ursustas
03-24-2010, 06:47 PM
I was very fortunate to have had my first, limited, hands on experience at Starcraft II the last few days thanks to a very generous friend.
I need to start by stating quite clearly that it's amazing! It is a visually stunning game that puts every other RTS to shame by it's class already.
As a passionate Blizzard and Starcraft fan I have monitored various blizzard and community forums, watched countless youtube videos and live streaming from Blizcon, and listened to podcasts .. but .. well read on and perhaps you will understand ..
I spent hours just looking at every building and unit, at their various animations and getting them killed in different ways. There is only basic music and of course the balance of the game is always changing but I managed to get a feel for the races, build orders, tech trees and counters.
Even more than the original, you need to use the basic units as something to build your army upon. At least in my noob state gone are the days of blocking an entrance with a few towers, teching up your favourite mass unit and rolling over the enemy. That is almost certain death.
Counters are harder, which means that if they have the counter to your units they will, even if outnumbered 2-1 have an excellent chance of smashing you. Add to that extra ways into your bases, as terrain is destroyed, teleporting power grids, giant worms of doom, suicidal banelings and units that can hop or even step up cliffs you never feel safe. Safe is having 4 bases with duplicate buildings and a roaming army that cannot be trapped so you survive the inevitable carnage to rebuild.
But the thing that I noticed the most, that has lasted as my memories of specifics starts to fade, is the feel of each race. This is before experiencing the fluff or the atmosphere of the single player campaign.
The zerg really feel like they never have before .. they are a true swarm in a world of hell, creep and insanity. You can feel their presence, chittering and the pattering of their feet right before the shivers, shadows and screams begin. They make you feel overwhelmed whether you struggle to direct their masses in battles or keep them at bay, regardless they feel like endless carnage. It is so horrific that you feel a strange cold detachment whether you struggle to live or send your zerglings in to tear apart your enemies.
The protoss are beautiful, elegant, proud, sophisticatedly simple and at the same time destructive and fragile; they feel like using a glass mallet to squash bugs while listening to a symphony orchestra. Each zealot that dies strikes fear into your heart, that still lingers even when you unleash a psi-storm is against your enemies and watch true devastation. Nothing feels as grand as when you walk your fragile colossus up a cliff, a mothership unleashes hell, or an immortal leads your army and shrugs off the heavy fire; but nothing feels as sorrowful when an EMP hits or the Banelings roll towards you and the shields, as mighty as they are .. aren't enough.
Finally my beloved Terrans; perhaps it is the novels that I have read but they are gritty, dirty and somehow despite being awkward they feel like an old car that constantly breaks down but that you can fix with roll of duct tape and will run forever. The marines seem so weak even in a bunker, but with a humble SCV they become less so. Add a little air support (transport and medic in one unit), heavily armoured marauder troops with grenades to slow your enemies and a few massive allies like the mighty siege tank or thor that simply towers over a landscape and distract your enemy with a few cunning units like the hellion bikes (fast firebats now turned into vehicles) and super fast reaper jet pack marines and they feel as though you have a slim chance .. they truely can do it all. The zerg are thrown away like the wind, the protoss cause tears to be shed as they bleed, the terrans are both at the same time, you care but you have a job to do and no time to stand around .. they are constantly bandaging, repairing and rebuilding. As an enemy the Terrans inspire the old classic fear still .. that of the ghosts .. and of course that tiny read dot makes even the queen herself scream in rage!
I need to start by stating quite clearly that it's amazing! It is a visually stunning game that puts every other RTS to shame by it's class already.
As a passionate Blizzard and Starcraft fan I have monitored various blizzard and community forums, watched countless youtube videos and live streaming from Blizcon, and listened to podcasts .. but .. well read on and perhaps you will understand ..
I spent hours just looking at every building and unit, at their various animations and getting them killed in different ways. There is only basic music and of course the balance of the game is always changing but I managed to get a feel for the races, build orders, tech trees and counters.
Even more than the original, you need to use the basic units as something to build your army upon. At least in my noob state gone are the days of blocking an entrance with a few towers, teching up your favourite mass unit and rolling over the enemy. That is almost certain death.
Counters are harder, which means that if they have the counter to your units they will, even if outnumbered 2-1 have an excellent chance of smashing you. Add to that extra ways into your bases, as terrain is destroyed, teleporting power grids, giant worms of doom, suicidal banelings and units that can hop or even step up cliffs you never feel safe. Safe is having 4 bases with duplicate buildings and a roaming army that cannot be trapped so you survive the inevitable carnage to rebuild.
But the thing that I noticed the most, that has lasted as my memories of specifics starts to fade, is the feel of each race. This is before experiencing the fluff or the atmosphere of the single player campaign.
The zerg really feel like they never have before .. they are a true swarm in a world of hell, creep and insanity. You can feel their presence, chittering and the pattering of their feet right before the shivers, shadows and screams begin. They make you feel overwhelmed whether you struggle to direct their masses in battles or keep them at bay, regardless they feel like endless carnage. It is so horrific that you feel a strange cold detachment whether you struggle to live or send your zerglings in to tear apart your enemies.
The protoss are beautiful, elegant, proud, sophisticatedly simple and at the same time destructive and fragile; they feel like using a glass mallet to squash bugs while listening to a symphony orchestra. Each zealot that dies strikes fear into your heart, that still lingers even when you unleash a psi-storm is against your enemies and watch true devastation. Nothing feels as grand as when you walk your fragile colossus up a cliff, a mothership unleashes hell, or an immortal leads your army and shrugs off the heavy fire; but nothing feels as sorrowful when an EMP hits or the Banelings roll towards you and the shields, as mighty as they are .. aren't enough.
Finally my beloved Terrans; perhaps it is the novels that I have read but they are gritty, dirty and somehow despite being awkward they feel like an old car that constantly breaks down but that you can fix with roll of duct tape and will run forever. The marines seem so weak even in a bunker, but with a humble SCV they become less so. Add a little air support (transport and medic in one unit), heavily armoured marauder troops with grenades to slow your enemies and a few massive allies like the mighty siege tank or thor that simply towers over a landscape and distract your enemy with a few cunning units like the hellion bikes (fast firebats now turned into vehicles) and super fast reaper jet pack marines and they feel as though you have a slim chance .. they truely can do it all. The zerg are thrown away like the wind, the protoss cause tears to be shed as they bleed, the terrans are both at the same time, you care but you have a job to do and no time to stand around .. they are constantly bandaging, repairing and rebuilding. As an enemy the Terrans inspire the old classic fear still .. that of the ghosts .. and of course that tiny read dot makes even the queen herself scream in rage!