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The Curious Case of soO's Macro Mechanics - Page 3

Forum Index > SC2 General
534 CommentsPost a Reply
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mishimaBeef
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada2259 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 19:24:00
August 03 2015 19:21 GMT
#41
I don't get why people compare SC2 to moba or even WC3... totally different scales.

Also, I agree with the person saying it would be nice to have TL write an article taking the opposite position. If it's true that nobody on the staff agrees with that position... well then it starts to smell like a groupthink factory.
Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
DSK
Profile Blog Joined February 2015
England1110 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 19:53:11
August 03 2015 19:24 GMT
#42
Those quotes you responded to make my head hurt. Good write up.

To anyone that doubts the skill it takes to macro, I would ask you to take a look at this YouTube playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlyM2Qynscz6EDXuyUaZj_8ljrrhAmSxh

[Added]

Ugh, the fact that those quotes came from Blizzard has me very worried.
**@ YT: SC2POVs at https://www.youtube.com/c/SC2POVsTV | https://liquipedia.net/starcraft2/SC2POVs @**
Yiome
Profile Joined February 2014
China1687 Posts
August 03 2015 19:26 GMT
#43
Not agree with OP here but thanks for the writing anyway.
A important aspect that seems to miss in this article is the possible change will be applied in LotV, and if anyone still remember, it fast paced like hell with boosted economy and new units that require much more micro.(hence action packing like blizzard love to phase it)
As a causal zerg player, while I do like the rhythm feeling injects give zerg, I am not sure I will be able to keep up with the game in LotV, not mention have fun with it.
It is not “fun to play” or watch.

Well this is a game so I would assume people want to have fun?
Superbanana
Profile Joined May 2014
2369 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 19:29:52
August 03 2015 19:28 GMT
#44
Alright, what is fun or not is really subjective.
As much as i enjoy being overwhelmed with more tasks that my coordination can handle i undestand a lot of people don't.
I would be inclined to say "then why are you playing Starcraft?" but LotV is supposed to be more acessible and bring more people into the game so this point is invalid.
In PvZ the zerg can make the situation spire out of control but protoss can adept to the situation.
Jono7272
Profile Joined November 2010
United Kingdom6330 Posts
August 03 2015 19:30 GMT
#45
Hopefully this will help them see sense, good article.
Innovation | Flash | Mvp | Byun | TY
TheOneAboveU
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
Germany3367 Posts
August 03 2015 19:33 GMT
#46
I actually do have fun trying to improve my injects and creep spread, it's such a substantial aspect of the game for me, because it's something I can really watch myself get better and back it up with numbers (like checking how far my creep got in X amount of time, when/in which situation I missed my first inject etc.).
Moderatoralias TripleM | @TL_TripleM | Big Dark Energy!
Tuczniak
Profile Joined September 2010
1561 Posts
August 03 2015 19:34 GMT
#47
I disagree with a lot of thing OP wrote, but it's a good article. First part came more as a rant, but that's ok.
Big J
Profile Joined March 2011
Austria16289 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 19:37:59
August 03 2015 19:36 GMT
#48
On August 04 2015 04:20 Sholip wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 04 2015 04:08 BisuDagger wrote:
On August 04 2015 04:02 Sholip wrote:
Nice writeup, although I disagree with a lot of things. At this point, though, it seems that about half of the community does not want changes because they are happy with what they got (used to), and the other half wants a change because they find macro mechanics tiring/not fun. Not that it's a problem, but it seems neither side can convince the other with any amount of arguments.

It's a shame, though, that the article is biased in favor of the macro mechanics. I don't say it would have been easy to stay neutral about the case, but it would be nice to see someone from the TL staff write such an article from the other perspective.

Also, this.
On August 04 2015 03:35 Big J wrote:
I guess I'm not gonna make a lot of friends here, but the first part of the article is a crap-pile of strawmen that made me stop reading, but one thing I can't get around to respond to is this sentence:

Being “not fun” is not an argument.

Well, it fucking is. It is a fucking game. It is the best fucking argument you can bring for or against a feature of a game. Maybe not on its own because you very well go on to argue why the not fun part can improve the the game overall, but in essence if you were to made a pro/contra-list for a feature the very first question you should ask "is this thing fun?". It's a damn good argument. You may be able to overrule it by considering the overall picture, but you can't just wipe it off the table.
Although not with this exact wording, I was going to say the same thing myself.

I'm not sure anyone on staff shares that perspective. Maybe someone who is good at Devil's Advocate could try it.

Really? That's unfortunate.
I mean, I could write an article myself but I'm afraid it would not have the same weight as an "official" TL writeup. I think a lot of people will now remember, "Ah yes, that debate. Even the TL staff themselves were against the changes."
If someone from TL could show the other side of the coin, that might get people to actually think instead of blindly clinging to their own opinions they formed immediately after the topic was brought up.

Also, I think it would be a pretty good trend for the future to write double critics like in case of some film reviews, coming with two texts from people with generally opposing ideas.


If you want an elaborated counter-opinion against the current macro mechanics Jakatak's last video is amazing.
+ Show Spoiler +
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GxW0c414Pk&t=10m16s


For some reason it doesn't start at the timestamp I linked for me. 10:16 the talk on macro mechanics start.
Yiome
Profile Joined February 2014
China1687 Posts
August 03 2015 19:36 GMT
#49
On August 04 2015 04:34 Tuczniak wrote:
I disagree with a lot of thing OP wrote, but it's a good article. First part came more as a rant, but that's ok.

Rant is the word I'm looking for ><
Yeah the first part almost made me stop reading it.
The_White_Visitation
Profile Joined August 2015
3 Posts
August 03 2015 19:39 GMT
#50
I'm on the verge of really hating LotV so far. I've had beta access for months now and I can't bring myself to play it.

The 12-worker start is a huge turn off for me. This talk of simplifying the macro mechanics sounds awful and I truly hope they don't go through with it.

Blizzard, please don't simplify my game..
myRZeth
Profile Joined June 2011
Germany1047 Posts
August 03 2015 19:41 GMT
#51
incredible work!
mishimaBeef
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
Canada2259 Posts
August 03 2015 19:42 GMT
#52
I found your points about attention confusing and hard to follow. To me, one of the most interesting effects of the proposed changes is that people will have more attention and actions to spend on tactical movements (including securing more resources a.k.a. macro).

I would appreciate a careful and accurate analysis of the effects on attention and action spending.
Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Vaftrudner
Profile Blog Joined May 2012
Sweden1185 Posts
August 03 2015 19:42 GMT
#53
Being DT rushed is not fun. Incorporating defenses into your build and finding a good balance is challenging but rewarding. Working on your scouting and reading up on timings takes time and effort. Successfully being able to defend stuff like that is fun!

Injecting is not fun. Supply depots are not fun. Working on it is work. Feeling the results in game once you've worked on it, the flow and speed of it and knowing where it comes from... That's amazing. My point is basically that even though something is not immediately fun on the surface (and even feels like the mechanic is pointing and laughing at you), that doesn't mean that it isn't deeply rewarding along the line. I think things like this have kept me playing this game for so long.

Now, I'm sure Blizzard can come up with other ways to create those feelings without these exact mechanics. But I like them the way they are and I fear the substitute might not be as enjoyable. So it's a bit of fear talking, but it's also contentment. I love having this steady rhythm of actions as an important baseline and substructure carrying the fancy stuff on top.

Now I'm gonna go play some customs and spread creep..
"Starcraft 2 was designed to have a best race. You play the worst one." - Day9
RaFox17
Profile Joined May 2013
Finland4581 Posts
August 03 2015 19:50 GMT
#54
Awesome job! Agree totally with you.
myk3
Profile Joined June 2010
Austria80 Posts
August 03 2015 19:51 GMT
#55
Thanks for that article, hopefully it will be noticed and understood by relevant people in charge.
Being a zerg player myself I am strongly against dumbing down macro mechanics. Auto inject takes away the chance to actually hit injects regularly and feel the difference between playing good and playing bad.
A game is made for players to play, not for someone to watch. Making stuff easier to do won't bring more players to the game, it might just bring other players to the game and drive away others. What got me into sc2 was the overwhelming difficulty of managing macro and micro at the same time, if you are scared away from the game by that fact, you wouldn't be in for a longer stay anyways.
Nowadays I mostly watch instead of playing because I just don't have the time. Understanding a certain strategy is easily achieved, but what is impressive in pro-play to me is that I know they have to have mastered the mechanics to a level I personally will never achieve. Taking that major factor away is just a bad design choice in my opinion.
[PkF] Wire
Profile Joined March 2013
France24233 Posts
August 03 2015 19:52 GMT
#56
Thanks, thanks, thanks a thousand times for this article.
DonJimbo
Profile Joined July 2015
6 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 20:11:11
August 03 2015 20:08 GMT
#57
I always thought Terran had the most interesting macro mechanics. They have 3 different choices (Mule, Scan, Supply Drop) for how to spend their energy. Maybe Mules are a little bit too good in general because that is almost always the best way to spend the energy (with exceptions of course). Maybe a good way to make Terran macro mechanics more interesting would be if the 3 choices were more equally balanced.

Chronoboost is really interesting in the early game, but it becomes dull later in the game. Openings and early/mid game strategies are built around chrono (mass early probes, warpgate timing attack, blink, storm, rush out colossi, etc.). But after a certain point, you just chrono production facilities. And I don't think anyone believes late game chrono is as powerful or impactful as late game Mules and Spawn Larva. It would be interesting if Blizzard added a late game upgrade to let chronos stack or recharge unit shields or something crazy like that, just to keep it interesting.

Spawn Larva seems really tedious compared to the other two mechanics. There really is no strategic choice about it. It's just something you have to do no matter what strategy you are using. And that's something that always turned me off from Zerg as a casual Diamond or Platinum player (depending on the season). But of course the OP is correct that Spawn Larva is the core of SC2 Zerg and it seems many Zerg players relish it.
watchlulu
Profile Joined February 2013
Germany475 Posts
August 03 2015 20:10 GMT
#58
Sometimes I'm wondering if I'm the only one out there having fun with the game through actually playing better than my opponent which contains micro and macro mechanics.

I just don't get it. HOW can anybody think cutting down on complexity would make a game more fun?

How should this attract new players and make them stay in the game?

I was so bad at this game for such a long time and still I had so extremely fun games at EVERY level of play. Just because the game would be more simple the guys from bronze league wont be in diamond because as the article says if everyone gets better, no one is.



Have a nice day!
Zero-K
Profile Joined September 2011
Portugal3 Posts
Last Edited: 2015-08-03 20:17:14
August 03 2015 20:16 GMT
#59
This is a very well written article, thank you.

I've been a bit away from the game lately but I still watch some big matches on occasion. And it's true that some details are not apparent to every viewer but that happens in pretty much every sport and even in music.

People not familiar with the game will focus on the battles and effects and it's okay.
Those that are more knowledgeable can appreciate individual skill and that is okay too.

The same argument that the article makes can be made for music.

While learning to play the guitar it's not fun to get sore hands and fingers, repeating the same chords and scales while keeping up with the metronome for hours on end is not fun either.
And people that don't know much about playing the guitar will not notice every technique used, or the difference between an easy chord or a difficult one.
Most people will focus on the end result, the melodies, the flashiness of the player.

We can make the same argument for a lot of other things. It has worked for so long, why change it?

I think making changes like the starting number of workers is enough to help new viewers bypass that early game stage where nothing happens, but removing things from the game because a casual viewer doesn't notice is a bad policy.
Dingodile
Profile Joined December 2011
4137 Posts
August 03 2015 20:18 GMT
#60
Why is "not fun to play or watch" no argument? I like the macro mechanics of Terran and Protoss. Injects is the most unfun and dumbest thing in sc2. And especially very dumb if you have to inject DURING a fight, otherwise T or P outmacroing Z (easily).

Zerg definitely need/should other macro mechanic than the current one. Forgetting one circle of inject is very unforgiving compared to Terran and Protoss macro mechanics.
Grubby | ToD | Moon | Lyn | Sky
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