Today, Blizzard revealed the first details of the upcoming patch 1.1 for StarCraft II in their " Situation Report." Expected to hit in mid-September, patch 1.1 will include a suite of updates for the game, including new features, bug fixes, and, most exciting of all, balance changes. If you've been avoiding StarCraft II altogether, or you're just not that interested in the multiplayer side of the game, then you'd best find another news story, because the following changes and balancing described below won't make any sense to you.
Let's start with the changes that probably aren't going to affect your high-tier 1v1 play. The StarCraft II 1.1 patch will add support for NVIDIA's 3D Vision tech and glasses. Yep, that means 3D StarCraft. While it's tempting (and frankly, preferable) to ignore this feature, along with all other attempts to force stereoscopic 3D into consumers hands, think about this: a 3D UI. Imagine if the StarCraft UI was floating on top of the action. Floating text. It's going to change everything.
Beyond the additions of technology that are probably used by one percent of the total player base, StarCraft II's patch 1.1 will add usability improvements to the game's editor and a slew of mod upgrades, as well as some additional upgrades to custom game creation and play. And, of course, expect patch 1.1 to ship with some bug fixes.
Alright, time for the main event: balance adjustments. While the full details haven't been released yet, all three factions in StarCraft II will be receiving changes, and many units and strategies will be greatly impacted. And not in a good way.
Terran players, your time has come.
== TEASER ==Here's the short list of changes coming to StarCraft II's online play:
General Changes
- Friendly units will no longer provide vision after they've been killed. Enemy units previously revealed in vision cannot be targeted.
Terran Changes
- Reaper build time increased from 40 seconds to 45 seconds.
- Bunker build time increased from 30 seconds to 35 seconds.
- Siege Tank damage decreased from 50 to 35, +15 against armored.
- Siege Tank upgrades decreased from 5 to 3, +2 against armored.
- Battlecruiser damage against ground units decreased from 10 to 8.
Zerg Changes
- Ultralisk damage decreased from 15, +25 against Armored, to 15, +20 to armored.
- Ultralisk Ram attack is being removed.
Protoss Changes
- Zealot build time increased from 33 seconds to 38 seconds.
- Warp Gate cooldown time increased from 23 seconds to 28 seconds.
Damn. Those are some significant performance hits across all the races. Terran players are especially going to feel that patch next month. To be fair, though, Wings of Liberty was built with a Terran focus at its core. I think everyone expected that the Terran were going to get some form of balance changes that would help bring them in line with the other races.
And I can't speak to everyone out there, but as a player who has chosen to, ahem, "main Toss," I'm not feeling good at all about the Zealot build time increase. I've used the Zealot rush to great effect in the past, especially against other Protoss players. But with that timer increase, that strategy just isn't going to fly. And how am I going to stop a 6-pool now?!
Oh. Brad said I should boost one Zealot to the choke point and hold position. Never thought of that. Huh.
You can read the full rationale behind all the decisions in Blizzard's Situation Report, but, having read that general list of the big adjustments, how are you guys feeling about these first balance changes to StarCraft II? Any players reading these changes and deciding to break their StarCraft II disk out of anger? Not that it'll do you much good, since the game doesn't need a CD to load up anyway. But the gesture is what will count.