Starcraft II Preview - What We Know So Far
This preview covers all the details about this highly anticipated strategy sequel that GameSpot has obtained from Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational 2007 event.
SEOUL--Though the most exciting events on hand at Blizzard Entertainment's Worldwide Invitational 2007 event seem to be the international game tournaments, the most exciting development for game players worldwide is clearly the announcement of Starcraft II, the sequel to the classic 1998 real-time strategy game, which many consider to be one of the best RTS games ever, if not simply the best. GameSpot was present at the event and has reported various details on the game since its announcement. We've also compiled what we've seen and gathered so far into one place for your convenience, culled from various demonstrations, interviews, our original announcement story, our interview session story, our gameplay panel story, and our art design panel story.
Starcraft II's single-player campaign will feature an all-new story that takes place four years after the events of the last Starcraft product, the Brood War expansion pack. Brood War featured campaigns with epic battles fought among the series' three main factions: the underhanded human Terrans, the swarming Zerg aliens, and the ancient and mysterious Protoss. Each of the three factions were led by key characters, such as military officer Jim Raynor of the Terrans, Kerrigan (a former Terran soldier who later became "infested" by the Zerg to become one of that faction's most powerful champions), and Zeratul, a Protoss "dark templar" who, after suffering a series of tragic betrayals, eventually assumed leadership for his race.
According to vice president of creative development Chris Metzen, all three characters will reappear in Starcraft II's campaign in some fashion, and according to creative director Andy Chambers, the enigmatic Xel'Naga, the mysterious race that helped the Zerg and Protoss evolve into what they are, will also figure prominently into Starcraft II's story. Over the course of the single-player game, you'll explore new worlds associated with the story, such as the new Protoss world of Bel'Shir, an abandoned religious retreat that has fallen into ruin after a Zerg invasion, and the deep-space Terran base of Braxis Alpha, a craggy world covered in spots by industrial sprawl. You'll also see familiar worlds, like the volcanic Zerg home planet of Char.
In terms of basic gameplay details, Starcraft II will be what vice president of game design Rob Pardo calls "a true sequel to Starcraft." The sequel is confirmed to feature only the original three playable races from the previous games: the Protoss, the Zerg, and the Terrans; there will be no fourth race, not even the Zerg/Protoss hybrid that appeared in a mission in Brood War. There will also be no hero characters, unlike in Blizzard's last RTS, 2002's Warcraft III. Instead, the sequel will be very much about what Pardo calls "mass armies"--large groups of units doing battle at once. Pardo has pointed out that unlike previous Blizzard games, Starcraft II will have no "selection limit"--that is, you'll be able to click and drag your mouse to select an unlimited number of your own armies to control.
The VP suggests that while Warcraft III often featured battles among 20 or so units and sometimes among as many as 60, Starcraft II's battles will be much larger skirmishes among as many as 300 units onscreen at once. Apparently, like those of the previous game, most of Starcraft II's units will not require a great deal of micromanagement (unlike the ability-heavy units of Warcraft), and will instead be what Pardo calls "movers and shooters"--mostly autonomous units that can continously attack their enemies using standard abilities.
Some other gameplay details about Starcraft II have been revealed, including the fact that the new game will, like the original Starcraft, include "positional" gameplay that gives attack bonuses to ground-based troops who are standing on high ground. In Starcraft II, units with height advantage will also not be revealed out of the "fog of war," a nuance that could come in handy in advanced play. Terrain height will also provide barriers to most units, who will have to walk around mountains and cliffs, though in Starcraft II, some units will have the ability to mantle over height obstacles, and flying units will be able to simply fly over obstacles, as they could before. And like in the original Starcraft, a key component of the sequel's strategy will be making use of "hard counters"--commissioning specific units to "counter" the ones your enemy is throwing at you. For instance, Protoss templars will be counterunits against Zerglings thanks to their powerful "psi storm" ability that conjures a brief but intense barrage of energy that can liquidate the Zerg's basic infantry.
The game will also apparently offer variable play speeds (such as "slow," "normal," and "fast"), similar to the options in Warcraft III, and at its fastest, it should play about as quickly as any competitive match of the original Starcraft. To ensure that the sequel's multiplayer play is suited for "e-sports" (professional video game competitions), Blizzard representatives have stated that the game's special effects will "definitely make the game look good," but are being designed to have a minimal effect on the game's actual performance on your computer (and of course, you'll be able to dial down the detail levels for various effects). Blizzard will also apparently consult with professional players during the course of the game's development, most likely during the game's testing phase, which will likely take the form of a by-invitation closed beta--the same kind Blizzard has held with its previous games--at an undisclosed date in the future. The studio is trying to ensure that Starcraft II has a more pronounced "differential in skill levels" among players. The game will feature many nuances that only highly skilled and dextrous players will be able to use regularly. Pardo estimated that the average Starcraft multiplayer session will last about 20 minutes--a highly competitive match between pro players might last as little as 15. However, the vice president also pointed out that the game will offer other features that will appeal to beginners and will hopefully encourage them to begin playing actively, such as a replay system that will let players watch match replays and possibly also act as spectators during matches.
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