StarCraft 2's Art Design

How units and environments are being created in the sequel.

[source: ign.com]

The second day of Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational 2007 in Seoul, South Korea shed light on some of the artistic efforts that went into creating StarCraft 2's units and environments. On hand during a panel discussion were Sam Didier, Senior Art Director for the game, Rob McNaughton, Lead Technical Artist, Trevor Jacobs, Senior 3D Artist, Allen Dilling, Senior 3D Artist, and Dave Berggren, another Senior 3D Artist. Didier started off the discussion, which was first a powerpoint-style demonstration from all five panel members followed by a question and answer session from fans in attendance. All these guys with the exception of Allen Dilling (considered a "youngster" at Blizzard, having only worked there for eight years) contributed to the art design for the original StarCraft. Dilling contributed to the visuals for WarCraft 3 and its expansion, The Frozen Throne.

Emphasized was Blizzard's commitment to creating exaggerated, stylistic characters, something indicative of the company's visual form. When characters are so small onscreen, they need "bold and saturated colors," along with "strong silhouettes" according to Didier.

Rob McNaughton then took the stage to speak briefly about creating units. Blizzard is using Photoshop for texturing, 3D Studio Max, and StarTools to integrate custom art into the game. StarTools is planned to be made available to the public along with ScummEdit for map creation. McNaughton went on to say the map editor will feature new scripting and trigger mechanics, and be a more powerful version than that found in WarCraft 3. In terms of fancy technical effects, StarCraft 2 is built on a DX9 engine and uses per pixel lighting, normal mapping, high dynamic range bloom, rendering and tone mapping, as well as integrated havoc physics. Using their engine, Blizzard is hoping to have up to 300 units on screen at once.



Also detailed was the process of creating the actual models in the game. McNaughton showed a Protoss Zealot as an example. The base wireframe model was comprised of 1500 polygons, given the normal mapping treatment, textured through Photoshop, and through the process emerged as a pleasantly detailed, furious Zealot face with moving eyebrows, glowing blue eyes, and a metal goatee. Trevor Jacobs spoke next to briefly relay how models had to be adjusted from the concept art phase to final. He singled out the Protoss Immortal as an example, describing how the shoulder pads had to be enlarged and facial angle tilted to adjust for StarCraft 2's top-down view.

With so many Zerglings, Marines, or Zealots crowding the battlefield, Blizzard is focusing on "personality, life, and emotion with animation," says Allen Dilling, "we're not really worried about being realistic." Each unit will have three variations of animation to make the screen more interesting when multiple units of the same type occupy the screen. Protoss Phase Prisms, for instance, have differentiated effects for transformation between mobile mode and phase field mode. Dilling also described how the Protoss Mothership's Planet Cracker attack, which drills three rings of rotating concentric lasers into the ground, was originally designed as a large single laser blast. It was changed to the present state because the single beam obscured too much of the action behind it. "[We] try to be fast and quick with effects and make sure they don't interfere with gameplay," says Dilling. He repeated the phrase "tight and concise" when referring to animations, and said the art team was focusing on eliminating clipping between units. Exceptions are made for special cinematic effects, such as the elaborate warp-in animation for the Mothership.



Next Dave Berggren took the stage to comment on StarCraft 2's environmental design. Three environments were shown, including a Protoss forested temple world called Bel'Shir, the Terran space platform shown in the demo videos, and the fierce Zerg world of Char. Demonstrated were a number of "doodads," apparently Blizzard's term for environmental objects. For Belshir this includes stone arches and rocky structures. Heavy industrial structures, energy pipes, generators and exhaust vents were used for the space platform, and bone finger structures extending from the earth, fleshy fins, and lava canyons on Char. Berggren continued with his process of creating ground tiles, focusing on the brick floor featured on Bel'Shir. He starts out with a line drawing of brick tiles, adds light and dark areas for texture, overlays an actual picture of dirt, adjusts a few details by hand, the drops in a normal map and imports it into the game. The result, for better or worse, looked like a dirty stone floor.

After the prepared comments, the floor was opened to fans. The art panel had to field some rather strange questions, including one asking whether there'll be a StarCraft-based movie. Of course there's been no announcement yet, but Didier enthusiastically responded, "we never put anything off the table." Another crowd member asked if we'd ever see a StarCraft-based RPG or MMO, to which Didier said, "that sounds awesome, I would love to play it, but at the moment we have nothing announced."

Read full article: StarCraft 2's Art Design

Dear Blizzard/Vendini, we want some ******* Linux ports.

Stop WINEing and actually tell them we want ports.

... Another call for signing the petition and proving Bizzard that the Linux installers ARE needed!

[source: Ubuntu Gamers Arena]

We all know the old story: Blizzard releases game, game runs on ***dows (and mac), Linux gamer complains. Nothing happens, Linux gamer uses WINE to run game in OpenGL mode, Blizzard wins either way. Well speaking from personal experience, it's getting a bit tiring. The Linux community is tired of being largely ignored by the gaming industry taking a big old crap on us, and with the upcoming release of Starcraft 2 some of us are attempting to do something about it. *INCOMING JOKE* Kidnapping CEOs, burning their dogs, and selling their houses on Ebay. *END JOKE* But seriously a petition has been started, and at the moment of writing this it's up to 3741 signatures. It may not help, or it may tip the scales, who the hell knows. But trying to do something is a whole lot better than just complaining.
=
Truth be told an online petition does not amount to alot anymore, but it's a start. Just seeing over 3000 signatures might just be the confidence boost some of you out there need to do something more. The best idea is to send a physical letter to Vendini or Blizzard on this subject (addresses for both here) being polite and to the point, listing the games you've purchased from them in the past and letting them know you are tired of having to dual boot or use API emulation to play the games you love. Like has been said on the Ubuntu forums, real letters get real responses, and I'd imagine getting several thousand actual letters from their customers could possibly make an impact. Think it over, sign the petition, and if you're up to it buy a stamp and pour your heart out.

Read full article: Dear Blizzard/Vendini, we want some ******* Linux ports.

No to a DotA-like mod/map for StarCraft II

Here's another petition... This time not for Linux installers, but for banning DotA in SC2 =)

I can't see why would someone mind StarCraft 2 DotA, but here's the quote anyway:

[source: gopetition.com]

Description/History:

Mods/maps are good, they help introduce more new blood to the gamer gene pool. There is Counter-Strike a mod for Half-Life; Counter-Strike: Source a mod for Half-Life 2; there is Defense of the Ancients or DotA as commonly known, a mod-map for WarCraft III RoC/TFT.

These mods served its purpose, there are countless new gamers today, and still even added everyday. But it has reached the point where it must sleep for now. As too much of it only kills a game it was based on, and the genre it belongs to.

Look at how Counter-Strike killed "real" FPS and the game Half-Life. The same thing was repeated again with DotA, killing WarCraft III and the "real" RTS world.

These mods are good, yes, no question about that, but these "type" of mods have a purpose and they did their job well. Let us put it to sleep until we need it again when the time comes.

Petition:

We, the undersigned, call on Blizzard, Inc. and the mod/map makers to not provide tools and/or maps that will enable the creation of another CS/DotA-type modification and/or maps.

We are not against any of those type of modifications/maps but rather, we all want to keep the spirit, the essence, and the very aspect that makes StarCraft "the god of the RTS" genre intact.

We ask that we keep StarCraft II a true RTS game where RTS and non-RTS players can learn to be a better "real" RTS gamer, and have fun together, using our brains and creating "Real-Time Strategies".

We believe that an RTS should be fun, educational, and healthy. Giving the gamers a chance to develop new skills and to enhance their existing skills. Which a "Real-Time Strategy" game like StarCraft II can provide, and a CS/DotA-type mod lessens.

Thank you very much and we want to reiterate that we are not against the creators of CS and DotA, or even to the mods itself. Let's just put some limits to these type of mods, and choose which games to implement it.

Definitely it is not StarCraft II.

Read full article: No to a DotA-like mod/map for StarCraft II

Can Blizzard top itself with 'StarCraft 2?'

Rob Pardo talks about long development cycles — and keeping secrets

[source: MSNBC]

By Kristin Kalning
Games editor
MSNBC

Blizzard Entertainment is one of the most successful game developers in the world, with an unbroken string of hit games including “World of Warcraft,” the “Diablo” franchise, the “Warcraft” series and “StarCraft.”

The only hitch? The company famously will ship no game before its time, which means fans often have a long wait between new releases.

Ask any game fan which Blizzard sequel they’d most like to see and the answer will inevitably be “StarCraft 2,” even from the most hardcore “World of Warcraft” addict. Released in 1998, the real-time strategy game about a war between three galactic species is considered one of the greatest games of all time. "StarCraft," and the expansion “Brood Wars,” have sold nearly 10 million units.

...

What took so long? The first “StarCraft” shipped nine years ago. Why has it taken so long to circle back to this franchise?

Mainly because we make our decisions on what game we’re going to work on from a creative standpoint. The team that worked on the original “StarCraft” wanted to revisit the “Warcraft” universe, and they went on to work on “Warcraft 3.” When that game finished up [in 2002,] they were excited to go back and work on the “StarCraft” universe.

We did break ground on “StarCraft 2” in 2003, but wasn’t in full production for another year or so.

How’d you manage to keep it secret for so long?

Well, Penny Arcade figured it out!

We keep games under code names and we teach developers to refer to games by their code name. And we’re just really careful about talking about the game internally. We don’t bring external folks through unannounced product areas. But I think even I’m surprised that we were able to keep it under wraps all the way to the end.

Speaking of secrets, what is your timeline for release for “StarCraft 2?”

It’s a secret! I can give you the old Blizzard mantra of: “It’ll ship when it’s ready,” but it’s something that historically, we’ve learned to keep release dates really close to the vest. I think all game developers are extremely optimistic, and we used to give optimistic dates and we’d disappoint our fans when we didn’t hit them. So now, I think we’ve just gotten more gun shy. The only thing I can give you [that’s] concrete is it’s not going to be this year. Some people were hoping, because of how advanced the game looks, that we’d have it out by Christmas, but that’s definitely not happening.

...

Are all of the key roles filled on the “StarCraft 2” team? And what’s the size of the team now that it’s in full production?

All the key roles are filled, and we’re running approximately 40 people.

...

“StarCraft 2”s biggest competitor probably is “StarCraft.” How will you top that game and convince players that this isn’t just “StarCraft” in 3-D?

That’s a really good question. It’s not so much beating “StarCraft” that’s the problem, it’s beating people’s perception and nostalgia of “StarCraft.” “StarCraft” was and is a great game, but it’s certainly an older game. Across the board, “StarCraft 2” is a better game in a lot of ways.

Will it live up to that nostalgia? Time will tell.

What new technologies can players expect to see in “StarCraft 2?”

The first one is an enormous graphical improvement by going to 3-D.

We’ve also added things like a physics system in the game…we’re not really utilizing it for gameplay as much as for graphical improvement. Like, you’ll see things like debris that will actually fall apart, which adds more immersion and a lot more realism.

Online, we’ve learned a lot. In the original “StarCraft,” there was no online matchmaking system. That’s going to be huge…for “StarCraft 2.” In “Warcraft 3,” you had to press the “play game” button and it’d put you in a game with similarly skilled people. We’re going to do yet another improvement on that system for “StarCraft 2,” which is going to be huge for the online market — especially broad market users.

...

Given the popularity of “WoW,” do you have any plans to go to subscription model with “StarCraft 2” or any subsequent releases?

We’re going to do what’s right for the game. We made “WoW” to be a subscription game from the very beginning. With “StarCraft 2” it’s probably going to follow more of a box model. But we’ll decide more of that stuff down the line.

Battle.net is pretty expensive to maintain, isn’t it?

It’s not as expensive as “WoW” to maintain! (Laughs)

...

But no fourth race?

No fourth race. We talked a lot about it. We ultimately decided we wanted to focus on the three races we had.

Will Blizzard remain a PC developer?

I don’t know. If you talk to our biz guys, they like the PC for a lot of reasons, but we don’t make our decisions based entirely on business or even primarily on business. We make our decisions based on the games we want to make. After that point, we make the decision on [what system] that game is going to live. And up to this point, the games we wanted to make worked best on the PC.

Read full article: Can Blizzard top itself with 'StarCraft 2?'

The ultimate Blizzard sequel: Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3?

[source: younewb.com]

Ever since Starcraft was released, it has been an extremely popular game all around the world and even played professionally for money in several countries. Many gamers had been waiting for years with no visible hope for a continuance of one of the best RTS games that was ever created. Then Blizzard decided to drop the ball on everyone and give the good news to the millions that Starcraft was having a sequel and was going to be released in 2008. The whole gaming community went into frenzy and everything that had anything to do about Starcraft 2 exploded on websites and appeared everywhere. Hell, there was even a story on Yahoo’s homepage about SC – that’s how big it was. I was filled with joy yet at the same time torn apart because the news of Starcraft 2 meant fewer chances for the creation of Diablo 3.

The Diablo franchise is Blizzard’s best selling (counting WoW and Warcraft RTS as two different franchsies) with a total of number of around 17 million sold, crushing Starcraft’s 9.5 million. Diablo and its sequel can be qualified as an action RPG that is set in a dark fantasy world around medieval times. You can play many different classes which you gain experience, level up, buy/find items, and much more. The sheer depth of the game is breathtaking and a gamer can easily play the game for years on end while having unique experiences each and every time. This is because most of the levels and items are randomly generated which give tons of possibilities, as well as having an engrossing storyline, and amazing multiplayer. Both games are definitely some of the best ever produced and in my opinion are almost flawless in every single way.

Now I love Starcraft just as much as the next person but ever since Diablo 2 was released back in 2000, I have been hooked. I took a little break for a while but since the announcement of Starcraft 2, I decided to fire it back up and have been playing it for the last week or so. I can’t stop playing again and I am coming to realize why it is my favorite Blizzard game and probably a top 5 favorite game of all time. Yesterday, I sat home and thought about how the release of Starcraft 2 means that Diablo 3 will most likely be put off for at least a few more years if it even becomes a reality. Then I thought to myself, “What happened if Blizzard said they would only release either or game and that’s all they would be creating?” I sat long and hard and came to the realization that I would rather see Diablo 3 be produced because I believe it would set a precedent in the gaming world once again.

Diablo 3 would be groundbreaking in my opinion, and have more affect on the gaming industry then the release of Starcraft 2 will. SC 2 is going to have all the new graphics, new units, maps, and more but in turn will be another RTS which we have seen for the last 10+ years. I think SC 2 will be absolutely perfect but in the same time I believe that it will inspire new ideas like the release of Diablo 3 would. With each of the Diablo games released, they really pushed the limits of gaming at their relative time and took leaps that not many other games have. They encouraged so many other companies to create new and unique games, as well as striving for quality with their releases. Some of the best games ever created were spawned because of Diablo, such as the Baldur’s Gate franchise, Dungeon Siege, Ragnarok Online, and the upcoming release that looks stunning, Hellgate: London. Without Diablo, we wouldn’t have some of the greatest games ever published.

So with all this in mind, I ask you this one simple question: If Blizzard was going to create only one, which would you have, Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3? Think long and hard about this and reply back in the comments for me. I want to see everyone’s’ take on this subject and see who agrees with my choice, Diablo 3. Also, has anyone found themselves playing Diablo 2 again, especially since the news of Starcraft 2 or am I the only one?

Read full article: The ultimate Blizzard sequel: Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3?

Top 10 Reasons to Play Starcraft 2

If the massive success of Starcraft is anything to go by, and Blizzard has indeed spent the last four years making sure they don’t mess with success, then Starcraft 2 is going to be an overload of fun. Below are the top ten reasons why Starcraft 2 has all the potential to be the best game to play for the next ten years.

[source: gamereplays.org]

10.) Historical Event
Missing out on something everyone is talking about is never fun. You feel like an outsider and you’re not able to easily relate to what other people are discussing. The release of Starcraft 2 will be an epic moment in the history of the RTS timeline of events. No RTS title has been as anticipated (or expected) as the second coming of Starcraft. While you can always get into Starcraft 2 at any time, there’s nothing like playing a new game from the start. Starcraft 2 might very well be your only chance to play a new Starcraft game at release for quite some time.

9.) Accessibility
The challenge of any RTS game should be in fighting against your opponent, not fighting against the gameplay mechanics. Starcraft 2 is not going to be an overly complicated game. While the legendary reputation of Starcraft’s best players can make the franchise seem like it’s overwhelmingly hard to play, it’s really not. There’s a difference between complexity and depth, and Starcraft 2’s mechanical simplicity, but strategic and tactical depth, will make it enjoyable at every skill level.

8.) Replayability
Starcraft is arguably the most played RTS game in history. The reason is simple: downright good gameplay, which is something Starcraft 2 will have plenty of. Combined with good support and a strong community, playing Starcraft 2 will never get old. Each game will offer something different, and even the most common strategies will still be fun to use and fun to try and overcome. If you want a game that will stick with you as much as you stick with it, Starcraft 2 is your best bet.

7.) Strong Competitive Environment
For those that play RTS games competitively, you can feel confident that Starcraft 2 will be very well received by every major competitive gaming establishment throughout dozens of countries. The original Starcraft created the most competitively saturated RTS environment ever. There will be an abundance of local, national, and international LANs and tournaments to play in. There will be online competitions and leagues offering prizes and rewards for being the best. Essentially, there won’t be a shortage of competition or ways you can earn a little something extra for doing what you love to do: play games.

6.) Unique Factions
As elementary as this sounds, it’s something a lot of games simply get wrong. Unique factions do two important things: they add depth, and they add replayability. Depth comes from the fact that the strategies you use to beat one faction will not be the strategies you use to beat another faction. It will require different build orders, different unit mixes, and different uses of those units from one faction to the next. It adds replayability because the strategies you’ve learned for one faction, will not be the same for the other factions. Essentially, once you’ve mastered one faction, you still have two other factions to master. In games where the factions are almost identical, once you’ve learned one, you’ve basically learned the whole game. Starcraft 2’s truly and fundamentally distinct factions will keep the game feeling fresh for a long time.

5.) Unit Abilities and Micromanagement
Part of what real time strategy is all about is being in control of your army. What’s important is for that control to have an impact on the outcome of a game. Otherwise you’re just wasting your time. Many of Starcraft 2’s units will have secondary abilities that allow them to be used in interesting and creative ways. Essentially, these abilities provide a player with the means to extend a unit’s effectiveness beyond its default behavior so that being out numbered doesn’t necessarily mean being beaten. Moreover, these specialized abilities will help to contribute to each faction’s unique identity and playstyle. It will simply feel fun and rewarding using your units as you try and use them to their greatest possible extent.

4.) Huge Community
A large community of players is arguably the most important part of a game, even for singleplayer. For starters, Starcraft 2’s community will more than likely have a very low depreciation rate, meaning it will stay strong for a long time. But even as it starts to decline, the player-base will be so large to start with, that by the time the next Starcraft comes out, you’ll still always be able to find a good game. There’s nothing more frustrating than waiting to find a match against someone who is worth playing against, only to wind up with an opponent or team that just ruins it for you. A shortage of players means a shortage of good games. Starcraft 2 just won’t have that problem. Outside of the game, a strong community means active forums, and more resources available, such as technical help, strategy help, mission help, maps, and replays.

3.) Balance and Polish
These two words are part of Blizzard’s namesake. The game will be polished quite well at the start, and there will be tons of little features that Blizzard thought of. Everything from the way the ladder works, to the communication system, to replays. Balance will of course, be continuously fine tuned as new balance problems emerge from the vast amount of strategic depth that Starcraft 2 will no doubt have. Excellent balance will minimize any frustration of losing due to factors outside of your control, and will put the responsibility to win squarely on your shoulders.

2.) Strategic and Tactical Depth
What is the purpose of real time strategy game if not to have amazing strategic and tactical depth? While all RTS games have their own flavor of strategic and tactical depth that sounded good on paper during development, Blizzard will have made it a point to make sure the implementation of gameplay elements works in practice. The strategy and tactical depth will feel real, and provide almost tangible results. The bottom line is that the game will be fun and rewarding to play. Everything will feel like it has a purpose and everything you do will feel like it matters.

1.) Blizzard and Battle.net
It would literally be enough to say "‘nuff said". However, this is the number one reason because it’s the only reason why the other nine reasons are reasons at all. Blizzard commands the same sort of market reaction to its products that Apple does. The driving force behind this is simply Blizzard’s commitment to quality and support. Blizzard is the reason why Starcraft 2 will have phenomenal gameplay. Battle.net is the reason why Starcraft 2’s multiplayer is going to be so substantially better than virtually every other RTS game. If Blizzard settled for being average, this list would be pointless.

Moreover, Blizzard will take the time to deal with cheaters and disconnectors. The amount of money and effort Blizzard puts into this goes above and beyond what’s expected of a gaming company. At a minimum, people just want some form of passive anti-cheat capability built into the game or server system. Blizzard recognizes that this isn’t good enough, and takes an active role in fighting cheaters.

It’s also a company with a sense of humor and personality. The idea of World of Starcraft was a classic. It made some people laugh, it made some people cry. In the past, Blizzard has released bogus (but temporary) patches or patch notes on April Fools, just to mess with people. You just don’t really see that in other development companies. Blizzard is simply a company for gamers. They just get it.

Read full article: Top 10 Reasons to Play Starcraft 2

Starcraft + Linux + Touchscreen = New way of playing games

[source: gadgetroad.com]

Aren’t you tired of gaming in the same fashion, pointing the mouse, keeping your left hand on WASD combination and looking concentrated at the screen. Wouldn’t it be nice to control everything in a more natural way? Well, what do you say about Starcraft on a touchscreen monitor. The next video shows how it can be done in Linux. Pretty amazing. I hope someone tries to bring this idea to masses.

Read full article: Starcraft + Linux + Touchscreen = New way of playing games

How Could StarCraft MMO look...

[source: gamespot.com]

=)

Read full article: How Could StarCraft MMO look...

StarCraft II: The Response

Dan, Steve, and Charles chat it up about the recent StarCraft II announcement. Straight from the mailbox to the website.

[source: ign.com]

So obviously the StarCraft II announcement was a big deal judging by the ridiculously huge amount of reader traffic that tried desperately to break the site. Unfortunately for Steve and Dan, the announcement was made in Korea so they missed out on the pomp and circumstance. Luckily, Blizzard was kind enough to provide Charles with a good amount of information that he was able to turn into a live update, art preview, gameplay preview, and unit overview based on what was shown. Blizzard also provided plenty of screens and a bunch of videos to get everyone excited, and I think for the most part that it worked. We're officially excited. Shortly after Dan returned from vacation and email thread started between all three of the IGN PC editors about StarCraft II spurred on by the simple question "What'd you think of SC2?" While there's a lot of things we ended up talking about like the new Protoss units, what we think the campaign might be like, where the story is going, the art and engine, and any speculation on the new Terran and Zerg units, we started with Blizzard's decision to stick to the tried and true that they've been perfecting for so long.
...

Read full article at pc.ign.com

Read full article: StarCraft II: The Response

Starcraft: Dark Templar Trilogy - Book One

Firstborn Q&A with Christie Golden

[source: blizzplanet.com]

Blizzard Entertainment and Pocket Star Books - a division of Simon & Schuster, inc., A Viacom Company - bring you Starcraft: The Dark Templar, a trilogy novel series written by Award-winning Christie Golden. She has a track record of over a million books in print sold, fascinating sci-fi and fantasy readers. Among her outstanding twenty-five novels and several short stories in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror are Steven Spielberg's novelization of Invasion America, TSR Ravenloft line (1991) with her first novel, the highly successful Vampire of the Mists; Star Trek novels: "The Murdered Sun", "Marooned", "Seven of Nine", and "The Dark Matters Trilogy," "Cloak and Dagger", "Ghost Dance", "Shadow of Heaven" and "VOYAGER: HOMECOMING" among others.

In the Blizzard Entertainment universes, Christie Golden has given us Warcraft: Lord of the Clans, and World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde ... novels that have influenced canon content in the MMORPG.

The questions of this interview have mostly been provided by fans of the Starcraft Community. Find out more about Starcraft: The Dark Templar trilogy -- which immerses fans into the Protoss history, showing us a glimpse of what to expect in the Starcraft 2 storyline.

Will we see protoss characters we have been previously introduced to, such as Raszagal, Zeratul, Adun, Tassadar and Artanis? Will there be terrans such as Raynor, General Edmund Duke, Arcturus Mengsk, Dan Liberty or other characters from previous novels or from the game? What role will they play?

Christie: Yes, you will see all kinds of familiar faces throughout the series. Since this is set after Brood War, though, no Duke I'm afraid. Don't want to give too much away, but this is a very big and important series and many of the main players in the game will make appearances. Some of them have very significant roles indeed! It's been very exciting to be able to use well-established characters in addition to creating my own. I hope the readers enjoy it!



What timeframe is the Starcraft: The Dark Templar novel trilogy based on?

Christie: Post Brood War, about four years on. Many things have changed …and some things remain the same.



Will the novel trilogy fathom into when, where, and why the templars broke away from the other protoss, becoming the dark templar and Adun's involvement? How much of the protoss history and culture will be covered?

Christie: You're going to get to see a lot of protoss history revealed in this series and you'll meet some major historical figures. Some of the most important moments in their development will be portrayed. Again, I don't want to give too much away, but you'll learn some things that will, I hope, be exciting and fresh. It was very fun for me to be able to address these moments in history and be the author who got to bring them to life. I find the protoss fascinating and I've really enjoyed getting to go in depth with them, their culture, and their history.



Will we read about the Xel'naga, hybrid experiments, abandoned temples and such?

Christie: The Dark Templar Trilogy is going to touch on many, many things that have been mentioned, hinted at, or left unexplored. While on the one hand it is a very intimate story, focusing on three primary characters, it's also rather universal in scale as well. Big things are happening in the StarCraft world, and this series will reflect it. There is indeed a temple, with something unique inside it that our main character will discover.



What locations and planets will the story take place in throughout the trilogy?

Christie: Hmm ... well, there are few backwater planets that many events occur on. But we'll also travel to places that have great meaning to the protoss, like Aiur and Shakuras. As I haven't yet started Book 3 … who knows where else we'll go?



How much will Firstborn vary from the plot of the game and the manual?

Christie: Since it's not a direct novelization of any segment of the game, hopefully it won't vary at all! I want to keep the flavor of the game—dark and gritty and rough around the edges — and augment it at the same time. My hope is that this will be a great addition to the game.



What is the basic plot of the trilogy? Who is Jake Ramsey, what Terran faction he works for, and what is his role?

Christie: Ah, my poor Jacob Jefferson Ramsey. He's no superhero, just a rather ordinary guy with a few extraordinary traits who's gotten caught up in the whirlwind of a desperate moment in the galaxy's history. Jake is an archeologist, a very good one…known for some rather outrageous theories and for having a mind that has a knack for puzzle-solving. He's been given the task of getting inside one of the Xel'naga temples by a benefactor known as Mr. V. Eventually, of course, he figures it out … but what he finds there is completely unexpected and changes his life—and those of everyone he touches—irrevocably. He's our main point-of-view character, a sort of Everyman who is much more special and unique than he first appears. He's a wonderful character to explore this storyline with.



Where is this Xel'naga temple located at? Is it the same temple from StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga book?

Christie: No. It seems as though new temples are, more and more, coming to light….



Did you play Starcraft and its expansion: Broodwar to research info about the dark templars for the creation of this trilogy?

Christie: My husband played it through while we were abroad for six months. I watched over his shoulder and got a pretty good understanding of it, as well as the chance to see all the cut scenes. I understand why StarCraft fans are so die-hard in their admiration of the game.



Did Chris Metzen give you an outline of how the trilogy should start and end, and most of its plot? How much freedom do you have when writing Starcraft: The Dark Templar? Have you been given specific guidelines in terms of story elements and/or characters and then your job is to flesh things out, or can you come up with pretty much anything you want and hope that Blizzard thinks it's a good idea and goes with it?

Christie: When I wrote Lord of the Clans, I definitely worked from a very well fleshed out outline. For Rise of the Horde of course, it covered a part of history that was already pretty well established. With this series there were a few things that Chris really wanted to see addressed, and we did a lot of back and forth about where we wanted to take the story. I also consulted with Andy Chambers and Evelyn Fredericksen, who have ended up being my chief points of contact. All are wonderful and creative people who are very excited about the game and the trilogy.



Since it is a trilogy, it is obvious you have a lot of time to get back and forth with Chris Metzen over the phone and email. How often do you both discuss details of the book? Does he check each chapter as they are written?

Christie: Chris, Andy and Evelyn are very "hands on" and accessible when I have questions, which is rare and wonderful in the world of tie-in fiction. Most of what we need to do is handled by email. Because of a time crunch for Book Two, "Shadow Hunters," they did start perusing the manuscript before it was finished, but they certainly don't look at it chapter by chapter.



Is the trilogy canon enough to impact, influence or carry-on into future StarCraft projects such as your Rise of the Horde did in World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade?

Christie: A good question. Rise of the Horde was truly a unique and wonderful experience. I was inspired by the story and the anticipation of the expansion, and Chris and the designers in turn were excited by some of the things I was developing. It was such a thrill to be invited to play-test and actually see some of the thing I had created come to life in the game. I'm currently grinding warbeads for a talbuk—hey, I gotta ride the thing I created, don't I? Considering the nature of some of the events that are portrayed, I can safely say that yes, Starcraft: The Dark Templar series is going to be considered canon.



How much of StarCraft Ghost: Nova plot will affect the trilogy?

Christie: To the best of my knowledge, the plot of StarCraft Ghost: Nova has been pretty completely novelized by Keith R.A. DeCandido. Some of the information about how things work in the government, though, particularly the structure of the ghost program, have found their way into the series.



I know writers are given freedom to an extent to write material of their own, specially in a trilogy. Lot of ground to fill in. Since you have played World of Warcraft and interact with the roleplaying community, I got to ask. Have you had contact with the starcraft community for feedback, read fanfic at starcraft.org, or heard community petitions that might be useful in your book to satisfy what fans want to read?

Christie: Actually, I did not, other than to understand that people were very hungry for more protoss. Other stories are being developed to tackle specific things Blizzard knows the readers want. This is more of an epic storyline that encompasses much of what it is to be protoss…oh, and a leeetle secret of galactic proportions.



Do you listen to the voice-acting in the game to learn the personality of the characters?

Christie: It's nice to be able to do so! Yes, I did. Blizzard always does a great job with the voices.



The book description says Jake Ramsey finds the remains of a dark templar and its spirit merges with Jake. This brings up an interesting thought. Tassadar learned to wield dark templar energies. Do you think Tassadar's spirit could be lingering on somewhere?

Christie: As you say, that is an interesting thought. Actually the being Jake finds is known as a preserver, a protoss who has all the memories of all protoss who have ever lived. And as I said…you're going to learn some things about key moments in protoss history. To say more might spoil things.



Will you write new Starcraft, Diablo or World of Warcraft novels after Starcraft: The Dark Templar? We hope you do =)

Christie: Why thank you! I hope so too. As many of you already know I am an avid fan of World of Warcraft, and I have thoroughly enjoyed writing both the books set in that game. I'd be thrilled to do more.



If Blizzard gave you the freedom to let you choose a timeframe or event set in the protoss or terran history for a new book or trilogy, which would it be and why?

Christie: Wow, excellent question…I think I'd love to get really in depth with more of protoss history. In this series, it's a subplot, though a major one. Doing it that way seemed to whet my appetite for exploring their past more thoroughly. They're a fascinating people.



Thank you, Christie for answering the community submited questions. And thanks to Chris Metzen and the folks over at Blizzard Entertainment. No hard feelings for the long wait. It is obvious the Q&A was held this long due to the massive, lovely and long-awaited announcement of Starcraft 2 at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals. For those wondering, this Q&A was pending approval from Blizzard Entertainment some two months. I have been waiting a year in the background, knowing this novel trilogy was on queue. it's been worth the wait. The local Library confirmed the first novel in the trilogy is on stock. Go grab your copy or order online Here.

Now that the Q&A is out, and you know what the novel trilogy is about, feel free to submit further questions. Christie is open and excited to discuss more details of the trilogy with the Starcraft Community. Visit the official Starcraft 2 website for features, screenshots, gameplay video and teaser trailer.



BOOK DESCRIPTION

Archeologist Jacob Ramsey has spent the last two years on a fruitless excavation. It seems like a miracle when he gets an invitation to join an elite group of archeologists in the excavation of one of the Xel'Naga artifacts that are suddenly appearing on various worlds. When Jake stumbles across a dying Protoss and attempts to revive him, the alien psychically and violently begins to "upload" its memories, essentially rewriting and rewiring Jake's human brain. Jake soon learns a terrible secret -- one so important that the dying alien was willing to pass it on to an enemy in order to ensure that the knowledge survives. And what Jakes decides to do with the information will seal the fate of worlds throughout the galaxy.

The marketing info provided by the catalog says the novel will be showcased at BlizzCon 2007. Hopefully that means Christie Golden will be at the Pocket Books booth, book signing.


ALTERNATE DESCRIPTION

"Jake Ramsey -- an unassuming, yet talented archaeologist -- has been given the chance of a lifetime. Hired to investigate a recently unearthed Xel'Naga temple, he knows this latest assignment will open up whole new possibilities for his career. Yet, when Jake discovers the remains of a long-dead protoss mystic, his hopes and dreams are irrevocably drowned in a flood of alien memories. Bonded to the spirit of the dead protoss, Jake has become the sole inheritor of the protoss's total history -- every event, every thought -- every feeling.

Struggling to maintain his own fragile identity amidst the raging psychic storm in his mind, Jake soon realizes that he has stumbled upon a secret so cataclysmic in magnitude -- that it will shake the very foundations of the universe."

Read full article: Starcraft: Dark Templar Trilogy - Book One