How much differentiation between the species?

If you were a terran, and you had never encountered a zerg before, some units such as drones would be easy to identify as the equivalent to you scv's. The main building for the zerg is the equivalent of your main base building etc..

Is there any way to differentiate the species even more. i.e. allow overlords to also harvest vespene gas.

The whole purpose of the game is to make it not unit-for-unit counter/compatible, but rather make them vastly different.

Here are some of my suggestions:

1. Let Overlords harvest vespene gas, and be allowed to explode like a zeppelin as defence/attack.

2. Give the Terrans a ground troop carrier. A hummer of some sort.

3. Let Zerg buildings mutate into other zerg buildings or get absorbed by the creep.



What suggestions do you have to make the species VASTLY different.

 

The races are vastly different, sure you could tell what the main building is and what drones do but what would you think upon first seeing the creep? Or the pylons? Or where the production buildings of zerg are?

You're just picking a few necessary similarities to add basis to your own ideas, overlord gathering vespine and i don't feel like going into detail to discuss it in your thread about it, the ground transport has been discussed so it's simply that blizzard decided against it and the mutate/absorb would actually make the races more similar. Absorption into the creep would just be salvage while mutating would have the same effect.

 

I imagine how these differences are thought up, is to take several standard units and several other abilities overlap their roles.

Within the first tier of the tech tree, you have the roles of the support buildings:
units: Farm -- Defense Tower -- Bunker -- Blacksmith (upgrades) -- Lumbermill (enables second type of combat unit)
abilities: Is a mobile unit -- Is a detector -- Does hp/mp restoration -- Is a power source


SC/Terran -> separate roles. no abilities.
SC/Zerg -> separate roles. farm = is mobile = is a detector
SC/Protoss -> separate roles. farm = is a power source

WC3/Human -> separate roles. defense tower = is a detector
WC3/NE -> blacksmith=lumbermill (the hunter's hall). farm = does restoration
WC3/Orc -> farm = bunker. (the burrow). blacksmith=lumbermill (the war mill). no abilities.
WC3/Undead -> blacksmith=lumbermill (the graveyard). farm = defense tower. no abilities.


Secondly, there are the first tier production buildings:
units: Main -- Barracks
SC/Zerg -> Combat units made from the Main. Barracks (spawning pool) enables the production.
Other races -> Combat units made from the Barracks.


Thirdly, there are the harvesting functions.
WC3/Human+Orc: Workers rally gold from mines. workers rally lumber from trees.
WC3/Undead: Build structure on mine. Workers stay at the mine. Primary combat units rally lumber from trees.
WC3/NE: Build structure beside mine. Workers stay in the mine. Workers stay at the trees.
SC races: Build structure on geysey. Rally all resources to Main.

Fourthly, there are the construction methods.
WC3/Human: Workers build structures. Worker exposed. Workers can cooperate.
SC/Terran: Workers build structures. Worker exposed. Workers cannot cooperate.
WC3/Orc: Workers build structures. Workers hidden. Workers cannot cooperate.

WC3/Elf + SC/Zerg: Workers consumed in most buildings.
WC3/Undead + SC/Protoss: Workers summon buildings. Buildings make themselves.


Fifth, and lastly, there are the base characteristics.
SC/Protoss: Most buildings only within range of farms.
SC/Zerg + WC3/Undead: Most buildings only on creep/blight (within range of existing buildings).
Other races: can build anywhere.


These are the main ways of differentiating races. There are plenty of combinations that haven't been explored. Use this list to design your own