Starcraft 2

[AlienFromBeyond]

I really hope they keep the hero element OUT of SC2, that was my biggest turn-off to WC3.  I'm definitely ready for this to come out, been waiting for it for years!

I'm not talking about implementing it in the standard multiplayer, but just putting it in the code so that custom mapmakers and maybe the single-player campaigns can make use of it.

Frankly, I think I'd actually do better in SC2 than in WC3.  I have a hard time keeping a hero up to level while also keeping my base running and sending out scouts and such.

They've actually confirmed that heroes ala WC3 will be in the editor, so no worries there. Hell, there are even going to be discontinued units in the thing, like the Reaver and Firebat.

[X-Codes]

Yeah, I love that you can select 5 ghosts and have them call down pods of rines in different places.  I've heard alot of "gosu" players bitching about how they're dumbing down the game, but is clicking like a madman really "skill"?

From what I understand, it's more like one-handed typing (bashing away at hotkeys) with a finger on the RMB.

Seriously, making *any* sort of software more user-friendly is a good thing.  Seriously, if the ability to chug energy drinks is directly related to how well you can play a game thanks to UI complexities then whats the point in even buying the game?  Just go eat hot dogs for a living.

[Stratovarius]

Making spellcasters friendlier to use will be a nice change. I was a very good starcraft player once, but my downfall against the absolute best (Zileas, I still hate you, mate) was that they could overpower my swarms with precision casting. I presume that will still be somewhat accurate, at least if Psistorm is brought back in any similar style.

Either way, making them more applicable to those of us who are less suited for the 400 click per minute micro-actions will be a nice change.

[Runestar]

Yeah, it seems selfish to want to hold back on "upgrades" and screw over with the millions that will play SC2, just to supposedly benefit the few who are purportedly skilled enough that those new features will be of no benefit to them whatsoever (it has been claimed that auto-mining would be inferior to manually selecting your peons and ordering to mine, but it will likely still be faster than anything I can ever master... :rolleyes).

That said, I do wish they will roll out a graphics patch for SC that will update it to 1024x768 or something...

[Blade2718]

I'm sure that those gosu players can catch the workers before they start to automine and manually assign them mineral patches.  Maybe automining is just to prevent idle workers.

Obviously, the balance is to create an experience that is fun for casual players while introducing enough nuance into the game mechanics that the elite competitors will enjoy.

[PhaedrusXY]

I never did play through the original...

I played the hell out of WC, so much so that when I tried playing Starcraft, it just felt like WC in space. Both SC and the expansion have been gathering dust in boxes for years...

[Stratovarius]

I'm sure that those gosu players can catch the workers before they start to automine and manually assign them mineral patches.  Maybe automining is just to prevent idle workers.

Obviously, the balance is to create an experience that is fun for casual players while introducing enough nuance into the game mechanics that the elite competitors will enjoy.

It was possible, there was even a certain technique to it that involved chain commanding, but it was a pain in the ass because it required quick clicking. The importance of said technique mattered most where the map was small (Blood War was the most common of these), while on a map like Green Valleys, it was more or less irrelevant as to how well they chained.

And having played both WC2 and 3, as well as SC, I'd say Starcraft is a fairly different game, as well as being better than either of the other two, due to the greater difference of races, and the nature of the game (macro over micro).

[Blade2718]

I'm sure that those gosu players can catch the workers before they start to automine and manually assign them mineral patches.  Maybe automining is just to prevent idle workers.

Obviously, the balance is to create an experience that is fun for casual players while introducing enough nuance into the game mechanics that the elite competitors will enjoy.

And having played both WC2 and 3, as well as SC, I'd say Starcraft is a fairly different game, as well as being better than either of the other two, due to the greater difference of races, and the nature of the game (macro over micro).

I don't know about better, just different merits.

[Stratovarius]

I'm sure that those gosu players can catch the workers before they start to automine and manually assign them mineral patches.  Maybe automining is just to prevent idle workers.

Obviously, the balance is to create an experience that is fun for casual players while introducing enough nuance into the game mechanics that the elite competitors will enjoy.

And having played both WC2 and 3, as well as SC, I'd say Starcraft is a fairly different game, as well as being better than either of the other two, due to the greater difference of races, and the nature of the game (macro over micro).

I don't know about better, just different merits.

Better being my point of view, more than anything else. Although I believe Starcraft has outsold either of the Warcraft games by a goodly amount as well.

[PhoenixInferno]

I played Starcraft II at PAX.  It was fun, but I didn't get much of a chance to try new units or anything.

[Irthos Levethix]

But.... how was it?  "It was fun" just isn't cutting it for me, man.  What race were you?  How long did you get to play?  Did you die?  Did you have little zergasms while you doing it?  Did you think, "Ha, I'm playing this right now, and I'm gonna leave all those BG'ers panting for reviews and opinions, but I'm not gonna give 'em.  Especially to that Irthos guy.  Yeah, fuck him."  DID YOU!?

[PhoenixInferno]

I was waiting for someone to care.

I got whupped by the AI (because I suck), but it was just as fun as the original.  I played the Protoss and managed to build Stalkers (teleporting Dragoon-like units) and Nullifiers (robotic guys that inflict like a half-second stun) from the roster of new units.  My friend was playing at the unit next to me and he built a Mothership - it was awesome.

[Irthos Levethix]

The AI cheats.  Maphaxorz all day long man, you gotta expect the 7vs1 zeal rush.  I haven't seen the Nullifier yet, but the Mothership looks freakin amazing. 

I've been wondering what the Terran counter is to the Mothership/Queen (which got massively revamped).  They were always my favorite.  Nothing quite as satisfying as launching low-grade tactical nukes at someone.  Unless you could... oh I don't know... summon a freaking black hole on them or something.

[PhoenixInferno]

Umm...it was 1v1 against the AI.

Like I said, I suck.

[Chemus]

You're not alone in that PI; I suck at SC as well. I love the game but I suck.

So how did you like the graphics and controls? I'm innerested in this too.

[PhoenixInferno]

There were only a few noticeable differences in control/UI:

• There's an idle worker indicator
• The command grid in the lower right corner went from 3 rows by 3 columns to 3 rows by 4 columns
• Once you turn on the Warp Gate functionality of a Gateway, there's an idle Gate indicator

But the hotkeys were unchanged.

The graphics are clean - everything looks largely the same, but rendered in 3D instead of sprites.

[Blade2718]

I think a lot of return players would be turned off if there were too many changes to the interface and graphical style.

Also, I think the Thor is supposed to be the Human counter for Mothership/Queen.  Not like a Thor could do much against a FREAKIN TIME DISPLACING WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

[X-Codes]

The Thor is a goddamn giant mecha.  Giant mecha > pwnage^3

[PhoenixInferno]

The Thor is a goddamn giant mecha.  Giant mecha > pwnage^3

Time maniuplation >>>>>>>>>>>> Giant Mecha.  That is all.

[Irthos Levethix]

I've heard other people say they thought the Thor was supposed to be Terran's counter, but c'mon.  Localized Singularity >>>>>>>>> Walking Death, I don't care how big your guns are. 

Besides, Terran can build multipul of those on the battlefield, and you can only have one "super" unit.  Hence, the Thor cannot be the Terran's answer to that.  I just hope the UED forces have some super black-ops shit goin down to even out the battlefield.