[Suggestion / PTR currently] Auto-Turret compromise

So people are unsure about the Raven redesign, especially as Interference Matrix and Anti-Armor Missile are not that useful against zerg due to the lack of viable targets for the former and the use of creep meaning you can’t force an engagement (i.e. the zerg army can disengage and wait for the effects of the missile to wear off), leaving the Auto-Turret as the only ability that’s genuinely useful against them, and with the increased cost from 50 to 75 energy, reduces their numbers too much in the late-game. Yet with the reduced build time of Ravens, 50-energy Auto-Turrets could be spammed very easily.

As a compromise, I would like to suggest the following (assuming no other adjustments to the Raven elsewhere):

  • Energy cost reduced back to 50
  • Auto-Turrets fire a projectile

The projectile could have the speed and appearance of a Marauder’s grenade, although of course able to target both ground and air and not have any concussive effects. It would still do 18 damage and have the same attack speed - however, it would significantly increase the chance of overkilling small units, thereby reducing their effectiveness in harassment while still being viable to use for that purpose at 50 energy, while not having too serious of an effect against heavier army units.

Depending on how popular they might be though, the Raven may have to have its starting energy reduced back to 50 and the Corvid Reactor returned.

Thoughts?

How about we just replace the auto-turret spell with something else. I don’t think spawning a turret has ever been a particularly well-designed spell.

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That’s a rather big claim

You can’t use auto-turret for harass nor for creep clearing because Queen range is 7 while Raven range is 2.

The Raven is more than able to tank some damage from the Queen in order to get close enough to drop one, and if it gets careless (by not pulling back, Transfusing or getting another unit to take the aggro) an Auto-Turret will kill a Queen. (in a one-on-one fight, an Oracle will beat a Queen too)

Technically, the Auto-Turret has 6/7 range, so if there isn’t any dead-space then Ravens may be able to place Auto-Turrets forward enough to hit a creep tumor or queen without the Raven getting hit. However, that costs 50 energy from a more expensive unit to deal with 25 (or less) energy creep tumors. Damage to the Raven also costs money to repair while Queens regenerate and can heal each-other.

Damage to the Raven costs money and SCV time (not mining) to repair, so “tanking damage” to drop Auto-Turrets against Queens isn’t exactly a good use of resources.

The individual trade may technically be “favorable” under a number of circumstances (such as killing workers/Zerglings, killing a large number of creep tumors, etc), but that may not be enough to justify the Raven or justify spending 50 energy from an expensive caster to clear some creep.

In StarCraft2 or in Unit Tester?:wink:

In StarCraft2 players aren’t able to deny creep nor are able to harass Zerg using autoturret.

Not to mention that instead of wasting 200 gas and ~40 seconds of Tech Lab (!) Starport on this piece of garbage you can build a Liberator or 2 Banshees that are infinitely better than Raven. Or, you know, 2 Medevacs.
Heck, even making Viking would be better for both harass and creep denial because Viking will kill Overlords (or force them to go into Zerg base) and thus deny Zerg vision which will give your Hellions an edge so that they would be able to either clear creep or roast some drones.