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Greetings, fellow evil-doers (<3 Fenrax),
please allow me to propose a new unit for HotS: The Mortar. Yes, I know, yet another one but why not give it a chance; It's not that you've got anything better to do anyway, right?
The purpose of this unit is to combine and replace the units called Widow mine and Warhound with the latter already being removed by Blizzard as you all know. I must say that I dislike the Widow Mine even more than the Warhound because it feels more like a Zerg unit than a Terran one. The Mortar is supposed to be a support unit, not an attack unit like the Warhound, mostly defensive but with an anti siege line capability.
It will look something like a cross between this:
![[image loading]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Sturmtiger_2.jpg)
and this:
![[image loading]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Virginia%2C_Petersburg%2C_Mortar_Dictator_-_NARA_-_533349.tif/lossy-page1-293px-Virginia%2C_Petersburg%2C_Mortar_Dictator_-_NARA_-_533349.tif.jpg)
But a bit more modern of course. 
A short fat barrel instead of a turret; Moveable from straight down between its tracks to lay mines
and up in an angle (like in the second picture), to shoot them. With the warhound, Terran had too many walkers I feel, and making it a more conventional vehicle it's less advanced looking to emphasise the difference in technology (level) between Protoss and Terran. It also makes for more consistent use of technology, if you will. Two vehicles with tracks instead of just the one. For the same reason I'd like it to be a (remote controlled) robot like the Raven, making it the second armed robot in the Terran arsenal.
The capabilities:
1. Lay mines. Let's say it can lay a maximum of three mines (think spider mine, not Widow; They're ugly and too big). It can pick them back up and relocate if nescesarry. If one of 'm explodes, a new one can be laid (purchased?).
Blizzard apparantly wants the Widow Mine to be able to hit air. I'm not sure why but if really nescesarry these mines could be made able to launch themselves into the air to do so. I'd rather see 'm behave largely like spider mines though; Mine draggin' time!
2. Shoot mines. Yep, not just put 'm in the ground but shoot the damn things into advancing armies and, of course, at siege lines. Besides doing direct damage they'll also trigger the tanks to shoot them, damaging themselves. If shot into nomansland the mine will act the same as if burried but above the ground (no detection needed to spot). It's shot in an arc and will bounce a bit, using realistic physics. Its range should be enough for the Mortar to stay out of reach of siege tanks altough maybe including the bounces after it hits the ground. You don't have to target an unit to launch and if an out of range area is selected it wil fire the mine in that direction at its maximum range. You can choose to shoot it at a shorter range though, even rolling it of a ramp or a cliff; Surprise!
3. Discharge. It hasn't got a normal attack but it has the ability (on cooldown) to give of an electric charge with minimal range (anti melee). It's also an armoured unit with the hp a tank like unit should have. This will make sure that if left alone and vulnerable , it can stall a bit for support. Other usage could be hold position on a ramp, denying zerglings entrance to your base.
Upgrades could be more mines for instance, or maybe the discharge ability.
So, there you go. Two “problems” solved with one unit, instead of two. Balancing can be done on all aspects of the Mortar and its weapons to make sure it isn't a massable unit. Needs a factory with tech lab to build, I think. So what do you think about the Mortar? Please let me know and if you don't like it I'd appreciate it if you explained why.
(I've got a lot more ideas btw, like for instance replacing the Thors' Strike Cannons with Flack Cannons giving it a non instant, air only, stormlike ability which, for instance, can force Broodlords
to relocate (they'll have to temporarly hold their attack) or cut of escape routes for mutalisks so you can stimm in with your marines and finnish them of. This will give the Terran some extra anti air so the mines aren't needed for that role? I'm really confused as to why they should in the first place but whatever. And I've got ideas for the other races as well).
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Change is too drastic and shooting mines is a bit silly . I always thought adding a weak AtG and AtA unit that could lay mines would be best, but the current widow mine is doing fine.
My dreamcraft: Freyr (Norse God of fertility...lol)
![[image loading]](http://www.cinemablend.com/images/sections/20667/command_and_conquer_4_20667.jpg)
Time to build mines internally: 30-60 seconds (moving factory)
Plant mine: 2-4 seconds (has an deployment animation)
Cost of each mine: 50/50 (suicidal - attack air/ground/invisible)
Can attack ground and air with small mounted mini gun - like the Goliath ground attack style for both ground and air. Its attack will be more like a tickle attack with its main purpose is to lay mines. It could also be used a buffer shield for tanks.
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On October 22 2012 06:11 sona wrote:Change is too drastic and shooting mines is a bit silly . I always thought adding a weak AtG and AtA unit that could lay mines would be best, but the current widow mine is doing fine.
Would you care to explain why shooting mines would be silly? Just curious. And I do not agree about the widow mine. It feels like a baneling and now it's a turret to. eh..
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Well, it potentially fixes some problems SC2 supposedly has..
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On October 22 2012 06:16 Penev wrote:Show nested quote +On October 22 2012 06:11 sona wrote:Change is too drastic and shooting mines is a bit silly . I always thought adding a weak AtG and AtA unit that could lay mines would be best, but the current widow mine is doing fine. Would you care to explain why shooting mines would be silly? Just curious. And I do not agree about the widow mine. It feels like a baneling and now it's a turret to. eh..
Because mines are things you deploy, waiting for people to step on them. Mines also take a while to arm in general, so it wouldn't make sense. I think that's what he meant. ^^
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On October 22 2012 06:19 Penev wrote:Well, it potentially fixes some problems SC2 supposedly has..
That's not my point. Put it on BNet if you have HotS, or even if you don't have HotS. If someone on BNet with HotS likes the idea, they might repost the thread on the HotS forum of BNet.
TL is not the place for this, for multiple reasons. One, it would overflow the HotS forum of TL. Two, Blizz doesn't look here very often.
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I don't really like Widow Mine as a unit that much.. In my opinion, a unit that deploys mines would be much better (also making the mines auto detonate themselves).
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On October 22 2012 06:19 Thalandros wrote:Show nested quote +On October 22 2012 06:16 Penev wrote:On October 22 2012 06:11 sona wrote:Change is too drastic and shooting mines is a bit silly . I always thought adding a weak AtG and AtA unit that could lay mines would be best, but the current widow mine is doing fine. Would you care to explain why shooting mines would be silly? Just curious. And I do not agree about the widow mine. It feels like a baneling and now it's a turret to. eh.. Because mines are things you deploy, waiting for people to step on them. Mines also take a while to arm in general, so it wouldn't make sense. I think that's what he meant. ^^
Ah, but it would make sense, that's how it potentially can brake a siege line; The tanks will fire on it, damaging themselves.
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Yes, and mines that shoot rockets and replenish themselves makes perfect sense.
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On October 22 2012 06:11 sona wrote:Change is too drastic and shooting mines is a bit silly . I always thought adding a weak AtG and AtA unit that could lay mines would be best, but the current widow mine is doing fine. My dreamcraft: Freyr (Norse God of fertility...lol) Time to build mines internally: 30-60 seconds (moving factory) Plant mine: 2-4 seconds (has an deployment animation) Cost of each mine: 50/50 (suicidal - attack air/ground/invisible) Can attack ground and air with small mounted mini gun - like the Goliath ground attack style for both ground and air. Its attack will be more like a tickle attack with its main purpose is to lay mines. It could also be used a buffer shield for tanks.
But why a walker Sona? Btw, I didn't ad stats on purpose; A lot can be changed if necessary. For instance how much mines it can carry or shoot.
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On October 22 2012 06:30 Penev wrote:Show nested quote +On October 22 2012 06:11 sona wrote:Change is too drastic and shooting mines is a bit silly . I always thought adding a weak AtG and AtA unit that could lay mines would be best, but the current widow mine is doing fine. My dreamcraft: Freyr (Norse God of fertility...lol) Time to build mines internally: 30-60 seconds (moving factory) Plant mine: 2-4 seconds (has an deployment animation) Cost of each mine: 50/50 (suicidal - attack air/ground/invisible) Can attack ground and air with small mounted mini gun - like the Goliath ground attack style for both ground and air. Its attack will be more like a tickle attack with its main purpose is to lay mines. It could also be used a buffer shield for tanks. But why a walker Sona? Btw, I didn't ad stats on purpose; A lot can be changed if necessary. For instance how much mines it can carry or shoot.
Rollers will overlap with the tanks. 4 Leg mech looks cool and unique, think how the army will look as a bunch. Beside, 4 walkers can walk in all kinds of terran, making them practical for laying mines in difficult positions. I provided a rough idea of what it should do, the exact specifications (HP/timings/costs) can be ironed out later.
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Ha ha, mortar is nice idea and title made me think about the widow mine right away.
Can see the widow mine as a buried mortar wich autofires once every 40 sec, the effects seem to be quiet similar lol.
The unit in the picture looks awesome, isnt it more like a houwitzer though?
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On October 22 2012 06:36 Rassy wrote:
Ha ha, mortar is nice idea and title made me think about the widow mine right away.
Can see the widow mine as a buried mortar wich autofires once every 40 sec, the effects seem to be quiet similar lol.
The unit in the picture looks awesome, isnt it more like a houwitzer though?
From wiki: US Army 13-inch mortar "Dictator" was a rail-mounted gun of the US Civil War.
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On October 22 2012 06:35 sona wrote:Show nested quote +On October 22 2012 06:30 Penev wrote:On October 22 2012 06:11 sona wrote:Change is too drastic and shooting mines is a bit silly . I always thought adding a weak AtG and AtA unit that could lay mines would be best, but the current widow mine is doing fine. My dreamcraft: Freyr (Norse God of fertility...lol) Time to build mines internally: 30-60 seconds (moving factory) Plant mine: 2-4 seconds (has an deployment animation) Cost of each mine: 50/50 (suicidal - attack air/ground/invisible) Can attack ground and air with small mounted mini gun - like the Goliath ground attack style for both ground and air. Its attack will be more like a tickle attack with its main purpose is to lay mines. It could also be used a buffer shield for tanks. But why a walker Sona? Btw, I didn't ad stats on purpose; A lot can be changed if necessary. For instance how much mines it can carry or shoot. Rollers will overlap with the tanks. 4 Leg mech looks cool and unique, think how the army will look as a bunch. Beside, 4 walkers can walk in all kinds of terran, making them practical for laying mines in difficult positions. I provided a rough idea of what it should do, the exact specifications (HP/timings/costs) can be ironed out later.
Yeah but it kinda raises the question of why the siege tanks have tracks and this one legs. The other walkers are more like your usual (transformer) robot. You see; I like my science fiction to make as much sense as possible. I don't dislike your idea though.
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A bouncing shell / fire effect would be really interesting and open up so much map and design space.
The weapon would have to bounce on the ground but also be able to bounce off of walls and cliffs. If fired up a slope it would fire less far and off a slope further etc. It would make exact map layout and stuff like statues etc much more interesting and provide very cool interaction with other spells like forcefield. Exploding on first unit it contacts with etc, there could be a lot of micro in getting it to explode at the place you want.
It don't think it's likely such interaction between a weapon and the map is easily done with the engine though so a bounce weapon would probably not really work well. It would be quite ugly if it wasn't worked out well, ie moving through units and objects etc.
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We already have a seige unit. Also, we dont need dedicated seige line destroyers. So much of the fun of TvT is seige lines and how they discourage deathballs and encourage drop play and multitasking. It gives TvT stability and prevents it from being a giant slugfest like PvP. Instead of making a new seige unit, Blizzard needs to buff or change the current one so it doesnt get ROFLstomped by Protoss and Zerg.
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i enjoy the current widow mine honestly because i feel it fills alot of the holes mech play had and although it may seem imbalanced to some people, if you see some one who is really good it just looks silly how easy it is to deal with them. in terms of the mortor idea, it seems somwhat redundant. instead of making another seige tank that can kill protoss why not just make it so the siege tank can kill protoss.... all in all i have to say i disagree alot with this post.
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On October 22 2012 06:35 sona wrote:Show nested quote +On October 22 2012 06:30 Penev wrote:On October 22 2012 06:11 sona wrote:Change is too drastic and shooting mines is a bit silly . I always thought adding a weak AtG and AtA unit that could lay mines would be best, but the current widow mine is doing fine. My dreamcraft: Freyr (Norse God of fertility...lol) Time to build mines internally: 30-60 seconds (moving factory) Plant mine: 2-4 seconds (has an deployment animation) Cost of each mine: 50/50 (suicidal - attack air/ground/invisible) Can attack ground and air with small mounted mini gun - like the Goliath ground attack style for both ground and air. Its attack will be more like a tickle attack with its main purpose is to lay mines. It could also be used a buffer shield for tanks. But why a walker Sona? Btw, I didn't ad stats on purpose; A lot can be changed if necessary. For instance how much mines it can carry or shoot. Rollers will overlap with the tanks. 4 Leg mech looks cool and unique, think how the army will look as a bunch. Beside, 4 walkers can walk in all kinds of terran, making them practical for laying mines in difficult positions. I provided a rough idea of what it should do, the exact specifications (HP/timings/costs) can be ironed out later.
I think it should either be two-legged or go on wheels. Terran vehicles are all two-legged mech or go on wheels/tracks, four legs are for Protoss walkers.
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So a terran reaver?
I like it.
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EPT
