[StarCraft II] Q&A

[GeeGeeOH]

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 24---

Chat with Devs: The Thor has been the unit that just hasnt quite fit in, in terms of role, but it might have found its own little place it can call home. After the Devs tried out several things with the Thor, including making it a super unit, they have now decided to have it replace the Cobra, as the heavy and air unit counter. Additionally, they may be adding a new mechanic, in which the Thor will need to be killed twice, once to make it immobilized, due to its large size, and then the second time to kill it for good. When immobilized, the Thor will still be able to fire at ground and air units. Additionally, while the Thor is immobilized, a SCV can repair it back to full health, having it regain mobility.

1. Will there be a way for fan sites to parse replays uploaded to their website so they can pull information such as race, player names, map, etc.? (www.vilegaming.com)
Exact details have not been finalized, but we do plan to create a much more robust way of being able to search and share replays in game.

2. The Soul Hunter was considered a good counter unit against the Zerg; why did you remove the Soul Hunter from StarCraft II?
There were a couple of reasons, but one of the more important ones is that it was difficult to make it easily readable in big battles when the Soul Hunter had upgraded. Another reason is that this unit was way too targeted against the Zerg, since they have so many low hit point units, as opposed to other factions.

3. Has the Merc Haven been removed since the Reaper is built from the Barracks? If so, whats replacing it (if anything)? (www.Starcraft-Source.com)
The Merc Haven has been brought back in for the current build. It currently needs a Factory as a prerequisite, and is a prerequisite building to build Reapers from the Barracks.

4. Will "Unlockable Content" be included with the game, such as Art Packs, Secret Maps and Missions, Extra Units, and Special Sounds and Movies? (www.starcraftzone.com)
We are exploring the possibility of having various types of art unlockables, which may include some in-game decals.

5. Is it possible to build Phase Cannons, turn them into energy and then move them across the map to your opponents base or an expansion, redeploying them using a Phase Prism? (www.starcraft2.com.au)
Yes, this tactic will be possible.

6. How does a Zerg Overlord fly? (www.gamereplays.org)
To fly, the Zerg Overlord uses gas sacs (filled with helium) combined with a weak telekinetic psi-ability for lift and motive power.

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread....=1&#post185782

[Elrond]

Qualcuno si ricorda cosa faceva il soul hunter? Sul sito non c'è...
E la tattica descritta al punto 5 mi sa che diventerà un incubo. Spero riescano a bilanciarla bene...

[GeeGeeOH]

Il Soul Hunter era un piccola motocicletta-hovercraft molto rapida.
Faceva male soprattutto alle unità biologiche ed agli edifici, e più unità uccideva più danno faceva: contro gli zergling diventava una bestia.

[Elrond]

Azz, meno male che l'hanno tolta allora! Da Zerg non l'avrei apprezzata...

[GeeGeeOH]

Si vede qui: http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=OhHy2achRoU

[Angels]

Mi sembra strano che tardino ancora a rivelare gli zerg.
Spero che il loro sviluppo non sia troppo indietro.

[Slash-]

Mi sembra strano che tardino ancora a rivelare gli zerg.
Spero che il loro sviluppo non sia troppo indietro.

Capacissimo che ce li appippino a sorpresa con il gioco finito, in una data assurda ed inaspettata

[Angels]

Capacissimo che ce li appippino a sorpresa con il gioco finito, in una data assurda ed inaspettata

Si fortunatamente la Blizzard non ha mai perso la capacità di sorprendermi in positivo.

[Elrond]

Si vede qui: http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=OhHy2achRoU

Grazie, non me ne ricordavo proprio più!

[GeeGeeOH]

1) Can the Nomad's auto-turrets attack air units?
No, the auto-turrets currently only attack ground. Nonetheless, with their rapid fire rate, they are excellent for worker raids and supporting an engaging battle.

2) Will the Nomad build other mechanisms besides the auto-turrets?
Yes, the Nomad will be able to build multiple stationary defenses. We are currently testing a few of these, to see which will fit the best for the Nomad.

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread....=1&#post196938

[Kralizek]

figo, sono curioso di conoscere le altre costruzioni!

[GeeGeeOH]

Intervista a Karune:

Just before the offices closed at Blizzard for the holidays, we got a chance to get an exclusive interview with Karune. It's interesting to know how some things appear from his perspective. It's very satisfying to know that Karune has such faith in the community and in fansites.


SC-Source: Were you a Community Manager for World of Warcraft before Starcraft 2? If you were, how does the community compare to Starcraft 2's so far?
Karune: Since, I have joined the video game industry, I have always managed RTS communities. Prior to Blizzard, I went by the name SAGEKING. Since I have joined Blizzard, I have helped with the World of Warcraft community, but am primarily responsible for the StarCraft II community. Thus far, I’d have to say that the StarCraft franchise is undoubtedly the KING of RTS, with the largest following in the world, and the most number of active players. It is quite an honor to be a part of this community, as the capabilities and talent of this community has surpassed my expectations in numerous ways.

SC-Source: What role do you play in the chain of communication between the community and the development team?
Karune: I am the window between the community and development team, allowing both sides to interact and gain feedback. As we approach closer to Beta, this window will widen greatly.

SC-Source: Is it difficult to hold back on information when you know we're dying hear every word?
Karune: Have you ever read that book as a kid, 'When you give a mouse a cookie?'
When I first started in the industry, 'yes,' though after a while, you realize, no matter how much information you give out, the community will always want more…
…Thus I just keep feeding you more cookies

SC-Source: What is your favorite unit so far in Starcraft 2 and why?
Karune: Surprisingly, even to myself, the upgraded Protoss Zealot with charge is my favorite unit. There is something oddly satisfying with watch a whole pack of zealots charge up to their victims and slashing them up with their Psi Blades. Though I’ll have to admit, they are a bit harder to micromanage as compared to the original StarCraft, but that is more than made up with their ability to close their distances fast between them and a Siege Tank!

SC-Source: What exactly does your job entail other than controlling the flow of information?
Karune: The field of community is quite new, thus the role us community guys (and gals) play may be very different from company to company. Here at Blizzard, my goal is to empower the community with the tools and activities you guys desire to get involved and connected with the community. I believe in every community there are several interest groups that make up that community. Providing those communities the needed resources to grow is what this job is all about. When I think about it now, it is kind of like playing Caesar or SimCity lol.

SC-Source: How much do fansite communities contribute to the overall Starcraft 2 community?
Karune: I believe fan sites are and always will be at the lead of community development. The community itself is made up of passionate members devoted to the expression and experience of the titles they love. Even for myself, I am not in the position I am because I was just another ‘marketing guy.’ I was originally in the gaming community as a fan and a player.

SC-Source: How much weight does Blizzard put on feedback that comes from the community?
Karune: They put an incredible amount of weight on community feedback, but I am not sure if it is the way you are referring to. In my opinion, the Development Team here, made up of the best of the best in the industry, will undoubtedly make the best StarCraft II experience the community can imagine. StarCraft II will not be a game made up of the millions of emails we get on feedback, but will be made with the developmental experience of the best at Blizzard. At the same time, when we develop new features to StarCraft II, the community is the first we would want to share it with, and that feedback will undoubtedly have influence on the game. We do this for you. BlizzCon is a great example of an event we hold, completely for the fans.

SC-Source: How does it feel to be working on the sequel to the most influential RTS ever created?
Karune: Everyday, it is a privilege to be working at Blizzard.

SC-Source: Do you have access to play Starcraft 2 on a regular basis, or is it still on extreme lockdown?
Karune: Yup, I have as much access as anyone on the development team. I also take part in their weekly development team meetings where I can also express feedback from the community. Actually, I am debating to add an addition to the Q&A batches talking about some hands-on experiences I have had with the game.

SC-Source: Is the increase to the Firebat's hitpoints enough to keep it alive and effective in battle?
Karune: Yes, these suckers are quite the beasts on the battlefield, especially against melee.

SC-Source: Information about the Protoss has been very stagnant, can you enlighten us on what the development team is testing?
Karune: They are currently testing a new Protoss air unit.

SC-Source: In the Nomad description on Starcraft2.com it mentions "a variety of small, semi-permanent defensive structures", when can we expect to see more of what the Nomad is capable of?
Karune: The Nomad’s abilities are still being tested. When the Development Team is closer to making ‘final’ decisions on those abilities, they will then be announced online.

SC-Source: Has the debate over the wings on the Zergling prompted any artistic changes?
Karune: In January, there will be an interview between Samwise and I, in which we do touch upon this subject.

Karune has said it himself, Blizzard heavily relies on the community for feedback. Here at SC-Source we are dedicated to providing the latest information and updates. We always have discussion about the community's Suggestions for Blizzard in our forums. And remember.... Blizzard is listening!

http://www.starcraft-source.com/foru...showtopic=1454

[GeeGeeOH]

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 25---

1. Does the Nomad have all the abilities an SCV has? (Of course it has its own abilities, but it would be interesting to know if you can at least temporarily replace lost SCVs with Nomads in a game.)(broodwar.de)
No, Nomads will not have the abilities of a SCV. The buildings a Nomad will be able to build, will be unique to the Nomad unit. And you cant gather resources with a Nomad.

2. How will damage against Protoss Shields be calculated with the new damage bonus system?(Starcraft-Source.com)
Protoss shields will take up the characteristics of their normal armor type. For example, if a Protoss Zealot with light armor gets shot by a Terran Ghost with plus light armor damage, the Zealots shields will also take that light armor bonus damage. On the same note, if a Protoss Colossus were to be hit by a Protoss Stalker with bonus damage towards armored unit, the shields would also take that additional damage.

3. Artwork and rumors about SCII have shown Terran cities like Augustgrad. Will Starcraft 2 contain building doodads as seen in the original artwork (ie. skysc#@!&rs, homes, etc)? (starcraft.org)
Yes, many of the original iconic doodads will be recreated for StarCraft II.

4.Can the shadow ops contain "one nuke and one drop pod" or "any 2 of nukes and drop pods"? (thewarcenter.net)
Currently, the Shadow Ops can contain both a nuke and a drop pod at the same time, but will not be able to contain two of one type within a single Shadow Ops building. Drop pods can be loaded with 12 infantry units of the players choosing. On certain maps, a fast expanding SCV drop pod strategy may prove highly effective.

5. Will the native resolution of Starcraft 2 be widescreen or 4:3? (gamereplays.org)
The plan is to have both of those resolutions supported, along with everything between 5:4 and 16:9. Larger screens will have slightly more viewable range than a smaller screen, but from our tests, the differences will be very minor.

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread....=1&#post248554

[GeeGeeOH]

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 26---

This batch we're going to shed some light on the storyline and lore aspect of StarCraft II. Following StarCraft and even Brood War, there have always been many unanswered questions surrounding the powers of the Protoss, which we'll be tackling today.

Chat with Devs: For this batch, Ive been fortunate to snag some time with our Lead Writer for StarCraft II, Andy Chambers, and I had a chance to talk to him about what happens to Protoss warriors after they die. On the forums, there has been much speculation to what the true meaning of the blue flash of light that is seen when a Protoss Zealot dies. Furthermore, have you ever wondered how exactly an EMP burst would have an effect on Psi energy? Andy gives us insight into the Protoss ways in fan questions 1 and 3.

Gameplay Blog: Force Fields are my new favorite ability! During my latest skirmish with a Zerg opponent, I was rushed early with Zerglings. The Protoss Nullifiers (previous known as the Stasis Orb) and their 15 second Force Field ability saved the day. As the attacking Zerglings charged up my ramp on the classic Lost Temple map, I simply created a Force Field in between the group of Zerglings, separating his attacking force. With their numbers divided, my Zealots easily took care of the split force of Zerglings, allowing me to make a decisive counter-attack. In subsequent games, I have found that the Force Field is quite useful in many situations, as you are able to create your own choke points, separate incoming armies, and also erect barriers as needed for your Protoss Stalkers to take advantage of their Blink ability. Furthermore, the Force Field can provide another obstacle for melee units approaching your Colossus, whereas your Colossus is able to step over the Force Field at ease. These Protoss Nullifiers at tier 1 are now one of your most effective defenses to an early game rush. Currently, the Force Field ability costs 30 energy with the Nullifiers energy capacity at 100. Next batch, well see if we can find some interesting games with the Nullifiers other new ability, the Null Void.

As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if your enjoying these Q&As!


1. Do Protoss warriors actually die? What is the blue flash when they die?
In the chaos of the battlefield, Protoss warriors fight with tremendous power and grace, but even so, they can be mortally wounded. Then the Protoss' foes often bear witness to a startling sight: the injured Protoss disappears in a bright flash of light. Such a vision has caused primitive races to quail in superstitious fear, and yet it has no supernatural cause. On the contrary, it is merely the result of teleportation, which is one of the chief strengths of Protoss technology. Protoss warriors typically have teleport mechanisms built into their armor. If the warrior is sufficiently injured, a properly functioning mechanism will automatically teleport the body to the nearest safe haven.
A Protoss warrior who is badly injured but still living may be placed in a dragoon--or latterly an immortal--shell to continue to fight. This is the choice of the individual warrior. Some warriors elect to shoulder the burden of remaining among the living instead of joining the sum of Protoss lives embodied in the Khala. It is worthy of note that the lives of individual Protoss that have passed into the Khala are no longer coherent entities, and the Protoss cannot speak with their dead per se. However, there are memories and strands of experience that can be accessed. Only the most skilled Protoss preservers can locate and follow specific desired strands of knowledge. The tremendous value of preservers comes from the fact that they carry within themselves and can access the sum total of Protoss experience at an individual level.

2. Will there be more ways to give energy(mana) to a caster? (www.starcraft2.hu)
Protoss casters will have an ability to transfer energy from one caster to another. This ability will allow for a lot of micromanagement opportunities to maximize the amount of energy to a single caster, for the maximum number of special abilities casted.

3. On what kind of energy are based Protoss shields? If they are based on PSI energy, how can be possible for a Terran EMP attack to drain their energy? (www.starcraft-2.cz)
Protoss energy sources are highly esoteric because their starting point was the Protoss' use of their own psionic powers to protect themselves; to charge their tools and weapons; and to make, manipulate, or meld matter. Over time technological advances have enabled the Protoss to mimic these psionic processes to the extent that the Protoss can now construct inorganic devices to tap into the same universal processes to power shields, drives, weapons, and robots. Thus, for example, the energy field projected by a pylon that powers Protoss structures cannot truly be called psionic in nature, just as the shields protecting a zealot are not purely technological constructs. Rather, the two processes are so closely interlinked that they are almost the same. As a result, Protoss power sources and particularly their shields are vulnerable to disruption by technological means such as EMP weapons. Similarly such power sources can be restored or recharged from artificially stored energy.

4. Are you planning to make another statue, for example, statue of Kerrigan?(www.starcraftcz.com)
We are planning to fully explore the high end collectibles realm with plenty of StarCraft II merchandise, and yes, there are projects already in the works.

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread....=1&#post269104

[GeeGeeOH]

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 27---

Chat with Devs: This week I talked with Dustin Browder, our Lead Designer for StarCraft II, to answer some more questions in regards to StarCraft II gameplay. I presented Dustin with some very specific gameplay questions from teamliquid.net, which he was very excited to be able to answer for the eSports community. Hopefully I will be able to get him back for a BlizzCast interview down the road.

Gameplay Blog: By the way, Im still looking for a good name for this section, that I hope everyone here could help me with Additionally, this week I want to elaborate on the second ability of the Protoss Nullifier mentioned in the last Q&A Batch. The Null Void, an ability currently at 50 energy cost, prevents abilities from being cast in an area of effect radius. In recent skirmishes with Terran opponents, when my Zealots engaged a group of M&Ms (Marines & Medics), my Nullifiers were able to cast Null Void over the enemy group, and the Medics were unable to heal for a good 15 seconds. When they retreated out of the Null Void area, I cast a second Null Void on them, and by that time, more than half of their Marines had fallen to my Zealots. Furthermore, my Nullifiers, having a base ranged attack, were able to focus fire on fleeing Marines.

However, I still did end up losing that game versus the Terran player, as Ghosts later on were able to devastate my army with EMP, followed with their Marauder units, replacing the old Firebat, making quick work of my ground army. GG. Next time.

As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if your enjoying these Q&As!

1) How will the map pool for the ladder be handled? Only maps made by Blizzard or will there be opportunities for mapmakers to contribute? If so, how will new maps be selected/balanced and how often are you planning on updating the map pool?
[Dustin Browder] The map pool for competitive play will only be Blizzard maps or Blizzard-approved maps. We are always excited to see new maps from the community and when we see new cool maps we will definitely include them in the pool. I have no idea how often this will happen. It really depends on the map makers and our schedule. We also have some really cool plans for mod support for Battle.net for StarCraft II, which we will be rolling out to the community soon. We have all watched with great enthusiasm the impact that mod makers have had upon our previous games, especially Warcraft III, and we really want to continue to support and encourage this community.


2) Terran in StarCraft 1 had a very interesting dynamic in that the optimal strategy combating a Zerg would require large amounts of infantry and science vessels, whereas Protoss would require a large amount of factory units, leading to more diverse gameplay between the two matchups. This dynamic existed in mirror matchups as well - Goliaths, Battlecruisers and Wraiths were very useful in Terran vs Terran, but are rarely seen versus Protoss and Zerg (with the exception of Goliath vs Carrier).
Protoss and Zerg also had this trait - Protoss would often need large amounts of Corsairs, Zealots, and Archons to combat Zerg and a large amount of Dragoons, Arbiters, and Carriers to combat Terran, skipping zealots entirely until the speed upgrade is done. Zergs would frequently use Hydralisks versus Protoss, but would always immediately morph them to Lurkers vs Terran until Plague was researched.
For some people this was viewed as a positive aspect of SC, others are frequently disappointed that Terran cannot realistically integrate marines into their strategy vs Protoss and so forth. What style of gameplay is StarCraft II looking to attain - will each of the 9 different matchups play in a unique fashion with less viable strategies overall, or is the game looking to ensure that every unit has a useful role against every race? - Zanno
[Dustin Browder] So far StarCraft II plays similar to the original StarCraft in that different matchups require a different unit mix. On the design team we enjoy this type of gameplay and prefer to have players use different strategies and different units against different races. Our goal is that every unit will have some use against each race, but that players will tend to prefer certain units against certain races. We are going to strive to make sure that no unit is completely worthless against any one race but there will definitely be better and worse choices depending on the enemy race, strategy, the map, and your start position on the map.

3) In StarCraft 1 the basic tier 1 units were balanced against higher tech units almost equally by their unique role within each race as they were by unique unit upgrades and a greater benefit from the standard upgrades.
How much effort are you putting into making lower tech units viable higher up in the tech tree in ways other than upgrades that just makes them a "better unit" such as hit points and damage?
(This question is brought up because of the Terran Marine +HP upgrade which IMHO is really cheap) - CuddlyCuteKitten
[Dustin Browder] We are putting a huge amount of effort into making sure that the tier 1 units are useful throughout the game. We are also putting a large amount of effort into trying to get as much mileage as we can out of each of our upgrades so that upgrades really change how you can use a unit (but without fundamentally altering its role). The Marine is an example of a work-in-progress unit. We think the shield looks cool, but we are still working on how it will affect gameplay. Actually, in current builds Marines+Medics+Stim are so powerful that the shield is not that necessary in a lot of matchups.


4) Some new maps used in the pro scene for StarCraft have started to include permanent spells like "Dark Swarm" and "Disruption Web" as a part of terrain. Are there any plans to allow this as a kind of special terrain by default or allow map makers to add it as a special attribute to some sections of the terrain?
Examples would be areas with decreased movement for some or all units like shallow water, terrain making units immune to missile fire like dark swarm or terrain making the units unable to fire like web.
If you plan to include it will it be usable on melee maps or UMS only? - CuddlyCuteKitten
[Dustin Browder] Our data editor allows the creation of this type of terrain. You could easily put this type of terrain on melee maps. We have not finalized our feature set for terrain yet so I dont know what will make the final cut for the default Blizzard maps.

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread....=1&#post283143

[GeeGeeOH]

Chat with Devs: It has been a busy week, in which I had a chance to talk to multiple Devs this and I am happy to say that we have finished recording for our second episode of BlizzCast. We have also added a mini Q&A section to the show, to get direct answers straight from the developers!

Gameplay Blog: Following up on the last game I played in Batch 27, I had mentioned the Terran Marauder being a huge factor in my defeat. This new Terran unit visually looks similar to the Firebat, but instead packs the punch of dual Concussion Grenades (also able to be Stim Packed), which slows the movement rate of biological units, and also does additional bonus damage to armored units. These units are excellent at supporting any pack of Marines & Medics, with the ability to slow charging Zealots, as well as fast moving Zerg units. Playing as Terran, there is a sense of relief, when you watch an incoming army slowed down considerably, to be mowed down by your Stim Packed Marines. In addition, because the Marauders are able to be built at a Barracks with a Tech Lab, they are considered formidable early support units, able to pick off units of a weaker early game army.

As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if your enjoying these Q&As!

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 28---

1. I noticed the Stalker "Blink" ability looked as though it was on a cooldown (similar to many abilities in World of Warcraft). This seems appropriate for some abilities, but is this restricted to the Stalker or will other units have abilities on cooldowns rather than energy? (Battle.net Malorn)
Currently, the Protoss Stalkers Blink ability is on a 15 second cooldown and is one of the only abilities that do not require energy. One of the reasons this was done for the Stalkers Blink, was to make sure that players wouldnt have the problem of having only part of their Stalker army blink up on a hill with some left behind. The Protoss Phoenix also carries an Overload ability, which is based on a cooldown timer rather than energy. Whether the Stalker or the Phoenix will use energy or not, will be mostly determined through much more balance testing.

2. The Thor now is anti-aircraft unit, but will it continue to have surface-to-surface attacks? (www.Sc2-esp.com)
In the current build, the Thors role has been changed to exclusively hit ground units, putting the transforming Viking back in the primary role as an air to air fighter. The Terran Viking is also now built from the Factory rather than the Starport.

3. In the original SC, powers like Irradiate and Psionic Storm affected cloaked units and killed them even if you couldn't see them. Will the Phoenix's Overload ability target cloaked units as well? (Battle.net DrakeClawFang)
Yes, the Phoenixs Overload ability does affect cloaked units, such as Terran Banshees. The Devs are all for these types of soft counters.

4. Does energy regenerate at about the same speed as in normal SC? Since the game goes faster, has that been speed up too? (Battle.net nerdpride)
Energy regenerates at the same speed as the original StarCraft. At the fastest game speed, both StarCraft II and the original should feel the same in terms of speed.

5. Now that the Force Field ability has been moved to the Nullifier, what other abilities does the Templar have? Does he still have Hallucination? (Battle.net Blazur)
The Hallucination ability has been cut from the High Templar. Instead, it will have an Anti-Gravity ability in addition to its classic Psi Storm ability. This ability will allow a High Templar to lift up buildings and units in the air, disabling their movement and attack, while also making them an air target. This ability can be cast on Supply Depots blocking choke points, as well as incoming Thors, or other threatening units. This has been the first ability the Devs have been comfortable with, in giving players a real choice to be made, to use Psi Storm or the Anti-Gravity ability. This ability is still being balanced, in terms of the duration units and buildings will stay in the air, energy cost, and if it will be a channeling spell (which means the High Templar will be unable to move or cast other abilities while casting the Anti-Gravity ability).

6. Will there be an icon on the left hand side of the screen to alert the player of idle workers? (Battle.net- Elminster)
Yes, we currently have the ability to select idle workers built into the UI.

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread....=1&#post367521

[Kurtz]

Oh no, l'ho postato prima di te stavolta ma ho sbagliato topic

[Kralizek]

la potenza è nulla senza controllo!

[Angels]

la potenza è nulla senza controllo!

Pirlelli

[GeeGeeOH]

This batch we have more exciting changes to update you on, as well as sneaky strategies to use on unsuspecting opponents.

Gameplay Blog: This week I had to learn the hard way a change in our latest build of StarCraft II, which the Devs conveniently forgot to tell me about. As Protoss, I did my standard dual Gateway build, scouting to find that a lone SCV building a bunker outside of my base. In my mind, I thought, OK- a standard bunker rush, no problem! Build 2 Zealots and then hit the Bunker.

As it was a small 2 player map, my opponent was able to bring in a single Marine and Medic very soon, especially with the SCV repairing the Bunker at a very fast rate. As he repaired, I chased the SCV around the Bunker and attacked the Bunker with my other Zealots. To my disbelief, the Medic inside the Bunker was healing the SCV outside of the Bunker. Soon enough, another SCV showed up to repair the Bunker, as well as a Marauder, slowing my Zealots before they could reach the Bunker. At this point I had lost my initial two Zealots, but I had built four more. At the same time, my opponent now had a Marauder, Medic, and Marine, with 2 SCVs guarding the Bunker. These SCVs were impossible to kill since they were both running around the Bunker, being healed at the same time, while my Zealots were slowed and shot at by the Bunker. When my Zealots attacked the Bunker, the SCVs repaired the Bunker. Needless to say, the standard Bunker rush is not so standard anymore. With Terrans Salvage ability, being able to deconstruct Terran buildings for 100% of the cost back, adds to the devastating effect of a StarCraft II Bunker push. On top of that, adding a Ghost in the Bunker, allows for Sniping within the Bunker, as well as huge range, making it an effect pushing structure before you tech to Siege Tanks. Thanks for letting me know guys GG.

As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if your enjoying these Q&As!

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 29---

1. Do the Terrans currently have a purely dedicated anti-air unit filling the role of the Wraith and Goliath? (sc2pod.com)
No, the Terran Viking is currently their primary anti-air unit, which is built from the Factory. The Viking can currently shoot both ground and air when in ground mode, and is able to transform into an air to air fighter, for better mobility and economy raids.

2. Do the Auto Turrets built by the Nomad attack randomly like the bunkers in the original StarCraft or will the player be able to choose the target similar to the Missile Tower? (broodwar.de)
Auto Turrets can be controlled by the player as if it were a stationary unit. You can both group them and focus fire with them. When they are not given an order, they will fire at the nearest enemy within range.

The Nomads second construction option, which is the Mine Drone, will not be able to be controlled by the player as easily. The Mine Drone is a stationary defense structure, which places four mines around it, and then immediately cloaks both the mines and the structure. Similar to the Spider Mines from the original StarCraft, these mines will wreck havoc on an incoming army without the ability to see cloaked units. The mines does a base damage of 50 plus an additional 50 damage to armored units. On top of that, the Mine Drone replaces the mines after they detonate, temporarily revealing the Mine Drone structure. Similar to the Auto Turret, both of these structures will cost energy to build from the Nomad, and will have a very minimum setup time.

3. With the Reaver removed, and his siege role moved to the Warp Ray, what will take his splash role? (TheWarCenter.net)
The Protoss Colossus now has a linear splash damage beam attack, which blazes enemies in a horizontal area of effect, from where the Colossus is facing. Like all area of effect attacks, the Colossuss beam is excellent at annihilating close groups of M&Ms (Marines and Medics) and mass Zealots.

4. With water featured on some of your maps, will this allow modders to try new game ideas that may make use of water? (StarCraftZone.com)
This should be possible, though much of this experimentation will have to be left up to the modders. I am sure there will be amazing mod creations the community will come up with.

5.What is the status of StarCraft IIs AI?(sclegacy.com)
StarCraft IIs AI (artificial intelligence) is definitely superior to Brood War in many ways, though most notably, the AI does a great deal more of scouting, and makes decisions according to what it has found during those scouting missions. Unsuccessful scouting missions, similar to what a player might experience would tend to lead towards a more standard type of army build or continued scouting.

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread....=1&#post428054

[Kralizek]

sgravissima la possibilità di usare le possibilità speciali delle unità da dentro al bunker (chissà nuke e drop pods)
presa da warcraft 3 (undead) quella di smontare le costruzioni anche se ora si rihanno tutti i soldi
un po' di dispiacere per l'addio al reaver :(
infine, chissà se sc2, come wc3 permette AI di diversi livelli (cosa non possibile in SC/BW)

[Elrond]

Il bunker rush sembra devastante... Mi chiedo cosa si inventeranno per renderlo counterabile.

[eVolved pOrcO]

Probabilmente tenteranno di standardizzare differenti tattiche così da evitare che un tvp o tvt venga giocato solo da tech

[GeeGeeOH]

Going along with out monthly discussion topic about map making requests, we've sought to get more answers to help direct these upcoming discussions.

Chat with Devs: Brett Woods is back with us to answer our community map making questions. We cant stress enough that StarCraft II is going to have immense potential in the UMS (User Map Settings) area, where we hope to seriously empower the community with the tools you need, to create some awesome gaming additions to StarCraft II.

As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if you are enjoying these batches!

---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 30: Map Maker Series 3---

1) Will it be possible to code the game so map makers can make maps where people can stop incoming spell/missile?
This should be possible through customized ability data and/or triggers.

2) Will we have selectable male/female of every unit?
No, we don't have plans to include male and female versions of each unit.

3) Will we have the option to give players the option to change weapons in-game?
While we don't have any plans for a specialized interface for this, it would be possible using the highly flexible ability system.

4) Will you guys link multiplayer maps, so mapmakers can make multiplayer campaigns?
Yes, we do plan to support multiplayer campaigns and linked maps.

5) Will all buildings stand alone and also can we have the ability to disable tech trees?
The tech tree will be fully configurable through customized data and/or triggers.

6) Will research or firing a skill in a certain location be part of the tech tree enabling, for example Stim Packs could be researched to enable a Factory?
Yes, the tech tree and upgrade system will be fully configurable from the editor.

7) Will it be possible for AI to be commanded to research a skill, perform an upgrade, build a building at a location, build a unit at a location, retreat from a location?
Yes, there will be extensive AI scripting support.

8) Will mapmakers have the ability to set weather that can change the terrain and interrupt gameplay for players? Is this for anywhere or in a specific location?
Weather effect technology has not yet been finalized. However, even if weather effects do not affect gameplay normally, it would be possible to drive both the desired weather effects and associated gameplay effects through triggers.

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread....=1&#post493471

[iiiiy]

Che figata la possibilità di creare campagne online.