Starcraft 2.... Possible Release Date?

[v3ck]

I'm sure they will send out Mac invitations. They want beta testers from as diverse a set of systems as possible. However, I would guess that they do not need as many Mac testers because there is way more diversity in the hardware in PCs. I guess you'll just have to weigh the odds.

[Deviant]

Thoughts on the beta so far based on the Beta Videos?

Roaches seem pretty strong with their ability to move and attack while burrowed, and what's with the human defense drones.  Do they just negate all ranged attacks? or only certain types?

[v3ck]

Yeah, roaches are pretty strong. Hydralisks are also insanely versatile. I think I heard that Blizzard already hit Zerg with the nerf stick.
I like the new-look Terran. Infantry actually do something now.
Protoss looks kind of boring. Immortals make the PvT matchup interesting . . . for the Terran player, since they don't just have to mass machines anymore. Sentries were supposed to make the early game cool, but I'm not seeing this.

http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Point_defense_drone

[Zeiris]

Man. I'm a Supreme Commander fan, and think the lack of strategic zoom and advanced waypoints/queuing in Starcraft is neolithic... But these videos look goooood!

Is that kind of crazy micro and decision making accessible to normal players, or would I get stuck spending 50% of my time telling newly-built units where to go and re-filling empty queues?

[v3ck]

There is no micro. The unit AI is too strong. They auto-surround FFS.

[Zeiris]

I probably used the wrong term. I mean, how much does microing your base build queues+economy+upgrades distract you from the important stuff?

What improvements have they made in that area relative to the original Starcraft?

[v3ck]

There is now multiple-building selection as well as automatic mining, which they implemented to reduce the number of clicks necessary to maintain a base and unit production. However, they added a macro mechanic to each race that boosts production in some way. They did this so that you would still have to do things in your base, but there would be some sort of decision-making involved (and not as much clicking as before). Zerg can boost unit production, but they have to use a queen's energy, which could be used for other things. Terran can boost mineral harvesting, but the energy pool is shared with scanning. Protoss can boost the production of a building, but they have to choose between boosting economic units, military units, or tech.

[Zeiris]

Awesome!

[Deviant]

Auto-repair is carried over from WC3 which I like.  All races have a function for speed building units.  Terran buildings have options for building reactor cores as add-ons which give the buildings an additional build cue (however most advanced units, require a techlab attached, and you cannot use both a reactor core, and a tech lab simultaneously, so its only effective for spamming low tier units). Protoss have the Chrono Boost ability, which steve mentioned, and the zerg queen can "inject larva" which creates additional larva with which to spawn units.

I think that this may enable rush strategies.  I have heard that one of the predominant Protoss strategies in the current beta (referred to as Chronogate) is a 2 gateway spamming of Zealots with Chrono Boost.

[v3ck]

I finally saw a VOD of someone using the sentry's forcefield effectively. I'm starting to really like sentries.

[Deviant]

link?

[v3ck]

Ah, I can't remember which VOD it was. Sorry. I think it was on VoltySC's YouTube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/user/voltysc

[Deviant]

http://www.youtube.com/user/voltysc#p/u/2/lMP8K0UEgqI

Found it.

[v3ck]

the beta includes 9,000-something players at the moment and that Blizzard's goal is to have 10,000. However, should the activity on the current beta players go down, they will send out keys to new contenders in order to maintain the cap.

http://www.gosugamers.net/starcraft2/news/11530-terran-is-doing-the-worst-says-dustin-browder

If you were holding your breath, you can probably let it out with a disappointed sigh.

[Justin707070]

I never had hope for this piece of crab. Just wait till the actual game releases.