Starcraft 2 Beta: Phase 1 Impressions

Beta has been over for about...what, 2 weeks now? I don't quite remember. In any case, due to a request from a certain SC2GDF user, here are some overdue remarks about the current state of Starcraft 2. Please note that, while I am not a very good player, I am apparently not a very bad one, either, ranking mid-Diamond league. Therefore, I have a reasonable idea of what I'm talking about when it comes to balance issues, but I am no expert. Another thing to take into account is that my computer is a piece of garbage which experienced so much difficulty running SC2 that I renamed my account to "Lag" after one of the resets. Finally (and this should be obvious), it would make no sense for me to say everything I think about every little thing in the beta. Instead, I'll try to hit the highlights, especially issues which are controversial. Without further ado, then, let's get this thing going, yeah?

Battle.net 2.0 - Names, identifiers and friend lists

Honestly, I was fine with the first system they used (name and identifier), though I would have like to see some more punctuation allowed. At least in this implementation, you could add friends in a normal manner, just like you used to. The second method (name) was alright, but the fact that names didn't have to be unique was pretty nonsensical. To make things worse, you could only add friends via Real ID or playing with them in a game? Ridiculous.

Blizzard says they're bringing the old stuff back in the next phase, but with an identifier which consists of an arbitrarily assigned three-digit number. Well, at least we'll be able to add friends normally again, but if there's going to be an identifier, I'd prefer if it was either something I can choose, or something which no one ever sees. In fact, why not just add friends via identifier? Like, when you hit add friend, it prompts you for their identifier, which they can give you. Okay, that idea sucked.

A lot of people propose that Blizzard return to the way they had it for Warcraft 3. I think that would be fine, but I don't see it happening, and, frankly, if they just stuck to the way they had it at first, I wouldn't be unhappy.

Battle.net 2.0 - Chat channels, clans, custom games, and leagues

No chat channels! A lot of people are up in arms about this, for sure. To be honest, I never used them much before, and I'm mostly satisfied with the stuff that's in place. But I'm the kind of person who rarely talks to anybody, and I'm a rarity. I know a ton of people who used private channels all the time to meet with their friends. It seems stupid to take them out when they are already an established system. I remember a GM posting about this (was it Bashiok?) stating that it was, like, prohibitive to monitor all those channels or something like that. But do they really have to do that? Don't most EULAs involve some form of disavowing of responsibility for online interactions? And don't even get me started on the fact that clans aren't available. I consider that one of the most important features of the original Battle.net, since that's the only way I really contacted other people. I'm pretty unhappy about that, but there's not really much I can say that hasn't already been said.

I didn't look too much into the map publishing system yet, but from what I've heard, it sounds pretty restrictive. Only 5 maps with a total of 20 MB? And when you take it off, no one can play it anymore? And no custom game names, either. Maybe if they at least let you put a little information in the box when you host it. Whatever. My computer lags too badly to play most customs, anyway, but in ordinary circumstances I would not be pleased.

Let me get this out of the way: For the most part, I like the league system. I don't see any reason that lower level players shouldn't feel better about themselves. However, I do dislike that you have no way at all to reach some kind of global ranking. The way it stands right now, if you reach the top of Diamond, then wow! You're awesome! Except there are hundreds of people just like you! Maybe if Blizzard does something with those "Tournament Qualifying Positions" it will end up better, but right now it's a little of a let down. The matchmaking itself is superb, though.

Gameplay - General

The most common complaint that I've heard about the game is that it's too fast, just a mass-up-and-attack-move-fest with no emphasis on micro. Honestly? That's the way I had to play it. With lag as bad as mine it was all I could do to order my units to attack-move into the enemy base. But I've seen a few games where players better than I did innovative and micro-intensive things, and it gives me hope for the future of this game. My ultimate hope is that, when people really get good at this game, we'll see micro that happens at the same blazing speed at which Starcraft 2 battles take place. Of course, I have little evidence that such a thing will really happen, but I can dream, can't I?

From what I've seen, my conclusion is that low-level games go mostly the same as in the original, with little micro or macro. Mid-level players seem to develop macro first, since it's so much easier in Starcraft 2. This is what leads to the attack-move games which comprise a majority of play on Battle.net. But high-level players, the kind you see on Youtube commentaries, generally work a little more micro back into their games. If this trend continues I just might see my dream realized.

Oh, one huge thing I want to mention before I go on--replay and observer functionality. Amazing. Everything I always hoped for. I suppose maybe if they let you hide the replay length it would be better. But I like it a lot already.

Gameplay - Terran

I'm really bad with Terran. I'm the worst. I was considering skipping this part, but then realized I needed to say a few things about the metagame. Originally, every Terran player and their mother was using M&M&M builds, which were considered totally overpowered. Yet, despite those units receiving virtually no nerfs, the metagame shifted to lots of heavy mech builds, especially involving Siege Tanks. This is my key piece of evidence, which I will argue indicates that Starcraft 2 is not as shallow as people first thought. I think there is enough room for this game to grow. Right now, things are extremely chaotic, especially since Blizzard shifts things around with every patch, but once it settles a little more I think we'll be able to make a better judgment. Although, we have 2 expansions on the way...

Battlecruisers seem pretty underused, like in the original. Not sure if anything needs to be done, though. Like most late-tech units, they get used once in a while to great effect, so I suppose they're fine.

Hellions are fun, but way inferior to Vultures. My micro is crap and I could still make Vultures do much more than I can get out of these stupid dune buggies...even if I always forgot to lay my Spider Mines.

Ravens are exciting. I really think these guys are underrated. Auto-turret seems terrible, but I've seen it used for harass to great effect. Point-defense-drone is ridiculous, similar in importance to a Starcraft 1 spell. It seems almost like Dark Swarm or something to me. Starcraft 2 has precious few of these abilities.

One awesome thing I loved about the original was how important mobility (especially via dropship) was. Now that Medivacs are quite common, I think more people should be taking advantage of these things. I know I always forget to.

Gameplay - Zerg

Still my favorite race. Their propensity for attack-move is nothing short of spectacular. I wish we could see more variety other than 2-hatch Roach/Hydra or 2-hatch Muta. Zerglings are way deadly now that pathing is improved. You know, now that I think about it, there's not a whole lot to say here. Zerg is a pretty straightforward race...

Oh, I know. Zerg casters. This is kind of a weird situation. Blizzard has been messing with these guys all over the place, up to the very end of the first phase of beta. I doubt I even know where all the abilities ended up by now. Okay, I didn't have anything to say about this after all.

Bring back the ability to dance air units like in Starcraft 1! Muta micro was probably my favorite part of the whole game and now it's not that great :(

One thing exciting about Zerg matchups in the original was how Zerg tech switches has to be timed right and executed with strategy (covering Lair tech with speedlings, covering Hive tech with Lurkers or Muta), and there was a real sense of power once you hit lair and got enough gas. That doesn't seem to be there anymore. It's a pity.

Gameplay - Protoss

Okay, first of all, Warp Gates are amazing and fun. At first, I didn't really like them because I didn't know how to use them, but they're super cool. Ever since I discovered the 4-gate timing push I've been using it every game. For some reason, Protoss don't seem as strong as in the original. Like, their units feel just as fragile as anyone else. It never seemed that way before. Oh, well.

Zealots feel a lot weaker and generally useless in most parts of the game. Sure, they mow down Zerglings, but unless you have speed, you won't be getting anything else down with these guys. On that subject, I think Charge Zealots are totally underrated. They're really effective against a lot of Terran strats, and decimate Hydra-heavy Zerg builds. Maybe if they made Charge a little cheaper? Or research a little faster? Along those lines, Blink also needs to get used more. Recently I've seen more people get it, which satisfies me.

I never understood why they put DTs and HTs in separate buildings. Haven't these two Protoss factions started working closer together? I mean, they can fuse with each other to make Twilight Archons! How come they use different buildings now, when they used the same one in the first Starcraft?

Psi Storm seems weak after using it in Starcraft one. But now that there's smartcasting, I guess it makes sense. I've seen more people using this recently, as well. Hooray!

And now, the unit everyone loves to hate: the Void Ray. Is it imba? I think not. Maybe it seems a little too devastating if you successfully hide the tech, but I think that's fine. They're kind of like DTs or Banshees in that way. Just like those units, the Void Ray easily pops if you attack it with just about anything. Of course, the Void Ray is the ultimate imba FFA unit.

Does Fleet Beacon really need to be that expensive? All it really lets you do is build two units that no one wants anyway: Carrier, and Mothership. Carrier has at least marginal use, despite its cost, but Mothership takes so long to build and costs so much that there is almost no point in using what is essentially a big, clunky Arbiter.



Okay, I'm going to kind of cut it off there. This is kind of abrupt, but I'm tired and I'm coming up blank as to what else I should write. If I missed something, or if any of you out there want to bring up a subject you think I should address, feel free to drop me a message. I'm assuming there's actually someone read this, of course *peers out into the computer screen*