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StarCraft 2 Beta |OT| (Beta Now Reopen, GL HF)

Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
FromTheFuture said:
Man, I haven't been into this thread for awhile! Has the beta reopening date been announced yet?
Click to expand...

Early July. That's all we know.
 
A

Adent

Can't manage for sh!t
How do you play with that AI? I've tried some maps people have made with built in AI's but I don't see any called Green Tea on curse.com.
 
Z

zoukka

Member
It's pretty safe to say now, that Starcraft II is the first game in many years, that I've completely got hooked in. Not a day goes by without watching commentaries.

It's weird. I had forgotten how it was to be obsessed with a videogame :eek:
 
H

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
Adent said:
How do you play with that AI? I've tried some maps people have made with built in AI's but I don't see any called Green Tea on curse.com.
Click to expand...
SCAllIn1 + download darkgreentea AI. Just put it in the AI folder and the program will replace the AI files and launch offline.
 
D

Des0lar

will learn eventually
Beta to restart July 1st.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=132635

PC BanG leaked that the Beta of SC2 will restart the 27 of June exclusively on their Cyber cafés while it will restart for everyone else on the 1st of July. The news comes from PC BanG employees.

My source is: http://www.team-aaa.com/news-16590-0-1-la_beta_reprend_le_premier_juillet.html

It's a French Esport website.

It doesn't seem weird since PC BanG are one of the partners Blizzard announced during their press conference of the 24th of June.
Click to expand...
 
Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
Des0lar said:
Beta to restart July 1st.

http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=132635
Click to expand...

nez2x4.gif
 
S

Scrow

Still Tagged Accordingly
what the hell? when was the beta put on hold?

I've been out of the loop for about 6 weeks with travelling. currently on a bus, sitting next to a fat snoring guy, travelling somewhere in turkey on my way from Istanbul to cappadocia. it's 2am and only the free WiFi is making this bus ride bearable.
 
S

ShadowPampers

Banned
Melhisedek said:
Any user made maps I should look for?
(is it possible to play them even though beta is not running)
Click to expand...

There is a lot of cool maps, and yes, you can play them while the beta is down.

Most of the better maps are posted at sc2mapster.com, which is updated daily with either tutorials or good maps.

There is 3 really well made campaign-like RTS maps, one for each race, Vendetta for Zerg, Verdant something for Terran and Dreadwind Plateu for Protoss.

There is also really fun miscellaneous/experimental kind of maps. I was impressed by a metal slug game, a 2D shooter where you control a marine, with various stages and bosses, and the death baneling, some sort of arcadey-fun kind of game.
 
M

Melhisedek

Member
ShadowPampers said:
There is a lot of cool maps, and yes, you can play them while the beta is down.

Most of the better maps are posted at sc2mapster.com, which is updated daily with either tutorials or good maps.

There is 3 really well made campaign-like RTS maps, one for each race, Vendetta for Zerg, Verdant something for Terran and Dreadwind Plateu for Protoss.

There is also really fun miscellaneous/experimental kind of maps. I was impressed by a metal slug game, a 2D shooter where you control a marine, with various stages and bosses, and the death baneling, some sort of arcadey-fun kind of game.
Click to expand...


thanks mate will check those out :)
 
C

ChronicleX

Banned
ShadowPampers said:
Nah, but the korean beta is restarting sooner anyways.
Click to expand...

If they are stress testing the servers it would make sense for them to all come back online at the same time. Though it is practically a given that Korea will be the biggest load so who knows?

At this stage the news of it returning tomorrow is as likely as it is returning on the Thursday since both are just highly likely rumors. All we know for certain is "soon".
 
S

spazzfish

Member
Can anyone hook me up with some good links showing replays with commentary.
I've already got starcraft2strategymasters.com and PsyStarcraft's Channel on youtube, but i've exhausted those.
Thanks.
 
M

Melhisedek

Member
ShadowPampers said:
There is a lot of cool maps, and yes, you can play them while the beta is down.

Most of the better maps are posted at sc2mapster.com, which is updated daily with either tutorials or good maps.

There is 3 really well made campaign-like RTS maps, one for each race, Vendetta for Zerg, Verdant something for Terran and Dreadwind Plateu for Protoss.

There is also really fun miscellaneous/experimental kind of maps. I was impressed by a metal slug game, a 2D shooter where you control a marine, with various stages and bosses, and the death baneling, some sort of arcadey-fun kind of game.
Click to expand...

Please excuse me for my ignorance but how do you try out these maps?
 
Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
JonAmikar said:
Is there gonna be a midnight release for StarCraft II? I really hope so.
Click to expand...

At GameStop? I would be very, very surprised if there wasn't.
 
C

close to the edge

Member
spazzfish said:
Excellent. Thanks:)
Click to expand...
You're welcome. He also streams his dailies live on http://www.day9.tv which I can never watch because 7 PM in LA is 4 AM in Austria. :/

Hm, I just tried watching a replay by just dragging the replay file on the SC2 icon but it always crashes when loading the replay. Any idea how to fix this?

edit: Okay, interesting, with one replay I just tried it works. I guess it has something to do with the version of SC2 with which the replay was recorded.
 
M

MrCompletely

Member
close to the edge said:
You're welcome. He also streams his dailies live on http://www.day9.tv which I can never watch because 7 PM in LA is 4 AM in Austria. :/

Hm, I just tried watching a replay by just dragging the replay file on the SC2 icon but it always crashes when loading the replay. Any idea how to fix this?

edit: Okay, interesting, with one replay I just tried it works. I guess it has something to do with the version of SC2 with which the replay was recorded.
Click to expand...

There's a known bug with replays created with patch 15 where the client crashes if you're not connected to bnet.
 
E

Emitan

Member
The Lamonster said:
Anyone feel like pasting this interview here on GAF? IGN is blocked at my work.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/110/1102379p1.html
Click to expand...

No problem.

IGN said:
It's a pleasantly, and uncharacteristically, cool morning on the tip of the Korean summer, and we stand outside an aircraft hanger near Gimpo airport, quietly sipping an iced coffee and happy to be alive. It has become our theory, after a 40 minute cab ride, that Crazy Taxi was born after someone at Sega took a holiday in Seoul.

As a start to the day, this would prove to be appropriate. A taxi-ride with velocity comparable to a roller coaster at Everland (Korea's foremost theme park) was foretelling in its threats to leave the ground. It's something that we really should have seen coming – after all, the event is to be held in an aircraft hangar. We doubt it was chosen for its posh decor.

Hunches would be proven valid. Not moments after the doors were opened, and the Korean press poured through with scarcely restrained enthusiasm, did we notice a plane poorly hidden behind curtains backing the main presentation stage. Those who took the stage did their best to ignore it, but the surprise was well and truly anticipated by the time the cloth came down.

Let this not detract from the impression that was made. Before us stood a meaty 747 wrapped with in schmick StarCraft II skin. Apparently the largest aircraft wrapping project that Korean Air have ever undertaken, the plane would make its maiden flight to New York later that evening.

Other destinations are to follow. While there also exists a smaller aircraft for domestic flights, the beast in the hanger is expected to travel all around the world and may, after checking with a couple of representatives, even make a stop or two Down Under. There is no expected special usage – the plane will be on standard rotation in the Korean Air fleet for the coming six months.

StarCraft II's Production Director, Chris Sigaty, would later joke that they should model the plane and insert it into the game as a replacement Terran Viking, but for the moment the focus was on partnership speeches. Speeches that quickly turned their focus to announcements of how the release of the game will be handled.

Although we still cling somewhat nostalgically to the notion of buying and owning a completed product, our senses of curiosity were nonetheless enticed by Blizzard's plan for release in Korea.

While the full, unlimited game can be purchased for 69,000 won (about AU $69 / US $57 – we trust you can manage the math from here), a price that is a full 10,000 won over the average paid for a new console game in South Korea, piecemeal purchasing options will also be available. First up is the 9,900 won monthly pass, but there's also a 24-hour deal, priced at a bite-sized 2,000 won. Although conceptually the worst value for the truly hardcore gamer, this represents a handy rental fee for those with limited time, or those who probably should get some work done instead of playing StarCraft II all day every day. The game exists on your hard drive, and is simply unlocked for a full day's play when you allow it.

Of course, the beta is presently resting, although we can expect it back soon for a brief second phase. This next phase of the beta will take place in early July, and just in case we didn't have reason enough to fear them already, Blizzard will be offering a guaranteed invite to all Korean players who register Battle.net accounts in appropriate time. This is on top of all the Korean PC Bangs that have been allowed to run the beta already and will no doubt also be running phase two.

It was, however, a devilishly clever World of Warcraft crossover that best got our attention. Although we confirmed after the event that this offer was specifically for the Korean audience – "a way of giving something back to such a supportive and skilled community of players," as Chris Sigaty later put it – it is nonetheless conceptually interesting and may yet have impact on how other game releases are experimented with in the future.

The magical method itself? It's actually quite simple – any Korean player who has an active World of Warcraft subscription will be able to play StarCraft II, free of charge, for the full length that their World of Warcraft account is active. Prior to this, we were unsure how Blizzard could possibly get any more subscribers to its MMO, but it seems the company may just have found a way.

As the event drew to a close, the press were treated to a dinner that might have been appropriately serenaded by a couple of violins, but was instead backed by some silverware-rattling audio coming from a professional StarCraft match that was being played on the presentation stage. Not surprisingly, the Korean guy won both games. We also had a chance to check out the game in 3D (kind of neat, but we don't really feel that the effect is worth the cost of colour vibrancy in this particular case) and have a relaxed one-on-one interview with Chris Sigaty.

We should have seen it coming, but the Korean Q&A session went on for a long time. We can't blame them – the national enthusiasm for StarCraft is palpable. Eventually, however, Chris Sigaty and the team broke free, the local media went back to their offices, and we traveled to a hotel in a Starcraft van (a brand that existed before the game did – note the lower case 'c') for a short discussion about the game, as well as the company's plans for it.

"There were some balancing issues when we first started the beta," he freely admits, when asked about the frequent thrashings we received upon signing up, "but our matchmaking has improved greatly since then. The ultimate goal is for 50/50 matching – all players should have a chance of winning in every game they play. We know that there are people out there who want to win all the time, but that's really no fun."

How much value will the single player provide in training players for the challenge they'll face online? "The single player doesn't help with online much," Chris answers honestly. "It just teaches the players the core basics – it doesn't try to tell them how to do it 'right'. Beyond this, however, there are the challenges that will prepare players by helping them understand that having only eight units collecting minerals isn't enough, for example."

It is, of course, the Korean players that the world fears, although Sigaty has assured us that the Australian online will run through Singapore, and will be as smooth as butter (and, presumably, fairer) as a result. Nonetheless, it was a good opportunity to ask about trying to please the two worlds of StarCraft players – those in Korea and Taiwan, and those in Western countries.

"It's not easy – there are so many players and styles. Challenge lovers – E-sports – casual gamers – those who mostly stick to the single player," he says, a glint of the daunting nature of this task in his eye. "We're trying to appease, but also uphold the core of StarCraft. It's still an economy-based game, with plenty of fodder units, back-and-forth play, and so on."

With the popularity of the game in South Korea sitting firmly in the backs of our minds, we decided to dive into the chance to ask about just when and how the game became so popular in the country. Chris is completely open as he speaks of the gradual surprise that developed over time.

"It was actually about a year after launch that it really started to sell. The launch itself was completely low-key – although it would have been different had we known what was to come. As a testament to our lack of anticipation for the game's popularity, there is no Korean version of the original StarCraft. They've all grown up playing the game in English. Obviously, we're doing things differently with StarCraft II."

South Korea has become a huge focus for Blizzard, something that was frequently reflected throughout the media event. There were a lot of intriguing announcements made, not least of which being the ability to tango with StarCraft II on a World of Warcraft account. So, would Australia or America be likely to follow suit? "I'm afraid that's something we're really only doing for the Korean fanbase."

So much for that, then. In fact, the delivery plans and promos spoken of throughout the event were largely South Korea only. They're getting spoiled, but it's not like they hadn't earned it. With no luck on this front, we decided to focus our remaining question on what we would be able to play.

"The goal of the editor is to put as much power in the hands of the creative player as possible," he states, "the stuff that came out of the first phase of the beta was amazing. There were Final Fantasy-like mods, Tetris, even a full recreation of a mission from Call of Duty."

We don't know how much more these tools will grow over time, but the game nonetheless will. An abstract promise of the game getting better over time was made during the event, and while we do not doubt Blizzard's abilities and intent, a little clarification could still be sought.

"There will be more online services, such as common chat channels for groups and mod testing. We can add feature functions in patches, and there are, also, of course, the expansions to be released later."

To close, we got a little superficial and delved into graphics. Those who've played the beta (or just watched the videos) know that it looks great, even on a mid-range machine, but will we be able to anti-alias the boxed game when it's released?

"No; but we will be releasing 3D in the first few months, for those Nvidia cards and screens that support it," Chris states, before we quickly pursue Nvidia's presence at the event, and ask about those players running ATI cards. We receive a stock but believable response: "we're optimising for all systems."

A satisfied note-pad in hand, we pursue the anti-aliasing question just one more time. No promises made, but it could certainly be done as a future update – again improving the game during its life – as could numerous other graphical upgrades as technology advances, and the median hardware gets faster. The first game has lived for twelve years already. StarCraft II may well take it further, if its ability to evolve stays in step with Blizzard's ability to invigorate its products with new content and ideas.
Click to expand...
 
Z

Zertez

Member
Any official word on beta returning yet? The team liquid thread was a rumor and last I checked it wasn't confirmed. Not sure why they did not lock the thread. Players in Korea haven't seen it in pc bang. Hopefully Blizzard will come out and say July 1st.
 
P

Ponn

Banned
Have a question related to this game. I got a new powerful laptop, culv, it just doesn't have a cd/dvd drive. Got it mainly for this game and got a good preorder price on it but i'm trying to figure out how to get it on this laptop without having to buy an external drive I would only be using once for this game. I'm assuming once its on their and registered with Blizzard I won't need the disc drive again but I need to find a way to get on the machine once I get it. I've asked all my friends and no one has a external dvd drive. Any ideas?
 
The Lamonster

The Lamonster

Member
Ponn01 said:
Have a question related to this game. I got a new powerful laptop, culv, it just doesn't have a cd/dvd drive. Got it mainly for this game and got a good preorder price on it but i'm trying to figure out how to get it on this laptop without having to buy an external drive I would only be using once for this game. I'm assuming once its on their and registered with Blizzard I won't need the disc drive again but I need to find a way to get on the machine once I get it. I've asked all my friends and no one has a external dvd drive. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Blizzard said it will be available for digital distribution "after launch" so if you don't mind waiting days, weeks or even possibly months, you could axe your pre-order and just buy it digitally. Sup to you.
 
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