Tuesday, February 8, 2011

They are coming

Incoming Zerglings!
A seething mass of creatures
Each with teeth and claws

The third race of Starcraft, and the most unique. Zerg play very differently from Terran and Protoss, and from just about any other RTS faction. It's interesting how unique they are: All Zerg units come from the same building, and they train in parallel, not in a queue. Their supply mechanic doubles as scouting, infrastructure, and transport. They can only build on creep, yet they want to take over most of a map. None of their buildings do anything, just unlock unit types. And their "ultimate" unit is a big ground guy who can't hit air or range.

And the humble Zergling embodies this race, just as the Marine and Zealot do theirs. Zerglings are cheap, but numerous. They are weak alone, but vicious in numbers. They are lightning-fast, and excel at hit-and-run and surrounding the enemy. They can take over the map early on, and enforce that control later.

The Zerg really are unique. Their influence is felt throughout gaming in the concept of the "zerg rush" or just "zerging." And we have the little Zergling to thank for that!

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