Upcoming Balance Changes (1.2)

[2-P]

The balance changes in our next patch will primarily focus on improving the zerg.



Here are a few of the changes we currently have planned:

• We're increasing roach range. This will allow roaches to be more effective in large groups, giving the zerg more options in the mid to end game.



• Fungal Growth will now prevent Blink, which will give zerg a way to stop endlessly Blinking stalkers which can be very challenging to deal with in large numbers.



• The Barracks are going to require a Supply Depot, which will impact a lot of early terran reaper pushes.



• The reaper speed upgrade will require the Factory, which is meant to weaken a lot of the early terran reaper attacks that dominate so many matches, especially in team games.



• We're making a number of increases to the health of zerg buildings, which will make the very vulnerable zerg technology structures more resistant to raids. We don't expect these hit point changes to have a super significant impact on the game, but the current numbers felt way too low.

Protoss are played 38.5% of the time.

Terran are played 38.0% of the time.

Zerg are played 23.5% of the time.

http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/882511#blog

 

[black.sheep]

These changes... Seem good
Def likeing the roach change, along with the rax one. Does the rax one impact on the terran's ability to walloff?

 

[Viikuna]

Expanding becomes safe and it will be more about macro now.


Hrm.

 

[Vestras]

Bleh, I liked it more when reapers were popular. It's more fun than macro -> attack once -> win/lose.
I like the roaches change though; it will make roaches better for their money.

 

[Siretu]

These changes... Seem good
Def likeing the roach change, along with the rax one. Does the rax one impact on the terran's ability to walloff?

If you're doing a normal build, you'll start with a supply depot anyways so it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Bloodcount]

the roach buff is meh imo. The roach is really cost effective now... if they want fix the biggest zerg trouble- the scouting they should just move the overlord speed upgrade to T1. This will bring us a few steps forward. the roach speed can be T1 too...

The unit that really needs a range buff is the fragile hydra imo, but w/e.


It is really nice to hear that zerg buildings will be healthier. Very often we'd loose a building or 2 just because our gigantic wave of 30+ units morfing at the same time is gonna hatch in a few seconds, this will help us a lot. Thanks blizz.

 

[Oninuva]

Let's just make reapers completly useless to build..

 

[Monsterous]

They're still ok for scouting purposes i guess :3

 

[Blackveiled]

Let's just make reapers completly useless to build..

I know right...what exactly else are they used for? Haha.

 

[Sim]

Mid-game expansion reaper harass are still a viable strategy.

But they'll become the only strategy available. : /

 

[Sevion]

Eh. These changes. I don't like. I like the Roach buff and the Fungal Growth change.

I may not be a big Terran fan, but really?! Rax require Depot? Reaper upgrades require factory!?

The Zerg HP change is meh I feel they're fine the way it is.

A really good change would be zerg scouting. Sure, they got overlords, but they're slow as hell. And wth is with the vision requiring upgrade? >_<

 

[sqrage]

I don't play much SC2 but I feel like I should just stop playing for a few months till they work all this stuff out.

 

[Viikuna]

If you're doing a normal build, you'll start with a supply depot anyways so it shouldn't be a problem.

Yea, but alone the possibility of some fast rax cheese proxy thingy makes opponent think twice before going for some mass probe drone spam and fast expanding.

Even if some rush-cheese build be rare and not "normal", it doesnt mean that it doesnt have a big impact to how people play the game. They still must prepare for it in every single game, because its a possibility.

Its kinda stupid really. Instead of giving new possible openings and strategies for zerg who lacks them, they just remove few from terran.
I dont like it.


edit.

See what Cool says about patch thingies:

Spoiler

Q. The 1.2 patch preview is out. The Zerg race will be getting a lot of buffs, I hear?
A. Yes, I was glad to hear that. I'm not sure how the patch will affect gameplay, and I don't want to make any conclusions until it is actually out. Though I don't play Protoss, it was somewhat disappointing to see nothing on improving PvT, where Terrans seem to have an advantage.

Q. What do you expect to change in ZvT and ZvP?
A. The Roach range increase will make Roaches much more viable in ZvP. With Terrans no longer able to fast rax, I'm expecting fast hatcheries to become a safer option for Zergs. It's up to the Terrans to scout it quickly to try harass it.

In short, Zerg players are much better off for no longer having to worry about 10rax or Reapers. Zerg is turning decent, I'd say.

Q. What are the reactions to the patch around you?
A. There's a lot of commotion about having to build Supply Depots for Barracks among Terran players. Zerg players seem overjoyed.

Q. How do you think the patch will affect you personally?
A. I'm not expecting it to change my gameplay much. The Roach range upgrade will help a lot in my ZvP though, I think.

Q. Which units do you think need buffs in the Zerg arsenal?
A. Brood Lords. Right now Brood Lords die too easily, are very hard to tech up to, and don't have much impact even if they do come out. I'm not at all fond of both Brood Lords and Ultralisks, but the Ultralisk is the only unit that has any viability in the higher tech levels of the Zerg tree.

Ultralisks are good as a game-ending unit when you're ahead, but are hard to utilize when you're behind and need to catch up. I'd say the Zerg need a unit like the Protoss High Templar.

Q. Have you received your prize money from the GSL Season 1 yet? If so, where are you planning to use it?
A. No, I haven't received it yet. (laugh) I haven't thought about where to spend the money yet.

Q. Your stance going into the GSL Season 2?
A. I'm focused on passing the prelims for now. Zerg Fighting!

( Source )

I like how he says that Zerg needs unit like Protoss High Templar. Something that can, when rightly used, turn the tables and beat the fuck out of enemy troops. Something like new defiler, maybe?

 

[BANANAMAN]

I like this. Should make Terrans think about more styles of play rather than just. Turtle,Harass early with reapers and destroy.

Basically Reapers are the AIDs you get after the Terran has the sexy time with you then he decides to fuck up your day by giving you the damn bubonic plague.

Also he doesn't use lube.

 

[Daskunk]

IMO they should have made a better upgrade to reapers after nerfing them like that.

As a protoss player though, none of these changes will really help me. I don't really have trouble with reapers, its more often that I have troubles with roaches - which are buffed.

 

[Sevion]

I agree with Viikuna.

And this is lol:

Zerg players seem overjoyed.

XD

Edit:
I agree with Daskunk about the reapers.

Though, I usually NEVER use roaches because I don't really like them (lol). The only time I use them is if I know the enemy doesn't have detectors and I actually have burrow with both roach upgrades. Get me some immortal Roaches!

Though, Daskunk, if you're having trouble with Roaches, just get a couple Immortals.

 

[Blackveiled]

i'm surprised blizzard didn't use another alternative though....they basically made terran suck ass. Literally.

6 pool....terran have to make their supply depot first and can't make units as quick to defend from a simple rush. Why not just make reapers require a factory? Not like it'll change gameplay that much for the players that don't reaper rush. A supply depot requirement is probably the dumbest requirement Blizzard could make.

They might as well make Spawning Pool require a second overlord, that'll completely throw off early 6 pool strategies.

 

[Sevion]

But then what would they do about Protoss? Make their Gateways require a Pylon? Wait.....

 

[Blackveiled]

But then what would they do about Protoss? Make their Gateways require a Pylon? Wait.....

Protoss start with pretty decent attacking units. Terran units (marine) are weak when not in number.

 

[Daskunk]

Edit:
I agree with Daskunk about the reapers.

Though, I usually NEVER use roaches because I don't really like them (lol). The only time I use them is if I know the enemy doesn't have detectors and I actually have burrow with both roach upgrades. Get me some immortal Roaches!

Though, Daskunk, if you're having trouble with Roaches, just get a couple Immortals.

No, I have trouble with early roach pushes before I get past warp-gate units. Even then, its mostly just because I don't EXPECT them to do it. Its worst when I tech to air.

Usually, if I see it coming, stalkers\blinkstalkers with micro would own them. Will it still work when roaches have longer range? I guess it depends how much longer they can shoot. Still, early queen for creep and early roach push might be annoying.