Starcraft 2: Q&A, Unit Preview

[source: insidemacgames.com]

Gamespot and IGN recently released new articles focusing on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming StarCraft 2. The Gamespot feature covers a Q&A with some of the Blizzard team, while the IGN article offers a run down of the currently known units.

From Gamespot:

Other questions involved the status of Battle.net, Blizzard's proprietary multiplayer service. While the Blizzard representatives said that yes, the venerable system is due for a needed upgrade, they declined to get into specifics. According to Mike Morhaime, president and co-founder of the company, Blizzard is planning a massive upgrade to the system to support the release of StarCraft II, as the game was designed primarily as a multiplayer title. In fact, the single-player game has not had much beyond theoretical work completed on it. They also declined to answer whether this upgraded Battle.net service would start charging a subscription fee.
In response to a question about the game's storyline, Chris Metzen said that while the company is certainly invested in the storyline and wants to push it forward, the team's initial focus on multiplayer precludes much work being done on the single-player experience until the last year or two of development. He also said, however, that players should expect to see the next chapters of many of their favorite characters such as Jim Raynor, Kerrigan and Zeratul.
One burning question that Rob Pardo was eager to squelch concerned the long-rumored fourth race (the Xel'Naga or the Zerg/Protoss hybrids hinted at in the first game). He stated in no uncertain terms that there will be no fourth race in StarCraft II. The game will contain the Human, Zerg and Protoss factions and the team is completely focused on getting them as asymmetric yet balanced as possible. The game will also ship with a powerful map editor and should be even more moddable than the first.

From IGN:

Immortal: This unit activates a near impenetrable shield when under heavy arms fire. During the demonstration at WWI, Blizzard showed how Terran siege tanks were nearly powerless against Immortals, since their heavy tank blasts activated the shields. As a contrast, Terran Reapers' small arms fire made quick work of these guys.
Colossus: Think of the recent film War of the Worlds and you'll have a good idea of how this new unit looks. Their long legs allow them to easily traverse tiers of land. Equipped are a set of dual lasers that can make quick work of smaller, poorly armored units such as Zerglings.

Read full article: Starcraft 2: Q&A, Unit Preview

Gameplay

[source: starcraft.wikia.com]

StarCraft II retains some units from the original game, although some of these units have been given new abilities. Due to story events from the previous game, some units have been phased out or replaced. For example, the conquest of the Protoss homeworld of Aiur has prevented the creation of more Dragoons - the transplanted souls of Protoss warriors in exoskeletons - resulting in the remaining Dragoons to be redesigned with different weaponry and a shield that absorbs heavy damage and renamed to "Immortals".


Screenshot of StarCraft II gameplay

The demo reveals new abilities that involve more complex interaction with the game environment than StarCraft. Terran units known as Reapers can swiftly leap over cliffs, and Protoss Stalkers are capable of short-range teleportation to pursue fleeing enemies. Additionally, new abilities have been extended to structures. The Protoss are able to warp prefabricated units within range of their Pylons, and also possess the Phase Prism, a unit that acts as a mobile Pylon, providing power to Protoss buildings in the absence of conventionally built Pylons.

The number of units in the game will not change. For every new unit added, one "underused" unit has been removed.

Observations

Several interesting things are seen briefly in the recently released gameplay video. In the beginning of the video, what appears to be a new Terran structure can be seen mining minerals with a laser-like beam and extracting them without the involvement of SCV's or similar mining units. Also interesting is that no Command Centers are seen in the vicinity, indicating that these structures are independent and self sufficient. The use of an advanced shadowing engine is also apparent, allowing shadows to behave realistically and stretch or compress according to the curvature of the texture they are falling upon. Debris and doodads also appear to cast their own dynamic shadows.

It is also interesting to note that a sign doodad seen partway through the video advertises the name Mengsk, feasibly in reference to Arcturus Mengsk whose inclusion in the plot of StarCraft II is the subject of much speculation.

Races
The sequel introduces no new playable races and keeps the three original races Protoss, Terran, and Zerg.

New units

Terran

• Reaper: Uses dual pistols, can jet pack across terrain.

Protoss

• Colossus: A large quad-legged vehicle that fires strong dual lasers in a "wave-like" pattern well-suited to destroying swarms of weaker units. Shown in the video destroying a large wave of Zerglings. This unit can also traverse differences in terrain height due to its long legs. The Colossus has no anti-air weapons.


• Immortal: Replaces the Dragoon. Strong defense against powerful attacks, but vulnerable to weaker attacks.


• Mothership: A powerful flying unit which consumes an extreme amount of resources to produce, but is a unique unit (1 at a time). Has the Timebomb ability, which slows all enemy missile attacks, and the Earth Cracker, a large laser that obliterates anything in its path, in the style of Independence Day. Also has an ability to create a black hole that can suck in ships as large as Battlecruisers. Looks like a floating sand dollar.


• Phase Prism: A dual-purpose unit, able to transport units or act as a mobile Pylon.


• Phoenix: This anti-air unit can overcharge its guns for a multiple projectile blast, but after the blast the ship is rendered inert for a short period. The Phoenix is very weak versus large enemy air units such as a Battlecruiser, but is powerful versus small and medium air units.


• Stalker: A Dragoon-like unit of the Dark Templar, able to blink (short-range teleport) and deliver ranged attacks against air and ground units.


• Warp Ray: Flying unit that deals damage with a blue laser that does more damage as it focuses on the same target. Good versus heavily armored targets like Battlecruisers and buildings, weak against small arms fire.

Zerg

• Nydus Worm: Can be used to transport small units such as Zerglings underground.


• Succubus: Special ground unit. "Infect" ability allows takeover of hostile organics for a limited amount of time, ending in the target unit exploding and damaging everyone around it.

Updated units

Protoss

• Zealot: Will have a new charge ability, allowing a zealot unit to quickly close the distance between itself and an enemy unit.


• Gateway: Has the ability to turn into a Warp Gate that can transport troops around the map.

Zerg

• Zergling: New ability to mutate into suicidal "Banelings", that can roll across the terrain.

New racial abilities

• Protoss: will be able to warp prefabricated units close to any Pylons or deployed Phase Prisms, possibly due to upgrading the Gateway to a Warp Gate.

Hybrids
The Hybrid does not appear to be available as a playable race in StarCraft II, but a strange creature which may be a Hybrid is portrayed in a StarCraft II trailer. The Hybrid may appear in the single-player storyline.

Read full article: Gameplay

Features

[source: wikipedia.org]

StarCraft II will support DirectX 9 (pixel shader 2.0) and the development team is considering adding DirectX 10 as well. The game will feature the Havok physics engine, allowing "debris [to] roll down a ramp", as well as improved 3D graphics.

Read full article: Features

About

[source: starcraft2.com]

StarCraft II continues the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the legendary original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and brand-new unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival.

Featuring a unique single-player campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II will present a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in an edgy sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. In addition, Blizzard will again offer unparalleled online play through Battle.net, the company's world-renowned gaming service, with several enhancements and new features to make StarCraft II the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game.

Features:

* Fast-paced, hard-hitting, tightly balanced competitive real-time strategy gameplay that recaptures and improves on the magic of the original game
* Three completely distinct races: Protoss, Terran, and Zerg
* New units and gameplay mechanics further distinguish each race
* Groundbreaking single-player "story-mode" campaign
* Vibrant new 3D-graphics engine with support for dazzling visual effects and massive unit and army sizes
* Full multiplayer support, with new competitive features and matchmaking utilities available through Battle.net
* Full map-making and scripting tools to give players incredible freedom in customizing and personalizing their gameplay experience

Read full article: About