Right now in South Korea Blizzard is showing off the Zerg race to the Korean press. I'll try to keep this up to the minute.
SCREENSHOTS
VIDEO
Q&A
Q: How far in development is SC2? And how much of it will be included in the final version?
A: Nothing's for certain. It took us such a long time because we were developing other games. Because of our perfectionism we can't say for sure when SC2 will be released.
Q: I heard there were immense changes to Battle.net. What are these changes?
A: Unfortunately we can't give away too much on this right now. I can only tell you it's going along well. Expect great changes!
Q: There's no Kerrigan in the video. Is the Queen Kerrigan? If not, how is Kerrigan represented? Also the Roach looks like a... roach. People called Paladins from WoW Roaches so is that the reason?
A: The Roach has nothing to do with the Paladin. Kerrigan is a unique unit and will only be playable in the single-player campaign.
Q: How many Starcraft 1 developers are involved in SC2 right now? I heard some developers of C&C were brought over and therefore was not a real sequel to SC1.
A: There are about 12 original developers. It also sticks to the original and is therefore a sequel! We've worked hard to make this a fun game and tried to satisfy picky players on multiplayer.
Q: How is the balancing process going?
A: The balancing process is very complicated! That’s why us devs are always playing and balancing the game. Fortunately we have great talents here. We’re planning on getting feedback from this demonstration. We will also balance through patches. Map developers from WC2 are participating in SC2. We can’t tell you much now but you will be able to experience it soon.
Q: I heard SC2 uses a new graphics engine. Can you tell us the specifics?
A: I’m not a graphics expert, but I can tell you we have several advanced graphics techniques being used.
Q: The Zerg scenario ended with the Protoss attacking, but the Terran were conquered for the Protoss assault. Is the sequel loyal to the original storyline? The Queen seems to be used like a hero. Do we have to tech to use it?
A: The storyline is still under development. We can’t give you any details on it yet. The Queen is usable from the beginning and is specialized towards defense. More to come later.
Q: In WWI the Mothership was a super unit and was changed to a normal unit in Blizzcon. Queen has become a superunit so what’s become of the Mothership? Do terrans have a superunit as well? The graphics look great and the system requirements look pretty steep.
A: We can’t tell you anything for certain in the game right now. The Queen’s not really a superunit but really a specialized unit. It’s weak when not defended! It’s not a hero. The sys reqs are low enough so many more users can play. A graphics card with Pixel Shader 2.0 is required.
Q: How will the testing take place? Pro gamers say SC2 feels similar to SC1 and was that a main focus? Or was the focus more on new content?
A: We’re still discussing the best approach to testing. Because SC1 was so loved we’re trying to capture the feel of SC1. However we are adding new content.
Q: Zerg’s Infestor. In SC1 Infestation wasn’t used much. How much will this be used in SC1? Do the infested units count toward population?
A: Infestation is still being tested. We’ve only shown our work in progress. We’re trying to make Infestation a valid tactic in SC2. Supply depots can be infested as well. This will be a useful ability this time around. Currently you can only produce infested marines but that’s subject to change.
Q: SC1’s AI was a bit weak. How’s pathfinding and singleplayer? The Protoss have a cliff walker unit but the Zerg don’t seem to have one. Is there a unit made with this ability? Recently user-made maps are popular but there are some restrictions with licensing. For example making a map unusable is downloaded then changed. Is there a way to secure maps?
A: The devs are working to resolve this issue (AI and pathfinding). But this is still under construction! We can’t tell you anything about what the final build will look like. The Zerg do not have a cliff walker but use Nydus Worms. We’re aware of the problem with securing user-made maps and are considering options to resolve this issue.
Q: You said the development process takes a long time but Activision Blizzard's CEO Bruce Hack (spelling?) said it'll be out soon. About when will SC2 be released? And what will happen to SC1's sales and marketing once SC2 is released?
A: We can't say when we'll release. We'll be going for perfection. Also we have differences with Bruce Hack. However we both want to release this game ASAP. And because we have SC2 it doesn't mean we'll forget about SC1. If there's one user that loves SC1 we'll keep it going.
Q: As of today, all 3 races have been announced. Each race has strengths and weaknesses. What do you think, as a developer, are the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three races?
A: Us developers don't focus too much upon strengths and weaknesses. That's why we don't add so many unnecessary features. The player is left to decide what the strengths and weaknesses are.
Q: SC1 is more popular in Korea than anywhere else. Will there be any plans to be made with Korea in mind?
A: We know about the popularity in Korea. Because Koreans love competitive gaming we're trying to make this an e-Sport game. Just revealing the game in Seoul should tell you how much we love the Korean market.
Q: Will there be an event where people can play SC2 in Korea? Also the Observer mode in SC1 was rather lacking. Will SC2 have new features? For other RTS'es the game's site hosts tournaments and leagues. Will this be done for SC2?
A: It was very important for us to announce the game through WWI and Blizzcon. Therefore we're planning on having more such conventions. The e-Sports department is doing all that they can to create the best multiplayer experience. This can change depending on the players' opinions, however. On a side note we're preparing a WC3 tournament and are expecting to host similar leagues for SC2. However this doesn't seem like the right time to talk about leagues or tournaments just yet.
UNITS
Overlord
- The overlord fulfils the same role within the swarm. It has the ability to attack. Detection is not an inherent trait; you will upgrade it.
Zergling
- Zerglings have lost their controversial wings and appear to have smaller bodies. Their functionality as expendable swarming units and their ability to morph into Banelings remains.
Hydralisk
- The hydralisk remains the ideal Zerg shock trooper that is able to attack ground and air with their potent needle spines. Additional abilities cannot be confirmed thus far. There are unconfirmed rumors of a melee attack.
Lurker
- Lurkers are visible while burrowed.
Mutalisk
- The mutalisk remains a swift Zerg flier that is armed with glave wurms to hit multiple targets. We cannot confirm which Zerg fliers, if any, evolve from the mutalisk although it is likely at least one does.
Baneling
-The Baneling is still a suicidal rolling bomb that evolves from a zergling; it is well-suited to destroying clumps of enemy units. Thus far, they function identically to the Banelings seen in the original WWI StarCraft II demonstration trailer.
Roach
- The roach is a very fast moving unit that recovers health quickly.
Queen
- The queen is a vastly different unit. She has the powerful ability to control Zerg base defence. The queen can create special structures and extend creep. It has the ability to create toxic creep. And it can make buildings regen faster. She has a nomad-esque ability drop temporary buildings that can attack.
- The queen has become a keystone unit. Varied rates of regeneration appear to be a factor in StarCraft II.
Infestor
- The defiler's replacement, the infestor can move while borrowed. This ability supercharges use of darkswarm, plague, and a multi-purpose infestation ability. Terran barracks and supply depots are confirmed infestation targets.
Corruptor
- The corruptor attacks air units. Instead of destroying them, it "corrupts" them. It can cause a large group of units to fight each other, quickly turning the tide of the battle.
Swarm Guardian
- The swarm guardian is much like the original guardian, but it can now also create broodlings.
Ultralisk
- The ultralisk can burrow.
Infested Terran
- Produced at the barracks (command center is not confirmed), the infested terrans move more slowly than marines.
Posts
Oh man, I want this game so badly.
Blizzard are on something.
They've been working on this since 2003...
To be fair I think Blizzard shifted almost their entire development team to WoW till the very least it was shipped.
Steam id: skoot LoL id: skoot
I can't wait to see that crappy cam footage in at least 1024x768 from the source.
Steam id: skoot LoL id: skoot
Glad to see they're pushing the whole "corruption" thing more. I always thought it was weird that you could only corrupt a command center and then only make generic corrupted Terrans.
KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE
This should be close to their goal for the buildings and units.
Which you can tell looks a hell of a lot better than
Steam id: skoot LoL id: skoot
I agree, the zerg buildings have a kind of shiney, plastic, rubbery feel to them right now. It's not organic at all.
That zerg rush is pretty late. Come on dude, we're like almost a page in.
Things that make you go "hmmmm"...
Steam id: skoot LoL id: skoot
WOOO!
There are six burly men in rubber suits on their way to your house right now. Blizzard does not push bars, it sits and laughs while other people push bars and makes its money in the open field of accessibility.
The improvement is that it is going to an even deeper balance and playing experience than the first game. Broodwar is ludicrously well balanced, far more than any other RTS that's been on the market since...ever really. They're making the tech trees wider (more competing options at all stages of the game), and adding in balance features that could never made it to the original game due to engine limitations.
NR5MIN ^_^
Blizzard will make money on this is the US. They'll make boatloads of money, they always do. And the reason is this: almost anyone will be able to play it. Warcraft III looked terrible for when it came out, as did Starcraft and Diablo II, but you don't have to buy a new goddamn computer to play them! They're not going for the best graphics, they're trying to make the best game that the most people can play.
This is the thing that many starcraft 1 addicts fear, me included.
As for Blizzard knowing "they will only make money on it in Korea"? Uhh.. all Blizzard had to do was mention Starcraft 2 and the Starcraft battle chest shot up into the top 10 sales ten years after the original was released. They're going to make money everywhere in the world.
As for the graphical limits, most hardcore SC fans will tell you screw that. They want something simple that reads very well. You said it yourself about WC3. In fact, many people have said they would love another 2D Starcraft.
I've mentioned the idea of updating original Starcraft with better graphics. I mean look at those Street Fighter HD screen shots.
Throw in a new Battle.net interface, updated ladder/league play and maybe a new campaign editor with new tile sets and we've got ourselves another 10 years of Starcraft original.
I don't know. I'm not seeing a huge difference in quality.
I'm also not sure whether I like the new designs. It could just be that it's new. I'll have to take another look when I have my contacts back in.
I guess the valkyrie and devourer have their place, but aren't used much at all. Maybe instead of 2 new units they could make some useless units more effective. Ghosts, queens, valkyries come to mind. All those units have limited use and are rarely seen in pro games.
Anyway, SC is huge in the US. But it's just completely dwarfed compared to S. Korea. Same with WoW and China. They look to be trying to make Starcraft just as apealing to new people while being almost infinitely deep for the tournament/hardcore people. I mean really, there's only so far you can take a Starcraft sequel as an RTS before it just doesn't look like Starcraft anymore. The people who keep banging on this drum obviously are completely oblivious to every other genre and it's rubrics.
You're going to see the biggest changes in the campaign from what I gather. It's very Wing Commander like. No more just talking heads in game and a war room briefing before a mission.
Steam id: skoot LoL id: skoot
Also, did those terran tanks have flamethrowers?
EDIT:I also see firebats.
mms://stream.thisisgame.com/ncsoftext/this/STARCRAFT%202/080310_zergplaymovie.wmv
Yeah Blizzard has to somehow find that balance between creating an RTS for your average joe and creating a highly competitive "sport". They totally fluked it on SC1, but it's one awesome fluke.
The campaign is where Blizzard can go ahead and ignore the competitive aspect of the game and just make a fun experience, so it makes sense that here is where they can make the most changes. That and the fact that SC1 campaign is like a decade old. That is forever in computer game time.
(And I'm not trying to be negative... it looks awesome; these are just things I noticed)
It looks like some sort of 3-wheeled flamethrower vehicle.
At least I think they're lurkers, I see spikes. There seem to be two or three units with the same stocky mutant turtle with spikes design going on.
Space koopas in my Starcraft? I think so.
Anyone have any idea as to what the hell those little green floating sack things are? They're kinda black and neon green. Infested babies? Goodness knows. (Not the mutating larvae, I see those too.)
I think they're playing too close to the original
Sorta like SC 1's early builds - lol orcs in space
Teehee.