The Big Dark Templar Citadel Thingies... Hypothesis

[kehmdaddy]

Well, it seems to be pretty apparent that these are infact defensive structures, as in many of the recent screenshots, there have been multiple "citadels" placed near strategic choke points or around the cliffs of bases to ward off aerial attackers.. While their abilities have not been made visible in any of these screenshots, I have an educated guess..
Check out this screenshot http://media.pc.ign.com/media/850/850126/img_4704595.html and look at the "citadel" to the upper right. Notice, its crystal is a dull grey, as opposed to the vibrant blue of the others. Now, I would have to guess that we are looking at a new form of the Shield Battery... as these structures become low on energy, their crystals dim. If not, they may be some sort of "scout" tower with a long view range, as there are three heads on the sides of the crystal lattice, but that would be a pretty useless building, now wouldn't it?
Thoughts?

[Fenix]

Wow dude, nice catch. That is a really awesome find.

[GuiMontag]

I like the idea of them being sheild batteries, i think it could also be a DT pylon

[kehmdaddy]

True, but it would need to have some sort of added benefit, otherwise there would be no point in having it. Maybe a pylon/shield battery combo? That would explain why there are so many, and why the crystal is dimmed in that screenshot... we'll see!

[Ych9]

Very nice find and theory too. :powerup:

It really makes sense also because the screenshot you posted truely shows 2 different set of those Citadel buildings (1 is dark and 1 is blue). And yes, it makes sense that the dark one will probably be a shield battery with no energy, and the blue one will have energy. I also think there will also be some alternative abilities or upgrades through that building. That Citadel sure looks very good graphically. I'm liking it very much.

[shanodin]

Hmm. Pearhaps they are upgraded Pylons with much longer range , more powerful shield and HP, that would slowly recover the shields of all buildings and units within its range ?

Maybe it would detect invisible units within its range?

[Dreadnought]

Maybe they are stationary arbiters? I think they are shield batteries though since none of the units are concealed or look concealed.

[Ghost]

I have no idea what it can be. It looks pretty much like a observation towers but that would suck, unless they scrapped the observer =S

It might just be a production building put there for front line production.

[FlyingTiger]

Nice analysis man  :powerup:

It could be a new form of the shield battery, but I dunno... it looks too tall to be one haha. You make it sound so convincing tho with the dimming of the crystals

[Nikzad]

when i first saw it, it reminded me of that pokemon that is blue and is like one of those punching bags that you punch and it always stands up again and that always comes out in super smash bros melee when you are looking for something halfway decent

but i think that is a very feasible theory

or maybe it is unpowered - it would be cool for the buildings to look different when there is no pylon around, as opposed to just saying "Unpowered" when you click on it like in SC1

if that is the case, maybe it's a stronger air defense tower

i just checked the screenshot again, and I think that it is unpowered, check out the field of the pylon near it (that doesn't mean that you weren't correct in it's function though, kehmdaddy)




EDIT: maybe it's a shield battery or some sort of docking thing for air units

[GuiMontag]

thats a realy good point Nikzad, the tower is outside of pylon power, it could still be a sheild battery though

[ImaGiNe.]

Indeed a nice theory, however you seem to forget that the tower is outside the pylon aura, leaving it powerless. It is neat to see Protoss buildings powered down by showing a disabled state like that instead of having the words:

Unpowered

They will probably have it but actually seeing the structure dim definitely adds more to it.

EDIT - Damn it! Nikzad posted it before me..

[Nikzad]

bwahahahah, I STRIKE AGAIN

[ImaGiNe.]

Yeah... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Anyway, it would not make sense if they were shield batteries, because why would any player build units that have no shields against air attacks and have them square off against hostile air units (referring to the IGN screenshot of the Tempests vs. Mutalisk.) Also, why would any player build shield batteries at the furthest part of their base near terrain that is impassable to ground units.

These towers must server another purpose...

[Nikzad]

maybe repairing air units

who knows

air defense is more feasible i think

[ImaGiNe.]

I doubt Protoss would have any sort of repairing ability in StarCraft 2. The towers as air defense seems likely, however they do not seem to be doing anything against the mutalisks that are near them. Perhaps these towers are "booster" buildings. I am thinking that they give nearby friendly units a power boost or an additional defensive aspect or both.

Here is what I noticed about these towers as I have seen them in screenshots. These towers are generally placed in areas of entrance, it is possible that these let off an aura that increase damage output or the toughness of units within the buildings radius. Though no aura circle is present in any screenshot for the tower... Damn tower!

[ZiiDriX]

^ I dont think blizz is gonna add any Repair for protoss.



-Edit- ImaGiNe. Was faster than me ^^

[Nikzad]

I was thinking along the same lines as you ImaGiNe but I'm hoping they don't do the whole "aura" thing in SC2

[FlyingTiger]

but i think that is a very feasible theory

or maybe it is unpowered - it would be cool for the buildings to look different when there is no pylon around, as opposed to just saying "Unpowered" when you click on it like in SC1


EDIT: maybe it's a shield battery or some sort of docking thing for air units


haha good point... maybe it is unpowered

ahh we will know for sure soon

ick no aura power either

[DontHate]

hmm.. i'm thinking it's some sort of a defense tower but it isn't attacking any of the units... hmm...

[generalrievous]

Im 60% sure that its the war shrine but who knows

[Ghost]

We have seen the warshrine, anyway, It might be a barrier building of sorts, making a shield around them, sort of like a shield generator. I really have no clue about this

[paragon]

If it is the war shrine then why is it in defensive positions in pretty much every screenshot it is in?

[Nikzad]

wait is the war shrine a tech building or a producing building?

[Dreadnought]

Perhaps it provides the power for templars and dark templar. so they have to recharge their PSI and awsome weapons there..

[paragon]

no i doubt the dark templar would have anything less than permanent cloak. How would they explain that away? "Well we used to be able to permanently cloak but we forgot how"

[Dreadnought]

I meant they have more powerfull weapons that require recharging :) I edited it thanks for showing how clumsy of me.

[Fenix]

Mebbe it is a psy recharger though. Like, the Auir Protoss can regen shields, while the Shakuras Protoss can regen psy?

[Nikzad]

I still say air defense

[kehmdaddy]

Air defense is the most logical, but I just don't see any proof of it from the screenshots. Psi recharger... perhaps, but I think having them around the cliffs is kind of a strange place to put them. And I did not notice that it was outside of the pylon, so perhaps that is the "powered down" look for these structures. I kinda liked my shield battery idea tho =)

[Fenix]

Then why have we never seen it attack? In one of the shots it's in, it could easily attack Muta's, yet it does not.

Hmmm

[Dreadnought]

Having a PSI recharger or maybe something to unmerge archons :o or perhaps it could rearm scarabs. It could also be a shield battery. Maybe it grants bonus regeneration of shields and energy to all nearby friendly units. It could also just be something to upgrade ur units. (i made multiples of armories all the time)

[kehmdaddy]

Well, I said air defense would make the most sense (due to its height and placement), BUT I agree we haven't seen proof of it. I doubt it is an upgrade facility just because it's placed in defensive positions. I think bonus regeneration of shield and/or energy could be it, kind of like a re-vamped shield battery. There is a new terran building in one of the new IGN screenshots that is also tall and, as I suggested in the thread about it in the Terran section, perhaps each race will receive one of these "scout towers." Due to their height, it would make sense that they would have a long range of sight, and perhaps the Terran tower has a comstat ability since it has a radar atop of it, while this Dark Templar Tower would have the shield regeneration ability.

[taz]

i like the idea of a shield battary its it makes it more reasonable to see them close to stratigic base entry points!

taking a long look at them though reminded me of those towers in "chronicles of rid****" where at one point they discharge an energy bomb to kill all biological life forms.....yes i know it sounds whacky but if it has the same function....

[ImaGiNe.]

You know after much thought, the tower is not an anti-air defense structure. The Protoss already have the most versatile defensive structures in the game (I.E. Photon and Phase Cannons) which can attack both land and air units. It would not make sense to have another structure that is specialized (anti-air theory) when you already have buildings that are highly capable of defending. On another note, the towers are next to Phase Cannons (Again, I reference the Tempests vs. Mutalisks IGN Screenshot.)

I really think that these towers boost attack or defense as there would be no real reason to have more than one. Their totem pole nature reflects the pride of the Protoss in my opinion.

[Nikzad]

you mean "after much thought, I think the tower is not an anti-air defense structure"

none of us knows for sure

and although I knew about the versatility of the Protoss D, I say air defense because I usually play Protoss and cannons are SOOOOOOOOOO WEEEAAAAK

I'll take any kind of upgrade i can lol

[wuffle]

Okay guys, I was watching th ol' gameplay video, and I noticed the reapers ran by a GOLD AND BLUE version of this tower when they were running away. Do you guys think there will be a light and dark version of this tower or do you think they thought it would be more suitable as a dark building and changed the design?

[kehmdaddy]

I think they just changed the design, but we really have seen enough to be sure about it.

[Outcaster]

Okay guys, I was watching th ol' gameplay video, and I noticed the reapers ran by a GOLD AND BLUE version of this tower when they were running away. Do you guys think there will be a light and dark version of this tower or do you think they thought it would be more suitable as a dark building and changed the design?


nice catch there , didn't see it until now

[MaliciouS]

I still have absolutely no idea what the structure actually does, but here's an interesting screeshot of a Terran 'spire' which seems to be placed around in defensive locations, like the Dark Templar spire.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1815/starcraftii200707110856fr2.jpg
(It's positioned near the top-left corner.)

It could be something to simply increase the Line of Sight, Blizzard did mention they were doing something special about establishing that. (or they just ment that Fog of War doesn't get revealed to players that get attacked from higher positions)

[DontHate]

that's the sensor thing from the swedish scans.
also, i think the tower thing is a sheild that stops all units from moving through it unless they kill 1 of the towers. I heard it from someone and i think it's true.

also it's pretty overpowering so i donno.

[UchihaItachi0129]

also, i think the tower thing is a sheild that stops all units from moving through it unless they kill 1 of the towers.

why just one? it'd think it's like a connecting sheild kinda. like if you build 2 then those 2 connect and nothing can pass between that connection. so if you had 3 and someone killed one then it'd revert back to 2. so then if you build a few circling your base you'd be impenatrable. and if it's possible you can ( what even that building is called ) rush and just build 2 between your opponents and their minerals and then they cant mine XD pretty powerfully. it's probably a late game kinda building then. IF that's it's actual ability

[DontHate]

I would really hate that building. a lot of cheese potential i see, like making a circle around an expansion or a maybe ur cannons.

[TerranGod]

when i first saw it, it reminded me of that pokemon that is blue and is like one of those punching bags that you punch and it always stands up again and that always comes out in super smash bros melee when you are looking for something halfway decent

but i think that is a very feasible theory

or maybe it is unpowered - it would be cool for the buildings to look different when there is no pylon around, as opposed to just saying "Unpowered" when you click on it like in SC1

if that is the case, maybe it's a stronger air defense tower

i just checked the screenshot again, and I think that it is unpowered, check out the field of the pylon near it (that doesn't mean that you weren't correct in it's function though, kehmdaddy)




EDIT: maybe it's a shield battery or some sort of docking thing for air units


hey dont you mean wabafet?
sry...dotn know how to spell it

[DontHate]

So coincidently in every picture we see it it's always unpowered? Must be tough/high hp for someone to go for the pylons.

[burkid]

i just realised that there are faces on the spire. now it reminds me of the things from chronicles of rid****.

[privateparts]

Notice that the three metal thing rotate around the crystal. I can tell coz they're in different places for each Spire.

Just a interseting little thing I noticed..

[burkid]

as of now, there is no shield battery, so this tower thing must be something else.

[Darktemplar_L]

The Dark Obelisk, it allows Dark Templars to be built.

Me:
Karune, I still haven't had MY question answered:

The protoss structure that looks like a very tall pylon. In the gameplay video, it is during when the Terran Reapers are running and before they talk about warp-in. Please Answer mine. What is that structure?

Karune:
It is currently the Dark Obelisk, a building needed to build Dark Templars. Again, this is subject to change still.


Anonymous person:
So does that mean the templar archives are gone or are the HT and DT just going to require 2 different buildings?

Karune:
They currently need separate buildings, but again, building pre-requisites fall under balance, and there is still much balance testing going on. All is subject to change.

And, I also wonder why in your screenshot, that the top Dark Obelisk is gray instead of blue like the bottom two.

[GuiMontag]

lol, blizzard is so funny, they tricked everyone into thinking it would be a frontline building with all their screenshots and then it turns out to be replacement for templar archives

[kehmdaddy]

That's very strange. Why would anyone need 3 of these if they just allow Dark Templar to be built... I suppose it may have some other feature, otherwise naughty, naughty Blizzard :-[

[Nikzad]

or maybe they just have a lot of stuff that can be researched there, so they built more than one?

[burkid]

...and then it turns out to be replacement for templar archives

its not. the 'dark obelisk' is just for dts, and the templar archives is still for hts.

[privateparts]

I asked Kharune what this his, hopefully we'll get an answer in the next Q&A!

[Darktemplar_L]

Ummm... I asked him yesterday and got the answers... Don't waste your time asking an already asked question.

[Elizar]

Ya

[Ych9]

Very wierd indeed, that they have more than one Dark Obelisk in the screenshots.

My predictions are, that the shiny Dark Obelisk are the ones upgrading stuff, and the dark ones are the ones not doing anything.

[burkid]

that dark one is outside of pylon power if you look at the ground.

[Ych9]

that dark one is outside of pylon power if you look at the ground.


That makes perfect sense now. I think all the Protoss buildings in SC2 that are out of Pylon range would receive that dark colour. Remember back in the Gameplay Video when the Reapers destroyed the Pylon and all the Cannons become dark?

I think that is what Blizzard is intending to do for the graphic change in SC2.

[burkid]

i really hope so, i hated the whole "im unpowered, but you cant tell till you click on me" thing in SC1.

[kehmdaddy]

I still don't buy that this is just a req. building for Dark Templars, unless they changed its role since the screens, which I suppose is pretty possible. They're all over the cliffs and chokes, I think they boost shield regeneration or the power of the shields of the units nearby.

[Wlck742]

^Great... an aura... even more WC reference... *grumble grumble*^

Seriously tho, I think it could be a sort of a support building, adding shields and stuff. That would be pretty cool, especially when defending chokes.

[burkid]

I still don't buy that this is just a req... ...They're all over the cliffs and chokes, I think they boost shield regeneration or the power of the shields of the units nearby.

maybe the guy built his base poorly, and maybe theres a bunch of research at them so you need a buch of them to get it all. supply depots and barracks are commonly seen at chokes, and they dont have any auras. we will just have to wait and see.