Starcraft II [Archive] - Bleach Asylum

Aizen Sousuke

03-31-2008, 08:37 PM

Truth be told Undying, Protoss seems to be at such a disadvantage right now (they were my favorite in SCI/BW). Here are some of the things that I am worried about:

1) Protoss don't have Reavers anymore. They lose the ability to have a huge AOE bomb that attacks from long distances, sort of like the Terran Siege Tank. This unit absolutely demolished the zerg, and usually weakened Terran defenses enough for other units to break through.

2) Protoss have teleportation now through the use of Phase Prisms/Pylon networks, but this is completely outclasses by the Nydus worm. This gives the Protoss a chance to compete, but the sheer speed and mobility of the Zerg with the new Nydus worm unit makes me worry.

3) Colossus can be attacked by air-to-air fighters because of it's massive height. As a primary enforcer, it is very vulnerable.

4) The mothership conflict has still not been resolved, as in Blizzard is still deciding whether or not to make it a super unit, or keep it's power limited.

Undying

03-31-2008, 08:55 PM

Aye, this game is going to halt any video game activity from me.

I was a big fan of SC, and I wasn't too impressed with Brood War's story, but this...

This is going to shatter the very foundation of StarCraft.

Heh, poor Undy. I'm starting to regret having shown him the site for SCII...he's been in a state of vegitation over this vids ever since.

:rofl
Zip it. And I will of course go into MIA once I get my hands on the game, I will be playing it from start to finish.
Truth be told Undying, Protoss seems to be at such a disadvantage right now (they were my favorite in SCI/BW). Here are some of the things that I am worried about:

1) Protoss don't have Reavers anymore. They lose the ability to have a huge AOE bomb that attacks from long distances, sort of like the Terran Siege Tank. This unit absolutely demolished the zerg, and usually weakened Terran defenses enough for other units to break through.
Well y'know, we haven't see if they have/don't have Reaver yet. Blizzard may have withheld the information. Also, IMO the Warp In ability makes up for it. Warp In a few Stalkers/Immortals/Dark Templar/Twilight Archon and the terran defenses are screwed. As for Zerg, Colossi make up for lack of Reavers.

2) Protoss have teleportation now through the use of Phase Prisms/Pylon networks, but this is completely outclasses by the Nydus worm. This gives the Protoss a chance to compete, but the sheer speed and mobility of the Zerg with the new Nydus worm unit makes me worry.
Hmm. We don't really know how fast each Nydus worm can sprout a new channel. Besides, just as with the Nydus canals, focusing the initial attack on the canal itself reduces the effectiveness of it. Also, Warp In works both ways and allows for quick escape to higher grounds, which in turn allows for a devastating attack while the Protoss units are safe. And the Colossi rip Zerglings to shreds from afar.

Besides, if the Protoss are as tough as they were in SCI, they should shred Zerg to little pieces easily. I recall using the Warp with the Arbiter to induce carnage over the Zerg with a few Archons and Zealots.

3) Colossus can be attacked by air-to-air fighters because of it's massive height. As a primary enforcer, it is very vulnerable.
This I agree with. The Colossus is a ground unit, it shouldn't be attacked by air-to-air fighters.

4) The mothership conflict has still not been resolved, as in Blizzard is still deciding whether or not to make it a super unit, or keep it's power limited.
Considering that the new Zerg Queen is literally a super unit, I think that having the Mothership as a super unit would be agreed upon. Either way though, if the Protss keep their toughness from one, they will reap a path of destruction through any Zerg force quickly and easily.

Aizen Sousuke

03-31-2008, 09:09 PM

Well y'know, we haven't see if they have/don't have Reaver yet. Blizzard may have withheld the information. Also, IMO the Warp In ability makes up for it. Warp In a few Stalkers/Immortals/Dark Templar/Twilight Archon and the terran defenses are screwed. As for Zerg, Colossi make up for lack of Reavers.

Anti-Air defenses make using Warp-in a risky technique. A safe warp in would defeat the purpose (to avoid siege tanks). The immortals have their hardened shields against the siege tanks, but the shields become useless against the marines in the bunkers that will surely be the foundation of any good Terran defense. Stalkers are interesting units as well. I have a feeling they will be relatively weak, as they have the blink ability, and that ability will make up for lack of health/shield. Though, in a large setting, micro managing Stalkers may be difficult. Hopefully Twilight Archons have improved damage/splash damage. Dark Templar have always been stealth Assassin's, and useless in a situation where Terran could have detectors.

Hmm. We don't really know how fast each Nydus worm can sprout a new channel. Besides, just as with the Nydus canals, focusing the initial attack on the canal itself reduces the effectiveness of it. Also, Warp In works both ways and allows for quick escape to higher grounds, which in turn allows for a devastating attack while the Protoss units are safe. And the Colossi rip Zerglings to shreds from afar.

Multiple Nydus worms, I suppose.

Besides, if the Protoss are as tough as they were in SCI, they should shred Zerg to little pieces easily. I recall using the Warp with the Arbiter to induce carnage over the Zerg with a few Archons and Zealots.

but here is the age old conflict. Toughness and durability of a few units vs. the weakness and teamwork of masses.

This I agree with. The Colossus is a ground unit, it shouldn't be attacked by air-to-air fighters.

Hopefully something will be done about this.

Considering that the new Zerg Queen is literally a super unit, I think that having the Mothership as a super unit would be agreed upon. Either way though, if the Protss keep their toughness from one, they will reap a path of destruction through any Zerg force quickly and easily.

What I fear is the Zerg Corruptor, which could easily get rid of a mothership that does not have enough energy for a major attack. The Corruptor is more effective than the scourge, as it utilizes the unit for the Zerg rather then simply getting rid of it. A Zerg onslaught forcing the mothership to act will render it weak.

DarkSlayer

03-31-2008, 09:13 PM

Zip it. And I will of course go into MIA once I get my hands on the game, I will be playing it from start to finish.
You wont be MIA, as I'll be right there playing SCII as well, making sure you're PIA. (Pwned in Action) ;)

Well y'know, we haven't see if they have/don't have Reaver yet. Blizzard may have withheld the information. Also, IMO the Warp In ability makes up for it. Warp In a few Stalkers/Immortals/Dark Templar/Twilight Archon and the terran defenses are screwed. As for Zerg, Colossi make up for lack of Reavers.Agreed, Warp in will screw us Terran/Zerg players over. I'll be sure to set up extra Missile Turrets to watch for those Phase Prisms!

Hmm. We don't really know how fast each Nydus worm can sprout a new channel. Besides, just as with the Nydus canals, focusing the initial attack on the canal itself reduces the effectiveness of it. Also, Warp In works both ways and allows for quick escape to higher grounds, which in turn allows for a devastating attack while the Protoss units are safe. And the Colossi rip Zerglings to shreds from afar.Yeah, but in the long run will the Protoss be able to keep up with the Zerg resource wise?

Besides, if the Protoss are as tough as they were in SCI, they should shred Zerg to little pieces easily. I recall using the Warp with the Arbiter to induce carnage over the Zerg with a few Archons and Zealots.Yes, Arbiter + Carriers = Rape.

Considering that the new Zerg Queen is literally a super unit, I think that having the Mothership as a super unit would be agreed upon. Either way though, if the Protss keep their toughness from one, they will reap a path of destruction through any Zerg force quickly and easily.Yeah, Kerrigan is pretty OP IMO. Psyonic Storm, Cloak AND Ensnare? Haxx.

I'd like to see what the Zerg uber unit is going to be, if not Kerrigan.

Aizen Sousuke

03-31-2008, 09:14 PM

I'd like to see what the Zerg uber unit is going to be, if not Kerrigan.

Zerg uber unit is the Queen, which is a ground unit. It has the same name as the SC1 Queen, but is completely different.

Undying

03-31-2008, 09:22 PM

Anti-Air defenses make using Warp-in a risky technique. A safe warp in would defeat the purpose (to avoid siege tanks). The immortals have their hardened shields against the siege tanks, but the shields become useless against the marines in the bunkers that will surely be the foundation of any good Terran defense. Stalkers are interesting units as well. I have a feeling they will be relatively weak, as they have the blink ability, and that ability will make up for lack of health/shield. Though, in a large setting, micro managing Stalkers may be difficult. Hopefully Twilight Archons have improved damage/splash damage. Dark Templar have always been stealth Assassin's, and useless in a situation where Terran could have detectors.
Well, once again that depends on whether the Protoss kept their usual toughness. In SCI and BW, playing with the Protoss meant massacring armies with only a handful of units - I seem to remember utilizing no more than 36 units when taking town a Terran base in a multiplayer game. 12 Zealots, 12 Dragoons, 6 Archons and 6 Templar. A psionic storm alone causes a massive amount of damage to units, and utilized with the Dragoons and Zealots, it's devastating. Archons are a frontal assault unit.

Anyway, I withhold judgment until I see the complete product (I'd assume they change much from the demos), but it seems to me like the Protoss have a pretty well balanced ability to sneak around the map coupled with dealing enough damage with each attack to easily crack through the most sophisticated defenses.

Have we even see Carriers in action yet? Carriers, coupled with Warp Rays and with Phoenixes using Overload? I think it would clean up the skies quickly enough. Added to it the Protos ground superiority (Stalkers and Dark Templars for speedy taking out of defensive structures and Immortals for powerful defenders like the tanks).

Multiple Nydus worms, I suppose.
How quickly can they be constructed? As from what I remember of the Nydus canals, they took time to be created. If they can be spotted with a detector, they are doomed.

but here is the age old conflict. Toughness and durability of a few units vs. the weakness and teamwork of masses.
True, Zerg and Protoss are balanced because of their respectively different fighting styles while Terran come up with some mega powered weapons (Nuclear strike :3) and balanced quick strikes and powerful attackers (tanks and the new Thor).

But in the end it comes down to strategy and tactics, which is why IMO SCII is as good as SCI in that aspect, and the new units and graphics make it better.
What I fear is the Zerg Corruptor, which could easily get rid of a mothership that does not have enough energy for a major attack. The Corruptor is more effective than the scourge, as it utilizes the unit for the Zerg rather then simply getting rid of it. A Zerg onslaught forcing the mothership to act will render it weak.
I agree. But that's why you don't use a single unit at a time. The strongest attacks are always compromised of a large number of varying units. A single mothership, with all it's power, will be obliterated in seconds. If the Zerg still have their Scourge, it's doomed. And as for the Corruptor, a large number of these would be a problem for air units, much like a carrier/Phoenix Overload would be a problem for small air units, and the mothership would literally rape the larger fliers (at least if the Protoss demo is any indication of its true power). But if the air units escape and instead bring in a large number of ground-to-air defense, then the Corruptor is useless.

IMO, it's still pretty balanced.

You wont be MIA, as I'll be right there playing SCII as well, making sure you're PIA. (Pwned in Action)
Pffft! Not in storymode I won't. And as for multiplayer... ehe.
Yeah, but in the long run will the Protoss be able to keep up with the Zerg resource wise?
Since when were the Protoss trying to win a war of attrition? They usually strike hard and strike fast, Zealots. Immortals, Archons, Templar. Clean the map ASAP. Protoss can never win a war of attrition to the Zerg. They just cost too much.
Yes, Arbiter + Carriers = Rape.
And now it's Phase Prism + Warp In + Carrier. Still rape :3.
Yeah, Kerrigan is pretty OP IMO. Psyonic Storm, Cloak AND Ensnare? Haxx.

I'd like to see what the Zerg uber unit is going to be, if not Kerrigan.
Keriggan was always OP'd. She's the 'Queen of Blades' after all. Tassadar didn't display half her power in his playable version, and he was meant to be equal to her =/.

Anyway, the Zerg Superunit is indeed called Queen, but it's a ground unit like Aizen said. It can also kill a Marine in one hit. And form the description, it's literally rape.

Also, Overlord can do temp creep and disable resources!

Ymir'sEmbrace

04-01-2008, 05:59 PM

Little bit of a change of topic, but Blizz has finally done it! The melding of two game universes into one over-all leetness factor! The Terran are now the most leet species in SCII.

http://www.starcraft2.com/features/terran/taurenmarine.xml

Great April Fool's joke on Blizz's part, they also have a new "hero class" for WoW.

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/wrath/features/bard/bardclass.xml

Undying

04-01-2008, 06:57 PM

Beside the obvious, what tipped me off to the... truth of the matter was the writing of the movies.

Moovies

I love Blizzard's April. It makes the place amazing. They rule, really.

Aizen Sousuke

04-01-2008, 07:30 PM

DarkSlayer

04-01-2008, 07:50 PM

@Undying - I see you have effective counters :) The point of the game is strategy though and the ability to react quickly. Everything you do is a counter against your opponent, and anything can work if approached in the right way.

And yeah.. all the Hero units (Kerrigan, Zeratul, etc.) are purposely OP. Speaking of Heroes.. we know that Jim Raynor, Kerrigan, and Zeratul are all returning characters.

Yeah, Undying is a sneaky bastard. I'll give him that. :rolleyes:

@Aizen - Though I wonder, will Duran be a returning character? And what exactly do you guys think Duran is up to? Ymir and I have discussed this quite a bit, and we have a few hunches...

Aizen Sousuke

04-01-2008, 07:56 PM

I don't think Duran would be playable. I think he'll play a behind the scenes role with the Xel'Naga.

The Protoss Campaign is called "Mystery of the Xel'Naga."

I'm also interested in what order the three Campaigns will be played in? From the Terran Campaign trailer revealed, it would seem that they will have a Terran/Zerg/Protoss campaigns going through the story, rather then just have one large campaign with a huge storyline and switching races right in the middle.

Undying

04-01-2008, 08:57 PM

I'd rather have different campaigns than a single storyline and switch races in the middle. It's a bit more orderly to play it that way. Switching races in the middle would require quickly getting used to completely new and different units - luckily, gameplay is still the same, so multiplayer junkies should only need to get used to utilizing the new weapons - which may make winning frustrating in the short term.

Besides, story looks better with 30 chapters separate into 3 different stories than 30 chapters in one story (speaking of the original SC).

As for Duran - so I assume I was correct in believing he is one of the Xel'Naga/an associate/a servant of sorts?

Vizard_King

04-01-2008, 10:30 PM

*Angels sing and music plays as the Name "Starcraft 2" is spoken*
Lol
Anyway, I loved SC and Brood War. It was the game that got me into Stratagy Based Games, so how could I not Love it?
And I always thought it was strange that Warcraft had 3 games while Starcraft only had 1 with an Expantion. I cannot wait for SC2 to come out

Aizen Sousuke

04-01-2008, 11:01 PM

Yeah, Duran is an agent of the Xel'Naga.

That's why in the secret mission at the end of Brood War, he is found mixing Protoss and Zerg DNA. He is finished what the Xel'Naga started by genetically altering these organisms to create the perfect race. The Xel'Naga abandoned the Protoss, who were individually strong, intelligent, and full of life and essence, and the Zerg, which had strength in masses and no individual strength, rebelled. The Xel'Naga realized that if they find the perfect medium, they may be able to do ridiculous things. Duran is attempting to make that happen.'

Duran is able to fake his infestation to Kerrigan. It shows that he must have had some kind of technology to manipulate his DNA in order to be able to perform such a task. The technology, logically, would come from the Xel'Naga.

Shdo

04-01-2008, 11:19 PM

i wonder if one day they will add the xelnaga as a race, maybe in upcoming expension.

if they do its about time to make something so out of the normal bouncries of RTS to make it work.

Aizen Sousuke

04-01-2008, 11:22 PM

Xel'Naga being playable in the expansion isn't totally out of the question. Blizzard confirmed that only Protoss, Terran, and Zerg will be playable in SCII though.

Another possibility is the hybrid race that Duran/Xel'Naga have been trying to create.

Shdo

04-01-2008, 11:27 PM

well as i see that if you want to make something new then i saw something in a game called universe at war or something:
instead of having an army of many units or several strong units you can have an army of very few SUPER beings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUs5fKu9_8Y&feature=related
keep in mind that we are speaking of a race that was ancient when the protoss were toddlers.

Undying

04-02-2008, 10:07 AM

Possibly the Xel'Naga or Duran's new "hybrid" will be a special case of a few special units like the Dark Templar were in SCI - they will serve as the "final metamorphosis" Kerrigan speaks of in the Zerg trailer. Funny thing, there's something that looks like a cross between a Protoss and a Zerg watching over the chrysalis in the end of the Zerg trailer. Xel'Naga/a complete hybrid, possibly?

Then in the expansion, they'd most likely make that special unit a regular one, just like with the Dark Templar. I'm curious what it would be able to do and how it will tip the balance of power, since the Protoss should be able to find a counter to it. After all, from the first Starcraft information book that came in the collector's edition package of SCI/BW, they say that the Protoss were close to the Xel'Naga, or maybe closest in terms of being.

I'd love to play with the hybrid, though. Sounds like something we'll be drooling over :p.

Ymir'sEmbrace

04-02-2008, 11:31 AM

I actually think that Duran's hybrids will actually play the role of the "4th race" that the other three inevitably team up to stop. I'm still working on my Duran theories.

Is he the last of the Xel'Naga who took a human form? A human that "merged" with a Xel'Naga? A trully deranged scientist that has found the secrets of immortality ((since many seem to believe Duran's name is quite similar to that of the original scientist who came with the Terran prisoners to the backwater planets)) and has grown so bored he's decided to experiment on the "aliens?"

Shdo

04-02-2008, 02:13 PM

Aizen Sousuke

04-02-2008, 05:14 PM

I'm pretty sure that was the Queen at the end of the Zerg trailer. I'll have to double check though.

Ymir'sEmbrace

04-02-2008, 06:47 PM

i think that the xelnaga army (if made in the expension(isnt it weird that making an expension became the normal way of things?)) would be of massive xelnaga ships that are played similer to the walkers in universe at war, they are a moving base, each is personally customised, and they rely on hybrids as shock soldiers.

The Xel'Naga were all but wiped out by the Zerg a small time after they created them. It doesn't seem the Xel'Naga themselves will ever be a major player in the series; though the remnants of their race could create a fourth species that acts as their vanguard.

Aizen Sousuke

04-02-2008, 06:53 PM

The Zerg wiped out about 90% of the Xel'Naga when the Overmind retaliated.

But if they sent Duran to experiment on creatures, then they probably still have a sizable fleet and the technology and resources to still be experimenting.

We've seen the power of the Xel'Naga Temples, the race is not to be underestimated. I am sure they have cloning techniques if they are able to fuse DNA of two separate entities (Protoss and Zerg) to create a new race.

Anyway, 90% is a huge amount, but we don't know the size of the Xel'Naga race. If they had 10 billion in their population, having a billion left is still a ridiculously huge number.

You also have to realize that most of the Protoss race has been destroyed as well through Starcraft/Broodwar and the invasion of Auir.

Undying

04-02-2008, 07:07 PM

Protoss utilize robots and machines to replace what they lack in numbers - I believe it was stated in their information. I wouldn't be surprised if the Xel'Naga did the same. They have robots and psionic powers to compensate for small numbers.

And doubtless they have cloning abilities and mass reproduction facilities - these people experimented upon thousands of worlds, with millions of races. To think they cannot simply recreate their own numbers would be laughable. Of course, it takes time to reproduce their intelligence and thinking capabilities (each clone takes a lifetime to grow, after all), so it's no surprise they are hidden so far.

But they will most likely show up at least as behind the scenes people with their own agendas and reasons for doing whatever they do.

What strikes me most as strange about them is that despite the fact that they were nearly obliterated by their own creation twice - the Protoss attacked them and they fled, and the Zerg nearly obliterated them as it was - they don't give up. They are still up for the whole "let's make the perfect race" thing, and they are using exactly the things that nearly killed them. Insane scientists, much?

Anyway. I wonder how the story would be ordered. If you notice, usually the race that was the first chapter in SCI/BW was the one that lost the most or altered the most (Terran in SC destroyed their ruling body of Confederacy and turned into the Dominion, Protoss and Terran in BW were massacred), while the race that is the final chapter is the one that "wins" (of course in SC, the Protoss didn't entirely win...).

I wonder, will the Zerg be first in this story? That way they will be the ones to "lose", in a way. Of course, if Blizzard wants to draw out more money from that cash cow, they won't end the story, and with the Zerg being as many as they are, ending the story in a short span of time really is illogical... I mean, they lost every single Zerg on Shakuras, and that didn't even slow them down.

Aizen Sousuke

04-02-2008, 07:11 PM

The Terran Trailer does indicate that the storyline places a large emphasis on the Xel'Naga and the potential destruction of the human race (we found this out when Raynor talked to Zeratul on the Hyperion.. I'll find the link in a bit).

Kerrigan won at the end of Brood War. There's nothing left for her to do until the other races/factions do things first. It would be kind of pointless to play Zerg first if there aren't many goals to achieve except fight an already wounded enemy.

Undying

04-02-2008, 08:05 PM

Possibly. But still, harrying the remaining Terrans while emphasizing on the evolution? The Zerg could be the storyline campaign, which focuses more on the development of characters and a race while the other two can be mostly action that wraps up the plotline. Either way though, I will love to get my hands on any race. Their new units and new abilities are awesome enough for me to care less for the story and more for the action.

Well, I'll go raid YouTube and any other video site I know to get more info so we can discuss matters and speculate more openly...

Shdo

04-02-2008, 10:39 PM

the xelnaga came from another galaxy, they are thousends if not hundreds of thousends year old, i doubt that the zerg exterminated the whole race in that one incident, besides much time have passed they could either rebuild or the fact that they dont stop no matter their losses might mean that those losses are meaningless.

i still hope to see a race of tech juggernauts.

Undying

04-02-2008, 10:52 PM

I think that the Xel'Naga would be a tad OP'd though. From what I see from videos and other reviews, it looks like the actual gameplay is pretty well balanced - the human campaign looks to be interesting, btw - but the Xel'Naga...

They have technology far more advanced than the Protoss, they are a race of beings who can also tap into the psionic matrix like the Protoss, except they have a few thousand years of experience on the Protoss at least. They have giant ships, weapons, technology...

Unless there are five of them left, I think that adding them as a whole playable race would be murder. They would simply take the Terran, Protoss, and Zerg apart, in the gameplay. But if they were campaign exclusive and important to the storyline, they may be cool to play with.

Aizen Sousuke

04-02-2008, 11:25 PM

Well, you don't know for sure. The Xel'Naga could be physically weak, but have great technology (they'd be more a long the lines of Protoss minus having units like the zealot). They are defeatable though, as both the Protoss and the Zerg were able to repel them. You could argue that they could be caught off guard, but if they were THAT superior, it wouldn't have mattered.

Undying

04-02-2008, 11:42 PM

Well, I am speaking in terms of gameplay rather than cutscenes/story. True, story-wise, the Xel'Naga were forced to retreat by the Protoss and beaten by the Zerg.

But with the Protoss, they did so because they didn't want to hurt their "children". With the Zerg, the one thing that is not available in gameplay came to their help - the Zerg's endless numbers. Basically, the Zerg hammered against the Xel'Naga until they ran out of power. Since in gameplay you don't run out of power and as long as you have minerals you can crank out units, I think the Xel'Naga would kick the Zerg and Protoss' asses.

But still, I'd love to see how it all comes together. From the looks of things, even if the Xel'Naga are not playable but are only a race of superunits/super-technology units that will aid a side or need to be destroyed, they are a very interesting bunch which I'd love to see.

Now, some schpoilers which I'm almost sure every avid fan already saw, but nevertheless... What are those "artifacts" that Zeratul warned Raynor about? I'mvery intrigued about them. Oh and Zeratul looks completely awesome. Just, completely, totally, badassly, AWESOME.

Shdo

04-03-2008, 12:33 AM

didnt they said that the xelnaga are about to return? didnt people talked about how kerrigan feel something else is coming? my guess is that the artifects open the way to the xelnaga galaxy, the xelnaga are pure evil and the old xelnaga ran to this galaxy out of power struggle, they wanted to make the perfect warrior race to fight their war on their bretherens.
when they reach our galaxy they closed the gate so that their enemies wont come after them, but now some1 will be stupid enough to play with those artifects and a new invasion of xelnaga will be unleashed.

Aizen Sousuke

04-03-2008, 12:43 AM

Shdo

04-03-2008, 01:39 AM

i am pretty sure we will see at least some xelnaga units, hopfully by the expension we will have a xelnaga race and if not...the mod community will take care of that.

i find it weird that there is so little info on that race, anyways...combining the zerg ferocity and the protoss mind...they are not making the perfect race, they are making the perfect warrior. the xelnaga motives cant be good.

Aizen Sousuke

04-03-2008, 06:07 AM

Yeah.. the Terran Campaign has to do with artifacts which Jim Raynor must collect, or else it means the end of the human race (most likely something with the Xel'Naga, as Zeratul informs Raynor of this).

Shdo

04-03-2008, 07:04 AM

so the human campaign is first? and the other two? my guess that the protoss will be last when they fail to achieve their goals and stop the xelnaga from arriving and the expension will be about dealing with the xelnaga invasion.

Undying

04-03-2008, 09:59 AM

I think the Terran's are first again, since it seems that their campaign doesn't have Zerg yet, and those are the necessary story-advance race.

One thing that's sorta cheesy, IMO, is the whole "It's a key to the end". How many times have we heard it? "This [insert objects here] are the key to the end of the world!"

While I like the RP elements they added to the briefing and that make an interesting combination with the strategy, they could have worked a bit better on that part :p.

Another thing, who else here thinks the Dark Templar looked better wielding short swords rather than double-ended Scythes?

Fenring

04-03-2008, 12:51 PM

Dark Templar need sneakier weapons, and I want my zerg, nao.

Anyhow Undy, we shall crush each other with great vehemence once it comes out.

The RP portions I think will do nicely, or at least I hope so. The story line in the other one wasn't exactly top notch anyhow, they easily can improve.

Shdo

04-03-2008, 01:20 PM

i hate the scyte as well...i hate the viking, its seems like a unit that really dont improve on the goliat and wraith, i mean if it could attack ground2air then maybe but right now...its simply suck.

the new tank is horriable...its look so hitech and so...not terran!

drop ship is nice, explorer also, battlecruiser is much better now and i like the marines and ghost. bunshee also pretty good.

as for the protos, the scyte have to go. their new fleet kick ass, the collusus is kinda annoying and i think the new immortal and that other thing are pretty nice.

as for the zerg...we dont know much for now but they have borrowing ultra's...could this be more scary?

Undying

04-03-2008, 03:33 PM

Dark Templar need sneakier weapons, and I want my zerg, nao.
I lurv new Terran. But I wants to play it first, then I will... maybe... comment.

Anyhow Undy, we shall crush each other with great vehemence once it comes out.
I will challenge you to a children's card game. Errr, to a match in SCII.
The RP portions I think will do nicely, or at least I hope so. The story line in the other one wasn't exactly top notch anyhow, they easily can improve.
Story is less important to the awesome gaming experience. If the gaming experience in itself is awesome, then the story can take a backseat. Doesn't hurt to have an awesome story, though.
i hate the scyte as well...i hate the viking, its seems like a unit that really dont improve on the goliat and wraith, i mean if it could attack ground2air then maybe but right now...its simply suck.
I disagree, actually. The ability to quickly avoid dedicated ground-to-groun defenses makes it an awesome weapon. Of course,the fact that it's a sort of a Valkyrie that can go ground makes it funny. But still, it is an awesome support fighter on the ground when someone needs to beat through ground-based air-defense.

as for the zerg...we dont know much for now but they have borrowing ultra's...could this be more scary?
Their new version of the Queen is said to be pwnsome.

Shdo

04-03-2008, 03:45 PM

that is the only good thing about the viking but what if the enemy attack both air and ground? then its not that good ability.

if it could fire on both ground and air in both mods but with reduced effectivness i would say its worthy but as of now its simply flawed especially when it takes away both the wraith( powerful CLOAKED fighter) and goliath (best ground to air mobile defence)

Undying

04-03-2008, 05:15 PM

Except that the Terran are now the same as the Zerg were in BW - they have a dedicated air-to-air fighter and a ground-to-air medium unit.

Combining the Viking and the Banshee makes for a perfect anti air/ground offensive, and the Viking can provide anti-ground support if the Banshee gets picked on by heavier defensive structures (such as a Missile Turret).

Aizen Sousuke

04-03-2008, 08:53 PM

I think to add onto Undying's strategy, if you utilized siege tanks with the Viking/Banshee, you would be untouched by the ground. You would just have to hope that you could keep clear skies with the Viking. Best news for Terran is that the Guardian is unconfirmed, meaning the deadliest ranged air unit is gone. Of course now you have Warp Rays, but I am not sure of what their range is. Countless times Guardians have gotten the best of Terran Siege Tanks though.

Shdo

04-03-2008, 09:23 PM

i still dont see the viking as a good anti air unit, to goliath had massive range and payloadwhich was wonderfull for protecting siege tanks but the damn viking seems to have the same range as the wraith.

so you either got a broken wraith with no ground or cloaking or a buffed out marine that cannot be healed. another major drawback is that in order to get ground units and harrass them he need to go to the ground which make it lose its more valuable protection from melee units, such as banlings...can you see the problem when your air force got wiped by zerglings?

Undying

04-03-2008, 10:22 PM

Hence why you use the Banshee, which is the evolution of the Wraith - it has no air-to-air attack, instead being an air-to-ground medium fighter. If your Vikings are picked on by cheap destroyers such as Baneglings, you change modes and go up into the skies, and bring in the Banshees, which clear the ground. If the Zerg bring in Hydralisks to cover the now dead Baneglings, you turn the Viking back into its ground mode and you get a buffed bunch of Marines adding to the Banshee's already serious fire power.

See the main problem with using Goliaths and Siege Tanks as a good anti-ground defense - and it was one of the most powerful defensive combinations in SC/BW, especially with the Goliath's added range missiles - is that the enemy could outdo it.

In SCI, all the Protoss had to do to defeat such a defensive army was use a Templar, or an Arbiter, or both. Two units wiping out a costly defensive grid is frustrating, you know. The Zerg just needed to bring in the Guardian, which as Aizen is said is one of - if not the most fearsome air-to-ground bombers. It's fairly cheap and its superior range could wipe out the poor Terrans easily.

In BW, things got even dirtier for the Terrans. Dark Templar, Dark Archon - those two units would literally clean up that defensive grid within seconds. And the Zerg? A couple of Lurkers was all it took. Half the resources of the Guardian assault force and the Terrans are mashed into nothingness.

Of course, it can be argued that Missile Turrets covered for invisible units, but Carriers (Protoss) and Guardians (Zerg) made static defenses worthless.

Hence why in my opinion, the Banshee and Vikings are in fact a better defensive/offensive army than the Goliath/Wraith. They are simply more flexible and more mobile than the original static defenses the Terrans had (a big drawback, IMO - Terrans were powerful, but with their defenses being literally stuck in place and hard to quickly redeploy, they were in deep trouble if playing against someone with the necessary dedication to form a proper attack plan).

So, with those new additions, I think the Terrans are getting even stronger. And I haven't even mentioned the Droppods yet. Those are WICKED. The Ghost is totally evil now.

Shdo

04-03-2008, 10:29 PM

still i think that the viking should have somekind of ground to air attack, i mean its also logical with those rocket pads sticking in its mech form. it should be like an ability it can do once in a while, firing them all at once with decreased damage much like the valkyre. still the terran seems to lack in good counter to air, if something similer to the guardian would appear they are fucked, in the past they could at least wraith raid them and pull back to the goliath safe zone.

Aizen Sousuke

04-04-2008, 12:35 AM

The Viking have an air-to-ground attack would defeat the purpose of transforming. A unit like the Viking is needed, for example, if you are using siege tanks, because a unit like the immortal which has a shield against high damage/power attacks will tear the defenses apart. The Viking has that low damage attack that the shield will not activate against. All the way, if any air units come into the proximity, missile turrents and vikings in the air can take care of them. It gives you much more defensive versatility.

Plus, the best defense is a good offense. If your able to advance siege tanks on an opponent, the Viking prevents them from finding an effective counter (theoretically).

Shdo

04-04-2008, 01:15 AM

i said ground to air with reduced dmg, that will give it more use against dedicated air to air of other races, and will make the flyer mode truly what it meant to be, an option. cuz as of now the ground mode only good attribute is to avoid dedicated ground to air such as turrets. but when it comes to fight a simple ranged attacker it becomes a flawed design cuz you need to wait for the transformation to end only to fire back.

but by making the ground mode to be able to fire at air, with reduced dmg for balancing issues, that gives the ground mode a role beyond 'avoiding turrets only to meet siege tank' or as a buffed marine. as of now the ground mode is simply bad, i mean you went to the ground and now the enemy air unit dont fire at you rockets but simply shot at youfrom above.

give the viking something against air when in ground mode so that he wouldnt be almost 90% useless.

Ymir'sEmbrace

04-04-2008, 01:35 AM

One could of course assume that when you send in a wave of Vikings you don't deploy all of them to ground mode when you know there is an imminent air threat. You'd take say half of them and take down turrets and get in close to seige tanks while the other half provide air support. Plus once the turrets are down you can deploy the surviving Vikings back into air mode and bring in some Banshees to take care of the remaining ground units. A fairly mobile combo compared to the Wraith/Goliath combo since you'd have to load goliaths onto a drop ship, bring them to their drop off point, unload them while hoping that the drop ship isn't destroyed before all of them are deployed then take care of enemy units.

Now assume you did all of this on a stand-alone island. The goliath would eventually run out of range to take care of the air units if they retreat and thus you'd have to load them all back up and find a spot to deploy them once again to finish off those air units. On the flip side say you take care of all of the land units and are beginning to take down the air force and they begin a retreat. In a matter of seconds you have an adequate air-to-air unit that can not only give chase but fire back as opposed to a loaded up goliath.

Aizen Sousuke

04-04-2008, 04:18 AM

Blizzard did a great job in improving Terran's mobility, as Ymir just described. Protoss and Zerg were much easier to attack with in SC/BW, and Terran was always powerful but seemed to lack speed when utilizing the power. Learning to attack with Terran, for me, was the hardest thing in SC/BW (by attack, I mean to play on an offensive). Blizzard though has made the Protoss and Zerg much more mobile than the Terrans, so the basic challenge still exists. However, the key to Terran, or any race, is utilizing all the possible components in order to complete a task. Zerg can easily mass Zerglings and Hydras and be wiped out by a few key Terran units. The mobility and speed of the Zerg is countered by a intelligent combination of fewer units by the Terran. The difficulty lies in attacking and advancing on the Zerg without being overwhelmed (doing it in a speedy yet organized manner).

Undying

04-04-2008, 09:35 AM

Which, as it was in SCI/BW, is still a problem. Fighting a well defended Zerg base is still an excruciating task, needing quite a bit of planning - especially if you're fighting against a human rather than the AI (because against the AI, a few nukes usually work best - you can tear down most of the Zerg defenses with a few well-placed nukes and Siege Tanks and Marines reduce the remaining defenses into dust).

Still, I find that the game is as always completely balanced. While the Terrans have high mobility and ability to quickly redeploy powerful units (you can actually build the Thor right behind enemy lines now - just drop in a SCV somewhere behind enemy lines, bring in a few Reapers to distract the enemy, and build the Thor. The Reapers die and the Thor can use its 200MM cannons to blow up the enemy's command center), the Zerg and Protoss now have an amazing mobility and powerful units to destroy them.

I find the new Nydus worms a fearsome weapon - they don't need Creep to build on! That means that the new "Nydus Canal" can now be used in an offensive manner as well as the old defensive network (which was a pain to learn - the Zerg were most difficult to master for me).

Well, regardless of the new powers that make the game even more dynamic and interesting than the first two, what is everyone's opinions of the storyline? How much do we know, and how much do we speculate?

Shdo

04-04-2008, 11:38 AM

we know there are xelnaga artifects, near complete zerg metahmorphesis, and rebelious rynor.

my guess is that we will start with raynor who only start his hunt for the artifects, then we move to the zerg who need those artifects (xelnaga tech) to make the perfect swarm hybrid unit (not to be confused with the the xelnaga hybrid which will be loyel to the xelnaga) and in the end we will have protoss who desperatly try to stop the zerg and terrans(my guess you will have the hybrids 'working' for them under duran orders) from activating something of the xelnaga, in the final scene the three races fight over something but the protoss fail and a portal or something open to the xelnaga galaxy, massive beasts of destruction pour in and devastate the 3 armies, everyone are kicked back and we have the possiability of an expension.

the horrors of the xelnaga and hybrid armies will crush them all in the upcoming expension pack 'the xelnaga war' or maybe that part will be in the 3rd game.

Ymir'sEmbrace

04-04-2008, 11:51 AM

Well speculations from my part are that things are looking pretty bleak for our old friends. Raynor's a drunk, Mengsk basically rules the Terran worlds, and the Protoss are on their last legs. I forsee one of a few outcomes. Either the Protoss discover a lost sub-species, or third group of their race that was pragmatized and thus reboost their forces, or this is the end of the Protoss on the large scale. The Zerg will continue to evolve beyond even Kerrigan's level, making the Queen of Blades defunct for newer and more powerful Overminds. Raynor, now a mercenary is basically on his last legs unless someone or something comes along to reinvigorate him. Say either the death of his new protegee or perhaps Mengsk succeeds in reverting Kerrigan to human form giving Rayno something to fight for and protect.

On the whole I expect the initial story-line ((I'm thinking Zerg this time around)) to end with the balance of power tipping to a fourth force made up of Xel'Naga or beings created by Duran/Xel'Naga. After the Zerg are basically brought back down to the point where they are on the run the Terrans get involved. Mengsk tries desperately to maintain his control of the Terran colonies with Raynor houdning him.

The new force that comes into play wipes out the morale of the Terrans leaving Mengsk with few options. He offers a full pardon to Raynor to get the natural leader on his side once more which Raynor only accepts because he's basically given up hope. Their chapter ends in defeat against this new force as well with Raynor and Mengsk escaping the capital planet and heading for Shakuras.

The Protoss, almost on the verge of extinction, have begun isolationary policies to protect their race and to regroup. They are mainly left out of the conflict until Raynor and Mengsk (or just Raynor) get involved which pushes Zeratul to action. The Protoss face off against the new enemy and are also defeated prompting a Terran/Protoss alliance with Kerrigan getting involved once more. As the plot progresses the Protoss learn of Duran's/the Xel'Naga's cloning and splicing techniques ((Since the army will be made of the refuse of the dead)) and begin to use that technology to "bring back" the dead Protoss thus re-establishing themselves as a strong force. The game ends with a decided victory for the Protoss but still doesn't tie up all the loose ends.

Again all speculation, but I know how Blizz thinks/copies their WC formula. And mind you this is a bare basic frame for the story, there will be a lot more plot involved with some sharp twists.

I see Raynor dieing in this game for one of three reasons. Either to save the entire army with a heroic sacrifice (ship goes down, he lands it into a central command post of the "new" army), to save the still infested Kerrigan (he always did love her, no matter what she may have become) this prompts a part of her humanity to re-awaken, just enough for her to be given the experimental drug that will reverse her infestation, or he dies for his new protegee who was the only one that still believed in him; thus making the kid the new Terran main hero who continues on in Raynor's name.

Undying

04-04-2008, 11:53 AM

By the way, in regards to a statement made earlier by Aizen - I think that the Reavers are confirmed to be in SCII, as if you download the Fansite kit from the StarCraft2 Website, you get a render of a Reaver, 3D-moduled like the rest of the units. The graphics strongly remind me of WarCraft III, to be honest, and that's somewhat of an annoying setback - I never liked the way the units looked in WCIII.

Anyway, as to what you said Shdo, I'm not entirely sure. The Artifacts are the key to the end of the Human race, but considering that the Xel'Naga used the crystals to power their psionic abilities and their technologies (both Zerg and Protoss use the energy from the crystals, albeit differently).

Therefore I believe that the Protoss will attempt to utilize the energy from the Xel'Naga weapons (something akin to the huge Temple on Shakuras) to try and wipe out the Zerg.

Alternatively, the Humans and Protoss unite against the Zerg and wage an epic battle to end Kerrigan's rule and wipe the Zerg threat once and for all. Possibly forging a new Overmind and controlling it much like the UED did, only this time to have the Zerg annihilate each other.

Personally, I'd love to see an Expansion Pack that features a united technology of the Terran and Protoss - just think how powerful they will be, Terran units armed with personal shield generators, using additional technology from the Protoss, etc. Of course the Zerg's "final metamorphosis" will be an equal if not a superior adversary, so fighting against it would be hard.

Then again, the whole "hybrid" thing is funny. The Overmind needed the humans to be able to battle the Protoss equally, because the humans had access to the Psionic energies the Protoss harnessed. So then, why is Duran trying to merge together Zerg and Protoss, when the more logical idea would be to assimilate the Humans into the Zerg swarm? We all saw what was created with Kerrigan infested, she became a being equal, if not superior to the old Overmind, capable of controlling the Zerg swarm.

How powerful would the Zerg become if creatures like Kerrigan walked all over the place? On the other hand the Protoss and the Zerg don't sound like a good match.

Of course, it can be argued that the Protoss and the Zerg were meant to be one from the start, having the two things that Xel'Naga strove to achieve: Purity of Form and Purity of Essence.

[edit]

Ymir, I think I agree with most of your speculations, except I somewhat see a repeat ending of SCI to open a new role for the expansion. The unified Protoss/Terrans (Zeratul contacts Raynor, after all, so I see him helping Raynor and his Terrans rise up again, and with any luck Artanis will join with them, since he needs more forces) will destroy Kerrigan or harry her and her remaining Zerg into the cold void of space, where they will vanish and the humans and Protoss will have a temporary "peace". Then after a while, the Zerg return, possibly evolved further into a newer race, or the Xel'Naga/hybrids will take their place. Then the expansion ends with once again the "bad side" winning, and we will wait another decade or so for StarCraft III.

Ymir'sEmbrace

04-04-2008, 11:56 AM

I could see the overall goal of Duran's hybrids was in fact to find a way to craft Zerg/Protross hybrids; the end battles of the game see this combination take place and the "fourth army" has almost limitless potential.

Random side note, if you look at the artwork for the game you'll notice a star map, kind of funny but Azeroth (the world of Warcraft) is listed on that star map. Either a joke on Blizz's part (saying their universes overlap) or maybe they have some strange cross-over planned in the works?

Shdo

04-04-2008, 12:02 PM

the reason humans are not a good is because they cant make good hybrids, the psionic in them is too rare and too weak and most hybrids with humans end up to be explosive suicide bombers. they also lose their inteligance, making them nothing but a ground scourge, all attempts to add humanity into the swarms ended badly beside karrigen simply because humans and zerg are incompatible, on the other hand the protos and zerg were both products of xelnaga creation, they were affected by the xelnaga and my guess is that the xelnaga planned this all along, they let one of their fleet to be destroyed so that the zerg will learn about the protos and will move to assimilate them.

but i too dont understand why the overmind needed karrigen, she is just a buff up unit, make 2 ultralisk and you got the same deal.

the azeroth thing was part of their april1 joke they made tauran marine.

Undying

04-04-2008, 12:04 PM

Eh, well, they *did* have a Tauren Marine... maybe they plan on having a world called Azeroth? XD

Well, if there are Protoss/Zerg hybrids, it will make life hard for the Terrans, since they don't really have anything that can match up to an army of those. A few units maybe, but an entire army that has the Zerg's incredible adaptability and the Protoss' awesome toughness? The Terrans will be wiped out in a matter of seconds.

but i too dont understand why the overmind needed karrigen, she is just a buff up unit, make 2 ultralisk and you got the same deal.

In the gameplay, yeah, her offensive power is equal to that of a couple Ultralisk. Her special abilities make her OP'd (that green Goo thing, Psionic Storm AND cloaking?). But the point of matter is in the story.

In the storyline, she's equal to if not more powerful than Tassadar and the Protoss, which shoes that her Psionic ability has evolved much above that of any human (and most likely Ghost, as well). The Overmind assimilated her in order to have something that can tackle the Protoss' psionic energies and stop them from harming it or its Cerebrates (which in turn made the Dark Templar murder its Cerebrates XD).

Shdo

04-04-2008, 12:11 PM

i dont really get that...so you got one karrigen...to match with thousends of protoss warriors? never seen that happening.

as for the hybrids wiping humanity. they dont have protoss tech so basicly they are simply adaptive and have psionic powers, what they will get in my theory is even worse, xelnaga tech! and they will wipe out every1, the zerg and protoss did their thing and they can die.

Undying

04-04-2008, 12:22 PM

Kerrigan wasn't meant to match the entire Protoss race by herself. She was meant to be a sort of a gateway to allow the Zerg strains to develop the ability to tap into Psionic energies. Maybe to allow them to defend against Protoss mental assaults or to strengthen the Cerebrates ability to control their minions against Protoss intrusions.

Ymir'sEmbrace

04-04-2008, 12:25 PM

Meh, I think the Xel'Naga tech will be too far beyond anything any of the races, hybrids included unless Duran turns out to actually be a Xel'Naga, can comprehend properly. We've already seen that some of their artifacts are capable of destroying entire armies in "Shadow of the Xel'Naga" and that some of their higher technology seems to be related to bio-engineering as per the Zerg and Protoss. I think the artifacts will be necessary, but I have to agree with Shdo in that they are probably beacons or warp gates connecting the planets that the Xel'Naga have experimented on to their home-world. And I don't think the Xel'Naga are that far advanced in their military capabilities. They were crushed by the zerg and even pushed back by the Protoss. I think they were more of an observer and researcher species that had "evolved beyond" the need for weapons and military. Hence why they created the Zerg and Protoss to act as their own armies (my speculation) though both betrayed them.

This leads to why Duran (who I still believe is a Xel'Naga in human guise) is creating almost mindless hybrids that will serve the Xel'Naga. This is their way of coming back, taking their "failures" and wiping them out without having to expend their own resources.

Shdo

04-04-2008, 12:26 PM

still dont see how she helped, when they invaded aiur they just destroyed the place with countless zerglings and hydras. i dont think she was even there at the time.

lets just admit that the only reason for her to become the queen of blade was that this is the way the overmind give the finger to rynor and mangsk.

as for the xelnaga weapon tech, keep in mind that they didnt had much on that fleet and that was thousends of years ago, its like looking at an observer and say that the protoss would never have offensive weapons. i think that the artifect that destroyed the zerg army show otherwise. in the thousends of years that passed the xelnaga had enough time to create weapons of mass destruction, they didnt became less advance but even more advance then before, we dont even know what was the size of that fleet they sent, it might be something weak on porpuse, so that the zerg will take them out and learn about the protoss (maybe forcing the races to unite wont make the same affect)

Ymir'sEmbrace

04-04-2008, 12:29 PM

Actually they needed her in general to act as a way to counter-act the psi-emitters. Remember before Kerrigan was infested the zerg under the Overminds were easily controlled by the psi-emitters. The Overminds turned a highly power psionic being to their own which led to their evolution beyond the psi-emitter's power. Those broods that went rogue don't seem to have had that evolutionary help until culled by Kerrigan.

As for what you said about their tech being highly destructive, I agree, it was once highly powerful and destructive, but I think that the Xel'Naga in general evolved to a point where they didn't feel the need to have such destructive weapons and instead focused their energies on bioengineering races, basically being gods. If they had the destructive power to wipe out the Zerg I think in the hundreds of years since their disappearance they would return with said weaponry and wipe them out, instead of just sending an agent to make hybrids of the races.

This is of course assuming Duran is in fact a Xel'Naga, though if "Duran" is one of the Xel'Naga that remained in the star system for some reason and just copied the genetic code of the original Duran ((There are some that say he looks like the original scientist that came with the prisoners to the Bad-Lands)) then his simply making hybrids is because of the limited resources available. Perhaps this game ends with the Xel'Naga themselves finally coming back in full force?

Perhaps Duran's forces appear to be the main enemies throughout the game but at the end the true Xel'Naga fleet comes into play, wipes out the hybrids and begins to exterminate all three races?

Shdo

04-04-2008, 12:33 PM

that is more logical then countering the protoss, which seems to be countered wonderfully with a hydra spike and a ultralisk tusk.

Aizen Sousuke

04-24-2008, 11:29 PM

IGN StarCraft II Article:

http://pc.ign.com/articles/869/869236p1.html

Nothing totally new, but a good summary.

Rock

05-02-2008, 11:09 PM

I LOVE SC! I still play starcraft from time to time I can't wait for Starcraft 2 it looks amazing although I might need a new Computer or lap top for it.

Aizen Sousuke

05-05-2008, 04:31 AM

From what I've heard, Blizzard is going to try to keep the requirements as low as possible and still keep it graphically pleasing just like the original Starcraft (at the time of it's introduction).

Tyriel

06-03-2008, 07:10 AM

It was said that one theme to be explored was whether Kerrigan is truly beyond redemption as she is now. Personally, I love Kerrigan as she is, as much as she herself loves having been reborn as the Queen of Blades. She and Stukov both spoke about the clarity they had gained upon being reborn, the clarity of being completely linked to every other entity in the Swarm. Kerrigan has found what she never could with the humans, with the possible exception of Raynor. As part of the Swarm, she has gained acceptance, adoration, obedience, and the knowledge that the Swarm will never turn against her, unlike the many betrayals she suffered from the humans. In a twisted way, Kerrigan has found a family and a true sense of belonging. Speaking of betrayals, I hope Kerrigan pays Mengsk back further, though I cannot imagine how. Leaving him amongst the ashes of his precious Dominion while watching Kerrigan ascend was truly the sweetest revenge she could have devised.

It's too early too judge from the zerg reveal alone, but I wonder if Kerrigan's personality has continued to grow and change over the past 4 years, as is the nature of the Swarm. I note that she kept using 'we' instead of 'I'. Perhaps her time immersed in controlling the Swarm has made her mindset more aligned with that of the collective? If the trailer is anything to go by, it seems her manner of speech has changed as well. It's also telling that despite her free will, she fully intends to fulfill the Swarm's original mission. As one who primarily plays Zerg, I will be anxious to see how they fare in Starcraft II. As always, for the glory of the Swarm!

Sexta Espada

08-01-2008, 11:37 AM

Major spoilers people. Here are the latest development of the Starcraft Units in all races. These aren't official yet. They're subject to change.

ZERG UNITS: http://www.starcraft-source.com/unit-database/race-summary.php?race=3#Units

The Zergs had strong evolution which their primary object is to gain psionic powers to defeat the Protoss. In order to do that, they need the Terrans for they have a high psionic powers. So what is their key to their victory? Infestation. They now have abilities to infest in land and also in air, which made these race more deadly than ever before. So what is their development? All (Even Ultralisk) ground units have the ability to burrow. Some can even move while burrowed. The Queen is now a ground unit and can be as strong as the Ultralisk. Not only that, Zerg's defense are now stronger than before thanks to this New Ground Unit Queen.

TERRAN UNITS: http://www.starcraft-source.com/unit-database/race-summary.php?race=2#Units

Terran had made major upgrades on their vehicle units as well as their technology. They develope mass production to keep up with Zerg rush. Ghost can now perform as snipers and perform summoning. Battleship now have plasma cannon as a main weapon or they can still have the Yamato cannon. Supply Depot can now burrow for pathway purpose and defense. They have the ability to detect incoming invaders on cloud of war.

PROTOSS UNITS: http://www.starcraft-source.com/unit-database/race-summary.php?race=1#Units

With the joint forces of the Conclave and the Dark Templars, the Protoss units developed a more high leveled advanced technology and possibly developed the strongest air units in the game imho. Warp Rays give pawnment to huge air units. Mothership, sad to say it's no longer god-like than the once they revealed in the trailer. But still a powerful air unit.