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I like Infested Terrans

Forum Index > SC2 General
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Vision_
Profile Joined September 2018
875 Posts
Last Edited: 2023-12-16 11:30:05
December 16 2023 11:11 GMT
#1
Several years ago an emblematic unit of Starcraft 2 and science fiction movies was removed. In order to compensate for this cancellation, the development team decided to add a spell to the Zerg tools race, the microbial shroud.

While it was used very occasionally during its creation, I feel that it is no longer the case and it seems to me that the shortcut doesn't even exist anymore into the keyboard of players !!! Is this spell really the cause of the fact that Protoss does less Golden Armada at the end of the game? I don't know much about it, but I miss the infested terran... Tons of movies are based on this idea and I don't understand now more than ever while the game need so much symbols why such a spell could have been removed.

Who didn't like the burrowing attacks of the infestors throwing their eggs near the tanks? Who didn't love Infestors besieging the base from the bottom of a cliff to overwhelm their structure? This spell was like the icing on the cake.
Now that the feedback from the pros on the microbial shroud must be digested, on whether or not it counters the golden armada, I would like to put it under the rug the idea that a spell as fun as the infested terran necessarily has its place in the tools Zerg. Especially since at worst, it would have been enough to only removed the infested terrans of their attacks against the air units.

So, what do you think ? Could some professionnals Zerg explain me why this spell won t be restored back ?
Mizenhauer
Profile Blog Joined February 2015
United States1937 Posts
December 16 2023 12:28 GMT
#2
Because it's either unplayable or completely busted. Usually it's the latter.
┗|∵|┓Second Place in LB 28, Third Place in LB 29 and Destined to Be a Kong
watchlulu
Profile Joined February 2013
Germany475 Posts
December 16 2023 13:13 GMT
#3
Those where the times, where 20+ Infestors where rapid-firing loads and loads of them to absolutely DESTROY and entire Protoss Air-Army
Have a nice day!
_fool
Profile Joined February 2011
Netherlands682 Posts
December 16 2023 14:12 GMT
#4
+1! I like the Infested Terran as a concept as well! But... they were completely broken as an Infestor spell. Lore-wise I also never understood how the Infestor could be spitting out infested people

If there was a mechanic that allowed Zerg to infest Terran buildings (like the BW Queen infested CC's) and the Infested Terran would be a regular buildable unit from that building (i.e. takes supply, gets upgrade benefits, etc), then I'd love to have the Infested Terran back on the map. Maybe as a niche way to punish proxies?

As for microbial shroud... it's boring and never used. So anything that replaces it would be better.
"News is to the mind what sugar is to the body"
Vision_
Profile Joined September 2018
875 Posts
December 16 2023 14:16 GMT
#5
On December 16 2023 22:13 watchlulu wrote:
Those where the times, where 20+ Infestors where rapid-firing loads and loads of them to absolutely DESTROY and entire Protoss Air-Army


Does it mean Infestator were bad designed ? I mean Infestator was designed by three spells, which clearly identify him as the main spell caster in WoL and HotS. I m sure in terms of designed AND function, those three spell designed a better unit and allowed multiple different tools. Now infestators are stucked with two spells, while it was so nice to see eggs pop all around...
There are multiple tags in the game but it lacks when it s about identify air from ground units. It s annoying because there s some unit which are so good at sniping air units while some suck...

Charoisaur
Profile Joined August 2014
Germany16078 Posts
Last Edited: 2023-12-16 14:53:04
December 16 2023 14:48 GMT
#6
On December 16 2023 21:28 Mizenhauer wrote:
Because it's either unplayable or completely busted. Usually it's the latter.

Not true, before the ridicolous buff in 2019 they worked fine with a niche use as situational harass unit. It wasn't seen often but definitely had more use than microbial shroud. Definitely agree that the removal was a mistake, Pre 2019-buff infested terran were way cooler and more useful than current microbial shroud, and were far from being broken

It seems everyone has forgotten ITs were completely fine for the majority of their lifespan in the game, and only remembers the 2 years they were broken in 2012 and 2019
Many of the coolest moments in sc2 happen due to worker harassment
Ciaus237
Profile Joined July 2015
South Africa288 Posts
December 16 2023 16:43 GMT
#7
On December 16 2023 23:48 Charoisaur wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 16 2023 21:28 Mizenhauer wrote:
Because it's either unplayable or completely busted. Usually it's the latter.

Not true, before the ridicolous buff in 2019 they worked fine with a niche use as situational harass unit. It wasn't seen often but definitely had more use than microbial shroud. Definitely agree that the removal was a mistake, Pre 2019-buff infested terran were way cooler and more useful than current microbial shroud, and were far from being broken

It seems everyone has forgotten ITs were completely fine for the majority of their lifespan in the game, and only remembers the 2 years they were broken in 2012 and 2019


Echo'ing this.

They were an incredibly fun addition to the kit of the infestor that rewarded multitasking and allowed you to supplement your ranged DPS a bit without being too strong - or even all that relevant for most games. The old IT was a much better designed spell than shroud.
The time that we kill keeps us alive
WombaT
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Northern Ireland27026 Posts
December 16 2023 17:06 GMT
#8
On December 16 2023 23:48 Charoisaur wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 16 2023 21:28 Mizenhauer wrote:
Because it's either unplayable or completely busted. Usually it's the latter.

Not true, before the ridicolous buff in 2019 they worked fine with a niche use as situational harass unit. It wasn't seen often but definitely had more use than microbial shroud. Definitely agree that the removal was a mistake, Pre 2019-buff infested terran were way cooler and more useful than current microbial shroud, and were far from being broken

It seems everyone has forgotten ITs were completely fine for the majority of their lifespan in the game, and only remembers the 2 years they were broken in 2012 and 2019

Even then for me the issue was Infestors having crazy utility, 3 good spells, can burrow, could burrow cast ITs. Fungal and neural parasite were some of the most impactful spells in the game, and weaker ITs were a nice bonus if you could pull it off.

Now it feels a bit more in line with other casters, least for my money
'You'll always be the cuddly marsupial of my heart, despite the inherent flaws of your ancestry' - Squat
ejozl
Profile Joined October 2010
Denmark3504 Posts
Last Edited: 2023-12-18 20:34:28
December 18 2023 20:32 GMT
#9
Well Infested Terran, the unit should be in the game in some form or other. It could just be a passive on Fungal Growth, or Microbial Shroud that makes it so that when Zealots, or Marines die within it, they spawn temporary Infested units. It could also be that when Overseer Contaminate, or the Piss spell targets a Barracks, it spawns these units.
As for the Infested Terran spell on the Infestor. I always found it cool how its spells synergize. You lock units in place with Fungal and kill them with almost immovable Infested Terran, or Neuralled units. Or you take control with Neural and kill them off with the IT's. The bad thing about IT's is how it's the most Rapid Fire abused spell. This coud've been fixed however. You could make them cost 50E and spawn in two, or make the spell spend all of the Infestor's energy with every single click and have it spawn that amount of Infested Terran (1 for every 25E.)

With all this said, Microbial Shroud is not inherently a bad spell. Could make it a 20/25/30/33/40% damage reduction against all auto attacks. That would actually be a good spell.
SC2 Archon needs "Terrible, terrible damage" as one of it's quotes.
Harris1st
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Germany7255 Posts
December 19 2023 08:29 GMT
#10
How about the spell can not be casted burrowed and it takes time (like 1-2 sec) for the Infestor to lay an egg with a IT? This way the Infestor has to be exposed but it still would be nice for defense or a planned IT runby on an outer base
Go Serral! GG EZ for Ence. Flashbang dance FTW
_fool
Profile Joined February 2011
Netherlands682 Posts
Last Edited: 2023-12-19 08:43:31
December 19 2023 08:43 GMT
#11
On December 19 2023 05:32 ejozl wrote:Microbial Shroud makes it so that when Zealots, or Marines die within it, they spawn temporary Infested units. It could also be that when Overseer Contaminate, or the Piss spell targets a Barracks, it spawns these units.


These are actually pretty cool ideas! I like both, but the latter seems the most elegant. What a way to stop the death march of marines/marauders: having 2 or 3 infested terrans pop out of the barracks, causing mayhem, requiring some attention, and a few lost resources for T. Finally mass Overseer could see some gameplay
"News is to the mind what sugar is to the body"
Woosixion
Profile Joined February 2012
121 Posts
December 19 2023 12:19 GMT
#12
Question, do yall think if infestors were reverted back to how they were at WOL release they would still be considered underpowered? better then the current iteration we have now?
the only way out is through...
ejozl
Profile Joined October 2010
Denmark3504 Posts
Last Edited: 2023-12-19 13:07:37
December 19 2023 13:02 GMT
#13
I forgot that it's also cool that the terrans spawn in form of an egg. So you can pop them on Siege Tanks, or block pathing on an Ultralisk for instance. This egg part also synergizes with the locking effect of Fungal Growth.

Question, do yall think if infestors were reverted back to how they were at WOL release they would still be considered underpowered? better then the current iteration we have now?
the

IT's were much better than Microbial, but they weren't OP. Neural was weaker. And Fungal was about the same power level. Fungal has an insane range and part of it is the projectile part of it. The old Inf was a much better unit to mass, with the IT's and rooting Fungal. While the new Infestor is broken, but it doesn't make sense to sink all your resources into it. I think the new Fungal, at least before the recent nerf is the strongest spell in the game. The AoE is absolutely massive and the range is even bigger. Theoretically, even Tanks and Liberators would lose to Fungal, due to the Infestor being able to take one shot. And even with the broken EMP and longer Feedback range, it is Fungal that makes the Infestor the best anti caster unit. And snipe can't touch them either because of the cancellation from the damage of Fungal. That said, I wouldn't call the current Infestor stronger than the old one, though maybe it is, it's just that there are now more ways of dealing with them, with power creep and additional units. For instance the Disruptor can throw a monkey in the wrench.
SC2 Archon needs "Terrible, terrible damage" as one of it's quotes.
Vision_
Profile Joined September 2018
875 Posts
December 19 2023 14:59 GMT
#14
Please come back

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