[A] Starbow - Page 469

21 January 2014.
Exactly 2 years since I made the first post in this thread.
(Time just flies away...)

The game will be "released" at that point. No more work will be done, except bug fixes,
- I will make a big post in SC2 general where I present this.
- Maybe a large post on Reddit?
- Update the Wiki.
- Make some vods?
- Host a tournament?

We will see if the game is good and fun enough to appeal to a larger player pool. If so, maybe we can work on a ranking system and continue to grow the community. It all depends on how this project is received by people.

Short summary:

Roach fits well. Needs better balance.

Marauder fits too. Needs better balance?

Stalker is more narrow than Zealot + Dragoon, but is still useful in some scenarios. Needs more work, especially with Blink.


Swarm Host will likely be removed. Maybe it can become an Impaler, or something more fun can be done with it. But it is not high on my priority list to do that. If there ever is a Starbow expansion, perhaps something better can be done with it in the future. I gave it a try, and it did not fit. Roaches seem just fine without anything to morph into at this point.

Thor will likely be removed too. I do think this unit can find a home in the game, but it will require more work to get it right.
I don´t have that much time to work in the editor + playtest nowadays. So I put priority on units that will likely see play in the midgame, like Marauder, Roach, Stalker.

And here is the million dollar dilemma:
>>>+ Show Spoiler +<<<

Still want to make viper baneling work somehow...

Upgrade Nexus
- 100 minerals
- 40 sec BT
- Starts with 50 energy
- Max energy 100
- Requires Gateway

- CB lasts 20 seconds, boosts by 50% and costs 15 energy.
- Rift cooldown 60 seconds, costs 50 energy.

Queen
- 150 minerals
- 40 sec BT
- Starts with 50 energy
- Max energy 100
- Requires Pool

- Inject lasts 24 seconds, boosts Larva by 50% and costs 15 energy.
- Creep tumor 25 energy
- Nurturing swarm costs 25 energy, heals 75 life OR speed up morphing structure by 50% during 20 seconds.

Orbital command
- 125 minerals
- 40 sec BT
- Starts with 50 energy
- Max energy 100
- Requires Barrack

- Calldown SCV cooldown 30 sec, costs 25 energy and 50 minerals.
- Overcharge costs 15 energy, boosts production speed by 50% at a Barrack, Factory or Starport during 15 seconds.
- Scan 25 energy.

Terran can still build Reactors and they work as in SC2. Engingeering bay is required though, to avoid breaking early game.

Overcharge and Chrono boost are essentially the same kind of mechanic. The difference lies in CB being better at higher tech units & upgrades, while Overcharge becomes better when used on a structure with a Reactor.

In pure time:
CB reduces production by 10 seconds.
Overcharge reduces production by 7.5 seconds. (If used on a structure with Reactor - production reduced by 15 seconds)


The Calldown-One-Time-Reactor-ability I tried to build a while ago did not work due to editor problems, so it will likely never get implemented into the game.

Here is the time it takes to produce 12 workers from 1 main base without any macro mechanics:

- T - 211.2 seconds
- P - 211,2 seconds
- Z - 234 seconds (The Hatchery starts with 1 Larva)

If each race produces workers non-stop from 1 main base, and uses constant CB, Inject and Calldown SCV, this is the time it takes to produce 12 workers:

- T - ca 150 seconds
- P - ca 150 seconds
- Z - ca 168 seconds (The Hatchery starts with 1 Larva)

The relationship between the races is almost intact. (No race has a macro advantage over another.) All races now have potential to boost their worker production by the same % value. (Ca 40%)

I measured how many Marines, Zealots and Zerglings can be produced during 2 minutes from 1 production structure, without any macro mechanics. Normal values:

Z - 6,15x2 Zerglings from 1 Hatchery that starts with 1 Larva, during 2 minutes.
P - 3,5 Zealots from 1 Gateway during 2 minutes.
T - 5,7 Marines from 1 Barrack during 2 minutes.


If each race uses CB, Inject or Overcharge non-stop on the same production structure, this is the amount of units who are produced during 2 minutes:

Z - 9x2 Zerglings (46% more efficient production)
P - 5,2 Zealots. (48% more efficient production)
T - 7,6 Marines (33% more efficient production, 66% more efficient production if used on a structure with Reactor)

I tested some other units aswell. The relationship seems to be intact no matter what, All macro mechanics now have potential to boost army production by the same % value, if players use macro mechanics non-stop.

Apart from the worker + army boost, each race has a way to boost tech:
- Zerg can boost structures morph speed
- Chrono boost can boost upgrades
- Terran can switch Tech labs to save some time.

There are also some other differences in the macro mechanics:
- Calldown SCVs can be used anywhere on the map.
- Overcharge boosts movement speed on flying structures.
- Terran can still scan
- Queen can heal with Nurturing Swarm + Spread Creep.
- Chrono boost can be used on Cannons
- Rift can be used for early aggression or for defecene

The points of the macro mechanics are:
- Give an APM demanding macro aspect - there is a skill difference in macroing, due to APM, multitasking and focus.
- Speed up the production of the game a bit. BW had IMO a long start up phase before the "fun stuff" could happen.