[quote]This week we have launched the 3rd episode of BlizzCast, featuring an interview with the Lead Designer of StarCraft II about the Evolution of the Zerg from the original StarCraft to StarCraft II. Be sure to check that out here: 3rd Blizzcast Also, I've been curious - would you guys prefer having these Q&A Batches (multiple answered and added into a consolidated release) or would you rather these 4-7 questions be spread out across the forums in pertinent threads on battle.net? I have been doing a bit of both, but would love to get your feedback on it, to make it easiest for you to follow up on the latest updates in regards to the development of StarCraft II. ---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 40--- 1. By the current look of the game with spectacular death animations you could worry that you can get slightly distracted by dead units while playing. You could for example waste precious APMs (Actions per minute) trying to click on a spliced Space Marine that you thought was still alive. The wrecks of some larger units or deaths for some others could block your sight in-game too. Could this fear be a real issue and will there be the option to toggle down these model details in the settings? (gamereplays.org) Yes, this is an issue we are looking into. For multiplayer, we want to make absolutely sure that players can clearly see visually what is happening on the battlefield. Currently, we are looking to have different types of death animations available for multiplayer than will be present for the single player campaign. A lot of people do still love watching intricate death animations when not in a competitive scene. 2. Battlecruisers do employ more than one gunner right? So will they be able to attack both air and ground at the same time? (sc2pod.com) Battlecruisers will only be able to attack one unit at a time. 3. What happens with the units inside a Nydus Worm if it gets killed? Considering it can carry 255 units, would they all die? (sc2pod.com) Units inside the Nydus network will only die when all entrance/exits are killed. This includes the Nydus Warren building, the prerequisite to build Nydus Worms, as it also acts as an entrance and exit to the Nydus network. Nydus Worms that are not deployed as an entrance/exit will not count as an entrance/exit to the network. 4. So far the map editor seems to be a very powerful tool which doesnt constrain the map makers creativity at all. Will it even be possible to edit critical abilities like path finding? If so, there would be really no limits, or at least none we can imagine at this point. (starcraft2.4players.de) Pathfinding, the method in which a unit will determine how to move, is handled by code, and will not be able to be edited within the map editor. Nonetheless, map makers will be able to edit things such as footprints, speed, and the size of units, which will affect the movement rates of units. 5. Why were Plasma Torpedoes added to the Battlecruiser when the Banshee has virtually the same attack? (starcraft2.com.au) The Battlecruiser no longer has Plasma Torpedoes that hit ground. Instead, they can be equipped with a Missile Barrage which will be an air-to-air area of effect attack ability. This ability will make the Battlecruiser even more effective against lightly armored air units, as the attack also gets additional damage points versus light armored units. 6. In SC: BW we have terrain bonuses for units, for example standing behind a tree or being on higher ground while shot from lower. Are you keeping or maybe even improving such this feature and what happens with large units that are more massive (Thor) or simply larger (Colossus) than a tree or even a cliff? (broodwar.de) Terrain bonuses are no longer present in StarCraft II. Instead, line of sight will be vastly more important. For instance, units firing from a higher ground will not be able to be seen by ground units without line of sight vision, and thus the ground units will not be able to fire back. 7. If a Zerg player corrupts a Dropship/Medivac, will they get control of the units inside? - Luddite (teamliquid.net) No, the unit's contents will be destroyed when it becomes corrupted. ---End of Transmission---[/quote] [url=http://www.sc2pod.com/trackers/blue/?id=211]Y hello thar.[/url]

Quote

This week we have launched the 3rd episode of BlizzCast, featuring an interview with the Lead Designer of StarCraft II about the Evolution of the Zerg from the original StarCraft to StarCraft II. Be sure to check that out here:
3rd Blizzcast

Also, I've been curious - would you guys prefer having these Q&A Batches (multiple answered and added into a consolidated release) or would you rather these 4-7 questions be spread out across the forums in pertinent threads on battle.net? I have been doing a bit of both, but would love to get your feedback on it, to make it easiest for you to follow up on the latest updates in regards to the development of StarCraft II.

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 40---


1. By the current look of the game with spectacular death animations you could worry that you can get slightly distracted by dead units while playing. You could for example waste precious APMs (Actions per minute) trying to click on a spliced Space Marine that you thought was still alive. The wrecks of some larger units or deaths for some others could block your sight in-game too. Could this fear be a real issue and will there be the option to toggle down these model details in the settings? (gamereplays.org)

Yes, this is an issue we are looking into. For multiplayer, we want to make absolutely sure that players can clearly see visually what is happening on the battlefield. Currently, we are looking to have different types of death animations available for multiplayer than will be present for the single player campaign. A lot of people do still love watching intricate death animations when not in a competitive scene.

2. Battlecruisers do employ more than one gunner right? So will they be able to attack both air and ground at the same time? (sc2pod.com)

Battlecruisers will only be able to attack one unit at a time.

3. What happens with the units inside a Nydus Worm if it gets killed? Considering it can carry 255 units, would they all die? (sc2pod.com)

Units inside the Nydus network will only die when all entrance/exits are killed. This includes the Nydus Warren building, the prerequisite to build Nydus Worms, as it also acts as an entrance and exit to the Nydus network. Nydus Worms that are not deployed as an entrance/exit will not count as an entrance/exit to the network.

4. So far the map editor seems to be a very powerful tool which doesnt constrain the map makers creativity at all. Will it even be possible to edit critical abilities like path finding? If so, there would be really no limits, or at least none we can imagine at this point. (starcraft2.4players.de)

Pathfinding, the method in which a unit will determine how to move, is handled by code, and will not be able to be edited within the map editor. Nonetheless, map makers will be able to edit things such as footprints, speed, and the size of units, which will affect the movement rates of units.

5. Why were Plasma Torpedoes added to the Battlecruiser when the Banshee has virtually the same attack? (starcraft2.com.au)

The Battlecruiser no longer has Plasma Torpedoes that hit ground. Instead, they can be equipped with a Missile Barrage which will be an air-to-air area of effect attack ability. This ability will make the Battlecruiser even more effective against lightly armored air units, as the attack also gets additional damage points versus light armored units.


6. In SC: BW we have terrain bonuses for units, for example standing behind a tree or being on higher ground while shot from lower. Are you keeping or maybe even improving such this feature and what happens with large units that are more massive (Thor) or simply larger (Colossus) than a tree or even a cliff? (broodwar.de)

Terrain bonuses are no longer present in StarCraft II. Instead, line of sight will be vastly more important. For instance, units firing from a higher ground will not be able to be seen by ground units without line of sight vision, and thus the ground units will not be able to fire back.

7. If a Zerg player corrupts a Dropship/Medivac, will they get control of the units inside? - Luddite (teamliquid.net)

No, the unit's contents will be destroyed when it becomes corrupted.

---End of Transmission---

Y hello thar.

Heh, who would want to edit the pathfinding system anyway? :P

Heh, who would want to edit the pathfinding system anyway?

[color=#CE091D]Gnomes. :| [/color]

Gnomes.

Number 6 kind of ticked me off =[.

Number 6 kind of ticked me off =[.

Theres a couple huge discussions over #6 at TLNET, a lot of people are upset over this. #5 is just fucking stupid, give us back the traditional BC and make unit changes elsewhere, its completely obvious Blizzard is disillusioned into thinking what they're doing with Terran is a good thing. Thor (don't get me wrong, this things badass, but it doesn't belong in melee), medivac, drop pods removed, and now BC's getting a spell to counter their counter (small fighter craft) are all bad changes/additions to the game.

Theres a couple huge discussions over #6 at TLNET, a lot of people are upset over this. #5 is just fucking stupid, give us back the traditional BC and make unit changes elsewhere, its completely obvious Blizzard is disillusioned into thinking what they're doing with Terran is a good thing. Thor (don't get me wrong, this things badass, but it doesn't belong in melee), medivac, drop pods removed, and now BC's getting a spell to counter their counter (small fighter craft) are all bad changes/additions to the game.

[quote=name:Clokr_]Heh, who would want to edit the pathfinding system anyway? :P[/quote] NO WORRIES. LEGACYWEAPON WILL UNPROTECT IT.

Quote from Clokr_

Heh, who would want to edit the pathfinding system anyway?

NO WORRIES. LEGACYWEAPON WILL UNPROTECT IT.

rofl :lol:

rofl

[color=#CD0000]Man. I really wanted those pods. And now the BC is getting this... Blizzard is failing...[/color]

Man. I really wanted those pods. And now the BC is getting this... Blizzard is failing...

[quote=name:Phobos][color=#CD0000]Man. I really wanted those pods. And now the BC is getting this... Blizzard is failing...[/color][/quote] I would say there is a high chance "it will be thrown into the editor" just like everything else they have scrapped. If it isn't, I am going to be sorely pissed. I loved them pods as well.

Quote from Phobos[MM]

Man. I really wanted those pods. And now the BC is getting this... Blizzard is failing...

I would say there is a high chance "it will be thrown into the editor" just like everything else they have scrapped. If it isn't, I am going to be sorely pissed. I loved them pods as well.

Theres no chance about it, Blizzard strait up said they would put it in the editor.

Theres no chance about it, Blizzard strait up said they would put it in the editor.

[color=#CE091D]Damn, they're making SCII way too melee'ish. Moar graphics, less micro-macro crap. [/color]

Damn, they're making SCII way too melee'ish. Moar graphics, less micro-macro crap.

The point of SC: II was to make it multiplayer friendly. Melee = Multiplayer. The new question is, when a reaper jumps on and off cliffs, what do they count as, the jetpack must clearly be easier to destroy, and it must be easier to see, no?

The point of SC: II was to make it multiplayer friendly. Melee = Multiplayer.

The new question is, when a reaper jumps on and off cliffs, what do they count as, the jetpack must clearly be easier to destroy, and it must be easier to see, no?

[quote=name:Paravin.][color=#CE091D]Damn, they're making SCII way too melee'ish. Moar graphics, less micro-macro crap. [/color][/quote] Fail.

Quote from Paravin.

Damn, they're making SCII way too melee'ish. Moar graphics, less micro-macro crap.

Fail.

[color=#CD0000]I don't know... I really wanted it be innovative... Those drop pods were damn sexy.[/color]

I don't know... I really wanted it be innovative... Those drop pods were damn sexy.

[quote]7. If a Zerg player corrupts a Dropship/Medivac, will they get control of the units inside? - Luddite (teamliquid.net)[/quote] I'm not sure I like this... I guess I can see why it makes sense with the corruption though..

Quote

7. If a Zerg player corrupts a Dropship/Medivac, will they get control of the units inside? - Luddite (teamliquid.net)

I'm not sure I like this... I guess I can see why it makes sense with the corruption though..

The Corrupter eats the people inside! Or do they blow up in a spasmic explosion...

The Corrupter eats the people inside! Or do they blow up in a spasmic explosion...