• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 12:01
CEST 18:01
KST 01:01
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL21] Ro24 Preview Pt2: News Flash10[ASL21] Ro24 Preview Pt1: New Chaos0Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - Presented by Monster Energy18ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT30Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book20
Community News
Weekly Cups (May 30-Apr 5): herO, Clem, SHIN win0[BSL22] RO32 Group Stage3Weekly Cups (March 23-29): herO takes triple6Aligulac acquired by REPLAYMAN.com/Stego Research8Weekly Cups (March 16-22): herO doubles, Cure surprises3
StarCraft 2
General
Weekly Cups (May 30-Apr 5): herO, Clem, SHIN win Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info Team Liquid Map Contest #22 - Presented by Monster Energy Blizzard Classic Cup @ BlizzCon 2026 - $100k prize pool What mix of new & old maps do you want in the next ladder pool? (SC2)
Tourneys
GSL CK - monthly team event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament RSL Season 4 announced for March-April StarCraft Evolution League (SC Evo Biweekly) WardiTV Mondays
Strategy
Custom Maps
[M] (2) Frigid Storage Publishing has been re-enabled! [Feb 24th 2026]
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 520 Moving Fees Mutation # 519 Inner Power Mutation # 518 Radiation Zone
Brood War
General
ASL21 General Discussion Pros React To: JaeDong vs Queen [BSL22] RO32 Group Stage so ive been playing broodwar for a week straight. Gypsy to Korea
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [ASL21] Ro24 Group F Escore Tournament StarCraft Season 2 [ASL21] Ro24 Group E
Strategy
What's the deal with APM & what's its true value Fighting Spirit mining rates Simple Questions, Simple Answers
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Starcraft Tabletop Miniature Game Nintendo Switch Thread General RTS Discussion Thread Darkest Dungeon
Dota 2
The Story of Wings Gaming Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
G2 just beat GenG in First stand
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas TL Mafia Community Thread Five o'clock TL Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread The Chess Thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread NASA and the Private Sector Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books Movie Discussion!
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion Cricket [SPORT] Tokyo Olympics 2021 Thread General nutrition recommendations
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
[G] How to Block Livestream Ads
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Loot Boxes—Emotions, And Why…
TrAiDoS
Broowar part 2
qwaykee
Funny Nicknames
LUCKY_NOOB
Iranian anarchists: organize…
XenOsky
FS++
Kraekkling
ASL S21 English Commentary…
namkraft
Electronics
mantequilla
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1402 users

The Changeling

Forum Index > SC2 General
Post a Reply
1 2 3 Next All
Archerofaiur
Profile Joined August 2008
United States4101 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-14 04:01:38
April 14 2009 03:20 GMT
#1
There is a really interesting thread on the Battle.net forums
http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=16137710658&sid=3000


The thread focuses on ways to make the Changling a Zerg Terror weapon. The basic gist is that the changling would be able to kill small units and take there identity. Many players have put forth their version of this. So I ask the TL community "How do you think the Changeling should function?"
http://sclegacy.com/news/28-scl/250-starcraftlegacy-macro-theorycrafting-contest-winners
Tsagacity
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
United States2124 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-14 03:28:39
April 14 2009 03:27 GMT
#2
The Changeling is a cool concept, but I'm skeptical about it's uses in high-level play. It seems to me like good players will almost always notice what's wrong and easily deal with it =/
"Everyone worse than me at video games is a noob. Everyone better than me doesn't have a life."
Motiva
Profile Joined November 2007
United States1774 Posts
April 14 2009 03:55 GMT
#3
Yea, it's a neat idea, but it just isn't practical... 30seconds of work for 1 marine/zealot/hydra... I like the idea of the changling as a free (0mineral) unit that the overlord drops, and is pretty much just a really easy and practical scouting unit.
Kuja900
Profile Blog Joined October 2007
United States3564 Posts
April 14 2009 04:40 GMT
#4
On April 14 2009 12:55 Motiva wrote:
Yea, it's a neat idea, but it just isn't practical... 30seconds of work for 1 marine/zealot/hydra... I like the idea of the changling as a free (0mineral) unit that the overlord drops, and is pretty much just a really easy and practical scouting unit.


With easymode macro you may have alot more free time on your hands
OMG you nasty gurl
Murkyith14
Profile Joined January 2008
United States111 Posts
April 14 2009 05:42 GMT
#5
Sounds really cool and feels really Zerg-like.
Hopefully they make this unit so that it shows up on a pro level :D
DeCoup
Profile Joined September 2006
Australia1933 Posts
April 14 2009 06:09 GMT
#6
1) The changeling should be both controllable and targetable (for attacks) by teh player whos identity it is mimicking. And while doing so should not provide Visual radius. It could either not attack at all or have an attack animation with no damage depending on what is decided as the best choice for the theme of the unit. This will provide 2 ways to spot them. (a) Mouseover attack icon, (b) if they are not in a clump the lack of visual radius is an indicator.
2) The changeling should become the same unit as the majority of the 10 closest ground units within x yards. This will (a) allow it to blend better regardless of the enemy's build, (b) provide more visual clues that it is an impostor if it changes forms based on the units around it during the game.

With these 2 changes it becomes more useful for the Zerg as the enemy is able to command it, and it will more likely travel with a group of raiders. It will also put more fear into the enemy and keep them more alert to the possibility of subterfuge.

It would also allow more choices for how to deal with a discovered changeling. You could (a) Kill the unit, (b) Click the unit and tell it to run into the fog of war (possibly making it change back to zerg form as it is not close to units), (c) Send it in a small 'fake' raid to trick the zerg player into moving its armies to certain locations while you send a real strike force from a different direction. Basically using their own unit to feed false information to the player.

This idea adds more intensity to all parts of the game, from scanning over units to find intruders to mind game tactics on both sides.
"Poor guy. I really did not deserve that win. So this is what it's like to play Protoss..." - IdrA
Augury
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States758 Posts
April 14 2009 06:19 GMT
#7
Sounds overcomplicated, things should be kept fairly simple in my opinion, better for spectators and gameplay.
YianKutKu
Profile Joined January 2009
United States142 Posts
April 14 2009 06:19 GMT
#8
How about you have the transformed changeling stay in the transformed state, but do 0 damage at all. Like it pretends to be attacking zerg units, but doesn't do damage. The player will also have the option to change the transformed changeling back into its original state to attack the opponent's units if desired.
hwighting!
poor newb
Profile Joined April 2004
United States1879 Posts
April 14 2009 15:40 GMT
#9
pretty much the same as parasite in sc
How do you mine minerals?
Beaudereck
Profile Joined October 2008
Canada140 Posts
April 14 2009 19:52 GMT
#10
wow, poor newb, this is low...
I love the changeling, it forces the player that controls it to always be aware of what the other player is doing (if you have a marine that reacts late or not at all to orders, you can guess it is a changeling). And when being the player controlling it, you have to pay extra attention to it, since it has to behave exactly like the other marines.
The changeling can accomplish things like scouting, obviously, but imagine you spawn 8 or 9 changelings to give your opponent the impression his army is bigger than what it is for real, or if you can spawn changelings that look like your own units, you can do this to for your army too. I think that with time and imagination, uses of the changeling will grow in number.
Opopos
KissBlade
Profile Blog Joined October 2004
United States5718 Posts
April 14 2009 20:04 GMT
#11
I actually don't find the changeling that thematic. Zerg is all about DNA stealing and then modifying it to be a more brutal warrior. Hence why Zerg troops look nothing like their cou nter part. Plus the game mechanics of it seem a little too burdensome to be effective.
-orb-
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
United States5770 Posts
April 14 2009 20:39 GMT
#12
This would be completely non-existent in any play above terrible-level.
'life of lively to live to life of full life thx to shield battery'
how sad that sc2 has no shield battery :(
Pholon
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Netherlands6142 Posts
April 14 2009 21:57 GMT
#13
I'm thinking about The Thing. When it gets a marine is hould make his head a jaw lol. Epic
Moderator@TLPholon // "I need a third hand to facepalm right now"
WoodenSpider
Profile Joined April 2008
United States85 Posts
April 14 2009 23:45 GMT
#14
I think it could be useful, but it would have to be at a low level (where no one notices a random marine running around) or a high level (where they can make sure it always does the right thing). not much in between, though
CommanderFluffy
Profile Joined June 2008
Taiwan1059 Posts
April 15 2009 00:41 GMT
#15
On April 15 2009 04:52 Beaudereck wrote:
wow, poor newb, this is low...
I love the changeling, it forces the player that controls it to always be aware of what the other player is doing (if you have a marine that reacts late or not at all to orders, you can guess it is a changeling). And when being the player controlling it, you have to pay extra attention to it, since it has to behave exactly like the other marines.
The changeling can accomplish things like scouting, obviously, but imagine you spawn 8 or 9 changelings to give your opponent the impression his army is bigger than what it is for real, or if you can spawn changelings that look like your own units, you can do this to for your army too. I think that with time and imagination, uses of the changeling will grow in number.


i dont think its worth the time to baby these units to trick your opponent. if anything parasite is probably a better choice since it forces the opponent to give up information or kill that unit off.
Pain is temporary, but glory is forever.
Beaudereck
Profile Joined October 2008
Canada140 Posts
April 15 2009 00:52 GMT
#16
On April 15 2009 09:41 CommanderFluffy wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 15 2009 04:52 Beaudereck wrote:
wow, poor newb, this is low...
I love the changeling, it forces the player that controls it to always be aware of what the other player is doing (if you have a marine that reacts late or not at all to orders, you can guess it is a changeling). And when being the player controlling it, you have to pay extra attention to it, since it has to behave exactly like the other marines.
The changeling can accomplish things like scouting, obviously, but imagine you spawn 8 or 9 changelings to give your opponent the impression his army is bigger than what it is for real, or if you can spawn changelings that look like your own units, you can do this to for your army too. I think that with time and imagination, uses of the changeling will grow in number.


i dont think its worth the time to baby these units to trick your opponent. if anything parasite is probably a better choice since it forces the opponent to give up information or kill that unit off.


Yeah probably... I was just already dreaming of all the pimpest plays that would involve changelings, like changeling wall to block lurkers... :p
Opopos
armed_
Profile Joined November 2008
Canada443 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-04-15 01:15:27
April 15 2009 01:13 GMT
#17
On April 15 2009 08:45 WoodenSpider wrote:
or a high level (where they can make sure it always does the right thing).

This is impossible against a high level player. By the time you even know what command your opponent has given, he'll probably have noticed the discrepancy in behaviour. No amount of attention or speed would allow you to be able to give the commands fast enough on reaction.
GhostKorean
Profile Blog Joined November 2008
United States2330 Posts
April 15 2009 03:39 GMT
#18
Uhhh I've never heard anything about changelings until now... they don't seem that useful to me tbh
lordmordor
Profile Joined February 2009
United States209 Posts
April 15 2009 03:57 GMT
#19
I like the idea of just making sort of like a parasite, it turns into a basic infantry unit controllable by the enemy, but deals no damage. You could also give it an extended sight radius for you so that it still serves its scouting purpose, on top of help track his army movements and composition
omninmo
Profile Blog Joined April 2008
2349 Posts
April 15 2009 06:32 GMT
#20
wait, is this a unit that is in the alpha build? the zerg changeling. imho this is crap
1 2 3 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 7h 59m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Hui .273
LamboSC2 255
trigger 156
StarCraft: Brood War
Calm 4310
Bisu 2188
Jaedong 2046
Soma 1030
Shuttle 766
ZerO 735
Larva 622
Snow 532
EffOrt 517
ggaemo 447
[ Show more ]
Stork 402
Light 332
Rush 321
Soulkey 301
Mini 277
firebathero 143
JYJ 96
Sharp 80
Shinee 65
hero 52
Backho 48
sSak 35
Terrorterran 26
Movie 24
910 15
GoRush 10
Dota 2
Gorgc5954
qojqva2536
Counter-Strike
fl0m2162
oskar92
Other Games
Grubby1889
hiko816
FrodaN650
B2W.Neo572
ArmadaUGS118
XaKoH 103
QueenE90
KnowMe88
Mew2King71
Trikslyr32
ZerO(Twitch)18
Organizations
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 15 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• iHatsuTV 17
• intothetv
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Dota 2
• WagamamaTV734
• lizZardDota266
League of Legends
• Nemesis3801
Other Games
• Shiphtur125
Upcoming Events
PiGosaur Cup
7h 59m
Replay Cast
16h 59m
Kung Fu Cup
18h 59m
Replay Cast
1d 7h
The PondCast
1d 17h
CranKy Ducklings
2 days
WardiTV Team League
2 days
Replay Cast
3 days
CranKy Ducklings
3 days
WardiTV Team League
3 days
[ Show More ]
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
3 days
BSL
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
4 days
WardiTV Team League
4 days
BSL
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Wardi Open
5 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

CSL Elite League 2026
RSL Revival: Season 4
NationLESS Cup

Ongoing

BSL Season 22
ASL Season 21
CSL 2026 SPRING (S20)
StarCraft2 Community Team League 2026 Spring
Nations Cup 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Finals
ESL Pro League S23 Stage 1&2
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S2: W2
IPSL Spring 2026
Escore Tournament S2: W3
Acropolis #4
BSL 22 Non-Korean Championship
CSLAN 4
Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
RSL Revival: Season 5
IEM Cologne Major 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 2
CS Asia Championships 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
IEM Rio 2026
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.