Starcraft2 Preview and Terran Units
1up.com got a sneak preview of StarCraft2. They were only limited to playing Protoss vs. Protoss but hey what more can we ask for at this point in time? Ok I will stop typing, click here for the full story.
What’s in the works for SC2Fan?
Well, not much really. j/k!
We have many features to add to the site but for now we are looking to improve the user experience and overall content of the site. Users are suggesting to add forums in the near future, that will be done no doubt about it.
As for content, we are just working on the nifty little things for now to get the site going. After all it’s only the first week!!!
Thanks to all of you who submit content, keep doing so!
Join the SC2Fan team
StarCraft2Fan.com invites all the StarCraft2 Fans out there to join our community. If you have anything to say about StarCraft2 then this is the place for you. Gamers don’t get the chance to speak their mind in this world but now it will all change. When you write, thousands will read and yes even Blizzard and Battle.net! So join up guys and start writing. It’s all for free. Read more
No Medics in StarCraft 2?
We have not yet seen anything significant from the Terran side of things for StarCraft 2 but what is rumored is that there will be no medics. I was surprised because medics were the heart and soul of the marine rush! My marines couldn’t stand up to the enemy without a few beautiful medics. Come on Blizzard, we need those girls back. Also, they should have a more girl looks than the big bold armor look. Go Medics!
Pay to Play StarCraft 2?
I was browsing the Battle.net forums today and saw thread about paying to play StarCraft 2 online. Well, at first I thought what bull crap is this kid talking about? But then I remember all those rumors that were flying about paying to play games online. Sure, Battle.net needs the money to keep up with the latest technology but I believe the money they get from sponsorships is enough to pay for that. Blizzard will sell enough copies of StarCraft 2 to pay all their staff, Battle.net deal and all. I mean StarCraft 2 is the BIG DEAL guys! Why would Battle.net need to charge players who bought the game? I think this should be made clear both by Blizzard and Battle.net that they will not be charging for online gaming. Though I am all for paying for extra features… what do you think?
More StarCraft2 Questions from the Fans
Karune is at it again, answering questions posed by us (the fans). One of the questions asked in this session was about the number of maximum players. We all want to see an increase the number of maximum players but Blizzard is still exploring. 
Check it out:
Will you be increasing the max players beyond 8?
We are exploring this possibility, though currently it is defaulted to 8 max players.
If you have multiple casters selected when you cast a spell, will they all cast it or only one? (ex. will 8 ghosts all use lockdown on a unit or only one?)
Currently, unit abilities are set as smart casting, meaning when you have a group of casters selected, each time you wish to cast a spell, you will either have to click the icon or press the hot key and follow it with a click on the designated place on the map for it to cast. This will obviously prevent locking down a single unit with more than one ghost, though we are also still exploring possibilities to have different methods of casting for casters in which players would want to have multiple casts executed in a single command.
Will building placement still be grid based?Building placement will be grid based.
What races will be playable at BlizzCon?
This will be revealed at BlizzCon! See ya there!Why do marines have shields now?
The shields seen on marines in screenshots and videos are an upgrade that can be purchased through research, increasing the marines’ overall hit points.
Are Photon and Phase Cannons 2 different buildings?
The Phase Cannon is the new version of the StarCraft Photon Cannon. There will not be a Photon Cannon in StarCraft II.
Will carriers (Tempest) produce more than one drone type?
Not at this time.
Fans noticed in your art video that the Colossus ground unit was under fire from missile turrets. Is this due to the Colossus’s exceptionally high attack profile (tall stature) or a ground-to-ground attack feature/option for the turrets?
Because of the Colossus’s height, it will be susceptible to Anti Air defenses like the Terran Missile Turrets, as well as both ground and air attacks. It is possible for the Colossus to be hit by ground and air attacks at the same time.
Will there be critters units and can they attack?
There will be critters, but they wont attack. If they did they would be creeps.
Will holding the Alt button show unit/building hit points overhead as they did in Warcraft 3?Yes, when holding the Alt button, all health bars of buildings and units on the screen will be displayed. This is an excellent way to quickly assess which units are healthy and which units are damaged.
Will the look of the siege tank be changed for the final version?
In response to much fan feedback, the siege tank has indeed been redesigned, with a much more powerful look to it. This visually redesigned siege tank will be shown at BlizzCon 2007.
Will there be a ctrl-a key stroke to select all your units on screen?
Not at this moment, but the hot keys have not been finalized yet for StarCraft II.
Will we get to hear the return of some of the original melodic themes from SC1 (like the Terran themes), or will the music for StarCraft II be completely new?
There will mostly be new epic theme songs with similarities to the original faction music. Music is still definitely in the works, thus we will not rule out a reprise of one of the original songs.
Will the High Templar still be able to create hallucinations?
In the current version of StarCraft II, the Hallucination ability will be back, but not as a High Templar ability, but rather a Star Relic ability.
When will you release a StarCraft II Fan Site kit?
The Fan Site Kit will be released around BlizzCon.
Blizzard answers your questions
To get things started, I will post Blizzard’s answers regarding StarCraft2!
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The answers given below reflect StarCraft IIs game mechanics at this early stage of development. These mechanics are subject to change with further testing and balancing.
Will players be able to select multiple buildings simultaneously?
We are directing much attention to polishing and improving the user interface. On that note, players will definitely be able to select and build from multiple buildings at the same time. You cannot drag-select buildings, but you can shift-click on them and add them to a control-group for ease of unit production.
Will workers auto-gather resources if the rally point is set to a mineral node or a geyser?
Of course.
Will we be able to select more than 12 units at the same time?
Currently, unit selection is unlimited, but this may change with further development and testing.
On a given map, will there be one Mothership per map or one Mothership unit per Protoss player allowed?
We are still testing out many possible circumstances in order to make skirmishes more fun and challenging. At this time, each Protoss player will be able to have only one Mothership at a given time, but as mentioned, everything is still subject to change.
What is the role of heroes in StarCraft II? Will they be the same as in StarCraft?
StarCraft II campaign heroes will fulfill roles similar to what appeared in the original StarCraft single player experience, but they will have even more unique abilities from standard units, and will be more innovatively integrated into the story campaign. Heroes will not be buildable in multiplayer.
What is the max unit count population for each faction?
Unit population count for each faction will be very similar to the original StarCraft.
Will there be an in-game option to change hotkeys around?
Currently it is planned to have this feature, though much testing has yet to be done on it. We are looking into several innovative ways to make the UI customizable to players, to allow flexibility in their style of game play.
Is Karunes Battle.net Forum Avatar a Protoss High Templar?
Yes it is.
Will the Robotics Facility have a similar upgrade to the Warp Gate allowing it to warp units in?
There are no plans for this at the moment. Currently Warping technology is limited to the Warp Gate. Of course, we are still testing and balancing this, and nothing is set in stone.Are the yellow minerals shown in the trailers harvestable?
Yes, they will be a harvestable high yield resource, meaning each harvest rotation will result in greater mineral quantities than the standard blue minerals. This gives players more strategic choices when trying to evaluate where they wish to expand. Expand to the high yield but risk easier discovery? Or expand to a safer area but earn fewer resources?
Will resource sharing be allowed between allies?
Yes, it is our plan to have this in the game, though there is still much testing and balancing revolving around this ability.
Will allied chat be enabled by default for pre-set teams?
Yes.
Is the Zealot charge ability an upgrade as well?
Yes, this ability is upgraded through the Protoss War Shrine.
What types of future community updates will there be?
Starcraft2.com will be updated with regular unit and building profiles. Furthermore, there are several projects in the works planned for the Blizzards RTS Community as a whole, which we will share at a later time.
StarCraft2Fan.com is here!
Hi guys! It is finally here. Keep checking back for more updates.
