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An Interview with Blizzard - SC2 Design Changes

Forum Index > SC2 General
55 CommentsPost a Reply
1 2 3 Next All
TL.net ESPORTS
Profile Joined July 2011
4 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-08-17 21:45:10
August 17 2017 19:06 GMT
#1
[image loading]

We at teamliquid.net were given the chance to ask the StarCraft 2 development team a few questions regarding the upcoming major design patch for the game due after BlizzCon.

You've now made substantial changes to the game every year after LotV's release. Do you plan on making this an annual thing? Do you see these annual patches as an iterative process towards a final goal, or a more cyclical process to shake up the game on a year-by-year basis?

The plan all along for ongoing support for StarCraft II was to make patches on an as-needed basis. That doesn’t necessarily mean we will do major changes annually. As we did last year, we saw an opportunity to make some positive changes to the game, so that’s why we’re putting this into testing.

Has the first design patch last year fulfilled your expectations in shaking the game up sufficiently?

Overall, yes. Not only did we see new strategies develop, but we also think the game is in a better place now than it was a year ago.

In general, a lot of issues debated by our community have found their way into this patch (Mech, Macro Mechanics, the economy even). How much has community discussion influenced these specific patches you're making?

Community feedback plays a big part in the goals we set for an update like this. We are very lucky to have a community that is so active and engaged with SC2, and we want to continue working with the community going forward.

Have these changes been developed in conjunction with progamer feedback or will they have to explore everything side by side with the community?

Pro level feedback is very important to us, and making sure the pros can give their feedback directly to us on the dev team has been a big goal of ours. While we don’t directly involve external sources into our design process, their feedback plays a big factor in how we approach this type of update.

Matchup "identity" is something that changed drastically with LotV. ZvT went from a tug of war between lair tech and 3/3 upgrades to a race to survive until Ultralisks for much of 2016. PvZ shifted from being focused on timings to the Zerg trying to overwhelm with ling/bane based armies. When making changes of this magnitude, is matchup identity something you take into account?

When making these kinds of changes we start with seeing how the current game is played. What options does each race have? What do they struggle with? Do they need new tools in any of the matchups? From there we consider what the race identities are and where we can make improvements or nerfs while still preserving how unique each race is. We take matchup states into account, but it is hard to predict where the meta will settle in the individual matchups when making so many changes, so we tend to place a greater emphasis making sure each race has enough tools for a variety of situations while still feeling unique.

Which of the changes are the most experimental in your eyes? That is, which ones are you most uncertain of?

The removal of the Mothership Core is likely the riskiest of the changes on the Protoss side due to how much power it gives in the early game. For Zerg the most experimental change is the Infestor, as its ability to interact with air units is changing quite drastically. And on the Terran side the Mule change is possibly the most experimental as it changes how they gather resources which in turn can greatly change what Terran players have access to over the course of a game.

Removing the MSC and Photon Overcharge has always been a heavy topic of debate among the community. Why was the decision finally made to scrap the unit entirely after two expansions? Why now?

It lined up nicely with the goals we had for Protoss. We wanted to try to reduce the number of active abilities on Protoss, so removing a caster that is around for most of the game made sense. We wanted to try to clean up the macro mechanic, so moving abilities to the nexus gave us an opportunity to take another look at Chrono Boost. And we wanted Protoss to be less reliant on Photon Overcharge for early game defense, so when looking for a solution that fit these goals it seemed like removing the MSC would be a good thing to try.

Recall on the MSC has been used primarily for scouting and instant recall of a main army under pressure, as well as some niche cases such as moving probes to a hidden base. What do you intend to accomplish with the new implementation of recall? With the 4s delay on teleporting, do you view it as a purely positional ability?

With the removal of Photon Overcharge, Protoss players will need to reinforce their base with units, so we wanted to make sure Protoss players had a tool for moving units into position. It can also be used to retreat from a battle, but since you can have multiple Nexus structures vs. a single MSC, we needed to add a longer cast time to make sure you can’t escape from every engagement with minimal losses. It is also worth mentioning that the Mothership has the same version of the spell as the nexus, meaning there could be cases where you send a Mothership behind enemy lines and use it offensively.

Are you concerned that certain changes (like the new Disruption Nova or the easier-to-kill Widow Mines–in short: What you call game ending units/abilities) will reduce excitement in games by taking out big “wow” moments for the viewers?

Yes, and that’s something we try to be careful with. For example, Widow Mines will still be able to get big exciting hits off, but they are easier to clean up. Disruption Nova can also still do a lot of damage in a shot, but the more extreme cases where a Protoss vs Protoss match is decided on a single Disruption Nova landing on the enemies Disruptors should be less likely to happen.

The proposed changes to mech units would greatly affect the way a mech army operates, fights and potentially, what units it is composed of. What is the balance team's vision for a mech army's role and how do you see it being utilized?

A pure mech army has always been about slower positional play, we aren’t looking to change that since it provides a nice contrast to the fast-paced play of bio. We hope that our changes don’t completely change the role of a mech army, but rather make it more competitive choice when comparing it to bio play.

How will the repair drone function? Can you micro it to repair multiple units during its lifespan? And what is the current repair rate intended to be?

It currently functions very similarly to a medivac, you will be able to target the specific unit you want healed and the heal rate is the same as a medivac.

There seemed to be a push in LotV to reduce the mechanical aspect of the game, particularly with the reduction of larva per inject and the changes regarding Chronoboost. These proposed changes to the Infestor and Swarm Host place increase the importance placed on spreading creep, however. Changes to Chronoboost are a move in a similar direction. Is it fair to say that increasing the impact of mechanical aspects of the game is now a greater focus?

In Legacy of the Void our goal was not exactly to reduce overall mechanics, but rather shift some of the mechanical difficulty from the macro systems over to unit control. Here we are looking to see if we can make other changes to streamline some of the mechanics a bit more, or improve consistency across races to make sure players of all skill levels are rewarded properly for their efforts.

Many of the changes (Lurker speed upgrade, mech transform time upgrades, splitting anti air between different Infestor abilities) seemed to be aimed towards increasing a unit's utility and versatility. How does this method of "buffing" units compare to just adjusting numbers (like the proposed changes to the Stalker) and how do the two approaches fit into the larger plan of balancing the game?

How we approach a change largely depends on what we are trying to achieve with the unit or ability. For example, Stalkers have plenty of utility (they can shoot air and ground, they have mobility with blink) so there’s no need to add something on that front, but Lurkers have a narrower set of situations where they are effective, so we are trying to open up some aggressive options there.

How much does the new Cyclone upgrade, Armor Piercing Rockets, cost?

150/150, 79 sec (on faster speed).

How much does the new mech upgrade, Smart Servos, cost?

150/150, 79 sec (on faster speed).
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TL+ Member
MyLovelyLurker
Profile Joined April 2007
France669 Posts
August 17 2017 19:25 GMT
#2
Translation : we'll patch as often as we want. Stability ? Nah. Do-overs for all game designers !
"I just say, it doesn't matter win or lose, I just love Starcraft 2, I love this game, I love this stage, just play like in practice" - TIME/Oliveira
bObA
Profile Joined May 2012
France300 Posts
August 17 2017 19:37 GMT
#3
I would want to see the list of all the different changes they are planning to do
bObA
Profile Joined May 2012
France300 Posts
August 17 2017 19:39 GMT
#4
ok I saw it in the previous thread :

http://eu.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/20975163
Wulfey_LA
Profile Joined April 2017
932 Posts
August 17 2017 19:46 GMT
#5
Those new upgrades are joke. Who is going to blow that much resources on something before 4 bases? You aren't going to see clever viking harass any time soon with those prices. If they wanted to make the viking into some kind of harrassment unit like is almost was in beta ... then they should add in something to make it faster. For instance:

If given a move order, after 2 seconds the viking doubles in speed after not getting another move order.

This way the viking is still slow in the deadly and exciting back and forth end game fights, but it can possible get across the board and do something if you give it a far away destination and don't mind it not firing.
crashpoint
Profile Joined April 2012
Austria44 Posts
August 17 2017 19:56 GMT
#6
I love this changes and am happy about big updates like those, it keeps the game fresh.

A game that has "big" patches every year is not unstable, it (hopefully) improves balance and and makes the game more diverse, take League as an example with its annual mid season updates etc..
Learn lots. Don't judge. Laugh for no reason. Be nice. Seek happiness. - Day9
JimmyJRaynor
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Canada14961 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-08-17 20:06:23
August 17 2017 20:02 GMT
#7
thx 4 this interview. was the guy u interviewed wearing a mask?
this is good timing to release these changes now so that BlizzCon attendees can provide in person feedback in November.

TL is hiding the identity of the employee they interviewed.. however i managed to snap a picture of him. if any one knows his name, please PM me.
+ Show Spoiler +
[image loading]


Ray Kassar To David Crane : "you're no more important to Atari than the factory workers assembling the cartridges"
JackONeill
Profile Joined September 2013
861 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-08-17 20:08:14
August 17 2017 20:07 GMT
#8
I love how they try to argue that window mines being revealed when entering cooldown won't make the unit absolutely irrelevant

"Make it unable to target workers? NO, we want widow mines to be used only for that and then picked up in a medivac ! This is much more exciting than a smart mine positionning to gain map control !"
Ej_
Profile Blog Joined January 2013
47656 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-08-17 20:10:50
August 17 2017 20:09 GMT
#9

Have these changes been developed in conjunction with progamer feedback or will they have to explore everything side by side with the community?

Pro level feedback is very important to us, and making sure the pros can give their feedback directly to us on the dev team has been a big goal of ours. While we don’t directly involve external sources into our design process, their feedback plays a big factor in how we approach this type of update.

expertly dodged question, expected nothing less from Blizzard
"Technically the dictionary has zero authority on the meaning or words" - Rodya
Mahanaim
Profile Joined December 2012
Korea (South)1002 Posts
August 17 2017 20:14 GMT
#10
Thank you for the interview TL.
Celebrating Starcraft since... a long time ago.
JimmyJRaynor
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Canada14961 Posts
August 17 2017 20:42 GMT
#11
On August 18 2017 05:09 Ej_ wrote:
Show nested quote +

Have these changes been developed in conjunction with progamer feedback or will they have to explore everything side by side with the community?

Pro level feedback is very important to us, and making sure the pros can give their feedback directly to us on the dev team has been a big goal of ours. While we don’t directly involve external sources into our design process, their feedback plays a big factor in how we approach this type of update.

expertly dodged question, expected nothing less from Blizzard

via the TL.Net interview and their orginal BNet post announcing these changes Blizzard provided a lot of the thinking that went into making these changes. u've got lots to go on. if u dislike the design direction and the thinking behind it no one is forcing you to play. there is a community C&C4 server that is really well run.. and Halo Wars 2 is also looking for players.
Ray Kassar To David Crane : "you're no more important to Atari than the factory workers assembling the cartridges"
Zaros
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United Kingdom3638 Posts
August 17 2017 21:22 GMT
#12
On August 18 2017 04:46 Wulfey_LA wrote:
Those new upgrades are joke. Who is going to blow that much resources on something before 4 bases? You aren't going to see clever viking harass any time soon with those prices. If they wanted to make the viking into some kind of harrassment unit like is almost was in beta ... then they should add in something to make it faster. For instance:

If given a move order, after 2 seconds the viking doubles in speed after not getting another move order.

This way the viking is still slow in the deadly and exciting back and forth end game fights, but it can possible get across the board and do something if you give it a far away destination and don't mind it not firing.


It makes the transformations instant pretty much, its a must have with any mech style. Hellions can run into a mineral line and then instantly transform into hellbats its pretty crazy.
Wulfey_LA
Profile Joined April 2017
932 Posts
August 17 2017 21:57 GMT
#13
On August 18 2017 06:22 Zaros wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 18 2017 04:46 Wulfey_LA wrote:
Those new upgrades are joke. Who is going to blow that much resources on something before 4 bases? You aren't going to see clever viking harass any time soon with those prices. If they wanted to make the viking into some kind of harrassment unit like is almost was in beta ... then they should add in something to make it faster. For instance:

If given a move order, after 2 seconds the viking doubles in speed after not getting another move order.

This way the viking is still slow in the deadly and exciting back and forth end game fights, but it can possible get across the board and do something if you give it a far away destination and don't mind it not firing.


It makes the transformations instant pretty much, its a must have with any mech style. Hellions can run into a mineral line and then instantly transform into hellbats its pretty crazy.


I am not saying this won't be a good upgrade. I am just seeing that 150/150 and thinking, I am not going to see this in a pro, high level game. In one of my sit in my base mech fests, sure, I am going to get that upgrade.
Jett.Jack.Alvir
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
Canada2250 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-08-17 23:26:29
August 17 2017 23:24 GMT
#14
I've been asking for the shield battery forever. I really like that idea, and I predict we will start seeing some pros use a Nexus as part of the wall.

And we can finally get rid of the stupid msc.

I don't mind the ms is still here.

And it seems like the leak was pretty accurate. Almost too close...

JimmyJRaynor
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Canada14961 Posts
Last Edited: 2017-08-17 23:30:57
August 17 2017 23:28 GMT
#15
i'd like to see them add the shield battery as an experiment. i based this on my own limited experience and the plethora of other far more experienced people who want it back as well.

please, Mr. Blizzard Sir. Please, try adding the Shield Battery.
On August 18 2017 08:24 Jett.Jack.Alvir wrote:
And it seems like the leak was pretty accurate. Almost too close...

the last time there was a leak like this noah built himself a boat.
Ray Kassar To David Crane : "you're no more important to Atari than the factory workers assembling the cartridges"
eviltomahawk
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States11132 Posts
August 18 2017 03:09 GMT
#16
On August 18 2017 05:07 JackONeill wrote:
I love how they try to argue that window mines being revealed when entering cooldown won't make the unit absolutely irrelevant

"Make it unable to target workers? NO, we want widow mines to be used only for that and then picked up in a medivac ! This is much more exciting than a smart mine positionning to gain map control !"

Maybe they can balance it out by tweaking the cost and build time
ㅇㅅㅌㅅ
paralleluniverse
Profile Joined July 2010
4065 Posts
August 18 2017 19:01 GMT
#17
Who is the developer.

Name?
Charoisaur
Profile Joined August 2014
Germany15315 Posts
August 18 2017 19:05 GMT
#18
On August 19 2017 04:01 paralleluniverse wrote:
Who is the developer.

Name?

Kavid Dim
Many of the coolest moments in sc2 happen due to worker harassment
IceTea_Sc2
Profile Joined January 2016
3 Posts
August 19 2017 18:20 GMT
#19
They always say that they take pro player feedback quite serious but whenever I ask a pro (on their streams) they all answer the same : blizzard never asked me about my thoughts on the balance/there is nothing i can do to give them feedback if they dont reach out to me. Blizzard is straight up lying to us right there. If they would care about pro player feedback they would communicate with them.
Psychobabas
Profile Blog Joined March 2006
2531 Posts
August 19 2017 18:37 GMT
#20
If they reduce the supply of widow mines to 1 then the no-cloak thing is ok
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