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Sensor Tower?

Forum Index > StarCraft 2 Strategy
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1 2 3 4 5 6 Next All
AndrewTo
Profile Joined February 2010
United States40 Posts
March 05 2010 08:18 GMT
#1
I'm wondering if it's efficient to use these when you can just send out a few scvs in random directions to scout for flanks and/or backstabs... has anyone found an efficient way to use the sensor tower? if so, please elaborate! where did you place it, was it worth its cost, etc.
Railz
Profile Joined July 2008
United States1449 Posts
March 05 2010 08:22 GMT
#2
I usually put it on the very edge of my main cliffs, or at cliffs off to the side of my expansions. If you plan on trying to go mid game, ie get an expansion going before them, it is pretty integral to know incoming attacks so you can adjust accordingly. It is NOT used for offensive/timing attacks at all.
Did the whole world just get a lot smaller and go whooosh?_-` Number 0ne By.Fantasy Fanatic!
Mikilatov
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
United States3897 Posts
March 05 2010 08:26 GMT
#3
I like the sensor tower, I really do, but I never see myself getting them. They are damn expensive. I think they're 125/100 or something.

Specifically I can see them being extremely useful in long TvT's, especially consdiering the fact that they all seem to be turning into mass-air battles, and positioning matters to a huge degree.
♥ I used to lasso the shit out of your tournaments =( ♥ | Much is my hero. | zizi yO~ | Be Nice, TL.
Floophead_III
Profile Joined September 2009
United States1832 Posts
March 05 2010 08:39 GMT
#4
Sensor tower is a complete waste ATM. I'm not paying gas for something I can use an scv for. I can see it being useful perhaps mid-late tvz if they're playing burrow abusive. Other than that, pretty freaking useless. If it cost only mins I'd probably use it, or even 50/50 or something, but not 100 gas LOL
Half man, half bear, half pig.
Mikilatov
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
United States3897 Posts
March 05 2010 08:53 GMT
#5
On March 05 2010 17:39 Floophead_III wrote:
Sensor tower is a complete waste ATM. I'm not paying gas for something I can use an scv for. I can see it being useful perhaps mid-late tvz if they're playing burrow abusive. Other than that, pretty freaking useless. If it cost only mins I'd probably use it, or even 50/50 or something, but not 100 gas LOL


I don't think an SCV can consistently scan a huge area for enemy troop movement via land or air, especially not over cliffs and empty air areas. Positioning and pre-emptiveness can COMPLETELY turn a game around.
♥ I used to lasso the shit out of your tournaments =( ♥ | Much is my hero. | zizi yO~ | Be Nice, TL.
Mystlord *
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
United States10264 Posts
March 05 2010 09:03 GMT
#6
I haven't found a good use for the Sensor Tower yet. It's better to just build depots everywhere for vision, because if you're going to build a sensor tower at the edge of the cliff to scan for drops, you'll probably regret wasting that 100 gas on a sensor tower that would be better served on something better like upgrades.
It is impossible to be a citizen if you don't make an effort to understand the most basic activities of your government. It is very difficult to thrive in an increasingly competitive world if you're a nation of doods.
raga4ka
Profile Joined February 2008
Bulgaria5679 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-05 09:14:34
March 05 2010 09:06 GMT
#7
I always use it at the edges of my bases to detect a possible counter attack . I still haven't used them for offensive purposes yet . I don't know if it's worth it or not but it's pretty useful and it helps you gain map control . if it costed less gas i would see myself using it a lot more .
ShadowDrgn
Profile Blog Joined July 2007
United States2497 Posts
March 05 2010 09:07 GMT
#8
The silliest part of sensor towers is that your opponent can see the sensor radius. Did someone at Blizzard feel that the tower was so imba that it needed a built-in weakness like that?
Of course, you only live one life, and you make all your mistakes, and learn what not to do, and that’s the end of you.
raga4ka
Profile Joined February 2008
Bulgaria5679 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-05 09:15:01
March 05 2010 09:12 GMT
#9
On March 05 2010 18:07 ShadowDrgn wrote:
The silliest part of sensor towers is that your opponent can see the sensor radius. Did someone at Blizzard feel that the tower was so imba that it needed a built-in weakness like that?


lol they can ? I hope they can't see tank's range as well ....
Kleander
Profile Blog Joined November 2006
United States334 Posts
March 05 2010 09:18 GMT
#10
yeah at first i didnt know what it was, i thought it was a bug, like someone pinged the map and it froze like that... but sensor tower is super useful on maps like kulas ravine, you can hide them in nooks and send scv's to watch towers, its pretty damn awesome how much ground you can cover
Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy. 지지 Guess who's learning Korean
Mikilatov
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
United States3897 Posts
March 05 2010 09:23 GMT
#11
Yeah I have to agree, your opponent seeing the radius is kinda sucky.
♥ I used to lasso the shit out of your tournaments =( ♥ | Much is my hero. | zizi yO~ | Be Nice, TL.
Vexki
Profile Joined February 2010
Australia36 Posts
March 05 2010 09:34 GMT
#12
Sensor towers are an amazing scouting tool, you're pretty much building your own Xel'Naga watchtowers. It doesn't matter that you can't really see what exact units the opponent is using, you see a big blob of red heading towards your base from some direction and get ready to defend. Four sensor towers can pretty much cover an entire map, showing you exactly where your opponent is at any time.

On maps like scrap yard, the range is big enough to detect an air attack AS it leaves the opponents base, it can also detect if the opponent takes the island expansion, or if they're destroying the destructible rocks.

Gas isn't a problem if you go bio, you can sustain MnMnM off 1 base of gas, or mech if you get a lot of hellions.

Offensively, if you're setting up a contain and you're throwing down turrets, why not also throw down a sensor tower? It's close enough to the opponents base that you can pretty much see how many production facilities they have, and if they have enough units to hold you off if you were to just run in there.
P00RKID
Profile Joined December 2009
United States424 Posts
March 05 2010 09:41 GMT
#13
Hmm I don't know about letting the opponent see the sensor tower's radius. Perhaps they should only be able to see the radius line if they have a detector there. Otherwise its a big tip off.
"Does your butt hurt? 'cause you fell from heaven once the cast was over?" Artosis
PredY
Profile Joined September 2009
Czech Republic1731 Posts
March 05 2010 09:55 GMT
#14
build one on the edge of your main on scrap station. it will save your ass from various drops and you can also see the island expo.
http://www.twitch.tv/czelpredy
Odds
Profile Joined May 2008
Canada1188 Posts
March 05 2010 10:11 GMT
#15
Your opponent should really only be able to see the radius if he's scouted the tower itself. =/
Odds.633, AM. Plat level currently. Would love more practice partners, add me, let's play!
CharlieMurphy
Profile Blog Joined March 2006
United States22895 Posts
March 05 2010 11:25 GMT
#16
sensor tower would be good on straight island map, or if the person is doing air/drop only.
..and then I would, ya know, check em'. (Aka SpoR)
Mente
Profile Joined December 2009
United States288 Posts
March 05 2010 11:48 GMT
#17
I only see sensor towers being really useful in tvt. I've had no desire to build them in any other matchup.
Solomon Grundy want pants too!
Unentschieden
Profile Joined August 2007
Germany1471 Posts
March 05 2010 11:53 GMT
#18
I don´t think People realise how broken this would be if the Radius wasn´t revealed. That is the ONLY reason why Terrans don´t cover the map with them, they would be easy enough to hide otherwise. Only getting (!) is not as big of a limitation as you´d think, You always get air/nonair as well as Movementspeed. Plus there is always the context of what you know about the Enemys Tech (Terrans have scan, there is no excuse NOT to know).
There is also the factor that even though the enemy knows about the Towers he doesn´t know anything else. If the Terran manages to have mapcontrol and Resources enough to set up 2 or 3 he is pretty much set in terms of Map awareness, the opponent has no choice but to go stealth units. He can´t send Harrassment forces since they would be discovered by the Tower too early and the Terran could react. He can´t send his mainforce since then the Terran would sacrifice the Tower and go for the Main/Expansions.

The sensor Towers are definetly not bad but people need to get compfortable with the gas restrictions.
Aerox
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
Malaysia1213 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-05 12:27:17
March 05 2010 12:26 GMT
#19
On March 05 2010 18:41 P00RKID wrote:
Hmm I don't know about letting the opponent see the sensor tower's radius. Perhaps they should only be able to see the radius line if they have a detector there. Otherwise its a big tip off.

I like the idea of using the detector to spot the sensor tower's area of detection but instead of a constant radius line, a viewable sonar wave that goes off every 3-5 seconds or something. It allows fast units to dodge the detection if they move out of the area before the sonar hits them and while not letting the enemy know instantly the exact edge of the detection area unless they move slow while watching the ground. The sonar wave speed will of course be adjusted.
"Eyes in the sky."
MidKnight
Profile Joined December 2008
Lithuania884 Posts
March 05 2010 12:38 GMT
#20
On March 05 2010 19:11 Odds wrote:
Your opponent should really only be able to see the radius if he's scouted the tower itself. =/


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