StarCraft 2: balance test map and changes to ZvZ and the Oracle

 

 

Following the recent advent of ZvZ complaints regarding a repetitive and forceful play style, David Kim of the StarCraft 2 game balance team, has responded with the release of a balance test map, in an attempt to gain feedback from the multiplayer community.

 

The map will feature suggestions put forth by the balance team, with most of them focused towards changing a heavily Muta-populated ZvZ gameplay, with some minor tweaks to oracle usage and early game Zerg as well.

 

In the announcement post made on the battlenet forums, David Kim cited a wish for more varied play in ZvZ, saying "The hope here is to have more Infestors come into play in the mass Muta on Muta battles and/or bring the fight more so to the ground because it'll be more easily possible to stay on the ground due to less resources on defense needed to fend off Mutalisk attacks".

 

The full list of changes includes a buff to Spore Crawler damage against bio units, to further increase its effectiveness in defending Muta harass.

Burrow research time and cost has also been decreased, to encourage the early game burrow harassments that were often seen during the release of HotS.

 

To the surprise (and annoyance) of the community, Oracles have received a buff in movement speed, in the hopes of rewarding top-tier players incorporating them into their builds, allowing them to "to perfectly use Oracles without losing them", even with air units in play.

 

For the full post from David Kim, visit the battlenet forums at: http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/forum/topic/8704740456