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New Gas Mechanic
Posted by Kris on 6.29.2008 - 1 Comments

Blizzard is trying something new for the gas collection process in Starcraft 2 that is rather interesting and can be seen on display at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational going on in Paris this week. As Cavez posted on Battle.net:
Here is how it works. All numbers are subject to change. We have changed the balance since the WWI build and will be fiddling with the balance this coming week for sure.
You start with two Vespene Geysers in your base and at every expansion (some maps will not do this of course, but all the WWI maps do). Optimal number of workers per gas collection building is 3 (so you need 6 total).
All gas collection buildings start with a certain amount of gas (like SC1). I believe it's 1000 in your WWI build.
When a gas collector runs out it becomes "depleted" (like SC1). A depleted gas collector still allows you to harvest some gas (like SC1). In the WWI build you collect 6 gas per trip from a working gas collector and 2 gas per trip when depleted.
All gas collectors have a "Restore Gas" (name temp) button that you can use to return your gas collector to a non-depleted state. In the WWI build this gets you 400 gas back into your collector. Restoring Gas costs 100 minerals and takes the gas collector down for 45 seconds (all numbers temp).
Like all things this is work-in-progress, but here is what we have seen in the games we have played:
1) You can choose how much gas you want. The more gas you want, the less minerals you will have. If you build your 2nd gas collector too soon, you may have the wrong resource mix. If you go gas too late, you may have the wrong resource mix. If you use "Restore Gas" too few times you may not have enough gas to do some of the crazy end-game stuff. If you use it to often early on you may have too much gas and not enough minerals.
2) Some of the more mass-able units are very, very gas heavy. You can scout a player and gain some sense which way he is headed based on how quickly he goes for double gas.
3) Sometimes you don't want to "Restore Gas" if you need just a little more gas in the short term because you are trying to tech or build something critical. Since it takes down your gas collector for 45 seconds you may need to hold if you are close to being able to afford something that requires gas. This of course damages your gas collection for the long haul which makes the choice difficult.
Why we are trying it:
1) We think gas could be more interesting than it was in the original StarCraft.
2) We think StarCraft 2 can benefit from additional economy choices.
I think that's all of it. Now that you have complete information, please discuss. =) Sorry for the forum spam. I don't have the tools handy to deal with it.
I'm sure the hard numbers will likely need some tweaking, but I like the inclusion of this ability, it adds some much needed life to perhaps the most boring resource gathering task.
Tags: Gameplay, Caves

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Diablo III Unveiled
Posted by Kris on 6.28.2008 - 2 Comments

While we're a Starcraft site, I feel it's worth noting that Blizzard has officially announced their newest game, Diablo III. The statement along with links to a teaser trailer and some gameplay is below. Many of you will probably be happy to know that Diablo III will maintain the dark look of the original rather than the more cartoonish look of recent Blizzard fair. Soak it in, because this will probably be the most coverage Diablo III gets on Starcraft Live.
Twenty years have passed since the cataclysmic events of Diablo® II. Mephisto, Diablo, and Baal have been defeated, but the Worldstone, which once shielded the world of Sanctuary from the forces of both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, has been destroyed, and evil once again stirs in Tristram....
Following the unveiling of Diablo III today at the Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, we've launched the game's official website, with information about the places, characters, monsters, and adventures awaiting you upon your return to the world of Sanctuary. Some of the site's highlights include:
Visit the new Diablo III website now to learn more about the game, and make sure to check out the official FAQ and the announcement press release.
Tags: Blizzard

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Stacraft: Legacy Exclusive with Karune
Posted by Kris on 6.22.2008 - 0 Comments

Those hip cats at Starcraft: Legacy managed to snag an exclusive interview with Karune after sending in over fifty entries to the recent "I <3 SC" contest. Among them are some interesting bits about the Hyrdralisk, which seems to have regained some of it's lost swagger in the more recent builds of the game.
1) What is the current state of the Hydralisk? The current stats we have are tier 2-2.5, 100 minerals, 75 gas, 80-90 HP, and 8-10 dmg with no special abilities. Compared to the Roach, the Hydralisk appears inferior in every way, with it's only saving grace being GTA capability. However, because the Mutalisk is in the same tier, only slightly more expensive, and it can fly, the Hydralisk appears to be almost useless for such an iconic unit. (sclegacy.com)
Actually, the Hydralisk has since been boosted up quite a bit in terms of damage. They currently have 80 hit points and have a ground attack of 13 + 3 versus armored and an air attack of 12 + 5 versus armored. The Hydralisk also has a range of 6 and moves at a ‘fast’ speed, with no need to upgrade with the speed bonus anymore. Roaches on the other hand, only have an attack of 10, half the Hydralisk’s range, and is slower to move as well. The new damage the Hydralisk is able to put out now makes it very dangerous, as Zerg players will be able to take out buildings with a pack of Hydras, with only a few volleys (same goes to Battlecruisers!). Nonetheless, they are extremely weak at 80 hit points, and thus need to always be protected. The new cost for Hydralisks are also 100 minerals and 100 gas.
2) How does Anti-Gravity work on Zerg buildings since they're organs intrinsically a part of the creep? They are essentially part of the creep. Do they lose health? Also, how does it affect burrowed units? Will they go back to being burrowed or not? (sclegacy.com)
Zerg buildings will not take damage when they are lifted. Burrowed units lifted will become burrowed again when the ability finishes.
3) With the Thor back to having both anti-air and anti-ground attacks, will he be capable of discharging both weapons simultaneously at a Colossus? Or will only the stronger attack affect it? If it is only the stronger attack, is that dynamically chosen by the game? (sclegacy.com)
Any unit with both ground and air attacks will attack the Colossus with the stronger of the two attacks, but not with both.
4) With the Medivac being a late-game tech, are Terran infantry impaired against the other two races in early to mid-game? (sclegacy.com)
No, Terran is actually quite strong early game for a few different reasons. One, their tier 1 unit is ranged and is thus excellent at defending cliffs without being able to be countered without sight. Two, the new supply depots are excellent at building the perfect barricade in early game. Three, Marauders are very tough and are excellent at winning heavy micromanaged battles, preventing units from reaching your Marines.
5) Does the Ghost's EMP Grenade ability function any differently from the Science Vessel's EMP ability from StarCraft Vanilla? (sclegacy.com)
Nope, the EMP currently works the same as the EMP from the original StarCraft.
6) What special abilities, in the current build, can be cast from inside a bunker? Can a nuke be called down? (sclegacy.com)
In a bunker, units will be able to use Stim Pack, call down Nukes, Sniper, and use EMP.
7) Does the Jackal's attack damage friendly units and/or have AoE capabilities? (sclegacy.com)
The Jackal’s attack will only damage enemy units in its area of effect. Technically, it will target a set unit and all units in that line of fire will take damage.
8) The Zerg do not seem to have equal air power compared to the other two races. The Protoss have Carriers and Warp Rays; the Terrans have BCs. While the Mutalisk makes a great harassment unit, they simply cannot stand up to significant firepower. Corruptors and Swarm Guardians are strong in their respective fields, but they lack a single unit that can attack both air and ground well. This suggests that air units will be limited to defense and support for a primarily ground based army. The other two races seem more able to have a well-rounded primarily air-based army. Is this the case, and if so, will anything be done to give the Zerg stronger air options? (sclegacy.com)
Zerg currently has the most powerful anti air unit in terms of damage per second, which is the Hydralisk. Furthermore, while the Mutalisks are not the stronger aerial fighter, they do have flexibility, being able to morph into Swarm Guardians for that additional ground damage and range when needed. Corruptors, in mass groups are also one of the most powerful air to air units, especially considering every unit you kill, makes the battle turn even more into your favor. While we have experimented with other types of Zerg air units, there are no plans to introduce any of them to the multiplayer version of the game.
Tags: Karune, Q&A

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Char - Zerg Primary Hive Official Details
Posted by Kris on 6.18.2008 - 1 Comments

Blizzard has just release new information on the Zerg planet of Char, once a principle planet in the Confederacy and now the primary hive planet of the Zerg. In addition to background information, they have also released two new pieces of artwork and one new screenshot, which I've been nice enough to post below.
Char Planet Details:
Population: Est. 10,000,000,000+ zerg
Allegiance: Swarm
Diameter/Gravity: 10,521 km, 0.91 standard
Axial Tilt/Climate: 4.1 degrees, +/- 48 Centigrade (average, peaks of 800C+), very low humidity
Geography/Major Settlements: 52 volcanic caldera, 18 mountain chains (all volcanic), 38 lava lakes, 5 lava seas (variable), estimated 150 primary zerg hive clusters, estimated 1029 tertiary zerg hive clusters
Moon(s): 2 -- Eris, Ate (purple, small sized >1000 km dia)
Dominant Terrain Classification: Volcanic
Dominant Life Forms: Zerg
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