http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-9Ms9Jr9jQ

All I can say is: Holy shit, awesome.

Vid demonstrates a civilian truck, upgraded battlecruiser, the fact that you can make water/magma levels rise and fall via triggers (and in the process that ashworld looks ridiculously good.), new Xel'Naga (?) units, including round doors, forcefields, and giant stone mechs. (Physics is also demonstrated; a piece of one of the mechs splashes when it lands in water.)

And most importantly, they have finally completely nailed the look of SC.

I agree with your final statement most of all. I was never so worried that I was comparing SC2 to warcraft 3, but I did always feel like maybe they weren't going in the right art direction, but I kept quiet because I trust the company, and yes they really have nailed that aspect. Also, to melee players who say things like: 'Auto-mine is going to ruin sc2, why are so many units selectable at one time?' I would remind them that nobody understood wtf micro was when SC was first out, it's first couple of years. The game evolved, and so will SC2, even if some things are automated, it is an advanced RTS and people are going to find new ways to occupy their attention, especially with the new intense unit abilities.

SC2 ftw.

Auto-mine won't ruin melee, because you can still only auto-mine on one patch.

Manual splitting will still work better.

Well people are worried about macro as well not just beginning split, but auto-mine is still no problem at all. As you can tell from some of the newer videos, the unit abilities are so advanced you will have such little time to think about macro. Besides, starcraft is a game about planning strategy and acting it out, not about remembering whether or not you built a certain thing or what have you. Obviously that will add to the experience, but if you add more strategy and action, why would you beg for more macro?

Just saw the movie. It was amazing. It's looking more and more like starcraft instead of cartoons.

Watching it in HD and fullscreen I almost felt like I was playing it.

I'm glad that they finally made it a bit less like a bubble and Warcraft 3. I thought they weren't going to replace the medic with medivac but I guess not. Their death sound sounds similar to the original medic death. I can't wait to play with their map editor as soon as it comes out.

You have access to Goliaths, Medics, and Wraiths in the campaign.

Some things:

-The AI (unless it was triggered) rose its supply depots when the bunker fell under attack. Hopefully this level of detail will be possible in AI editing.
-The Hyperion is fucking BADASS. Ability to move+bomb+yamato simultaneously = awesome.
-No selection circles? I hope this was just 'turned off' for a more cinematic video.
-BONUS OBJECTIVE: KILL THE BRUTALISK (Two-headed flying fire-breathing ultralisk?)
-Little critters unburrow and go scurrying when the lava retreats. I hope they can be killed :3
-Giant (Xel'Naga?) robots are cool. Even if they can shoot through walls.

I'm impressed by the visual style. Looking forward to getting my hands on this =D

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Aug 17 2009, 9:10 pm by Symmetry.

What are you referring to?

Look at the top left during the ashworld scene where it lists the objectives.

The flying fire-breathing two-headed ultralisk is a reference to an interview (or blizzcast? I don't remember).

Looked awesome, the lava part looked cool. And of course, the obligatory escort mission in every game appears lol. also, giant mechs looked awesome, I was like "oh crap, look out marines!"

There's a flaw that I noticed: when the lava rises, it doesn't affect the minimap like the creep would. I've seen terrain changing in-game in WarCraft III before but the minimap remains unaffected, and that isn't including the blight.

Speaking of lava rises, I wonder if lava would burn out the creep if it's capable of burning units and buildings. That, or water rises capable of drowning units, wetting the creep, malfunctioning Terran buildings.

Note that mineral fields are like diamonds, they don't melt in lava.

The Brutalisk is red, possibly a two headed fire breathing Ultralisk. Apparently it can only be killed by lava?

I'm still very disappointed at Raynor's voice. Everyone sounds badass expect him.

I'm curious to know what "DNA Chrysalis" are.

Zerg Chrysalis' that are hidden in a mission. An optional objective is to harvest DNA from them.

Are you kidding? He sounds exactly like he did in SC1

On 1:42, it appears that the road is similar to map making in first person shooter games. Instead of having it as asphalt seen from Badlands in StarCraft I as its own terrain (with the random yellow lines making it seem it is not a road), the road in StarCraft II is more of an object, placed on the terrain and is stretchable by length (maybe expanding the width in roads by adding a yellow divider line [or that could be a separate road] or additional white lines for city maps), and capable of having curvy roads than the typical isometric terrain seen from StarCraft I. Note how it is also on top of the ramp.

Roads were seen in screenshots in the older builds of StarCraft II here, here, and here, but they appear to be completely isometrical despite some curves. From the video, it shows you can set amount of rotational degrees ranging from 0 (straight) to 90 (complete turn).

Nothing in SC2 is or ever was isometrical.

The roads and neutral buildings remind me of Tiberium Sun.