[Game] Starcraft II

[NoxNoctum]

The game is fun, but I don't feel that it lives up to the massive hype that it generated. The price is also very steep for what it actually offers. People can get an equally entertaining, if not better, RTS experience with the first Dawn of War and the expansions.

Steep? Sorry you're wrong. Here's a full list of what content the game has:

1. A 30 mission campaign, with a custscene on pretty much every single one (old school Red Alert style). This will be followed by 2 30 mission expansion packs that will not definitely not be full price. Brood War was not full price. This campaign also has a number of RPG elements, choosing your mission order, choosing upgrades with credits for your units, watching newscasts on your latest exploits, speaking to characters in a sort of interactive menu on a giant space ship. Oh and did I mention this is Blizzard? Known for the best story telling in RTS games? (with respect to the old CnC games of course) CoH was fun, but its campaign story sucked balls.

2. A fully setup league system with multiple "levels", bronze, silver, blablabla. A 50 game newb league to prep people to getting their asses handed to them in the 5 placement matches which put them in a league corresponding to their level.

3. A horde of custom game modes. Everything from Tower Defense, and "Overrun" (basically build defensive structures and try to last as long as possible) to a Starcraft "Risk" (which was in the original and is a total blast), to a bunch of other stuff I haven't even looked into yet. I think I even saw a ****ing "race to the finish" game mode. rofl.

4. Single player challenges, which are not only a good way to learn the units, but can be hard as hell too. An example: Using only infestors, take over an enemy base.

I'm probably forgetting something, but that's already $60 worth of content. Are you people all unemployed or something?

I said before Starcraft's gameplay was perfect, I wasn't quite right. It was close to perfect. With the new unit queue system (it lets you set separate worker queues and military units queues off the same building for a Hatchery for example, the fact that you can now select an unlimited amount of units, the interesting dynamics thrown in by multiple height "levels", grass that hides you from LOS, and several very very cool new units, it is now officially, a perfect RTS game. End of story. The Nox has spoken.

It's gonna get GOTY fosho.

 

[Shepherd]

1. It's Starcraft 2.

2. It's made by the biggest developer/publisher in the business.

It's gonna get GOTY fosho.

Just in case someone doesn't want to read all of that I removed the hype goggles. Half of that stuff is old news in the RTS genre anyway.

 

[smokeythebear]

I don't think these boards have any love for RTS. There is a reason starcraft and warcraft III are the only two games in the genre that are played at a high level of competition. Most 'innovations' in new rts introduce broken game mechanics or frequent bugs, see dowII's cover and squad system. I dont care about fluff like graphics or storyline etc. I want a good strategy game and thats exactly what starcraft is. How can people be bored of sc2's gameplay mechanics compared to sc1 when they dont understand how they even work?

If you just want to be entertained then starcraft probably isnt for you. If you want a faster more exciting version of chess-poker then it is.

 

[LemoN]

Starcraft is missing :IS2::IS2::IS2:

I don't think I'll get it, yes I was a big fan of SC1 back in the days but that genre has grown out of me.
Too much micro managing and macro spamming.

 

[Fedorov]

I've been playing the trial, and now I regret having canceled my cheap pre-order. I think the game was worth buying at that price and now I miss playing with zerg, but now I'll have to wait till is cheap again ><

 

[Oldih]

I don't think these boards have any love for RTS. There is a reason starcraft and warcraft III are the only two games in the genre that are played at a high level of competition. Most 'innovations' in new rts introduce broken game mechanics or frequent bugs

The sole reason why I dislike RTS games is that it's more reaction test strategy than anything else most of the time. Single player might be ok, but the multiplayer often is another story. Yes there are exceptions, as there is one RTS I played online 2on2 quite frequently with one guy I know and that was partly after getting addiction rush just by trying out how it works against human player to the point I actually became sort of good and learned to micromanage and do certain things.

I played SC1 long time ago and it was ok but also too much reaction test strategy for my liking and I have no plans to get SC2. The huge hype and basically perfect scores like it's the new advent is always one thing I take as a massive mountain of salt

 

[smokeythebear]

I played SC1 long time ago and it was ok but also too much reaction test strategy for my liking and I have no plans to get SC2. The huge hype and basically perfect scores like it's the new advent is always one thing I take as a massive mountain of salt

Rock paper shotgun has a good review of sc2 worth reading.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/07/29/rps-half-verdict-starcraft-2/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/07/29/rps-half-verdict-starcraft-2/

They are the only reviewers I've read that mention how awful Raynor is as a character. Then again he was the same in sc1, only this time it's his story so they could have made him interesting. It's like all this epic **** is going on around them and him and his crew sound like they just woke up from a nap and are only mildly surprised at events like suns exploding or hordes of undead attacking.

Btw the zombie mission is the best thing ever.

 

[KrazyKraut]

Well they are all cartooney super toughguys and -gals and uber villains and always have been. It's not exactly the game series known for profound character development. Besides, he's been in space stalingrad (vietnam for you yanks) you know. Nothing affects him anymore.

 

[C_Gibby]

Well, I played the trial version of the game, and I have to say I didn't enjoy it that much. Not saying that I hate it and want to see the developers suffer, but I really need to get into it a little more.

So far, I've only played with IRL friends playing as the Terran, with a co-op game against AI. It's ridiculous how the AI makes massive, giant, invincible armies with all possible upgrades before you've even built your first tank factory.

I'm a little turned off by this and I have a strong feeling that the multiplayer community is going to behave in the same sort of way, i.e. Zerg rush.

I have yet to try the campaign and play as the Zerg and Protoss and I will decide if this game is really worthwhile.

 

[Amerikaner]

I'm a little turned off by this and I have a strong feeling that the multiplayer community is going to behave in the same sort of way, i.e. Zerg rush.

There's a way to defeat a Zerg rush just as there's a counter for any other tactic. One of the beauties of SC. I sucked real bad in the beginning but after I picked up a few strategies online it all came together and I could actually destroy some people or get into interesting and competitive matches. Just takes a little time to learn.

 

[NoxNoctum]

Well, I played the trial version of the game, and I have to say I didn't enjoy it that much. Not saying that I hate it and want to see the developers suffer, but I really need to get into it a little more.

So far, I've only played with IRL friends playing as the Terran, with a co-op game against AI. It's ridiculous how the AI makes massive, giant, invincible armies with all possible upgrades before you've even built your first tank factory.

I'm a little turned off by this and I have a strong feeling that the multiplayer community is going to behave in the same sort of way, i.e. Zerg rush.

I have yet to try the campaign and play as the Zerg and Protoss and I will decide if this game is really worthwhile.

So stop playing the AI.

Don't waste your 7 hours on that bull****.

There's a counter for everything, including the infamous 6 ling rush early game. (one way to do it is just build a few supply depots blocking your entry/exit. Stick a bunker behind it. He can't do ****.)

That's why the game is so ****ing good. Micro/Macro, so much to learn, and the most diverse races ever in RTS AFAIK. I've defeated larger more powerful forces just cause I microed the hell outta them. Misdirection is a powerful tool.

You'll get your *** handed to you at first but you'll improve. Personally I played around 40 games before I watched any "pro" videos, and I think that's a good way to go about it. Develop your own tactics, then learn from others.

 

[Fedorov]

The main thing that turns me off the multiplayer is the micro thing. I'm horrible at micro. I'm a macro person who mostly play Total Wars kind of games.

To quickly control every single unit in the heat of the battle takes from me much more concentration than I can offer. My win/loss ratio in Starcraft 2 Beta was about 1/1, being the games I won those that only required macro to win, most of all pretty easy, but once I went to the next league it became much harder and my brain started to overheat.

:IS2:

 

[LemoN]

The main thing that turns me off the multiplayer is the micro thing. I'm horrible at micro. I'm a macro person who mostly play Total Wars kind of games.

To quickly control every single unit in the heat of the battle takes from me much more concentration than I can offer. My win/loss ratio in Starcraft 2 Beta was about 1/1, being the games I won those that only required macro to win, most of all pretty easy, but once I went to the next league it became much harder and my brain started to overheat.

:IS2:

That's the reason why I didn't even try SCII.

 

[Hirmuinen]

I will buy this once the price hits to 20-30

 

[NoxNoctum]

The main thing that turns me off the multiplayer is the micro thing. I'm horrible at micro. I'm a macro person who mostly play Total Wars kind of games.

To quickly control every single unit in the heat of the battle takes from me much more concentration than I can offer. My win/loss ratio in Starcraft 2 Beta was about 1/1, being the games I won those that only required macro to win, most of all pretty easy, but once I went to the next league it became much harder and my brain started to overheat.

:IS2:

Haha I feel ya man. It can get pretty crazy in the higher leagues. But you DO improve with practice.

 

[Fedorov]

other thing that happens to me a lot is that I get easily distracted watching units fight, so I often forget about my base, and sometimes I just forget about my units...

:IS2:

 

[Reise]

Rock paper shotgun has a good review of sc2 worth reading.

[url]http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/07/29/rps-half-verdict-starcraft-2/[/URL]

They are the only reviewers I've read that mention how awful Raynor is as a character. Then again he was the same in sc1, only this time it's his story so they could have made him interesting. It's like all this epic **** is going on around them and him and his crew sound like they just woke up from a nap and are only mildly surprised at events like suns exploding or hordes of undead attacking.

Then again it's the only negative thing they can manage to say about the game.

Where are the real criticisms? I haven't even seen a "They could have done this better" comment or anything yet.

 

[Amerikaner]

I will buy this once the price hits to 20-30

 

[NoxNoctum]

Just buy it now and join in the fun!

 

[KrazyKraut]

Well here's some criticism for you: The single player campaign to me seems even more hectic than Brood Wars in some of the rather early versions.

I don't have Korean reflexes so it gets pretty tough to handle at times even on hard. Feels more like work then play when this happens. But I don't want to play on normal because then it's way too easy.