StarCraft II Official! (Pictures)

[DrumsofWar]

Well, yeah. I'd rather not have a rerun of wc3 in which a dozen people said they'd help with this or that and then jumped ship as soon as I gave them something to do. A sizable team that remains dedicated is the hardest thing to possibly get. I've tried that route. It's really futile.

It's the way of things. If you can't do it yourself, don't bother trying.

That's because making a team in modmaking is always tricky because people have other committments; it's a lot different with a gaming company where everyone is as hungry for the same goal you are.  If you want to get a mod to the finish line quick, just pick some people who you know won't be jackasses.

[IskatuMesk]

Uhm, Minas Tirith was a model. Just background elements were cgi. All of the LotR buildings were pretty much models, some were scanned, but not Minas Tirith it was just enhanced. If those enhancements took so long, sweet mother of god. Barad-Dur, now when that had to blow, they did need a digital version.

Ah. I can't remember where I heard that from, so I don't know if it was a reputable source or not.

[thebrowncloud]

So wasn't there supposed to be some exclusive news from BlizzCon or something, Lav? What's the word? You still waiting to hear what you are allowed to tell us?

[Lavarinth]

So wasn't there supposed to be some exclusive news from BlizzCon or something, Lav? What's the word? You still waiting to hear what you are allowed to tell us?

Yes. To the second part.

[Falchion]

Here's a cinematics vs development departments match, shown in SCLegacy.  Good to see their people also get some fun in their products.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byrgGxviK-8&feature=player_embedded#t=111
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSJZ5uLNqgM&feature=player_embedded#t=590
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWddmQx3X5g&feature=player_embedded#t=558

Comments:

- IMO, the Overlay thing is a TERRIBLE idea.  Unbalances the game completely unless the player's stupid enough not to look at the panel.

- We see the Observer's portrait here.  Cute.

- Colossus portrait: epic. 

- Twilight map:  Too much choke.

- WTF is that terran triad-like building at Part 3, 3:46?

- Finally, cinematics team sucks.  Rotten balls.
- The Viking's portrait is a bit fuzzy.  And much gay.

[UntamedLoli]

You mean the OBSERVER overlay?

[Falchion]

Sort of.  What if a player decides to put a spy in observation?

[thebrowncloud]

No, what HK means is that overlay is only part of the UI for observing players. Regular players will not have an overlay panel.

My guess for that building you were talking about in part 3 would be the new design for the merc compound, but I can't be sure.

Simpson: “David Kim bringing in some additional zerglings to come in with some backdoor action!”

lol

[IskatuMesk]

By overlay thing are you referring to the observer's statistics thing? I'm pretty sure it would be an obvious thing to point out that it is in fact observer-only.

/wipes horse paste off of hands

[Lavarinth]

Sort of.  What if a player decides to put a spy in observation?

They can't communicate with players or whisper them.

Also the terran building is a Mercenary building, just another building they build. Has the stim pack upgrade, I believe. TBC was right.

[IskatuMesk]

Semi-related, Blizzard launched their official youtube channel (Well, they've had it for a while but only now uploaded stuff to it) and redid their website.

[UntamedLoli]

Hope everyone has enjoyed all the BlizzCon news and got a chance at our Twitter beta key giveaway! Everything has settled here in the office after various shows and events we've been at, but we are back in the swing of things. If you haven't been following us on Twitter, don't forget to do so too, as we will consistently be adding more spotlights, development info, and fun contests on there as we approach beta and throughout the development of StarCraft II.

Check us out here:
http://www.twitter.com/StarCraft

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 53 ---

1. Computer AI – Does the computer’s online AI vary from its offline counterpart?
No. They are the same.

2. Have you considered allowing a post-game lobby for users to discuss the last game, collectively watch replays, or immediately enter into a rematch?
Yes, we have a plan for a post game lobby. However the details are not finalized yet.

3. Is there any update on additional map features other than the Xel’Naga watch towers, destructible rocks and tall grass?
No. Currently there is no update on additional map features.

4. How many different voice actors are needed for StarCraft II, including the unit sounds and campaign heroes?
There are 58 unique voice actors participating, with some voicing multiple roles, and the number may increase as the game gets closer to release.

5. The terrain types in StarCraft II we have seen so far had names like “Bel’Shir (Jungle)”. Does this mean that “Bel’Shir” is just an alias for jungle and every terrain is just named after a typical planet using it or are there – to stick with this example – other jungle maps with a different terrain set, something like “Aiur (Jungle)”?
We named our terrain sets based on the planets. There are a lot more terrain sets than in the original StarCraft and you will have huge flexibility in modifying the terrain sets (including adjusting textures, doodads, lighting) allowing you to create your own variations of the default maps. There may be other jungle-themed default maps named after other planets.

6. Will there be any chance to have more options on pausing the game? In StarCraft: Brood War every player can pause the game three times, but every other player can unpause it. How about a (user editable) time limit before other players can unpause the game?
We recommend that players communicate with each other in the game to agree on when to pause and unpause during the game. We feel that pausing the game interrupts the game flow and it would be inconvenient for players to be forced to wait for a certain amount of time before being able to unpause. The pausing feature is mainly meant to allow for pausing of the game when all players are in agreement and for which duration.

7. I already knew the map editor would be available to beta testers a while after Beta was released, but this is why I’m asking the bland question, will it also be available to non-participating people?
No, the map editor will only be available during the beta for beta testers.

8. When a unit comes out from a building will there be only 4 exits from the building like in Warcraft 3 or will there be “infinite”?
It is not infinite, but your units will come out from a building at the closest point on the building to where your rally point is set.

---End of Transmission---

http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=20143778681

Blizzard also updated their website to be similar to the new Battle.net

http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/index.html

[Legion]

What's this Starcraft 2 that I keep hearing about?

[IskatuMesk]

It's a game where Tyranids, Eldar, and Space Marines engage in battle on a platform that isn't retarded.

[Legion]

It's a game where Tyranids, Eldar, and Space Marines engage in battle on a platform that isn't retarded.

So cool! When's it gonna come out?