EPTBoth players start slowly carefully, diligently scouting and as the game goes on it gets harder and faster so the skill differences are more and more significant. In the late game it shouldn't slow down with two deathballs and mass static defence. It should be exactly the opposite, you should keep the strong slow units in the game as the core of your main army, but the overall speed of the game should be speeding up, small skirmishes should be happening all over the map to testify skills of the players and to provide exciting experience for the viewers. So basically what I am saying is that early game upgrades should allow your units to be aggressive - speed for lings and roaches, cloak for banshees, stim, charge, blink etc. Late game upgrades should enpower individual harassing and antideathball units to allow you to outmultitask your opponent. These upgrades would also make every long game extremely exciting and memorable to watch, not painful and boring. Not things that you have to do, just things that you can do if you want to, keeping the game easy for lower skilled players but more entertaining for all kinds of players and viewers. Sometimes I have really hard time expressing my thoughts so I will rather give you some examples instead of boring you to death. The suggestions for individual races are not really important, it's just more entertaining way to tell you where the late game could be heading to fix the stale inactive play we see more and more. The general issues with Starcraft 2 design is much much more important.
GENERAL ISSUES WITH STARCRAFT 2 DESIGN
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MAPS
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DEATHBALL CAMPING STYLE
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I believe there is a huge unused potential in maps. I remember TLO in some of his Dreamhack interview talking about it. Places where forcefields cannot be used, places where buildings cannot be built, places with mineral patch walls that have to be mined out to open up the path. Things like harvestable lemons and raising lava are interesting way to go. I can think of some gates that can be open by having some unit on a position, gates that open and close every 30 seconds, gates that can be open and closed from two sides. Bridges that fall off when used by a massive unit. Neutral teleports that work in the same way as nydus. Buildable bridges that you can build for free with your worker for 120 seconds for example. Dark places where sight is halved and range of ranged units is halved aswell to make it a dangerous place to move through with your marines. Neutral units that you can kill and get some bonuses in terms of additional money. I personally love the idea of doing some little missions to earn some additional neutral units to extend size of your army so the active player will have the bigger army, not the guy camping for 50 mins doing absolutely nothing. There is a huge amount of possibilites!
DEATHBALL CAMPING STYLE
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In my personal opinion the biggest issue of Starcraft 2 as I already hinted above and almost all of the suggestions in this little article are at least partially working against this style. I have a lot of ideas how to fight this but none of them is by far as good as this one I am going to talk about. Make workers mine more efficiently if they mine one mineral patch/ geyser alone. Let's say one worker at a mineral patch / geyser mines 7 minerals / gas per a cycle, two mine 5 minerals / gas per a cycle, 3+ mine 4 minerals / gas per a cycle. But one mineral patch / geyser could be harvested by unlimited amount of workers at the same time. It would open up huge amount of options. You would be able to mine gas very fast but very inefficiently. And if you were just turtling and the enemy would take over the whole map, his income would be 40 - 75% higher with the same amount of harvesters. It would obviously make zerg much stronger so there would have to be some adjustement like making queens more expensive so zerg's economy cannot explode.
SUGGESTIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL RACES
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ZERG
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PROTOSS
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TERRAN
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Third overlord upgrade increasing overlord speed to 3,15. Requirements: overlord speed, overlord drops and hive. Cost: 200/200. Research length: 160 seconds.
It would allow allow zerg players to show their multitasking, but at the same time it would force out adequate level of multitasking from the opponents. To reduce a side effect of this change, one overlord could carry only two banelings.
Third zergling upgrade reducing damage taken from splash by 50%. Requirements: zergling speed, adrenal glands. Cost: 300/300. Research length: 240 seconds.
Zergling heavy style is extremely entertaining and pleasant to play and to watch. It would make zerglings and melee upgrade style viable against late game protoss and mech terran.
Viper upgrade increasing range of abduct from 9 to 11. Requirements: hive. Cost: 500/500. Research length: 300 seconds.
For high cost you would be able to abduct things like vikings, siege tanks, high templars and tempests without taking too much damage.
Locust damage reduced from 12(+1) to 6(+1). Locust speed increased from 1,88(+40%) to 2,75. Locust range increased from 3 to 5.
This change would make swarm hosts what they are supposed to be in my opinion. The locusts would be too weak to stop the enemy army so they couldn't be used defensively but they would be strong enough to put heavy pressure on the camping opponent.
Third roach upgrade increasing damage from 16(+2) to 24(+2). Requirements: roach speed, roach burrow movement. Cost: 200/200. Research length: 120 seconds.
It would affect all matchups. In ZvZ you could choose either going heavy roach or roach hydra. In ZvP and ZvT they will still be crap in a straight up engagement because they die before they shoot, but the harassment will be much more effective.
It would allow allow zerg players to show their multitasking, but at the same time it would force out adequate level of multitasking from the opponents. To reduce a side effect of this change, one overlord could carry only two banelings.
Third zergling upgrade reducing damage taken from splash by 50%. Requirements: zergling speed, adrenal glands. Cost: 300/300. Research length: 240 seconds.
Zergling heavy style is extremely entertaining and pleasant to play and to watch. It would make zerglings and melee upgrade style viable against late game protoss and mech terran.
Viper upgrade increasing range of abduct from 9 to 11. Requirements: hive. Cost: 500/500. Research length: 300 seconds.
For high cost you would be able to abduct things like vikings, siege tanks, high templars and tempests without taking too much damage.
Locust damage reduced from 12(+1) to 6(+1). Locust speed increased from 1,88(+40%) to 2,75. Locust range increased from 3 to 5.
This change would make swarm hosts what they are supposed to be in my opinion. The locusts would be too weak to stop the enemy army so they couldn't be used defensively but they would be strong enough to put heavy pressure on the camping opponent.
Third roach upgrade increasing damage from 16(+2) to 24(+2). Requirements: roach speed, roach burrow movement. Cost: 200/200. Research length: 120 seconds.
It would affect all matchups. In ZvZ you could choose either going heavy roach or roach hydra. In ZvP and ZvT they will still be crap in a straight up engagement because they die before they shoot, but the harassment will be much more effective.
PROTOSS
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Second zealot upgrade increasing damage from 2x8(+1) to 2x12(1). Requirements: zealot charge. Cost: 200/200. Research length: 120 seconds.
Basically the same thing as the roach upgrade. In big fights zealots would still die before dealing any damage but the harassment would be much more effective.
Increase blink cool down from 10 to 12 seconds. Add second stalker upgrade reducing blink cool down from 12 to 2 + (the amount of selected stalkers while using blink/2) seconds - maximum cool down would be 12 seconds. Cost: 200/200. Research length: 300 seconds.
In particular numbers with 4 stalkers you could blink every 4 seconds, with 2 stalkers every 3 seconds, with 10 stalkers every 7 seconds. Basically it would allow you to blink endlessly with small amount of stalkers in a big fight. It wouldn't affect blink all ins because of the research length.
Warp prism speed upgrade would also increase cargo space from 8 to 16.
If your multitasking is good enough, not only you can harass with your warp prism but you can also save your warped units if the enemy is prepared.
First void ray modification. The ability gives you +5 damage against all units (5+5 in general and 10+5 vs armored). But using the ability removes 20% of void ray's full hit points (30 hp). Cool down reduced from 60 seconds to 15 seconds. Ability effect reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds.
Void rays could be used for defending third base against zerglings and roaches better than ever before for the cost of their health. It would make void rays viable against marines but worse against vikings. Altough you would have to be very careful about using the ability.
Second void ray modification. Starting out with range 5 with optional upgrade to 7. Requirements: Fleet beacon. Cost: 300/300. Research length: 240 seconds.
If you want void rays to be the core of your army, you definately need this expensive upgrade. So massing void rays since the very beginning would be very difficult. It would be a late game composition.
Dark templar would have two modes. Visible and move speed 3,4. Invisible and move speed 2,25. No cool down.
You could switch the mode to run away from scan radius or when you enter detected area you can switch the modes to deal more damage like chasing enemy workers. Although you wouldnt be able to chase enemy units in invisible mode if the opponent is microing his units.
Observer would have two modes. Invisible and move speed 1,4. Visible and move speed 3,25. No cool down.
Basically the idea is to allow you to reposition observers much faster but at the same time scouting throughout the enemy base would be a bit slower if you don't want your enemy to know about it.
Recall radius of mothership core decreased from 7 to 3.
Recall would still have the same use when recalling a bunch of stalkers and sentries, but you wouldn't be able to recall your deathball of colossi. Recall radius of mothership would stay the same so there would be another reason to upgrade mothership core to mothership.
Photon Cannon would have two modes. Antiground and antiair. Attack speed and damage would stay the same.
The purpose of this change is clearly to force more APM and multitasking out of protoss players. Zerg has spore and spine crawlers, terran has turrets and planetary fortresses and neither of these races are able to make defensive units anywhere they need to.
Basically the same thing as the roach upgrade. In big fights zealots would still die before dealing any damage but the harassment would be much more effective.
Increase blink cool down from 10 to 12 seconds. Add second stalker upgrade reducing blink cool down from 12 to 2 + (the amount of selected stalkers while using blink/2) seconds - maximum cool down would be 12 seconds. Cost: 200/200. Research length: 300 seconds.
In particular numbers with 4 stalkers you could blink every 4 seconds, with 2 stalkers every 3 seconds, with 10 stalkers every 7 seconds. Basically it would allow you to blink endlessly with small amount of stalkers in a big fight. It wouldn't affect blink all ins because of the research length.
Warp prism speed upgrade would also increase cargo space from 8 to 16.
If your multitasking is good enough, not only you can harass with your warp prism but you can also save your warped units if the enemy is prepared.
First void ray modification. The ability gives you +5 damage against all units (5+5 in general and 10+5 vs armored). But using the ability removes 20% of void ray's full hit points (30 hp). Cool down reduced from 60 seconds to 15 seconds. Ability effect reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds.
Void rays could be used for defending third base against zerglings and roaches better than ever before for the cost of their health. It would make void rays viable against marines but worse against vikings. Altough you would have to be very careful about using the ability.
Second void ray modification. Starting out with range 5 with optional upgrade to 7. Requirements: Fleet beacon. Cost: 300/300. Research length: 240 seconds.
If you want void rays to be the core of your army, you definately need this expensive upgrade. So massing void rays since the very beginning would be very difficult. It would be a late game composition.
Dark templar would have two modes. Visible and move speed 3,4. Invisible and move speed 2,25. No cool down.
You could switch the mode to run away from scan radius or when you enter detected area you can switch the modes to deal more damage like chasing enemy workers. Although you wouldnt be able to chase enemy units in invisible mode if the opponent is microing his units.
Observer would have two modes. Invisible and move speed 1,4. Visible and move speed 3,25. No cool down.
Basically the idea is to allow you to reposition observers much faster but at the same time scouting throughout the enemy base would be a bit slower if you don't want your enemy to know about it.
Recall radius of mothership core decreased from 7 to 3.
Recall would still have the same use when recalling a bunch of stalkers and sentries, but you wouldn't be able to recall your deathball of colossi. Recall radius of mothership would stay the same so there would be another reason to upgrade mothership core to mothership.
Photon Cannon would have two modes. Antiground and antiair. Attack speed and damage would stay the same.
The purpose of this change is clearly to force more APM and multitasking out of protoss players. Zerg has spore and spine crawlers, terran has turrets and planetary fortresses and neither of these races are able to make defensive units anywhere they need to.
TERRAN
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New light bio unit called "Samurai". Health: 125. Supply: 2. Cargo size: 2. Move speed: 2,25 (+50% when stimmed). Production time: 60 seconds. Cost: 100/100. Requirements: samurai upgrade in ghost academy for 200/200 researching for 160 seconds, "no techlab".
Samurai would have two modes. Melee mode using a sword and range mode throwing stars. In melee mode - Damage: 3(+1), Attack speed: 0,15(-33% when stimmed). In range mode - Damage: 14(+1), Attack speed: 0,83(-33% when stimmed), Range: 4.
Samurai would become an air unit when not moving (put on hold position). For example to save it against roaches/zerglings or zealots/dts.
This unit would allow bio players to add a late game high tech unit to their bio composition to use their gas. Durable against storm, good melee fighters against zealots and zerglings. In melee mode they would screw up the AI of enemy units like siege tanks, colossi, ultralisks, zealots and roaches.
PS: If this unit was added, I am switching to terran.
Third tech lab hellion upgrade giving them ability to ride up and down the cliffs. Requirements: armory, blue flame. Cost: 150/150. Research length: 300 seconds. Cool down: 4 seconds.
Basically giving mech terrans a new way of harassment.
Increase the cost of repair from 25% to 50%.
With these changes I presented terran would have insane amount of harassing tools but also more defensive options so massive repair of planetary fortress would be used just as a backup plan. But mainly adding mass PF's and turtling behind them wouldn't be so simple.
Fusion core upgrade increasing speed of banshees when not cloaked from 2,75 to 3,75. Requirements: -. Cost: 200/200. Research length: 160 seconds.
It would give both mech terrans and bio terrans new late game harassment tool because you could uncloak them to run away from detected areas or ravens, overseers and observers and then cloak them to be unvulnerable to mutas and phoenixes.
Fusion core upgrade increasing health of battlecruisers from 550 to 750. Requirements:-. Cost: 300/300. Research length: 300 seconds.
It would make battlecruisers more viable. They could be the core unit of terrans late game composition. By the way a carrier has 300/150 + 8 intercreptors (40/40). It means if you amove into a carrier it has 1090 hp.
Increase the energy spent on point defense laser from 10 to 20.
This would allow units like tempests and corruptors to actually kill battlecruisers. It would also be much harder to play turtle mech.
Samurai would have two modes. Melee mode using a sword and range mode throwing stars. In melee mode - Damage: 3(+1), Attack speed: 0,15(-33% when stimmed). In range mode - Damage: 14(+1), Attack speed: 0,83(-33% when stimmed), Range: 4.
Samurai would become an air unit when not moving (put on hold position). For example to save it against roaches/zerglings or zealots/dts.
This unit would allow bio players to add a late game high tech unit to their bio composition to use their gas. Durable against storm, good melee fighters against zealots and zerglings. In melee mode they would screw up the AI of enemy units like siege tanks, colossi, ultralisks, zealots and roaches.
PS: If this unit was added, I am switching to terran.
Third tech lab hellion upgrade giving them ability to ride up and down the cliffs. Requirements: armory, blue flame. Cost: 150/150. Research length: 300 seconds. Cool down: 4 seconds.
Basically giving mech terrans a new way of harassment.
Increase the cost of repair from 25% to 50%.
With these changes I presented terran would have insane amount of harassing tools but also more defensive options so massive repair of planetary fortress would be used just as a backup plan. But mainly adding mass PF's and turtling behind them wouldn't be so simple.
Fusion core upgrade increasing speed of banshees when not cloaked from 2,75 to 3,75. Requirements: -. Cost: 200/200. Research length: 160 seconds.
It would give both mech terrans and bio terrans new late game harassment tool because you could uncloak them to run away from detected areas or ravens, overseers and observers and then cloak them to be unvulnerable to mutas and phoenixes.
Fusion core upgrade increasing health of battlecruisers from 550 to 750. Requirements:-. Cost: 300/300. Research length: 300 seconds.
It would make battlecruisers more viable. They could be the core unit of terrans late game composition. By the way a carrier has 300/150 + 8 intercreptors (40/40). It means if you amove into a carrier it has 1090 hp.
Increase the energy spent on point defense laser from 10 to 20.
This would allow units like tempests and corruptors to actually kill battlecruisers. It would also be much harder to play turtle mech.
