Starcraft 2 Australia

 

SC2AUS is a group of Australian gamers whom can't wait for the release of SC2 and "Hell, its about time". Our aim is to provide a fan site and a community for AUS SC2 players to: set-up clans, organise local tournaments and lans, post on the forums. '

Starcraft 2 Competition

 

Starcraft 2 Q&A Batch 37

Post by Adrian on 10/05/08

Chat with Devs: One of the latest changes the Devs are trying for the Nomad is replacing their previous stationary Mine Drone with Spider Mines. The Spider Mines behave the same as Spider Mines from the original StarCraft. It now also does 50 damage plus 50 additional damage towards armored units. Instead of only having 3 Spider Mines, the Nomad will be able to plant Spider Mines with the cost of 15 energy. These Mines will definitely prove quite formidable against mass Tier 1 units such as Zerglings and charging Zealots.

1. Can the Ghost snipe casting (energy based) units in the fog of war using its passive sensing ability?
While the Ghost will not be able to snipe casters in the fog of war, their current range to detect casters(units with energy) is 30, giving you plenty of time to prepare for incoming threats.

2. Could you tell us more details about the Reapers' mines mechanics? Are they visible for the enemy? Can they be defused, or should simply be destroyed? Do they deal damage to friendly units and to each other? If so, does the explosion of one mine cause the detonation of its neighbors, or they just die, without dealing damage?
Yes, the Reapers mines will be visible, though depending on the placement, they can be covered by enemy units moving over them. The mines have very few hit points and can be killed easily. Nonetheless, it is important to note that they are very small, making it more difficult to micromanage those attacks when there are several mines.
Mines damage both enemy and friendly units/buildings, so making sure you dont blow up your own Reapers is quite important ;) Mines will not detonate other mines, have a 30 second cooldown, and they currently do 30 damage plus 30 additional damage to armored units (including buildings). Furthermore, the mine is now an upgradeable ability of the Reaper.

3. In StarCraft II there are destructible obstacles like rocks. Apart from simply killing them the Protoss Nullifier can lift them with his Anti-Gravity spell. Do the other races have any similar options to remove or pass the rocks with spells?
Actually, the ability to lift destructible doodads has been classified as a bug and has been fixed in the latest builds. Nullifiers have already proved to be quite strong when used in groups, being able to lift up Siege Tanks and Ultralisks, effectively taking them out of combat until the rest of their reinforcements are dead.

4. Do Anti-Gravitated Banelings keep their suicidal abilities and act as Scourge? (sc2blog.com)
Yes, when Banelings die while being lifted by Anti-Gravity, their explosion will hit air units in its area of effect. This could undoubtedly open up some unique and unexpected strategies in team games.

5. Blizzard made 2 e-sport oriented games after StarCraft: Warcraft 3 and WoW. What are the biggest lessons that you've learned from those 2 games and how will you apply them to StarCraft II?
One of the main goals for StarCraft II is to keep the game very visually intuitive and readable. As Dustin has mentioned in our recent chat, visually When a unit teleports, it teleports. When it shoots, it looks like it is shooting. It should be easy to follow on a screen and players should be able to quickly understand what is happening in the battles. Futhermore, Blizzards games has followed the premise of easy to learn and hard to master. StarCraft II will follow this philosophy.

6. How does the Marauders slow ability work against the Zealots charge ability. According to present knowledge the concussion grenade shot of a Marauder forces its target to stop moving for a short time; afterwards the targeted unit can go straight forward. So does it stop a charging Zealot and does the speed bonus remain?
When the Marauders concussion grenade hits an enemy target, it will reduce that units speed immediately by a set percentage. The cooldown of the concussion grenade shot is subject to balance. Nonetheless, a charging Zealot slowed by a concussion grenade is still pretty fast. Before the Protoss player upgrades their Zealots with charge, a Marauder can kite a Zealot with relatively little micromanagement.

 

Starcraft 2 Q&A Batch 36

Posted by Buckwald on 24/04/08

We have another Q&A from the devs, and this one has some interesting info. They clear up some questions on the Terran reactor, and shows just how insane the Shelding on the Immortal really is. Enjoy and feel free to post a responce in the forums. Enjoy

There is also a new screenshot of the Baneling after its engourgement.

http://www.starcraft2.com/screenshot.xml?s=80

1. Do Protoss Immortals get killed when a Nuke explodes next to them(seeing as the Hardened Shield blocks all high profile attacks and that a Nuke is definitely a high profile attack)?
In term of units, the only units that will be able to survive a Nuke will be the Protoss Mothership and Immortals upgraded with Hardened Shields. An upgraded Immortal will take 10 damage from a Nuke. To all other units, the Nuke will do 800 damage, thus making it much more powerful than the Nuke in the original StarCraft.

2. How powerful is the Roach's regeneration ability? How much time is needed to regenerate from 1 to full hp?
The Roach currently regenerates 15 hit points per second, allowing it to regenerate to full health in 6 seconds. In countering Roaches, a player must either micromanage the battle to make sure they are focus firing on each Roach one at a time, or they have to bring in high damage units such as Siege Tanks or Archons.

3. Are overseers any tougher than overlords?
When an Overlord evolves into an Overseer, it will gain a speed bonus, passive detection, the ability to generate creep below it, and the ability to corrupt' resources to make it more difficult for opponents to gain access to them. Furthermore, when Overseers sit in the same spot, over time its visual range will increase (but not its detection range).

4. Is it worth it to build a Terran Reactor Add-on since the benefit of doubling your queue list is not that useful, as it is often a bad idea to have your queue full?
Yes! The Terran Reactor doesn't just double the size of your queue list. For a mere 50 minerals and 50 gas cost for the Reactor, that Barracks, Factory, or Starport will have the ability to create two units simultaneously (assuming that unit doesn't require a tech lab add-on). Most of the time, building the Reactor will be worth it, rather than building a second Barracks, Factory, or Starport. Not only will you be able to build from a single building the production of two normal buildings, you will be able to salvage that Reactor if needed to get 100% of the cost back. Being able to salvage allows for quick tech shifts or evacuations.

5. Will there be different building textures resembling the actual terrain? (in Warcraft 2 the buildings were snowy on the winter maps)
This is something the art team would like to do, though it will ultimately come down to time. There's a lot of art work still left to do, such as their current task, which is putting the finishing touches on the Terran Marauder amongst several other units. On the Marauder, players will be able to see many intricate animations for both the weapons and their power suits.

6. Did the High Templar's Hallucination ability undergo any changes due to the introduction of new tough units, such as Thor or Colossus?
The Hallucination ability did not undergo changes because of those new units, but it did get significant buffs since the original StarCraft. First off, hallucinated units still have the same hit points as the original unit, but take double damage. Furthermore, the duration the unit lasts for will be around 2-3 minutes, which will be significantly longer than the original StarCraft. On top of that, to hallucinate a unit only costs 40 energy, which is much cheaper than the original StarCraft's cost of 100 energy.

 

The Lurker's Art Change

Posted by Buckwald on 23/04/09

(Current Lurker Artwork)

Karune answers some complaints about the current lurker model with the thread below.

Karune: There is already new Lurker art since the last time you have seen it. It is much more 'spiny' and has very brutal spikes when it attacks victims. I will try to take a Lurker shot as one of the upcoming ScreenCrafts.

Click the link for the full post: battle.net Forums

 

The Story So far... Part 2, The Brood War

Posted by Buckwald on 21/04/09

Blizzard has updated the Starcraft2.com Website with an adition to: The Story so far, with Part 2 the brood war. Please follow the link over to www.starcraft2.com to read the entire story, but i have posted an excerpt below for you to preview.

THE EVACUATION OF AIUR

Tassadar's brave sacrifice had destroyed the Overmind, but countless rampaging zerg remainedon Aiur and would surely overrun the surviving protoss. Zeratul offered sanctuary on Shakuras, the adopted home of the dark templar. Although the decision was difficult, Executor Artanis and the surviving members of the shattered Conclave agreed that their first duty was to save as many lives as possible.

Jim Raynor's forces and the protoss cut a path through the zerg to reach an ancient xel'naga warp gate, the relic of an earlier age. Using the gate, Zeratul opened a connection to a second gate on Shakuras. During the battle, Raynor and some of the protoss were cut off, but Artanis and Zeratul led many other protoss through the gate to safety on Shakuras.

To their horror, they found that the zerg were following them through the gate. The evacuees joined forces with their dark brethren and fought the invasion. Meanwhile, Raynor's forces and a handful of protoss chose to remain on Aiur and shut down its warp gate, ensuring that no further zerg reinforcements could reach Shakuras. With no means of escape, this brave band seemed doomed.

 

09/04/08 - BLIZZARD ANSWERS A QUESTION FROM STARCRAFT 2 AUSTRALIA IN BATCH 35

1. Do Banelings damage nearby friendly units when they explode onto an enemy target? (www.starcraft2.com.au)
No, in the current build the Banelings do not damage friendly units caught in the splash. The splash damage does cover its area of effect range evenly, doing the same damage to enemy units throughout the whole area.

Check out all the questions and answers from Batch 35 at the Starcraft 2 FAQ page, if you have a question you want answered then post it in the 'Questions You want To Ask Blizzard' thread on the 'Official Blizzard Discussions' board in the Starcraft 2 Forums.

 

09/04/08 - STARCRAFT 2 FAQ BATCH 34

"As of recent, the Dev Team has added a new ability to the Protoss Carrier that will give it a little more Umph! versus Zerg Corruptor attacks or Viking raids. In the past, the Carrier simply had a large swarm of Interceptor fighters which you had to build from scratch. Carriers now come built with 4 Interceptors already loaded (which is also the max number of Interceptors currently). They also have the new ability to have Escorts built for a temporary power boost to focus fire. Strike Fighter Escorts cost resources to build and last only 45 seconds, but add a decent amount of firepower to a Carriers attack. A Carrier can have a maximum of 4 Escorts. Escorts are given attack orders to focus-fire on whatever the Carrier is attacking and they can be destroyed independently of the Carrier or each other. The cost for these Escorts will be significant enough to where players will not want to just have the max number all of the time, as that would bleed your economy needlessly. Thus, players will have to pick and choose their battles in where they want the full force of the Protoss fleet present. "

 

 

27/03/08 - BATCH 33 SCREENCRAFT

"After the Zerg release, I have been asking Dustin what types of changes are being made to the other factions during this process, and one of the most interesting ones that have been added has to do with the Terran Ghost. In order for the Terrans to counter the various new casters that have been introduced to all sides in StarCraft II, the Ghost can now detect units with energy in a 30 yard radius. This passive ability works similarly to the Sensor Tower, revealing their location even within the fog of war. This ability could also no doubt open up some interesting assassination type single player missions as well with the Ghost.  "

 

26/03/08 - MASSIVE ZERG UNITS & ZERG BUILDINGS UPDATE !!

Just did a massive update to the Starcraft 2 Units and Starcraft 2 Buildings page, all the known Zerg units/buildings are now up with all their costs, build times, supply usage, hit points, abilities etc..

 

12/03/08 - ZERG GAMEPLAY VIDEO!


 

Check out the Starcraft 2 Videos page for more gameplay movies.

 

11/03/08 - THE ZERG HAVE ARRIVED !!!

Starcraft 2 Zerg

The zerg are a race entirely unlike the terrans or the protoss. They are composed of many different species integrated into the Swarm via zerg infestation. These creatures are rapidly and selectively evolved into deadly and efficient killers to further the driving zerg imperative of achieving absolute domination. The zerg make no use of technology to create their weapons, armor, or starships. Instead, these functions are efficiently fulfilled through biological adaptation and planned mutation of the zerg strains. Even zerg buildings are in fact specialized organs within the living, growing organism of a zerg nest.

All the latest images, stats and info on the zerg will be up on the Starcraft 2 Units and Starcraft 2 Buildings page soon!!

 

10/03/08 - BATCH 32 SCREENCRAFT

"In addition to our Q&A Map Maker Series, Gameplay Series, Lore Series, we are going to include our Community ScreenCraft Series, featuring screenshots crafted specifically to progress the dialogues and discussions we have currently going on in the community. "

 

03/03/08 - BATCH 31

"This past week while playing a Terran versus Terran mirror game, I discovered a new unit option from the Factory. This new unit is known as the Jackal, which is a fast vehicle like the Vulture, but instead wields a rail gun, which does an area of effect damage in a straight line at ground units.

My opponent built the standard Marines & Medics (M&Ms) composition while I bunkered my choke point and teched straight to a Factory with a Reactor add on, which allows me to build two Jackals at one time from a single Factory.

After I built a group of 6 Jackals, I rolled onto the field with my Jackals broken up in two groups with 3 Jackals each. I engaged his M&Ms with my first group, having the Marines line up around my Jackals as they naturally do while firing. Quickly, I brought in my second group of Jackals along the side to flank the M&Ms and the line attack did the rest, killing up to 2-3 units with a single focus fire command. With a little micromanagement, I was able to decimate his whole group of 15 or so units, while only losing two Jackals. That battle gave me a significant military advantage, which eventual led to a relatively quick win. "

 

16/02/08 - BATCH 30 MAP MAKER SERIES

"Brett Woods is back with us to answer our community map making questions. We cant stress enough that StarCraft II is going to have immense potential in the UMS (User Map Settings) area, where we hope to seriously empower the community with the tools you need, to create some awesome gaming additions to StarCraft II."

 

11/02/08 - BATCH 29 IS HERE

"As it was a small 2 player map, my opponent was able to bring in a single Marine and Medic very soon, especially with the SCV repairing the Bunker at a very fast rate. As he repaired, I chased the SCV around the Bunker and attacked the Bunker with my other Zealots. To my disbelief, the Medic inside the Bunker was healing the SCV outside of the Bunker. Soon enough, another SCV showed up to repair the Bunker, as well as a Marauder, slowing my Zealots before they could reach the Bunker. At this point I had lost my initial two Zealots, but I had built four more. At the same time, my opponent now had a Marauder, Medic, and Marine, with 2 SCVs guarding the Bunker. These SCVs were impossible to kill since they were both running around the Bunker, being healed at the same time, while my Zealots were slowed and shot at by the Bunker. When my Zealots attacked the Bunker, the SCVs repaired the Bunker. Needless to say, the standard Bunker rush is not so standard anymore. With Terrans Salvage ability, being able to deconstruct Terran buildings for 100% of the cost back, adds to the devastating effect of a StarCraft II Bunker push. On top of that, adding a Ghost in the Bunker, allows for Sniping within the Bunker, as well as huge range, making it an effect pushing structure before you tech to Siege Tanks. Thanks for letting me know guys :P GG."

 

05/02/08 -  BATCH 28 HAS BEEN RELEASED !!

The weekly set of Batch questions, now Batch 28, has been released by Blizzard.

"Currently, the Protoss Stalkers Blink ability is on a 15 second cooldown and is one of the only abilities that do not require energy. One of the reasons this was done for the Stalkers Blink, was to make sure that players wouldn't have the problem of having only part of their Stalker army blink up on a hill with some left behind. The Protoss Phoenix also carries an Overload ability, which is based on a cooldown timer rather than energy. Whether the Stalker or the Phoenix will use energy or not, will be mostly determined through much more balance testing."

 

28/01/08 -  BATCH 27 IS NOW HERE !!

Batch 27 of the StarCraft 2 questions has now been released.

"So far StarCraft II plays similar to the original StarCraft in that different matchups require a different unit mix. On the design team we enjoy this type of gameplay and prefer to have players use different strategies and different units against different races. Our goal is that every unit will have some use against each race, but that players will tend to prefer certain units against certain races. We are going to strive to make sure that no unit is completely worthless against any one race but there will definitely be better and worse choices depending on the enemy race, strategy, the map, and your start position on the map."

If you want to read the rest, go to the Starcraft 2 FAQ page. To get your questions answered post them in the "Questions you want to ask Blizzard" thread in the Starcraft 2 Forums.

 

24/01/08 - BLIZZARD RELEASES BATCH 26 !!

Batch 26 of the StarCraft 2 questions is now ready to be viewed.

"Protoss casters will have an ability to transfer energy from one caster to another. This ability will allow for a lot of micromanagement opportunities to maximize the amount of energy to a single caster, for the maximum number of special abilities casted."

If you want to read the rest, go to the Starcraft 2 FAQ page. To get your questions answered post them in the "Questions you want to ask Blizzard" thread in the Starcraft 2 Forums.

 

14/01/08 - BATCH 25 IS LIVE !!

Starcraft 2 Batch 25 is now reading for viewing, along with it comes a new gameplay blog section.

Gameplay Blog: With the new year, I thought everyone might enjoy a small new section to the Q&As that will happen periodically, featuring some hands-on feedback of the current builds of StarCraft II at the office. This past week Ive been able to play a few 1 versus 1 skirmish games with our new balance designer, David Kim. Even at this early stage, StarCraft II is shaping up to be an incredibly diverse game in terms of strategy. In addition to many of the original StarCraft strategies (which Ive been tending to stick with), there are several new strategies based on both the newly introduced units, as well as hybrid combinations of legacy and new units. One of the most interesting strategies in our current build is the Nomad rush. Nomads are both effective at supporting an ongoing battle with Auto Turrets (which have building armor) and defending against a raid with rapid deployment, but are surprisingly very effective at raiding as well. Im not talking about minor harassment, kill a probe or two, type of thing. Get four of these Nomads into a mineral line and you can deploy 8 Auto Turrets in no time, wreaking havoc to even a moderately defended position. Each Auto Turret is like having an instant Marine, with rapid fire, and building armor. Could this replace Siege Tank drops? Probably not, but these Auto Turrets dont cost minerals or supply.

As always, the rest of the questions from Batch 25 can be found at the bottom of the Starcraft 2 FAQ page. To get your questions answered post them in the "Questions you want to ask Blizzard" thread in the Starcraft 2 Forums.

 

11/01/08 - THE TERRAN SIEGE TANK IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED BY BLIZZARD

Another installment to the Terran race, the Siege Tank. Check it out on the Starcraft 2 Units page.

The Crucio has been designed for increased survivability with an enlarged, reinforced turret and hull. The new turret layout also features an upgraded assault-mode armament package so that the Crucio can fend for itself more successfully in an open battlefield. Force deployment costs for the Crucio have increased over the older Arclite, but the increased versatility of the powerful new siege tank more than compensates for the additional expense.

 

18/12/07 - BLIZZARD ANSWERS STARCRAFT 2 AUSTRALIA'S QUESTION IN THE LATEST FAQ !!!

Congrats to Adam for getting his question answered in FAQ Batch #24, here's his question:

Is it possible to build Phase Cannons, turn them into energy and then move them across the map to your opponents base or an expansion, redeploying them using a Phase Prism?
- Yes, this tactic will be possible.

 

18/12/07 - THE TERRAN NOMAD IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED BY BLIZZARD

After such a long wait Blizzard have finally release another new Terran unit, the Nomad. Check it out on the www.starcraft.com.au/units  Starcraft 2 Units page.

"Nomads are normally employed for first-line colony surveillance and protection duties against dangerous local life forms or climate events. These vehicles boast an impressive array of sensors delicate enough to detect even cloaked or burrowed enemies. By deploying its two aft-mounted nano-welders, the nomad can construct a variety of small, semi-permanent defensive structures to meet various threats in a matter of moments."

 

07/12/07 - STARCRAFT 2 FAQ BATCH #23 !!

Q u o t e:

After my chat with Dustin this past week, he wanted me to remind everyone that there are still several new units being created and tested for all three factions. What you have seen of the Protoss and Terran factions are in no way finished and more new units will be introduced, as well as the likeliness of current units being replaced.

 

26/11/07 - EXCLUSIVE SCREENSHOTS RELEASED TO STARCRAFT 2 FANSITES

Blizzard has just awarded three new exclusive screenshots to Starcraft 2 Fansites, two of which show off the infamous Zerg!! Check em out below.

 

22/11/07 - BATCH 22 MAP MAKER SERIES

Q u o t e:

We have our second part of our Map Maker Series, in which I have dug up some answers to one of our most popular Map Maker questions regarding Warcraft III's Defense of the Ancient Mod. Furthermore, our 'Superfly Father of ScumEdit Programmer by Day Ninja by Night,' Brett Wood and Lead Designer Dustin Browder has answered a few of our community map maker questions.

 

14/11/07 - BATCH Q&A #21 IS HERE!

"Since the Terran Ghost has an upgradable EMP ability, the Terran Nomad's has been given the ability to create stationary defenses in addition to its Defense Matrix ability. One of the new stationary defenses is the Auto-Turret, which can attack ground unit.We are hoping the Nomad's new abilities will innovate its role, in addition to being a detector. "

 

7/11/07 - BATCH Q&A #20 HAS ARRIVED!

Chat with Devs: Terran Ghosts are currently being tested as an effective Tier 1.5 unit, capable of sniping down high profile enemy targets, have an increased attack damage towards light armored units, as well as an upgradable EMP against Protoss and energy using threats. If that isnt enough, these highly advanced Terran soldiers at higher techs can also be equipped with a personal cloak ability, and launch drop pod reinforcements, as well as call down a massive nuclear strike. The StarCraft II Ghost will surely be bringing a whole new meaning to "You call down the thunder and I'll reap the whirlwind." Of course, I should mention, all of this is subject to change.

 

6/11/07 - THE PROTOSS OBSERVER RETURNS IN STARCRAFT 2

The Protoss Observer has officially returned in Starcraft 2. All of it's stats and abilities are on the Starcraft 2 Units page.

"These small drones are employed to survey vast wasteland areas or observe and record battles for study within the protoss archives. Their complex sensor array leaves little energy for defenses, but they can detect cloaked or concealed enemies with ease. This ability makes observers invaluable auxiliary units on the battlefield."

 

28/10/07 - MORE STARCRAFT 2 FAQ ANSWERED IN BATCH 19

5. What do the Protoss eat? Where do they get energy and mass?
 

Protoss gain nutrition from sunlight, or at a pinch, moonlight (which is just reflected sunlight anyway) by absorbing through their skins. They can go for extended periods without absorbing sunlight. What little moisture they need is also absorbed through their skin.

The rest of the questions from Batch Q&A #19 can be found at the bottom of the Starcraft 2 FAQ page. To get your questions answered post them in the "Questions you want to ask Blizzard" thread in the Starcraft 2 Forums.

 

25/10/07 - SENSOR TOWER RELEASED !!

The Terran Sensor Tower has just been released. For all the info on its stats and abilities check out the Starcraft 2 Buildings page.

"A sensor tower processes a whole battery of input, constantly updating a commander's knowledge of the battlefield. By using both passive and active thermal and electromagnetic scanning mixed with millimetric radar sweeps, input from seismic sensors, and Doppler analysis, a sensor tower can quickly pinpoint any target within range. Even foes that are out of sight behind terrain can be detected, although a visual verification will still be required to positively identify them."

 

23/10/07 - STARCRAFT II BATCH 18 MAP MAKER SERIES

Quote: "Hope everyone had a great weekend! For this batch, I'm pleased to announce the introduction of the Map Maker Series of Q&As, which will be mixed in periodically with our traditional batches of Q&As, to give map makers the 'heads up' on our powerful Map Editor for StarCraft II. I know many of you have great plans for mods and maps for StarCraft II, so I can't wait to tell you more about the program you'll be using. Answering questions, we have Brett Wood, our StarCraft II Senior Software Engineer, but better known as our 'Superfly Father of ScumEdit Programmer by Day Ninja by Night.'"

 

16/10/07 - WILL THERE BE AN OCEANIC SERVER ??

Congrats to secondwheel2 who got a pretty important question answered in Batch 17.

3. Will there be any consideration of having an oceanic battle.net server? (www.starcraft2.com.au)

Unfortunately, this has not been decided yet, as many aspects of Battle.net has still yet to be implemented.

 

06/10/07 - BLIZZARD ANSWERS STARCRAFT 2 AUSTRALIA'S QUESTION IN THE LATEST BATCH !!

Congratulations to Adrian.s2a who got his question answered by Blizzard in the lastest Batch Questions & Answers. Here's his question:

4. What was the design team's rationale in adding a second siege style unit (Thor) to the Terran race? (www.starcraft2.com.au)

The Thor's role compared to the Siege Tank, is more of an assault unit rather than a siege unit. The Thor is much more exposed when attacking an enemy location, while the Siege Tank has a much larger range and is able to hit the enemy at a larger distance.

 

06/10/07 - PROTOSS CARRIER ANNOUNCED !!

The Tempest has been scrapped and the Protoss Carrier has been officially released, The Starcraft 2 Units page contains all the most up to date info on it's stats and abilities.

"Interceptors are automatically manufactured and serviced inside the carriers’ bays, and a number of prepped interceptors can be launched in rapid succession. In battle, carriers appear to be virtual hornets’ nests of activity as their agile offspring dart out to launch their attacks and retreat just as rapidly to repair any damage they sustain. Terran scientists have long yearned for an opportunity to study just how the smoothly orchestrated operations of a carrier are achieved in detail."

 

03/10/07 - DISCUSSION TOPIC: BATTLE.NET FEATURES AND WISHLIST

The monthly discussion topic for October is up in the Blizzard section of the Starcraft 2 Forums, everything you post there will be forwarded to Karune, so get your questions and ideas up now and maybe they'll become a reality. The current topic is "Battle.net Features And Wishlist".

 

29/09/07 - STARCRAFT 2 TERRAN BATTLECRUISER !!

The Terran Battlecruiser has just been officially announced by Blizzard, check out the Starcraft 2 Units page for the most up to date info on the battlecruiser's stats and abilities.

The old Behemoth-class battlecruiser has proven to be an enduring design when kept up to date with periodic upgrades. Even the more modern Hercules- and Minotaur-class ships have retained the distinctive hammerhead shape which so defines the classic terran battlecruiser. Research has led to the development of two alternative weapon upgrades that can be retrofitted into a battlecruiser hull to supplement its already formidable armament.

 

29/09/07 - KARUNE'S BATCH Q&A 15 !!

The next batch of questions and answers is now up on the Starcraft 2 FAQ page.

Chat with the Devs:

During much testing, the Developers realized that the Starports ability to transform into a Starbase was not very essential in the gameplay of the Terrans and was also leaving several tech lab add ons scattered across the map. At the moment, the Starports ability to transform into a Starbase has been taken out of the game, thus to produce advanced units, the Starport will need the appropriate tech lab add-on, similar to the original StarCraft.

 

(1) Can an upgraded command center be salvaged? Does it lose its mobility when upgraded to a surveillance station?
No, the command center cannot be salvaged, nor can it lift off after it is upgraded to a Surveillance Station (allows the use of the Comsat ability).

(2) In Starcraft 1, when you cancel a nuclear launch that is in progress, you lose the warhead. Will Starcraft II make any changes to this setback?
Currently, if you cancel the nuke while it is firing, you will still lose the nuke. This outcome has not yet been finalized and may be changed in the final version.

(3) Can a Ghost be equipped with both a Nuke and Drop Pod simultaneously?
Yes, any Ghost can launch either a Nuke or a Drop Pod, making the Ghost highly effective at responding to multiple battle circumstances.

(4) Will "caster" units, such as the Protoss High Templar, have a regular attack, like Tassadar had in SC1, or will they only be able to attack through their spells?
Currently, there are no plans to give the High Templar a physical attack, though High Templar Story Characters will have additional abilities beyond that of the standard unit. At the moment, the High Templar is one of best support units in the game, with the ability to cast a devastating Psi Storm or choke off crucial areas of the map with the force field ability. Once youve used up its energy, no worries, convert it into an Archon with another Templar.

(5) Can Marines be Stimmed while in a bunker? What about a Ghosts snipe ability?
In the current build, abilities cannot be activated while inside a bunker, but you can activate abilities before entering a bunker. For example, if you activate Stim Pack on a few Marines, then enter a bunker, they will attack at the higher rate of fire from inside the bunker. The Stim Pack effects will still wear off as normal though.
 

28/09/07 - STARCRAFT 2 FAQ UPDATE

The Starcraft 2 FAQ page has just been updated with Karune's Batch Q&A 1-14, from now on whenever a new set of batch notes is released it will be posted on the FAQ page as well as the forums.

 

25/09/07 - OFFICIAL COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT !!

REGISTER TO THE STARCRAFT 2 FORUMS NOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION TO WIN A FREE COPY OF STARCRAFT 2 OR CONTRIBUTE TO THE FORUMS FOR A FREE T-SHIRT FROM IPWNFASHION.COM

METHOD OF ENTRY

1. At the end of each month the top poster will be contacted with their registered forum details and a t-shirt from I Pwn Fashion will be equipped on them. In addition a random forum account will be chosen to receive a free copy of Starcraft 2 upon release.

2. Except where advertised differently, entry is only open to all forum members of Starcraft 2 Australia.

3. Entry is as advised in the conditions of entry for the relevant competition, and only during the period advertised as the promotional period for that competition (the Promotional Period):

4. All correct and valid entries submitted during the specified Promotional Period, will be entered into the prize draw to win the nominated prize.

PRIZES

5. The prizes will consist mainly of, but will not be limited to: clothing and video game items. The value of the prizes will be as advised in the information on the relevant competition. No individual prize value will exceed $100.

6. Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash.

7. No responsibility or liability is accepted for any variation in the value of the prizes. In the event that any prize item is unavailable, Starcraft 2 Australia reserves the right to substitute a different prize item of equal or greater value.

CONDITIONS

 8. Any non contributive posts, such as one line answers and responses to topics more than one month old will not be counted in a members final post tally each month. Moderator’s digression will be used.

 9. The Forum competition commences at each month leading up to the release of Starcraft 2.

 10. Only registrants with legitimate contact details will be eligible for entrance in the Starcraft 2 game prize draw.

WINNER NOTIFICATION

11. The Starcraft 2 prize draws will take place upon the month before release. Winners of the monthly forum prize will take place at the beginning of each month. All winners will be notified by phone, email, and/or mail at the end of each competition conducted. All winners of prizes will be posted on www.starcraft2.com.au following each competition.



 21/09/07 - STARCRAFT 2 Q&A BATCH 14 !!

Karune just released batch 14 of questions & answers, let us know your thoughts about them at the Starcraft 2 Forums. Here they are

Chat with Devs:

The StarCraft II team is trying out what it would be like to have the Ghost as a Tier 1.5 unit without stealth, keeping the stealth ability as an upgrade at a later Tier.

This will be quite interesting since their snipe ability could provide much support to a group of Marines, picking off key units such as Medics, Templars, etc.
 

(1) Will there be Vespean Gas deposits that yield better rates, the same as yellow crystals?

It is very likely that there will be higher yield Vespean Gas deposits, though we are being very careful in balancing this, since gas collection is based on a more linear rate of collection (3 collectors) versus mineral collection.


(2) What happens if you initiate the warp-in of a Protoss Stalker but the pylon providing power is destroyed before warp-in completes?

If you lose the pylon providing power for the unit warping in, you will lose that unit, and the purchasing credits will likely be refunded.
 

(3) Could the Colossus be transported by the Phase Prism, since the Prism's crystal can turn any matter into energy?

Yes, the new Phase Prism now transports by changing the unit they wish to transport into energy, which is stored in the Phase Prism for transport. This allows the Phase Prism to be able to transport even gigantic units such as the Colossus.
 

(4) What happens if a Terran Battlecruiser targets a Protoss Stalker with the Yamato Cannon but the Stalker blinks away before the shot is completed?

Currently, the shot from the Yamato Cannon will still track and hit the Protoss Stalker.
 

(5) Will Dark Templars be invisible when warping in, or susceptible to attack for a few seconds before it fades out?

No, currently the Dark Templar will be invisible the instant it begins to warp-in, though of course we are still testing this for balance as it makes the Dark Templar quite strong in back door drops.
 

(6) Do the bunkers have any visual indication as to whether or not they're occupied?

Currently the bunkers do not have any visual indications to whether it is occupied or not, but this is something we would like to change.

 

07/09/07 - PROTOSS MOTHERSHIP CONFIRMED !

Blizzard has just announced the Protoss Mothership. Originally you could only have one Mothership per Protoss player on the map at any given time. However, it seems this has been changed, and you can now have multiple motherships per player, so we'd now expect the mothership abilities to be far less potent than they were in the official gameplay trailer. The Blackhole ability has also been replaced with a new Cloaking Field ability. All the latest info is on our Starcraft 2 Units page.

 

02/09/07 - MASSIVE  VIDEO PAGE UPDATE

Just added a whole bunch of Gameplay Movies and Interviews to the Starcraft 2 Videos page, so make sure ya check it out. There's about 15 videos in there now.

Thought i might put this video of Moon trying out Starcraft 2 on the main page, he's a pro Warcraft player that was competing at Blizzcon.

 

31/08/07 - TERRAN UNIT - THOR RELEASED !!

Blizzard's official StarCraft 2 website has released the new Terran unit called the 'Thor'.

"The micro-spy images showed a huge bipedal war machine armed with two giant particle beams and a dorsal artillery battery that wouldn't be out of place on a battleship. Most disturbing of all was the demonstration that this monster could be built from the ground up by ordinary construction vehicles in an astonishingly short time frame."

Check out the Starcraft 2 Units page and Starcraft 2 Forums for more info.

 

24/08/07 - TERRAN UNIT - BANSHEE RELEASED !!

Blizzard's official StarCraft 2 website has released information about the new Banshee. The units page has also been updated with the latest info.

 

16/08/07 - DARK TEMPLAR RELEASED !!

Blizzard's official StarCraft 2 website has released information about the new Dark Templar Unit. The units page has also been updated with the latest info. Post all your opinions about it in the Dark Templar thread in the forums.

 

09/08/07 - TERRAN & PROTOSS TECH TREES

Thought you all might wanna see this, its the current terran and protoss building tech trees.

  

STARCRAFT 2 OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED!!!!!

 

Starcraft 2 has been announced! We are so hyped we are putting together this fan site.

The official SC2 site is up now, detailing the first changes to the game. The new Protoss units pwn, definitely going to change the game and strats of the game. You can also view some artwork and screenshots.

 

 

 

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