True Hovering Units?

[10-Neon]

In SC1, there were several ground units that were considered to be "hovering": all workers, the Vulture, Archon, etc. I always felt that their hover ability should allow them to move over water and down cliffs. In the demos for SC2, they showed a couple of ground units capable of ignoring cliffs: the Colossus, which could just step down, and the Reaper, with its jump packs. This leads me to wonder, will they finally make hovering units hover? The SCV has rocket packs similar to the Reaper's, so it should follow that the SCV would be able to pull cliff-jumping as well. Do you tihnk Blizzard will make true hovering units, or do you think they will just ground them for good?

[orphean]

The probes they showed still have their jets. But maybe they are more like hovercraft (sans the air inflated skirt) and just use them for forward and lateral movement. If something hovers though it makes intuitive sense that terrain shouldn't bother it.

[Gold]

that would be so cool, probes could probably do that as well but it seems probably a bit to strong for a worker to do that.

I wonder if the goliath can step down walls, in sc it has quite short legs, maybe they might make it bigger

[Fenix]

About the hovering, and that includes Archons and High Templars, if they do make them hover....How would that affect Spider Mines?

[orphean]

Well in SC1 they still triggered them....

[PlatnumCy]

did you guys see that instead to remaining in the air when they let the troops off, the terran transports actually set down!

[PainKiller]

did you guys see that instead to remaining in the air when they let the troops off, the terran transports actually set down!


so freaking awsome!! ;D Love the details=)

[Fenix]

Well in SC1 they still triggered them....


Yeah, that's what I'm saying. If they actually did hover, that totally change gameplay. Archons and Templars would just waltz right into the base, nevermind the mines.

[KoN17]

I wonder if range units in SC 2 that get into melee combat, like the marines will pull out combat knives or something like that :D

[10-Neon]

Marines appear to have bayonets now, so it kind of leans that way, but in the videos they don't seem to use them...

[Fenix]

Like those stupid shields....

[akdarart]

I think it is just an aesthetic thing ::)


Well the Terran race hasn't exactly been completed.. so maybe these are things they will actually be able to use later on.. would be pretty sweet if marines could knife those damned zealots when they came running up.. booyah!

[mc2]

^ then the 3 units wouldn't be balanced ^

marines are the most basic combat unit and its attack is ranged, and are able to attack air. if marines can have a melee weapon to take out the zealots, its not balanced then

[PainKiller]

They should not be able to take out Zealots with melee attack but it looks more awsome and its more realistic :)
The dmg could be the same

[orphean]

Well the Zealots have that warp ability now so they don't stay at range for very long. Maybe the marines were given a melee attack to counter that?

[Fenix]

Ah, I love that Dash. Evens it out against Hydras.

[reject_666_6]

I've always wondered how come Marines could attack air. In a realistic environment the air units should soar at a mile or two above the surface, only Mutalisks and Wraiths and such would be low enough to target.

[orphean]

Well I mean they are strapped in that huge vespene powered armor of theirs. I'm guessing they have a hud on their visor and computer assisted target tracking. Plus in paintings and such their weapons are HUGE. Even with all that though it would still only be realistic for low flying aircraft so I see your point.

Mebbe its just a game. :(

[reject_666_6]

Returning to true hovering units, I don't think it would be too hard to implement if they haven't already and it would make for some interesting strategies. Imagine an Archon + Dark Archon + Templar rush.

[mc2]

logically speaking hovering units should be able to hover across water, but since that hovering units act and behave exactly the same as sticking-to-the-ground, they just made them into the catagory of "ground units", so they cannot cross water, larva.

the interesting thing is how they'll implement the movement of units in relations to cliffs.......can hovering units go up and down cliffs? will there be more than 1 level of cliffs?

[TheDarkTemplar]

Realistically speaking, I don't think a hovering machine can rise that high.

[UchihaItachi0129]

well u could always float (certain units only) across (u guys kno how to do the float glitch/trick right?)

[feeder]

i think to make the game realtic there would be certain cliffs that the units can go down but not up, for example with the bats tha have jet packs if a moutain is 2 steep they cant get bak up. it would be prtty funny to see them all get stuck somewhere.

[ShadowFerretMG42]

Just for laughs and speaking of hovering I wonder if Blizzard will finally fix the drone floating glitch seeing as every time they try to fix it in the original people just found another way to do it.

[reject_666_6]

Imagine a swarm of Zerglings running down a very steep cliff into total oblivion like lemmings. I'd totally do that and film it and put it on Youtube if they implemented it.

[10-Neon]

I picture a small group of Vultures rocketing off a cliff at full speed, not slowing a bit as they hit ground level. I see and SCV dropping from the safety of its elevated base to mine some minerals, before slowly hovering back up to return them.

And Zerglings? They have wings now, so they might well survive a leap from a cliff. I imagine the stampede scene from The Lion King, where all of those ...wildebeests... or whatever they were, just run straight down the cliff without hesitation. Good scary stuff!

[reject_666_6]

I can imagine Starcraft 3 in which Hydras have also evolved some wings, and Zerglings became full-fledged flyers. Now THAT's scary!!!

[coalescence]

They should not be able to take out Zealots with melee attack but it looks more awsome and its more realistic :)
The dmg could be the same


Why? In every game (including starcraft) humans are considered physically weaker than ANY alien species. Having meelee attacks which have the same power as their machine guns completely ignores the fact that terrans are weak but highly mobile.

[TheDarkTemplar]

Just had a thought: Imagine if the marines threw their guns aside when attacked by Zerglings/Zealots and decide to start throwing punches :D

[coalescence]

Btw. If hovering units can go both over water AND cliff as someone mentions it will mean that theres no different between hovering and flying.

[TheDarkTemplar]

That's why I said that hovering units can't really go that high, maybe down cliffs but they certainly wouldn't be able to get back up.

[coalescence]

That's why I said that hovering units can't really go that high, maybe down cliffs but they certainly wouldn't be able to get back up.


So they would be stuck if they were above water :D unless theres a ramp (or a shore system as in wc III)

[wafs123]

Have you guys seen the game battle realms? The archers there would change to kicking enemies when they are close... maybe blizzard can do something like this but better!

[reject_666_6]

Have none of actually noticed the bayonet on the Marine's gun? All this talk of punching and kicking is not very Starcraft-like.

[coalescence]

Have you guys seen the game battle realms? The archers there would change to kicking enemies when they are close... maybe blizzard can do something like this but better!


Yeah, but the difference;
Bow and arrow takes time to reload and isnt effective short distance.
A full automatic gauss rifle just keeps on pumping no matter what (only the blood spatter could be annoying ;))

[TheDarkTemplar]

Have none of actually noticed the bayonet on the Marine's gun? All this talk of punching and kicking is not very Starcraft-like.


I just think it'd be funny :D

[10-Neon]

That's why I said that hovering units can't really go that high, maybe down cliffs but they certainly wouldn't be able to get back up.


Or maybe they can get back up, or cross water, but it takes like 8x as long. They would be strongly effected by the terrain, like ground units, but ultimately capable of moving over it, like air units. Unlike air units, they wouldn't be able to freely move over the terrain.

I'd also like to see full ground units capable of scaling cliffs at a reduced rate. Ghosts, Dark Templar, and Zerglings would make good candidates, as they are small units, presumably strong and flexible enough to work their way up a sheer cliff if given enough time.

[Fenix]

Or maybe just make it so that they can go over spider mines without setting them off and forget all the cliffs and jazz?

[reject_666_6]

Unless they make mines with an upwards-facing sonar that alerts them to hovering movement and makes the mine jump up and detonate on impact. :P

[Fenix]

Then there is absolutely no reason to have hovering units and the 'toss should just throw all their Archons into a tank.

:(

[reject_666_6]

An Archon thrown into a tank and a Science Vessel would be more fun to watch! ;D

[Inside Sin]

In real life, if you had a hovering car, and tried to go up a cliff. You would still crash. So im saying, no.

[coalescence]

Or maybe just make it so that they can go over spider mines without setting them off and forget all the cliffs and jazz?


Just like in starcraft 1. I think that's best, cause all the ideas actually made it look to much like a flying unit.

[mc2]

Maybe they'll split the levels even more? they could make:

- ground unit
- hover unit
- air unit

ground units like zealots and zerglings cannot attack hover and air, while marines and archons can attack hover but not air
vulture is hovering so i can attack both hover and ground.
scouts and wraith cannot attack ground.......something like that :P

[coalescence]

Maybe they'll split the levels even more? they could make:

- ground unit
- hover unit
- air unit

ground units like zealots and zerglings cannot attack hover and air, while marines and archons can attack hover but not air
vulture is hovering so i can attack both hover and ground.
scouts and wraith cannot attack ground.......something like that :P


No, marines should be able to hit everything. That's what marines do. And both wraiths and scouts already have penalties for ground (weaker weapons). That should be enough.

[mc2]

marine's gauss rifles probably can't fire that high into the air :P

with scouts and wraiths, yeah they r disadvantaged with their ground weapon so prolly give them stronger weapons against hovering, but still the same weak attacks for ground

[coalescence]

marine's gauss rifles probably can't fire that high into the air :P

with scouts and wraiths, yeah they r disadvantaged with their ground weapon so prolly give them stronger weapons against hovering, but still the same weak attacks for ground


On another note; what do you consider hoover to be actually? I think 1 to 3 meters. Considering the height of a zealot even that one should be able to grab it. Only zerglings and broodlings should be ****ed :P

[mc2]

i was thinking if they did implement that 3 level idea in SC2 maybe something like 10meters for hovering units? so in that case a firebat would still be able to attack that unit but the effectiveness would decrease.

[coalescence]

i was thinking if they did implement that 3 level idea in SC2 maybe something like 10meters for hovering units? so in that case a firebat would still be able to attack that unit but the effectiveness would decrease.


I don't think that hoovering units can go over houses. I think you should consider it floating or flying.

[TheDarkTemplar]

10 metres? Way too high. Hovering units should be 3 metres at most, and even then I think it's a stretch.

[mc2]

ok maybe not hovering units....the idea is about having 3 altitude levels instead of just 2
so maybe we can have ground, low air, high air......

[reject_666_6]

But, technically, in Sc1 there was only Ground and Low Air, because no ships were High Air because Marines could attack them. If they do make a difference between low and high, I'm afraid my beloved Marines are done for... :'(

[mc2]

our beloved carrier is already done for :P
a marine is the start unit for terrans, costing only 50 minerals. it would make them "too cost effective" if they can fire onto a high flying unit like BC or mothership :P

[reject_666_6]

But them being able to attack both ground and air is what made them so great and unique in the first place!!! Marine-hater! >:(

[mc2]

im not a marine hater....im stating what is physically logical....blizzard can't give one unit SO much power for only 50minerals.....and their stim packs, and medics just make them powerful enough already.

[reject_666_6]

You're right... :'( But besides M&Ms, Siege Tanks and the occasional Science Vessels and Battlecruisers, the Terrans have no really strong units that work well against such overwhelming enemies.