I sat down and compiled a list, which is hardly comprehensive, but I think it's a good start. If we get some more things going, I'll add them to the list. Without further ado:
What do macro mechanics afford?
Swarm style:
- General
- Faster games
- Mechanical demand/difficulty
- Established racial balance
- Assists in making races “feel” more distinct
- Faster games
- Terran (MULE specific)
- Supersaturated mineral income – strongly assists bio play
- Counteracts economic hit of building construction
- Choices between mule/scan (economy vs intelligence)
- Crazy comeback potential
- Can spread the depletion rate of supersaturation across bases
- Hidden bases can receive all mules to offset worker production
- Supersaturated mineral income – strongly assists bio play
- Zerg (Inject specific)
- Exponential worker production
- One hatchery + queen produces slightly more than 2 hatcheries of production with one hatchery
- Important production cycle timing (Injects → make units → spread creep)
- Strong remax potential
- Exponential worker production
- Protoss (chronoboost specific)
- Rush tech or specific unit for timing attack
- Rush upgrades to catch up (e.g., double forge)
- Accelerated probe production
- Reduction in build time for important units (e.g., Swarm colossi)
- Save & spread chronos for gateway allins or remaxing during/after engagements
- Rush tech or specific unit for timing attack
What does the cutting of macro mechanics afford?
- General:
- Slower paced games (slower ramp up of economy/production)
- Less mechanical demand for macromanagement
- More capacity for micromanagement
- Race switching slightly easier, since they “feel” less distinct
- Slower paced games (slower ramp up of economy/production)
- Terran:
- Choice between scan and supply calldown (intelligence/economy).
- Supply calldown was previously to fix mistakes before, instead of something used frequently
- Extra security at expansions, since orbitals are devalued.
- Mech looks better in comparison to bio, due to the lack of supersaturated mineral income
- Choice between scan and supply calldown (intelligence/economy).
- Zerg: (2 larva autoinject)
- No reason to look back to base except defense
- Hotkeyed queens can be used exclusively to spread creep/xfuse
- Late game larva production matches or may be higher than Swarm due to constant low-capacity injects
- Early game larva production is significantly lower than Swarm, roughly on the same level as good injects in Starbow
- No reason to look back to base except defense
- Protoss:
- More concrete timings on tech/upgrades
What does diminished macro mechanics afford? (i.e., something like current Void automatic MM)
- General:
- Slightly slower games than Swarm mechanics
- Less mechanical demand for macromanagement (slightly more than no MM)
- Helps races feel more distinct, while not requiring as much training
- Returns balance closer to status quo
- Slightly slower games than Swarm mechanics
- Terran (new Void MULE)
- Supersaturated mineral income – assists bio play
- Counteracts economic hit of building construction
- Makes terrans happier than no MULE
- Allows for some extra value out of mules due to [unchangable] auto targeting
- Comeback potential nerfed due to leash on cast
- Cannot spread MULE affect on minerals across bases
- Scan/calldown no longer competing for MULE energy
- Comeback potential nerfed due to leash on cast
- Supersaturated mineral income – assists bio play
- Zerg (3 larva autoinject)
- No reason to lok back to base except defense
Hotkeyed queens can be used exclusively to spread creep/xfuse- Creep spread more important and difficult after change; on the other hand, scan is more expensive, so terrans are less likely to have a lot of scans.
- No reason to lok back to base except defense
- Protoss (new Void chrono)
- Rush specific tech or unit for timing attack
Rush upgrades to catch up equal to number of nexi (e.g., 2 nexi for double forge) - Accelerated probe production
- Reduction in build time for important tech units (e.g., disruptors, carriers)
- Limited by number of nexi
- Not possible to save chronoes for big warpins
Constant chrono on targeted building, eliminates energy concerns or missed time- Extremely helpful for long-time units or techs (i.e., high tech units, +3 upgrades)
- Requires constant production on chronoed structure to make most use of chrono
- Can stagger waves of warpins due to extremely limited number of structures possible to be chronoed
- Limited by number of nexi
- Rush specific tech or unit for timing attack
This is by no means exhaustive, but it at least tries to lay out some facts about what this allows players to do (or not do, in some cases). This doesn't even consider any sort of meta, but some of these things are just point-blank facts. For example, protoss can never have more structures chronoboosted than they have nexi as of the latest patch.
I don't know if I'm hoping to spark discussion, or if I'm just looking to expand this list for my own curiosity, but I thought I would throw this out there while I consider how or what I'll target with my next survey.