Instead of having all air units bunching up and stacking, I think it would be better to have air units stack based on unit size. For instance, mutas(small) can still bunch up tight like before with only minimal spacing between each muta. Corsairs(medium) will just barely overlap at the outter edges. And large air units such as carriers won't stack at all, just like ground units. For I think it makes sense that hugh capital ships like BCs can't bunch up together and overlap. Even though I am usually not one to argue game design based on logic or realism. I think the impact on gameplay would also justify this. I believe it to be reasonable that larger (often more expensive) air units should be less susceptible to splash damage. The fact that the only small air units in the game, mutas and scourges(other than observer which is non-combat), have the shortest attack range goes along nicely with this aspect as well. The small mutas can swarm in attempt to out number and overwhelm the opposition, but at the same time they are more susceptible to splash damage and AoE spells. The other more conventional/mechanical air units, which are all large units other than corsairs, would behave more like aircrafts as well. In stead of bunching up into a stack, they would fly side by side resembling a rough formation. This is just an idea, please let me know how everyone feels about this.
Well, you sayd formations, but remember that a formation can be 3 dimensional too, and not just all planes next to each other. I find the splash quite annoying, air units who are on top of each other offcourse have some space between them, so maybe the splash should be eliminated for air units? Also, about the formations, what about scripting the air units to fly in sort of formations? (a bit like they did in the gameplay video)
good point there coalescence, air units should always be able to stack. In sc1 whenever i stack air units they eventually move away from each other. I think this should be fixed for sc2 and air units can actually stay stacked.
Stacking is a very logical thing, except that it sort of outlines the unrealistic aspects of the game. Imagine 36 Battlecruisers stacked one over the other, and yet a Marine could attack even the highest one, which would be almost a kilometre or two high.
The main reason why I suggested this is because I don't feel it's right for a dinky corsair to shoot its blinky flashlights at one BC and 11 other BCs around it are magically somehow taking this damage. Same thing with spores from devourers. I admit this is leaning slightly into the realm of realism. But even from a game design point of view, it would be nice that your 400 mineral 300 gas BCs aren't taking petty splash damage from everything, when they're the biggerst most expensive units in the game. But based on the few replies here, I suppose NO is what people feel about this. Guess I'll be spanking some more butts in the air in SC2.
2 of 3 people here reply that altough they think you should be able to stack, the attacks are quite unrealistic and should be changed.
Eh? As in splash damage and AoE spells will not effect ANY air units? Making air units the exception to the system doesn't seem very desirable, not to mention all the splash damage are done by air units(anti-air-only specialty units to be exact). But I thought about this a little, and it occurred to me that what I wanted might just already be the case for SC2. This is a big "might." Units in SC2 are now fully 3D models, and no longer 2D sprites. First of all from a game design and gameplay point of view, altitude variation of air units in SC2 is unlikely. From both past experience in SC1 and demo vid, we already know all air units will travel on the same plain. Now that the units are 3D, stacking of units goes beyond simple overlapping of sprites. It means part of a unit will be "inside" another. Now, I've already checked the demo vid, and mutas already stack. But if you imagine building 12 BCs in SC2 and then stacking them while they're all 3D. Would seem a bit unsightly, not to mention silly looking. But then again, since mutas stack, there's a huge chance that all air units stack this time around as well. It really is a big maybe.
blizzard is delving into the realm of realism with the shiny new havok physics engine, in warcraft 3 aoes were capped, so they may simply do that and keep stacking in, or have it so that air units can go into each others collison and jsut move in an approximate formation. if we watch the demo when the mutas fly that may shed some light on what they are planning, but it is scripted and the game probably wont play like that, should be okay to jsut look though
I agree with this idea. Judging from what we've seen however, It looks like nothing will stack. If you watch the phoenix move they do indeed fly wing tip with each other like you said. It looks like stacking units will be a thing of the past for any medium / large flying units. but I could see small units stacking with the way the game feels right now.
