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Gribbix · Aug 20, 2008

Kalos from StarcraftWire spotted a SIGGRAPH paper by Blizzard's Dominic Filion and Rob McNaughton that includes some new screenshots from the game's story mode.

The paper discusses the various effects and techniques they used as well as the decisions they made for designing an engine that would support both regular gameplay and the "story mode" scenes. Here's one excerpt from the paper that gives a rough idea of what to expect of the minimum requirements:

For Starcraft II, we wanted to maximize compatibility with less capable systems to ensure hassle‐free game play for as broad a player base as possible. Yet we also wanted to utilize the full potential of any available hardware to ensure the games looks were competitive. This meant supporting a wide range of hardware, from ATI Radeon 9800/NVIDIA GeForce FXs to the ATI Radeon HD 4800s and NVIDIA GeForce G200s

lethial · Aug 20, 2008

Weird looking shoulder. otherwise cool.

-COOLIO- · Aug 20, 2008

looking good

Raein · Aug 20, 2008

Looks better than 95% of games that use the UE3 engine IMO.

Xabora · Aug 20, 2008

:O SSAO SUPPORT! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_Space_Ambient_Occlusion

WOHA!

WrikaWrek · Aug 20, 2008

Damn, that looks gud.

NimbusD · Aug 20, 2008

lol I was going to say dissapointing looking cinematics.... then I realized how awesome it is.

tzp2gameknight · Aug 20, 2008

Glad to hear they want to support less Compatible systems. Maybe that means they will support computers with less graphical power. I would love to play this game but my computer is getting old...

phez · Aug 20, 2008

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/Gribbix/sc2-01.jpg

Holy shit, is this ingame?

Gribbix · Aug 20, 2008

Another thing to note is that the screenshot of Raynor standing in front of the bar has a second Raynor in his marine armor clipping through the jukebox and the painting.

WrikaWrek · Aug 20, 2008

Gribbix said:
Another thing to note is that the screenshot of Raynor standing in front of the bar has a second Raynor in his marine armor clipping through the jukebox and the painting.

:lol

Pimpbaa · Aug 20, 2008

Good that blizzard is committed on getting it running good on all hardware and not just the latest nvidia cards (like a lot of others do).

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

The 3rd shot of Raynor standing in front of the bar appears to be in-game, as the view is along the lines of what we saw from the Campaign demo video.

edit* apparently they're all in-engine, wow

dLMN8R · Aug 20, 2008

Pimpbaa said:
Good that blizzard is committed on getting it running good on all hardware and not just the latest nvidia cards (like a lot of others do).

What games are you referring to here? Every game I can think of for many years now has ran playable while looking at least decent on hardware 2-3 years old. Both ATI and NVIDIA.

Femmeworth · Aug 20, 2008

Raynor's body looks weird.

btkadams · Aug 20, 2008

i want this game

i wonder if itll be able to run on my new macbook pro

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

ninj4junpei said:
Raynor's body looks weird.

At least he has a body now :lol

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

btkadams said:
i want this game

i wonder if itll be able to run on my new macbook pro

If it really is a new MacBook Pro, it has an 8600GT does it not? That is a decent video card, it should run the game fine. Heck it would probably max out Starcraft II.

jett · Aug 20, 2008

Zzoram said:
The 3rd shot of Raynor standing in front of the bar appears to be in-game, as the view is along the lines of what we saw from the Campaign demo video.

The first 2 shots appear to be part of the CG cutscenes.

LULZ have you never seen Blizzard CG before? Those pictures are not CG. Looks amazing.

Won · Aug 20, 2008

The first screen looks insane.

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

jett said:
LULZ have you never seen Blizzard CG before? Those pictures are not CG. Looks amazing.

Okay, the 2nd pic might be an in-engine cinematic, but the first pic has too detailed a face for normal in-engine cinematic. If it really is in-engine, then w00t!!! I would be very happy if Starcraft 2 had high end options that gave my Hd4870 a run for it's money

goku1693 · Aug 20, 2008

Zzoram said:
At least he has a body now :lol

Haha so true! But when is this game due? I mean I heard about this like two years ago now!

ElFly · Aug 20, 2008

That first screen looks amazing

Vaporak · Aug 20, 2008

dLMN8R said:
What games are you referring to here? Every game I can think of for many years now has ran playable while looking at least decent on hardware 2-3 years old. Both ATI and NVIDIA.

Nvidia FX and ATI 9000 series card's aren't a couple years old, and a couple year old hardware isn't what people mean when they say they want it to run well on older hardware.

mr stroke · Aug 20, 2008

Looks good..
this year?(GS still has it in Dec)

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

Vaporak said:
Nvidia FX and ATI 9000 series card's aren't a couple years old, and a couple year old hardware isn't what people mean when they say they want it to run well on older hardware.

The Radeon 9700PRO came out in late 2002. Starcraft 2 won't be out until 2009. If people are complaining that their computers with even OLDER hardware can't run it, that's like complaining that Uncharted doesn't work on their PS2.

Actually, right now, anyone with a mid-range desktop from late 2004 or 2005 probably has a PCI-express x16 slot for video cards. They can slap in even a cheap 9600GT for $100 and have good gaming performance. It should run even games like Crysis on Medium at resolutions like 1024x768 and 1280x800 really well.

aznpxdd · Aug 20, 2008

Zzoram said:
Okay, the 2nd pic might be an in-engine cinematic, but the first pic has too detailed a face for normal in-engine cinematic. If it really is in-engine, then w00t!!! I would be very happy if Starcraft 2 had high end options that gave my Hd4870 a run for it's money

Its in-game. The cinematic team is giving them a lot of help in the single player to make it look good, and damn its looking great!

TurtleSnatcher · Aug 20, 2008

Holy freaking crap

Vaporak · Aug 20, 2008

Zzoram said:
The Radeon 9700PRO came out in late 2002. Starcraft 2 won't be out until 2009. If people are complaining that their computers with even OLDER hardware can't run it, that's like complaining that Uncharted doesn't work on their PS2.

Actually, right now, anyone with a mid-range desktop from late 2004 or 2005 probably has a PCI-express x16 slot for video cards. They can slap in even a cheap 9600GT for $100 and have good gaming performance. It should run even games like Crysis on Medium at resolutions like 1024x768 and 1280x800 really well.

Yeah, and? People just want to play games, while making as minimal a hardware investment as possible. What's wrong with a company acknowledging that there are people who want to play a game but don't want to buy new hardware for it? It's not like there's anything in the game design of SC2 that would change if the engine were designed for "last gen" computers.

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

mr stroke said:
Looks good..
this year?(GS still has it in Dec)

Most likely to be next summer. It's not even in Beta yet, and it'll need a few months of Beta to work out the major balance issues.

The real balance and exploit issues won't be discovered until the people at TeamLiquid and GosuGamers get their hands on it, since they are the best Starcraft players that can speak English. So far they have the same concerns that the Korean pros expressed, and Blizzard knows it, but they have been reluctant to fix the biggest issue because noob reviewers may not appreciate it.

GenericPseudonym · Aug 20, 2008

Does anyone notice how similar to Mass Effect the ship segments seem to be. Dialogue trees, galaxy maps, crew mates to talk to. I understand Wing Commander is probably the real inspiration, but still Mass Effect-like story segments and StarCraft gameply is an awesome combination.

Most likely to be next summer. It's not even in Beta yet, and it'll need a few months of Beta to work out the major balance issues.

They seem to be doing an awful lot of testing in alpha, I wonder if a beta will even be much more than a formality since its already being played on convention floors.

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

Vaporak said:
Yeah, and? People just want to play games, while making as minimal a hardware investment as possible. What's wrong with a company acknowledging that there are people who want to play a game but don't want to buy new hardware for it? It's not like there's anything in the game design of SC2 that would change if the engine were designed for "last gen" computers.

Starcraft 2 IS designed for last gen computers. I'm sure it'll run on any computer that can run Warcraft III (with the details set to High), it just won't be as pretty. I'm guessing that the latest wide spread integrated graphics (the GMA X3000 and X3100) should run the game on lower settings and resolutions fine, since it's near Radeon X1300 performance.

civilstrife · Aug 20, 2008

My money's on at least one more race announced before release.

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

GenericPseudonym said:
Does anyone notice how similar to Mass Effect the ship segments seem to be. Dialogue trees, galaxy maps, crew mates to talk to. I understand Wing Commander is probably the real inspiration, but still Mass Effect-like story segments and StarCraft gameply is an awesome combination.

They seem to be doing an awful lot of testing in alpha, I wonder if a beta will even be much more than a formality since its already being played on convention floors.

They need the community for sure. Blizzard may have made Starcraft, but they sure can't play it at a high level. They brought in 2 former pros (non-Koreans) to consult, but they are from a previous era, the level of competition and skill has risen dramatically since that time.

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

civilstrife said:
My money's on at least one more race announced before release.

Not playable in multiplayer, that much is for sure. The longevity of the game depends on balance, and adding another race would set them back another few years. The Xel'Naga will show up in the campaign though, it's been hinted at ever since Broodwar.

civilstrife · Aug 20, 2008

Zzoram said:
Not playable in multiplayer, that much is for sure. The longevity of the game depends on balance, and adding another race would set them back another few years. The Xel'Naga will show up in the campaign though, it's been hinted at ever since Broodwar.

Who's to say they haven't been working on new races since the very beginning? Holding back on an announcement like this is exactly the kind of PR that Blizzard is known for. They'll wait for the next Blizzcon or the one after that.

Also, note the vague answer in the FAQ.

How many races are in StarCraft II?

In StarCraft II, players will see the return of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg races.

They don't really answer the question, do they?

Vustadumas · Aug 20, 2008

phez said:
Holy shit, is this ingame?

Yes, they are

And, they are old screens....

aznpxdd · Aug 20, 2008

civilstrife said:
Who's to say they haven't been working on new races since the very beginning? Holding back on an announcement like this is exactly the kind of PR that Blizzard is known for. They'll wait for the next Blizzcon or the one after that.

Also, note the vague answer in the FAQ.

They don't really answer the question, do they?

This is Blizzard, they aren't stupid enough to add another race just because to fuck up the balance. Its already hard enough to balance 3 races. There's a reason SC is still the most popular RTS to date - balance!

GenericPseudonym · Aug 20, 2008

Much like the Naga the Xel'Naga will be in the campaign or atleast the hybrids (this game is over ten years old, it's not spoilers) but I really doubt they will be playable.

Lion Heart · Aug 20, 2008

They need to up the Terran slightly.

I actually hope they do have CGI cinematics, I feel as if everyone abandoned it but it just wouldn't be right without them imo. Same with Diablo 3.

aznpxdd · Aug 20, 2008

Lion Heart said:
They need to up the Terran slightly.

I actually hope they do have CGI cinematics, I feel as if everyone abandoned it but it just wouldn't be right without them imo. Same with Diablo 3.

Of course there's gonna be CGI cinematics, Blizzard is #.1 in the business in that area.

celebi23 · Aug 20, 2008

I've got a
Name: MacBook Pro (Late 2006)
Model: MacBook Pro 2.33GHz
Bus speed: 667MHz
Memory: 2GB RAM
Grahphics: Radeon X1600

This should be able to run SC2, right?

Wallach · Aug 20, 2008

Fuck yeah. I will play this until my hands fall off... or Diablo III comes out, whichever comes first.

civilstrife · Aug 20, 2008

aznpxdd said:
This is Blizzard, they aren't stupid enough to add another race just because to fuck up the balance. Its already hard enough to balance 3 races. There's a reason SC is still the most popular RTS to date - balance!

I think they did a pretty good job with WC3. I think sticking with the usual three races will make the game feel too same-y and I think Blizzard knows it. If we've learned anything about Blizzard, it's that despite their amazing success, they're not the kind of company that will go the safe and easy route just to avoid potential problems (and piss off Korea).

This is the company that changed the entire visual tone of Diablo, turned Warcraft upside-down with a hero system and two new races, and brought an entirely new audience to the MMO genre.

Blizzard takes plenty of risks. It's just that in hindsight, they're always right.

Comic · Aug 20, 2008

Gribbix said:
Another thing to note is that the screenshot of Raynor standing in front of the bar has a second Raynor in his marine armor clipping through the jukebox and the painting.

Look closely at the other two screenshots and you'll see that the second Raynor is modeled out, not a simple reflection- implying it's part of the jukebox. Which makes it pretty ugly and perfect for that kind of setting. Ever seen a Jukebox with an Elvis bust?

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

celebi23 said:
I've got a
Name: MacBook Pro (Late 2006)
Model: MacBook Pro 2.33GHz
Bus speed: 667MHz
Memory: 2GB RAM
Grahphics: Radeon X1600

This should be able to run SC2, right?

Yeah, the X1600 was a decent mid-range card for it's day. It's roughly equivalent to the GeForce 6800 and the Radeon X800. I have a laptop with a 6800 and I was able to play Oblivion at a nice mix of Low and Medium settings with HDR and 0xAA, and it can run Counterstrike Source High with 2xAA and HDR. It can also handle Team Fortress 2 and FEAR Combat on Medium.

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

civilstrife said:
I think they did a pretty good job with WC3. I think sticking with the usual three races will make the game feel too same-y and I think Blizzard knows it. If we've learned anything about Blizzard, it's that despite their amazing success, they're not the kind of company that will go the safe and easy route just to avoid potential problems (and piss off Korea).

This is the company that changed the entire visual tone of Diablo, turned Warcraft upside-down with a hero system and two new races, and brought an entirely new audience to the MMO genre.

Blizzard takes plenty of risks. It's just that in hindsight, they're always right.

Starcraft is not Warcraft. Warcraft 3 still has serious balance issues due to the 4 races, Blizzard can't afford for Starcraft 2 to suffer the same problems just to make up a new playable race for the sake of a bullet point. It wouldn't even fit in the lore to have the Xel'Naga playable, because their technology is what the Protoss based theirs on, and they would be nearly identical. There are no other species in the Starcraft universe so they don't even have the option to unless they just make up a new race out of nowhere, which would again feel out of place.

btkadams · Aug 20, 2008

Zzoram said:
If it really is a new MacBook Pro, it has an 8600GT does it not? That is a decent video card, it should run the game fine. Heck it would probably max out Starcraft II.

if thats the same as a GeForce 8600M GT (whats in mine) then YAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY

GenericPseudonym · Aug 20, 2008

Zzoram said:
It wouldn't even fit in the lore to have the Xel'Naga playable, because their technology is what the Protoss based theirs on, and they would be nearly identical. There are no other species in the Starcraft universe so they don't even have the option to unless they just make up a new race out of nowhere, which would again feel out of place.

Really, the Xel'Naga would be so advanced that they could crush everyone easily. Just like the Burning Legion wasn't fully represented in WarCraft, the Xel'Naga will not be fully represented in StarCraft. They will be important, but not playable.

Zzoram · Aug 20, 2008

btkadams said:
if thats the same as a GeForce 8600M GT (whats in mine) then YAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY

The 8600M GT is just a mobile 8600GT, which is a tad slower than the desktop version (so it doesn't use as much power). It is no slouch, that's the card that they are optimizing Crysis Warhead for at Medium settings.

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