So you are basically ruining an unit to remove photon overcharge ? I really can't get your logic.
Ok let's see, how this change compensate the removal of the Photon overcharge ? You have a little bit of AoE ok, how do you defend an early pool now ?
Let's do the math : Before : Adepts had 10(+13 against light) = total 23 After your "change" : 9(+0 against light) = total 9
Zerglings have 35hp Before : Adept need two shoots to kill a zergling After : Adept need four shoots to kill a zergling
Now with your "aoe" damage that can touch 3 units (main target +2 that's right ? if i'm not mistaken because it's not really clear) only if there are really close to each other ofc, because it wouldn't be funny either.
Before : Adept does 23 damage to one zergling After : Adept does 9 damage to one zergling and 4 to two other if they are close enough
Before : 6 shots to kill 3 zerglings After : 8 shots to kill 3 zerglings
4 shots for the main zergling, 16 damage are inflicted to the others via AoE, still 19 damage to go. So +3 shots to kill the second zergling, 12 damage are inflicted to the last one by aoe, so it need +1 shot to kill the last one. so a total 8 shots to kill 3 zerglings
In a real scenario : Before : 1 adept vs 5 zerglings, the adept kill 2 zerglings before dying After : 1 adept vs 5 zerglings, the adept kill 1 zergling and deal 16 damages to 2 other before dying. By the time the second one come out of the gateway, you already lost your second nexus and zerglings are full HP again and some other have arrived.
And btw, with a good micro, the zerg didn't even lose a singe zergling. And i didn't even include speedlings in all of this. Adepts would be also useless vs zealots, marines, etc.. So finally just make a stalker right ?
So, protoss would basically return to WoL, needing to 3 gates expand and probably never use the adept again.
Do you even know why photon overcharge was introduced in the game ?
There is a problem with photon overcharge i won't deny it. But, you want first to remove it (ok ?) and also nerf the adept ? You want protoss to stop the game or what ?