I always wondered how to actually compare this. The math seems really hard.
Sure, the mule gives you a boost, but then it expires. The extra workers you made from Chrono could theoretically exist for the rest of the game, and at some point the extra workers would match whatever the mule does, only now you are on to using chrono on something else. I feel like the math involved is really fuzzy.
Pretty simple really:
Launch the game, choose melee and play solo as Protoss, execute build and focus on making workers perfectly until the point you have 3 bases fully saturated.
Save replay.
Repeat these steps, but this time play Terran.
Save replay.
Compare how income grow and at what point you hit 3 base saturation.
VERY IMPORTANT: pick a real meta build so you can get a true comparison.
Iām saying concussive shell makes bio beat everything since nothing non-massive on the ground can run away from it if the marauder attacks it at all.
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Do we have to do all this again? Do I have to play through the first 5 minutes? Because after that your economy is way to determined by your build and your opponentās aggression.
Itās easier for me to do the math using editor values (0.5625 for energy regen, 28 seconds instead of 20 because of the 1.4x multiplier).
Since Chronoboost is a 50% time increase, each Chronoboost adds 14 seconds.
Meanwhile, the energy takes 88.88888888888 seconds to recharge.
Therefore, Chronoboost is up to a 15.75% productivity increase on the Nexus or another structure, ignoring the first 14 seconds which are free and cannot be factored into the rate without considering the exact game-time.
Meanwhile, Mules can be considered a delayed >1 worker boost until the base is saturated, where it turns into a >3 worker boost per expansion (22 workers). This does work out to roughly the same boost 13.63% - 15.9% on the first 3 or 4 bases depending on how many bases you try to fully saturate.
It gets a lot more complicated when you consider other factors though, such as SCVs getting taken off the line to build; dedicated build/repair SCVs, and the fact that Terran gets to keep making ā3-3.5 extra workersā on their expansions unless they decide to make a Planetary.
An important note is that Terranās economy is delayed more than Protoss:
- Because of Chronoboost
- Because of SCV build mechanics
- Because of the Orbital upgrade, which cuts 2 SCV cycles for the equivalent of a 3-3.5 SCV mule later down the road; if you donāt save any energy for Scans.
- Because Terran often cannot secure the third base as earlyāmostly because they need upgrades and/or critical mass first.
The Terran economy gets stronger later; so there is a bit of a yo-yo effect that makes PvT very hard to balance.
Starting at 12 workers didnt just skip the early game. There were lots of meaningful interactions during that time that changed the game. When you say āDo I have to play through the first 5 minutesā it tells me strategy games may not be for you. Strategy games are not Call of Duty where you instantly jump in the action and get into the next game. Strategy games have always been a game about decisions, not action.
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You do realize which thread I was linking. This isnāt about the 12 worker start, I play enough BW as it is and thatās 4 worker start.
I ran through the first 3 minutes of a LotV 12 worker start game, and found that at 3 minutes Terran and Protoss had collected the same amount of resources, and were both on 2 base. There was 0 economy advantage for Protoss.
What Iām saying is, the āProtoss economy advantageā isnāt āthe true problem with TvPā, itās āthe myth about TvPā.
After all, past that point basically all your chronos have to go to the fact that all 3 twilight upgrades take longer than stim, and forge upgrades take longer than engi bay upgrades, and the Immortal has nearly the build time of a Thor, andā¦ when do you chrono probes past the first few minutes?
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Your economy model does not take harassment into account. Delayed 2nd base depending on Protoss build order or them just containing you on 2 base.
By 3 minutes neither player is taking a 3rd base, and a protoss who attempts to delay the second CC also has to spend 2 chronos on their first gateway, rather than 1, as well as going cyber before nexus, while my model had the greedy protoss do nexus before cyber. (Which typically means lost mining time to a reaper, if not a lost probe) Basically, adding early harassment probably would shift it more in TERRANāS favor, so again, economy rift is a myth.
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Me too
He was a good man
The Truth is that you just need to L2P. And that ends this conversation.
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