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HotS Highground Mechanic - Page 9

Forum Index > SC2 General
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NukeD
Profile Joined October 2010
Croatia1612 Posts
February 02 2013 19:37 GMT
#161
On February 03 2013 04:00 rd wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 02 2013 09:24 NukeD wrote:
While this change is a step in the right direction, it will hardly do anything to save SC2.


SC2 was going to die with out this? Thats news.


This among a lot of other things yeah.
sorry for dem one liners
Emzeeshady
Profile Blog Joined January 2012
Canada4203 Posts
February 02 2013 19:42 GMT
#162
--- Nuked ---
Falling
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
Canada11349 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-02-02 19:47:15
February 02 2013 19:46 GMT
#163
On February 03 2013 04:42 Emzeeshady wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 03 2013 04:32 Falling wrote:
On February 03 2013 04:20 Larkin wrote:
On February 03 2013 04:13 Falling wrote:
On February 03 2013 04:05 Larkin wrote:
On February 03 2013 04:02 Ljas wrote:
On February 03 2013 03:57 Larkin wrote:
Having a big penalty will encourage players to turtle, no one will want to attack and have a far bigger risk of losing everything. People would be even more directed to just defending until they get to their respective lategame deathball compositions.

I don't get it. How does being easier to defend with less units translate to a bigger risk of losing everything?


If it is easier to defend with less units, it is therefore more dangerous to attack.

The way SC2 works is that if you lose an engagement you are put behind and have to do something to get back.

So no one will attack because if their attack can be defended a lot easier, they will run an even greater risk of losing and being put behind. In addition, turtling players will obviously be defensive and so harassment in the form of things like drops will be less effective.

The high ground is part of what allows you to come back. It gives you survivability. Slow down the marauding army in time for you build up the next wave and attack. This allows you to push farther out into the field earlier because you can fall back in a harassing retreat, making stands on high ground areas which will allow you to cost-effectively trade. High ground advantage is more than just in your base. Maps can have high ground spread through the centre as well. If you have gained a high ground advantage that lies in between where a player wants to expand or that cuts through their reinforcing lines, you've been rewarded for pushing out offensively.


My point being that no one will use a marauding army because of the fear of losing it to a defender with too powerful a high ground advantage. If it gets to the point where players can hold a ramp with half the forces of their opponent, it'll be too much.

However, you do raise a good point - players should be rewarded for taking the map, but I imagine if the defender's advantage is buffed lower league players especially will be even more afraid of pushing out on the map.

The fear of pushing out in the lower leagues is something that will always be with us and it is something they need to get over with- and a bigger carrot would probably work better. More economic advantage for expanding. But that goes for higher level players too. More incentive to expand, then they will be much more spread out. You can't defend all places equally, so then the players will be jockying to strike and exploit the weakest point (there's your Sun Tzu), but this in turn will force large army engagements as the defender races to protect their weak points.

There is obviously a balancing act. You don't want to make the game so defensive in their base so that it is impossible to attack. But as we've already seen what the proposed high ground advantage does, I don't think this suggestion will lead to that. And if it does, then maybe it'll give Blizzard an idea of where and how to adust to their units to compensate for it.

This actually happens quite a lot in SC2. Lots of people choose to ignore this for some reason and only point to the games where there is turtling into death balls.

Regardless maybe I am wrong and this change will actually be beneficial. In that case there needs to be a shitload of testing done.

It may occur in SC2. But the question is to what degree. If it is a good thing, can we get more of it? Would better high ground advantage help encourage it? If yes, then why not try it? Yes it would require a lot of testing, but I think that's what many of us were hoping the expansion betas were for. Maybe it's a pipedream for SC3 two decades from now. Who knows.
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...
muzzy
Profile Joined March 2010
United States640 Posts
February 02 2013 19:52 GMT
#164
I just want to jump in and say that the high ground mechanic was one of the worst things about BW. It was very random, and randomness does not belong in StarCraft.

That said, I do think it'd be interesting to try out modifying the high ground mechanic in SC2, but I don't think it's necessarily broken right now.
kiero
Profile Joined May 2007
Canada136 Posts
February 02 2013 19:53 GMT
#165
I think this is a good idea. For people saying defender's advantage is already too great, let's remember that all map trends right now have 3 easy to defend bases. In broodwar, 3rd bases were always mineral only if easy to defend, or much harder to defend.
Salteador Neo
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Andorra5591 Posts
February 02 2013 20:06 GMT
#166
YES this is what they should have done in the first place, instead of nerfing every rush strat to the ground
Revolutionist fan
kuroshiro
Profile Joined October 2010
United Kingdom378 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-02-02 20:33:57
February 02 2013 20:30 GMT
#167
-1 range sounds like an interesting approach. Just to run with that idea for a bit - how about -1 range per `standard unit' of height, where the standard unit is however high the typical main is from ground level. This gives yet another dimension (geddit?) to the dynamics and encourages clever use of terrain.
I am you, and you are me.
monitor
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States2404 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-02-02 21:12:33
February 02 2013 21:11 GMT
#168
On February 03 2013 04:04 Inex wrote:
What a terrible idea. As OP said it it works early to mid game, what more do you want? Oh and ''map makers can adapt''; whoever said that apparently has no idea how difficult it is to create a decent map for SC2. Being masters also means nothing, since you could be low masters for all I know and that means you are just as bad as everybody else.


I hope you know that I'm the author of Korhal Compound, my good friend superouman (Cloud Kingdom and others) retired partly because of no highground advantage, and all of the other mapmakers agree on adding a highground advantage (LS, ATTx, Jacky, TPW members, DF members, etc.). We are the mapmakers in SC2.

[edit] Didn't mean to sound like Korhal Comp is a good map lol... it sucked. But you get my point.
Mapmaker & TLMC Judge. Amygdala, Frostline, Crimson Court, and Korhal Compound (WoL).
sc14s
Profile Joined March 2011
United States5052 Posts
February 02 2013 21:18 GMT
#169
imo just make it like wc3 where you have a chance to miss uphill. it even makes sense from a standpoint of trying to hit something up a hill is harder.
coolcor
Profile Joined February 2011
520 Posts
February 02 2013 21:36 GMT
#170
On February 03 2013 06:11 monitor wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 03 2013 04:04 Inex wrote:
What a terrible idea. As OP said it it works early to mid game, what more do you want? Oh and ''map makers can adapt''; whoever said that apparently has no idea how difficult it is to create a decent map for SC2. Being masters also means nothing, since you could be low masters for all I know and that means you are just as bad as everybody else.


I hope you know that I'm the author of Korhal Compound, my good friend superouman (Cloud Kingdom and others) retired partly because of no highground advantage, and all of the other mapmakers agree on adding a highground advantage (LS, ATTx, Jacky, TPW members, DF members, etc.). We are the mapmakers in SC2.

[edit] Didn't mean to sound like Korhal Comp is a good map lol... it sucked. But you get my point.


Why don't you just add in high ground advantage with the editor and make all the highground maps you want?
Gfire
Profile Joined March 2011
United States1699 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-02-02 21:44:39
February 02 2013 21:41 GMT
#171
On February 03 2013 06:36 coolcor wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 03 2013 06:11 monitor wrote:
On February 03 2013 04:04 Inex wrote:
What a terrible idea. As OP said it it works early to mid game, what more do you want? Oh and ''map makers can adapt''; whoever said that apparently has no idea how difficult it is to create a decent map for SC2. Being masters also means nothing, since you could be low masters for all I know and that means you are just as bad as everybody else.


I hope you know that I'm the author of Korhal Compound, my good friend superouman (Cloud Kingdom and others) retired partly because of no highground advantage, and all of the other mapmakers agree on adding a highground advantage (LS, ATTx, Jacky, TPW members, DF members, etc.). We are the mapmakers in SC2.

[edit] Didn't mean to sound like Korhal Comp is a good map lol... it sucked. But you get my point.


Why don't you just add in high ground advantage with the editor and make all the highground maps you want?

Of course we can do whatever we want in the editor... but no one will play it, no tournaments will use it. Maybe some small scene will develop that plays it like Starbow or Onegoal, or maybe it can be used as a proof of concept, but that's it.

On February 03 2013 06:11 monitor wrote:
Show nested quote +
On February 03 2013 04:04 Inex wrote:
What a terrible idea. As OP said it it works early to mid game, what more do you want? Oh and ''map makers can adapt''; whoever said that apparently has no idea how difficult it is to create a decent map for SC2. Being masters also means nothing, since you could be low masters for all I know and that means you are just as bad as everybody else.


I hope you know that I'm the author of Korhal Compound, my good friend superouman (Cloud Kingdom and others) retired partly because of no highground advantage, and all of the other mapmakers agree on adding a highground advantage (LS, ATTx, Jacky, TPW members, DF members, etc.). We are the mapmakers in SC2.

[edit] Didn't mean to sound like Korhal Comp is a good map lol... it sucked. But you get my point.

Hey, why aren't I on the list? I just posted a huge thread on this recently.

Anyway, I think I would have more fun as a map maker with some high ground advantage.. However I can't say for certain that just implementing it without other changes would work out completely. It might have some unwanted negative side effects.

Sadly, it could really look stupid for a while before players figured out how to use it, and everyone might think it doesn't work when it really just needs more time. Blizzard understands this well, though, when it comes to game design, but they mostly apply it to their own ideas that everyone is hating on. It's hard to convince them to try something, although it did work with the hellbat thing if I'm not mistaken, so maybe.

Edit: Not that I support biological hellions, lol.
all's fair in love and melodies
habeck
Profile Joined February 2011
1120 Posts
February 02 2013 21:44 GMT
#172
TvT defender already has an advantage, because his tanks are already in siege mode, with this, TvT would be even longer, so NO
Randomaccount#77123
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States5003 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-02-02 22:21:41
February 02 2013 22:03 GMT
#173
--- Nuked ---
SlixSC
Profile Joined October 2012
666 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-02-02 22:21:01
February 02 2013 22:20 GMT
#174
I think at this point all races are really strong defensively and it's very hard to do any real early-mid game damage, this would only make it harder to attack which I feel is already extremely hard anyway. (think about bunkers, forcefields, fungal, spines, queens, etc..)
gh0un
Profile Joined March 2011
601 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-02-02 22:46:42
February 02 2013 22:24 GMT
#175
-1 Range when attacking Highground
This would have a big impact on gameplay, such as in TvT, the defender would have the advantage in Tank Wars, making it less stalemate.
In Other match-ups, it would always give the first shot to the defender, which gives defender the advantage.
The attacker would now have the burden of micro, as he/she would have to play cleverly to overcome the advantage.


Have never read such a contradictory statement ever.
It wouldnt make tank wars less stalemate, quite the opposite.
It is already almost impossible to push against a tank line that is on top of a hill.
With -1 range, it would simply be impossible to attack into another terran´s base, because his tanks would have a huge advantage.
This results in an ever bigger stalemate because none of the two terrans can push into the other players tank line.
All the other suggestions are terrible aswell.

The game does not need a highground advantage, if anything it needs a highground disadvantage.
If it were harder to defend bases (and therefore highgrounds for the most part), then the player that has less bases (the one that wants to start a comeback) would have a much easier time to actually get a comeback going.

All these "we need more highground advantage" posts start off completely wrong by saying that they want to increase the comeback frequency by adding more highground advantage.
A bigger highground advantage will always favor the one that has more bases and therefore the one that has the advantage in the game.
An increase in highground advantage will just make the game even more boring because it will become impossible to start a comeback.

The only thing that would make the game more likely to have comebacks is to completely remove static defenses (including queen defense, all towers, mothership core, basically everything that can defend a base) and then also completely remove highground advantage.
This way, whoever manages his units better will win the game.
Sounds crazy, but thats how it is.

The only problem with this is that all-ins would become much more powerful, but that is also fixable.
Buff scouting options across the board.
Stratos_speAr
Profile Joined May 2009
United States6959 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-02-02 22:35:03
February 02 2013 22:30 GMT
#176
On February 02 2013 09:27 PandaTank wrote:
This is idiotic in my opinion. The defenders advantage is already far too great in StarCraft 2.


What? Defender's advantage is terrible. There really isn't one at all, actually.

Have never read such a contradictory statement ever.
It wouldnt make tank wars less stalemate, quite the opposite.
It is already almost impossible to push against a tank line that is on top of a hill.
With -1 range, it would simply be impossible to attack into another terran´s base, because his tanks would have a huge advantage.
This results in an ever bigger stalemate because none of the two terrans can push into the other players tank line.
All the other suggestions are terrible aswell.

The game does not need a highground advantage, if anything it needs a highground disadvantage.
If it were harder to defend bases (and therefore highgrounds for the most part), then the player that has less bases (the one that wants to start a comeback) would have a much easier time to actually get a comeback going.

All these "we need more highground advantage" posts start off completely wrong by saying that they want to increase the comeback frequency by adding more highground advantage.
A bigger highground advantage will always favor the one that has more bases and therefore the one that has the advantage in the game.
An increase in highground advantage will just make the game even more boring because it will become impossible to start a comeback.


People making a comeback need a defender's advantage. Why? Because their opponent's army will destroy theirs anywhere else. That's why they are coming back. Reducing defender's advantage (even though there really isn't one right now) would make it even harder for comebacks to occur. When you are making a comeback, you don't randomly waltz out of your base to try to quickly destroy an opponent's base. Why? BECAUSE YOU CAN'T, THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO COME BACK. Your army is weaker, and therefore the only thing that will let you come back is if you can hold your own bases/take one more base and hold them, which needs a better defender's advantage.
A sound mind in a sound body, is a short, but full description of a happy state in this World: he that has these two, has little more to wish for; and he that wants either of them, will be little the better for anything else.
RParks42
Profile Joined December 2012
United States77 Posts
February 02 2013 22:43 GMT
#177
While I don't think that a HGM being in BW is a reason for/against it, it would be interesting to see how this effected the balance of the match ups and how/if they progressed differently. Also, not being a map maker, while I can't see why not being able to add a HGM would make it more difficult, I do know that I have absolutely no knowledge of how to make one, so I'm not going to give the general "Just add a high ground mechanic" response
I enjoy some good dome occasionally
robih
Profile Joined September 2010
Austria1086 Posts
February 02 2013 22:47 GMT
#178
would ruin the game into an even worse campfest

lategame is already terrible enough
[]Phase[]
Profile Joined September 2010
Belgium927 Posts
February 02 2013 22:54 GMT
#179
Really wonder if they would even consider something like this... Im all for more positional play, but I dont see how 'tank stalemates' or any stalemates for that matter get solved by this : if anything, people will turtle even harder. Except this time at high ground locations. Maybe if expansions were more spread out, or you were forced to take more of them, yea I could see this working. Then you would have small defensive squads. That would seem pretty fun.
Serpico
Profile Joined May 2010
4285 Posts
February 02 2013 22:57 GMT
#180
On February 03 2013 07:47 robih wrote:
would ruin the game into an even worse campfest

lategame is already terrible enough

Which goes into another flaw with how you don't need to expand as quickly/often..... high ground advantages would be great if people actually had to be more aggressive to benefit economically.
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