Terran Hero: Matt Horner

Posted by Adrian on 07/02/10

The Starcraft 2 website has been updated with a character profile for Matt Horner, Raynor's right hand man.

"The second son of a minor merchant on Tyrador IX, Matt Horner grew up longing for something more interesting than his boring, safe life."

 

New Unit Model: Infested Terran

Posted by Adrian on 07/02/10

Brand new model for the Infested Terran.

 

New Unit Model: Sentry

Posted by Adrian on 04/02/10

The Starcraft 2 team has renamed the Disruptor (Nullifier) to Sentry, and have given it a new model.

 

Starcraft 2 Mothership: Short Story

Posted by Adrian on 18/01/10

A new featured story has been published on the official Starcraft 2 website. This time the story depicts the Protoss Mothership. In the story there is a new video showing off the Motherships new model, its attack, its Vortex and cloaking abilities, and just pure awesomeness. Check it out!

"Juras banked as hard as possible. The enormous mothership was not designed to be maneuverable, and the zerg compensated easily."

 

Starcraft II Q&A BATCH #56

Posted by Adrian on 17/12/09

1. Are you still developing new units or are you satisfied with the amount of units for each race and, therefore, more concerned about the fine tuning and balancing?
Our philosophy has always been to keep the amount of units for each race to a certain number to keep the gameplay tight, and we are satisfied with what we have right now in terms of that number. Once we head into beta we definitely evaluate the role of each unit and will potentially add or drop units as needed based on feedback.

2. Can you explain the movements of big melee units like the Ultralisk in detail? While running through idle units smaller units tend to move away so the Ultralisk can walk in a straight line. Will that happen only in battles or while moving your whole army as well?
The way movement collision works right now is that a unit has to be idle for it to be pushed to a new location by another unit like an Ultralisk. Generally if you are controlling your forces and they are active, you will not see this behavior.

3. In the campaign of StarCraft II, there are many optional objectives to do so that the player can choose how to play through the campaign. But there are players who want to see every cinematic and play every mission. Are there missions where you have to decide, which way you go (e.g. the Terran campaign in StarCraft I, where you decide to choose nuclear weapons or Battlecruisers), or will the player be able to play the whole campaign in a linear progression? Will there be a menu were you can replay already completed missions? If so, can you also unlock new missions in that menu?
As you play through the campaign, there will be a few cases where you must make a distinct choice that could change the outcome of a certain side plot or the fate of a specific character. These choices will be made very obvious to players, and for those who want to see all the possibilities, you’ll have the ability to go back and choose the other path. We will also have a way for you to replay completed missions or cinematic cut scenes via the story mode interface as well.

4. In the single player campaign of Warcraft III, even races like the Naga are playable temporarily. Is something like that planned for StarCraft II too?
The single player campaign for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will focus on the Terran campaign, but there will also be a short series of missions where players take the role of Zeratul and other Protoss forces.

5. Is the range of the stalker’s blink ability limited to the distance between him and the target area or are cliffs and trees considered; so a stalker could blink farther when he’s blinking down a cliff than if he’s blinking up the cliff?
The distance you blink is the same regardless of blinking up or down a cliff.

6. Will players be able to send resources to their allies? If so, will there be a limit to the amount of resources they are able to send?
Yes, players can send and request resources among teammates but only after a few minutes into the game. The reason for this is to minimize imbalances that could be created by one player getting a massive early economic boost from his or her partner dumping resources at the outset of the game. There currently is no limit to how many resources you can share.

7. Some replays were not compatible with new patches in StarCraft I. Are you working on making replays compatible with new patches for StarCraft II?
Yes, we’re working on allowing replays from previous versions of StarCraft II be compatible with new patches as they are released.

 

Starcraft 2 Official Website Redesigned With New Content

Posted by Adrian on 23/11/09

The Starcraft 2 official website has been redesigned with some awesome new graphics and content, including a biography of the hero Tichus Findlay, changeling story and a multiplayer preview!

 

Starcraft II Q&A BATCH #55

Posted by Adrian on 21/11/09

1. Not all potential players of StarCraft II have played the original StarCraft before, thus they might encounter problems with the understanding of the story. Is it possible to play the campaign of StarCraft II without knowing anything? Will you come up with some things that happened in the original StarCraft and Brood War again – just so that people not familiar to the story get more information?
We plan on having story elements that will bring players up to speed on the most recent plot developments and prepare them for the StarCraft II storyline. We also plan on having a plot summary of what transpired in the original StarCraft and Brood War during the installation process. However we feel that regardless of your familiarity with the original story, all players will be able to enjoy the story developments in StarCraft II.

2. You have already announced that you are going to record various stats when playing StarCraft II with the new Battle.net 2.0 – but how detailed will those statistics be? Will one be able to see how many units of a certain kind (for example Marines) one have build or even killed so far?
We will be recording a large amount of stats for StarCraft II, but we are still in discussion as to which stats will ultimately be tracked. We will determine how detailed the stat-tracking will be based on what information we think will benefit our players the most to help improve their game.

3. You have already stated that you will support DirectX 10, but what about DirectX 11?
We currently do not have any plans on supporting DirectX11-specific features, but the game will be compatible with DirectX11.

4. How many stats will a Hero unit be able to take? Three like in Warcraft 3 or is there even a limit?
If you create a user-map with heroes, you can outfit them with a large number of stats. However, currently only three stats will be able to be displayed on the UI due to limited space.

5. In lore Protoss warp in their units and buildings from some far planet. Will there be any mechanic that reflects this such as a "warp out" that could act as a refund?
We do not have any plans to include a “warp out” game mechanic. We have discussed the possibility of this in the past, but it felt too similar to the Terran mechanics of being able to salvage the structures.

6. Will there be a converter to convert our favorite original StarCraft maps to StarCraft II maps? I don’t want to lose all of my favorite maps from the original StarCraft when I get StarCraft II.
There will not be a map converter for StarCraft II. Map-makers will have to manually rebuild any of their maps using the new StarCraft II map editor.

7. I'm just going to assume that you will have some sort of window mode in StarCraft II. But I was wondering if you're going to implement a windowed mode like the one that World of Warcraft has? You know where you can maximize the window, removing the borders and enabling fullscreen mode yet providing easy access to the desktop.
You will be able to select both windowed and full-screen windowed modes from the options menu.

 

Starcraft 2 Battlereport #4 - Lost Temple

Posted by Adrian on 22/10/09

We’ve got a great game for you today, a Battle Report between Yeon-ho Lee playing as the Blue Protoss versus David Kim playing as the Red Terran. They will be playing on Lost Temple. Yes, it has been re-done for StarCraft II. This is a classic map from the original game that we have done a few changes on for StarCraft II.

 

Starcraft II Q&A BATCH #54

Posted by Adrian on 16/10/09

1. Does the Zergling vs. Zealot ratio remain at 4:1 or has it changed in the latest builds?
One zealot can usually take out two, and sometimes three zerglings. However, the ratio is mainly based on positioning and micro-controlling. As the number of zealots grows, it will take more zerglings to win the fight since the zealots can clump up and reduce the attacking surface area. Smart use of terrain, such as a choke or backing up against a wall, will also help a protoss player reduce this attack area. Zerglings have to secure a good surround around the zealots to keep the ratio close.

2. In World of Warcraft pvp they found an issue over time that it was "very unsatisfying" to the player when they lost control of their character as it limited their ability to do their job or role. There is a noticeable increase in stuns and immobilization in Starcraft 2, which was barely present in Starcraft 1. From your experience in testing, do you feel abilities, which limit unit control, provide more dynamic game play so far or are you noticing more concern?
First of all, there were actually some abilities in the original StarCraft that could cause players to lose control of units. These abilities include the ghost’s lockdown, the corsair’s disruption web, and the dark archon’s mind control. It may be premature to suggest at this point that there’s a “noticeable increase” in stuns and immobilization in StarCraft II.
To address the comparison anyway, in World of Warcraft, you control a single character, unlike RTS games where you manage multiple units and bases. The difference in the World of Warcraft is when you lose control of your character you simply have to wait it out, assuming you don’t have any control breaks. However in StarCraft, when units in your army are being controlled, you can still issue orders to the rest of your army, manage your base, build new units, etc. There are a lot of options and we happy with the diversity it brings to gameplay at this point.

3. What is the current status of the Mothership? What niche does it fill at this time, and if the unit were removed, would there be a reason to fill that niche with a different unit or would protoss still be fine?
Currently the mothership has a passive cloaking field for nearby units and buildings, wormhole transit, temporal rift, and vortex as its abilities. We are happy with the state of the mothership at this time, and would like to hear feedback from the players once beta starts.

4. What is your overall goal for the Infestor? The units have had and removed so many abilities, are you trying to focus into a support role, or disruption and harassment, or just to have a wide variety of spells so it can be a quick response unit?
It is intended to play more of the disruption/harassment role. They are meant to burrow and move up ahead of the swarm to soften up their opponent’s forces.

5. Is EMP dodgeable, or there's some sort of indication that it's going to be launched? And does this cause a problem with Immortals?
It’s possible to dodge EMP, but it is difficult to do. Your options include anticipating your opponent will be casting an EMP by seeing the ghost or its shimmer and predicting it; being near the edge of the EMP range and moving out quickly; or using the stalker’s blink ability.

[Vile Gaming]
6. Map/mod to site communication – Will there be support for map/mod makers to bridge a connection between their map/mod to their site? For example, if a person wanted their map/mod to submit scores/results to the site, and vice-versa the map/mod could pull the highest scores from the site and display it in the game.
It is possible for players to make their own custom score screens but there are no specific plans to bridge map data to web sites via Battle.net.

7. Launcher support – Will maps/mods be able to have their own "launcher" (ala WoW’s launcher), as in shortcut or start icon from the computer outside of StarCraft, and have their own screens, after a Battle.net authenticating screen (ala Twitter’s, or Facebook’s, application authentication).
There are no plans to allow maps and mods to have their own launcher. However, making a loading screen or launch screen is still possible

 

Starcraft II Q&A BATCH #53

Posted by Adrian on 01/10/09

1. Computer AI – Does the computer’s online AI vary from its offline counterpart?
No. They are the same.

2. Have you considered allowing a post-game lobby for users to discuss the last game, collectively watch replays, or immediately enter into a rematch?
Yes, we have a plan for a post game lobby. However the details are not finalized yet.

3. Is there any update on additional map features other than the Xel’Naga watch towers, destructible rocks and tall grass?
No. Currently there is no update on additional map features.

4. How many different voice actors are needed for StarCraft II, including the unit sounds and campaign heroes?
There are 58 unique voice actors participating, with some voicing multiple roles, and the number may increase as the game gets closer to release.

5. The terrain types in StarCraft II we have seen so far had names like “Bel’Shir (Jungle)”. Does this mean that “Bel’Shir” is just an alias for jungle and every terrain is just named after a typical planet using it or are there – to stick with this example – other jungle maps with a different terrain set, something like “Aiur (Jungle)”?
We named our terrain sets based on the planets. There are a lot more terrain sets than in the original StarCraft and you will have huge flexibility in modifying the terrain sets (including adjusting textures, doodads, lighting) allowing you to create your own variations of the default maps. There may be other jungle-themed default maps named after other planets.

6. Will there be any chance to have more options on pausing the game? In StarCraft: Brood War every player can pause the game three times, but every other player can unpause it. How about a (user editable) time limit before other players can unpause the game?
We recommend that players communicate with each other in the game to agree on when to pause and unpause during the game. We feel that pausing the game interrupts the game flow and it would be inconvenient for players to be forced to wait for a certain amount of time before being able to unpause. The pausing feature is mainly meant to allow for pausing of the game when all players are in agreement and for which duration.

7. I already knew the map editor would be available to beta testers a while after Beta was released, but this is why I’m asking the bland question, will it also be available to non-participating people?
No, the map editor will only be available during the beta for beta testers.

8. When a unit comes out from a building will there be only 4 exits from the building like in Warcraft 3 or will there be “infinite”?
It is not infinite, but your units will come out from a building at the closest point on the building to where your rally point is set.

 

BlizzCon 2009 Official Battlenet Single Player FAQ's

Posted by Wez on 12/09/09

Here is the FAQ's and screenshots from BlizzCon 2009. A heap of information and images for us all to view. There is also an updated Wings of Liberty Logo for everyone to see.

 

Wings of Liberty General FAQs

What is StarCraft II?
StarCraft II is the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game, and the sequel to the hit original, StarCraft. The game will include three completely distinct and balanced races, the protoss, terran, and zerg, which have been overhauled and re-imagined with a number of new units for each, as well as new tricks for some of the classic units that are returning.

When is the game coming out?
Our release target for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is the first half of 2010. As with all Blizzard Entertainment games, we will take as much time as needed to ensure the game is as fun, balanced, and polished as possible.
(There you have it in Blue and Black, First half is a TARGET with the usual Blizzard proviso of 'as long as it takes' - Wez)

When will you begin the beta test for StarCraft II?
We’re not ready to give an exact date, but we’re working hard to release the beta as soon as possible.
(Expect a big announcement when it happens as well - Wez)

How will StarCraft II be different from StarCraft?
StarCraft II will run on a vibrant new 3D-graphics engine capable of rendering beautiful landscapes as well as massive army sizes. The speed, responsiveness, and epic-scale battles that made the original StarCraft such a memorable game are all realized in 3D with this brand-new engine.

We’re also introducing a number of distinct new units to the protoss, terran, and zerg, and some of the familiar units that return in StarCraft II will have new tricks up their sleeves, which will give the game its own unique flavor. The maps themselves will also offer new interactive elements that enhance the strategic nature of the game and create more tactical points of interest for players to contest. One example of this is the Xel’Naga watchtower structure—when captured, it reveals line of sight over a large area of the map, creating an advantage for the player in control of the tower.

In addition, Battle.net will be overhauled with some new and exciting features to enhance online play and competition, while the single-player campaign will also offer some unique aspects for players to enjoy. The single-player campaign in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty features branching missions and the ability to customize your army by purchasing special units and upgrades that persist between missions.

How do players customize their army in the single-player campaign of Wings of Liberty?
The campaign offers players different ways to customize their armies to suit their playing style and better tackle the challenges within the missions. Credits earned from completing missions can be used to buy the services of mercenary units that players can deploy in battle. Mercenaries are more powerful versions of standard units in the game; for example, Kel’Morian mercenary marines have higher armor and damage output than a regular marine. Any skilled mercenaries that players opt to unlock can be built from the merc haven structure within each mission.

Additionally, players can opt to buy campaign-only technology upgrades for their units. Examples of upgrades that might be available for purchase include improved bunkers with gun turrets and upgraded flamethrowers that allow firebats to attack a wider radius.

How do missions work in the single-player campaign?
As players make their way through the campaign, they’ll interact with a number of different non-player characters (NPCs) who will offer a variety of missions. In many cases, players will choose from a few different NPCs at the same time. Some of these missions will advance the main story, while others lead to interesting subplots. Players will be able to view briefings that detail mission objectives, show how many credits are rewarded for completion, and tell you which new unit, if any, is unlocked by taking on the mission.

More than 25 missions will be available in the Wings of Liberty campaign, and each mission will offer different objectives and gameplay elements. For example, one mission will have players roving around a map to intercept and rob Dominion cargo trains moving along different railroad tracks. Another mission will take place in a volcanically unstable area. Lava will periodically flood the lower elevations of the map, requiring players to exercise extra caution in their mining operations and troop movement.

Many missions also offer optional research objectives, such as exploring maps to find lost protoss artifacts or a hidden zerg chrysalis. When players collect enough of these research objects over the course of a few missions, they can earn upgrades and improvements for their units that carry over for the rest of the campaign.

How will players interact with NPCs and explore in between missions?
In between each mission, players will be able to explore various sets within the game. These include the bar on Mar Sara and the Hyperion battlecruiser that acts as Raynor’s flagship. Players can click on different characters in these environments to converse with them and get additional details about the story. These conversations are fully voice-acted, and the characters and sets are animated in detail in the game engine.

Sets will also contain interactive objects that players can click to receive extra information and story details. Televisions, for example, will show news reports that detail happenings around the galaxy. Console units, such as the one in the armory on board the Hyperion, allow players to access the tech-purchasing interface. The star map on the bridge of the Hyperion lets players choose from various mission briefings.

All of these elements are designed to help bring players closer to the characters in the game and offer additional story avenues for those who wish to immerse themselves in the game’s epic plot.

How many races are in StarCraft II?
In StarCraft II, players will see the return of the protoss, terran, and zerg races. Our goal is to ensure that all of the factions in the game play even more distinctly from one another than in the original StarCraft, while still maintaining the fine balance that helped make StarCraft a classic. We’re also introducing a number of new units to each race, as well as modifying some of the familiar units returning in StarCraft II. With these design refinements and the new features we have planned for the single-player and multiplayer elements of the game, StarCraft II will offer a next-generation StarCraft experience.

Can you give some examples of the newest changes in StarCraft II?/strong>
The most significant changes we’ve made recently are some new game mechanics that impact the economic efficiency of each of the races. The protoss can create a structure called the obelisk with a “proton charge” ability, which temporarily speeds up the rate at which probes can harvest minerals. If used properly, this ability can noticeably increase the protoss’ income.

The terrans have a new unit called the mule, which can be summoned from the orbital command building. Mules harvest minerals much like SCVs, but at a much faster rate -- however, they only last for a specific amount of time. Since the ability costs energy, terran players must decide how much of their energy to spend calling down mules and how much to save for the orbital command’s other ability, the comsat scan.

Finally, the zerg can boost their production capability by using the queen to spawn extra larvae periodically in hatcheries, allowing them to quickly field large armies.

It seems like there are sweeping balance changes almost every time I read about StarCraft II. What are the reasons for the changes?
As we go through various testing stages, the development team experiments a lot with the game balance. This can include adding, removing, and/or modifying various units, buildings, and special abilities within the game. Frequent changes to units and abilities are a natural part of our iterative development process as we strive to make StarCraft II as balanced and fun as possible.

 

Battlenet

Will Battle.net be overhauled? Will there be new features?
There will be some exciting new changes and features to Battle.net that will help us ensure that StarCraft II will be the ultimate competitive online real-time strategy game. Some of the areas we’re working on include features that support online tournaments, eSports, and enhanced communication between players.

What steps are being taken to prevent cheating in multiplayer games?
We don’t want to tip our hand to the people who may try to cheat on Battle.net, so we can’t go into too much detail, but rest assured that security is one of our top priorities as we redesign and overhaul Battle.net, and we will take every precaution to ensure fairness in our online games. We’ve taken an aggressive stance against cheating in all of our games, and our players have overwhelmingly supported us in that, so we don’t have any intention to make any changes in that regard.

 

Technical Aspects

What are the system requirements for StarCraft II?
We’ll have more details on specific system requirements closer to the release date. For now, we can say that the game will require a graphics processor that is Pixel Shader 2.0 compatible.

Will StarCraft II include a map editor?
Yes, it will. We’ll have more details on the features of the StarCraft II map editor at a later date.

Will there be a console version of StarCraft II?
StarCraft II is being developed for Windows and Mac. We have no current plans to bring the game to any console platform.

Sets and In-Game Cut-Scenes

(Must of the imagery here doesn't look as recent as what was actually playable at the convention - particularly the Tech Upgrade screen - Wez)

Wings of Liberty Screen Shots dated August 20th

(As already noted on the forums these shots depict many Starcraft 1 units which are in the Campaign game though not the Multiplayer Skirmish. Note the Brutalisk in the second image which is a mini-boss from a campaign level. - Wez)

Wings of Liberty Screen Shots dated August 17th

 

BlizzCon 2009 Official Battlenet Release Information

Posted by Wez on 10/09/09

Here is the Official BattleNet Information from BlizzCon to add to the information I gathered. There is also a nice set of screenshots from various areas of the Battlenet system for you all to look at.

 

BattleNet FAQs

What is the new Battle.net?
We are building the new Battle.net to be the premier online gaming destination. The new Battle.net experience is a full-featured online game service designed specifically around Blizzard Entertainment titles, and will include a complete set of around-the-game features including a state-of-the-art matchmaking system, achievement system, social networking features, structured competitive play options, a marketplace, and much more. Our vision is to create an environment where gamers can compete online, develop an online persona, and stay connected to friends and the rest of the community while enjoying our games. In doing this, the new Battle.net will deliver the ultimate social and competitive experience for Blizzard Entertainment gamers everywhere.

What is the history of Battle.net?
Battle.net was the world’s first fully integrated matchmaking service, which we launched in 1996 with the release of Diablo. Battle.net evolved over the years to fully incorporate online gameplay for StarCraft, Diablo II, a re-release of Warcraft II, and Warcraft III. The Battle.net system has been in its current form, without major changes, since 2003.

How much will Battle.net cost?
The new Battle.net will be offered free of charge for players who purchase and register the full version of StarCraft II.

What will be available to players in the StarCraft II Marketplace?
After the launch of StarCraft II, we aim to add the StarCraft II Marketplace to Battle.net, which will create a vibrant ecosystem of user-generated content, including multiplayer maps, single-player scenarios, challenges, themes, and more.

How will Battle.net affect my multiplayer StarCraft II experience?
We’ll be implementing a new auto-matchmaking system, with advanced skill tracking to allow players to be matched with other players of similar skill level. This will help players consistently face evenly matched competition. We’ll also be implementing various leagues and ladder systems to allow a more competitive StarCraft II landscape.

What is the Real ID feature?
Real ID is at the forefront of online gaming as it will allow you to easily connect, communicate, and play with real-life friends. Connect with old friends and current guildies, and make new friends with the integrated Battle.net social networking tools. Beyond simply seeing your friend’s character names (e.g. “Gorlac” in World of Warcraft or “Snip3r” in StarCraft II), and having to remember which character name goes with which friend, you will be able to see your Real ID friend and chat with him or her across Blizzard games. What’s more, Real ID is totally optional -- the options are there for you to build your Blizzard Entertainment social network however you see fit.

What are some of the communication tools available in the new Battle.net?
Our vision is for the new Battle.net to become the ultimate Blizzard Entertainment social network, in addition to its matchmaking foundation. Simply logging in to Battle.net will make it easy to find and chat with your friends across World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, and future Blizzard Entertainment titles, including Diablo III. Keep track of all your buddies in your friends list, view their online status and presence information, voice chat, send out party invites, and broadcast messages to your friends. Detailed character profiles let players keep up to date on friends’ progress and achievements.

What kind of Battle.net features will be available to allow player-made customizations?
Over the years, we’ve learned how incredibly creative the Blizzard Entertainment community is, and that they excel at creating new ways to play our games (such as DotA). This has served as the inspiration for us to create a rich set of content authoring and publishing tools in Battle.net for gamers to create the next big game type in StarCraft II.

When will I be able to start utilizing map maker tools? How will Battle.net interact with custom maps?
The StarCraft II Galaxy Map Editor will be available to players during the StarCraft II beta. Players will be able to play these maps on the new Battle.net.

Will classic Blizzard Entertainment games be supported on the new Battle.net?
We do eventually plan to update all classic Battle.net games to take advantage of the new Battle.net accounts and server infrastructure. Beyond this, we do not have anything to announce today regarding legacy Blizzard Entertainment titles and the new Battle.net experience.

Will parental controls be improved on Battle.net?
We will be revamping the parental controls and time management features for the release of Battle.net. The parental controls will allow parents to regulate how and with whom their children communicate, and they will provide parents with a multitude of other tools to promote responsible gaming for their children.

Will a forced migration to Battle.net occur for World of Warcraft players?
Yes, sometime in the near future, it will be necessary for all World of Warcraft subscribers to transition their accounts to the new Battle.net system. Those players who have already converted to the new system will be able to take part in the new Battle.net features soon.

What will change in World of Warcraft after the forced migration?
The core gameplay experience will remain unchanged as a result of the migration. However, you’ll be able to take part in all of the new Battle.net features, such as cross-realm, cross-faction, and cross-game chat.

What features will be available for Diablo III on the new Battle.net?
We don’t have any specific features to announce at this time, but we will be building directly from the new Battle.net platform delivered with StarCraft II, while tailoring features and options to specifically suit the Diablo III game and community.

BattleNet Screenshots

 

Starcraft 2 Gameplay Footage

Posted by Adrian on 30/06/09

 

Starcraft 2 Tech Trees

Posted by Adrian on 30/06/09

Some new tech trees for Terran, Protoss and Zerg have been released, check them out below.

 

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