Major Update: Dustin Browders statement as of 11/11/2012.
Good job people!!
+ Show Spoiler +
I want to be as clear as I can on our current position of the Infestor in Wings of Liberty.
- We are not going to make any changes before BWC.
- We are going to continue to watch games and gather data.
- We will discuss changes.
- We may try a balance map sometime after BWC.
- We may try some changes in Swarm Beta, using that as a test-bed for stuff we could bring back into Wings of Liberty.
At this time I could see these as possible outcomes:
- We nerf Infested Terrans, Fungal Growth or both.
- We make a change to the Infestor (hit points, movement speed, etc.).
- We do a change to how the unit is designed (add a projectile back to Fungal Growth, increase the visibility of burrowed units while they are moving, etc.).
- We buff some of the potential counters (EMP, Feedback).
- We do a combination of any of the above.
- We see something that makes us decide that doing nothing is the right answer. Obviously if this occurs we would share this data or reasoning.
For those of you who believe that this is too slow a response, I am sorry.
- We are not going to make any changes before BWC.
- We are going to continue to watch games and gather data.
- We will discuss changes.
- We may try a balance map sometime after BWC.
- We may try some changes in Swarm Beta, using that as a test-bed for stuff we could bring back into Wings of Liberty.
At this time I could see these as possible outcomes:
- We nerf Infested Terrans, Fungal Growth or both.
- We make a change to the Infestor (hit points, movement speed, etc.).
- We do a change to how the unit is designed (add a projectile back to Fungal Growth, increase the visibility of burrowed units while they are moving, etc.).
- We buff some of the potential counters (EMP, Feedback).
- We do a combination of any of the above.
- We see something that makes us decide that doing nothing is the right answer. Obviously if this occurs we would share this data or reasoning.
For those of you who believe that this is too slow a response, I am sorry.
Anyone notice in pro games that many players have become adept at spotting hidden observers, Dts, banshees and other cloaked units, but when it comes to moving burrowed infestors and roaches, they almost never. How often do we see a clutch unit surround on an invisible DT compared to a sick orbital scan catching all the burrowed infestors about to bombard the enemy with eggs? With all the infestor OP talk going on atm, could this be one of the factors why?
Surely 2 years into the game now, we should have seen some players who have a keen eye for spotting burrowed movement, the same way Taeja does with Protoss observers. But we haven't, and I can't help but feel that this is not a player problem, but rather a game problem. Heck even Taeja who is so good at destroying cloaked units can't seem to see burrowed units (refer to Taeja vs Stephano at Dreamhack Ohana)
First let's compare the costs. Please note that I have no issue with stationary burrowed units being virtually invisible, only moving burrowed units.
Zerg
Burrow: 100m, 100g, 100 research time
Allows ALL Zerg ground units to burrow, infestors to move underground + use eggs, banelings to detonate underground.
Tunnelling claws: 150m, 150g, 110 research time
Allows roaches to move underground. Increase HP regeneration underground.
Terran
Banshee Cloak: 200m, 200m, 110 research time.
Only cloak for banshees.
Ghost cloak: 150m, 150g, 120 time
Only cloak for ghost.
Protoss
Observer and DT have an innate permanent cloak.
Mothership cloaks other units.
Burrow: 100m, 100g, 100 research time
Allows ALL Zerg ground units to burrow, infestors to move underground + use eggs, banelings to detonate underground.
Tunnelling claws: 150m, 150g, 110 research time
Allows roaches to move underground. Increase HP regeneration underground.
Terran
Banshee Cloak: 200m, 200m, 110 research time.
Only cloak for banshees.
Ghost cloak: 150m, 150g, 120 time
Only cloak for ghost.
Protoss
Observer and DT have an innate permanent cloak.
Mothership cloaks other units.
So as we can see here, something doesn't seem right. Not only is Burrow the cheapest to research, quickest to research but also effects all units as well as huge perks such as burrowed banelings and infestor movement. Terrans have it the worst as their cloaking is the most expensive, and most restrictive to one unit each. Protoss have it ok, as their units are naturally perma cloaked, but always comes at a massive cost to tech paths. IE: going DT will set your very far back if failed. Observers at the cost of not making immortal/colos/warp prism. And by the time Mothership comes out, scans and overseers are in abundance.
The point being is, if burrow is going to be the cheapest, make it more visible to the eye compared to the high costs and exclusiveness of Terran cloak and tech gimping for Protoss. You're meant to get what you pay for right? Alternately, if burrow should stay the best in terms of visibility and extra perks, make it more expensive and/or longer to research. So let's end this with a poll...
Poll: What do Blizz need to do?
Make movement when burrowed more visible (483)
50%
It's fine the way it is (445)
46%
Make cloak less visible (13)
1%
Make burrow more expensive and/or longer to research (11)
1%
Other. Please specify below. (7)
1%
Make cloak cheaper for T and less tech gimpy for P (6)
1%
965 total votes
It's fine the way it is (445)
Make cloak less visible (13)
Make burrow more expensive and/or longer to research (11)
Other. Please specify below. (7)
Make cloak cheaper for T and less tech gimpy for P (6)
965 total votes
Your vote: What do Blizz need to do?
(Vote): Make movement when burrowed more visible
(Vote): Make cloak less visible
(Vote): Make burrow more expensive and/or longer to research
(Vote): Make cloak cheaper for T and less tech gimpy for P
(Vote): It's fine the way it is
(Vote): Other. Please specify below.
Please excuse any typos, wrote all this on phone.