The Colony Roach Queen Idea

[AtlasMeCH]

I've been working on a number of ideas over the years to try and address the flaw with zerg design and what I've concluded is that zerg, now with roaches, is not restricted enough in their defense design and function, and not restricted enough in regard to roach production.

Because of this, zerg has unnecessary over strength in team games for surviving, but typically only on one base. Sure, surviving is cool for a zerg theme and all, but what about 1v1?

Opposed to broodwar, zerg have defensive attack Queens now which helped them SLIGHTLY, but zerg had a concept problem...

If you remember in broodwar, zerg were capable of making creep colonies before spawning pool. The only purpose of this was to spread creep, yet to sacrifice a whole drone before spawning pool just to spread creep when the creep colony didn't even attack? I mean, it could have attacked at half the damage of a spine crawler, heck, it could have even attacked at quarter of the damage if it attacked air and ground units. And if it would have been able to move? You would have just called it a "Colony Queen".

Interestingly enough, imagine if zerg paid 75 minerals to transform a drone in to a colony queen before spawning pool and it was able to spawn larvae but only at half the rate of current queen... so only 2 larvaes would pop.

This colony queen would have been used perfectly to defend against a bunker rush had the barracks not required a supply depot still...

This colony queen could properly be named a Colony Roach Queen because you would have the option to mutate the 2 key spawned larvaes in to drones or roaches.

Anyways, upon completion of the spawning pool later, the colony queen could be upgraded in to a Roach Queen for 75 minerals. Now, the roach queen would cast spawn larvae at the same full rate as a regular queen but these larvaes would only be mutatable in to roaches and drones, nothing else as stated.

Think about how a tech lab restricts the production of marauders for example...

Now this roach queen would have an energy Recyblable ability to instantly go in to a static spine mode, or a spore mode that could only be performed on creep. Yes, spine and spore would essentially be out of the game. Going in to the mode costs energy, but going out of the mode gives the energy right back.

But that's it... It's a merging of the creep colony, the queen, and the roach warren in order to restrict zerg on roach and spine and spore production.

Restrict has a negative implication to it, so I'll just call it a stronger design for 1v1

 

[AtlasMeCH]

Of course the spine and spore modes would be unlocked by the spawning pool and or evolution chamber, and require the colony version of the roach queen to be in its final full 150 cost roach queen form.

 

[AtlasMeCH]

This colony roach queen would produce at the hatchery, which means the hatchery would have to consume a drone and then produce Linearly at hatchery like current queen.

But over all, they could put in the option for a 3rd unit at the hatchery, and that could be one to support e-sports. A glass harassing concept that just irritates and bites at you. It would have a belly or feet made of creep so it would be fast anywhere and everywhere, -1 armor, and not require a drone to produce. But it would interfere with the produce of Roach Queen, or Regular Queen, in order to take an aggressive stance on the opponent.

 

[AtlasMeCH]

I think that it would have been nice had the roach production been restricted with a roach queen, similar to how marauder get restricted by tech lab. Then the roach could have an ensnare slow effect similar to the marauder stun. It's unfortunate that this doesn't seem possible as it would make the races too similar. By zerg's awkward design and what has always made them so difficult, is that zerg cannot make units unless they get kills. It goes beyond not making units unless they are going to use them, they have to get kills. That's apparently what the high movement speed on creep is for, so that when you are forced to make an army as the enemy approaches you, you can ensure those kills with more of a swarm effect. The infestor seems to conflict with the value of the creep though as it stops enemy armies entirely... What's the use of the movement speed on creep when your enemy is stopped and you can swarm in fast enough? It's like if an enemy gets swarmed on creep his damage should be reduced a bit, or your armies damage should be enhanced a bit or something.