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| 1UP - Starcraft 2 Week-Long Coverage |
1UP is publishing a long editorial of their hands-on coverage and interviews with Blizzard Entertainment from their recent visit to the Irvine Headquarters. They have split it into various articles released each day for a week. Read up and visit the 1UP Mini-Site titled Starcraft II: The Zerg - A week-long journey into the center of Blizzard's real-time strategy storm.
MONDAY 5.05.08
Seven Matches, Seven Victories
PREVIEW: Jeff Green and James Mielke go head-to-head in seven grueling matches as the Terrans, Protoss, and Zerg to dissect the new gameplay mechanics. Plus: exclusive new screens.
TUESDAY 5.06.08
Retronauts Presents: Blizzard vs. Westwood
FEATURE: Inside a storied RTS rivalry.
Video Interview
VIDEO: Chris Sigaty talks about the series' evolution.
WEDNESDAY 5.07.08
The Dangerous Book for Zerglings
FEATURE: Build times, resource costs, statistics, and tons of geeky inside intel on StarCraft II's Zerg units and structures. Plan your rush today!
THURSDAY 5.08.08
Samwise Speaks
FEATURE: Blizzard's main artist talks past, present, and future.
Blizzard Studio Tour
VIDEO: Take a stroll around Blizzard's brand new campus.
FRIDAY 5.09.08
Top 5 StarCraft Opening Gambits
FEATURE: There's more to life than the Zergling rush. 1UP breaks down the maneuvers and starting strategies that can make or break a StarCraft match.
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Thursday 08th 2008f May 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Starcraft 2 Q&A - Batch 37 |
Chat with Devs: One of the latest changes the Devs are trying for the Nomad is replacing their previous stationary Mine Drone with Spider Mines. The Spider Mines behave the same as Spider Mines from the original StarCraft. It now also does 50 damage plus 50 additional damage towards armored units. Instead of only having 3 Spider Mines, the Nomad will be able to plant Spider Mines with the cost of 15 energy. These Mines will definitely prove quite formidable against mass Tier 1 units such as Zerglings and charging Zealots.
As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if you are enjoying the batches.
---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 37---
1. Can the Ghost snipe casting (energy based) units in the fog of war using its passive sensing ability? (Battle.net) crazy_dave
While the Ghost will not be able to snipe casters in the fog of war, their current range to detect casters(units with energy) is 30, giving you plenty of time to prepare for incoming threats.
2. Could you tell us more details about the Reapers' mines mechanics? Are they visible for the enemy? Can they be defused, or should simply be destroyed? Do they deal damage to friendly units and to each other? If so, does the explosion of one mine cause the detonation of its neighbors, or they just die, without dealing damage? (Battle.net) Elsoron
Yes, the Reapers mines will be visible, though depending on the placement, they can be covered by enemy units moving over them. The mines have very few hit points and can be killed easily. Nonetheless, it is important to note that they are very small, making it more difficult to micromanage those attacks when there are several mines.
Mines damage both enemy and friendly units/buildings, so making sure you dont blow up your own Reapers is quite important ;) Mines will not detonate other mines, have a 30 second cooldown, and they currently do 30 damage plus 30 additional damage to armored units (including buildings). Furthermore, the mine is now an upgradeable ability of the Reaper.
3. In StarCraft II there are destructible obstacles like rocks. Apart from simply killing them the Protoss Nullifier can lift them with his Anti-Gravity spell. Do the other races have any similar options to remove or pass the rocks with spells? (broodwar.de)
Actually, the ability to lift destructible doodads has been classified as a bug and has been fixed in the latest builds. Nullifiers have already proved to be quite strong when used in groups, being able to lift up Siege Tanks and Ultralisks, effectively taking them out of combat until the rest of their reinforcements are dead.
4. Do Anti-Gravitated Banelings keep their suicidal abilities and act as Scourge? (sc2blog.com)
Yes, when Banelings die while being lifted by Anti-Gravity, their explosion will hit air units in its area of effect. This could undoubtedly open up some unique and unexpected strategies in team games.
5. Blizzard made 2 e-sport oriented games after StarCraft: Warcraft 3 and WoW. What are the biggest lessons that you've learned from those 2 games and how will you apply them to StarCraft II? - VIB (teamliquid.net)
One of the main goals for StarCraft II is to keep the game very visually intuitive and readable. As Dustin has mentioned in our recent chat, visually When a unit teleports, it teleports. When it shoots, it looks like it is shooting. It should be easy to follow on a screen and players should be able to quickly understand what is happening in the battles. Futhermore, Blizzards games has followed the premise of easy to learn and hard to master. StarCraft II will follow this philosophy.
6. How does the Marauders slow ability work against the Zealots charge ability. According to present knowledge the concussion grenade shot of a Marauder forces its target to stop moving for a short time; afterwards the targeted unit can go straight forward. So does it stop a charging Zealot and does the speed bonus remain? (starcraft2.4players.de)
When the Marauders concussion grenade hits an enemy target, it will reduce that units speed immediately by a set percentage. The cooldown of the concussion grenade shot is subject to balance. Nonetheless, a charging Zealot slowed by a concussion grenade is still pretty fast. Before the Protoss player upgrades their Zealots with charge, a Marauder can kite a Zealot with relatively little micromanagement.
---End of Transmission---
Karune - RTS Community Manager
Blizzard Entertainment
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Wednesday 07th 2008f May 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Starcraft: I, Mengsk Q&A Submissions Welcome |
In anticipation to our upcoming Q&A with Graham McNeill, I am taking submissions from fans who are looking forward to read this new StarCraft Pocket Book. You can submit your questions at the Starcraft Forums.
"I, Mengsk is a look at three generations of the Mengsk family from the inside out...what shaped Arcturus and the years of his life we haven’t seen yet: the relationship between his father and his son. It’s a novel about what it means to be a Mengsk, a story of fathers and sons, and looks at whether a man’s destiny is his own and how it is shaped by the generation before it."
It’s been a busy couple of weeks here, with the Starcraft novel entering the final straits. I’ve begun the final third of the book and so far it’s going well, the pace is good, the vibe I’m getting from the characters is good, the plot’s moving forward at the right pace and, best of all, Blizzard seem to be liking it so far.-- Graham McNeill said.
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Sunday 04th 2008f May 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| CVG - Starcraft 2 Hands On Review |
Martin Corda, CVG / PCZone reporter, had the opportunity to visit Blizzard's new headquarters in Irvine to play Starcraft II hands-on. Read the full Preview.
"Journey with me now to a room rammed with networked machines and games journos at Blizzard's LA offices.Next to me sits a representative from a German StarCraft fan site, who sobs gently as he strokes the hairy hide of a 3D Ultralisk (a massive Zerg unit), a decade-long wet dream a reality.
For the next two days we've been given unrestricted access to the latest multiplayer build of StarCraft II. With Blizzard having already revealed the revamped Terran and Protoss races, we've been invited here for a world-exclusive reveal of the game's final race, the Zerg."
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Sunday 04th 2008f May 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| GosuGamers and Blizzard hosting StarCraft 2 tourmament in Paris |
GosuGamers and Blizzard are hosting a Starcraft Tournament at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitationals. A Frostmourne Replica is among the prizes to the best players:
"Got what it takes to win the first official 2on2 tournament in StarCraft 2? Prove it, by playing the qualifier and be the Top 16 team to play the StarCraft 2 tournament at the Worldwide Invitational in Paris." - Read More.
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Friday 02nd 2008f May 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Blizzard Worldwide Invitational StarCraft 2 Community Tournament Announced! |
At the 2008 Blizzard Entertainment Worldwide Invitational, all attendees will have the opportunity to witness some of the world’s top StarCraft, Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft players compete in exciting matches. In addition to these professional gaming matches, community player tournaments will allow you to show your skills for fun and glory – and some amazing tournament prizes. Sign up to compete with other members of the community in Blizzard's upcoming StarCraft II tournaments and use your skills to come out on top! Compete in the StarCraft: Brood War qualifiers hosted by GosuGamers to win your spot in the StarCraft II finals! Check out the Community tournaments page for more information! -- Source.
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Wednesday 30th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| I Love Starcraft Contest - April 26 |
The I Love Starcraft Contest by Blizzard Entertainment ends on April 28, so you better start submiting your photos as fast as you can. Below I have one amazing submission from David. His photo shows the I Love Starcraft print along with two Starcraft action figures at the principal archeological bolivian ruins: Tiwanaku La Paz - Bolivia, South America.
Download the "I Love SC" Contest image and send me your submission here with title: (StarcraftTwo).
If you wish to edit your image and add the I Love SC image into your photo in case you don't have a printer, scanner or digital camera feel free to do so. You may use GIMP (free photo editing software) or use free background photos from FreeDigitalPhotos
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Friday 25th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Starcraft 2 Q&A - Batch 36: ScreenCraft |
Reminder: This is the final week for I<3 SC Submissions to be eligible for T-Shirts! Send your entries in today! Be a part of StarCraft history!
http://www.blizzard.com/us/inblizz/contests/ilovesc/
ScreenCraft: This batch's screenshot is to show the significant size increase of the Baneling since the original Protoss announcement gameplay trailer. The size increase is to allow the possibility of focus firing on incoming Banelings with additional micromanagement.
Feel free to discuss the evolution of the Baneling in our Monthly Discussion Topic at:
http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?fn=sc2-general-eu&t=463
Baneling Invasion
http://www.starcraft2.com/screenshot.xml?s=80
An army of Banelings invade a developing rival Zerg base.
1. Do Protoss Immortals get killed when a Nuke explodes next to them(seeing as the Hardened Shield blocks all high profile attacks and that a Nuke is definitely a high profile attack)? (Battle.net) Eragon320
In term of units, the only units that will be able to survive a Nuke will be the Protoss Mothership and Immortals upgraded with Hardened Shields. An upgraded Immortal will take 10 damage from a Nuke. To all other units, the Nuke will do 800 damage, thus making it much more powerful than the Nuke in the original StarCraft.
2. How powerful is the Roach's regeneration ability? How much time is needed to regenerate from 1 to full hp? (sc2pod.com)
The Roach currently regenerates 15 hit points per second, allowing it to regenerate to full health in 6 seconds. In countering Roaches, a player must either micromanage the battle to make sure they are focus firing on each Roach one at a time, or they have to bring in high damage units such as Siege Tanks or Archons.
3. Are Overseers any tougher than Overlords? (Battle.net) Mestroyer
When an Overlord evolves into an Overseer, it will gain a speed bonus, passive detection, the ability to generate creep below it, and the ability to corrupt' resources to make it more difficult for opponents to gain access to them. Furthermore, when Overseers sit in the same spot, over time its visual range will increase (but not its detection range).
4. Is it worth it to build a Terran Reactor Add-on since the benefit of doubling your queue list is not that useful, as it is often a bad idea to have your queue full? (gamereplays.org)
Yes! The Terran Reactor doesn't just double the size of your queue list. For a mere 50 minerals and 50 gas cost for the Reactor, that Barracks, Factory, or Starport will have the ability to create two units simultaneously (assuming that unit doesn't require a tech lab add-on). Most of the time, building the Reactor will be worth it, rather than building a second Barracks, Factory, or Starport. Not only will you be able to build from a single building the production of two normal buildings, you will be able to salvage that Reactor if needed to get 100% of the cost back. Being able to salvage allows for quick tech shifts or evacuations.
5. Will there be different building textures resembling the actual terrain? (in Warcraft 2 the buildings were snowy on the winter maps) (starcraft2.hu)
This is something the art team would like to do, though it will ultimately come down to time. There's a lot of art work still left to do, such as their current task, which is putting the finishing touches on the Terran Marauder amongst several other units. On the Marauder, players will be able to see many intricate animations for both the weapons and their power suits.
6. Did the High Templar's Hallucination ability undergo any changes due to the introduction of new tough units, such as Thor or Colossus? (battle.net) Elsoron
The Hallucination ability did not undergo changes because of those new units, but it did get significant buffs since the original StarCraft. First off, hallucinated units still have the same hit points as the original unit, but take double damage. Furthermore, the duration the unit lasts for will be around 2-3 minutes, which will be significantly longer than the original StarCraft. On top of that, to hallucinate a unit only costs 40 energy, which is much cheaper than the original StarCraft's cost of 100 energy.
---End of Transmission---
Karune - RTS Community Manager
Blizzard Entertainment
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Thursday 24th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| New York Comic Con 2008 - Tokyopop Starcraft: Frontline, Starcraft: Ghost Academy, Warcraft Legends & Warcraft: Dragons of Outla |
Today we have our 2008 New York Comic Con's Tokyopop Coverage. I missed most of the panel, but thankfully one of our forum community members came to the event and shared notes with me. The Con attendees could grab from the Tokyopop booth a Starcraft and Warcraft manga promo poster. I heard it was made in a timeframe of two weeks by artist Saejin Oh from UDON Entertainment.
That is a beautiful poster featuring a Zerg Hydra versus a Protoss Zealot on the bottom, and a Paladin versus an Orc Warrior. Many thanks to Stacey for scanning her poster for Blizzplanet.
Tokyopop and Blizzard Entertainment recently announced a Three-Year Publishing Deal to release twenty-two manga adventures set in the richly detailed Warcraft and StarCraft® universes. By August 2008 two anthology titles will be available at bookstores: Starcraft: Frontline and Warcraft Legends.
Starcraft: Frontline
Richard A. Knaak writes one of the stories in the Starcraft: Frontline anthology manga under the title: Thundergod. It will feature the Terran Thor - a massive robotic unit featured in the upcoming Starcraft 2 RTS game developed by Blizzard Entertainment.
StarCraft: Ghost Academy
Starcraft: Ghost Academy by Keith R.A. DeCandido is an ongoing manga series featuring November Anabelle Terra (better known as Nova), the lethal Ghost agent from the postponed Starcraft: Ghost FPS Console game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Keith R.A. DeCandido is well known for his Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dragon Precinct - an acclaimed high fantasy police procedural; among other pocket books. Keith wrote Starcraft Ghost: Nova for Pocket Books on 2006 as a prequel to the Console game. Now he continues his great work polishing the character, this time on a Tokyopop Manga. Keith mentioned at New York Comic Con, during the Warcraft and Starcraft Panel, that a Starcraft 2 character would make an appearance in Starcraft Ghost: Academy. The Manga is set in the timeframe Nova was at the Ghost Program Academy prior to her first mission. You will explore her interaction with other cadets and Ghost trainees pitting Nova into some interesting privacy situations. An artist for Starcraft Ghost: Academy will be announced soon by Tokyopop. The first volume's release date is scheduled by Summer 2009.
Warcraft Legends
Warcraft: Legends features four adventure stories including a story split in four parts written by Richard Knaak and drawn by Jae-Hwan Kim (the creative team behind The Sunwell Trilogy and Dragons of Outland) that brings back Trag, the noble tauren who seemingly sacrificed his life to defeat Baron Mordis at the end of Shadows of Ice. The first installment of Knaak's story inside the pages of Warcraft Legends Vol. 1 (August 2008) is titled "Fallen." Warcraft Legends Volume 2 (November 2008) will feature a story titled: "Fear" where a well known Warcraft character will make a appearance. The next three installments will be split between Warcraft Legends Vol. 3-4. The first volume also contains the first of four short stories written by Dan Jolley. It's a gnome story entitled "How to Win Friends and Influence People."
Warcraft: Dragons of Outland
Richard A. Knaak and Jae-Hwan Kim team up once more to bring us a new manga titled Warcraft: Dragons of Outland. A World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Manga, Dragons of Outland continues the saga of characters from Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy manga. In this sequel, Jorad Mace and Tyrygosa reach Outland and find the Nether dragons. This is unofficial, but this manga seems to set the backstory that leads to the events involving Malygos and what fans dubbed the "Magic War" from the upcoming World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King expansion - as hinted by Knaak during our video interview at 2007 Istrocon in Slovakia. This manga is scheduled for release on Fall 2009.
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Monday 21st 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| New York Comic Con 2008 |
There is some Warcraft and some Starcraft stuff I wish to share with you, but first I want to tell my experience. Just arrived [Saturday 10pm] from New York Comic Con with a make-believe bag full of great experiences deep in my heart, and a few setbacks. Though my body aches walking most of the day in the huge place that is the Jacob K. Javits Center, the experiences outweight the setbacks.
This was the first Con I ever visit. I sincerely have no many words to describe it. It fills you with awe. Thousands and thousands of people, huge location with unending open space. Hundreds of booths of comic book, manga, graphic novel, and book publishers. Lots of action figures and statues: DC Unlimited, Sideshow Collectibles, NecaOnline, and others that escape my mind.
I was able to see the DC Unlimited World of Warcraft Action Figures up close at New York Comic Con. Dude! This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. This is not your regular-joe action figure. These are masterpieces. The detail, textures, metalic colors. These things got life of its own. And that Tauren scheduled for December 2008 is massive. It is much bigger than any of the other action figures. Bulky.
The disguises were so really cool: I saw someone dressed as Mr. T, Superman, Batman, Joker, Two-Faces, Star Wars Troopers, Chewbacca, Star Wars Bounty Hunter, a Ghostbuster with his backpack/gun combo, and a very nice DC Comics Mr. Freeze walked past me with some crazy circular red glasses closed on the sides, and a huge bubble around his head. That was seriously the best. My heart pounded after seeing the beautiful gravity-challenging Corset Emma Frost (X-Men). And the southern Rogue was pretty. Too much Cleavage around the place. It was hard -- [to concentrate, that is] to keep browsing through so much collectible stuff.
Once I entered the New York Comic Con, I couldn't but marvel at the massive size of the place and it has like four floors of open space. How that place doesn't crumble down with so many people is beyond me. I was lost in that place. After speaking to the very kind Information booth guy he sent me to the back area a floor below. Naturally, I got lost among so many people moving slowly through the paths among hundreds of booths. Suddenly, a familiar face registered in my mind: Richard A. Knaak. There he was. At the Tokyopop Booth. I am impressed I recognized him from so far away without even noticing the Tokyopop displays.
I can't describe the joy of shaking hands with Richard A. Knaak, and telling him: "Hey, I am Medievaldragon, from Blizzplanet. His eyes opened wide. And he called me not by Medievaldragon, but by my real name. Well, at least my pen-name. [I give writers a shortened version of my real name. Short and easy to remember].
I went there to say hi, shake hands and tell him how much I enjoy all of his Warcraft and Diablo novels. Personally, in real life out there I am a very, very shy person. I barely crossed words with him, not for apathy, but because I am short of words. My online inner-self is much more talkative. Well, I was wrong. As soon as I told him who I was, he was as excited as me if not more than me. He stopped the presses so to speak and brought me to the attention of three Tokyopop Editors: Tim Beedle (the man: Tokyopop Starcraft and Warcraft Manga Editor, he is who talks with Blizzard Entertainment), Luis Reyes (Tokyopop Senior Editor), and Jeremy Ross (Director of New Product Development).
I really wasn't expecting such a privileged treatment, as soon as Knaak told them I was his, so to speak, most devoted cheerleader [or something along those lines], they were on top of me. I really freaked out -- and I know they will chuckle once they read this. Shook hands, they immediately handled their presentation cards. I felt very welcomed among them. They didn't even need to know I am utterly shy. They just exploded talking about the Starcraft and Warcraft Manga for like 20 minutes or more. It felt like forever. I was awed.
It didn't stop there. For people who are busy right in the middle of a New York Comic Con, they stopped everything to put themselves at my reach. Anytime I need details of the mangas, or media. They will be there the extra mile. It really felt great to talk with these folks.
Richard A. Knaak then took me a few booths away to Pocket Books (Simons & Schuster). There I met Marco Palmieri who just recently shipped to me review copies of World of Warcraft: Tides of Darkness, Diablo: The Sin War trilogy, The Veiled Prophet and Starcraft: The Dark Templar trilogy, Shadow Hunters. Many thanks Marco! Really glad to meet you to say thanks in person and with a hand shake. Marco Palmieri will be informing me soon when I can interview Graham McNeil [a pending Q&A]. Once the scripts have been approved by Blizzard Entertainment I will be given green light by Marco. So keep checking a few times in the next weeks of April, or early May for any updates. I will take question submissions from fans very soon.
Richard A. Knaak took a lot of his time to give me a tour through the New York Comic Con, which I so much appreciate. I couldn't stop saying thanks to him throughout the day journey. He brought me to the Upper Deck booth and there I met very nice people, too. Anna Maria Mannino gave me her email and cell phone number [erase that silly smile, I am not that handsome]. She gave me a USB-Flash Disk collar with some Upper Deck World of Warcraft stuff -- which contains high-quality photos of booster packs and starter packs of each Wow TCG expansions, and some display artworks. Make sure to check out updates once I am able to work with the images. She will put me up to date with everything about the WoW TCG, and mentioned they are open for interviews too. So basically, Richard A. Knaak is someone I must deeply thank for expanding my contact list and for marketing me so well with each of the companies as one of the good Blizzard fansites out there covering, supporting and spreading around news about their products.
Around 3pm, I went to the Pocket Books booth where I had the pleasure to also meet Keith R.A. DeCandido. He recognized me on the fly when I said Blizzplanet. So glad to shake his hand. He book signed my Starcraft Ghost: Nova and World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred novels. He wanted to talk with me at the end of the panel later on, but I totally forgot. I was spent for the day and dehydrated. I was carrying around a fedex box full of Starcraft, Diablo and Warcraft books. I don't even want to calculate the weight.
Around 3:30pm, the Fantasy Worlds and Manga panel started at the Tokyopop booth. Lot of fans were sitting around the booth on the nice and comfy rug. There was Richard A. Knaak (Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy Ultimate Edition, Warcraft Legends & Starcraft: Frontlines Manga), Barbara Randall Kesel (Legends of the Dark Crystal), Jeff Nodelman (Project D.O.A.), Melissa De Jesus (Sokora Refugees) and Marty LeGrow (Bizenghast) [LeGrow was freaking me out in a cute kinda way, nice gal]. I think the link to their work does them better justice. So check out their manga work.
I was finally able to meet Susan Hale (Tokyopop, Director of Public Relations). It was nice to meet her, and personally thank her for the support in the past months. She sent me a copy of the Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy Ultimate Edition not long ago, which I reviewed. Many thanks again, Susan.
I missed most of the Starcraft & Warcraft Panel due to miscommunication on my part. I thought the panel would take place at the same spot Knaak and the other manga panelists were. I asked the booth lady and she pointed me to the lower floor. I arrived 45 minutes late, boo me.
STARCRAFT
Of what little I could get Keith R.A. Decandido is writing a Tokyopop Manga titled Starcraft Ghost: Academy coming out on Summer 2009. Nova and a key character from Starcraft 2 will be among other Marine cadets and Ghosts. Keith R.A. DeCandido hinted there would be some privacy issues there among the crew.
Keith emailed me while I was writing this review to say it was nice to meet each other after two years, and he will fill me in more details of the Starcraft: Academy over the next few days. So be alert.
From what little I saw of the powerpoint presentation, I saw a very nice manga artwork of Kerrigan with a massive Hydra behind, and two preview pages of the Starcraft Manga. The Zerg look really good. I heard Jeremy Ross (Tokyopop Director, Manga Development) comment that they would like to make a manga from the point of view of the Zerg. A very hard and challenging thing to do as he said. Let's see what happens down the line.
WARCRAFT
At the end of the panel, or at least 15 minutes of it [hits head on the keyboard a few times], I walked along the hallway with Richard A. Knaak to tell him I missed most of the panel. I was about to ask if he would ever write a Tauren novel, since he has experience with Minotaur Wars and other fantasy novels. He surprised me before even asking him. He gave a quick glance of what I missed during most of the panel. Remember that Tauren from Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy? Trag Highmountain. Well, it seems Warcraft Legends: Fallen is a story about this Tauren. The story will be split among the next three Warcraft Legend Volumes with the first book coming out on August 2008.
The few Powerpoint slides I got to see in those 15 minutes, I grabbed the release schedule:
Warcraft Legends - August 2008
Starcraft: Frontline - August 2008
Starcraft: Ghost Academy - Summer 2009
Warcraft: Dragons of Outland - Fall 2009
On the Diablo front, It was hard to get details from Knaak. It is still in early-stages of talk, so it is not final. I am not sure if I am able to talk about the tidbits he gave me. There is a new Diablo pocket book set many years after The Sin War Trilogy. Zayl the Necromancer is returning. If you read my review of the Veiled Prophet recently, or read the book -- the necromancers are the champions that safeguard the balance in Sanctuary. Sorta like the Warcraft Druids watch over Kalimdor and their world. Kalan was the only human who rememebered what happened at the end of the Sin War ... he was who taught the neophytes the art of the necromancers, keeping watch over Sanctuary and the pact between the Angiris Council and Mephisto.
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Saturday 19th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| TOKYOPOP and Blizzard Entertainment® Announce Three-Year Publishing Plan |
Twenty-Two All-New Warcraft® and StarCraft® Manga Volumes Slated for Release through 2010
New York Comic-Con, New York (April 17, 2008)―On the heels of the critically acclaimed international hit manga series Warcraft®: The Sunwell Trilogy, TOKYOPOP, the leader of the global manga revolution, and Blizzard Entertainment®, creator of some of the world’s most popular game series, are proud to announce their three-year publishing plan. Over the next 36 months, the companies intend to release twenty-two all-new never-before-told adventures set in the richly detailed Warcraft and StarCraft® universes.
According to TOKYOPOP Editor-in-Chief Rob Tokar, "After several fantastic years of working with Blizzard Entertainment on Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy, it is both a pleasure and an honor to extend our relationship in such a grand fashion. The entire TOKYOPOP team is incredibly excited to help expand the Warcraft and StarCraft universes through manga. Blizzard has been a terrific partner and, by incorporating original characters from Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy into their incredible massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft®, they have again shown that their game universe is a vast, rich, immersive phenomenon that transcends any one medium."
"We’re pleased to continue working with TOKYOPOP to bring our game universes to an entirely new audience," said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. "Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy proved to be a top-quality adaptation of Warcraft to the manga format, and we look forward to matching that quality with the upcoming StarCraft and Warcraft books."
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Blizzard Entertainment’s bestselling StarCraft real-time strategy game, this August TOKYOPOP will publish the first volume of the new manga series, StarCraft: Frontline, a collection of four stories set in the dark and gritty StarCraft universe. StarCraft: Frontline includes "Thundergod," by renowned writer Richard A. Knaak (Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy) and Naohiro Washio, and focuses on the new Thor heavy combat walker unit that will be appearing in Blizzard Entertainment’s upcoming sequel, StarCraft II. Other artists and writers featured in this collection include Simon Furman (Transformers), Paul Benjamin (Pantheon High), Joshua Elder (Mail Order Ninja), and Ramanda Kamarga (Psy-Comm).
August also hails the debut of the first volume of the all-new manga series Warcraft: Legends. Some of the world's best manga creators join together to bring the world of Warcraft to life as never before! Warcraft vets Richard A. Knaak and Jae-Hwan Kim (Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy) team up again for "Fallen," which is the first of a three-part tale. Other global talent for Warcraft: Legends includes Dan Jolley (Warriors; JSA Liberty Files), Carlos Oliveros and Mi-Young No (Threads of Time).
StarCraft: Frontline and Warcraft: Legends are the first two of more than twenty releases set in the StarCraft and Warcraft universes that TOKYOPOP and Blizzard Entertainment will collaborate on and publish over the course of three years. Stay tuned for more details about other books in this historic publishing program.
About TOKYOPOP
Founded by multi-cultural media visionary Stu Levy,TOKYOPOP is hailed as a leading youth-oriented entertainment brand and an innovator of manga creation, with a revolutionary artistic vision that transcends countless platforms. From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP has changed the way teens experience pop culture. The company’s global reach has expanded to Europe and Asia, with offices in the UK and Germany and partnerships in Australia and China, in addition to its original Los Angeles and Tokyo operations. With millions of fans logging onto the new social networking site www.TOKYOPOP.com, reading its books, which are licensed in more than 40 countries and 30 languages, and watching its DVDs and television programs, TOKYOPOP’s award-winning catalogue of licensed and original properties has made the company a visionary in an ever-growing teen entertainment marketplace. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft and the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diabloâ series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a studio of Vivendi Games, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes ten #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.netâ, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active users.
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Thursday 17th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Starcraft Q&A - Batch 35 |
Despite seeing all three factions, there are still many changes being made to all factions which continue to finesse the gameplay of StarCraft II.
Furthermore, if you are reading this batch, and love StarCraft, show everyone! For the "I <3 SC" event, we've been getting tons of fun entries of StarCraft lovers in their classrooms, playing the game, posing at famous landmarks, and many unique digitally edited entries!
What does StarCraft mean to you?
Make sure you are represented in this wall of fans that will be engraved in Blizzard history. It is very simple to participate- Take a picture and join us!
http://blizzard.com/us/inblizz/contests/ilovesc/
For newcomers, if you want a quick rundown on the story leading into StarCraft II- we have it here in a nutshell:
http://www.starcraft2.com/features/storysofar.xml
http://www.starcraft2.com/features/storysofar2.xml
Chat with the Devs: The Dev team has been working hard to find the best defense mechanic that works for the Zerg. The latest builds have brought back Sunken and Spore Colonies, with a new twist. Sunken and Spore Colonies can now uproot and crawl to a more advantageous position. Incidentally, Protoss Phase Cannons no longer have the ability to change positions.
Giving the Zerg mobile defensive structures feels a lot more right as this ability opens up many more aggressive strategies in both Zerg mirrors as well as combined with Overlords generating creep to push these defenses up towards the front lines. Furthermore, there definitely is something about watching defenses crawling around that just seems very Zerg-like. Its worth noting that Zerg defenses while in mobile form have fewer hit points and are more vulnerable to attack.
Gameplay Blog: Over the past few weeks Ive really been practicing up with the Terran faction, as it is probably the one that I am weakest at playing with. After getting beat about three or four times and finally getting my build order up to speed, I realized Terrans actually have a huge advantage in StarCraft II with being able to block off choke points to your base with ease.
Currently, on most maps a Terran player is able to block off their base entry point before the enemy is able to scout, making it nearly impossible for the enemy to find out what the Terran player is doing behind that wall. With only a few Marines and a couple SCVs, the Terran player can fend off most early attacks, especially since they usually also have a higher elevation sight advantage.
Three popular options amongst the staff playing at Blizzard include:
1) Tech straight to Banshees, which have a very powerful single target attack, and can be researched to cloak. This unit devastates if the opponent is not prepared with both anti- air units as well as detectors.
2) Tech straight to Reapers, which can jump up and down hills without a spotter, and get an added bonus damage versus light units. What this means is that the Reapers are able to quickly get in an enemys resource line to annihilate workers at an astounding rate, as well as get out before the enemy can react. This works great if you can scout/scan to see if their main base is defended well with static defenses. On top of that, did I forget to mention that they can drop mines that do significant damage towards buildings? Yes, that means with a handful of these guys, you can drop enough mines to take out whole Hatcheries/ Nexuses, or strategically use them to take out Pylons or tech buildings. After you drop the mines, jump back out of combat and let the mine cooldown reset for another round of raids.
3) If a Terran player bunkers up as mentioned above and no attacks are made by this player, one way an opponent may respond is to expand and build a stronger economy, as they do not feel threatened. In this case, a Terran player can simply build up a huge force of Marines and Marauders behind the wall without the opponent knowing, and then strike when their opponent drops their guard.
Luckily, the Dev Team is well on top of balance, as they have introduced new abilities such as the Nullifiers Anti Gravity ability to lift up buildings blocking choke points and Nydus Worms to bypass such defenses to keep those Terran players honest. Maps will likely have larger choke points in the future to offer a little more chance for opponents to get a Probe or Drone in early to scout early teching Terran players.
As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if you are enjoying the batches.
---StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 35---
1. Do Banelings damage nearby friendly units when they explode onto an enemy target? (www.starcraft2.com.au)
No, in the current build the Banelings do not damage friendly units caught in the splash. The splash damage does cover its area of effect range evenly, doing the same damage to enemy units throughout the whole area.
2. When a Nydus Worm is detected, is it possible to shoot it down while it is traveling? (www.starcraftcz.com)
Yes, having detectors in strategic places will keep you from being surprised by an unexpected Nydus Worm showing up in your base.
3. Does the Nydus Worm, a ground unit, move through open space? (battle.net) pop.helo
Yes. We dont know how we are going to make this look yet. When we come up with a visual solution we are happy with we will show it to the community.
4. Can Zerg buildings be infested, and if so, what units are produced? (starcraft2forum.org)
Zerg buildings cannot be infested. It is planned that infested Protoss buildings will produce an infested Protoss unit that will play differently than the infested Marine.
5. Will be there such doodads like customizable light or shader? (battle.net) Dagguh
Yes.
6. The first screenshot listed in Karune's 33rd Q&A shows what looks like the Mothership's Black Hole ability. However, it was said that the Black Hole was removed. Does this mean the ability has returned in the current build? (Starcraft.org)
As mentioned before, the state of many of these units are always changing. In the current build, the Mothership has become more of a support unit with increased hit points and decreased speed. The Mothership now allows Protoss Gateways that have converted to Warp Gates to be able to warp units straight to the Mothership. The warp-in mechanic (which cannot be queued) has also been tweaked to allow Protoss players who use it to get a slight time decrease in unit production as opposed to queuing units traditionally at the Gateways. In other words, the cooldown timer on warp-in doesnt take as long as the build time for units at a Gateway.
Furthermore, the Mothership will also have the ability to transfer energy down to casters below it, such as Templars. Both the Time Bomb and Black Hole abilities have been removed
7. Will Phase Cannons be able to rematerialize on an allys Pylon Power, or an enemys Pylon Power for that matter? (sclegacy.com)
Phase Cannons are no longer able to move in the current build.
8. Is the Tauren Marine going to be included in the StarCraft II map editor? (battle.net) scorpionbrood
Yes.
---End of Transmission---
Karune - RTS Community Manager
Blizzard Entertainment
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Wednesday 16th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Starcraft 2: The Story So Far - Part 2 |
Blizzard has released the second part of Starcraft 2: The Story So Far. This time we get a lore summary of what happened after the sacrifice of Tassadar up to the moment Zeratul confronts Duran about the Hybrids. Worth a read. The page also contains cinematic footage from Starcraft and Brood War.
Reintegration of the protoss race
The protoss evacuees from Aiur have been struggling to recover from the loss of their home planet while finding ways to mesh their society with that of the dark templar who call Shakuras home. The transition has been difficult for both sides, and the name of Raszagal has been invoked more than once to keep the peace.
The old Conclave has been swept away, and in its absence many protoss have begun looking to their ancient tribal affiliations for leadership and a sense of identity. With the protoss people working together as they did in ancient times and studying the xel'naga technology on Shakuras, the protoss have made many technological developments for continuing the war with the zerg.
Memories of Raszagal have plagued Zeratul, who was further disturbed by his encounter with Samir Duran and the zerg-protoss hybrid Duran had apparently been creating. Shortly after bidding Raynor farewell on Shakuras, Zeratul departed the planet, and he has not been heard from in years. To this day he seeks to understand what Duran and the hybrid he was creating might portend. Lately he has uncovered something that may be related to the xel'naga, creators of both protoss and zerg, and he seeks new clues to unravel the mystery.
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Wednesday 16th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| I love Starcraft -- Starcraft Manga Prizes added |
A reminder to send in your photo holding the I love SC image to participate in the Photo Mosaic contest held by Blizzard. A few chosen submissions will get a Starcraft 2 T-Shirt, and I have upped the stakes. From Tokyopop, we got five Starcraft Mangas to give away to fans who submit an entry to Blizzplanet.
The Starcraft Manga is coming out on August 2008. You will know more details of the Manga by the weekend. I will be going to New York Comic Con to talk with Richard A. Knaak and Keith R.A. DeCandido. Both writers are creating two Starcraft manga projects. DeCandido's is titled Starcraft: Frontlines. Knaak's -- I don't think I can yet say the title, but it is a trilogy. You can pick one of both as a gift, if you are chosen among the winners.
First: Simply download the following image:
Second: Print the image
Third: Take a photo of yourself holding the printed-image. It must be 1024x768 size. If you do not have a printer, digital camera or scanner ... no problem. Use your creativity with Photoshop or GIMP using the provided image.
Fourth: Submit your entry to 
Read the elegibility and rules terms.
Below is a submission from MijnWraak - a Diablo3.com Forum Member - who preferred to be creative with the I Love SC image. I don't know if Blizzard will pick this one among the 100 submissions to be used in the Photo Mosaic, but certainly I found it humorous on its own right.
MijnWraak commented along his submission: "Might as well show Diablo's love for Starcraft - I'm sure he plays it on lonely nights in hell."
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Tuesday 15th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Starcraft 2 Apri Discussion: Zerg Baneling |
All visitors please share your feedback on the Baneling. Your feedback will be forwarded to Karune.
Karune: Last month was all about the Zerg. For the first time members of the Community and the press had the privilege to test StarCraft II's third race. You could read a lot about the different units and buildings, see movies and screenshots, hear about the gameplay experiences. This month's discussion topic will be about one of the new Zerg units: The Baneling, the mutation of one of the most popular Zerg units, of the Zergling. The Baneling has undergone quite a few changes in the past couple of weeks and we'd like to hear your feedback!
Information on the new Baneling:
Now
- 190 damage per Baneling (40+150 to building)
- Increased splash range (100% damage taken throughout range)
- Can be well positioned to hit multiple buildings
- Larger & Movement Speed Slower (possible to defend with focus fire)
- Counters Zealots, Zerglings, base Marines (not upgraded) -More Narrow window of use
Before
- Fast and small- Unable to defend against (focus fire)
- Countered virtually all ground units
Questions for fans:
- How do you like the new Baneling?
- What possibilites do you see for using the Baneling, what strategies could be viable with the Baneling against the different races?
- What are the pros/cons for this new Baneling?
- Additional feedback you might have
Each StarCraft II fansite will be featuring different types of questions, so be sure to also visit those sites. All of this feedback will be compiled and sent to the dev team.
Post your answers at our forum thread or email them here.
Please structure feedback as follows:
-----
(question you'd like to answer)
(your answer)
(question you'd like to answer)
(your answer)
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Were looking forward to seeing great discussions on the new Zerg Baneling!
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Monday 14th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| I Love Starcraft - April 13 Submissions |
Today's submission sent to Blizzplanet for our local Blizzard's I Love Starcraft Photo Mosaic is from our old buddy HandClaw (Rampaging Polygons modding community). Do you love Starcraft? Show off and share with others your "I love SC" photo. All submissions will be forwarded by Blizzplanet to Karune (Blizzard RTS Community Manager). Participate to get the chance of being one of the one hundred photos to be chosen for the final Blizzard Photo Mosaic. A Starcraft 2 T-Shirt will be given to three random submissions.
Read the rules page and download the I Love SC image for your submission. Email your submission here.
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Sunday 13th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| I Love Starcraft Photo Mosaic - April 12 |
Two new submissions from the Starcraft Community showing off their love for the game celebrating Ten Years of Starcraft. Today's submissions by Lyquid and emirguru. Wish to participate in the Blizzard's I Love Starcraft Photo Mosaic? Read more. Submit your entry to Blizzplanet here.
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Saturday 12th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| I Love Starcraft Contest - Participate ! |
To encourage Blizzplanet visitors to participate in the "I Love Starcraft" Contest, I decided to show my very own submission. Print the "I Love SC" image that Blizzard provided, take a screenshot of yourself holding the image and submit it to Blizzplanet. Three lucky fans will get a Starcraft 2 T-Shirt. Come on, participate. Show your love for Starcraft! It's very simple.
- Download the "I Love SC" Contest image
- Submit your submission here
If you wish to edit your image and add the I Love SC image into your photo in case you don't have a printer, scanner or digital camera feel free to do so. You may use GIMP (free photo editing software) or use free background photos from FreeDigitalPhotos
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Friday 11th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Starcraft 2 - Medivac / Reaper Combo |
Karune replied a Medivac/Reaper combo forum thread explaning the mechanic behind using Medivac Dropships and Reapers in your Starcraft 2 strategy.
Karune: To give a little more clarification why you would still use Reapers with Medivac Dropships rather than just dropping Marines:
1. Reapers are much faster for raiding. In dropping units (like Marines), there is a 1 second delay between each unit that is dropped. In that 8 seconds, to drop all 8 Marines, you can do a lot of damage with Reapers.
2. Reapers are anti-light units, making them very effective against resource collectors, Zealots, Zerglings, and even a Queen.
3. The Reapers' mines are extremely effective at taking out buildings for quick hit and run tactics.
4. Reapers can 'dance' up and down cliffs to keep your enemies guessing when you'll attack with little time delay, as opposed to loading and dropping Marines.
I hope that gives a little more insight behind the idea. Nonetheless, the ideas that the community is coming up with is great, and be assured that the Devs do read the feedback.
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Thursday 10th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Richard A. Knaak @ New York Comic Con - Starcraft Manga |
Richard A. Knaak confirmed his presence at 2008 New York Comic Con where many juicy announcements will be made. Make sure to subscribe to Richard A. Knaak's newsletter for future appearances and updates. (Newsletter email at the bottom of his blog page).
Richard A. Knaak just emailed me to let me know of his New York Comic Con schedule and to share with Blizzplanet's visitors a high-quality image of DIABLO ARCHIVE (July 8, 2008) and WORLD OF WARCRAFT: NIGHT OF THE DRAGON (November 18, 2008). Both covers at the bottom of this article. DIABLO ARCHIVE is a trade paperback containing three books: LEGACY OF BLOOD, THE BLACK ROAD, & THE KINGDOM OF SHADOW.
If you are going to New York Comic Con, make sure to visit Richard A. Knaak on Saturday, April 19 at the Starcraft/Warcraft panel. He will be unveiling details of his new Starcraft Manga trilogy, World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon and other upcoming novels.
- Pre-Order Night of the Dragon here
- Read our previous Night of the Dragon video-interview with Richard A. Knaak
RICHARD A. KNAAK - 2008 NEW YORK COMIC CON SCHEDULE
Friday, April 20
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Writing for Manga
Saturday, April 19
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fantasy Worlds and Manga
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Richard Knaak Warcraft signing
Warcraft and Starcraft panel
6:00 PM--7:00 PM (Panel Room 1E09)
Sunday April 20
1:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Richard Knaak Warcraft signing
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Signing at Simon & Schuster Booth
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Wednesday 09th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| 2008 New York Comic Con - Blizzard Book Writers Schedule |
Some of the Blizzard Entertainment franchise-based novel writers such as Aaron Rosenberg and Keith R.A. DeCandido will make public appearances at the
2008 New York Comic Con through April 18-20 at the Jacob Javits Center in midtown Manhattan (655 West 34th Street) -- Check out the following:
( Booth Map ) | ( Travel & Hotel ) | (Tickets )
RICHARD A. KNAAK
Richard A. Knaak |
Richard A. Knaak confirmed his presence at 2008 New York Comic Con where many juicy announcements will be made. Make sure to subscribe to Richard A. Knaak's newsletter for future appearances and updates. (Newsletter email at the bottom of his blog page).
If you are going to New York Comic Con, make sure to visit Richard A. Knaak on Saturday, April 19 at the Starcraft/Warcraft panel. He will be unveiling details of his new Starcraft Manga trilogy, World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon and other upcoming novels.
2008 NEW YORK COMIC CON SCHEDULE
Friday, April 20
5:30-6:30 p.m.
Writing for Manga
Saturday, April 19
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fantasy Worlds and Manga
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Richard Knaak Warcraft signing
Warcraft and Starcraft panel
6:00 PM--7:00 PM (Panel Room 1E09)
Sunday April 20
1:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. Richard Knaak Warcraft signing
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Signing at Simon & Schuster Booth
Keith R.A. DeCandido |
KEITH R.A. DECANDIDO
Keith R.A. DeCandido will be at 2008 New York Comic Con all three days and announcement of two of his 2009 projects will be unveiled. At this point not sure if one of those are for Blizzard, Star Trek or other franchise. He said he would be at the PaperCutz, Pocket Books and Tokyopop booths on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It has been officially confirmed that he is author of Starcraft: Frontlines (Manga).
Don't worry, Richard A. Knaak is still doing another Tokyopop Starcraft Manga trilogy, which I accidentally slipped a few weeks ago. So yea, two Starcraft Manga titles. I will offer more details once Tokyopop sends out the official press release.
NEW YORK COMIC CON SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 19
12:30-1pm: "Star Trek Books 2008" - Booth (1E07)
3-4pm: Autographing at the Pocket Books booth 1402
6-7pm: "Warcraft Legends and Starcraft Frontline" - Tokyopop Booth 1329 (1E09)
Aaron Rosenberg |
AARON ROSENBERG
Aaron Rosenberg will be book signing at the Pocket Books booth 1402 on Friday, April 18. Aaron Rosenberg is a well-known writer of Star Trek and Warhammer. On the Blizzard Entertainment portfolio he is written Starcraft: Queen of Blades, World of Warcraft: Tides of Darkness, co-writer of World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal.
NEW YORK COMIC CON SCHEDULE
Friday, April 18
6:00pm - Autographing at the Pocket Books booth 1402
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Tuesday 08th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| I Love Starcraft Contest |
The Official "I Love Starcraft" Contest by Blizzard Entertainment has been expanded to its Starcraft Fansites. All visitors of Blizzplanet are invited to participate for the opportunity to win a Starcraft 2 T-Shirt sent to you by Blizzard.
Your Photo submissions will be added to a official Starcraft Mosaic, be viewed by million of players worldwide at the Blizzard website, and of course, seen on the front page of Blizzplanet.
To participate in this official contest all you need to do is download the "I <3 SC" image and take a photo of yourself and/or your friends holding the printed image. Then submit it to Blizzplanet and to Blizzard. That's it. For such a feat, three lucky participants will have the chance to win a Starcraft 2 T-Shirt.
Read the Contest Rules here
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Tuesday 08th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Starcraft 2 Q&A - Batch 34 |
Karune: So now that all three races are out of the bag, you may have thought you've seen it all- nope! The Dev Team is still working very hard to add even more innovation and clever balance affecting design changes that will indeed polish out the gameplay of StarCraft II that much more.
Also, if you haven't already, be a part of StarCraft history by participating in our "I <3 SC" event! Your picture will be added to a wall of StarCraft fans! It is fast and easy to join up! Info here:
http://blizzard.com/us/inblizz/contests/ilovesc/
Chat with the Devs: As of recent, the Dev Team has added a new ability to the Protoss Carrier that will give it a little more Umph! versus Zerg Corruptor attacks or Viking raids. In the past, the Carrier simply had a large swarm of Interceptor fighters which you had to build from scratch. Carriers now come built with 4 Interceptors already loaded (which is also the max number of Interceptors currently). They also have the new ability to have Escorts built for a temporary power boost to focus fire. Strike Fighter Escorts cost resources to build and last only 45 seconds, but add a decent amount of firepower to a Carriers attack. A Carrier can have a maximum of 4 Escorts. Escorts are given attack orders to focus-fire on whatever the Carrier is attacking and they can be destroyed independently of the Carrier or each other. The cost for these Escorts will be significant enough to where players will not want to just have the max number all of the time, as that would bleed your economy needlessly. Thus, players will have to pick and choose their battles in where they want the full force of the Protoss fleet present.
As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if you are enjoying the batches.
---StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 34---
1. An important aspect of any RTS game is for all races to have a way to siege fortified island positions, do the Protoss and Terrans [[and Zerg]] have a unit that is capable of doing so? (sclegacy.com)
All factions will have units capable of attacking from a longer range. Zerg have the Swarm Guardian, Terrans have the Battlecruisers Yamato Cannon, and the Protoss have the Carrier (which has gotten some additional abilities since we last talked about it). However we are not at all sure that these are enough to deal with fortified islands. More testing will tell us if this is sufficient or if we need more.
2. The Infestor is a very impressive unit that enchanted the community, because we all wanted to see a unit that is able to move while it is burrowed. Nevertheless there are still pending questions. Can the Infestor even infest Zerg buildings? Are infested marines produced as fast as it is shown on the gameplay trailer? Do you have to train them manually or will they pop out automatically? Do they cost minerals? (starcraft2.4players.de)
Like many Zerg units the Infestor is still under development. It cannot infest Zerg buildings though that is something we are still discussing. The speed at which Marines are generated changes frequently as we work on the ability. Sometimes its fast, sometimes not so fast. They will (probably) pop automatically. They do not have any cost associated with them.
3. The Medivac is a very interesting Unit, but there are not many information given to us so far. Can you tell us any more details about it? At which tier can it be found? How does the healing work? Can it even heal multiple units at once and how fast does it heal compared to the medic? (starcraft2.4players.de)
The Medivac is currently available from the Starport (no add-ons required). The healing works just like the medic. We will (if we keep the mechanic) be adding a graphic of the Medivac deploying medical drones to heal friendly biological units. It will only be able to heal a single unit at one time. The speed at which it heals changes frequently as we try different balance options.
4. There are many ambiguities concerning the Roach due to the much different information that has been given to us. Many users are quite unsure about its kind of attack. Is it a melee unit or is it ranged? Or is it kind of a crazy mix of both? And most important: can it hit air as well? (starcraft2.4players.de)
The Roach is ranged. He has been melee in the recent past (hence the art with the big claws) but he is currently ranged. This gives him added utility at chokes where he really shines. We have tried it as ground only and we have tried it as being able to hit ground or air. Currently it is ground only.
5. Can a Zerg Corruptor infest lifted-off Terran buildings, Colossuses, and other Zerg units such as Mutalisks or other Corruptors? Can Corruptor infest Thors, Siege Tanks or Marines if they are lifted-off by Anti-Gravity? (Battle.net) PCBANGFT
Yes, Corruptors can infest anything that flies or is forced into the air by abilities such as Anti-Gravity. In the situation of a unit being lifted by Anti-Gravity, the unit will return to the ground when the anti-gravity effect ends and sit on the ground. The corrupted unit is only allowed to attack air units and will do so if an enemy air unit flies by.
6. What is the reasoning behind changing Colossus' 'sliding' thermal lances (from 1st gameplay movie) to an array of beams (zerg trailer)? Balance? Visuals? Will it be possible to choose such sliding or array (or is it just 'horizontal' line?) fire mode from the Map Editor (available also for any other unit)? (battle.net) Dagguh
The array of beams give a more interesting AOE template for players to attempt to micro. The sliding beam looks cool, but ultimately doesnt produce any new gameplay. The current visuals on the beam are temp to see if we like the mechanic.
---End of Transmission---
Karune - RTS Community Manager
Blizzard Entertainment
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Monday 07th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
| Starcraft Pro Gamer Movie - The Terran Series - MYM.Testie |
myMYM.Snotty has produced a 10-minutes movie honoring Starcraft Pro Gaming legend MYM.Testie titled 'The Terran Series - MYM.Testie". It shows fragments of replays where Testie has played against Mondragon, Legionaire, Hullah, Squall, Breakdown, Oldy, HanJihye, Pito and others. The response from the community after watching this short movie has gone from "Amazing!", to "Fantastic movie!". There is a downloadable High Quality version, too. Thanks, Snotty for mencioning Blizzplanet at the end of the video, and for your support in past years over at MeetYourMakers.com.
myMYM.Snotty about his movie:
"This is something I've been working on for a long time, actually it was ready a year ago, but my old PC just couldn't render the project, so I finally had the time and the money for a new computer to actually finish this. As you have already noticed I've named my video "The Terran Series: Testie" - well, it's a long story... though my initial idea was to make a Testie highlight video (as we all know he is a random player), yet after watching almost 400+ reps and recording so many scenes, guess I got a bit lazy so I came up with an alternative idea: a Terran highlight video, featuring a particular player (who happens to be Testie). Yet as I already mentioned due to some hardware issues, my second plan for a series of movies failed too, simply because now I don't have any free time at all and I have to focus on my studies.
That's only my second movie and keep in mind that I used 200 Terran replays, so yes those are one of his best "moves" captured on a video... if this not gosu enough for you - well don't blame me!
Oh and if you like my work please download the HQ video, it took me hell of a time to come up with that quality."
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Monday 07th 2008f April 2008 |
Posted by Medievaldragon |
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