StarCraft II

[Malakili]

www.nasl.tv

The mission of the NASL is to foster the prominence of eSports and professional StarCraft 2 play in North America through highly visible, organized and invigorating competition.

Founders Message

Fellow eSports fans,

We know that you’ve been waiting for something like this to happen for a long time. We want to take a moment to explain our long-term goals for both the North American Star League and eSports as a whole.

NASL has been our dream since we first saw foreigners travel to Korea. We stayed up late to watch those epic matches, we followed the forum coverage and the live report threads. But it wasn’t enough.

It had to happen here.

We knew we had to go big or go home. We needed an epic prize pool. We needed the best players. Most importantly, we needed the passion and excitement that comes from competition at the highest level; from watching two masters battle it out knowing that only one will win.

With that in mind, let us explain some of the details of how we get to that point.

First, we focus on the players. That means telling a story so that every match means something. We want you to connect on a personal level with the players, so that their victory lifts you up, and you feel the crush of their defeat.

Second, we need world-class production quality for every show. Only the best show does justice to the best players.

Third, we will listen to our audience. The community never ceases to amaze us with its ingenuity and determination. We think if we keep you close, we can’t go wrong. And last of all, we must remember why we do this: for the love of the game.

Of course, in all of this we couldn’t forget our European fans. All too often do American organizations call something “Global” or a “World Series” by virtue of inviting a few Canadians. Don’t worry; we want to get you involved as much as we can.

Our ultimate goal is to use Starcraft as a catalyst. We want to use the best game, and the most hardcore audience to open the gates for eSports in the West. We want it so that you can turn on the TV and watch live matchups between the very best. Eventually, we want more people to watch eSports than watch Baseball, Hockey or even the Superbowl.

We aren’t going to be able to do this alone. We are going to need your help. Tell your friends about the league, get a premium ticket or even just tune in and enjoy. But remember, this league is more than just a league; it’s the beginning of a new age for eSports in the West. So if you decide that this idea is worth supporting, please support us.

Russell Pfister and Duncan Stewart

I'm super excited about this!  I hope it shifts some of the SC2 scene to NA.  I think I'll buy the HD pass for season 1 (pending cost).

[slog]

I stopped playing.  Zerg got boring with their three strategies.

[Ironwood]

Three ?

I use Keke and Rush.  What's the 3rd?

[Malakili]

I stopped playing.  Zerg got boring with their three strategies.

I've reduced my play time a lot, but I still do manage a few games a week.  I'm stuck at high diamond right now and doubt I can get into masters with my current play time, but I suppose it is possible.  At the level I am at there is enough variation and subtlety in the builds to keep the game fun though.  Granted, PvP makes me die a little inside every time I get it.  

I think you comment really gets at why SC2 is hard to enjoy long term casually though, and simultaneously why if you reach a certain points its well nigh impossible to put down.  On the one hand, doing the same three strategies forever is legitimately boring, and at lower levels the skill isn't really high enough to allow for the subtlety to shine through.  Meanwhile, these tiny shifts in timing at the higher levels of play are just a hell of a lot of fun to experiment with, keep refining and improving upon.  But getting to that point can definitely be a slog.

[Merusk]

Our ultimate goal is to use Starcraft as a catalyst. We want to use the best game, and the most hardcore audience to open the gates for eSports in the West. We want it so that you can turn on the TV and watch live matchups between the very best. Eventually, we want more people to watch eSports than watch Baseball, Hockey or even the Superbowl.

This made me laugh and laugh and laugh.

[Strazos]

Still having trouble seeing this as a Sport, more like an interesting sideshow like ESPN poker.

[Malakili]

Still having trouble seeing this as a Sport, more like an interesting sideshow like ESPN poker.

*shrugs* I think the term eSports has unfortunately turned off anyone who has ever played a "real" sport because its easy to dismiss it by saying "thats not a real sport."  Its a fair criticism really.   I sort of like the term "professional gaming" better, because it circumvents the entire argument about whether or not its a sport.   Frankly I think its a non-issue, I think its fun and exciting to watch good players play and thats all that matters to me.

[Malakili]

Our ultimate goal is to use Starcraft as a catalyst. We want to use the best game, and the most hardcore audience to open the gates for eSports in the West. We want it so that you can turn on the TV and watch live matchups between the very best. Eventually, we want more people to watch eSports than watch Baseball, Hockey or even the Superbowl.

This made me laugh and laugh and laugh.

Yeah, it won't happen, but at least they are approaching it from a "this is a legitimate thing" point of view.  Stuff like the Day9 daily is great and all, but its always going to be a niche thing due to its low production value and focus.  Something designed with a high production value is going to make it seem more legitimate, and it sort of needs that boost given that the western audience isn't really used to watching pro gaming.

[slog]

Three ?

I use Keke and Rush.  What's the 3rd?

Protoss was Roach/Hydra, Terran Muta/ling/bling, and Roaches for ZvZ.

[Ratman_tf]

This made me laugh and laugh and laugh.

As the kids of the kids who grew up playing video games are now growing up (parse that, mofo), it's coming closer. But yeah, not yet.

[Malakili]

Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm information blowout:
http://wellplayed.org/forum/114/thread/3805016/show

Lots of concept art, screenshots, a gameplay trailer, and an interview with the developers, heres a bit of text from one interview:

A: Heart of the Swarm's campaign will include approximately 20 new missions. Players will be able to evolve their swarms with unique, campaign-only units and abilities, and this evolution will happen in an organic manner befitting of the expansion's Zerg theme. As an example, zerglings can be induced to evolve the ability to split into broodlings upon death. Further evolution can yield specialized sub-species of zerglings such as the swarmling, a variant that spawns three swarmlings per larvae instead of the standard two zerglings. The fearsome raptor is another evolutionary offshoot of the zergling that has more health, and the ability to leap short distances to quickly close the gap on an enemy.

Another aspect of Heart of the Swarm that makes it unique from Wings of Liberty is that Kerrigan will play a major role in each of the battles as a powerful hero. Over the course of the campaign she gains in strength as well as new capabilities. Players will choose what abilities to enhance and powers to use from mission to mission.

Heart of the Swarm will also include a wider variety of sets for players to explore between missions -- these sets change dynamically as players complete missions, giving a sense of a changing world as Kerrigan makes her presence felt throughout the galaxy. Fully-voiced cut-scenes will round out the cinematic gaming experience in Heart of the Swarm's campaign, while a new array of achievements will unlock in-game rewards such as portraits and decals.

I know f13 is mainly made up of people who only play the single player, and it looks like this campaign is going to be a lot more interesting than the Terran one from what they are saying.

[Ironwood]

Goodness.  That sounds good.

Edit :  FUCK.  That WHOLE PAGE is just delicious goodness.  The Pic montage link is also just semen inducing.

Just when I thought I was out.

[Simond]

So how much of that is going to be in the game, and how much will be DLC? 

[luckton]

 

Just when I thought I could quit Bliz...I imagine a 2012 fall release.

[bhodi]

Meh. Don't care.

All I saw was "Don't worry, this is single player only".

As a single player game, it was "OK".

[K9]

Looks good, I really enjoyed the SC2 SP, and the MP for a while longer.

[Ironwood]

It does say there will be new multiplayer units...

[bhodi]

Sure, but none of that info has been released.

[Ironwood]

Well, if you don't like zerglings that spawn instantly, 3 at a time and burst into broodlings when they die, I really don't know what to do with you.

 

[bhodi]

Well, if you don't like zerglings that spawn instantly, 3 at a time and burst into broodlings when they die, I really don't know what to do with you.

I'm afraid that it loses some flair when it's just an AI sobbing on the receiving end. :(

It just makes you want them more for multi, just like medics.

[Fordel]

I am like, 96% certain one of the 'new' zerg multi units will be the lurker or some derivative of the lurker. The other will be a tier 1 unit that shoots up that isn't the queen.


I'm still hoping for Multiplayer drop pods for Terran Bio though.

[Ironwood]

Don't really see the lurker being a viable unit anymore.  Detectors are just tooo easy.

[luckton]

Don't really see the lurker being a viable unit anymore.  Detectors are just tooo easy.

Pfft, arms race, baby.

New Lurkers have anti-detector cloaks, because they evolved and shit, right? 

[K9]

I'm going to bet on no lurker; it just doesn't fit with the highly-mobile design-style of the zerg. T1 anti-air seems a lot more likely though, in some shape or form.

[Ironwood]

Zergling Launcher.

Upgraded at T3 to Ultralisk Launcher.

[luckton]

Zergling Launcher.

Upgraded at T3 to Ultralisk Launcher.

Now you're talkin' 

[bhodi]

I really, really want ultras with unit walk. It's sadly just not going to happen.

Neither is the removal of the queen vomit mechanic. Which is probably the main reason I mostly stopped playing SC2.

[Ashamanchill]

If there is some way to evolve the Ultralisk, I imagine that I will have to get sucked in against my will.

Ummmm, I dunno, flying Ultralisks?

[luckton]

If there is some way to evolve the Ultralisk, I imagine that I will have to get sucked in against my will.

Ummmm, I dunno, flying Ultralisks?

Their massive scythe-tusks have evolved into bio-generated light sabers 

[Fordel]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Reaper was just removed entirely. It's a unit that has either been totally abusive or virtually useless.

[RUiN 427]

For some reason the summer game drought has got me starcrafting my tits off.

edit: is there a b.net role call thread?

[Malakili]

For some reason the summer game drought has got me starcrafting my tits off.

edit: is there a b.net role call thread?

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=19586.0

[trias_e]

I still play this probably ~2 hours a day on average.  I still suck   

[Fordel]

I watch more starcraft then I play at this point. I can keep a stream running in the background like talk radio, where playing takes all of my mental focus for the next 3 hours every time.

[Malakili]

I watch more starcraft then I play at this point. I can keep a stream running in the background like talk radio, where playing takes all of my mental focus for the next 3 hours every time.

True story.