Edit: And here is an even more expanded version than DevliNs.... just kidding, he ninja'd me.
In starcraft 2, could you make All air units move at half speed, or make yours double speed, with a nonlocalized temporary effect (For example. I cast some uber leet spell that makes unallied air units move at half speed till someone does some sort of counterspell, but otherwise lasts forever)
This is possible through the Data Editor or the Trigger Editor.
The Data Editor method (Advanced) will require a Search Area effect, a Validator (air units only), an Apply Behaviour effect, and a behavior - Buff, which will modify the units movement speed by 50%.
The Trigger Editor method is a lot simpler.
Event - you cast the uber leet spell.
Actions - pick every unit matching condition owned by player group (enemies of triggering player)
a) Apply Behaviour (slow by 50%) to picked unit
b) CatalogFieldValueSet 'unit_movement speed' -50%.
You have two options now. You can create the Buff in the Data Editor - and apply this through triggers, or modify the units' actual values in the data editor. I would recommend the first method.
If I recall correctly, you can create Items that your people can wear. Can you make an item that while equip (meaning if you unequip the benefit goes away) of +x shield upgrades. (or even + to max shields, but shield ups preferable)
This is done entirely through the Data Editor.
Create an Inventory Ability and create a few Item Classes. Add these Item-Classes to the Inventory ability you created and set up the 'size' of the container. Secondly, add another 'container' to the Inventory Ability and call it Equipment. Modify this 'container' to look how you want it to, and also only add the Item-Classes which you can equip. (For example, don't add a Ammunition or Consumeable item-class to the Equipment container... you can't exactly wear a grenade or a potion?)
To create Items for your system you will need the following Data Editor objects:
Unit - this is sort of a placeholder, which allows your Hero or Character to interact with it.
Actor - this gives the unit a model, and is how it looks on the actual terrain.
Button - this gives the 'Item' a face. This is how it will look when it is in your inventory.
Item-Class - which you created already. Ie, boots, helmet, body armor, consumeable etc...
Behavior - this is what you will create to give the item its special statistics...
In your example, you want to create a Buff. Edit the Modification + field. Under the 'Unit' tab, you will find all sorts of cool things you can modify relating to the Unit object. Shield Maximum, Shield Regeneration Rate, Shield Regeneration Delay and Shield Armor are all there. Go wild!
Then you go back to your Unit object which you created for the Item. And you can add Equip - Behaviors or Carry Behaviors to the item.
In starcraft 2, is it set to the same armor system as in starcraft 1? (Damage reduced per armor, minimum .5 per attack),
can you manipulate the effect of armor on certain attacks? (Deals 100% armorpiercing damage, no not like acid spores where it increases damage recieved, but something with 1 armor and something with 10+2 armor it deals same damage to),
Yes. In the Data Editor, find the Damage Effect for the weapon. You can set the Ratio at which each point of armor effects it. If you set this to 0, that damage effect will complete ignore armor, ie. Piercing. Or if you set it to 5 - a unit with 2 Armour will actually have 10 Armour against that attack.
and can you change the effect of armor from flat damage reduction to percentage damage reduction (like warcraft 3),
or percent chance to be hit?(like diablo 2)
These things are all possible. I just am not entirely sure how to recreate the % armour system found in Warcraft 2.
For a chance to hit. In the Data Editor, the Damage Effect object has a 'Chance' field at the very top. This is literally whether or not the damage is caused. By default it is set to 1. If you set it to 0.5, there will be a 50% miss chance on using this attack. You can then use buffs and upgrades to modify this 'Chance' when attacking different creatures etc. It is messy and not very well integrated at the moment - hopefully Blizzard are sorting this out in 1.2.0.
Can you add third, fourth, etc... resource systems that are fully usable by construction? (Ie... unit costs 50 minerals, 50 gas, and 50 void essence...? Khydarian Crystals?) (Obviously would need ways to accumulate the other resources)
As far as I know you can add extra resources. But I haven't seen a map in which this is used - so I assume it is complicated or not 100% possible yet. Certainly the Trigger editor offers functionality in modifying a Player's Terrazine Gas and their Custom Resource.
I would imagine you need to create Resource objects in the Data Editor, and possibly edit a field in the Text Editor to get the Custom Resource to be called Void Essence or whatever... but further than this? I don't know.
If you could customize the stats on your character/game/etc, what is the popular / easiest ways to do this? (imagine distribute 12 picks or something)
For this question I will assume you know about the Veterancy behavior and Attribute Behaviors.
The most common/well known method of modifying a Hero's attributes is this:
Create a Behavior - Buff for each Attribute that simply adds +1 to that attribute. Under Flags - make it Hidden. Also, make the maximum stack count 255, and per caster 255.
Next you need a method to allow the characters to choose which attributes they want increased. This is commonly done through Dialogs. If you haven't used dialogs please post again and I will describe them to youl.
But simply apply the Buff to the Character and his attribute will increase, but you won't see the Buff and there can be as many as 255 buffs applied to him (per Attribute).
Thanks in advance for any answers to any of these questions that anyone gives me.
(I apologize if the color is difficult to read, I wanted to test out this color and have "important stuff" and "side notes", without using different font sizes)
No problem - try looking around our Wiki.
www.staredit.net/starcraft2
Admittedly a few of your questions arn't on there, but most things are covered in a lot of detail!
Happy mapping.
None.