Check it out, new StarCraft 2 Screenshots and Artwork! Compliments of IGN. Through the following 17 images, one can really start to grasp the sheer complexity and detail which has gone into the design of the sequel.

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I was casually perusing the Internet and I came across an interesting paper by J.C Herz and Micheal R. Macedonia titled "Computer Games and the Miltary: Two Views". What makes this paper so interesting, at least to me, is that it takes a closer look at the similarities between Military simulations, and commercial computer games. And more importantly, they use StarCraft as an example!

"[Starcraft alone has 165 competing clans], The clan network may seem anarchic--it is fiercely competitive and has no centralized authority. But beneath the gruesome aesthetics and intermural bravado, it is a highly cooperative system that runs far more efficiently than any "official" organization of similar scale because clans, and the players who comprise them, have a clear set of shared goals. Blizzard is a salient example for networked simulation mavens because the company dedicates as much attention to nurturing competition between groups and individuals as it does to developing hit titles. A customer who buys a copy of Diablo II also gets access to Battle.net, a huge multiplayer gaming platform that Blizzard maintains for its customers at no additional charge. Players simply select the Battle.net option from within the game and are instantly connected to a worldwide network where they can chat,challenge opponents, initiate multiplayer games, download new maps, exchange ideas, strategies, and tactics with other gamers, and participate in online tournaments."

This paper also suggests that it is largely the cultural infrastructure that invests players in the game. The social relationships that players build in the game, whether it be with their own clan, or a person on a StarCraft related forum, is a contributing factor to StarCraft's enormous success, and overall addictiveness.

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Chris Sigaty, Producer of StarCraft 2, talks about the sequel with G4TV The Pile.

When asked what the biggest difference is between StarCraft and StarCraft 2, Sigaty replies stating that the level of differentiation between the three races Protoss, Terran and Zerg is the biggest difference.

“One of the things that was big about the original StarCraft was that fact that each entity, each race, were distinctly different and we’re really trying to push that further.”

Easy to learn, hard to master is how Sigaty describes the gameplay in the upcoming sequel. StarCraft 2 will be predominantly multiplayer; reflecting the rise in professional gaming. However, when asked the release date for StarCraft, Sigaty states “We’ll release it when it’s done”

Hopefully that day isn’t far away. For the full story, and a glimpse of Chris’s supreme mane of hair, click here.

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This is an interesting excerpt taken from Joe Blancato's recent article titled E3 2007: StarCraft 2.

Here's StarCraft 2: Take the original StarCraft and make it pretty. Toss in a few new units and upgraded map features, and you're about done. Wish I had more for you, but even the new stuff felt like the old days, and that's OK, if not incredibly inspiring.

Blizzard plans on keeping the games short, in the 15 to 20 minute range - like last time. You can play one of three races - Terran, Protoss or Zerg. If you want to play online, they're using a system called battle.net. Oh, and if you're worried the game is straying too far from its successor, Blizzard is bringing in professional StarCraft players to consult on balance and gameplay.

In fairness, though, it's a sequel, and sequels shouldn't turn a franchise on its head. And Blizzard isn't exactly known for taking huge risks with their IP. Most of the changes to the game are incremental, though they're specifically interested in making sure each unit was useful. If you think back to the first game, each race had a few units no one bothered to use because they just weren't worth the time or resources (Ultralisks, I'm looking at you).

Definitely an succinct method of describing one of the most anticipated games of 2007... StarCraft 2 promises to be an amazing game. I agree with Blancato that it appears that Blizzard is playing it safe with the sequel, however, I imagine it would be a hard task indeed to improve upon the epic that is StarCraft.

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In a recent interview, Rob Pardo declared that the gameplay on StarCraft 2 will be almost entirely focused on multiplayer. Pardo expects the average StarCraft 2 multiplayer match to last about 20 minutes of real time, or even as little as 15 minutes when played by experts. The game has been altered with many subtleties, such as a high ground system which will lend gamers the opportunity for an advantage.

Pardo also stated that StarCraft2 will maintain distinct boundaries between the three factions, and ensuring that Starcraft 2 gameplay remains consistent with that of the original StarCraft.

"With Starcraft II, [Blizzard is] really going back to its roots to make a true sequel to Starcraft, a sequel where resource management will be much more central to gameplay, with less micromanagement of different units with special abilities, and in which full-on early-game "rushing" (making an all-out assault at or near the beginning of a new game session) will be much more viable."

However, whilst maintaining true to its roots, Blizzard are also committed to making StarCraft 2 more dynamic and new. For example, the new Protoss units, demonstrate new and interesting abilities which add a new dimension to the sequel. Sadly, for those who will be missing out on Blizzcon 2007, you will have to wait for the official release of StarCraft 2 to fully appreciate the sequel.

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The original StarCraft has evolved into a competitive sport in Korea,and an interesting example of this can be seen in the following clip which showcases the top 25 moments in Korea's Starleague 2005. All you need is a working knowledge of StarCraft, and you are set to watch one of the more unusual sports captured on film.

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1) Will you be increasing the max players beyond 8?

We are exploring this possibility, though currently it is defaulted to 8 max players.

2) If you have multiple casters selected when you cast a spell, will they all cast it or only one? (ex. will 8 ghosts all use lockdown on a unit or only one?)

Currently, unit abilities are set as smart casting, meaning when you have a group of casters selected, each time you wish to cast a spell, you will either have to click the icon or press the hot key and follow it with a click on the designated place on the map for it to cast. This will obviously prevent locking down a single unit with more than one ghost, though we are also still exploring possibilities to have different methods of casting for casters in which players would want to have multiple casts executed in a single command.

3) Will building placement still be grid based?

Building placement will be grid based.

4) What races will be playable at BlizzCon?

This will be revealed at BlizzCon! See ya there!

5) Why do marines have shields now?

The shields seen on marines in screenshots and videos are an upgrade that can be purchased through research, increasing the marines' overall hit points.

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