Few months ago I wrote this idea under one of Lowko’s videos about late ZvP with mass Carriers. But just one man noticed it so I would like to know if anyone other thinks this would be a nice rework. HF
Goals:
- make Carriers more APM heavy and less A-move
- make Carriers benefit from higher microing
- not break the game
My solution:
// Give Beacon-Lock-On ability to Carriers.
/ on deafault this ability would auto cast on enemies. But player can cast it everywhere
/ this ability would create a beacon. Carrier will start launch interceptors to it. And they would fly around and target enemies in 2 range from the beacon.
/ if enemy unit is targeted by this ability the beacon follows this unit. Interceptors target this unit first. After target’s death the beacon stops moving.
/ when used second time the old beacon would move to the new target area or enemy unit. And interceptors would fly to it again.
/ every new interceptor would fly onto Beacon’s location
/ every time the beacon get out of Carrier’s range (lets say 10) it will remove and all interceptors will fly into Carrier. But removes the cooldown of Beacon-Lock-On. (So if fast enough new beacon can be created and interceptors will fly to it instead of back into carrier)
/ Ability range is 7
/ this ability would have 3 seconds cooldown
// Give Return Interceptors Ability to Carriers
/ this ability destroys the beacon. All Interceptors return into Carrier.
/ used to repair interceptors
/ resets the cooldown of Beacon-Lock-On (so player must wait full 3 seconds before launching beacon again)
/ no cooldown. Can be used only when Carrier have Beacon.
== Protoss can still A-move but the lock-on’s would make it harder (3 sec cooldown). On the other hand Carriers do not need to release interceptors all the time and can strategicaly move beacons when microed. Target firing would still work but slower
== APM required for full usage is higher
== Carriers can return interceptors to prevent unneccessary losses
== the visual part would look relatively the same as now. Only the lock-ons on units would look some way (like a blue cyclone’s Lock on). But the beacons itself would not be visible
// I would like (with this rework) to implement the Arbiters and remove Mothership.
Arbiter Abilities:
/ Small Slow Field (would also affect interceptors and structures; grant small vision and detects cloaked enemies inside);
/ Cloaking ability (Cloaks units around Arbiter [Not the Arbiter!] for 8 seconds)
/ Emergency shell (protect a unit from obducts (also KD-8 charge and Matrix) and slowing effects (marauder shell; fungal) Lasts 30 seconds)
== more APM for Protos Air
== less juicy obducts
== far less cloaks with not a single source (multiple arbiters); They would be more powerfull;
== slow fields would make brood lords weaker against support archons and Carriers would not fall to coruptors. So this means Zerg must defend and make small counter attacks from different side where are not the carriers. (ZvP mass Carrier late game)
/ But I dont know where would Arbiters be build. If at Stargate; Nexus; Or morph from oracles or Carriers themselves
I would like to read your remarks.