It's UnholyUrine? We should know by now that he hates anything in the gaming industry that has success.

Definitely buying it. I liked SC2.

haters gonna hate

I'm fully expecting getting a ton of new Zerg units from the single player campaign (as they said each game will have its own full single-player campaign rather than just a few extra missions added), but I really hope they add a few more heroes or something for Protoss and/or Terran.

*shrug* I didn't see sufficient reason to buy the first installment of SC2, and what I've heard from people who did buy it has done nothing to make me regret that decision.

So that's a "no, definitely not," then.

Hopefully there is a collector's edition.

Would buy collector's edition for other 2.

Personally, I wish Changelings would have more functions

single player campaign speaking... the story has already been ruined by the leaked footage... so what's left is the gameplay stuff...
Since it'd be kind of weird to have you as infested kerrigan clicking around and having "intelligent" (quotation b/c american dumbed down cliche plots is arguably not that intelligent) with different zerg units.. it'd be interesting to see what they come up with...
Tho i think there'll be an influx of terran NPC's in the zerg campaign.. due to, again, the leaked footage...



One thing that I felt was missing in the terran campaign was Time pressure... like.. having to achieve something at a limited time.
Also, those micro-intensive segments would be interesting for the zerg as well.. these missions would probably showcase the new units.

A low tiered spell caster for the zerg would be cool =D

YEAH ME TOO UGH

Why are changlings so retardedly useless D:

I'd buy it not because It's going to be good or anything (because it probably will be a disappointment compared to broodwar) But cuz it's just part of the franchise. More stuff to just... Take up some time I guess. I should just torrent it because of how horrible I am at melee... I just hope the map editor is improved (idiot friendly) So we won't have maps using this same copy pasted elements. (that's what it feels like to me right now looking at some maps.) The game will also fill up my sci-fi quota and I want to own all the games for no reason really. I will defiantly be buying Protoss Legacy of the Void because the protoss story is the most interesting to me. It's all good fun right? My standards are too low for Blizzard to disappoint me.

Unfortunately I don't think they'll be making a more simplistic version of the editor. I wonder if someone will make a simple third-party editor eventually, though. That would be interesting.

I can only see this happening months after Legacy of the Void is released. Blizzard are unlocking new features for modders too frequently to allow a comprehensive 'idiot-friendly' editor to be created. Take for example the .SC2Layout files that we were first allowed to edit endlessly (using 3rd party tools), and then one patch later, the entire system of editing the game UI was changed - meaning that .SC2Layout files that were already changed, had to be edited to use the new overwrite method.

And as far as 'idiot proofing' goes, I'm not really sure what good a Unit Creation Wizard or some such macro-tool. It will just speed up the creation of bland units. The way I see it, is that a hell of a lot of work will have to go into the third-party tool for little benefit. Ideally an automated object creation script that creates a unit linked to an actor, with a weapon linked to the unit, with all the associated effects and behaviours which that weapon will cause - will be about as far as it'll get. And this still neglects movers, missiles and the countless fields which each created object requires to become unique. And even then, this is the most basic stuff you can do with the data editor.

I can see Blizzard simplifying the 'Actor - Events +' window, improving the 'Previewer tool', and enhancing/giving tooltips for all the fields by the time Legacy of the Void's release is announced. And then there will be documentation released also explaining the other 'high-end' editor capabilities such as multi-threading init functions and such. And this documentation already exists over at SC2Mapster / maybe GalaxyWiki also.

They really should just add an "open/close door" action.

Well, there's a big difference between having the editor be user-friendly and having the editor frontload tutorials...
As a good designer, everything should be considered, from the grand scheme of how all the fields integrate into an ability/object to minor details such as the icons of certain tabs and such...

It's a fine balance between customizability and comprehension, really... and Blizzard's developers took the route of ultimate customizability...
the way they must go now is making the editor be more user-friendly... Though one can't fault them for trying (like making official tutorials), we all know that it is nearly impossible to correct for a badly coded program, as best described by XKCD:

A lot of work is ensued, but since they have 2 more installments to go, I can see it happen... It really depends if their hearts are on it though, because if they're not, then there're plenty of other things to work on that'd give them way more revenue.

.. So, the way I see it.. there's not much hope

Anyone with visual basic, xml and database understanding can create a macro-like tool to help the data editor.

My argument is simply that the time and effort spent into creating this tool will far outweigh the potential benefit it brings to a map-maker. Especially since every patch has caused one or another feature of a 'work-in-progress' map to break unexpectedly.


I'm pretty sure we've had this argument before ... With any creative based software (3D Studio Max, Blender, Maya, Photoshop, UDK, Mudbox, Sculptris, Unity etc), the more customisability and subsequently, power, you are given - the road to learning that software increases exponentially in difficulty.

Imagine if creating high poly 3D next-gen models and textures, fully animated and unique - was as easy as dragging a few sliders and clicking a couple buttons. And if coding multi-layered API jazz was akin to writing sentences for the program to carry out... The entire game industry would collapse, because every tom, dick and harry could create games.

To bring this back to the context of SC2... Blizzard cannot tick all the boxes. You can do pretty much anything with the galaxy editor, and most of it is easy - but as a trade-off for this, a lot of it is complex and long-winded and involves a higher level of understanding. I would say that of all the mapping communities out there, only about 40% of the editors true potential has been unlocked - and this is reflected in the popularity system, by the high proportion of cloned, boring, ultimately predictable games on there.

Regardless, it is without a doubt the most powerful standalone modding tool I have ever come across (excluding UDK since that's design-focussed). If you really like, I can put more effort into explaining how the data editor works. I've managed to get camstudio working so I can also finally record that video series I was toying with ages ago.

I think it'd be more worthwhile to actually make maps and show people what you and the editor is capable of...

Instead of just showing how.. Inspire people to map.

Oh don't worry I'm working on that

It's just I have a lot of assignments and exams around the corner...

I don't see myself doing anything custom content related with sc2 regardless of how the expansions change or improve the toolset, simply because if I am going to invest that king of energy into a project I am better off doing it in the UDK and getting the most out of that time.

However, my subscribers expect a HoTS LP and I'll probably do beta coverage. Only in beta will I judge whether it's worth buying or pirating. I definitely won't make the mistake of pre-ordering it like I did vanilla.

Don't buy HotS. If you want blizzard to actually pay attention to the community's gripes and bitching you need to hit them where they'll actually notice it (not forums), in their check books. Once the accounts at blizzard pick up on the big difference in profits between HotS and WoL then they will seriously consider ending the popularity system as the predominant system. Or at least take a good hard look at why the community abandoned them.

Even if everyone on this small, almost completely unknown site boycotts HotS, there are going to be millions of others who buy it. Preaching for a boycott is useless. ;\

Also, you're complaining about the POPULARITY SYSTEM? That's what you're complaining about?! How about the half-assed rushed through plot that a 5-year old that's played any sort of good vs evil game could come up with? Or the incredibly prehistoric battle.net that Blizzard claims to be the future of online computer gaming? Who gives a shit about the popularity system; just fuck the game overall.

Even though I'm raging, I'm still going to maybe buy the game. :3 As much as WoL's story sucked (and as much as HotS's will too), I still need to know what happens to Kerrigan.

Problem is most people don't play custom maps, they play melee, and they'll buy hots to keep up with that. Sure, hots sales will probably be lower but a few mappers not buying the game won't make a noticeable impact on sales at all.

Plus, remember this?

This reminds me of the L4D2 boycott and how amazingly effective it was. [/sarcasm]