For a very long time, I've thought that ZvZ was a disappointing matchup in what is such an incredible game. This applies both to playing it yourself and in top tournaments like the recent ASL finals. It's much less interesting and fun compared with the other matchups because Zerglings and Mutas are just too cost-effective, fast, and powerful to competitively play ZvZ any other way. In addition, there is a significant component of build-order luck, more so than in other matchups. ZvZ games just end up being... boring.
So, IMO, this matchup's state justifies a Broodwar design change. I get that the game is so old now and has a rich history of televised gameplay, that a knee-jerk reaction is to say 'leave it alone'. But I think this would be a really positive thing for Broodwar's future. The game is not perfect, and addressing the ZvZ imperfection in particular could open the door to breathing new life into this game. This could mark a whole new chapter in Broodwar’s history, where players learn how to play (new) ZvZ optimally.
The problem with design changes is that they can influence other (near-perfectly balanced) matchups; ZvT, ZvT. So, one has to be careful when changing anything. In my mind, it organically makes most sense to design-change Zerg a little to improve ZvZ, and impact the other matchups as little as possible, rather than to straight-up alter something outside of this scope (eg restricting ZvZ to 2-player maps, removing Spire access in ZvZ, etc). And to try to stay loyal to the same faction design confines and themes as possible.
A shift in tech is required early on in ZvZ (ie, Hatchery-level tech) to counter the Zergling arms-race. If one player makes 16 Zerglings and the other player makes 10 Zerglings, then the 16 Zerglings will just kill him. Choke points, ramps, simcity, Sunken colonies and pulling Drones to fight certainly alleviate this issue a bit, but not by enough to meaningfully alter how ZvZ players play the matchup. Many/most ZvZ games get decided by boring Zergling brawls.
… And then something is required to counter Mutas (both at your base and on the map in general). The player with the most Mutas/gas straight-up wins Muta battles, so their opponent might build Spore Colonies to prolong the game.
The player with Muta number/gas advantage can then control the rest of the map, and can more freely expand whilst denying their opponent expansions with fast Zergling/Mutalisk armies. If neither player has an advantage and one attempts to expand (by temporarily cutting unit production), then there is an element of luck involved here; the opponent might attack and win, or not attack and be behind. Scouting is tricky in ZvZ as units are fragile, fights are volatile, and Zerglings/Mutalisks are so fast.
These Zergling and Muta issues are compounded by build-order advantages (12 hatch vs 12 pool, 12 pool vs 9 pool, 9 pool vs 12 hatch).
So, what's the answer to fixing this?
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The Queen (& Queens nest).
---> In ZvP, the Queen is practically a meme due to how ineffective its spells are. Zerg pros never use Parasite/Ensare/Spawn Broodling, so the Queen is clearly not useful at high skill levels. Dark Archons absolutely destroy Queens, too. Queens are very rarely used in ZvP.
---> In ZvT, the Queen is also quite a meme, but it has clear usage in specific builds. Ensnare (+mutas) can shut down 2port wraith. Ensnare is a great tactic for facilitating 'Crazyzerg' builds (Ensnare the Marines as they attack your sunkens at your nat or 3rd base, as you rush to Ultralisks). Mass Queens vs Mech is a legit way of utilising Spawn Broodling to kill Tanks and retaining cost-efficiency. Infesting terran command centres and parasite are practically never seen at the pro level.
The Queen costs 100 gas which is generally low-value against T, you generally cannot afford Queens earlygame anyway, and Queens die easily to typical T units/compositions. Also, Queens are very demanding to control in a game where actions and focus are a premium resource. In short, Queens are rare in ZvT.
---> In both matchups, the Queen's Nest (150/100) is built for the prime purpose of transitioning Zerg from Lair to Hive (200/150).
It has 'some' simcity usage, but this is very low impact in ZvT and ZvP, and rarely is used for blocking in pro games.
So, I propose that the Queen (+Queens Nest) be redesigned to counter both Zerglings and Mutas. What could this look like?
There are probably many design options available that could work. I don't know which one is the most optimal for the player/viewer/strategy experience.
However, I think it's absolutely necessary to make the Queen's Nest accessible to hatchery-level tech, and require a Spawning Pool so that people can't rush Queens Nest before Spawning Pool.
My suggestion (/wishful thinking):
Since money is at a premium in earlygame ZvZ, shift part of the Queen Nest’s cost onto the Hive upgrade instead; the Queens Nest cost becomes 100 minerals only (-50 minerals, -100 gas), and the Hive costs 250/250 in total (+50 minerals and +100 gas).
But the problem of 'rushing Hive' remains; right now, you have to upgrade a Lair (63s), then build a Queens Nest (38s), then upgrade to Hive (76s). But with my suggestion, you could upgrade the Lair and build the Queens Nest at the same time (63s), and then instantly go into Hive (76s).
So, the Hive should take an additional 38s to morph (114s) to maintain the speed at which Zerg players can tech to Hive (regarding ZvT and ZvP balance).
The Queens Nest life (850) is comparable to the evolution chamber (750), and I think just to be safe, we should also reduce the Queens Nest's life so that Zergs don't suddenly have a more powerful blocking building that only costs minerals. But Zerg players sometimes build the Queens Nest in a blocking position in ZvT (a historically slightly Terran-favoured matchup). So, I suspect it would be safest to make the Queens Nest life become 800.
In terms of SIM city, I don't think this would impact ZvP or ZvT. From briefly looking at it, both the Queens Nest and Evolution Chamber block in similar ways.
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So, you have Hatchery-level tech, you build your Spawning Pool, then you build your Queens Nest, and you can now morph a Queen.
What can it do?
It needs to (1) not harm ZvT and ZvP balance, whilst being able to (2) kill Zerglings, (3) kill Mutalisks, and (4) not completely dominate ZvZ by itself. Looking at these problems 1 by 1:
(1) Maintain ZvT/ZvP balance
If the Queen can fly, well, this lets Zerg scout early-on in ZvT and ZvP with a fast flying unit. This would harm balance.
So, I would change the Queen to being a slow ground unit. I dislike losing the Queen unit’s model (and game balance), so let's add an upgrade at the Queens Nest called 'Morph Matriarch aspect'. Once researched, the (ground) Queen can morph (like a Hydralisk morphing to a Lurker) into an air unit, the Matriarch (the Queen model we have today). Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.
So, we have a ground Queen (Hatchery-level tech). And a flying Matriarch (Lair-level tech). The 'Morph Matriarch aspect' upgrade can only be researched with Lair tech, and takes 36s to research (the same time taken to build a Queens Nest today). A Queen morphing into a Matriarch takes 33s (the same time taken to morph a Queen today). So, the overall time taken to build the fastest possible flying Queen unit is the same.
Since Zerg players can access the ground Queen at Hatchery-level tech, they can cast Parasite / Ensnare faster in ZvP / ZvT now (which may impact these matchups somewhat). So, I think it would be best to make the Queen and Matriarch capable of doing different things.
The Matriarch can do all the same stuff that today's (flying) Queen can do today.
But what about the (ground) Queen? It needs to essentially be useless in ZvT and ZvP in order to not influence balance there.
(2) Kill Zerglings
The Queen is a 80 life, 0 armour, large (so takes 100% damage from explosive damage) ground unit which cannot attack. However, it has an ability called ‘Subjugate (ground)’. It moves at speed 2 (an un-upgraded Hydralisk is 3.71 for reference).
Subjugate (ground) targets multiple Zerg ground units nearby at a time (I think 3 is sensible), does damage, and slows enemies hit by 90%. I think this ability could operate like the Terran Medic’s heal ability, but instead, targeting enemy ground Zerg units with range 2 (Medic range is 2 for reference). When its energy runs out, then it does not operate anymore, like the Medic’s heal.
The damage dealt is 18 per second over time. The Terran Medic heals 18.6 health per second, for reference.
The expectation here is for the Queen to provide players with a huge defenders advantage (against Zerglings) since it can sit at choke points, ramps, SimCity, and Drone lines, and be mega cost-effective at specifically killing Zerglings (and Drones). It is slow and vulnerable, and Sunken Colonies destroy it easily, so it really struggles to be an aggressive unit. It can be outplayed by killing it with ranged/air units/other Queens or by swarming it with overwhelming Zergling numbers, or by draining its energy with 1 Zergling at a time, so it has limited capabilities outside of defending your base (against Zerglings)
(3) Kill mutalisks
I think Spore Colonies should be buffed to deal damage to enemy biological air in a large area-of-effect (15 damage to each individual). This would, crucially, only affect ZvZ. This would allow for Zerg players to turtle on 1-2 bases a lot easier (fewer Spore Colonies required), dissuades mass Mutas as the go-to choice to win a game, and buys the player time to get to Matriarchs (if necessary).
To address mass Mutalisks controlling the rest of the map, I think Matriarchs should lose ‘Infest Terran command center’ (I’ve never liked this ability), and instead gain ‘Subjugate (air)’. Subjugate (air) does the same thing as Subjugate (ground), with the same range (2), increased damage (24 per second over time), also only targets biological units, and only targets up to 3 enemies at once, so Scourge can kill Matriarchs if they swarm them. Clumped biological enemy air units (Mutas) die efficiently to multiple Matriarchs / Muta splitting is ineffective (but possible due to Mutas having range 3), so massing Matriarchs overwhelms other air.
(4) Not dominate ZvZ
I think the Queen and Matriarchs would not dominate a late-game ZvZ. Queens are strong vs Zerglings+Ultralisks+Drones, but die easily to most other Zerg units. Matriarchs dominate the air and can kill overlords, but have no real influence over ground fights and are repelled by Spore Colonies. The Matriarch's other spells (Parasite, Ensnare, Spawn Broodling) still kinda suck. But you would see Spawn Broodling get used on Hydras/Defilers/Ultralists/Lurkers/Drones, and Parasite on other targets, since rushing Matriarchs would be highly advantageous anyway (for Overlord harassment/scouting/countering enemy air). I think Queens + Matriarchs would result in Zergling/Hydralisk/Lurker-based armies.
Worth noting: subjugate (ground and air) cannot stack (same as Medic healing).
What does the Queen look like?
Like a beetle/slug/fat insect of some kind, the size of a Reaver.
What does Subjugate look/sound like?
In my mind, like a cloud of insects (ie, more biological than psionic). But it could look like something resembling an acidic spray or spores.
How much do Queens/Matriarchs cost?
Queen: low cost (since ZvZ earlygame economies are poor); 90 minerals, 2 supply.
Matriarch: same as current (100/100) Queens. So, the 'Morph Matriarch aspect' costs 10 minerals + 100 gas.
To summarise my suggested design changes:
- Queens Nest. Life changed 850->800, only requires a Spawning Pool to build, costs 100 minerals, unlocks Queens, 'Morph Matriarch aspect (upgrade for Queens).
- Hive. Upgrade duration 76s ->114s, costs 250 minerals + 250 gas.
- Queen (new unit). 80 life, 0 armour, 2 supply, large, speed 2, ground unit, energy, knows ‘Subjugate’ (opposite of Terran heal, 18 damage/sec aoe+90% slow, range 2, targets enemy Zerg units only, max 3 targets), can learn ‘Morph Matriarch aspect’ (when upgraded from Queens Nest at Lair Tech). Costs 90/0 to build.
- Matriarch (old Queen, redesigned). Lost ‘Infest Terran Command Center’, gained ‘Subjugate (Air)’ (targets air only, 24 damage/sec with aoe+90% slow, range 2, targets enemy Zerg units only, max 3 targets). Costs 10/100 to morph.
- Spore Colony. Damage becomes large AoE against biological enemy air units (same single-target damage of 15).
What are your thoughts? Am I completely wrong? The idea is cool but would never happen? Awesome stuff, let's sign a petition?
What would you design differently?