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Dustin Browder WCS TL Interview

Forum Index > SC2 General
605 CommentsPost a Reply
1 2 3 4 5 29 30 31 Next All

Dustin Browder WCS TL Interview

Text byTL.net ESPORTS
November 20th, 2012 06:41 GMT

Interview with Dustin Browder

by Antoine and monk.

We sat down with Dustin Browder during the Battle.net World Championships for a lengthy chat regarding the state of StarCraft 2 and what Heart of the Swarm will be bringing in the future.





The following is a basic summary of the major points Dustin addressed in our interview. That being said, we highly recommend you watch the full interview, as he goes very well in-depth on a lot of issues the community is concerned about right now.

Dustin Browder Interview Summary
  • Believes Immortal/Sentry All-in can be solved by Zerg players without Blizzard intervention
  • Blizzard is aware of the restrictions on map design caused by the Stephano Roach style, but doesn’t think it can/will be fixed in WoL, will work on for HotS
  • Will redesign Mothership so it won’t be a serious unit used in professional esports play
  • Testing internally: Very likely balance map in next two weeks
    • (WoL)Psionic units immune to Fungal Growth-Hopes EMP/Templar more viable
      Note: Psionic units include: Ghost, Queen, Infestor, Sentry, Templar, Dark Templar, Archon, Warp Prism, Mothership
    • (HotS only)Add projectile animation on Fungal Growth-This delay will allow units to dodge

  • About uprooting spines/spores to base trade in PvZ: The core problem is that races don’t have options vs Infestor/Broodlord, so Blizzard will fix the core problem instead
  • Regarding the Carrier: Considered Change: Interceptors Immune to Fungal
  • Thinks Corruptors are a bigger problem vs Carriers rather than Infestors
  • Blizzard wants to be cautious with balancing PvZ
  • Seeing more Infestor/broodlord mirrors lately, will play close attention to this
  • Feels Neuraling Motherships is a problem
  • Neural is on the chopping block for Swarm
  • Doesn’t feel changing Fungal to a slow will change much to the game
  • Believes there’s cultural differences between countries that makes Korean Terrans and foreigner Terrans different
  • On lack of Terrans at BWC: Some Korean Terrans dropped out for various reasons and “It is what it is”
  • Blizzard doesn't blindly look at win-rates and actually watches the games
  • When watching games, Blizzard always asks, ‘could this player could have played the game better?’
  • Relies on community to call out specific games and issues with the game
  • Can redesign 250mm strike cannon to give Thors a different purpose
  • Test map: Seeker missile won’t require an upgrade
    • Dustin doesn't believe this will change much

  • Possible buffs to Medivacs to account for more new options to defend drops
  • Feels like HotS units, especially Protoss and Zerg right now, are “balanceable”, Terrans might need bigger changes to create dynamic play
  • Will work on Mech TvP later on in HotS Beta
  • To TeamLiquid: Please keep the feedback coming and please play beta!

We ran out of time, but after the interview, he told us there were changes planned for Void Ray, Phoenix, and Mutalisk. It’s unclear if these will be for WoL or HotS, but most likely will be HotS only.


+ Show Spoiler [Summary of the Possible Proposed Changes] +

[image loading]WoL

Terran

Raven
  • Comes with Seeker Missile Researched
Zerg

Infestor
  • Unspecified change to Infested Terrans
  • Psionic Units Immune to Fungal
Protoss

Carrier
  • Interceptors immune to Fungal Growth


[image loading]
HotS (All WoL changes will be included in HotS)

Terran
  • General unspecified mech buffs, especially in TvP

Hellbat
  • Buffed in an unspecified way

Thor
  • 250mm Strike Cannon redesigned so that Thor will gain an additional purpose

Medivac
  • Ability to drop buffed in some way


Zerg

Mutalisk
  • Changed in an unspecified way

Infestor
  • A projectile will be added to Fungal Growth
  • Neural Parasite Removed

Protoss

Phoenix
  • Changed in an unspecified way

Void Ray
  • Changed in an unspecified way

Mothership
  • Redesigned so it won’t be used in professional play


Videos: Antoine and monk.
Graphics: Blizzard and HawaiianPig.
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TL+ Member
monk
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States8476 Posts
November 20 2012 06:46 GMT
#2
Hope you guys also focus on his answers about his approach to the game, and not just the balance changes.
Moderator
SchfiftyFive
Profile Joined September 2010
United States131 Posts
November 20 2012 06:49 GMT
#3
Starting to watch, really excited only thing im not excited for and im actually against is that destructible rocks at 3rd, even as a P player and not even a Z player i dont really like it.
My IQ? // "Unprotected sex is like fast expanding in close positions. Its risky, but feels great when it works out" Cim9
thejamster
Profile Joined December 2010
Canada71 Posts
November 20 2012 06:53 GMT
#4
hmmm does this mean that you will also no longer be able to reveal dts with fungal? I'm starting to be more excited for HOTS hope it turns out well.
Chicane
Profile Joined November 2010
United States7875 Posts
November 20 2012 06:53 GMT
#5
So they introduced the mothership core which has many uses, but the mothership itself won't be a useful unit in competitive play? Interesting.....
Gaius Baltar
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States449 Posts
November 20 2012 06:54 GMT
#6
Thanks for great interview and summary. Very excited that so many units are being revisisted. Will check out the video tonight when my VPN starts cooperating.
StimiLant
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States534 Posts
November 20 2012 06:55 GMT
#7
<3 TL/Dustin Browder
Deckkie
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Netherlands1595 Posts
November 20 2012 06:56 GMT
#8
Happy that Dustin Browder recognizes that the Sentry highly influenceses the map.
Always look on the bright side of life
lordofsoup
Profile Joined January 2012
United States159 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-11-20 07:01:40
November 20 2012 06:59 GMT
#9
Seems like he is finally taking an interest in the pro scene. I dont see how you can change the mother ship as a unit so that it wont be used in professional play, and still have it do anything. Might as well take it out. Psionic units immune to fungal sounds really interesting. I am somewhat confused about his opinion on the weakness of Carriers to corruptors. It seems to me that if you have enough fungals currently, you can just spam them and bring down the enormous swarm of interceptors.

His approach to balance is interesting, but it seems to me that the way to stop the immortal sentry all in is either to get lucky, spend so many units on breaking the attack that you are behind, spend just enough so that you are even because of your third base. Besides that all you can do is some gimmicky 2-base play, which for zerg is somewhat questionable as you have the same number of bases as the protoss.
NOHUNTERS
MiCa
Profile Joined October 2011
United States147 Posts
November 20 2012 06:59 GMT
#10
Ok inc nerf to the bunker...
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull sheet. - W. C. Fields
Falling
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
Canada11363 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-11-20 07:03:59
November 20 2012 07:01 GMT
#11
I wish if they are so adamant to make the mothership as a goofy unit, then give us the Arbiter back. Or some equivalent.

Like, why is it that the Protoss gets stuck with the 'non-serious' unit?

10 mins in. Very nice interview so far
Moderator"In Trump We Trust," says the Golden Goat of Mars Lago. Have faith and believe! Trump moves in mysterious ways. Like the wind he blows where he pleases...
herMan
Profile Joined November 2010
Japan2053 Posts
November 20 2012 07:01 GMT
#12
Thanks monk for all the work you did in China!

Good to see that blizzard is clearing up its image about balancing stuff.
Chicane
Profile Joined November 2010
United States7875 Posts
November 20 2012 07:02 GMT
#13
On November 20 2012 16:01 Falling wrote:
I wish if they are so adamant to make the mothership as a goofy unit, then give us the Arbiter back. Or some equivalent.


Yeah I agree. The mothership is an interesting unit with recall and cloak... and if vortex is reworked so it isn't so ridiculous then it will still be a lot of fun.
arcane1129
Profile Joined January 2011
United States271 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-11-20 09:58:15
November 20 2012 07:05 GMT
#14
Infestors wouldn't be able to fungal archons, sentries, warp prisms, and DTs? I'm fine with say ghosts and high templars being immune but those 4 in particular would suck for zerg players...
Snake.69
Profile Joined February 2010
Canada140 Posts
November 20 2012 07:05 GMT
#15
How in hell can we stop immortal sentry all in if sentries are immune to fungal? ....
blade55555
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States17423 Posts
November 20 2012 07:07 GMT
#16
On November 20 2012 16:01 Falling wrote:
I wish if they are so adamant to make the mothership as a goofy unit, then give us the Arbiter back. Or some equivalent.

Like, why is it that the Protoss gets stuck with the 'non-serious' unit?

10 mins in. Very nice interview so far


Heh well hydras have been that way in sc2 for a majority of it .

Very informative interview :D
When I think of something else, something will go here
blug
Profile Joined February 2011
Australia623 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-11-20 07:10:40
November 20 2012 07:07 GMT
#17
I really get the impression from Dustin Browder that he's not passionate about the game, he's just been hired to do his job and he does a bit of research to understand a bit about the meta game.

I think Dustin is good in interviews, but I think they need to hire a few open minded professional sc2 players who can at least assist with balance, because I think Dustin might not have a complete understanding of the game.

I think Dustin has been trying harder lately though. He used to be completely ignorant... now he sounds like he's been watching a bit more of the E-Sport scene.
Derp
Xenocryst
Profile Joined December 2010
United States521 Posts
November 20 2012 07:09 GMT
#18
Fungal changes are absolutely horrifying....
FlukyS
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
Ireland485 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-11-20 07:12:02
November 20 2012 07:10 GMT
#19
Every time I hear him talk I just get really afraid that he is going to nerf things and completely destroy the balance. Like for instance that change to fungal to make psyonic units immune, it completely removes infestors as a counter to immortal sentry. And fungal as a projectile just makes me see into a future of just muta in ZvZ becauase what are you going to make hydra? Nope they still suck unless you have 20 of them infestors? Well unless they are asleep they won't lose many muta. So it would change ZvZ completely and make it imbalanced (as in really boring and awkward like early game ling bling battles) mid game from a place that was ok.

And removing neural? They nerfed it out of excistance and then they remove it. I remember talking about thor hellbat in heart of the swarm being stupid and everyone said oh you can neural the thors and that is the only option for winning in that scenario because the entire army has almost 10k hp potentially.

I just feel like Zerg will be a mess if they made every change that he talked about in this video.
Chicane
Profile Joined November 2010
United States7875 Posts
November 20 2012 07:10 GMT
#20
I really don't know how he doesn't think that changing a fungal to slow wouldn't do much. If he really thinks that, then change it! People will be happy how you can micro against it, and apparently it won't really change the balance so... no reason not to! :D
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