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Why Protoss Is Frustrating to Play Or Play Against - Page 7

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 HotS
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Scila
Profile Joined October 2010
Canada1849 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-12 19:35:08
October 12 2012 19:33 GMT
#121
Nice post dude, "frustrating to play as or against" and either "too strong or too weak" pretty much sums up Protoss. Buff gateway, Nerf Colossus/Storm - > Protoss isn't pigeonholed into all ins or camping 3 bases until their tech is out + Protoss no longer relies so much on Forcefields to defend so we can nerf them to be microable against or remove completely. Not even a difficult redesign, just need to tweak the right numbers. Would also probably need to remove or make warpgate different to balance out stronger gateway units.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
Tao367
Profile Joined June 2012
United Kingdom324 Posts
October 12 2012 19:34 GMT
#122
Thing is, this thread is best summed up in pvp. It's frustrating to play in pvp and to play against in pvp. It's an absolute mess and I would like to see warp gate later, if only so it fixes pvp.
freetgy
Profile Joined November 2010
1720 Posts
October 12 2012 19:35 GMT
#123
doubt they will fix protoss in HotS, well lets hope they will adress at least some of the issues LotV
sAfuRos
Profile Joined March 2009
United States743 Posts
October 12 2012 19:37 GMT
#124
I think everyone needs to just face the fact that the Blizzard design team is just incompetent. It is quite obvious that Blizzard has taken a money-first policy to their company in the last few years, and SC2, no longer generating much money, is no priority. Their balance team has always been shitty; only David Kim even plays the fucking game. DBrowder just sits there and pretends to care. The community has consistently proposed better unit designs or at least raised very legitimate concerns, and every time without fail, Blizzard as ignored them

Before we even talk about Protoss gateway units, i'd worry about the atrocious unit design that blizzard implements into HotS. Like jesus fuck, who the fuck is making these decisions, free hallu for sentries lmfao
sAfuRos // twitch.tv/sAfuRos // contact for coaching
JyB
Profile Joined January 2012
France466 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-12 19:49:02
October 12 2012 19:44 GMT
#125
I'm protoss and I agree with OP,
But why not even mention once the warpgate mechanic ? It's partially because of it that Protoss T1 units are weaker. Buffing T1 units and still keeping warpgate looks ridiculously op. Don't you think ?
BluemoonSC
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
SoCal8910 Posts
October 12 2012 19:49 GMT
#126
the screen cap you posted of immortal stalker vs the roaches really put me off right off the bat to the point where i didnt even read your article.

-the zerg has a much better concave than the protoss
-there are stalkers and immortals dancing in the back that cannot reach the zerg's roaches.

that right there would be evidence for a BAD ENGAGEMENT, but not DIFFERENCE IN COST EFFICIENCY.

gateway units are plenty strong enough in the hands of someone that knows how to use them, but i think if the right changes were made to the sentry and their T3 (specifically the colossus), i'd be willing to hear them out.
LiquidDota Staff@BluemoonGG_
a176
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Canada6688 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-12 19:50:15
October 12 2012 19:49 GMT
#127
Buffing T1 units will only add to the strength of the army combination with T2 units. That will very much break the game. Even in BW, protoss was extremely limited in its capabilities in the early game. As a toss, you could hit very specific timings versus an expanding enemy and do alot of damage - just like SC2. By comparison to BW, you could say protoss have it easier, because a fast-expanding toss was extremely susceptible to early timing attacks, like hydra bust or a tank marine push* (depends on map). Granted early game all-in zergs are still difficult to handle, that in itself depends entirely on the map and is very difficult for a zerg to pull off on larger maps.

I don't think early game is what you toss players should be focusing on. You want to improve the quality - the fun factor - of the entire game and realistically it still all boils down to the deathball.

And in reality, all blizzard needs to do is to remove the colossus from the deathball to create more positional play and minimize centralized DPS.

To illustrate,

[image loading]

The protoss deathball. A moving entity of pure DPS. Having colossus stacked on top the army creates what is essentially a moving, AoE turret. The protoss deathball is the bane of the entire game and needs to be solved.

What happens when you remove the colossus from the deathball?

[image loading]

You create a situation where colossus do not act like a "turret". You still maintain the zealot-archon-immortal-stalker "stack" but the colossus need to be repositioned to attack. This is has a multitude of implications which the following image will illustrate.

[image loading]

What you see in the above is the spreading of DPS. Here's what's happening.

1) Colossus not stacking leads to reduced DPS on a certain area of the attacking army.
2) The protoss army will begin to spread out laterally to match the lateral spread of the attacking army. So now the attacking army is not concentrating DPS on one central area.
3) You now have these sub engagements in a lateral direction versus one specific ball-on-ball engagement. Think like how roach vs roach spreads out.
4) ... and for the toss,

this fucker: [image loading]

can no longer fungal your entire deathball because your army is widely spread out! great!
starleague forever
Proko
Profile Joined February 2011
United States1022 Posts
October 12 2012 20:14 GMT
#128
Protoss is so bad I have basically quit following starcraft and am not even planning on buying HOTS. Nobody really loves protoss right now and it shows.
Caster duos should compliment each others' strengths. "You look very handsome today, Tasteless."
PcH
Profile Joined December 2010
United States83 Posts
October 12 2012 20:16 GMT
#129
Play better.
twitch.tv/itspch
Freefall22
Profile Joined May 2011
New Zealand15 Posts
October 12 2012 20:18 GMT
#130
On October 12 2012 07:17 SarcasmMonster wrote:
Show nested quote +
On October 12 2012 07:14 FeeLdAfuRy wrote:
This is such a great post and I agree with everything you said.

The only thing that I would add is that buffing Protoss tier 1 would also require Warp Gate to be made a higher level tech (possibly tier 3) so as to limit 4/6gate type strategies from becoming unbeatably strong.


Good idea.


This is actually a great idea, make having warpgate a upgrade that you don't just get but actually can plan builds around getting.

I've been considering race swtiching from protoss, not because of ballance, but because of the play style... it's just not fun.
purakushi
Profile Joined August 2012
United States3300 Posts
October 12 2012 20:22 GMT
#131
Just play Starbow on the Arcade. Come to chat channel starbow for games. Much better game.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=304955
(OP's information is out of date though, but you get the idea)
T P Z sagi
tsuxiit
Profile Joined July 2010
1305 Posts
October 12 2012 20:24 GMT
#132
Blizzard's afraid of making any changes like this. I'd love to see warp gates redesigned/destroyed, but it simply won't happen because Blizzard sees themselves as already being too invested in it.
Zanzabarr
Profile Joined October 2010
Canada217 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-10-12 20:29:03
October 12 2012 20:26 GMT
#133
The ideas expressed in the OP are basically the way I have felt about the Protoss race since launch. A complete and utter reliance on perfect forcefields to make up for t1 and t1.5 units that outright lose badly cost for cost against all other T1 and T1.5 in the game of other races, and a mandatory requirement of T3 units to deal with critical masses of other races T1 and T1.5 units. Both of these things make protoss weak in small engagements, greatly limiting options for splitting army / harassing with a few units. Like the OP said, it's simply bad design. Against a Mass Roach ball in PvZ for example, I either hit perfect forcefields and come out way ahead, or leave a small gap open, allowing all the speed roaches to funnel through, and lose horribly. It's not good design. The best thing that could happen to this game would be a gateway unit buff / forcefield removal, but that will likely never happen.
rysecake
Profile Joined October 2010
United States2632 Posts
October 12 2012 20:28 GMT
#134
On October 13 2012 05:22 purakushi wrote:
Just play Starbow on the Arcade. Come to chat channel starbow for games. Much better game.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=304955
(OP's information is out of date though, but you get the idea)


i just tried this game for the first time.

I really recommend everyone to try it. It's actually extremely fun haha
The Notorious Winkles
aZealot
Profile Blog Joined May 2011
New Zealand5447 Posts
October 12 2012 20:49 GMT
#135
On October 13 2012 04:49 BluemoonSC wrote:
the screen cap you posted of immortal stalker vs the roaches really put me off right off the bat to the point where i didnt even read your article.

-the zerg has a much better concave than the protoss
-there are stalkers and immortals dancing in the back that cannot reach the zerg's roaches.

that right there would be evidence for a BAD ENGAGEMENT, but not DIFFERENCE IN COST EFFICIENCY.

gateway units are plenty strong enough in the hands of someone that knows how to use them, but i think if the right changes were made to the sentry and their T3 (specifically the colossus), i'd be willing to hear them out.


You didn't miss much. It went on to state reliance on FF in all MU, moved onto some assertions about "weak" gateway units, observed Protoss dependence on tech in the mid to late game, then onto maps and map pools before finally ending with some entirely unoriginal design suggestions. A shambles of an OP.
KT best KT ~ 2014
Werk
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
United States294 Posts
October 12 2012 20:59 GMT
#136
Nerf FF, buff other gateway units IMO. FF really takes away a lot of possible micro in the games early parts, micro was much more entertaining and difficult in BW and did not have FF...and as a zerg as a game play mechanic, making a 200/200 ground army is so fucking terrible...you have to make tons of roaches KNOWING that they will sit behind force fields...they are there JUST to buffer force fields....how boring and uninteresting is that!?
Do Werk Son
Scila
Profile Joined October 2010
Canada1849 Posts
October 12 2012 20:59 GMT
#137
On October 13 2012 04:37 sAfuRos wrote:
I think everyone needs to just face the fact that the Blizzard design team is just incompetent. It is quite obvious that Blizzard has taken a money-first policy to their company in the last few years, and SC2, no longer generating much money, is no priority. Their balance team has always been shitty; only David Kim even plays the fucking game. DBrowder just sits there and pretends to care. The community has consistently proposed better unit designs or at least raised very legitimate concerns, and every time without fail, Blizzard as ignored them

Before we even talk about Protoss gateway units, i'd worry about the atrocious unit design that blizzard implements into HotS. Like jesus fuck, who the fuck is making these decisions, free hallu for sentries lmfao


Yeah Blizz has been lacking lately, you can tell by the lower quality of the content being released after Burning Crusade expac in wow.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
StatikKhaos
Profile Joined January 2011
United States214 Posts
October 12 2012 21:02 GMT
#138
lol roaches are already awful,
they're good because they're so cheap,
but they're also super expensive in terms of supply.

200/200 roach is really really weak, its just super cheap
Those Bitches
kcdc
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States2311 Posts
October 12 2012 21:20 GMT
#139
On October 13 2012 06:02 StatikKhaos wrote:
lol roaches are already awful,
they're good because they're so cheap,
but they're also super expensive in terms of supply.

200/200 roach is really really weak, its just super cheap


Can we trade stalkers for roaches then?
Nocci
Profile Joined August 2010
Germany108 Posts
October 12 2012 21:21 GMT
#140
Thumbs up to the OP, please don't get tired of pointing out design flaws despite Blizzards igorance.

Currently Balance is good, but the design is bad. Is it really?
Well look at this: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=374930
Only 150ish people participated in the poll before the thread was closed, but I think the trend is clear. I didn't know TL didn't approve of simple surveys like this, maybe someone can come up with an addition to the thread so there would be some disussion instead of just people listing for what they voted and maybe it could be reopened. I'd love to have a 2k people sample of which 80% state PvZ is utter bullshit, regardless of what race they play. Then present it to DB only to hear "but but I like it, there is no spoo.. eh problem."

With balance and design going hand in hand, of course balance will be overthrown when trying to fix underlying design issues. Most people bringing up things like "nah you can't change FFs/can't buff Warpgate units/nerf AoE" are not seeing the giant circlejerk they're caught in because they're looking mostly at balance.

To break out of this vicious circle you need to start at one point and then introduce more design/balance changes subsequently. It's pretty much impossible to gauge the consequences of a fundamental change like FF nerf. Yes it's a fuckton of work, but in the long run it will only benefit the longevity of the game. Maybe this shouldn't be mentioned to their higher-ups, because with extended longevity of one product it's more difficult to sell the successor...

I tried for a step one suggestion here (long ass read): http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=373390


I'd love to theorycraft and come up with more different approaches if it weren't so damn disheartening, reading the same horseshit from DB and DK over and over again. Denying that there's a problem in P design is either a lie or proof of stupidity, at this point idk which I'd prefer...
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