can dark swarm protect units from ranged attacks but not melee or splash?

Second of all, on certain maps, there is a huge (and I mean gigantic) fossil sitting on the ground. I mean, this creature is as big as a freaking command center. It's huuuuuuuge and it's even got a scorpion tail! Wtf is it? I really want to know this.

Yeah, that's all. If someone answered these questions, they would make my day.

*
littlechava
Profile Blog Joined March 2004
United States7218 Posts
February 17 2009 05:59 GMT
#2
i remember thinking about the fossil thing when i first started bw and i actually looked at the map scenery
pretty sure it was never explained in the story though
Entusman #12
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-02-17 06:01:23
February 17 2009 06:01 GMT
#3
dark swarm is abunch of insects that the defiler throws from its body to take the ranged hits
posting on liquid sites in current year
h3r1n6
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
Iceland2039 Posts
February 17 2009 06:02 GMT
#4
1. The ranged units cannot see anything. And adding a random hit/miss would be against one of the key points to a competitive game, no random factors.

The splash damage obviously does apply, since the explosion still happens, just not directly on the unit, and melee units stand in fron of their enemy to hit them, so they hit. Now, why do ranged units miss a melee unit, even if the melee unit is hitting them? Well, might aswell ask why a command center can't land directly near the minerals. It's just how the game works.

2. Its a space dinosaur, duh.
ff7legend
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
United States213 Posts
February 17 2009 06:02 GMT
#5
i ask my self the same thing about the big Mech things in the water.
I am the best ever... aka Truth, Judge, Legend
zobz
Profile Joined November 2005
Canada2175 Posts
February 17 2009 06:04 GMT
#6
I thought dark swarm was supposed to work by a blinding effect, not actual protection, which is why if you look closely you can see ranged attacks missing targets in dark swarm.
"That's not gonna be good for business." "That's not gonna be good for anybody."
HeavOnEarth
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States7087 Posts
February 17 2009 06:05 GMT
#7

And adding a random hit/miss would be against one of the key points to a competitive game, no random factors.

lol bs in sc the supposed 70% hit miss for elevated thing is bull; more like 30% imo.
"come korea next time... FXO house... 10 korean, 10 korean"
AcrossFiveJulys
Profile Blog Joined September 2005
United States3612 Posts
February 17 2009 06:09 GMT
#8
You answered the first question yourself, really. Since you can't see anything from a distance, you will just be firing randomly with little or no chance of hitting (no chance in the case of the blizzard implementation of dark swarm). However, units can see other units up close, so that's why melee units are successful. Does it make sense that marines can target lurkers in dark swarm but don't actually hit them? No. Does it make sense that a marine directly next to a zergling in a darkswarm can't shoot it? No. Oh well.

As for the second question, it's probably just a decoration. The bones are most likely supposed to represent creatures native to the environments of the maps.
DoctorHelvetica
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
United States15034 Posts
February 17 2009 06:17 GMT
#9
How can Lurkers burrow so quickly on a map like Andromeda where the floor is METAL?

Much less units not made specifically for burrowing like Hydralisks and Zerglings.
RIP Aaliyah
29 fps
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States5724 Posts
February 17 2009 06:20 GMT
#10
maybe the darkswarm makes all projectiles null because it reduces the force and all that physics stuff. it's a product of the overmind. only the overmind knows
4v4 is a battle of who has the better computer.
BanZu
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
United States3329 Posts
February 17 2009 06:31 GMT
#11
On February 17 2009 15:17 DoctorHelvetica wrote:
How can Lurkers burrow so quickly on a map like Andromeda where the floor is METAL?

Much less units not made specifically for burrowing like Hydralisks and Zerglings.

Hahaha, this made me smile
Sun Tzu once said, "Defiler becomes useless at the presences of a vessel."
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
February 17 2009 06:34 GMT
#12
no seriously guys read the starcraft manuals and stuff, dark swarm is a bunch of bugs that take the bullets and such.
posting on liquid sites in current year
Carnivorous Sheep
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
Baa?21242 Posts
February 17 2009 06:39 GMT
#13
If we're asking weird things about SC, I got one:

Why the hell are BCs and Carriers so small? Seriously. Like, a Zergling's bigger than an Interceptor lol xD
TranslatorBaa!
Dead9
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States4725 Posts
February 17 2009 06:41 GMT
#14
On February 17 2009 15:34 SpiritoftheTunA wrote:
no seriously guys read the starcraft manuals and stuff, dark swarm is a bunch of bugs that take the bullets and such.

http://www.battle.net/scc/zerg/units/defiler.shtml
+ Show Spoiler +
Dark Swarm is created from a countless number of smaller creatures that typically cover the Defiler. The Defiler has the natural ability to launch these creatures to a projected position, creating a thick cloud of living insects that prevent any units outside from accurately targeting any units within the cloud.


:O!
Misrah
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States1695 Posts
February 17 2009 06:42 GMT
#15
On February 17 2009 15:02 h3r1n6 wrote:
1. The ranged units cannot see anything. And adding a random hit/miss would be against one of the key points to a competitive game, no random factors.

The splash damage obviously does apply, since the explosion still happens, just not directly on the unit, and melee units stand in fron of their enemy to hit them, so they hit. Now, why do ranged units miss a melee unit, even if the melee unit is hitting them? Well, might aswell ask why a command center can't land directly near the minerals. It's just how the game works.

2. Its a space dinosaur, duh.


Space dinosaur, duh. Sig worthy.
A thread vaguely bashing SC2? SWARM ON, LOW POST COUNT BRETHREN! DEFEND THE GLORIOUS GAME THAT IS OUR LIVELIHOOD
Fontong
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States6454 Posts
February 17 2009 06:51 GMT
#16
On February 17 2009 15:17 DoctorHelvetica wrote:
How can Lurkers burrow so quickly on a map like Andromeda where the floor is METAL?

Much less units not made specifically for burrowing like Hydralisks and Zerglings.

You should be amazed not outraged!

This is even more impressive!
[SECRET FONT] "Dragoon bunker"
Grobyc
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
Canada18410 Posts
February 17 2009 07:00 GMT
#17
Hahaha this thread makes me laugh. I honestly have no clue. I don't question it, because when I do it's on my mind all day until I get an answer. And there really aren't answers to a lot of these questions.
If you watch Godzilla backwards it's about a benevolent lizard who helps rebuild a city and then moonwalks into the ocean.
GhostKorean
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States2330 Posts
February 17 2009 07:05 GMT
#18
I wanna know why CC's can't be built next to minerals
Osmoses
Profile Blog Joined October 2008
Sweden5302 Posts
February 17 2009 07:11 GMT
#19
On February 17 2009 16:05 GhostKorean wrote:
I wanna know why CC's can't be built next to minerals

I would also like to know what causes the minerals and gas to line up so neatly at all the expansions.
Excuse me hun, but what is your name? Vivian? I woke up next to you naked and, uh, did we, um?
SpiritoftheTunA
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States20903 Posts
February 17 2009 07:12 GMT
#20
On February 17 2009 16:11 Osmoses wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 17 2009 16:05 GhostKorean wrote:
I wanna know why CC's can't be built next to minerals

I would also like to know what causes the minerals and gas to line up so neatly at all the expansions.

these arcane demigods called mapmakers
posting on liquid sites in current year
29 fps
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States5724 Posts
February 17 2009 07:17 GMT
#21
you should play the campaign or check out those maps, where the minerals are NOT so neatly aligned. 4-5 scvs on gas, sometimes. those are the real lands of SC
4v4 is a battle of who has the better computer.
meegrean
Profile Joined May 2008
Thailand7699 Posts
February 17 2009 07:19 GMT
#22
I think the fossil thing just looks pretty cool.
Brood War loyalist
SilverskY
Profile Joined September 2008
Korea (South)3086 Posts
February 17 2009 07:29 GMT
#23
The comment about Lurkers on Andromeda made me laugh.
Graphics
EvoChamber
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
France2505 Posts
February 17 2009 08:45 GMT
#24
OP's posts remind me of CharlieMurphy for some reason.
That's not awful writing, DAMMIT. It's perfectly sensical english construction.
Zoler
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
Sweden6339 Posts
February 17 2009 08:54 GMT
#25
How the hell can you make a nydus to an island on a space map!?!?
Lim Yo Hwan forever!
LastWish
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
2013 Posts
February 17 2009 09:57 GMT
#26
On February 17 2009 17:54 Zoler wrote:
How the hell can you make a nydus to an island on a space map!?!?

There is an organic warpgate within.
- It's all just treason - They bring me down with their lies - Don't know the reason - My life is fire and ice -
CharlieMurphy
Profile Blog Joined March 2006
United States22895 Posts
February 17 2009 10:17 GMT
#27
On February 17 2009 17:45 EvoChamber wrote:
OP's posts remind me of CharlieMurphy for some reason.

DARKNESS
..and then I would, ya know, check em'. (Aka SpoR)
zobz
Profile Joined November 2005
Canada2175 Posts
February 17 2009 10:31 GMT
#28
On February 17 2009 16:17 29 fps wrote:
you should play the campaign or check out those maps, where the minerals are NOT so neatly aligned. 4-5 scvs on gas, sometimes. those are the real lands of SC

[image loading]
"That's not gonna be good for business." "That's not gonna be good for anybody."
EvoChamber
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
France2505 Posts
February 17 2009 11:05 GMT
#29
On February 17 2009 19:17 CharlieMurphy wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 17 2009 17:45 EvoChamber wrote:
OP's posts remind me of CharlieMurphy for some reason.

DARKNESS


...spreading.
That's not awful writing, DAMMIT. It's perfectly sensical english construction.
Racenilatr
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
United States2756 Posts
February 17 2009 13:56 GMT
#30
I coulda sworn there was like a Dark swarm guide covering how dark swarm works and stuff..I tried searching it but I couldn't find it. Anyone know where it went?
AloneInDaBunker
Profile Joined November 2008
Korea (South)123 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-02-17 15:27:16
February 17 2009 15:25 GMT
#31
1. I think swarm makes it almost impossible for ranged units to gain enough vision of enemy units under swarm to aim properly. For melee units, they are right in front of enemy under swarm so they still see. Similar to an extreme fog I guess.

2. I dunno.
Boxer is the truth.
nibbles
Profile Blog Joined December 2008
United Kingdom179 Posts
February 17 2009 16:30 GMT
#32
Dark Swarm makes sense as a cloud of insects that makes ranged attacks inaccurate - things can still take damage from range underneath it; yesterday I had some sunkens under dark swarms that got killed by marines.
meh
-orb-
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
United States5770 Posts
February 17 2009 17:02 GMT
#33
It doesn't need to make sense silly, it needs to be balanced.

If other units under dark swarm could shoot units under dark swarm it'd be like 10% effective because you'd have to place dark swarms away from the enemy and it would only protect you until your zerglings got close.
'life of lively to live to life of full life thx to shield battery'
how sad that sc2 has no shield battery :(
Cpt.Cocaine
Profile Joined June 2008
Canada299 Posts
February 18 2009 02:52 GMT
#34
On February 17 2009 15:17 DoctorHelvetica wrote:
How can Lurkers burrow so quickly on a map like Andromeda where the floor is METAL?


If you think that's a mindfuck - what I want to know is how on installation maps in singleplayer, 8 feet tall hydralisks burrow into a 10-inch thick catwalk hovering over a bottomless pit and manage not to fall.
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