100 replies to this topic

[Dei]

Battle.net kind of ruins the entire concept of the internet. :< This ^@!$ ain't world wide yo.

[Valdez]

It's like a virtual private network, except not so private actually.

[Haasth]

Pretty long interview that delves into different points. Lot of storyline questions at the start.

• They are looking into porting over the few story choices from Wings into Heart of the Swarm. Even though they probably won't have much impact either way. (For example, why the hell would Kerrigan care about Tosh?)
  
  
• They're going to reduce the 'number of sets' in campaign. Instead of the cantina, the news sections etc etc. they're going to put them more into the story.
  
  
• This game is going to be mainly about the singleplayer experience; "A ton of effort that is going into this game is going to be about the missions, about the singleplayer experience" and the multiplayer will only change a little.
  
  
• They're thinking a lot about doing Co-Op (Campaign) but don't want to do it "Half-assed" and haven't "Found the time" yet to do so properly. (*cough* Half-assed Dawn of War 2 *cough*)
  
  
• They're considering to start adding a balance system to certain custom game modes like "StarJeweled" so that you'll be matched up on a reasonable even skill level.
  
  
• They want to keep the multiplayer unit pool low.
  
  
• They said they will replace or change existing ones, especialy "boring" and underused ones.
  
  They mentioned Overseer as the most possible candidate for the recycle bin.
  (Judging by this I'd say Battlecruiser and Carriers would be a clear candidate for this too then. They also mentioned Immortals totally didn't work out as they wanted them to be so may expect those to change too - Their original intent was to have them as 'meat shields' which they definitely are not. Mothership is really underused as well. Queens have been stated to be useful but their mechanics can be improved. I wouldn't count out Corruptors and Void Rays out of this equation either. Lastly Hydralisks and Ravens are quite underused as of right now as well and I expect at least a change to them)
  
  "We might very well see scenarios where we see one race get two more units, one race gets one and the other will just get some tweaks to existing units."
  
  
• They mentioned changing the time settings (For those that don't know, almost everything is played on the 'Faster' setting like Ladder Games which is 72.5% of normal time) or at least make it less confusing UI wise (On scorescreens etc)
  
  
• The idea of being able to watch replays with friends 'is there'.
  
  
• They're still going over the 'lore possibilities' of why and how Kerrigan can resurrect.
  
  
• They're thinking of adding rag-doll effects and the likes but to make them so they do not affect gameplay. Creep effects will get a big change as well. But they don't want the graphic requirements to change.
  
  
• They're sure they'll have something 'cool in store' for the Collector's edition. (The question was if we'll see the same as with the current Collector's edition that basically changes Thorns into Gundam looking Thors. The question was aimed at Collector's edition Ultralisks and probably Collectors edition Colossi in LotV)
  
  
• The goal is to 'at least make you sympathize' with the Zerg. The example they make is District 9, but there they make them very human so they consider that as 'cheating' but they really want to make you understand the Zerg which they feel no other form of media has done as of yet (I can't think of anything)
  
  
• Iszha is an actual character. She's 'pretty attached' to the Leviathan however.
  
  
• They're hinting at some 'cameos'.
  
  
• Cerebrates aren't returning. Kerrigan has a vision for the Swarm that has nothing to do with the Overmind and thus she went a more Broodmother way which are more evolved, independent thinkers.
  
  
• They feel like scouting early game is lacking, not just Zerg (Question mentioned the "IdrA argument" which is mostly about Zerg lacking early game scouting which they do). On the flipside they feel it's something people learn to deal with and they don't want to have every game look the same due to scouting. For now they are looking in how the 'metagame' will work out and evolve more, and if in the end it does end up that certain things are lacking they will change that in HotS. I sure wouldn't mind a tier 1 scouting unit that can't get blocked by pretty much every ramp.
  
  
• They're not really planning on it yet but they 'heard the request' of global ladders. Apparently it is technically hard to pull off for them though.

Kind of funny hearing them mention all kind of professional players near the end and laughing over some of their crazy strategies. And that they too love watching people stream the game and others like Day9 (Who, I swear is there.. at 1:03:30 I swear I can hear that guy ) who are 'teaching' Starcraft to others.

[Erix]

The reason why it's hard for them to pull off global ladders is most likely because they decided to split Bnet into regions...

[Dei]

Haasth, on 04 June 2011 - 09:44 AM, said:

[*] They're hinting at some 'cameos'.

..Blizzard...cameos...? NO WAY.

[Haasth]

Dei, on 04 June 2011 - 12:12 PM, said:

..Blizzard...cameos...? NO WAY.

I know rite. Totally shocking to me too. It was kind of funny how they went about it in the interview though.

[Gorays]

IGN has a preview up, not much new info but interesting read nonetheless,

http://pc.ign.com/ar.../1178091p1.html

Edited by Gorays, 22 June 2011 - 06:52 PM.

[Haasth]

Funny how over here you'd probably get nothing but a dead stare.

[Piglet]

He just grabbed ammo out of the butt of that black guy WITH HIS MOUTH?!

[Dei]

Piglet, on 28 July 2011 - 09:47 AM, said:

He just grabbed ammo out of the butt of that black guy WITH HIS MOUTH?!

Dude, that's how Siege tanks work, go play Starcraft.

[Commander Loony]

BUMP! I haven't been around for a while, so I can get away with it

Anyone still play this game? I haven't touched it since... May? I don't even remember, the repetitiveness got too much for me once the campaign was over.

Quote

[*] This game is going to be mainly about the singleplayer experience; "A ton of effort that is going into this game is going to be about the missions, about the singleplayer experience" and the multiplayer will only change a little.

Right. Make the skirmish AI a little less predictable and mechanic and I'll have a reason to play this again.

Quote

[*] They're considering to start adding a balance system to certain custom game modes like "StarJeweled" so that you'll be matched up on a reasonable even skill level.

They're always saying that, isn't their system good enough as is?

Quote

They mentioned Overseer as the most possible candidate for the recycle bin.
(Judging by this I'd say Battlecruiser and Carriers would be a clear candidate for this too then. They also mentioned Immortals totally didn't work out as they wanted them to be so may expect those to change too - Their original intent was to have them as 'meat shields' which they definitely are not. Mothership is really underused as well. Queens have been stated to be useful but their mechanics can be improved. I wouldn't count out Corruptors and Void Rays out of this equation either. Lastly Hydralisks and Ravens are quite underused as of right now as well and I expect at least a change to them)

Half of these units seemed last minute and pointless, especially the Raven. What the hell is that? And perhaps these units are useless and boring because most online games are over in just a few moments with the use of either race's basic units? Perhaps they should just make a game where each race only has the first tierunits available -exclusive to online gamers!

Quote

[*] The goal is to 'at least make you sympathize' with the Zerg. The example they make is District 9, but there they make them very human so they consider that as 'cheating' but they really want to make you understand the Zerg which they feel no other form of media has done as of yet (I can't think of anything)

Sympathy for the Zerg? The only alien race I personally see as the most aggressive and legitimate and believably superior in all of science fiction? This will be interesting to see how they go about doing this, but I still think it's far fetched. The Zerg are fearsome and ravenous! Not some wild animals caught in a road train's headlights!

Quote

[*] Cerebrates aren't returning. Kerrigan has a vision for the Swarm that has nothing to do with the Overmind and thus she went a more Broodmother way which are more evolved, independent thinkers.

While I enjoyed the Cerebrates and viewed them as a viable and vital part of the Zerg's infrastructure (if that), I guess it's fair that they're no longer existent in Starcraft's timeframe, seeing as how Kerrigan killed them off during her ascension.

Quote

[*] They feel like scouting early game is lacking, not just Zerg (Question mentioned the "IdrA argument" which is mostly about Zerg lacking early game scouting which they do). On the flipside they feel it's something people learn to deal with and they don't want to have every game look the same due to scouting. For now they are looking in how the 'metagame' will work out and evolve more, and if in the end it does end up that certain things are lacking they will change that in HotS. I sure wouldn't mind a tier 1 scouting unit that can't get blocked by pretty much every ramp.

Maybe scouting would be more useful if maps weren't symmetrical and there was shroud instead of a veil of fog atnthe start of a game? There's no guesswork involved anymore, you pretty much know where your enemy is because the map gave away their location before the game started.

So yeah. My outdated opinion believes that the hype for Starcraft 2 seems wasted. I spent a vast amount of time playing the first game over the second ten fold. My only hopes they don't do something incredibly stupid with the lore.

[Haasth]

I'm just going to quote this as I generally am inclined to agree with the rest of what you say. Though locations aren't actually given away before a game starts, if you do solo ladder and you encounter bigger maps you do have to scout around for your enemy and the longer you take the more chance you have of being utterly caught off-guard.

Commander Loony, on 14 August 2011 - 07:12 AM, said:

Sympathy for the Zerg? The only alien race I personally see as the most aggressive and legitimate and believably superior in all of science fiction? This will be interesting to see how they go about doing this, but I still think it's far fetched. The Zerg are fearsome and ravenous! Not some wild animals caught in a road train's headlights!

Not quite wild animals caught in a road train's headlights no, but more like semi-sentient creatures that were maliciously genetically programmed to reach out and consume every source of psychic power in the galaxy against their original intent and little will they may have possessed - or rather to find the Protoss and assimilate them while on the way there assimilating whatever they could find. Which, if the Overmind and now Kerrigan didn't intervene, were going to be tossed aside as soon as whatever dark and sinister power is set out to destroy the entire universe completed his goal.

So I'd definitely say there is some room for sympathy depending on how they go at it.

Edited by Haasth, 14 August 2011 - 07:58 AM.

[Commander Loony]

Ahhh yes, I remember now of the circumstances awaiting the Zerg once their ultimate use had expired. I seem to have a far stronger memory of the events and story behind the first Starcraft than that of the second. But now that you have refreshed my memory, I do remember thinking "Awwww, poor Zerg!" when I found out their fate. But I still want answers!

[Cheeseinator]

Oh man. Since I've been back in civilization I haven't gotten around to playing the SCII campaign. I've played a bit of multiplayer but I've not had the time to sit down and play the single player. But you guys make it sound like I'm not missing much. Which is a shame. One of the greatest strengths of the original Starcraft was the epic story-line. Honestly I think of all games I've played I think Starcraft definitely has one of the best, if not THE best story. For me, a good story is a requirement for a good game.

[Erix]

I thoroughly enjoyed the singleplayer campaign. The story is very well told, the missions aren't the same copy-pasta ^@!$ that most games do nowadays. It's definitely worth playing through.

[Cheeseinator]

hmm... Just played the first few missions. The whole 'interactive intermission' stuff is fun. Also purchasing upgrades and units and stuff is fun. Makes you feel more engaged in the campaign. Still, the snails-pace plot playout is getting to me. All of the annoying side missions. Still rather enjoyable though.

[Commander Loony]

I didn't like how the majority of missions didn't hold any strong relevance to the storyline, the missions from the original stuck out more to the point where I can retell to myself the chain of events in the Koprulu Sector from the moment the Zerg began taking over up until the annihilation of the UED armada and Kerrigan's ultimate control over everything. It seemed like those events never crossed over into SCII's events. I dunno, I guess I liked how the missions were never the same, but the constant "race against the clock" annoyed me. If given either Brood War or Starcraft 2 to complete on a desert island, I'd take Brood War.

Edited by Commander Loony, 12 September 2011 - 04:02 AM.

[Dei]

So...apparently Blizzard said they'll release 6 games in the following 3 years...That's..very..un-Blizzard. Unless they typo'd 30.

[Haasth]

6 games in the following 3 years?

...Heart of the Swarm, Diablo 3, Legacy of the Void, next WoW expansion... This I could see them do in three years.
Perhaps an online WoW Trading Card game, but that's not something they normally release... Regardless, I'd love one. I hear that TCG is actually very good. And who knows, Warcraft 4! But that would require them to make up more lore... Unless they want to make a game based solely on pop culture referenes.

[Erix]

You forgot the Diablo 3 expansion.