Earthworm - idea for new Zerg unit Thread - SC Revolution Mod for StarCraft

Earthworm.
role: melee harassment [or anti-air with uprgade]

GRP: need sprites for: standing in one (no turning) position (about 4 frames to avoid associate to building), melee attacks (x 9directions), dying. No need for move: use zergs moving "black hole".

It would be a big worm, that can only move when buried.
He would be invisible (when buried) and have detector ability (because of smell sense).

He need to unbury for Attack, and would have about 50+5 concussive damage, with very high cool down. Attack Range about 2 (can not move on ground and is melee!).

See radius 2 (!) & Acquisition range set to about 5. So he can, chase hide in fog of war unit, which is intended.

Upgrade: Acid Spit (or spike or web)
Unburied worm can also hit in high range flying air units.
This way will fill up missing ground-anit-air unit for zerg (like Gholiat), would act like moving missle turrets (like tank mode).

[Its more or less reversed Lurker.]

Tactics:
1.Stealth: like dark templars.
2.Base defence: reveal on enemy backs (vs tanks, reaver, lurker, medics and other casters).
3.Strange (funny) ground chasing detector: leave buried in ground for invisible detector that following targets that player can't see.
4.With AA-up: dylema; leave unbury for AntiAir and get shoot from ground range unit OR hide?
5. With AAup: need spoter (because of short view).

Interesting unit!
The main problem of implement such a unit will to get some decent grp with the required animations, there is worm grp from an old mod, but only have animations from burrow/unburrow and face to every direction (not melee or ranged attack, or death animations).
The unit is have an interesting concept, but there are other issues

-Short range + immovable
The units deal high damage to small units, but have long cooldown, short range and cannot move, so mostly it will unburrow, kill some small unit and them most of the units can retreat to attack from a safe distance. To deal with units (assuming that at least will damage a unit when unburrow), will require a lot of micro and focus on the unit.

Łagi wrote: See radius 2 (!) & Acquisition range set to about 5.

Not sure what you mean with this, if the units have more acquisition range than attack range and cant move, it may focus on a unit outside its attack range and wont attack any other unit cause it cant reach its target.
Or you mean that the unit will automatically burrow -> move to target -> unburrow -> attack ?
That can solve this issue, but will be harder to implement.

-Detection
For now detection rely on overlords (which I want to change, still working on that). But the ability of detect cloaked units for this units will have a very limited use, due to his short sight range. and also will require a lot of micro when you are attacked by cloaked enemies as they can easily go out of range os plit if you are following some. May be useful against lurkers if don't have detection support, but futile against spider mines.
Also detection in SC is connected to flying units or Anti air static defenses, and abilities(only scan in BW). And cloaked detection its already on protoss. Probably will be a better idea to make it an ability.

-Anti Air
The ground attack will benefit from melee upgrades but the anti air attack? Will be static (as its an upgrade) or will gain damage by ranged attack?
I was thinking on a zerg unit that has a melee ground attack and a ranged air, but was only a concept.
Back to Worm: the anti air adds a more interesting role to the unit, as they can be used as turret with the requirement of sight support. But why make it an upgrade? the idea of an upgrade that gives a unit a new attack it interesting but a rare mechanic for SC.
It might be better to have a default anti air attack, and a upgrade that improves it (range, attack speed, damage, splash or whatever)

Sprites is always a problem.

-Short range + immovable
but Opponent also need a micro - to go away (AI doesnt flee automatically, isnt it?), and Yes this micro is intended. Its still a decent.
Well it can also move really slow, but IMO its not necessary.

I think about some mechanism to make the unit chase enemy unit when Burrow & Player dont know where is the enemy and why Earthworm is digging to some direction. It mean to work like dog during the walk, that sense something behind your vision (in bush 10 meter away) and try really hard to go overthere.

This immobile melee concept is radical (so can not work), but is also original (so its interesting).

Detection
IDK the issue here. Worm can be use underground as spotter in narrow corridors also can kill Dark Templar, or group of protoss unit under Arbiter.
But Detection is not Worm primary role! Its just adding flavor (in concept). Worm can go near mines and other unit can take the mines down (mines affected burrow units?), lurker is also good example.

Maybe in fact the min see range is too small or this ability is indeed pointless.

Anit air
well terran turrets, Spore Colony, photon cannon has static dmg - for me its ok, if Anti-air upgrade would be late game upgrade, then it need to be just adjust properly. If its not possible to use both upgrades (melee for ground and range for air).

You sure? And how about tanks siege mode? or Vulture Spider mines? Anyway, its just my opinion. Default anit-air is also ok, with dedicate upgrades (like stimpacks, not armor lvl 1,2&3) from buildings.

Micro required by opponent will be much lower, as they can retreat the whole army, and then only attack with ranged units, and you may need to control every worm separately to guarantee a hit and avoid two works attacking the same unit (in the case that can 1-hit the unit). Micro units offer better gameplay as long as dont become very intensive.

Not sure if mines affect burrowed units, but to make the unit move (or receive any order), i have to disable the burrow flag, so it wont be technically burrowed (still I can simulate some aspects, like burrowed regeneration and avoid some spells like ensnare).

It can act like invisible unit and just grp will change when Worm attacking?

I mean: always burrowed unit - invisible in game mechanic- (player see & control black hole) but when enemy is near they become visible => frame for look like worm head coming out from underground?

And have also unburied stance/mode when Worm become immovable, visible and can shooting to air targets (also can still bite near units).

its possible to make the unit invisible and change the grp/visibility when attack/unburrow.

Im not sure if is possible to detect when the unit is 'detected' by other units to change the graphics

I will experiment with this to make +burrow movement