f13.net

Do you know what I find refreshing? The distinct lack of mention of any sort of heroes. They mention a new race and new units... but no heroes. It'd be so good if it didn't have any. They're irritating :)

where the hell did they pull another race from?

where the hell did they pull another race from?

1) Walk into GW store.

2) Throw rock.

3) Copy whatever you hit.



Sorry, too easy.

Also don't get me started on the whole heres the same game from 5 years ago only shiny that was AoE3.

Is there any chance SC2 will be as good as SC1?

Is there any chance SC2 will be as good as SC1?  I believe that when you get balance that fantastically right over the long term (where the factions have nonidentical base abilities) it is mostly luck.  Lightning can't strike twice- even a small advantage by one faction will be strategized to hell and the game will become trivial.

Blizzard was really good about releasing patches regularly to keep the game balance good.  Every now and then a really unbalanced strategy would surface, or it would become clear that a given unit was nearly useless, and it'd get a small nerf or buff as appropriate.

We do intend to announce a new product at the Worldwide Invitational next month in Korea, and we appreciate the enthusiasm and interest in getting an advance look at what that will be, but players will have to wait until May 19th to find out more. Also, we have a very strong connection with the characters and settings of StarCraft, and we do plan to revisit that universe at some point in the future, but we don't have anything new to announce in that regard at present.

There's a fair chance I'd turn this into a Diablo 3 fansite if it turned out to be that.

StarCraft MMO blasts into orbit
Blizzard's new sci-fi MMO is set to rock the world later this month, CVG has learned

The long-rumoured new instalment of Blizzard's massive StarCraft series is set to be unveiled later this month - and it's another massively-multiplayer online game in the style of World of Warcraft, CVG can reveal.

Well placed US sources have revealed to us that the StarCraft MMO will be unveiled at an upcoming Blizzard event on May 19 in South Korea - the epicentre of the sci-fi RTS series' rabid fandom.

The unveiling of the new instalment has previously been rumoured for the South Korea event, though we now know that the title is in fact an online spin-off and not a new RTS game as previously assumed.

Of course this is massive news for both Vivendi and the MMO world; Blizzard's other online offering World of Warcraft has topped 6 million subscribers and is arguably the biggest game around today.

The question is, is there room for both World of Warcraft and a StarCraft MMO? The later will have to be a very different type of online game to convince gamers to subscribe to both of Blizzard's pair.

We will of course let you know as soon as soon as Blizzard officially confirms the game on May 19.

Warcraft....




 in SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE

Blizzard is doing a countdown on their Web site now. "Day 1" is current up:

www.blizzard.com

No teasers or hints about what it might be yet.

I hope it ends up on the Wii.

Yeah, and I bet you'll have to shake the Wiimote to attack like you do in every other game made for the thing.

Why do people like the Wii again?

So would nobody actually like to see Blizzard create a new IP?  I mean the last new IP they released IIRC was Starcraft in '98 and even that was just kind of an offshoot of Warcraft.

Diablo's pretty original. Plenty of post-Diablo games have turned that setting into something generic maybe, but I'm having a hard time thinking of things in the pre-Diablo era that were like that.

Starcraft (the setting, not the game) is not nearly the ripoff of 40k that WC is of Warhammer Fantasy. There aren't any Orks or Eldar, and there's nothing like the Zerg and Protoss in Warhammer.

Not to say they weren't inspired by WH though.

Diablo's pretty original. Plenty of post-Diablo games have turned that setting into something generic maybe, but I'm having a hard time thinking of things in the pre-Diablo era that were like that.

Diablo's pretty original. Plenty of post-Diablo games have turned that setting into something generic maybe, but I'm having a hard time thinking of things in the pre-Diablo era that were like that.

Starcraft (the setting, not the game) is not nearly the ripoff of 40k that WC is of Warhammer Fantasy. There aren't any Orks or Eldar, and there's nothing like the Zerg and Protoss in Warhammer.

Not to say they weren't inspired by WH though.

Yeah, but this is one of those arguments that goes waaaay back.  It's quite clear that GW nicked most of their stuff too...

Turns out, most Blizzard fans just want rings to make that 'ting' noise.

 :roll:

Turns out, most Blizzard fans just want rings to make that 'ting' noise.

 :roll:

it's super weird with the two threads and how shit is crossing over from one to the other :)

I never had a big thread. LET MY THREAD LIVE!

I can't figure out WTF they are making a major announcement on a weekend. Are we sure it isn't JUNE 19th?

The Korean government probably requested that they do it so the country didn't shut down.

I never had a big thread. LET MY THREAD LIVE!

(http://blizzard.com/images/splash/day7.jpg)

There should be an image in this post in a minute or a few.

I hate RPG shit being thrown into an RTS. I just wish they wouldn't do it. Hopefully they don't fuck this up if it is true.

Well, Tyranids (http://uk.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.uk?do=Individual&code=99120106008&orignav=10) clearly have a lot in common with the Zerg, and have been around in pretty much their current form since their 1.5th ed WD articles (which is a couple years before '95 when the 2nd-Ed Army book came out). Not that much of the 'nids stuff isn't ripped off of Mr.Giger.

Protoss have a bit in common with both the Eldar (http://uk.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.uk?do=Individual&code=99120104010&orignav=10) and also the Tau (http://uk.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.uk?do=Individual&code=GOSWEBSPECIAL66&orignav=10). Probably partly inspired by the Eldar, but also the Predator, and the Protoss predate the Tau by years.

Oh right. Resource gathering for levels. Right. Oh, and skills. IMO, slowed the game down too much.

We've had this argument before, where you insist Blizzard never innovates, and then I point out innovations, and you tell me they all suck anyway.

1) I like RTS game mechanisms that punish turtling.

2) I like RTS game mechanisms that give me shit to do while my base is building up.

3) I like that creeps were a different way of opening up part of the map, later in the game without resorting to "it's an island and you need a transport"

Zerg and Protoss are unabashedly variations on Aliens and Predators. I really don't think you need to look further than that. It's a pretty unapologetic ripoff. A lot of the unit dialogue for the Terrans was just movie quotes from "Aliens."

As for Warcraft, I don't think anything in fantasy can be called a ripoff of anything else. Tolkien ripped off Northern European folktales and mythology, and everything else rips off Tolkien.

How on earth are you getting a protoss/predator vibe?  I'm hard-pressed to think of a single parallel between them.  One group is a bunch of invisible assholes who perch in high places and shoot people in the head, then laugh.  The other is a bunch of psychic mystics.  There are much more compelling similarities between the protoss and the eldar than the preds.  Which, given that Warcraft and Starcraft are both at least mildly stealing from the Warhammer line, isn't hard to swallow.

Will there be a console version of StarCraft II?

    StarCraft II is being developed for the PC. We have no current plans to bring the game to any console platform.

With CnC3 already out and a couple other good RTS's as well, I was hoping for Diablo III personally.

Disappointing. Maybe they'll do something more interesting than just vamping the graphics engine. Or maybe they don't need to if SC has already become an organized sport? Maybe it's enough to have broadcast-quality graphics (presumably) so they can convince more sponsors.

Thank heavens.

Stuff that stuck out for me - No new race? (expansion?) NO HEROES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a happy camper :)

You are not seriously asking for a fourth race in SC2? You make funny?

StarCraft had "broadcast-quality" graphics and in fact you might even say it was optimized for TV output.

Do you know what I find refreshing? The distinct lack of mention of any sort of heroes. They mention a new race and new units... but no heroes. It'd be so good if it didn't have any. They're irritating :)

NO ONE HAS GOTTEN DIABLO LIKE.

I don't get the disappointment some of you are feeling.  SC2 made the most sense to me, given that everything else HAS a sequel already.  Of course there was hype for it, since 1) there wasn't a sequel yet, and 2) it's got a huge fanbase.

I wanted them to announce they were going to take over another genre for a bit, with fun engaging derivative gameplay. But only because I love to see the industry reaction, in a sardonic sorta way :)

Is RTS that popular in the US anymore?  I'd say the decision to announce the game in Korean pretty clearly says, "not so much".  That combined with the hope that this would be some form of MMO or Diablo 3, thus the disappointment

Starcraft2.com:

 Features:

    * Fast-paced, hard-hitting, tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the magic of the original game
    * Three completely distinct races: Protoss, Terran, and Zerg
    * New units and gameplay mechanics further distinguish each race
    * Groundbreaking single-player "story-mode" campaign
    * Vibrant new 3D-graphics engine with support for dazzling visual effects and massive unit and army sizes
    * Full multiplayer support, with new competitive features and matchmaking utilities available through Battle.net
    * Full map-making and scripting tools to give players incredible freedom in customizing and personalizing their gameplay experience

That said, I hope they go in an innovative new direction rather than rehashing war3.

How on earth are you getting a protoss/predator vibe?  I'm hard-pressed to think of a single parallel between them.  One group is a bunch of invisible assholes who perch in high places and shoot people in the head, then laugh.  The other is a bunch of psychic mystics.  There are much more compelling similarities between the protoss and the eldar than the preds.  Which, given that Warcraft and Starcraft are both at least mildly stealing from the Warhammer line, isn't hard to swallow.

Well, as I mentioned elsewhere, even the Koreans were kinda hoping for a Starcraft MMO.  Of course, they're HAPPY with SC2, but I can't help but think that they might have been even happier with World of Starcraft.

SC and WOW received equal amounts of applause-noise during the Blizzard game montage movie.  With a smaller happy-noise for Diablo.  Warcraft got the least amount of excitement.

Hey guys. Guys. At least Diablo 3 with some sort of persistancy is guaranteed next. Rite? I mean, they have to. Rite? They don't have the creativity or balls to make a new IP... rite? :( :( :( :( :(

I wanted them to announce they were going to take over another genre for a bit, with fun engaging derivative gameplay. But only because I love to see the industry reaction, in a sardonic sorta way

Merusk, why do you hate me so?

Is RTS that popular in the US anymore?  I'd say the decision to announce the game in Korean pretty clearly says, "not so much".  That combined with the hope that this would be some form of MMO or Diablo 3, thus the disappointment

It's the way you twitch when you're in pain. It's like a panoply of climaxing super models dancing on my brain.

That last one is reason enough to buy for me.

Starcraft: DotA

Characters and story? What? Starcraft's strength was ONLY it's gameplay. What is this character and story shit? Did I miss a Starcraft?

Characters and story? What? Starcraft's strength was ONLY it's gameplay. What is this character and story shit? Did I miss a Starcraft?

Odd, I played through the single-player campaigns for SC and Brood Wars multiple times just for the story. It's one of the few games I've done that for.

The same game with pretty graphics and a few new units? Pass.

Yeah I couldn't tell you a single character from Starcraft's story. The gameplay itself, like Warcraft II, was just insanely addictive.

Incidentally, when Starcraft came out, I didn't have a PC at the time. So when the Nintendo 64 version came out, I snatched it up and sunk hours upon hours into that game.

So I'm definitely looking forward to Starcraft II. I haven't played a RTS since Warcraft III (which I was a bit disappointed in).

I can't believe Blizzard is using their shitty, much reviled bittorrent system to download the trailers.

At the very least, BLizzard can do *something* new with SC2 by just packing it full of storylines and campaigns. All the RTS' I played were fun, and their single-player progressions were okay, but I would love to see an RTS come out that would take at least a month to get through on easy/medium difficulty. Then they could support it with patches which regularly introduce more and more stories and campaigns that you could buy for a couple bucks each. Micro-expansion, if you will. Hell, lets go crazy and suggest that they review player-generated content, and if it is up to snuff, use it in a micro-expansion and give the player who made it a cut of the money.
If they could make an RTS that did not fall off in popularity when you did all the campaigns and "death-matched" it to death, then it would be cool.

This could also work to build up the IP enough to prime it for an MMO.

Starcraft 2 will do amazingly well despite all this.  Damn the stuff i'm reading here reads just like what i was reading the time Starcraft 1 came out and everyone was calling it Warcraft 2 in space.   

Kerrigan, Tassadar and Raynor don't ring any bells? Come on now...

creative director Andy Chambers

Oh, the irony :-D

(Yes it really is that Andy Chambers)

Please explain for the slow among us who don't actually follow devs like they're sports stars. All I get from Google is some guy who used to work for Games Workshop in some capacity.

I own the original Starcraft. I didn't buy the expansion and I don't plan on buying this one either. Polish alone won't do it for me in the RTS market anymore. You have to do something really new for me to get excited about the game, and multiplayer RTS has sucked away the last part of my soul that gives a damn.

I forget sometimes that the original Starcraft didn't have medics, or lurkers, or dark templar, or dark archons, or devourers, or corsairs.  Which is a testament to how well the new units fit in to the game, even though many of them seemed cheesy at first glance.

Looking forward to seeing what they come up with for SC 2.

Dear god that Protoss Mothership looks powerfull.  Not only does it have the independance day type weapon and shield, it also can create a god damn black hole that sucks everything into it.  I wonder if each race gets some sort of mega ship.  They should call the Terran one a Titan.

They'll balance it. It'll just take 3 years of koreans bitching and moaning on their forums until they get it right.

Nah, Warcraft 3 and SC1 both did the paper/rock/scissor thing.  It just means that you choose a particular build strategy based around a few unit types and hope your opponent doesnt build or has time to change his build to something that counters yours.  Trying to build a few of everything doesnt seem to ever work great since you cant micro manage everything to be its most effecitive, and you wont have the time to upgrade the wide array of units you have to their full potential.

Does this not seem hopelessly stupid to yall? This kind of crap made me absolutely despise those versions of RTS. I mean having units with advantages and disadvantages is fine, but making them so that they are horrible vulnerable to a specific type of unit while making them overpowering to another doesn't add to the gameplay in my view. I understand like anti-air, anti-ground, long range strike, etc, but this just seems to be overkill to the point of absudity.

Nah, Warcraft 3 and SC1 both did the paper/rock/scissor thing.

More than merely unit vs unit countering, the introduction of complete fog of war coverage for high ground will add significant complexity to terrain - High ground units can now shower death and destruction from above with impunity (in SC1 the units on high ground reveal themselves when they fire - and open themselves to counterattack). As such, high ground might stand as high in strategic importance as choke points - and it is more important than ever to have air units to accompany your ground troops.

Nah, Warcraft 3 and SC1 both did the paper/rock/scissor thing.  It just means that you choose a particular build strategy based around a few unit types and hope your opponent doesnt build or has time to change his build to something that counters yours.  Trying to build a few of everything doesnt seem to ever work great since you cant micro manage everything to be its most effecitive, and you wont have the time to upgrade the wide array of units you have to their full potential.

Or you can build one of the new ground units that can move up and down levels to scout.

Err, what else do you want?  Just build a bunch of random units with no real strength or weakness's over each other and throw them all in a blob at a base?  Can you give an example of the types of RTS you like?  Blizzard goes for the heavy paper/rock/scissor approach, which allows for a fairly deep tactical game (for an RTS) that remains fast paced and fun.  Not saying you have to like it, but I always enjoyed it.  It's a big step up from many other RTS's (past and present) where you just build up a blob of the best unit for your side as fast as you can and insta win.  Blizzard, as usual, is just bending realism to better allow for fun gameplay.  This is fine.  If I want a terribly realistic (sort of) strategy game, I'll just start up a new game of HoI2 ;).

I could show you ;)
Turtling never worked in Starcraft ;)

And when your wave breaks against the massed bunkers and locked down tanks, well, you're pretty fucked.

Seriously. I'd like to see someone try and stop me from getting my second hatchery in a position to defend my expansion on lost temple. There are drawbacks to it, no arguing there, but nothing involving the building bunkers can even touch me. I'll just write it off to you guys not playing starcraft in a while :)

ps: 1. A bunker costs 150 minerals - that's three marines. 2. Marines inside a bunker can't be stimpacked without having to click like a madman. 3. +3 stimpacked Marines > -3 nonstimpacked ones. If someone wants to play, look me up on irc. I'm almost always ready to go :)

Gabriel and I played Starcraft, everyone played Starcraft, but for the most part he and I would play two Terran armies against Zerg computer opponents in an effort to simulate Starship Troopers. It might sound like you could only get a couple nights of entertainment out of this scenario, but you'd be underestimating our feelings toward Starships and the proud Troopers that wait within.

We would sometimes play online, though I'm prepared to call those times rare in number. This was never our purpose, and so watching this aspect of the game become a global phenomenon was bizarre - like seeing discarded juice caps become a national pastime. The announcement of Starcraft 2 (kept secret, no doubt, through means nefarious) is perfectly acceptable game news, but most of what the announcement did was to make clear just how potent Starcraft's legacy has been.

(The less said about its harvest of Warhammer 40k, the better. For Blizzard.)

I've seen world-class Starcraft played, and it looks nothing like the game I played with my friends. They aren't just doing the things that we do, only faster. They are operating some kind of Zergling circus; they appear to have taught them tricks. There is a zergling with a ball on its nose, walking on a wire with a long stick. Gabriel and I watched Yellow play at Blizzcon and couldn't really understand it. It was as though he thought in an alien way.

I almost want to install SC and play against get schooled by you guys.

But then again, I've never been huge on rush tactics...I prefer more leisurely play, and teching up to max and just overloading the opposition.

I'd like to understand this discussion even though I've never played Starcraft, so, sorry for asking, but what is "turtling"?

Turtling is not a legitimate way to play RTS titles. There's a reason the end of most tech trees these days are instant win buttons.

One of my favorite missions in the original SC (single-player campaign) was like the second or third. Mission Conditions: "Survive for 30 minutes". First time I played that was sheer awesome.

Yes.  I made it first time through, but only barely.  They'd busted through my defenses, were shredding my camp, and I'd backed into a corner and ringed off my units defensively just holding out for the timer.  I only had a handful of units left when the timer clicked off.  Ten years now and I still remember it vividly, heh.  Second time I played it, it wasn't nearly as fun.  Had enough stuff stacked up so that their final wave broke, and the timer ticked by with nothing left to fight.

Heh, the AI still rapes me. I loaded up that Lost Temple map that everyone seems to love. I got hosed twice, though the second time I did actual attacks and stuff. Unfortunately, my marines/firebats backed up by medics get hosed by protoss defense cannons. I tried to take out the power crystals first, but well...the cannons 1-shot my infantry.

One of my favorite missions in the original SC (single-player campaign) was like the second or third. Mission Conditions: "Survive for 30 minutes". First time I played that was sheer awesome.

Wasn't hard enough, but was awesome.

I turtle by instinct too, behind impenetrable walls of Protoss defense cannons and build my mighty fleet. It sucks against other players, but it's fun as hell against two or three Zerg opponents.

I'm replaying SC now and did that mission a couple days ago. What I did was throw waves of marines at the zerg and killed them all in 15 minutes and ate dinner while it counted down the extra 15 minutes. I just hate defending on SC, you get harassed from everywhere and have to react to what the enemy is doing. I prefer them reacting to what I'm doing, more control that way. Plus in that mission they throw like everything at you all at once near the end, but if you go on the offence you get to tear their armies down piecemeal.

Mostly I just go for marine zerg until tanks and reavers hit the battlefield (cause then marines just die), just make 3-4 barracks and constantly pump out marines, sending a group off when they hit 10-12. I love me some tank stomp against the AI as well. All you need is something to handle air and something to see stealth and you just can't lose.

There is nothing more satisfying after hearing an hour's diatribe from a friend about how awesome he is at the game and how his battlecruiser army rolls over everything (including you if you were to take him on), than to finally play a game and lock down every single one of his "incinvible battlecruiser army" and kill them to a man. With marines.

Hm.  They must have been slightly dented already the one time I saw someone pull that off.  A squad of ghosts vs a fleet of cruisers... locked em all down in one spot and called in a nuke to clean them up.  Le brilliant.

Did you mind control a drone, or was this some freaky custom game?

Speaking of unit caps, another once-in-a-blue-moon trick I saw once (in a 2v2 game where one side severely outclassed the other) was to have one guy pump carriers and the other guy make a big DA army.  The supply limit doesn't get checked when you mind-control something, so the carrier guy kept cranking them out and sending them over to the DA squad so his teammate could take them off his hands.  By the end of it the mind-controller had something like 200 carriers (about 8x over the max supply limit).  Suffice to say that when they finally attacked, the interceptors blotted out the sun.

Hm.  They must have been slightly dented already the one time I saw someone pull that off.  A squad of ghosts vs a fleet of cruisers... locked em all down in one spot and called in a nuke to clean them up.  Le brilliant.

Anyone seen this interview (http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=20192&type=mov&pl=game) with Mike Morhaime of Blizzard?
Point to ponder: Towards the end, where he's asked which Blizzard universe he prefers...look carefully at the 'Diablo' box.

Anyone seen this interview (http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=20192&type=mov&pl=game) with Mike Morhaime of Blizzard?
Point to ponder: Towards the end, where he's asked which Blizzard universe he prefers...look carefully at the 'Diablo' box.

Any minute now Sky is going to show up with amusing pictures of WH40k characters in comic situations.

THEN YOU'LL BE SORRY.

Foe? Toe?

Shop?

What?  No homicide crabs?

Against AI, it's simply turtle and go for mass air -- guardians/battlecruisers/carriers -- boring.

BTW, has anyone here read the Starcraft novels? I saw them yesterday and was tempted. I recognized a couple of the authors as having done quality stuff before.

I read some StarCraft novels, but that was like, five, six years ago?  There were only two, and I read them both (Liberty's Crusade and Shadow of the Xel'Naga, I believe).  And they were both completely fogettable.  I guess there have been more of them published since, but really, I can count the number of excellent novels that I've read based on video games with one finger, and that's mostly just to give myself a margin of error.

Batch 1

What is this: http://temporal.pr0.pl/varia/SC2/ss1-hires.jpg - http://temporal.pr0.pl/varia/SC2/addon2.png ? It appears to be a drop ship of some type maybe, can we comment on this unit?

The unit seen is a building add-on, and well be revealing more on the Terran building upgrades in the future.

What type of scripting language is being used? Aspiring map/mod makers would like to know.

StarCraft IIs editor features a proprietary scripting language that is based largely on C with some special parameters specific to the game. Of course, for most users, they will have access to the more user friendly Trigger Editor which will allow beginner and intermediate map designers to make advanced maps without having to learn the particular details of the scripting language. Well release further information about the world editor as we move forward.

Players have pointed out that the nuke laser dot graphic showing their destination is quite a bit larger and more noticeable than the original games. Is this a finished graphic and are we intending to make incoming nukes easier to spot now?

In the announcement gameplay video the incoming nuke marker was shown as if launched by the player. To other players it will still be shown as a smaller dot very similar to the classic StarCraft nuke.

The mothership time distortion doesn't seem to stop all incoming projectiles or fire, what exactly does it protect against?

The Mothership time-slowing ability is intended to deal with all types of incoming attacks, although only incoming missiles were shown prominently in the announcement gameplay video.

Game Balance

The announcement gameplay video used more than a few tricks to show off each unit. The Mothership for instance was set to be indestructible for a good portion of the time it was on screen, as well as having additional energy so that we could display all of its special abilities in a shorter amount of time than would normally be possible. In addition to the multiple changes made just for the video, the gameplay in the video is not indicative at this time of what the final balance will be. The announcement gameplay video was showing off the game and units in the coolest way possible, and not necessarily in a way that would resemble an actual match.

Game Speed

As some of you may have seen in the developer panel held at the Worldwide Invitational after the announcement of StarCraft II, it was revealed that the gameplay in the announcement video was shown at Normal speed so that we could really showcase it and let everyone see the detail and work put into the game. There will still be the faster game speed settings many players are used to from the original game.



Batch 2

Will players be able to select multiple buildings simultaneously?

We are directing much attention to polishing and improving the user interface. On that note, players will definitely be able to select and build from multiple buildings at the same time. You cannot drag-select buildings, but you can shift-click on them and add them to a control-group for ease of unit production.

Will workers auto-gather resources if the rally point is set to a mineral node or a geyser?

Of course.

Will we be able to select more than 12 units at the same time?

Currently, unit selection is unlimited, but this may change with further development and testing.

On a given map, will there be one Mothership per map or one Mothership unit per Protoss player allowed?

We are still testing out many possible circumstances in order to make skirmishes more fun and challenging. At this time, each Protoss player will be able to have only one Mothership at a given time, but as mentioned, everything is still subject to change.

Batch 3

What is the role of heroes in StarCraft II? Will they be the same as in StarCraft?

StarCraft II campaign heroes will fulfill roles similar to what appeared in the original StarCraft single player experience, but they will have even more unique abilities from standard units, and will be more innovatively integrated into the story campaign. Heroes will not be buildable in multiplayer.

What is the max unit count population for each faction?

Unit population count for each faction will be very similar to the original StarCraft.

Will there be an in-game option to change hotkeys around?

Currently it is planned to have this feature, though much testing has yet to be done on it. We are looking into several innovative ways to make the UI customizable to players, to allow flexibility in their style of game play.

Is Karunes Battle.net Forum Avatar a Protoss High Templar?

Yes it is.

Will the Robotics Facility have a similar upgrade to the Warp Gate allowing it to warp units in?

There are no plans for this at the moment. Currently Warping technology is limited to the Warp Gate. Of course, we are still testing and balancing this, and nothing is set in stone.


Batch 4

Are the yellow minerals shown in the trailers harvestable?

Yes, they will be a harvestable high yield resource, meaning each harvest rotation will result in greater mineral quantities than the standard blue minerals. This gives players more strategic choices when trying to evaluate where they wish to expand. Expand to the high yield but risk easier discovery? Or expand to a safer area but earn fewer resources?

Will resource sharing be allowed between allies?

Yes, it is our plan to have this in the game, though there is still much testing and balancing revolving around this ability.

Will allied chat be enabled by default for pre-set teams?

Yes.

Is the Zealot charge ability an upgrade as well?

Yes, this ability is upgraded through the Protoss War Shrine.

What types of future community updates will there be?

Starcraft2.com will be updated with regular unit and building profiles. Furthermore, there are several projects in the works planned for the Blizzards RTS Community as a whole, which we will share at a later time.


Batch 5

Will you be increasing the max players beyond 8?

We are exploring this possibility, though currently it is defaulted to 8 max players.

If you have multiple casters selected when you cast a spell, will they all cast it or only one? (ex. will 8 ghosts all use lockdown on a unit or only one?)

Currently, unit abilities are set as smart casting, meaning when you have a group of casters selected, each time you wish to cast a spell, you will either have to click the icon or press the hot key and follow it with a click on the designated place on the map for it to cast. This will obviously prevent locking down a single unit with more than one ghost, though we are also still exploring possibilities to have different methods of casting for casters in which players would want to have multiple casts executed in a single command.

Will building placement still be grid based?

Building placement will be grid based.

What races will be playable at BlizzCon?

This will be revealed at BlizzCon! See ya there!

Why do marines have shields now?

The shields seen on marines in screenshots and videos are an upgrade that can be purchased through research, increasing the marines' overall hit points.


Batch 6

Are Photon and Phase Cannons 2 different buildings?

The Phase Cannon is the new version of the StarCraft Photon Cannon. There will not be a Photon Cannon in StarCraft II.

Will carriers (Tempest) produce more than one drone type?

Not at this time.

Fans noticed in your art video that thye Colossus ground unit was under fire from missile turrets. Is this due to the Colossus's exceptionally high attack profile (tall stature) or a ground-to-ground attack feature/option for the turrets?

Because of the Colossus's height, it will be susceptible to Anti Air defenses like the Terran Missile Turrets, as well as both ground and air attacks. It is possible for the Colossus to be hit by ground and air attacks at the same time.

Will there be critters units and can they attack?

There will be critters, but they wont attack. If they did they would be creeps.

Will holding the Alt button show unit/building hit points overhead as they did in Warcraft 3?

Yes, when holding the Alt button, all health bars of buildings and units on the screen will be displayed. This is an excellent way to quickly assess which units are healthy and which units are damaged.

Batch 7

1) Will the look of the siege tank be changed for the final version?

In response to much fan feedback, the siege tank has indeed been redesigned, with a much more powerful look to it. This visually redesigned siege tank will be shown at BlizzCon 2007.

2) Will there be a ctrl-a key stroke to select all your units on screen?

Not at this moment, but the hot keys have not been finalized yet for StarCraft II.

3) Will we get to hear the return of some of the original melodic themes from SC1 (like the Terran themes), or will the music for StarCraft II be completely new?

There will mostly be new epic theme songs with similarities to the original faction music. Music is still definitely in the works, thus we will not rule out a reprise of one of the original songs.

4) Will the High Templar still be able to create hallucinations?

In the current version of StarCraft II, the Hallucination ability will be back, but not as a High Templar ability, but rather a Star Relic ability.

5) When will you release a StarCraft II Fan Site kit?

The Fan Site Kit will be released around BlizzCon.

—StarCraft II Q&A Batch 8—

1) Will there be upkeep in StarCraft II?

No, there will not be.

2) What will be the highest number of upgrades for the shields, armor or weapons?

Currently, the highest number of upgrades per weapon/armor/shield type will be 3, which is the same as the original StarCraft. The values of each upgrade will be determined through much balance testing.

3) Will the StarCraft II Editor be easy or hard to use?

Blizzard game editors have always been aimed at empowering the community to create a huge variety of fun game modes and maps. This editor will be no different.

The editor for StarCraft II will be very easy to use for new players to create their own custom maps and games. Furthermore, this editor will have many more scripting options available to players, to allow for even more player creativity in their maps beyond that seen in prior RTS titles such as Warcraft III.

4) Will the Zealot charge ability cause more damage on the initial attack than on all other attacks?

No, the Zealot charge will close the distance between the Zealot and its target, which will be a significant advantage in many situations, compared to a Zealot without the upgrade, but will not actually give it more attack power or an initial stronger attack.

5) When selecting the Phase Prisms I noticed they have a 3rd, yellow meter below their shields and health. Is this meant to represent mana or storage capacity (warp-in capacity)?

This bar represents the Phase Prisms storage capacity, as it also serves as an aerial transport unit.

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 9---

1) In the gameplay video the UI is toggled on/off several times. Will that be an option in-game?

Currently, the UI will only toggle off during game cinematics. There are currently no plans to implement this for single-player or multiplayer as it would give some players an advantage over others.

2) Will the Twilight Archon have abilities?

Yes. In the BlizzCon build, the Twilight Archon had the feedback ability. We are still doing much work on this unit, so none of this is final.

3) Can Protoss Units be attacked during the Warp-In process?

Yes. When units are warping in, the unit will increase in hit points until they are at max hit points and at that point youll be able to control the unit.

4) Will there be some old units from StarCraft be included in the Map Editor for StarCraft II?

There will be units included in the Map Editor which will not be in the standard multiplayer skirmish mode. These will include various units from the original StarCraft, such as the Protoss Dragoon.

5) Will different races have different max-squad caps?

Currently all 3 races will have the same maximum population cap at 200.

6) Can the Planetary Fortress lift off?

Once the Command Center has been upgraded to be a Planetary Fortress, it can no longer lift off. Furthermore, the Planetary Fortress cannot be changed back into a normal Command Center with lift off capabilities.

Batch 10
1) What does the "Intercept Missiles" function of the Predator do exactly?

The Predator is equipped with a point defense laser system which destroys incoming enemy projectiles. This ability makes the Predator an excellent support fighter to help defend slower capital ships, such as the Battlecruiser.

2) Can the Radar Tower also detect invisible units even in Fog of War?

No. On the other hand, Sensor Arrays and Radar Towers do allow all Missile Turrets in its range to also detect invisible units within those Missile Turrets range.

3) Can the Thor defend itself against air units well?

The Thor unit can attack air units, although it has a relatively slow rate of fire. It is always still better to escort your Thor units with additional support units.

4) Can the Thor be attacked by the Missile Turret like the Colossus?

No.

5) Will phase cannons dissipate if they travel outside influence of pylon matrix?

No, phase cannons will not be destroyed if they travel outside of pylon power. However, phase cannons caught outside of pylon power will still be able to move but will also be stuck in energy form. They cannot redeploy until they are back in range of pylon power. Also, while in energy form, phase cannons have no shields and are extremely vulnerable to enemy fire.

6) When a player in a team game leaves will the computer AI take over? Or, will the remaining players be given control of that person's team?

Computer AI will not take over if your ally leaves in a team multiplayer game. Although, if you have allied control set, the player will be able to control their allys units after they leave.

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 11---

1) Will map sizes in StarCraft II be similar or larger than the maps in the original StarCraft?

Map sizes can fluctuate on a per-map basis, but generally the playable area on maps are about the same. The terrain cells were converted over into the new editor to proportionally match the original StarCraft (i.e. 128x128 SC1 is about the same as 128x128 in SC2 ).

2) Will StarCraft II Heroes have unique abilities?

Heroes will have unique abilities different from regular unit abilities. Heroes will be playable only for single player and will not be a part of the multiplayer skirmish experience.

3) Will the Terrans be weak to melee without the Firebat?

Dont worry, the Terrans will have plenty of other counters to melee units. Nonetheless, because we know there are so many people who do love the Firebat unit, it will be in the map editor.

4) Will Mutalisks attack still hit multiple targets?

Yes, the Zerg Mutalisk unit is currently designed to hit multiple units with a single attack.

5) Will a submerged supply depot still be able to be attacked? Will it have more hit points while submerged?

Yes, the submerged supply depot will still be able to be attacked, and no it will not have more hit points. The ability to submerge a supply depot is designed to allow units to move over them strategically. Players will not only be able to keep enemies out, allow friendly units to pass through, but they are also powerful roadblocks in separating incoming armies in 2.

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 12---

1. How useful will tier 1 units be in the late game? (broodwar.de)

As a staple of the original StarCraft, which we intend to carry over to StarCraft II, is that every unit has a specific role in that factions army. Every unit will fulfill a unique role, which complements the other units, some better than others of course. In subscribing to that idea, tier 1 units will be quite useful in late game as well as early. Many of the tier 1 units will be able to be upgraded to keep up with the later game units as well.

For example, the Terran Marine currently has 3 upgrades available to it, as well as its standard attack and armor upgrades. New upgrades such as the combat shields, increasing the Marines health will be important in having the Marine deal with later game units.

2. Can we expect units to replace the Reaver and the Soul Hunter? (starcraftzone.com)

Yes, we are always testing the addition of new units as well as the removal of older units. For instance, in our current build, the Terran Firebat is back in the game, as we test how he interacts with the new additions into StarCraft II. Of course, nothing is final though.

3. What was the reasoning behind axing spell X (lockdown, mind control etc)? (sclegacy.com)

As mentioned above in question 2, much like with units, we are also testing several new abilities for StarCraft II. If these abilities do not work as we would intend, it is always possible for a reintroduction of original abilities from the original StarCraft. We are constantly striving to improve and complement what has already been very successful with StarCraft for StarCraft II.

4. Will there be a black player color? (starcraft-source.com)

We have tried using black, but it was too difficult to differentiate units on the mini-map from the fog of war.

5. Will you be able to use custom army colors in the game? (teamliquid.net)

In custom maps created through the Map Editor, players will be able to select any color for their factions. In multiplayer games, players will be able to choose between approximately 12-18 colors.

Also, Blizzard continues with the Macross/Robotech'ing of the Terrans: (http://www.starcraft2.com/features/terran/thor.xml)
(http://news.softpedia.com/images/news2/Starcraft-2-Update-New-Terran-Tank-Revealed-2.jpg)
(http://www.robotech.com/images/content/MEC_15_1_7893.jpg)

There will be critters, but they wont attack. If they did they would be creeps.