StarCraft II Official! (Pictures)

[Marco]

Well, after checking out the zealot at http://www.starcraft2.com/features/protoss/ I'm pretty confident that the units will look a lot better close up than WC3.  The edges on the zealot model are smooth, not jagged like pretty much anything in WC3.  I really hope they make a lot of generic animations for all the bipeds (marine, medic, zealot, Kerrigan, etc.) for cinematic use.

[IskatuMesk]

Modding-related info.

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.

[Ross]

It be cool if it had a create/modifiy unit/portrait funiction. It would make it easier for modding. Give us like five temples or more and then have them editable like they do in the smackdown vs. raw games. I'd enjoy that. To bad its probably to late in incorperate such a funiction.

[Lavarinth]

Well, after checking out the zealot at http://www.starcraft2.com/features/protoss/ I'm pretty confident that the units will look a lot better close up than WC3.  The edges on the zealot model are smooth, not jagged like pretty much anything in WC3.  I really hope they make a lot of generic animations for all the bipeds (marine, medic, zealot, Kerrigan, etc.) for cinematic use.

If they created it with a newer Max and release new Art Tools, I'd be more then interested in adding new animations to the units.. I'm sure it'd be well worth the time. Only wish it was with Maya, though. However, yeah I'm hoping they go to please the crowd by adding even a generic set of things such as head nods or generic arm and hand movements like pointing or waving.

[Maglok]

*awakes from cryogenic hibernation*

Yo sup? Hey Des, Lavvz, Joel.

Hell, it was about time indeed. I'm getting pumped to!

[Marco]

Yeah, the number of animations in WoW would be a good enough amount to allow the creators to make more visually pleasing cinematic effects.  It just doesn't have a dramatic effect to see a unit walk right next to another unit and then hear a 'slap' sound instead of a unit actually walking up and physically slapping another unit.  It's all about the visual appeal baby.

Nice find Doctor Duck.  A good crisp nugget to add to my mental preparation.

Hey Maglok, long time no see.  Amazing how anti-social I am, I don't keep track of anyone or where they go.  Good old Maglok, a member of the Gallantry crew.  Salute!  I wonder what ever happened to Xavier, what he is doing.  Him, and Elye Sackmary (Oracle) are the people I wonder about the most.  I hope some of the old guard make campaigns for SC2.

[IskatuMesk]

HKS was telling me about it.

When the hell is the high-rez gameplay video going up? They said it'd be out today, then they changed their minds. Sheesh.

[Lavarinth]

You noticed as well, eh?

Des, Xavier I'm not sure of, but Oracles comes around here and there- He's posted here before. He did return to finish LotC, who knows if he might consider a storyline for SC2. He was last online CC only two months ago.

[Ross]

I'm also wondering where there taking the story seeing as how most of the people behind starcraft have left blizzard.

[Lavarinth]

Which is probably why they introduced a new character, possibly making characters such as Jim Raynor secondary characters.

[IskatuMesk]

I figured out what they did to battlecruisers.


I kept wondering why sometimes they shoot twice and other times not.

Their air weapons and ground weapons function independantly. In the big fight, you see the BC's shooting at air units when they get close enough, and at ground units. Both weapons are working at once. On top of that, Yamato seems to have a really short cooldown (Maybe just for the demo).

[Ross]

So I'm guessing Nova is to be in the game or am I missing who the new character is?

[Lavarinth]

I meant the Marine.

[Ross]

Really I thought that was just going to be some guy for the trailer not an actual character.

[Maglok]

Well Blizzard has a tendency to use game intro's or cutscenes as trailers. Look at WC3 and WoW for example. Secondly on the site is a statue available of that specific marine, one Tychus Findlay. My gut tells me he's the 'new' marine hero unit instead of a Raynor.

There is a sketch of a terran guy though in the art trailer that is just screaming Raynor to me. Anyways the trailer marine is definatly not a random marine.

The gameplay video is added now btw.

And yeah Desler, gallantry, long time ago. I actually kept in touch with Joel some when he suddenly appeared at a nwn2 mod where I am doing the audio (not the music I stopped with that). I am definatly going to help out promising campaigns with their audio editing and voicing once again!