This is the part of your post that really hit home for me.
I am so tired of hearing "spawn more overlords." Terran can have multiple SCVs create multiple supply depots while still training units at all available buildings. Protoss can have a single probe near-simultaneously warp in multiple pylons while still training units at all available buildings. But if Zerg spend 2-3 of the 5-6 available larvae on overlords, we're going to have a tough time countering the 5-6 marines or 3-4 zealots that our opponent just trained with 1-2 roaches.
Larvae management is a pain in the rear. We have to decide between economy (drones), military units, and preventing supply block (overlords) even when we have the resources. Factor in that we have to spawn larvae and spread creep at every available opportunity to even keep up with a player at a comparable skill level and you can understand why playing Zerg can feel like a juggling act. Sure, every race has macro mechanics to manage--MULEs for Terran, chrono boost for Protoss. The difference is that the Zerg game hinges on spawn larvae. If a Terran player forgets to drop MULEs for a while, it's not good, but it's not nearly as disastrous as forgetting spawn larvae.
Also, Protoss and Terran can both easily produce reinforcing units using hotkeys with no mouse input whatsoever. To my knowledge, there's no way for Zerg players to use hotkeys exclusively to spawn larvae. They have to select their queen (each requiring its own hotkey) twice, press V, and click on the hatchery/lair/hive (assuming the queen is near said building, which effectively tethers them to the base and limits their flexibility).
So what's a few seconds to click back to your queen and spawn larvae? Well, when most of your units are super-squishy, it could mean everything. The battle warning alerts in SC2 are horrible; I've watched replays where a player's entire mineral line was wiped out without an alert sounding. The minimap didn't even blink.
And when a Zerg player need to micro his or her units, it's frustratingly difficult to keep on top of macro. Okay, cool, I just took 3-4 seconds to spawn larvae at all 3 of my bases. Wait, where did half my mutalisks go? What do you mean they're dead?
I've said it before and I'll say it again: It feels as though Blizzard invested the lion's share of their effort in Terran and Protoss and designed Zerg as an afterthought. Terrans have the reaper. Protoss have the warp prism. Both are really cool units. What do the Zerg have?
- Zerglings: Had those already.
- Roaches: Good in early game in limited situations. Effectively useless in mid- to late game thanks to hydralisks.
- Banelings: Good in early game in limited situations.
- Hydralisks: Had those already. If memory serves, they use to be better, too.
- Mutalisks: Yep. Had those. (Loved 'em in Brood War, too.)
- Corruptors: Re-tooled devourers.
- Brood Lords: An admittedly awesome cross between guardians and carriers.
- Infestors: Incredibly fragile caster unit. Seriously, you sneeze on these things and they die. Can be used to great effect but too expensive to take the risk in most games (cost of infestor + cost of energy upgrade to be able to use fungal growth immediately + cost of research for neural parasite if you decide you want it). At least the defiler had dark swarm for a bit of cover. And plague was just plain evil.
- Broodlings: If these count for number of Zerg units, then interceptors count for Protoss units. 'nuff said.
- Infested Terrans: Because those infestors have to do something before they get squished. And if these count toward our unit totals, then both the raven's defense drone and point defense drone count toward the Terran total.
- Ultralisks: Yep. Had 'em already. Didn't make them in BW unless I had resources to burn. Not much has changed.
- Overseer: Sure, I could take these into battle to use the very handy contaminate spell, but only if I have spare overlords or overseers elsewhere. Otherwise, I'm at high risk for supply block. (The same reason why overlord drops are much, much riskier than medivac drops.)
I want to like Zerg. I really do. And there are times when I succeed for a few moments. But the units seem so bland when you consider that Terran have units that can hop up cliffs and Protoss have a flying deployable pylon/dropship hybrid, for goodness sake.
"But Zerg have the nydus worm!" Right. And we have to spread creep into or near our opponent's base or get an overlord into position (past anti-air units, past stationary base defenses, past ground units that can fire at air units) and keep it alive long enough to generate creep. Then we have to build or already have one end of the worm in our base. Then we have to select it and press a key or click a button. Then we have to scroll back to where we want the business end of the nydus worm to pop out. (It's a worm that spits out giant bugs. There's no way this isn't going to sound gross.) And we have to do all this without the enemy spotting us and/or being unable to retaliate while we set all this up for it to actually be effective and not a waste of resources and attention. Is it awesome when it works? No doubt. Is it feasible in 90% of matches? No bleeding way.
And Zerg is without an IWIN button. Terran has bioball. Protoss has mass stalkers. Sure, we can build mass hydralisks, but we have to survive long enough to do that. (Remember: larvae management is a pain in the rear.) And if Terran tacks a few medivacs onto their bioball, even mass hydras are in trouble. Research blink for stalkers and it could turn the tide of battle.
</rant>
So if I ever make good on my threat and start playing on Protoss, don't hate. I've played Zerg almost exclusively since beta and Zerg was my main race in StarCraft and Brood War. I really want to like Zerg, but Blizzard is making it terribly difficult.
I'm really hoping I look back on this post, laugh fondly, and say, "Oh, silly Tek-from-the-past. If only you knew then what I know now" and carry on with a hearty "kekekekekek." This is one occasion when I want to be wrong.
