Starcraft 2

[Thoth]

It's out. I'm 1-0 online because the other guy was "real baked."

Thoughts so far on this business.

 

[muzzington]

Bought the Collectors Edition, played the first two missions but waiting until the weekend to delve into it further. Can't enjoy games as much when it's so busy at work.

 

[Broward83]

I had to work the midnight release.

I don't "get" Starcraft. Never have, probably never will. They were showing matches on the TV at work and whomever David Kim is, he absolutely raped the people he was playing. One of them was Yung Ho, I only remember this because they would say how David Kim had done "MASSIVE DAMAGE" to Yung Ho.

 

[muzzington]

I think with the RTS genre you either love it or it doesn't register with you at all.

 

[Smues]

Did he attack Yung Ho's weak point?

 

[Broward83]

Both of 'em!

 

[J]

I picked this up. I'm not especially amazing at it, but I'll prolly put some time in to try and get decent.

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

I got a copy and let my brother make a Battle.net account, since he's more likely to play it. I consequently do not have a copy anymore. Games as a service, yay!

 

[Thoth]

I got a copy and let my brother make a Battle.net account, since he's more likely to play it. I consequently do not have a copy anymore. Games as a service, yay!

I sort of pity you and I sort of laugh at you. I don't know why.

 

[AntiLeaf33]

I think with the RTS genre you either love it or it doesn't register with you at all.

I am the latter......just can't get into it.

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

I got a copy and let my brother make a Battle.net account, since he's more likely to play it. I consequently do not have a copy anymore. Games as a service, yay!

I sort of pity you and I sort of laugh at you. I don't know why.

I was pretty sure that was the way it worked, and we both went through the registration thing here because I was curious. ("Internet Connection Required" on the box of a PC game is a total red flag to me, telling me to back the fuck away.) I've long since moved past the days of 4-hour StarCraft LAN games, and being enamoured with Blizzard, so I don't care that much. It'd be nice to be able to maybe play it a little bit without having to share an account, though. I really don't like doing that.

 

[Thoth]

I got a copy and let my brother make a Battle.net account, since he's more likely to play it. I consequently do not have a copy anymore. Games as a service, yay!

I sort of pity you and I sort of laugh at you. I don't know why.

I was pretty sure that was the way it worked, and we both went through the registration thing here because I was curious. ("Internet Connection Required" on the box of a PC game is a total red flag to me, telling me to back the fuck away.) I've long since moved past the days of 4-hour StarCraft LAN games, and being enamoured with Blizzard, so I don't care that much. It'd be nice to be able to maybe play it a little bit without having to share an account, though. I really don't like doing that.

That's what the play as guest button is for.

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

I got a copy and let my brother make a Battle.net account, since he's more likely to play it. I consequently do not have a copy anymore. Games as a service, yay!

I sort of pity you and I sort of laugh at you. I don't know why.

I was pretty sure that was the way it worked, and we both went through the registration thing here because I was curious. ("Internet Connection Required" on the box of a PC game is a total red flag to me, telling me to back the fuck away.) I've long since moved past the days of 4-hour StarCraft LAN games, and being enamoured with Blizzard, so I don't care that much. It'd be nice to be able to maybe play it a little bit without having to share an account, though. I really don't like doing that.

That's what the play as guest button is for.

There is that. But you have to log in to an actual account first, and then as a Guest, you're limited to Campaign, Tutorials and Replays.

 

[Thoth]

I got a copy and let my brother make a Battle.net account, since he's more likely to play it. I consequently do not have a copy anymore. Games as a service, yay!

I sort of pity you and I sort of laugh at you. I don't know why.

I was pretty sure that was the way it worked, and we both went through the registration thing here because I was curious. ("Internet Connection Required" on the box of a PC game is a total red flag to me, telling me to back the fuck away.) I've long since moved past the days of 4-hour StarCraft LAN games, and being enamoured with Blizzard, so I don't care that much. It'd be nice to be able to maybe play it a little bit without having to share an account, though. I really don't like doing that.

That's what the play as guest button is for.

There is that. But you have to log in to an actual account first, and then as a Guest, you're limited to Campaign, Tutorials and Replays.

So you didn't know that Battle.net accounts are like Steam accounts now? The box doesn't exactly make that clear, but I guess they assume you won't give the box to someone else.

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

So you didn't know that Battle.net accounts are like Steam accounts now? The box doesn't exactly make that clear, but I guess they assume you won't give the box to someone else.

I didn't know for sure they'd made it like Steam, but that was my sense. I don't buy games through/for Steam either, unless they're like 2 bucks.

I'm fine with my brother having the account, because he is playing, and will play the game more than I will. I just don't like that if I wanted to play the game, and get the full experience out of it, I'd have to go out and buy another license (inflated in price for a PC game, because hell, why not?). It'd be the same (to a somewhat lesser degree) if we both wanted to play NHL 11 when it comes out, with this "Project $10", locked online features nonsense. I want to put the disc in, play it, let someone else play it if they want, and not have a crippled game. And if I'm sick of the game, or don't like it at all, I can sell it to someone else. The push towards games as a service may be what publishers want to do, and others may enjoy the conveniences involved, but it's not what I like.

In any case, I hope the game is good, and people enjoy it, but I don't like the business direction it takes things.

 

[The Metal Maniac]

I somehow never got into Starcraft, despite being a big fan of almost every Command and Conquer game up until the abortion that was Tiberium Twilight.

What's Starcraft 2 like? Basically the same as 1, but with more stuff? I'm assuming they made very few changes to the core gameplay; I did play a little bit of the original, so I remember basically how it works...is this more of the same?

 

[Thoth]

I somehow never got into Starcraft, despite being a big fan of almost every Command and Conquer game up until the abortion that was Tiberium Twilight.

What's Starcraft 2 like? Basically the same as 1, but with more stuff? I'm assuming they made very few changes to the core gameplay; I did play a little bit of the original, so I remember basically how it works...is this more of the same?

I wouldn't say more stuff as far as units go. Each race has about the same amount of options as it did before.

However, Single player is extremely polished, varied, and perenially interesting to play. Multiplayer provides a cohesive experience that strives to both be fair, and tell you as much information as possible about why you won or lost.

Core gameplay is very similar, but one big change is that you need about 2-3 times as many workers as you had in the last game to maximize your economy. I do find I wind up with a lot of surplus because I'm bad at building units remotely (hotkeying your production facilities)

 

[The Metal Maniac]

Is there still only two resources, the gas and the crystals? I don't like it when there's like, 4 different things to collect, like in AoE.

Also, do you only have the option to play as one race in singleplayer? I'm reading that they're planning two expansions to focus on the zerg and protoss.

 

[muzzington]

Wings of Liberty has the core game plus the Terran single player campaign and then they'll release the Zerg and Protoss campaigns in expansions I believe.

I'm just inching my way through the game at the moment but like Thoth said the game is really polished like a good Blizzard game should be.

 

[Thoth]

Is there still only two resources, the gas and the crystals? I don't like it when there's like, 4 different things to collect, like in AoE.

Also, do you only have the option to play as one race in singleplayer? I'm reading that they're planning two expansions to focus on the zerg and protoss.

Just gas and crystals. They work the same way as they did in SC2.

Campaign is Terran only, but has a total of 29 missions. In addition, there are single player only units such as Medics, Firebats, Diamondbacks (sweet tanks that can fire while moving), Vultures. There are also multiple upgrade options, so you can find what works with your play style.

 

[Thoth]

Getting put into the Gold League 1v1 must have been a fluke. I dropped 3 in a row because I can't produce fast enough. I find I sit on way too many minerals, and I don't pull one of my SCV's off to build something. Hell, if nothing else, I can always build more supply depots.

I also find that the only build I am good at is Marines + Helions, which I use against Zerg. Mass zerglings will die to this combo, and all I have to do is mop up the enemy base.

In addition, I finally discovered what Reapers are good for (Does the enemy have a blockade at his choke point? GO AROUND LOL (Parentheses in parentheses, I'm too OCD to actually make a choke point defense, I feel like I need to wall my base in, which is getting me absolutely fucked versus Protoss rush))

I also played some 3v3 randoms. Interestingly, the game seems to always match a Terran, a Zerg, and a Protoss versus the same. I haven't even touched Zerg and I am the drizzling shits with Protoss.

Edit: Apparently this is coincidence; there is an achievement for winning with every possible 3v3 team makeup.

Further Edit: Now I can't find this achievement. Fuck me.

Another Edit: It's a Custom Game achievement. Disregard all edits.

 

[Thoth]

Oh, by the way, if anyone thinks that because campaign is Terran only, there's no way to learn Zerg or Protoss, Blizzard put in special challenges, which are like mini-missions for each race: A multiplayer match against the CPU with special circumstances. Challenges range from Easy to Fuck You; easy challenges are designed to help you learn.


Does anyone know if playing the tutorial gets you achieves? I don't want to play the tutorial, but I am a cheeve whore, and I want to beat my friends' e-cock numbers. No acheevos for tutorial.

 

[Smues]

So I saw on the box that it requires an internet connection. Do you just need it to activate the game, or do you need it everytime you play ala Ubisoft?

 

[AnonymousBroccoli]

I don't know if there's an offline mode, or if it'll let you do anything if you're disconnected. When I load the game, it immediately requires me to login to a Battle.net account with the game registered, even if I want to play as a Guest.

 

[ericmm]

I'd be way more enthused about this game except that my computer recently died thanks to a power blip and I have to reinstall everything.

And if I wait a month the REAL new sequel of the year is coming 8)

 

[Thoth]

I'd be way more enthused about this game except that my computer recently died thanks to a power blip and I have to reinstall everything.

And if I wait a month the REAL new sequel of the year is coming 8)

Tom Clancy's HAWX 2?

 

[griffinmills]

To answer some questions in the the thread:

Yes you can play when internet is down or bnet is down. I have a bnet account with authenticator and when I tried to log in when bnet was down for maintenance it just kinda sat there for a bit then said, "blah blah can't log in go offline mode? warnings re: achievements etc blah blah" and then I could play my campaign as normal. I did, in fact, qualify for some achievements while doing this and did not get them, just like it said. I later re-loaded saves that were at the point where the achievements would have been obtained but it still refused to give them to me so I guess that is flagged in the save or something. Kind of feels like when DRM is biting legitimate, paying, customers in the ass to me but whatever.

Single player and co-op was all me and my friends did in SC1 while in College and that is all pretty much just as good as always in SC2. Only beef I've got right now is that the hardest single player mode is locked to the fastest speed, boo. I can barely squeak by on normal or fast let alone fastest (faster as it is now called) speed. Hard campaign I thought was only hard since it too was locked at fast or faster so I'm not really looking forward to the hardest mode.

Also, why they made it a pita to change keys I'll never really know. I mean, it's their game so they can make it how they like but if you are going to soft-lock key commands at least actually PUT IN COMMANDS for everything. I look in the menu for "game speed up/down" and it's there but not assigned to anything. GG Blizz! Gameplay is really well polished though.

 

[Smues]

So apparently Blizzard has started banning not only people who cheat online, but people who cheat off-line. Fuck right the hell off Blizzard, it isn't your business how I play the game single player offline, that affects no one but the individual. Not that I would have necessarily used a hack for single player, but it just angers me that you could get banned for that. Another reason for me to not buy this I guess.

 

[Thoth]

So apparently Blizzard has started banning not only people who cheat online, but people who cheat off-line. Fuck right the hell off Blizzard, it isn't your business how I play the game single player offline, that affects no one but the individual. Not that I would have necessarily used a hack for single player, but it just angers me that you could get banned for that. Another reason for me to not buy this I guess.

It's obvious at this point that no one owns their own copy of a game, just a license to connect to a server and play it.

In ten years, that we had a notion of "control" of our own software will be comedy gold.