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Scans need separate energy - Page 2

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AsianEcksDragon
Profile Joined March 2008
United States1036 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-12 22:01:12
March 12 2010 21:59 GMT
#21
I don't see a problem with it. Just scan when you need to. Intel is much more important than a few seconds of boosted economy. It's not like you'll mine any gas with mules so you'll either be making a lot of marines or just end up bottle necking yourself. Besides, you are not losing anything in the long run. Unless you use those extra minerals mined by mule to do a timing push and expand, you'll just mine out faster.
神は乗り越えられる試練しか与えない
0neder
Profile Joined July 2009
United States3733 Posts
March 12 2010 22:05 GMT
#22
Maybe, just maybe, you don't need mules as much as you've been brainwashed to think only of econ.
Eiii
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
United States2566 Posts
March 12 2010 22:06 GMT
#23
First people complain that every race is too similar, then they complain when some races can do things that others can't... :/
:3
TheYango
Profile Joined September 2008
United States47024 Posts
March 12 2010 22:09 GMT
#24
On March 13 2010 07:05 0neder wrote:
Maybe, just maybe, you don't need mules as much as you've been brainwashed to think only of econ.

Do you have another proposal as to how to counter the fact that Protoss and Zerg inherently produce more workers by means of their macro mechanics? Or some proof that Terran units are more cost-effective?
Moderator
Icx
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
Belgium853 Posts
March 12 2010 22:10 GMT
#25
People just like to compare it to Protoss.

Let's say you scan almost everytime to get scouting information etc.
What did you gain from the macro-mechanic? nothing, because the ability already was in sc1.

While at the same time protoss is just chronoboosting away for no drawback.

Imagine that as protoss chronoboost would say this "everytime chronoboost is active your observers don't give sight and have no detection".

Ofcourse it's a bit wrong to compare it like that, but in general, that's a bit how the terran macromechanic feels like.
love1another
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
United States1844 Posts
March 12 2010 22:10 GMT
#26
It seems like a scan shouldn't cost more than an observer, and the way it is now, the opportunity cost in foregone mules is just too high.
"I'm learning more and more that TL isn't the place to go for advice outside of anything you need in college. It's like you guys just make up your own fantasy world shit and post it as if you've done it." - Chill
Juicyfruit
Profile Joined May 2008
Canada5484 Posts
March 12 2010 22:14 GMT
#27
The problem is, right now scans cost you one MULE and thus 270minerals no matter what because by the time one MULE is done, you only have the energy to call in another one. Imo, if the energy regen of the terran`s CC were boosted by a little bit, such that it regens... say 70 energy every 90 seconds instead of the 55 or so that it does now, then things would work out. That way, after every 3 or so MULE calls, you`ll have the energy left to perform a free scan. Or, if you need additional scans before that, only then do you sacrifice econ.
Jonoman92
Profile Blog Joined September 2006
United States9104 Posts
March 12 2010 22:14 GMT
#28
It might be nice to have the orbital command the option of building a 50min/50gas scanner similiar to how it was in sc1.
Simple
Profile Blog Joined February 2009
United States801 Posts
March 12 2010 22:15 GMT
#29
or give scan to sensor towers. i dont see them used often anyway
Scorch
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Austria3371 Posts
March 12 2010 22:17 GMT
#30
I think the problem is that the macro mechanics are too powerful in comparison with scan. If a scan costs 270 minerals, something isn't quite right. Having to make a choice is great, but deciding against MULE puts you back too much.

Make scan cost only ~35 energy? Move scan to the sensor tower?
Comeh
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
United States18919 Posts
March 12 2010 22:23 GMT
#31
On March 13 2010 07:17 Scorch wrote:
I think the problem is that the macro mechanics are too powerful in comparison with scan. If a scan costs 270 minerals, something isn't quite right. Having to make a choice is great, but deciding against MULE puts you back too much.

Make scan cost only ~35 energy? Move scan to the sensor tower?

Perhaps movign the scan to the sensor tower might do something - but you also need to make sure its still balanced/costs a decent amount - after all, scanning anywhere on the map at any time IS a very powerful ability. Starcraft limited this by making it expensive in the original - you need to have a CC to get scan. Maybe make individual sensor towers upgradeable to a scanning tower for a certain (somewhat high) amount of minerals, and once you do that it just acts as a scanner in sc1 would.
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Ryhn
Profile Joined February 2010
United States509 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-12 22:40:06
March 12 2010 22:33 GMT
#32
On March 13 2010 07:14 Juicyfruit wrote:
The problem is, right now scans cost you one MULE and thus 270minerals no matter what because by the time one MULE is done, you only have the energy to call in another one. Imo, if the energy regen of the terran`s CC were boosted by a little bit, such that it regens... say 70 energy every 90 seconds instead of the 55 or so that it does now, then things would work out. That way, after every 3 or so MULE calls, you`ll have the energy left to perform a free scan. Or, if you need additional scans before that, only then do you sacrifice econ.


While you have your heart in the right place, this solution just leads us straight back to the original problem.

With the extra energy everyone would just get one extra MULE to boost their economy instead of taking their "free scan" -- because it wouldn't actually be free.

Maybe if Terran had an arbitrary limit to how many MULEs they could call in a time frame your solution would work. But even then they might just wait for their timer to cooldown and call in multiple MULEs at once.

At this point the timer becomes the current problem spawned by my solution, so we could try making the calculation dynamic. Instead of [X] MULEs every [Y] Seconds, Blizzard could figure out a function that calculates how much additional income from MULEs you've gathered at any given point, and cap -that- number by denying a MULE drop when it's econ boost would push you over your income limit.

Unfortunately, from this solution we have yet another problem. The design is becoming too implicitly complicated. The solution is quickly spiraling into obscure hidden rules. This isn't very intuitive and would constitute poor game design.

It does not seem to be an easy problem to fix.
Famous Books Written by Progamers - "Clam: Mastering your other self"
imperator-xy
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
Germany1377 Posts
March 12 2010 22:33 GMT
#33
i think what should be changed is the mule. putting the scan into another building or making a seperated countdown wouldnt be good as mule and scan would just become no-think-mechanics then.
you should not always be able to use it but rather think about when or where to use it.
iounas
Profile Joined July 2008
409 Posts
March 12 2010 22:38 GMT
#34
Make mule give 100 min.. Cant complain about expensive scan then..
IdrA: stalkers actually do negative damage. when you shoot a marine with a stalker it gains health.
Irrelevant
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United States2364 Posts
March 12 2010 22:42 GMT
#35
I like how it is, it's a tactical choice of either getting the eco boost from mule or saving it for a scan, having both would just remove another level of tactics.
Slunk
Profile Blog Joined February 2010
Germany768 Posts
March 12 2010 22:46 GMT
#36
Why should terran get free minerals AND free maphack?
404.Delirium
Profile Joined May 2008
United States1190 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-12 22:47:52
March 12 2010 22:47 GMT
#37
The only reason there's complaints with scanning being so expensive is because MULE's are SO valuable. 50 energy for, what was it, 260ish minerals? Two Chrono's will give use an extra 2 probes in the same time as 4, but still cost the same.

Just learn to balance your MULE's and scans as far as I'm concerned. I felt it kind of silly to be this big of an issue.

Edit: What I'm getting at is after a few mules you've more than surpassed the Protoss in economy gains via 'spell' so you can invest in a scan if you so need to.
seriously next disrespectful comment in this blog is ip ban. Be happy or get the hell out. // SC2 is like playing with neutral-colored Play-Doh while BW is like colorful Legos.
Juicyfruit
Profile Joined May 2008
Canada5484 Posts
March 12 2010 22:47 GMT
#38
On March 13 2010 07:33 Ryhn wrote:
Show nested quote +
On March 13 2010 07:14 Juicyfruit wrote:
The problem is, right now scans cost you one MULE and thus 270minerals no matter what because by the time one MULE is done, you only have the energy to call in another one. Imo, if the energy regen of the terran`s CC were boosted by a little bit, such that it regens... say 70 energy every 90 seconds instead of the 55 or so that it does now, then things would work out. That way, after every 3 or so MULE calls, you`ll have the energy left to perform a free scan. Or, if you need additional scans before that, only then do you sacrifice econ.


While you have your heart in the right place, this solution just leads us straight back to the original problem.

With the extra energy everyone would just get one extra MULE to boost their economy instead of taking their "free scan" -- because it wouldn't actually be free.

Maybe if Terran had an arbitrary limit to how many MULEs they could call in a time frame your solution would work. But even then they might just wait for their timer to cooldown and call in multiple MULEs at once.

At this point the timer becomes the current problem spawned by my solution, so we could try making the calculation dynamic. Instead of [X] MULEs every [Y] Seconds, Blizzard could figure out a function that calculates how much additional income from MULEs you've gathered at any given point, and cap -that- number by denying a MULE drop when it's econ boost would push you over your income limit.

Unfortunately, from this solution we have yet another problem. The design is becoming too implicitly complicated. The solution is quickly spiraling into obscure hidden rules. This isn't very intuitive and would constitute poor game design.

It does not seem to be an easy problem to fix.


Hmm, I thought you were limited to 1 mule per CC anyways, but maybe it's just because right now, you only have the energy to call in a new mule once your old one expires.

Then just limit it to 1 mule per CC concurrently, and boost the energy regen.
TheHof
Profile Joined March 2010
United States92 Posts
March 12 2010 22:47 GMT
#39
Personally, I love the mechanics as they are. I love that I can forget about mules for too long and call down two at once. I find the tradeoff interesting strategically, and don't really feel like if I don't use constant mules I'm screwed over, and I don't feel free to spam comsat which means it's another interesting choice to make.
"It's so nerve wracking, I'm just crossing my fingers and sayin' c'mooon esports"-Day[9]
Icx
Profile Blog Joined November 2009
Belgium853 Posts
March 12 2010 22:50 GMT
#40
On March 13 2010 07:46 Slunk wrote:
Why should terran get free minerals AND free maphack?


Why should protoss get a free chronoboost with no drawbacks and permanent maphack obs all over the map?

(just showing how stupid your point is, since every race has his own way of gathering intell, but terran is the only race that can't use it if they use their macromechanic)
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