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EDIT: WHOOPS, UPDATE ON PREVIOUS PAGE I've actually spent a fair while looking through triggers for various maps throughout the campaigns while peeking for details for my UEDAIP guide, so I was going to go ahead and confirm both the Nydus Spawning, and the Zergling details before you did it yourself. Spawning and then immediately removing the burrowed Zergling is a quick and easy way to have you "rescue" those units from a distance without it being too obvious what's going on, as unless you're VERY quick, like you were here, 99% of players will never know that zergling ever exists. And for the Nydus spawning, it means that you can carefully control how rapidly those reinforcements arrive without having to rely on AI-based random quirkiness. UEDAIP does something neat here. The level is a lot harder, as is the norm with UEDAIP, but you are still incentivized to play well and not just rush Zetatul to the Warp Gate and use the rest as fodder to protect him. Because... every unit you get to the Warp Gate here, will actually be carried over to the next level via Bank Data. Bank Data is one of the other big things that UEDAIP makes use of, allowing certain actions in one level to actually directly affect later levels. But yeah, one of the ways this level gets made harder, is that as you progress, in addition to all the scripted obstacles, there are bases on the high ground that gradually wake up and start building attack waves to overlord-drop into the valleys with you, to keep you moving. Fortunately, UEDAIP also makes most heroes more usable with special skills. Zeratul himself actually has a healing aura, making the attrition of this level a bit more bearable.
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Jan 23, 2024 00:23
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One thing that really helped Brood War was that there's no handholding. No need to ramp up the difficulty in each campaign as players learned how to play each faction. e: Also, I noticed that OP forgot some of his units during that final southward sweep, and then they were extremely far from the portal when the Zerg invasion of the last base kicked off. Their blood is on your hands, Killtrane!
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Jan 23, 2024 02:13
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I am genuinely impressed at how badly the Artanis retcon fits. I didn't remember the storyline of Brood War well enough to evaluate it when I first heard that claim, but clearly neither did Blizzard when they said it.
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Jan 23, 2024 02:21
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My headcanon is that Protoss Ranks simply don't work the same way ours do, and that Praetor, despite being a position of lesser authority, was seen as the "higher" position, due to being in the thick of combat, since Templar are Proud Warrior Race Guys™, which would make going from Executor to Praetor a promotion; going from Armchair General to FRONTLINE COMMANDER HELL YEAH
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Jan 23, 2024 02:22
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On the subject of retcons, the existence of that warp gate is one within the first game. According to the manual, the dark templar were boarded onto big ships for their banishment from Aiur. The implication of that being they'd go somewhere to stay out of sight and (mostly) out of mind. Apparently they maintained a direct and instant link to their hated exiles this whole time.
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Jan 23, 2024 03:31
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Alpha3KV posted:On the subject of retcons, the existence of that warp gate is one within the first game. According to the manual, the dark templar were boarded onto big ships for their banishment from Aiur. The implication of that being they'd go somewhere to stay out of sight and (mostly) out of mind. Apparently they maintained a direct and instant link to their hated exiles this whole time. Eh, it could be something like the Stargates from the franchise of the same name, where any Stargate can connect to any other Stargate as long as you know the correct coordinates to input. Clearly the Dark Templar just built their own parallel Warp Gate network using the same tech and just never dialed in to the regular Protoss gates
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Jan 23, 2024 03:50
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I just realized that this mission and the first Prophecy mission both have occasional Scourge fly around to imply the zerg are running the joint. They even reused a huge flock flying around before a big attack starts.
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Jan 23, 2024 06:21
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"I will uphold the honor and traditions of the Templar!" *Does himself up like a Dark Templar.* "...We shall see. *mutters something under his breath about Weeaboos*"
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Jan 23, 2024 06:24
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Tarezax posted:Eh, it could be something like the Stargates from the franchise of the same name, where any Stargate can connect to any other Stargate as long as you know the correct coordinates to input. Clearly the Dark Templar just built their own parallel Warp Gate network using the same tech and just never dialed in to the regular Protoss gates That or they really did just lazily use all the same tech and the two Protoss groups never really diverged much technologically despite being isolated from each other. Which, well, could very well be the case considering you’re mostly using the same poo poo.
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Jan 23, 2024 06:32
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First time I played the BW Protoss campaign I was surprised at the tone. The OG Protoss campaign ends with what seems like a great victory so it was crazy that it seems like things have gotten even worse and more apocalyptic.
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Jan 23, 2024 07:48
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BlazetheInferno posted:I've actually spent a fair while looking through triggers for various maps throughout the campaigns while peeking for details for my UEDAIP guide, so I was going to go ahead and confirm both the Nydus Spawning, and the Zergling details before you did it yourself. Where can we find this guide? Do you have a website?
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Jan 23, 2024 15:56
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bladededge posted:Where can we find this guide? Do you have a website? The guide itself is just a google document linked in the mod's Discord server (in the Documentation channel). The topic for the mod on the Staredit site is a touch out of date, but has working links to both the Discord server, and the download page for the mod itself. Anyone who does plan to try out the mod, just be aware, it is a difficult mod, but that's not the main point of it. It's a very difficult version of the game, but also plays a lot with lots of extra options and abilities added by the tools being used. Bank data, smarter AI, allied AI, a bunch of QoL features, heroes and units with custom abilities, new upgrades, ... actually, that's something worth mentioning. There are balance changes from the normal game, a fact which catches some people off guard, and those changes are different between Episodes 1-3 and Episodes 4-6. If you try it and completely bounce off it, don't feel bad. It's definitely not for everyone, GiantGrantGames (the Deathless guy who's gone on to do countless different challenge and speedruns and powerboosted the SC2 modding scene) bounced off it HARD halfway through the first Terran campaign. On the otherhand, Jayborino very much enjoyed it... even if it did drive him up the wall at times. So if you're confident in your campaign play, and want to challenge yourself, by all means give it a try. Keep your eyes open for changes... or check that guide up in the documentation channel  (JohnKilltrane, if this is a bit much, let me know and I'll snip this out :P)
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Jan 23, 2024 17:25
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habeasdorkus posted:e: Also, I noticed that OP forgot some of his units during that final southward sweep, and then they were extremely far from the portal when the Zerg invasion of the last base kicked off. Their blood is on your hands, Killtrane! Haha I wonder how that must have gone in-universe. "We are willing and able to fight!" "Alas, the Executor has decreed 'Sorry dawg I can't be bothered to have more than one control group of Zealots right now. Maybe if someone dies I'll bring you along.'" "Oh, uh, okay." BisbyWorl posted:I just realized that this mission and the first Prophecy mission both have occasional Scourge fly around to imply the zerg are running the joint. Good catch! I didn't make that connection. I guess Scourge are just a good way to have a lot of Zerg around without having to make the player fight them. BlazetheInferno posted:
Hell no. Info about UEDAIP is like funnelcake: there's no such thing as too much. (I actually haven't had funnelcake in, like, decades and forget what it's like. But it sounds like the type of thing it'd be hard to get enough of).
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Jan 23, 2024 23:15
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My only gripe about the UEDAIP is that the only source of information on it seems to be their discord server. I'm already in too many servers drat it!
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Jan 23, 2024 23:25
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Bloody Pom posted:My only gripe about the UEDAIP is that the only source of information on it seems to be their discord server. I'm already in too many servers drat it! Well, with Killtrane's enthusiasm, I'll skip a step here and post what started as just me wanting to just see what all was different from the official campaigns, but eventually got taken on as a semi-official Guide to the mod. Within this link is contained balance changes to units, upgrades, heroes, notes new additions, and has tips and warnings for each mission, taking note of how each mission is different from the official version, as well as hazards to watch out for, and what to watch out for in terms of unit compositions from specific enemies.
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Jan 23, 2024 23:37
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I dunno about some of these changes.quote:- The Creep Colony now costs 125 minerals, up from 75, and takes longer to morph. However, it can be built off of creep, which gives you previously unthinkable amounts of freedom. This seems to just make Zerg logistics work like Protoss? I don't like that it lessens differences like this.
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Jan 24, 2024 00:03
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GunnerJ posted:I dunno about some of these changes. To be fair, this just sort of skips a step of "put a hatchery there first", which at best means you can fit them in smaller areas where hatcheries are too big to fit. I get what you're talking about though, and it's one of the hazards of introducing these kinds of balance changes. Personally, I just like the extra freedom. It makes the "Eye for an Eye" mission less stressful, to be sure, since it's easier to get Colony defenses at the three canyons. Which, considering the amped up aggression in UEDAIP in general, you may be thankful for.
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Jan 24, 2024 00:08
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Mechanicspost: What’s In A Map? (This post is gonna be a lot, fair warning. But it’s laying the foundation for a lot of what we’ll be talking about in terms of how multiplayer works. Also, this is a little different from the mechanicsposts we've been doing so far so feedback, while always welcome, is especially helpful here. Same with corrections and/or additions) It is an axiom of strategy gaming that map design is the most important factor in gameplay balance. Maps are what establish the parameters of a given game and therefore how viable each unit, ability, and strategy is. There’s a lot of important work that goes into balancing a game at a design level, absolutely, but the mapmakers (or map script makers, in the case of games with RMG) are the ones who really hold the final say. In fact, I can’t think of a single game where this isn’t the case – not just Starcraft, but Civ, Heroes of Might and Magic, Master of Orion/Magic, Advance Wars, Age of Wonders – you name it. The only exception are games where you just have the one fixed map like Paradox games and Total War – and even then, that singular fixed map is still a huge factor in balance. Without even looking into it I can tell just through the power of confident assumption that there’s communities out there dedicated to seeing how radically different chess can become just by altering the game board. A concrete example of this: I recently stuck my head back into the Age of Empires 2 competitive scene after a number of years to discover that the Chinese had vaulted from mid-tier at best to one of the top-tier civs – not due to any direct nerfs or buffs but simply because of a change in the way map scripts spawn sheep. So since it’s such an important part of this game, we’re going to be taking a look at the role that different maps play, how certain trends and approaches have shifted overall balance, and how this has shaped the game as a whole. But first, we’re going to take a look at the basics of map design, what the components are, and what effect these things have on gameplay. Early Concerns: There’s three important early concerns you need to know about every map. How many players can it support? Competitive matches are always 1v1, outside of certain special events, but that doesn’t mean that every competitive map is limited to 2 players. It’s common to have 3 or 4 player maps, and sometimes you’ll even see more. What’s the difference? First, players are randomly spawned in one of the player spots, so in a 2 player map, you always know where your opponent’s main base is, but the more players the map is, the more scouting you’ll have to do to find your enemy. In practice, this means the more players a map has, the less feasible rushing and early aggression become. Second, because there’s more places to scout, maps with larger player counts tend to be better for sneaky strategies. Hidden bases, for example – it’s where you take, say, your third base somewhere out in the boonies rather than near your main. Until your opponent finds it, it keeps it safe from harassment, yes, but it’s also a bluff to make your opponent think your approach is different than it is. They’ll be assessing you based on the assumption that you only have two bases, but nope! Your economy is a lot stronger than they think. Proxies also fall into this – the larger the map, the more places the opponent has to scout to find proxies. And even unorthodox strategies: maybe Protoss gets unlucky and doesn’t find Terran’s base until after Terran’s already got a wall up, so the Probe can’t get in to scout. So Terran is now free to do something off-book like getting some Wraith harassment going without Protoss being able to anticipate it. Third, maps with more players are going to be larger in general and have more expansion sites. As a result, 4 player maps are more likely to go longer and hit the late game tech, whereas 2 player maps tend to be shorter and more frantic. Again, this is all in general. There’s nothing preventing a two player map from being a big, sprawling monstrosity with tons of bases or a four player map from being resource-poor and claustrophobic, you just generally don’t see it.  Fighting Spirit, one of the most popular 4 player maps. Note the sheer distance your scout would have to travel in order to find the opponent: opportunities for early aggression can be hampered, especially if the opponent’s in the third place you look. What’s the rush distance? The “rush distance” is the amount of time it takes to get from your base to the opponent’s base. This can be related to player count but isn’t necessarily the same thing. You’ll see quite a few 2 player maps, for example, where there’s a direct route between the two bases that’s blocked, either by a big, beefy barricade (as mentioned, the Protoss Temple is a common choice for this) or by a wall of mineral patches that need the mineral walking glitch (see the Worker Spotlight) to be crossed. So until those barriers can be circumvented you’re left taking a winding, indirect route, resulting in a fairly long rush distance. This also throws a wrinkle into higher player count maps because can be difficult to design one where the rush distance is identical between all the start positions. It may well be that going between the 12:00 and 3:00 spawn points takes less time than going between any other ones, adding another thing to think about if you start in one of those spots.  This is Destination, an older map. The rush distance is very short, which favours more aggressive builds and all-ins. How hard is it to wall? “Walling” is a concept that was briefly addressed in the Poonchaposts back in the early days of this thread, but we haven’t really delved into it in detail. We still won’t do that here, but suffice it to say that maps have chokepoints going into the main base, and often going into the natural as well, and Terran and sometimes Protoss will construct their buildings in a way to obstruct passage in order to head off early assaults. How easy this is to accomplish is a big factor in early gameplay. For example, on some maps, Terran will be able to put a Supply Depot and a Barracks at their entry ramp and boom. It’s walled off. Easy. More frequently, mapmakers will design it so that it’s not so neat – a common example is making it impossible to avoid a small gap there that Terran will have to stick a Marine or something else in to block. Corners are also a thing to worry about : on some maps, Terran might have a wall that looks solid but whoops, turns out there’s just enough room for a Zergling to squeeze in diagonally at the corner. Further complicating things is that, especially on older maps, not every spawn is equal when it comes to walling. Terran pros in particular need to familiarize themselves with a new map by drilling all the different possible wall situations.  It took two Supply Depots and a Barracks, but Ample was able to put together a wall at his natural. One Marine vs eight Zerglings may not sound like good odds, but it starts to look a lot better when the Zerglings have to claw through a Depot first. Let’s put it together. All of these factors combine to determine how the early game will go. Let’s take PvT for example. Remember the Zealot spotlight? Where we talked about how early game Protoss might get some to harass Terran? If they do so, and how many they get, depends on the above three factors. If it’s a 4+ player map and/or there’s a long rush distance and/or it’s easy to wall, Protoss will probably forego early Zealots entirely. They won’t produce military units at all until they can start getting out Dragoons, and Zealots won’t hit the field until they’ve got a Citadel of Adun for that sweet, sweet speed upgrade. On the other hand, if it’s a 2 player map and/or it’s a short rush distance and/or it’s harder to wall, like if say there will always be a gap in the wall that Terran needs to fill with a Marine, a Marine that’s easily killed by a Zealot, then Protoss will almost certainly open with a couple of Zealots to go cause havoc. And understand – this isn’t a rush. It’s not a cheese strategy. These factors aren’t just about whether you can win with a cheesy all-in build, but the viability of early aggression and harassment in general. Terrain Tactics: The other big part of learning a map is understanding the role terrain is playing. For example, there might be a ridge or plateau in the middle of the map: you have to cross it on your way to the enemy base (unless you travel by air), so whoever holds it gains a huge advantage: you take two evenly matched forces and give one of them a 47% chance of whiffing all ranged attacks, guess what happens? Or maybe you’ll see the opposite: a valley in the middle of the map where you can’t push into the opponent’s half without eating the low ground disadvantage. Look at the area around your main and your natural: what sort of barriers are being used to set up chokepoints there? Is it high ground with a ramp or even ground with cliffs? If it’s cliffs, how extensive are they? A wide area of cliffs around your base provides ideal opportunity for aerial harassment: remember, high ground doesn’t just cause attacks to miss, it also blocks vision, so your units on the low ground will have a hard time spotting any air units, like, say, Mutas or transports, hovering over the cliffs. What about your third? Where is it? Is it nestled in right near your main and natural; something you can take quickly and defend easily? Is it out, naked and exposed a ways up the map, requiring its own dedicated defense to avoid it being sniped? How does it compare resource-wise? Does it have fewer mineral patches? A smaller geyser? Maybe it only has minerals, or only has a geyser. How open is the map? Are there lots of bridges and tight canyons that make moving large forces especially difficult and provide great spots for ambushes? Is there a lot of wide open terrain, opening up opportunities for things like big clumps of Goliaths and Dragoons? Are there many cliffs that air units could use to lurk in ambush? Are there many avenues of attack you could take, or will you be funneled down one or two paths? In fact, if you’ll remember this unit’s spotlight, the map’s terrain is the single biggest factor in whether Carriers are insanely strong or a waste of resources in TvP. Similarly, it can play a decisive role when Terran is weighing their desired ratio of Vultures to Siege Tanks, or when Zerg is pondering whether a big Hydra push is in the cards, or how much to spend on Defilers. JohnKilltrane Pulls Out His Magic Map: Now we’re going to put all this into practice by taking a popular map used frequently in tournaments and breaking it down. We’ll be taking a look at an all-time classic that continues to see heavy use on ladder and in tournaments, Neo Dark Origins.  So, first things first. Two player map. You know where the enemy’s gonna spawn, and they know where you’re gonna spawn. Check out the mains:  They’re huge. Just a ton of space for your main base. This means that potentially drops are very powerful here – there will almost inevitably be gaps in defensive coverage there than a Shuttle or Dropship or even an Overlord can exploit. This also gives the map a quirk that I think is pretty funny: the combination of 2 players and a huge main means that a cheeky player can proxy inside the enemy’s own base. If you can sneak a worker up their ramp and past their start point without them noticing, you can easily plop down a Barracks or Gateway without them noticing and flood their base with troops. Granted, that’s a huge “if,” but still. Now, let’s take a look at the expansions.  Natural is right down the ramp on the low ground, but it’s got a bit of a canyon wall providing a modest choke point between it and the center of the map. Not the most defensible natural you’ll see, but not terribly exposed, either. What’s interesting is the third:  It’s close to the middle of the map and has two ways into it, so it seems kind of precarious, but the way it’s kind of nestled into the shadow of the main makes it actually pretty defensible for a third, especially for Terran who can use Siege Tanks up in their main to protect it. Further bases are pretty exposed, but not as much as some maps. Speaking of “exposed,” check out the resource placement. The main and the third are in good shape, with the mineral lines tucked in at the back of the base. The natural, however, has the mineral line along the side, with water beyond it, and a small scattering of cliffs just above/below it. In other words, the natural is at high risk of harassment, especially from things like Mutas or Reaver drops, but using transports to ferry Siege Tanks or High Templar to the flat ground across the water could also do some serious damage.  Units on low ground can’t see onto high ground, even high ground like this that’s too small to hold any ground units. Anything could be hiding up there. Now let’s check out the middle:  We’ve got a flat battleground connected to the rest of the map by three bridges on each side. Those bridges make for murderous choke points: Imagine trying to cross one while the other side has got mines and Siege Tanks. Or Defilers blanketing the bridge in Dark Swarm and Plague. Or Templar and Reavers raining death while Dragoons score free hits. It’s a nightmare. Fortunately, your opponent won’t be able to lock down all three of them at first, so you’ll have some room to maneuver. They’re also not the only way in – the fourth has a ramp leading down to the middle. But that’s all the more reason to try to hold the bridges and the middle ground, because if you cede it, the enemy’s got another avenue of ingress. That flat middle also seems like prime Goliath stomping grounds. If I were playing TvT, I’d be real hesitant about trying to use my Battlecruisers to try to retake anything around there. Similarly, in PvT, Carriers do not seem like a good choice on this map. Arbiters, on the other hand… We also need to consider the gimmick. The main has two ramps: the front ramp goes down into the natural, but the back ramp…  The back ramp leads to an alternate route, blocked off by a Stasis Cell and a mineral patch.   This may not look like a block, but it sure is - no ground unit can get by. When bypassed, this allows a path that circumvents the middle and goes directly into the enemy’s main. Early on, you can use mineral walking to glitch past a unit or two – send a Vulture or Zealot directly into the enemy’s worker line! Later on, you’ll be established enough that you can either destroy the Stasis Cell or mine out the mineral patch or both, turning this into a new highway you can use, right to the heart of your enemy. This also makes you grapple with important strategic considerations: How much do you invest in defending that back ramp? Do you spend resources on extra static D, knowing that if the opponent doesn’t go that route, it’s wasted? Do you gamble and leave it mostly empty, hoping that your other defenses will mostly cover it? And how early do you want to get defenses there, anyway? Anyway, there’s a lot more we could dive into, but hopefully this is enough to help those unfamiliar understand just how important maps are to gameplay, especially at the professional level. You might watch a tournament and hear the commentators say something like “Oh yeah this guy just got out of military service so I don’t know how much time he’s had to learn the new maps” and before this you might have thought “Lol it’s a map, how much time does it take to learn?” but now it should make more sense. But to conclude, I want to say that if you’re interested in trying Brood War multiplayer, don’t let any of this intimidate you. You don’t need to think about this stuff at lower ranks. Just play.
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Jan 24, 2024 02:06
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There are a few interviews (like this one) out there with Freakling, who's probably the most prolific tournament map creator ever, on how he designs maps. It suffices to say that the huge effortpost above is just barely scratching the surface. There's also some hilariously terrible melee maps included with the game, including one where every single tile is covered in critters so you can't even build or scout without engaging in serious critter slaughter first. Then there's the one where every tile is covered in mineral patches.
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Jan 24, 2024 05:36
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Okay, I have a guess but what do natural and proxy mean? I know nothing of competitive Starcraft jargon.
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Jan 24, 2024 06:12
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"Natural" means the base that is right next to your start, your "natural" first expansion. "Proxy" means building your stuff (e.g. a barracks) near-ish to your opponent's base in order to get aggressive quickly and/or surprise them.
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Jan 24, 2024 06:24
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The closest I ever got to playing actual melee back on ye olde Battle.net was probably Phantom on Big Game Hunters.
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Jan 24, 2024 09:08
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Decoy Badger posted:There are a few interviews (like this one) out there with Freakling, who's probably the most prolific tournament map creator ever, on how he designs maps. It suffices to say that the huge effortpost above is just barely scratching the surface. 100%. That's a fantastic resource, thanks. Maps are a topic deserving their own thread; what we'll be able to take a look at here is just the tip of the iceberg, and mostly is just here to lay a foundation for more in-depth strategy posts. Decoy Badger posted:There's also some hilariously terrible melee maps included with the game, including one where every single tile is covered in critters so you can't even build or scout without engaging in serious critter slaughter first. Then there's the one where every tile is covered in mineral patches. Even the non-meme ones are pretty bad, often lacking things like choke points for bases (e.g. the map is just always a rushfest). Also there's the whole thing where due to the isometric perspective the game only had ramps in some directions, which leads to big start imbalances. Grand Fromage posted:Okay, I have a guess but what do natural and proxy mean? I know nothing of competitive Starcraft jargon. Oh, good call. I should have put those in the post. I'll edit them into the glossary. Which I haven't updated in ages. Actually I haven't updated the main post in forever, I think it's still in like early episode 3. My bad. I'll get on that, hopefully tonight. "Third" is one that used to trip me up - it means your third base, aka your second expansion, not your third expansion. JohnKilltrane fucked around with this message at 15:50 on Jan 24, 2024 |
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Jan 24, 2024 15:48
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Decoy Badger posted:There's also some hilariously terrible melee maps included with the game, including one where every single tile is covered in critters so you can't even build or scout without engaging in serious critter slaughter first. Then there's the one where every tile is covered in mineral patches. Artosis actually managed to convince several ASL players to play on that map (and a few others) in a mini-tournament he organized: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL4h3EfCEY8 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLojXIrB9Xau04yZWRhVYiNHMLobMuZhRq
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Jan 24, 2024 17:23
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Decoy Badger posted:There's also some hilariously terrible melee maps included with the game, including one where every single tile is covered in critters so you can't even build or scout without engaging in serious critter slaughter first. Then there's the one where every tile is covered in mineral patches. Silly gimmick maps can be great. Think of it this way, Final Destination No Items is "fair", but it's not as interesting as random stage all items, is it? I thought SC2's official map roster was dreadfully boring by virtue of trying to make sure every single player position was evenly balanced on every map. The Capcom approach of balance as seen in eg. Marvel vs Capcom 2 is viable too: everyone has some kind of unfair advantage, let's throw all the unfair advantages together and see who can capitalize on their unfair advantage the best. I really liked Tarsonis Orbital back in the day, for example, because each starting spot has wildly different surrounding terrain. Getting stuck with the wide-open right of map position with easier access to the center was an interesting challenge, especially if you were playing Terran. Can't wall off efficiently, need to be more aggressive attacking the center for map control. bladededge fucked around with this message at 19:33 on Jan 25, 2024 |
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Jan 25, 2024 19:28
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DISCLAIMER: During the Enslavers campaign, I erroneously commented that the Warbringer has no offensive advantage over other Reavers. It turns out this is incorrect: the patch that balanced the unexpected Reaver-Shuttle interplay only touched the base Reaver, which means the Warbringer is still able to fire out a Scarab the very frame a Shuttle unloads it. Don’t worry, even if I had known this during the Enslavers campaign, I don’t have the Shuttle micro to properly show it off. But now you know. Back to the update… Protoss X02: Dunes of Shakuras  Welp. That's definitely a new splash screen. Before the briefing, let's also set the tone with the new Protoss music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMRpBop_mco In general, the new units and upgrades the expansion brings come from new “subfactions” getting integrated into the race. For Protoss, this subfaction is the Dark Templar, and IMHO the new music does a fantastic job of capturing their spirit. It has hints of the standard Protoss music while also sounding more ghostly and ethereal. It's mournful but dignified and is just a bit more alien-y. On to the briefing:  En Taro Tassadar, Executor. The survivors from Aiur have made it safely through the gate. Yet, amidst the chaos of our retreat we lost contact with Fenix and Raynor. I fear that they may have been overrun by the Zerg. Dammit! I shouldn’t have let him stay alone. Fear not, Artanis. Fenix is as stalwart a warrior as I have ever known, and the Terran Raynor has proven himself to be highly resourceful in the past. I for one believe that they made it here safely. But while we wait for word from them, we must reconnoiter the surrounding area and find a suitable location for a more permanent settlement. Once we’re situated we can begin to search for the Dark Templar.Mission Objectives: Establish a base and find the Dark Templar. Our start:   Surely these cannot be the only warriors to make it through. No, but many were badly wounded in the escape. I decided it would be best for them to remain here at our camp and recuperate, while these four volunteered to seek the Dark Templar. Hm. A wise decision, Praetor, but one that was not yours to make. Ah… Yes. My apologies, Executor. It is taking me longer than expected to adjust.Pretty modest beginnings - but a new tileset! Everything's blue. It's a magical world, alright. Let's go exploring!    Gross. Way to ruin the moment.  Executor! There are Zerg on Shakuras! They must have taken control of the warp gate on Aiur!(My autocorrect, by the way, is absolutely hellbent on changing Shakuras to Shakira. If I miss fixing one, I’m sorry/you’re welcome).  This looks promising.  …extremely promising. While we get our base set up…  It's the new critter!  Dude what. Our Nexus just finished.  How are we supposed to hold this off? I know the expansion is meant to be harder but this is ridiculous.  Neraz gulio. Ohhhhhhh. Ner’mah! Zerashk gulida.(If you refer back to our Protoss quotes, these are all things the unit says).  We're safe. Well, almost.  There's Hydras that attacked from the other side, too. Wow, we're actually kinda screwed. They killed three of our Probes and we don't have minerals to build more. If we lose that one, it's game over.  Come on, come on…  Yes! Haha wow. 1 HP away from losing the mission. Adun Toridas, Zeratul! Glad I am to see that you’ve returned home after these many decades. But the strange guests that have followed you here seem ill-tempered. Well met, my brother! Indeed, these creatures known as the Zerg have no regard for the sanctity of life. Once we have secured this area, I shall tell you everything I know about them in council. I am sure the Matriarch will be eager to hear your tale as well. Executor! We have received a transmission from Raynor and Fenix! They are still alive, and are fighting to retake the warp gate on Aiur! We must secure the gate on this side without delay!New Mission Objective: Destroy the Zerg base.  …Nevermind. Turns out the Dark Templar brought 100 minerals with them so we’d have been fine even if the Probe had died. Oh well. One less to rebuild, I guess. Also, my confusion there at the start of the attack was real - it’s been long enough since I last played Brood War that I had no memory of how this played out and was genuinely trying to puzzle out how I could possibly survive until the Dark Templar started talking. You can even see them in the first screenshot there, which I missed while I was actually playing. We get hit again soon after:    But our cloaky bois make short work of them. We get another Macro Twist:  With a huge gap between our mineral line and geyser. This time I opted to just suck it up and put like seven Probes on gas. Making progress:  Dragoons, range upgrade, speed for our Zealots, hell yes. Here, I have brought you something. Ah… is this a Longbolt missile? From a missile turret? Indeed. We recovered it after one of your positions was overrun on Aiur. A comrade of mine, Praetor Mojo, has fought alongside Terrans before and told me that this was what you require for sustenance. Ahhh… thanks, Executor. I’m, uh, I don’t really think I’m hungry at the moment, though. I understand. You are worried about your friend. Yeah, uh, exactly. Jim’s how I got mixed up in this whole crazy mess, but no matter how many times he gets me into trouble, he always manages to get me out, too. I don’t know what I’ll do if he… and Fenix. The entire battle against the Overmind, Fenix was right by my side. Did he ever tell you that? He has mentioned it, yes. I’m thankful for Artanis, and Zeratul, and especially Tassadar, but Fenix… He was the first Protoss to ever really speak to me as an equal. Made me feel like maybe we weren’t so far from home after all. Courage, young Terran. They have survived so far, and I go now to ensure that they will continue to do so. Well, Executor? Did it work? Did he like the darling? I am uncertain.The sorts of attacks we're facing:      Not completely trivial, but also pretty easily handled. Trying to push against Dragoons on high ground is not easy. I mentioned earlier that the new content brought by the expansion is tied into these new “sub-factions.” Protoss doesn’t get any new upgrades for its existing units, but to make up for that they get 3 new units instead of 2. Well, really they get 2.5 new units. Here we get our .5:  The Dark Templar, formerly a special hero-ish unit, is now available for production. It requires the Templar Archives and is warped in here at the Gateway for a relatively hefty price – slightly less than a Siege Tank. They’re interesting guys. Unit for unit, they’re quite strong, and they do their damage up front. But resource for resource they’re pretty iffy – Zealots are always going to be a more cost-effective source of melee damage. So while we can hypothetically use Dark Templar as straightforward fighters, and they wouldn’t be terrible at it, they’re much better-suited to their far more obvious application: stealth warriors exploiting gaps in enemy detection. But the point is that Dark Templar when the enemy has detection is like Siege Tanks in tank mode or the Ultralisk’s DPS: it’s not what they’re for, but don’t underestimate it. Enough talk - they've finished!  Check out the one on the right - it hasn't cloaked yet. Also, Fenix is still our Building Portrait Guy, even though he's on Aiur and Aldaris is our buddy again. Weird. We also have almost all of the base game’s Protoss tech tree open to us: all we’re missing is the Carrier and the Arbiter. Oh, and I guess Scout upgrades. But tech-wise we’re in the same spot as Protoss 07, with the exception that we can now build our own Dark Templar. This is particularly important because man do we need some Observers.  There we go. Let's get eyes on what we're up against.   Looks like a bunch of Sunkens, leading to… presumably an expansion?   …yup. Well, we've got just the tools for that.    Man, it's been a good long while since we've been able to just go to town killing stuff with cloaked units. It feels good.   Ah, crap. Although, it's a different colour. I wonder if that means it won't detect them for the Sunken?  Kinda seems like it. Or maybe it just doesn't have the vision range upgrade. Hard to say. We work our way along popping Sunkens:   I worry for the Terran, Horner. I have not seen him in some time. He said he was going out to try to hunt. He hungers again? So soon after finishing the darling? The darling lies unconsumed. I believe Mojo’s advice may have been in error. Hmm. Perhaps I should have known. None of the Terrans have ever mentioned it to me. Still, it worries me that Horner is out there alone. Who knows how far the Zerg infestation has spread? He is not alone. Zeratul accompanied him. Did he? Then perhaps I should be more worried for the Zerg I think you have been spending too much time with the Terrans. You are beginning to sound like them.Meanwhile…  Our Observer happens to spot an attack force, although not a particularly troublesome one.   But the Observer also spots…  The warp gate. There is no sign of Fenix or Raynor. They must still be on Aiur!And some more isolated Sunkens. Well…    Hmm. I guess they do have the sight upgrade - their Overlords can see farther than my Observer. We'll have to fix that. For now…  We run away. But not for long. This sort of hit and run is what Dark Templar excel at.    The Overlord returns, but it's too late.  More Sunkens!   But this…  This looks like a base alright. But first…  Looks like we'll need that expansion. A Spore Colony there will make things difficult for our Dark Templar, but…      …not difficult enough. So we get our expansion set up there.  Hey everyone:  Point and laugh at these loser Probes who finished mining a few seconds before the Nexus warped in and had to carry their bundles across the map to the old Nexus. Also not sure where else to note this but Brood War doesn’t add any new buildings: every new unit will be unlocked via existing infrastructure. Which works out for Protoss because both their Basic and Advanced buildings menus were full. Not sure where you’d put a new one. Meanwhile, the rest of our army starts to move out.      Protoss are ridiculous. We're only on mission 2 and I'm already sad thinking about finishing this campaign. You can’t take my Dragoons from me  Oh well. At least Terran and Zerg are also ridiculous.  Hmm, looks like we've spotted a big attack group. There's no Ultra in there, PS. I totally thought there was but it's just a weird trick of Muta wings blanketing Hydras.   Storm is so strong and I'm not even good with it.  Alright. That out of the way…   We cross this bridge to their main base. First, let's deal with the Sunkens.   Lol half the DT are trapped on the bridge behind some Dragoons. That's okay, they'll get there eventually.   Overlord, eh? Well…   No worries.  Another one bites the dust, and the Overlord is too slow to stop it.     <3  Spore Colony, but that's no match for our Reavers.    This is part of why I didn't really use Dark Templar much in Episode 3: we get such better opportunities to showcase them here. Just little ninjas of mass destruction. Of course, we can't let them have all the glory.    Ugh. Maybe we should have.   Finally got everyone down there. Let's get cooking.   The trick to trying to get your units down a ramp right into a base like this is that the units who make it down will rush off like puppies dropped in a meadow and end up in trouble unless you can round them up. Here I was too busy trying to coax my Dragoons down the ramp so my Dark Templar and Zealots ended up rushing into the maw of chaos.  I finally pull them back and bust out the big guns, instead:    Whoops, maybe overextended them a bit there.  Yep. Guess I should've seen that coming.  But that does break most of their resistance.         Executor, my crew and I will remain here on Aiur and shut the gate down on this side. It’s the only way to make sure that the Zerg won’t send more reinforcements to Shakuras. You will be hopelessly outnumbered, and once the gate is shut down there will be no one to save you should you be overrun. Yeah, well… I’m a man of action. What can I say?  I shall remain with Raynor as well, Executor. My duty is to Aiur, after all. Farewell then, brave warriors. We will send through all the troops we can spare. Thanks. You kids just remember to play nice from now on, ok? Wish us luck.(I like that it sends Jimmy and Fenix through the portal and back again for their lines. It’s a fun detail but also makes me think of kids fighting. “It’s my turn with the warp gate!” “Nuh uh!”). I require every third warrior to detach from their group and proceed through the warp gate. A third? Yes, Praetor. A third. This is the most vulnerable spot on the planet. With the help of the Dark Templar we can survive here – but not if the gate is overwhelmed. For now, Artanis, take our soldiers that remain and scour the last of the Zerg from this region. I must remain here. Should Fenix and Raynor fail, I will find a way to close the gate myself. Very well, Executor.……….. Executor, we have driven out the last of the Zerg in this area. Excellent timing, Praetor. The warp gate just closed. We are cut off, but safe. For now. You see, young Horner? We have returned and the warp gate is unharmed. I know, I shouldn’t have worried. Executor, Praetor. I’ve found a nest of eggs belonging to those flying lizards, if there’s a place I could cook them. …you did not notify them? On the contrary, I sent out the message as far as I could reach through the Khala. How? As I said, through the Kh… Ah. Indeed. …Is something wrong?
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Jan 25, 2024 22:21
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I do believe that's a "whoopsie" from Selendis. As an aside, that high ground above the Zerg Base is a wonderful place to park a little mini-fortress with Cannons, just to mock the Zerg who take offense to you being on their doorstep. Not really worth it here, but when things are a lot harder and AI bases are a tad sturdier, it can be worth it to setup the area as a staging ground for the inevitably required "wave two" of your attack.
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Jan 25, 2024 23:00
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As a kid I always wondered how they got the units to show in the warp gate. I did eventually figure out that there's an Area set directly behind it, and they just spawn and despawn them as needed. Transparency apparently wasn't something I thought this game supported for some reason, despite cloaked units existing 
JackSplater fucked around with this message at 00:50 on Jan 26, 2024 |
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Jan 26, 2024 00:13
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JohnKilltrane posted:
lol I also definitely saw an Ultralisk in there until I read this
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Jan 26, 2024 00:22
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JohnKilltrane posted:(My autocorrect, by the way, is absolutely hellbent on changing Shakuras to Shakira. If I miss fixing one, I’m sorry/you’re welcome). I'm on tonight, my obs don't lie And I see where you're burrowed, boy Come on, let's go, real slow This Reaver push is perfecto
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Jan 26, 2024 07:14
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TeeQueue posted:I'm on tonight, my obs don't lie Now all we need is to record this and put it in the I tro in place of the Aria.
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Jan 28, 2024 17:22
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Unit Spotlight: Dark Templar The Dark Templar as it appears in the (Brood War) manual. ...actually, relating to the earlier point about Artanis originally being conceived of as a Dark Templar character, compare that picture to this one of Artanis from the campaign selection menu:  ...I think they just used Artanis as the 3D render for the manual. Cost: 125 minerals, 100 vespene, 2 supply HP: 80 Shields: 40 Armour: 1 Size: Small Damage: 40 (+3) Damage Type: Normal DPS: ~31.75 (~2.4) Range: Melee Sight: 7 Speed: 4.92 Special: Permanently cloaked. Statistically, Dark Templar are a little odd. Their attacks are powerful but a little slow, making their damage very front-loaded and their overall output a little weird. They’re squishy for a Protoss ground unit, only tougher than High Templar, but relatively tanky compared to non-Protoss ground units, which again leaves them in a weird spot. And as we saw in the mission, their high cost makes them pretty resource-inefficient when it comes to both taking and dealing damage. Fortunately, the fact that they’re permanently cloaked makes up for all those shortcomings. You want front-loaded damage for sneak attacks. Relatively low durability doesn’t matter nearly as much when they can’t hit you in the first place. The end result is a unit that is very powerful but needs to be used thoughtfully and judiciously. Sending them in if the enemy’s prepared for them can be a catastrophic waste of resources, but leveraging them in the right place at the right time can swing the game in your favour.  Artwork of the Dark Templar from the Brood War manual Fluff: Dark Templar have forsaken the Khala and instead draw their power from “the Void.” While Starcraft 2 would expand/retcon this into referring to… another dimension? Or something? Outside of regular space, and the Dark Templar draw upon the energy that emanates from this place. Not so here. Here, the Void just refers to space. Like the unoccupied parts of space, between planets. So I guess it’s something along the lines of dark energy? Anyway, whatever it is, the Dark Templar have learned to shape it with their minds, channeling it to bend the light around them, functionally making themselves invisible. …actually, come to think of it, “psionically using dark energy to bend light” is maybe the closest we’ve come to an actual explanation for cloaking in this game. This game is basically hard sci-fi now. Tech Fluff: ...is the Dark Templar the only Protoss unit to not get any sort of research? Yes, I think it is. Oh, you know what, there's the Archon. Anyway. No tech research.  Cartooned Dark Templar Campaign Usage: Um, it depends. There’ll normally be at least some weak spots that Dark Templar can exploit, but it’s rare that they’ll be anything all that significant. You know, like this past mission, there were all those Sunkens that Dark Templar were able to easily clear. Which was very helpful, but it also wasn’t decisive in any way. However, they also make great defenders: the AI often is pretty slow when it comes to sending Detectors with its attack squads, especially Zerg, so a few Dark Templar make quick work of ground-based attack waves. Competitive Usage: Fairly important unit. Not essential, but a helpful part of the Protoss toolkit. The Dark Templar sees use in all three matchups as a way to harass, disrupt, and generally make your opponent miserable. Building placement is important, however. While they require a Templar Archives, which you’re going to be getting no matter what, strategies that emphasize Dark Templar will often go for it a fair bit earlier than otherwise. If the opponent scouts an early Archives – or sometimes even an early Citadel of Adun – it can tip them off to what you’re doing and you lose the element of surprise. So if you’re going for an early Archives, you’re probably going to want to try and tuck it somewhere that’s difficult to scout. In fact, a good use-case of this was seen in the Static D spotlight: Zerg being able to confirm that you’re planning DT harassment is the most likely scenario for them to get Spore Colonies. Actually, come to think of it, Dark Templar are in kind of a unique spot for Protoss. Protoss is mostly units that just yes, you're always going to get (Zealots, Dragoons, High Templar, Archons, Shuttles, Reavers, Observers) and a couple units that are rarely seen (Scouts, Carriers - although that feels a little unfair, Carriers are a lot less rare than Scouts). The Dark Templar fits in a unique spot that's kind of in-between - maybe Protoss will get them, maybe they won't. I guess maybe Arbiters fall into the same spot? One fun strategy is just to leave a single Dark Templar at an opponent’s expansion spot. The worker will come along to take the expansion and get killed. When a unit is killed in one hit, its controller doesn’t receive a “Your forces are under attack!” notification: Probes and Drones are one-shot by Dark Templar, so their owner might spend some time just assuming the worker hasn’t arrived or has gotten stuck somewhere, blissfully unaware of your masterful deception.  Artwork of a Dark Templar from the original, non-Brood War manual. Vs. Terran: Weird but powerful unit in this matchup. On the one hand, Terran has the easiest time spotting Dark Templar. They’re probably going to have quite a few Missile Turrets around, they may have some Vessels out, but the biggest factor of all is Spider Mines, which can see and attack cloaked units – big problem (the Dark Templar’s attack range does barely exceed the Mine’s detonation range, and DTs one-shot mines, so it is possible for a DT to “beat” a mine. But it’s very risky and I don't recommend it). Recall (heh) the Arbiter Spotlight: ComSat Stations are technically an option here as well, but that’s really a last resort. Terran would normally rather run away from your DT than spend a precious scan spotting and killing your units. But on the other hand, DT are exceptionally potent here. It only takes two to one-shot a Vulture, and they’re kind of a Siege Tank’s worst nightmare. If (and that’s not a small if) Protoss can force an opening to exploit in Terran’s detection, they can do some serious damage. And even if Protoss can’t force that opening, when there’s no true detection nearby, just Spider Mines (which isn’t an uncommon scenario in TvP), then with good micro, Dark Templar make the ideal unit for dragging the Spider Mine into Terran’s own forces, since Terran can’t see the DT, only the mine skittering towards their own tank line. The Dark Templar is maybe too expensive for such a risky maneuver, but in the right circumstances it can be devastating. DT are still good for economic harassment here, but where they don’t one-shot SCVs it’s not quite as crazy as it is vs the other races. They can still carve up a mineral line in seconds, though.  AfreecaTV StarLeague(ASL) S15 Ro.24 Group C (Tastosis) - YouTube - 0-44-51.jpeg) A Shuttle approaches Terran's base. Is it a Reaver drop? Maybe some Storms?  AfreecaTV StarLeague(ASL) S15 Ro.24 Group C (Tastosis) - YouTube - 0-45-33.jpeg) Nope! Dark Templar! Uh, okay, so transparent units make for tricky screengrabs. It's above the exploding SCV there.  AfreecaTV StarLeague(ASL) S15 Ro.24 Group C (Tastosis) - YouTube - 0-45-22.jpeg) ...But the Shuttle also made it down to the natural, where another Dark Templar is causing chaos.  AfreecaTV StarLeague(ASL) S15 Ro.24 Group C (Tastosis) - YouTube - 0-45-36.jpeg) It kills a few SCVs and the rest run away. Terran eventually kills both DT, but it takes like a good four or five scans to do it, and that alone almost justifies the raid. The killed SCVs and loss of mining time for the surviving SCVs make it an even better result for Protoss. Vs. Zerg: This is the matchup where Dark Templar are the most notorious. I’ve said in the past that Zerg kind of simultaneously have the best and worst detection in the game, and DT use in this matchup revolves around exploiting this. Zerg might have plenty of Overlords, but Overlords are easily chased away. Scouts are too slow and expensive to be any good for that, but next mission we’re going to see a new unit, the Corsair, an air-to-air fighter that’s fast and (relatively) cheap. With a Corsair or two to chase away the Overlords, the Dark Templar are now free to wreak havoc on the Drones – which, again, they one-shot. Their high damage output also makes them good at gutting tech buildings, which is especially frustrating for Zerg. A Shuttle full of four DT can raze a Spire surprisingly quickly. This is a far less common and more risky use of them, but it’s always exciting to see it happen.  EPIC! Best! 🇰&%23127479; (P) vs Jaedong! &%23127472;&%23127479; (Z) on Fighting Spirit - StarCraft - Brood War 2022 - YouTube - 0-18-26.jpeg) Here's kind of a cheeky use for Dark Templar: Best has it stationed on the ramp there, effectively preventing the Hydras from coming up until Zerg brings along an Overlord. Can Zerg bring one over before Protoss' army catches up with them?  EPIC! Best! 🇰&%23127479; (P) vs Jaedong! &%23127472;&%23127479; (Z) on Fighting Spirit - StarCraft - Brood War 2022 - YouTube - 0-18-32.jpeg) ...No. No they can not. Vs. Protoss: As mentioned way back in the Dragoon spotlight, rushing up to Dark Templar is the third and final branch of the rock-paper-scissors opening gambit, shredding Oops All Dragoons but conversely being hard countered by Dragoons + Observers. Since the latter is most common, Dark Templar are maybe rarest in this matchup. That being said, you will still see them sometimes as the game goes on – careful positioning of your Dragoons and Observers to snipe an enemy Observer, then have a couple Dark Templar to mix it up in the gap, maybe even snipe some High Templar (which they do with ease).  StarCraft 1 EPIC PvP!! - Dewalt vs NANSU CNSL 5 - YouTube - 0-15-46.jpeg) Protoss has a Dark Templar mixed in with its attack force. This is another approach - it can add some big DPS in general while also being on-hand to exploit any opportunities that come up. In fact...  StarCraft 1 EPIC PvP!! - Dewalt vs NANSU CNSL 5 - YouTube - 0-15-52.jpeg) ...the engagement goes poorly for our DT-having friend, so they're forced to retreat, but they take down an Observer in the process. Is it safe for the Dark Templar to intervene?  StarCraft 1 EPIC PvP!! - Dewalt vs NANSU CNSL 5 - YouTube - 0-16-07.jpeg)  StarCraft 1 EPIC PvP!! - Dewalt vs NANSU CNSL 5 - YouTube - 0-16-08.jpeg) Sadly, red had a second Observer, ending this potential Reaver snipe. DT are particularly a gamble in this matchup. So, to summarize... PvT: Potentially potent harassment tool, but one that has to be used with great care. Uh, actually, I could probably just copy-paste that for all three summaries. PvZ: Similar to PvT, but also plays an important role in an early rush strategy. PvP: Rarest here, but still sometimes has a spot for harassment and burst damage. Does the Dark Templar hero even need a blurb? Tell you what, I'll give some fun trivia instead. Turns out Dark Templar were supposed to have Warp Blades on each arm, like Zealots, and having only a single one was a special thing just for Zeratul. Like Protoss Michael Jackson, I guess. But having two different models for Dark Templar didn't pan out, so all DT are rocking just the one Warp Blade. It wouldn't surprise me if it were to turn out that this was maybe part of the inspiration behind giving Dark Templar cosmetically different weapons in SC2.
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Jan 28, 2024 23:56
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The Cartooned DTs do a sick little backflip when they attack which is just adorable.
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Jan 30, 2024 00:12
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Decoy Badger posted:The Cartooned DTs do a sick little backflip when they attack which is just adorable. Oh no way! I actually never noticed that. That's rad.
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Jan 30, 2024 01:51
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JohnKilltrane posted:While Starcraft 2 would expand/retcon this into referring to… another dimension? Or something? It's literally Warp from 40k, because apparently Blizzard decided they haven't borrowed enough things from 40k.
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Jan 30, 2024 03:36
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Protoss X03: Legacy of the Xel’Naga Another new splash screen. Looks like we've named our main settlement (possibly the base we established last mission?) “New Antioch.” Antioch, if you’ll remember, was the province we as Artanis helped Fenix secure back at the start of the first Protoss campaign, and was destroyed when Tassadar’s advice about the Cerebrate proved to be, uh, incomplete.  I am Raszagal, Matriarch of the Dark Templar, and I welcome you and your companions to our world. Zeratul has informed me of the fall of Aiur, and I am deeply grieved. I am one of the few Dark Templar old enough to remember our ancestral home with clarity. Yet, no matter how tragic the circumstances, it is clear that fortune has reunited our people. We Dark Templar will never forget our banishment form Aiur, nor the Conclave’s sins against us. But you and your companions are no longer of the Conclave. The example set by your fallen hero, Tassadar, has shown you that when the light and dark sides of our energies are united, our power is undeniable. But Matriarch, the Zerg who have followed us here are unlike any enemy the Protoss have ever known! You speak the truth, Judicator. And yet, there lies a dormant power here that can help us to scour the Zerg from Shakuras forever. Long ago, we Dark Templar were a nomadic people. But when we found a remarkable monument upon this world, we decided to remain here to study it. We discovered that the enormous structure is actually an ancient Xel’Naga temple, dedicated to the race that sired us all. The Temple is situated above a nexus of powerful cosmic energies. If we were to access those energies… Then we should strike now while the Zerg still muster their forces! Alas, we cannot. In order to properly channel the energies of the Temple, we will need the twin crystals, Uraj and Khalis, that legends say were separated many ages ago. The Uraj is laced with pure Templar energies, while the Khalis is comprised of Dark Templar energy. Only by using these two crystals in unison can we hope to channel the potent energies of the Temple. Then it is clear that we must retrieve these crystals wherever they may be. Agreed. But first, we must deal with the Zerg and their two Cerebrates who have already taken up station around the Temple itself. To arms, my children! Scour the Temple grounds of this foul infestation!Mission Objectives: Destroy the Zerg Cerebrates. So we meet the leader of the Dark Templar, who confirms that there are, in fact, Protoss women, and she lays us out on our quest for the rest of the campaign: acquiring and using these crystals. Unfortunately, to me Episode 4 is maybe the least interesting campaign in the game, plot-wise. It has some twists and turns, never fear, but it is mostly about “mystic energies” this and “magic rocks” that. Oh well. There’s still good character beats, fun new units, and the mission design is a blast – and Episodes 5 and 6 will maintain those standards while being more interesting conceptually, so there’s a lot to look forward to. Our start:  Free Templar Archives! I won't say no to that. We find out why: Remember, young Templar, cerebrates can be killed only by Dark Templar weapons and energies. My brethren will make short work of any cerebrate! True to his word, we need to use Dark Templar to kill the Cerebrates, otherwise they’ll just respawn, like in Protoss 09. I’m not actually sure why - Dark Templar weren’t needed to kill the Cerebrates, just to nullify the Overmind’s ability to reincarnate them. But now there is no Overmind. I guess the Cerebrates are able to reincarnate each other in the Overmind’s absence? We’ll learn next mission that there is, in fact, an Overmind, but it doesn’t seem like it’s in any state to do something like this.  And there they are. Helpful for early defense, too. We also start with an expansion under Zerg control mysteriously revealed:  Executor, our sensors show that the two Cerebrates are surrounded by spore colonies. We will deploy our Corsairs to compensate for their defenses.Our what?  Our first actual new unit makes an appearance!  Small and sleek, they fly towards the Zerg presence noted above.  The Shuttles unload Dragoons, as the Corsairs do…  …something?   That’s Disruption Web. It’s a disabling cloud that functions as a kind of reverse Dark Swarm: anything caught in its radius, friend or foe, is unable to attack. They’re not immobilized, so they can just walk out of it and start fighting again, but it’s a powerful tool to shut down less-mobile units like Siege Tanks, Reavers… and, of course, static defense. It'll make clearing this out much easier.    Whoops, we walked under it there. Like most spells, Disruption Web doesn't distinguish friend from foe. Our own Dragoons aren't able to fire from underneath.  It expires before we can kill both Sunkens, sadly.   But we still carry the day. Now we've got a free expansion site opened up. I am impressed, Matriarch. We have not even heard of these ships on Aiur. I had no idea your people were capable of such voidcraft. Just because we did not submit to the Khala, young Praetor, does not mean that we ceased to be Protoss. Do not imagine us to be your lessers in engineering - or anything else. Of course, Matriarch. I intended no offense. I simply meant - You diminish us with your words, but not your intent, while your predecessors did both. You are divided, but it is a division that whispers of a greater unity. Ah… As you say, Matriarch.By the way, the initial movement, Disruption Web-ing, and Shuttle unloading in that assault is all done automatically before control is transferred to the player. The Shuttles run off instead of sticking around. Oh, and also note that Zeratul’s dialogue there lets slip that we’re facing two Cerebrates. Also, now we can get a close-up of our new unit:  I'm a big fan of the design on them. It somehow manages to take the gold aesthetic of the Protoss and make it seem more Dark Templar-y. Also, note the Space Mana: like the Battlecruiser, this is a single-spell unit, requiring a hefty 125 energy to lob a Disruption Web. Things haven't been quiet at home, though.  Ugh. No way we're saving that Pylon. Note that the AI generally isn't smart enough to move out of a Disruption Web, so I could just fire one off and the Zerglings would sit there, helpless, as our Dragoons pick them off. Sadly that's not an option as our Corsairs are still recovering their energy. But that's okay.   That's what Dark Templar are for. Anyway, we should probably look to our defenses. Bit of a nasty trick, though:  The terrain at the bridgehead isn't suitable for building, limiting our ability to exploit that choke point. We can still put some Cannons nearby, but they're, well…    Not in the most helpful spot. Corsairs have another benefit: they're real fast right out the gates, so they're great for recon. In this case…  We wanna make sure that expansion we took earlier is still clear before sending a Probe up. (Also does “Corsairs” look weird to anybody else? I know it's grammatically correct but “Corsair” really just seems like the sort of word where the plural would be the same as the singular). And as it happens, our Corsairs make it back just in time…    A nice little defensive tool. They're also hitting our expansion, but…  Not with anything strong enough to break through our Cannons. Here we get a glimpse of the source of these attacks:  It's an island map, with the Zerg on a separate landmass. Let's have our Corsairs engage those Overlords:  Aside from Disruption Web, the other thing Corsairs bring to the table is an air-to-air attack. It does 6 normal damage at a fast pace. Pretty unimpressive - basically just a Stim’d Marine. Or at least, that’s how it seems until you learn that it’s an AoE attack. This thing shreds clumps of fliers, and particular excels against Mutas. Combine that with a competitive price tag and the fact that it’s got 6.6 speed by default and this easily replaces the Scout as our go-to air superiority unit. Now, this doesn’t mean we’re saying goodbye to the Scout entirely: Corsairs are truly pitiful against capital ships and aren’t the greatest against Science Vessels and Arbiters. You know, even transports - in multiplayer, sure, Corsairs can handle them, but here in the campaign, where it’s pretty likely that the AI’s gonna have at least some aerial armour upgrades, Corsairs can struggle a bit. So they’re not replacing Scouts entirely. They’re just filling up the gap Scouts weren’t really good at in the first place, so that we can afford to only bring out Scouts for the things they truly excel at. The Corsair’s other limitation is that it has no way of attacking ground units. Unfortunately…  The water between our islands is very narrow, so there's very limited room to pursue before running into Spore Colonies. This makes it a little tricky to defend by keeping the skies cleared of Overlords. Which also means…  It's tough to get an Observer in there. Hmm. What to do. While we ponder that…  Orange continues to pelt our expansion.  …And continues to fall to the static defense. It helps that they don't have any Guardians. Or Ultras. It'd be nice to beef up our anti-air, so…  The Corsair is at the same spot on the tech tree as the Scout, requiring a Stargate and nothing else. Also like the Scout…  Its research is at the Fleet Beacon. Normally we'd have to research Disruption Web here, but this mission gives it to us for free. We do still need to research their energy upgrade, though. The Doom Drop…  …Is heading for our base. We don't have the Corsairs to block this yet.   Fortunately it just means one or two units being dropped off at a time. Easy pickings for our Dragoons. Zerg AI in particular really isn't built to handle island warfare like this.  Ugh. The real problem with Corsairs is that they apparently have a death wish. Fast flying units wandering off to their deaths is always a problem, but I think Corsairs have a faster acceleration speed? So it seems worst with them. And, of course…   …we can't forget the occasional gift from a Queen.     Something very bizarre happened here. I was excited to show the Corsairs ripping apart some Mutas, but… all but one of them got stuck on Move, somehow? Like the Zerglings permanently entering the Beacon back in Zerg 08? I have no idea how, but it kept them from attacking that Muta. I wonder if it's an instance of the bug mentioned in the Dragoon Spotlight, where units occasionally glitch out and do nothing. That seems the most likely explanation. (And in case you missed the update there, that bug was fixed in Remastered… only to be brought back when they discovered that fixing it broke a bunch of other things, which is starcraftcode.txt). Commander Horner, have you a moment? I have nothing but time on my hands, Executor. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, no one to talk to. I apologize again for the oversight. Perhaps our search for the crystals will bring an opportunity to reunite you with your people. …No, I’m the one who should apologize, Executor. What’s done is done. I’m here, that’s all that matters now. Moping won’t change anything. I’m sorry. I thought I was more professional than this. This has been an ordeal for all of us, and you are holding up better than some. What, the Judicator? Yeah, I can’t say I blame him. Ah… I wanted to speak with you, Commander, because I was hoping you would be able to assist with some logistical difficulties. My entire career, commands were carried out through the Khala, but the Dark Templar have no connection to it. …and I know how to give orders without relying on the Khala. Precisely. I would have sought out Zeratul, but… I understand. We can keep this just between us. Thank you, Commander. In particular, I am finding it difficult to issue timely commands to these Corsair pilots – it seems that my orders always reach them after they’ve begun pursuit of a target. That’s because you’re used to giving commands at the speed of thought. You know how to anticipate the flow of battle, now you just need to apply that to how you send transmissions, and issue orders to your Corsairs a good few seconds or even minutes before your other troops. You’re also probably going to want some sort of redundancy system in place, in case your transmissions aren’t successfully received. You should – do you have anything I could write with?While the narrow amount of water makes life difficult for our Corsairs, it does present some other opportunities…    Man, imagine if we had Siege Tanks. We've also augmented our expansion with a Templar:  Haha, hope those Mutas like defensive Storms.  Oh boo, the Cannons killed them first. Lame. Defensively our life is getting easier, though…   …as we've now amassed a considerable group of Corsairs. Overlords are having a tough time getting through. Well, it's time.  …Loading everyone up…  Eleven Shuttles. Three to carry twelve Zealots, six to carry twelve Dragoons, one to carry two Reavers, and one to carry two High Templar and two Dark Templar. Ugh. Island maps as Protoss without Arbiters are a pain. We start by shutting down their air defenses.     Corsairs make the landing process just so much smoother.   Which is good because man does it take time to get all those Dragoons out. But once we do…      …the Zerg base folds almost immediately.    Same deal as Protoss 09. Looks like Zeratul was right. Note how different this Xel’Naga Temple looks from the one on Aiur. I believe the implication is that the one on Aiur was built by the Protoss to honour the Xel’Naga, whereas this was actually built by the Xel’Naga. Purple puts up a bit more of a fight than Orange:     But not much more. Meanwhile we brought our Dark Templar over to off Cerebrate A for good:  (They were actually here the whole time? But I lost track of them so they'd wandered off to kill some Spore Colonies far from everything else). And we bring them over to handle Cerebrate B as well:   With both Cerebrates dead, the camera suddenly pans to an Overlord flying in:  It drops off…  Well, well. Long time no see.  Zeratul and a High Templar representing Aldaris have also appeared.  Well done, mighty Protoss! I’m glad to see that you all are as violent as ever. Kerrigan! What mockery is this? Relax, warriors. Despite what you may think, I haven’t come here to fight you.And to her credit, Kerrigan does sound different. The voice acting and reverb-y effects on her voice are the same, but her tone and diction are very different. The Kerrigan we knew before had this kind of stilted grandiosity that felt a bit like it was trying to mimic the way the Overmind spoke. Now she’s more casual and almost playful. She doesn’t sound anything like Sarah, but she does sound more human-ish. It definitely feels like she’s being coded as a troubled anti-villain who ends up saving the heroes in the end before reluctantly parting ways while wondering what might have been. SPOILER: This is not what she is. This isn’t quite the same Queen of Blades as the one we knew before, is my point. In fact, when I wrote in extra lines for Kerrigan in the Zerg campaign I often had to give it an extra pass to stiltify it and make sure it wasn’t more in keeping with her BW voice. I’m glad that’s over with, is what I’m saying. Anyway. This is laughable! Do you truly expect us to believe that your intentions here are honorable? That these Zerg here are not under your sway? Look, the Cerebrates you’ve killed were my enemies as well. If you let me explain, I’m sure you’ll understand tha- You are the enemy of all who live, Kerrigan. What makes you think we would have anything to do with you? Because, Zeratul, I bring news of an event that threatens us all. If you’d be so good as to escort me back to your citadel, I’ll tell you everything I know. Very well, Kerrigan. We shall hear what you have to say. But be warned: We will not suffer your treachery here. Keep a close eye on her, Executor. I smell a rat. Well, if it isn’t little Matty Horner! You’re the last person I expected to see here. Lieutenant. Hah! You never change, do you, Matt? Wish I could say the same for you. Tsk. I think we’ll get along better now that I have free will again. I’m surprised Jimmy’s not with you. Where is he? That’s none of your concern, Kerrigan. Hmm. Interesting. You’d never turn against him, so he must be… dead? I’m warning you, Kerrigan. Drop it. Very well… “commander.” I admire your courage, Horner, but I do not see what harm it could do to tell her the truth. You’ve never actually worked with her before, Praetor. If she really wanted to know where Jim is, she could have plucked it from my mind the moment she saw me. She’s just amusing herself, and I’m not going to be the one who indulges her.
JohnKilltrane fucked around with this message at 22:40 on Feb 2, 2024 |
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Feb 2, 2024 17:02
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quote:Ugh. The real problem with Corsairs is that they apparently have a death wish. Fast flying units wandering off to their deaths is always a problem, but I think Corsairs have a faster acceleration speed? So it seems worst with them. tbf, they did say it was a good day to die.
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Feb 2, 2024 17:37
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I believe the starting Disruption Webs originally lasted long enough to fully destroy the sunken colonies, but the duration was nerfed in a patch that hit single player too, leading to a less impressive spotlight than before.
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Feb 2, 2024 18:16
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A simple, fun mission, reminding players about the importance of the Dark Templar, and giving us a fun new toy, and since it's an island map, there are plenty of opportunities for a cluster of Corsairs to turn an enemy Doom Drop into a big ol' Turkey Shoot. I do think there's a sort of logic to how the Zerg AI handles drops. Each Overlord has only one or two units in it, so a large drop force ends up involving massive numbers of Overlords - which all tend to otherwise just be milling around their base doing nothing anyway. When you have effectively unlimited APM... why not? Considering this behavior would have been programmed at a time where aerial AoE attacks were much less prevalent, most of the time it would be a lot harder to kill 20 overlords than merely two. And the fewer units each overlord carries, the less you lose to every overlord that dies in the drop attempt. It really is just the expansion adding multiple anti-air-cluster attacks that makes the tactic less appealing. Fun little behind-the-curtains peek. That High Templar there representing Aldaris? That is the Tassadar Hero unit, simply renamed; you can see it if you select him during the cutscene when there's no dialogue going, such as when Kerrigan is first arriving; it still has Tassadar's portrait. As for the map itself... UEDAIP has some fun with it. The map terrain itself is expanded out a fair deal (for... actually kinda spoilery reasons), and there are a number of optional objectives scattered around the map that you can pursue that can benefit you in later maps due to the mod's use of Bank Data. But, they are optional, so if you want you can just ignore it all and rush for the win. However, if you are playing a longer game and not just rushing for the objective, then Map Control becomes a big factor; there are lots of expansions available in the expanded terrain, and the enemy will scatter out and spread to as many of them as they can get away with. Finally, on the other side of the Zerg island from your own start is an AI Ally that you can actually instruct to either help pursue those optional objectives, or simply do their best to harass the zerg. But, your ally lacks Dark Templar, preventing them from outright ending the map for you in the unlikely event that they manage to break the Main Zerg base on their own.
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Feb 2, 2024 18:38
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Zeratul calling Kerrigan "enemy of all who live" at this point seems like a bit much given that, up until now, she's just been this weird Overmind science experiment stomping around on Char.
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Feb 2, 2024 18:40
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