If starcraft 2 only changed the interface.... - Page 2

Lets say a "shield" button that you could press at right moment and it blocks. But that could only be applied to a single unit at once. so we could see pros do that would multiple units while us normal people could not do that, making the gap between pros and us even bigger.

1) Better graphics. Yeah it's going to have to be in 3rd but with a fixed viewpoint that doesn't matter at all.
1b) Observer mode with completly free camera controll. (Imagine how wicked the battles would be when you can zoom down rigth down to the marine in Ground Controll style.
1c) Free camera mode in replays as well.

2) Better interface.
2b) Find idle worker command (why not?)
2c) Larger possible groups.
2e) Toggle for HP/Shields/Mana for all units when selected, both in portrait and in game. (Would help you find the templar with mana left for a storm that much easier)
2f) Mode to let individiual units selected shine up for easier identification on the battlefield when selected as portrait. (You click injured zeal and get some kind of signal so you instantly know which one is injured)
2g) Que construction for workers, especially protoss. (So yeah, queing a probe to build 5 pylons late game makes the game easier but...
2h) Units autmatically move out of the way when you put down a structure. (Finally being able to plcae sunkens in mineral line. YES!)

On May 20 2005 21:11 YoUr_KiLLeR wrote:
adding all these features in would decrease the skill gap in starcraft, therefore making skill much less impressive, and shortening the game's longevity. if things were much easier to do, people wouldn't be paid to play it.

edit: in response to Tal's post

On May 20 2005 17:40 Tal wrote:
Right this is the kind of post that gets shot down in flame by purists, so it would be nice to get responses from open minded people.

What i'm basically saying, is what if Blizzard decided to make a sequel to starcraft, but did it with some sense. So like the CS making people, they realised the basic game is SO strong and great and fun, that changing that will fuck up the game. In Starcraft's case, it's arguable that even changing the units would fuck up the game.

So they want to make our great game much better, so they can re-release it and try and get the kind of cult going in Europe/UK/USA that CS has. They'd probably mess with the graphics, but we can hope they would only make it prettier/sharper so as not to effect gameplay. Ideally, they'd mess a little with gamebalance, taking a look at the odd silly upgrade cost or ineffective unit (but lets not go into that, as it's been debated in 100000 threads).

What this is about, is the interface. As a fairly average kinda playing games type person, I have to say that SC's interface is a piece of shit. You play a game and have to deal with a truly ridiculous amount of pointless crap to enjoy it.

Some things which should be changed:

1: When you build a worker unit, it should fucking go and mine. Once your gas geyser is done, the optimum amount of workers should mosey on down and get your gas straightaway. You shouldn't have to do it yourself, because it's intensely boring. If you don't want this stuff to happen automatically, then there should be an option for it, but your average gamer DOES NOT want to spend a good portion of every game telling their probes to go and mine.

2: (this is more radical): You should be able to tell a building to 'pump' units/peons/upgrades, and specify which order of priority your cash is allocated (e.g pump zealots and probes, but make sure money goes to zeals instead of probes first). I think this also would mean less time doing boring stuff. If you are a progamer then you can not use this feature, and by building each thing at the exact right time for your personal strategy, probably get some kind of advantage over someone who doesn't, though maybe not if in an epic micro battle.

3: You should be able to do a similar thing to ensure supply generating shit is made at the optimal times. So you mark out a series of spaces for depots and pylons, and they are built in the order you marked them to coincide with them finishing a bit before you hit supply limit.

4: You should be able to select all your units at the same time. The first thing I noticed when playing was that I could only pick 12 units. This is unneccessary in the extreme. Smart players will naturually split their units into groups to let them micro better and flank well etc. But when I build 100 lings, it would be nice to send them in one instant wave without having to give myself rsi to do so.

5: When all your units are selected, you should be able to use all their individual hotkeys. I can't think of a reason not to. Oh and you should be able to customise your hotkeys.

6: The map should be already revealed but in fog of war, so you know where everything is on an unfamilliar map. This just makes sense, and would encourage more varied maps being used.

Those are the basics, but I imagine I could think of more. Oh workers should split automatically.

The overall point is that it makes the game much more fun to play. Non-pro gamers can now play very high level style games, able to concentrate on strategy and micro, without having to do boring crap for 30-70% of the game. Pro gamers, freed of distractions will be able to pull off mindblowing pieces of micro.

New players can get into the game and actually play with their friends without 3 months of getting put off by doing boring and unneccessary multi-tasking while trying to enjoy a great game.

Oh, and while this is slightly off topic, why doesn't the game just start with 6 workers? No build except 4 pool would be affected, and the amount of time saved would be astronomical over time.

Cheers for reading, if you have intelligent well-reasoned stuff to say, would be appreciated.

On May 20 2005 17:40 Tal wrote:
Right this is the kind of post that gets shot down in flame by purists, so it would be nice to get responses from open minded people.

What i'm basically saying, is what if Blizzard decided to make a sequel to starcraft, but did it with some sense. So like the CS making people, they realised the basic game is SO strong and great and fun, that changing that will fuck up the game. In Starcraft's case, it's arguable that even changing the units would fuck up the game.

So they want to make our great game much better, so they can re-release it and try and get the kind of cult going in Europe/UK/USA that CS has. They'd probably mess with the graphics, but we can hope they would only make it prettier/sharper so as not to effect gameplay. Ideally, they'd mess a little with gamebalance, taking a look at the odd silly upgrade cost or ineffective unit (but lets not go into that, as it's been debated in 100000 threads).

What this is about, is the interface. As a fairly average kinda playing games type person, I have to say that SC's interface is a piece of shit. You play a game and have to deal with a truly ridiculous amount of pointless crap to enjoy it.

Some things which should be changed:

1: When you build a worker unit, it should fucking go and mine. Once your gas geyser is done, the optimum amount of workers should mosey on down and get your gas straightaway. You shouldn't have to do it yourself, because it's intensely boring. If you don't want this stuff to happen automatically, then there should be an option for it, but your average gamer DOES NOT want to spend a good portion of every game telling their probes to go and mine.

2: (this is more radical): You should be able to tell a building to 'pump' units/peons/upgrades, and specify which order of priority your cash is allocated (e.g pump zealots and probes, but make sure money goes to zeals instead of probes first). I think this also would mean less time doing boring stuff. If you are a progamer then you can not use this feature, and by building each thing at the exact right time for your personal strategy, probably get some kind of advantage over someone who doesn't, though maybe not if in an epic micro battle.

3: You should be able to do a similar thing to ensure supply generating shit is made at the optimal times. So you mark out a series of spaces for depots and pylons, and they are built in the order you marked them to coincide with them finishing a bit before you hit supply limit.

4: You should be able to select all your units at the same time. The first thing I noticed when playing was that I could only pick 12 units. This is unneccessary in the extreme. Smart players will naturually split their units into groups to let them micro better and flank well etc. But when I build 100 lings, it would be nice to send them in one instant wave without having to give myself rsi to do so.

5: When all your units are selected, you should be able to use all their individual hotkeys. I can't think of a reason not to. Oh and you should be able to customise your hotkeys.

6: The map should be already revealed but in fog of war, so you know where everything is on an unfamilliar map. This just makes sense, and would encourage more varied maps being used.

Those are the basics, but I imagine I could think of more. Oh workers should split automatically.

The overall point is that it makes the game much more fun to play. Non-pro gamers can now play very high level style games, able to concentrate on strategy and micro, without having to do boring crap for 30-70% of the game. Pro gamers, freed of distractions will be able to pull off mindblowing pieces of micro.

New players can get into the game and actually play with their friends without 3 months of getting put off by doing boring and unneccessary multi-tasking while trying to enjoy a great game.

Oh, and while this is slightly off topic, why doesn't the game just start with 6 workers? No build except 4 pool would be affected, and the amount of time saved would be astronomical over time.

Cheers for reading, if you have intelligent well-reasoned stuff to say, would be appreciated.

On May 20 2005 20:48 FloOfy wrote:
Now my 2 cents, i think an interesting idea would be some sort of "dodging" or "aiming" or whatever so that when a pro gamer would focus hard on a single unit like a marine he could be able to beat 2 marine controlled by a newbie. Like lets say 1 zealot controlled by Nal_ra would easily beat 1 zealot controlled by a random newbie.

Lets say a "shield" button that you could press at right moment and it blocks. But that could only be applied to a single unit at once. so we could see pros do that would multiple units while us normal people could not do that, making the gap between pros and us even bigger.

I also like the faction idea. Basicelly this could be a little bit based on player preference.

We could have lets say 3 marine types(one for each faction).

One that cost 80 mineral, is made as fast as normal marine, 60 life, 7 damage.

That marine would be a bit weaker than the real marine but it makes it a lot easier for beginners to spend their money and theres less units to control(more cost effective), less barracks to make and so on.

A second marine type that would be for intermediate...the normal 40/6 marine that we all know.

And maybe a third "pro gamer" marine that would be faster walking and 30/6.

So basicelly the begginner trying to use the pro version of the marine will just die to lurkers....
And the pro would clearly do a lot better with the pro version of the marine(imagine the micros).


Another way would be to just make it 3 different faction to have more possible strategies but that would be pretty hard for blizz to balance.

Lets say have a faction with vultures doing less damage but more mines. So today nada feels like massing mines, he picks this faction, other day he wants to probe rush a lot he might pick the damage vulture and so on.


Just to answer tal, even thought i agree game could be fun that way, i think it is a lot more impressive to see pros do what they do with a shitty interface than with a godly interface......there be almost no diff between pros and average korean A- on pgt. At casual play level it could be nice but for serious gamers i think the current interface makes it better.

On May 20 2005 18:10 NewbSaibot wrote:
Using a simplified interface would actually put players at the helm of a true military strategist, a general, and not just a grunt where you have to be told everything to do.
...
Hell, maybe gamers arent even intelligent enough to come up with truely awe inspiring strats that would make the navy seals proud, so we will settle with marine micro and mutalisk control.

On May 20 2005 22:59 ZaplinG wrote:


Wtf, no? I put money on the fact that pro starcraft gamers can go toe to toe with the best military minds in the world.

I think that all levels macro is extremely satisfying and knowing that I will have another army ready when my current one is dead is awesome.

On May 20 2005 23:21 SuperCrazyMan wrote:

Haha, you sound so fucking lame.

I didn't read the rest after that, though, so you might have had some good points.