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In this blog i'll discuss the recently released 1.3.3 PTR patch notes from a protoss perspective and try and give some analysis on how they may affect the matchups in the future.
Link: Patch 1.3.3 PTR Notes
Key changes regarding this post:
Cybernetics Core
Research Warp Gate time increased from 140 to 180.
Gateway
Sentry train time decreased from 42 to 37.
Stalker train time decreased from 42 to 37.
Zealot train time decreased from 38 to 33.
Warp Gate unit train times remain unchanged.
Analysis of Warpgate vs Gateway timings (The table is hard to read so I spoilered it): + Show Spoiler + Current
Unit Name - Build Time - Chrono'd - Total Deployment Time (+5s for warpgates)
Gateway
Zealot - 38 - 25.3 - 25.3 Stalker - 42 - 28 - 28 Sentry - 42 - 28 - 28
Warp Gate
Zealot - 28 - 18.7 - 23.7 Stalker - 32 - 21.3 - 26.3 Sentry - 32 - 21.3 - 26.3
Basically even when chrono'd currently warpgates are ALWAYS faster at producing than gateways in all instances.
Proposed (1.3.3 PTR Times)
Unit Name - Build Time - Chrono'd - Total Deployment Time (+5s for warpgates)
Gateway
Zealot - 33 - 22 - 22 Stalker - 37 - 24.7 - 24.7 Sentry - 37 - 24.7 - 24.7
Warp Gate
Zealot - 28 - 18.7 - 23.7 Stalker - 32 - 21.3 - 26.3 Sentry - 32 - 21.3 - 26.3
Gateways now produce faster than warpgates*
Summary: Because gateways have an inherently longer build time (but no added warp-in time) Chronoboost actually has greater benefit to them, which allows them to overtake warpgates in production time when all factors are taken into consideration.
* There is of course a major argument against this: The cooldown for warpgates starts as soon as you warp-in a unit, therefore effectively removing the 5 second warp-in time from the equation. This is true and means that warpgates still produce faster over time, however they have to be used perfectly and thus the margin for error has decreased alot, meaning if your macro isn't perfect, gateways will most likely be the better choice.
Where this could make a difference / Strategy:
What this basically comes down to is that warpgate tech has lost most of it's power early game. Not only does it take 40 seconds longer to come out (Or additional chronoboosts), but if one player chooses to chrono out units instead of warpgate tech they are actually going to have a clear unit advantage:
24.7 seconds for a stalker chrono'd out of a gateway
vs
32 seconds for a stalker from an un-chrono'd warpgate
Also the ability to queue units in the early-mid game, followed by a warpgate switch when you attack could allow you to macro harder and easier (giving more time to focus on FF micro etc) while still having the warpin for reinforcing your push.
Conclusions:
These changes open up alot of early game timings in which gateways will be useful vs warpgates, doing an effective job at what they were intended for: killing off the 4gate in PvP.
There will most likely be some interesting hallucinate first rush builds, using the hallucinations to tank damage. These weren't viable before because warpgate tech was so strong you needed it asap, and hallucinate took alot longer to research.
Choosing when to switch from gateway to warpgate and the optimum timing will have to be worked out. However the most likely thing that will happen is that warpgate is researched as normal, but no chronoboosts are spent on it, instead giving more early units and probes.
Warpgates will still always be better going into midgame, due to the benefits of warp-in.
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An indepth Anal.... yea i clicked expecting something else XD
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While the thread content is actually kind of interesting (I didn't even read 1.3.3 until reading the blog here :D) I have a feeling this thread title is going to...say...bite you in the ass.
ahawhawhahaw
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On April 27 2011 10:24 SkelA wrote: An indepth Anal.... yea i clicked expecting something else XD
I thought the same thing. After clicking on it, I was very much relieved.
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I believe it was a good change. If possible, I wish they would just get rid of this warp-in ability, I dont like it at all, and yeah I play protoss.
Early in beta there was a short discussion if switching off gate/warp would allow you to produce faster, but seems like the time to switch + the build time to produce units were longer than just waiting the next round of warps.
Also, yeah, half of the threads with Analisys in title are cut right at the Anal part......
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So was that title on purpose?
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At first, I was like: Whaaaaa?!? And then I clicked on "Blogs" to make sure it wasn't anything meh. Glad I did that.
I got you on almost everything but...
You need 100 energy to make a hallucination. Not sure if your sentries will have enough for that. And if they have, it means that you will use no forcefields. Your opponent can and will do it. Additionally, if detection is had, ouchies.
I have a feeling that the "ideal" macro for a protoss will incorporate slightly fewer gateways (I say: gateways) since the time buff on them. In short, for non-BW people, macro will have to be re-learnt - no more easy Warpgate keyboard shortcut.
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On April 27 2011 10:30 Lexpar wrote: So was that title on purpose?
Maybe...
+ Show Spoiler +Actually no lol Would be nice to pass it off as such but i'm too honest! >.<
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I think the difference of this will be seen in PvZ. I guarantee you Toss' will cut out Warp Gate completely in favor of hallucination first if they were to do a 3 gate expand. Obviously you don't want to get hallucination too quickly though, because even as it is if you get hallucination immediately after warp gate is done your first sentry still won't have enough energy for a hallucination right away.
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On April 27 2011 10:34 TheDeli wrote: You need 100 energy to make a hallucination. Not sure if your sentries will have enough for that. And if they have, it means that you will use no forcefields. Your opponent can and will do it. Additionally, if detection is had, ouchies.
Hmmm, yeah true.. I would love to see such builds, though you are probably right. Perhaps there will be a very tight timing, I can't wait to test it.
So now we need a hallucination energy buff amirite? k/o
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Stop making blogs with analysis in the title... T.T
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there has to be some forum code to always truncate there :I
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What's stopping 4gateways...? Doesn't this just make for a bigger warpgate rush?
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On April 27 2011 10:51 nitdkim wrote: What's stopping 4gateways...? Doesn't this just make for a bigger warpgate rush?
Only kinda. The earliest a 4gate can be is now later than it was, making sure that both sides have more units/tech. It'll probably still be a good timing attack, but probably not allin or a necessary (read: the only) strategy in PvP
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Nice analysis btw I'll try some forge + chrono gateway expands now
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Thanks for the numbers, OP, this thread was needed.
There will most likely be some interesting hallucinate first rush builds, using the hallucinations to tank damage. These weren't viable before because warpgate tech was so strong you needed it asap, and hallucinate took alot longer to research. Choosing when to switch from gateway to warpgate and the optimum timing will have to be worked out. However the most likely thing that will happen is that warpgate is researched as normal, but no chronoboosts are spent on it, instead giving more early units and probes. Well we're going to see how progamers will adapt to the change, but overall I agree with this. Although tbh hallucinations builds might work better on paper. Personally I'm not a fan of hallucination because Sentrie's energy or lack thereof can be deadly depending on the maps.
ps: I love how half of the posts in this thread are off-topic.
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On April 27 2011 10:51 nitdkim wrote: What's stopping 4gateways...? Doesn't this just make for a bigger warpgate rush?
Afew things;
1) if the push now comes later you can easily get an immortal out or even two. Look at the 3 stalker 4gate counter for evidence of this. The whole premise of that build was to delay the 4gate by 15-20 seconds, which is enough time for an immortal or another round of sentries to get out. With these changes the 4gate now comes those extra 15-20 seconds later by default. Either that or it comes around the same time but their econ. is too low to support a sustained attack.
2) If the push is now weaker it's easily stoppable by a defensive 3 gate + double gas, Which if held leads to a win 99% of the time.
3) Like I said, I think new timings will open up where 3 gateways chrono'd could easily outmass 4 warpgates early game, but that remains to be seen (I'm EU and don't have access to PTR).
Basically the timing for a 4 warpgate was already very fragile, if your push came afew seconds too late the 4gate failed. This patch just blows it away, since that timing window is gone.
Also the pylon change is actually huge, without the pylon warping into the high ground 4gate was never a problem in the first place, since it could be stopped by sentries.
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United States11637 Posts
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