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World of Starcraft? Not So Much
The rumours have been swirling since last night, when MMOG discussion site F13 posted the surprising news that Blizzard plans to make MMOGs of Starcraft and Diablo. Turns out that while the possibility still exists, that's not exactly accurate. The CessPit has some of the slides from Vivendi's presentation, (courtesy of SirBruce). The last of these would seem to show the mere possibility (not confirmation) of expansion into the Massive and console markets for the company's intellectual properties. However, this is coupled with a flat denial by lead designer Rob Pardo: "Nothing in that rumor is true in regards to Blizzard. If I had to guess, there was some confusion between what Vivendi has planned for its game division versus what Blizzard has planned. While Blizzard is owned by Vivendi, their game division operates separately from Blizzard." So, while not out of the question, I find it unlikely we'll be hearing about World of Starcraft any time soon.
"Don't keep me vaiting..."
All employees must wash hands before seeking equitable relief.
Getting Starcraft Ghost out the door first would seem a priorty. Besides, WOW seems to work so well; whould going into MMO competition with yourself (Blizzard) work?
I'm sorry, but "World of Starcraft" just doesn't have the same ring to it as "World of Warcraft." "Sector of Starcraft?" "Suburb of Starcraft?" See, that's why this game will never happen, no good name for it.
Is the software industry in general prone to rumours, or are games primarily afflicted? It must be hard for a news site, having no confirmations to work from, and instead either being left behind, sticking their neck out, or getting a lucky tip from an insider.
Pssst, I heard that the Star Control sequel will feature Duke Nukem caught in a world of Orcs, blasting his way out in a massive Counterstrike against the enemy. Better still, it will run on Windows Vista when it's released too.
Oh You POS
I want it NOWWWWW. Oh man... would I be a Zerg Hydralisk?... or Maybe a Terran Medic?... ohhhh a Protoss Zealot! Yes, stabby psionic blades for me, please!
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
If there's going to be a Spaceborne MMORPG (or MMOFPS) we'd appreciate it being Warhammer 40k. Thanks.
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
I am really glad there will be no "world of Diablo". Trying to fit all games into an online model forces them to be basically all versions of the same game (all the same run around-kill-collect-level model of game play). Much of the variety in the single player experience for example can't be carried over into multi-player because it would be too unbalanced (just to name one example).
Philosophy.
... could attract a diffrent crowd. Make the game a little less cartoony, a little darker, and you could have yourself something unique.
Wouldn't an MMO based on Starcraft be titled 'Galaxy of Starcraft' or something similar? 'World of' doesn't even begin to touch the scope of Starcraft.
Last thing we need is another horde of thirteen-year-old boys running around a virtual playground dressed up as hot female zerg hydralisks.
I was hoping for a Rock 'n' Roll Racing MMOG. And don't you dare tell me to try Auto Assault. I was in beta for it, and I got a few free weeks after it was released. And now I see they're giving the box away for free with a purchase of Guild Wars Factions. I was not impressed at all, and it seems nobody else is, either.
Oh well. Here's hoping for a Lost Vikings MMOG.
It's like sex, except I'm having it!
Just because one game works so well does mean they should start mass producing/converting all their IP into mmorpgs (even if you are blizzard)
I for one will be surprised if no WoSC or WoD appears within a few years. After all, the hardest part of the development is over. To re-use the platform for other games and improve graphics a notch doesn't sound too hard. Both of the worlds (Diablo and StarCraft) have great potential. StarCraft includes many planets, ships and alike while Diablo is basically as endless as WoW is. In other words, costs of developing this project would be far from as significant as developing World of WarCraft, simply because the experience and the technology is already there.
Additionally, I am not too optimistic on a StarCraft II strategy title, mostly because huge parts of the SC team left Blizzard after it was completed. I bet they will release a sequel, but perhaps not as a strategy game type.
If I happen to be wrong, there's only one thing I could think of that would stop World of StarCraft: the fact that it may split Blizzard's market in two pieces instead of doubling it. As for Diablo, this world is actually far too similar to WoW. It's all ancient stuff, wizardry and monsters. So maybe Blizzard wants to stick to what it has done before.
Anyway, selling a game for 50 bucks and then milking its customers on monthly fees is probably Blizzard's new thing. Imagine how much more money they make on WoW than on SC and Diablo.
I would personally want a sequel to StarCraft out sooner than Diablo, while I still remember the superb story that it and Brood War offered.
Do not look
As no one seems to link to the true source:w ow-general&t=8703206&p=1&tmp=1#post8703206
s px?ForumName=wow-general&Author=EnoYls&Cluster=Wow
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=
And if you want to see Rob's post on it:
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread-search.a
Its not what it is, its something else.
Personally, I think that MMO's are draining way too much focus from the other gaming genre's. Right now they're a big cash-cow, which unfortunately makes them more attractive Vs other games.
I'd much rather see a proper Starcraft sequel... full 3d environments, and all the coolness of an in-space RTS that Starcraft introduced. Warcraft III has been fun, but I find that the races tend towards being a bit too linear, especially in terms of special abilities. In Starcraft, the mix was awesome... with zerg being your massive-rush force, protoss being brute-force, terran being in-between, and the technological aspects mixing all three together (protoss carrier rush=massiveness) and all the cool techs such as the arbitor abilities and the nastly little zerg devourer slime. Combined with the strategic elements such as invisibility, scanning, shields, etc... the strategic element of Starcraft far exceeded Warcraft III, and would make for a much more worthy sequel if done right...
But for Aiur's sake, please don't wash all that out with an MMORPG. It works for some things, but it's a good way to absolutely murder good games from other genre's.
My three favorite computer game series have been: StarCraft, Diablo, and Civilization.
Ever since Blizzard started in on this MMORPG, they've produced not a single game that interests me. Especially now that I'm a parent, I just can't justify the time required to competitively maintain on online character. And, I need the freedom to walk away from a game at a moment's notice to take care of kids, etc., without my player dying.
With single-player and two-player games, this was never a problem. But ever since Diablo II, Blizzard seems to have no interest in producing more great games for people like me. Are gone forever the days of Blizzard giving me great games that fit my lifestyle and that have great replay value?
As much as I would love to see more of the Starcraft universe, I'd rather see something new from Blizzard...
Its been a long time.
Neither are going to happen though, they might as well rename the company to "The World of Warcraft Company".
D.
If you look at the "World of Warcraft: What is it?" page in the Vivendi presentation there is a graphic with the WOW customers - they seem to have had over 6 billion customers in Q1-2006 (6000 milions). Nice market share, WOW!
I already have enough trouble yelling "We require more Vespene Gas!" when I am short of money in WoW, now I'll have to deal with it for real in WoS.
Given the number of rogues on my server, I think everyone would roll a Protoss Dark Templar - battlefields would look awfully empty!
I'd like to see a Starcraft MMO, but I don't see it happening, mainly because what motivation does Blizzard/Vivendi have?
World of Warcraft is the best selling MMO.. would they get that many new players who weren't already playing WoW? Perhaps they would get a decent number of people paying the same amount for both.
It's not exactly innovative - it's not much more than a single player game and in many ways not as complex as a single player game. The massive battles advertised on the box aren't really possible. Unless to you "massive" means 20-40 people. When I think of a massive battle, I think of something out of the LotR movies.
Blizzard has shown they don't have to innovate that much to keep the largest MMO going. They do add content, but it's really just a single player game with friends, in largely static world where the missions you take on have zero impact on the game world, and the winners are those who just persevere and social network the best, rather than those who are particularly clever or skillful. There is even a culture of extreme conformity - try to "claim" items that your character can technically use but are not used by most everyone else playing that same class, you get ridiculed or even outcast. Most characters for a given class look more or less the same with very little opportunity for customization. It's sort of funny that a game environment is full of a more risk averse and conforming population than the real world.
I'm sure Blizzard is thinking, "is creating a second WoW going to get us double the customers, or maybe even half as many more?"
..Hmmm.. stop poking me...
"Snatching defeat from the mouth of victory on a daily basis."
I'd be much happier with a sequel to the original game. It is an awesome strategy game, I still play it today (it's one of the best real-time games you can get running on an old G3, in my opinion) and I'd definitely be glad to see a new episode of it that keeps a similar, real-time strategy gameplay
"Words of wisdom: drop that zero and get with the hero" -- Vanilla Ice
Big 'investments' buy out splendid companies and fuck them up.
This is what vivendi and hasbro did to many of the spectacular game companies of the 90es.
Trying to make more money they just mess up and fuck up the formation and momentum, and at the end audience of a gaming company.
This should be banned. It is detrimental to the general overall creativity of the gaming genre.
I dislike something whenever i see 'vivendi' or 'hasbro' logo on it.
Read radical news here
The Universe as we know it in Starcraft is rapidly shrinking. By next release date it will be reduced to the size of a planet.
~psybre
--
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Authority questions you. Return the favor. -- d474
While it could be interesting to see World of Starcraft, there is still one version of Starcraft that is reaching Duke Nukem status: Starcraft: Ghost.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
Seems this rumour was an April Fool joke
Reduce, reuse, cycle
My favorite part from TFA is slide 12 where the graph shows over 6 Billion WoW Customers by Q1 of this year.
*linky*
I'm obviously in the wrong business.
---k--
</stupid>
Protoss High Templar has cast Psionic Storm.
You suffer XXX points of damage.
You are dead.
all that slide says is there is "potential" for mmo versions (and console versions) of any of those games. it seems more likely that we'll see console versions since it specifically mentioned they had aquired "swining ape" which i guess is for consoles.
... for telling me that something I didn't know to be true, is in fact, untrue!
In other news, Wal.Mart will not be constructing a Muppet Themed roller coaster.
I suppose this may have put to rest a rumor circulating about a MMO StarCraft. But, I've never heard such a rumor.
If this idea of MMO versions of other Blizzard titles is attempted, I think there will be a bunch of WoW players who will want to play but not want to double their subscription budget. Blizzard might be able to do a combo deal, allowing users to get 2 for the price of 1 (or at least 2 at a special rate) on their monthly fees. Blizzard would still charge the usual $50 for the game at the store, which hopefully would cover much of the initial investment.
I know from a personal standpoint, WoW is too expensive for my taste, but an opportunity to play 2 games for about the same price per month is inticing. Just a thought.
Meh, a real sig would take too long, and I have an MMORPG to play with....
I had e-mailed them about a feature on the game they were posting right around the april fools joke and they replied that it was no joke and they had played a working beta of the game...
Starcraft: Galaxies or Starcraft: Galactic conflict
I never spellcheck and I freely admit it. Save your karma for more worthwhile "lol erorrs" replies
It won't be a separate game, but rather a relm within WoW.
I don't know why, but for some reason my mind read "World of Star Control" instead of "World of Starcraft".
I would as a consumer would be interested in another Diablo addition. It seems to naturally fit in the mmorg genre where you select a hero, build experience, search for weapons, and barter for items. Diablo II spand many different regions including jungles, deserts, plain, and hell. I am surprised that it is not on the table given the success of the original franchise and of WOS.
You don't have to be smart to use a Mac, you just have to be smart enough to buy one
'World of Starcraft' sounds a little limiting for a space-based adventure game. Like calling your mmorpg bass fishing simulator 'desert strike'.
Ooh... mmorpg bass fishing...
Kevin Fox
S.O.S.??
Doesn't quite have the 'WoW' effect, does it?
Take Google Maps, A9, satellite imagry, all integrated into an immersive online virtual actuality. Mostly what you would do is search for stuff.
When you find it, you can buy it. Goods get delivered to you, and your real bank account goes down accordingly!
Wow, perfect for any geek - no need to leave your chair or have sunlight sully your skin!
Starcraft 2 = Licence to print money .
My Starcraft 2 Blog
"So, while not out of the question, I find it unlikely we'll be hearing about World of Starcraft any time soon."
O OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
8 years is enough Blizzard, give us something with zerglings!
If they had a decent sci-fi mmpog, I might actually get into playing mmpogs. The only big one that I know of is Anarchy Online and Star Wars Galaxies, where were both mostly sword and socery fantasy setting skinned into a space theme (use "the force", or "nano technology" istead of magic for spells, but essentially fantasy).
Even if they had something like Grand Theft Auto Online, it would appeal to people like me who just aren't that into a fantasy setting.
Starcraft With Extremely Entertaining Things?
I agree. I play Starcraft and love it but the 1998 isometric style at 640x480 isn't cutting it for me. I'd be happy just for them to re-release the game with a major graphics update. I think if the made an actual sequel it would be nice too. They would make a garunteed profit on either.
It's not -1 Flamebait! It's +5 Funny. You just didn't get the joke...
Auto Assault is a bit like StarCraft crossed with WoW (I would imagine, never played WoW...). 3 Races, 4 types of characters. If they do make a StarCraft MMOG, I hope at the very least they don't do what AA did, and actually test it so it doesn't launch with missions that don't work, buggy AI, and missing features. But if they're not planning on a MMOG version of StarCraft, I'd settle for it on the NDS, or maybe PSP. :X
(\(\
(=_=) Bani!
(")")
... and if it did happen, it won't be till WoW is tapped out, mebbe 5-6 years. People still play Warcraft III and Starcraft. People will still play WoW if Blizz comes out with another MMOG, it just won't be seen as competition.
Then it could be a galactic battle, but also be able to give guild leaders fame.
God spoke to me.
There was a console Diablo as well.
DoD :D
Eve Online
I went as far as nabbing a 14 day account and trying to play... then I realized I simply do not have the time to play an MMO. More's the pitty, it looks like fun.
" Trying to fit all games into an online model forces them to be basically all versions of the same game (all the same run around-kill-collect-level model of game play)."
Not really. MMO games also include stuff that's pretty different from WoW. Mind you, not _completely_ different, but still. E.g.:
1. Planetside.
It's really a MMO-FPS. Think UT2004 with 200 players in each team. Think battles where a SF fortress is attacked by waves of a hundred infantry (ranging from unarmored infiltrators to the massive mechanized exo-skeletons) and tens of tanks, artillery vehicles, AA vehicles, bombers, gunships, giant transport ships paradropping whole squads on top of it, and even about a lance of mechs in most fights.
It also has absolutely _zero_ grinding, farming, etc, as the game has no money (you're a soldier, so your equipment is provided to you based on your certifications) and levels don't give anyone an unfair advantage in combat (being higher level gives you more flexibility, as it allows you to be certified in several different things, but you still have the same health, do the same damage and can use the same weapons as someone half your level.)
_And_ it doesn't really need 3 hours of gathering a 40 man group a la WoW or of waiting in a queue for some battleground. Anyone can just jump into any battle and get xp for whatever they can do. E.g., if you're certified as a medic, you don't have to wait until some raid invites you: you can just jump into any battle and get xp for healing the combatants. E.g., if you're an engineer, you can just jump into any fight and start repairing the damaged vehicles, and get xp for it. E.g., if you're certified to pilot a transport, just load up a squad and paradrop them wherever they want to go, and not only you'll be a very popular guy or gal, but you'll get xp for their kills there too. Or, of course, if you can use a gun, you can just get your gun and go join whatever assault or defense is in progress.
Sure, joining a squad or outfit lets you fight more coordinated as part of a team, but that's about it. If you don't want to, you can just go solo in any battle just as well. You'll figure out something useful to do pretty easily. Be it healing, repairing, shooting a gun, being gunner on a tank, laying mines, or jumping into a chaingun turret and laying down the suppression fire.
And, again, any of those you can do from level 1 (though you can gain a few levels first by just doing the tutorials anyway) and have max level people thanking you for it. There is no grinding to level 60 or collecting epic equipment before you can go play with the big boys. You can take part in any battle right after installing the game, and feel like you've made a difference.
So, basically, you know, you can just play the game and let levels and stuff happen on their own. There is no need to focus on collecting anything either.
2. City Of Heroes / City Of Villains.
Well, this is a sorta more standard type of MMO, but it cuts down on pretty much anything that could be seen as a time sink. E.g., travel time is short (SuperSpeed caps at about 90mph, Teleport caps at about 200mph), combat is fast and furious, there is no collecting "loot" in the traditional sense of the word (if you want your character to wear big red pauldrons, you can just paint him that way in the character editor), there is no crafting in the traditional sense (though you can craft devices for your super-hero base or super-villain lair), and there is no farming for gold or resources.
Also, although it does depend on grouping (unlike the loose action of Planetside), missions are automatically instanced for whatever number of people you have. I.e., the same mission can either be soloed or you can find an 8-player group for it. Since groups yield better xp per minute, you rarely have a problem finding random people to group with at any level. (Though whether they can also play well in a group, is a bit of a hit-and-miss issue. Some groups rule, some can make a good point for misanthropy.) But again, any instanced mission can also be soloed if you're not in a social mood.
A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
Would be a "Galaxy of Starcraft" to do to the remainer of SWG, AO, adn EvE what WoW did to EQ/DaoC/the rest of the fantasy mmog genre.
I would also like to see a solid well produced starcraft sequel before any MMOG offering from it.
I'm a fiscal conservative, it's a pity we don't have a political party anymore
Considering that Ghost is going to be a first person shooter, then I am hoping and believe that the MMO version of Starcraft will likely be a first person shooter as well.
It would work out well like Planetside, where you can choose three different factions with different technology and differnt units. Then you fight it out with the other two in a war. Of course knowing Blizzard it would be a lot more detailed then that, they would probably also make some upper crust work, for people who are vets to negotiate with others and use diplomacy. I can see a Overmind and a Human meeting together somewhere, to attack a protoss base that has long been held. Then the leaders go to their troops and tell them not to attack the other team until the protoss have been eleminated. Of course this would have to break away from the kiddy atmosphere of WoW, so a different team should likely work on it.
We will see though.
"Mom's Basement of Starcraft", to better appeal to the target demographic...
We want starcraft 2 not world of starcraft or starcraft: ghost..
one hit at a time that is. I doubt we will see any new MMORPG or any new game from Blizzard for a long while as long as WOW is still making them a mint.
But, the problem is, not everybody likes MMORPG's, I hate them. The stories are too drawn out and vapid and there isn't much excitement really, just pound on some monsters for hours on end without any other plot element. And I don't like having to pay a subscription to play a game I already paid for. If this is the future of Blizzard games, turning every franchise into an MMORPG, then adios muchachos, I will find my entertainment elsewhere (like those books I used to love so much).
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
It seems there's been a massive brain-drain from every other place other than the WoW "division." Luminaries such as Bill Roper have parted with the company and hordes of other core StarCraft team members with him to different companies. I wonder if Blizzard is delaying StarCraft more because they know they can't top it. Ending the "Game that Shaped A Culture" (S. Koreans) on a bad note would be a huge embarassment, and a gaming tragedy unlike any other.
Have three 'core' star systems that each race can't loose and ten that are up for grabs.
Besides, SoS has a nice ring to it.
Just as long as it's not "Planets of Starcraft".
Blizzard just needs to release a Diablo III or quite a few expansion packs for Diablo II. Diablo II is truly fun and playable by almost anyone. My wife even loves Diablo II.
Cheesy Movie Night
WoW is just comfortable now. When it came out, I thought, "how am I going to google for wow? it's already a word!" The Wii was equally strange. Gameboy. Gamecube. Xbox. Xbox360 -- I thought, so it spins? "We're going to turn this gaming market around 360 degrees! Wait."
They shouldn't make a SC MMO, they should model the game after Battlefield 2 or the WoW battlegrounds. Make large group battles where you respawn after dying. Players would play as a single unit(FPS style) or a group of zerg (as if they're the overlord). You could have ground and air vehicles like in battlefield. It would be perfect!
::sigh:: in my dreams.
"Haven't you ever heard of the Emancipation Proclaimation?"
"I don't listen to Hip-Hop!"
All evidence points to World of Diablo. The suggestions that World of SC should even be made, are mere pipedreams and wishful thinking. When your reason is so completely ursurpt, you should probably stop with the games and go outside.
Often wrong but never in doubt.
I am Jack9.
Everyone knows me.
Blizzard has three blanket policies.
1) State the obvious and turn it into a press release.
2) Never give out a release date, unless it's vague and easily broken. (e.g. Winter 06 becomes later sometime in 2106)
3) Anything not covered by this form, deny deny deny! When we make a real annocement, they'll forget we lied.
Wait.. I'm sure more then Blizzard uses this forumla.
activestudios web design
I mean a zergling is weaker than an ultralisk no matter how you slice it, and does essentially the same thing. And while Terrans and maybe Protoss would make sense for choosing their specialization, it doesn't work for Zerg either. And you aren't going to dump one of the alignments.
Instead I think it would make sense to be a commander/cerebrate/executor in command of a squad/platoon/group. Improvement is by upgrading and extending your band of troops, gaining abilities, training, experience, promotion in rank, mining resources, getting paid for missions and so forth. If you did it right you might even be able to accomodate a large range of command levels amongst the players, ranging from individual unit all the way up to general or fleet admiral. Mercenary bands, Heroes, Civilians, Khalai, and Creep could play much larger roles than in regular starcraft.
Of course while you're at it you would want to of course allow preprogramming of troop formation and behavior to be a lot smarter then before (as in Myth), and have unit action and interaction be more sophisticated and terrain sensitive (taking cover should be automatic). And when a unit dies, it's dead (although Zerg cerebrates/torrasques don't stay dead unless dark templar kill them, and protoss can return once as Dragoons). Unit size, cost and power should be more representative (i.e. a Battle Cruiser ought to be way bigger and way more expensive and need way more people).
So if you're human you can start out as a marine for hire and work your way up through the ranks to a Dominion Fleet Admiral commanding others (assuming you aren't backstabbed), or a Protoss Khalai robotics specialist who breaks off and becomes a leader among the Dark Templar, or an sub-conscience of the Overmind that starts in command of a drone and gradually works up to commanding an entire brood, or a Xel-naga gaining power from the shadows.
---If you can't trust a nerd, who can you trust?
Catchy, ain't it?
I hate to be the one to inform you of this, but Blizzard has never been one to be accused of milking anything.
7 18.html?part=rss&tag=gs_&subj=6152718
Thats exactly what i meant. They havent been milking anything yet. But now they are starting to do so (if the rumours are to be believed)
http://f13.net/?itemid=167
Blizzard says everything is a mmog
"All Blizzard franchises will become MMOGs." All.
anyway we can lay these rumours to rest. Blizzard has denied everything
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2006/06/13/news_6152
no.
"Seven Deadly Sins? I thought it was a to-do list!"
I was not at the conference, so I don't know what was actually SAID. But based on the SLIDES, I don't doubt they MEANT that they WERE looking at making MMOG versions for the Starcraft and Diablo franchises. Just not, you know, Blackthorne Online or Lost Vikings Online. (Although those are certainly possible too...)
Bruce
I remember the lead-up hype for Diablo 2 had me believing it would have a persistent world and other staple MMOG features. So I was, of course, dissapointed with what shipped. To be fair to Blizzard it's likely I took what excited me about what was happening in Ultima Online and just -assumed- diablo2 was one of these games.
Either way: WRONG
I remember an old dos game called Star Control.
Plays awful fast on modern machines... even with command shell crippling.
I only look human.
My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
Imagine tomorrow's headlines in South-Korea...
I want a PlanetSide style video game that actually takes a while to level up.
God spoke to me.
seriously, what's wrong with the mods?
If you're going to talk about rumors that have no basis in reality (mmo starcraft is 100% fan dreaming drivel, blizzard has said as much on and off the record) at least use the proper name.
The Starcraft universe is unique and pretty cool. WoW, by comparison was pretty shallow, and the lore they've added to WoW isn't anything compelling. I'm a devout WoW player (since day one), but I'd take WoS over WoW any day of the week. Besides, fantasy MMOs have been done to death, IMHO.
Game... blouses.
Can you imagine the arguments that would ensue? Spawn site camping by the guys with those little tents, griefers who insist on setting up a couple of meters upstream from you, and of course the chinese farmers who just drag net the whole river before selling it off on eBay. Chaos!
Imagine "Dune: Galaxies". I would totally buy it, but only as long as I could roll a Kwisatz Haderach and ride a sandworm. Yeah... now that would be awesome!
Woah, those slides are dense. Someone needs to learn that Less==More when it comes to presentations.
The ganking situation in that game would be horrendous. There you are, swimming around, catching smaller fish and looking for a good place to spawn, when BAM lunch descends from above. You try to swim around it, because you know what it is, but your fish is too stupid to listen, and bites down on the free food hook and all. Now you have to respawn all the way upriver and swim for hours just to get back to where you were.
This is my sig. It's prescription, I swear. I need it for reading things... on the other side of things
Chris Toshok of GNOME fame is working on open source (some of the original files still required) StarCraft implementation in C# called SCSharp. Who knows, maybe this project will resolve the resolution issue.
From Day One, I always wondered why it was ever World of Warcraft and not World of Blizzard. WC3 had many elements first introduced in Diablo II like Thorns Aura. Warcraft and Diablo are both fantasy series. Why not have them be in the same world? You can divide them by continents. Or on different planets, but connected through mystical stargates. Point is -- you character can hail from either Warcraft or Diablo lands, but through adventuring, you could interact with characters from the other series' lands.
It's a win-win situation for Blizzard, since the game would appeal to both fanbases.
"Love heals scars love left." -- Henry Rollins
Level your character across a msytical universe filled with many planet enviorments (about 5) and many mystical creatures (Colors and size may very, graphics not so much). Once you reach maximum level gather 39 of your fellow faction members and attack the hive slaying it in an epic battle (repeat 20 times over) to recieve the ultimatly powerful weapon (Unless a medkit drops that run) and show it off to everyone!
The lead programmers and artists are mostly still at blizzard according to that link. Only the one of the lead designers left for guild wars/ncsoft.
Hmmm... Pie...
Imagine having a band of chaos space marines, marauding local villages until you get into a bloody enough battle that your most brutal fighter becomes shrouded in red mist and stomps his way out as a huge Bloodthirster demon! He'd be like Sauron in the lord of rings movie times 10, people'd go flying in pieces with every swing of his axe!
Then picture gathering enough resources to fight your way aboard a space marine ship, wipe out or corrupt the crew and fly your ship out to ravage new worlds and build an empire...
It'd be a hellva challenge to make but it'd introduce a fully formed, intricately detailed bloodthirsty universe to play in
Ack, to have a few more years experience as developer and a team of likeminded geezas behind me.....
Subsequent to the story breaking, Blizzard has asked various sites who have posted the slides to take them down, citing copyright concerns. I want to make it clear that the material was obtained lawfully by me, that no confidentiality was violated, and that such usage by the media is also protected under the doctrine of fair use. The presentation is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Comission, and is made available freely to EVERYONE So if you want to see the ENTIRE PRESENTATION yourself, including the slides relevant to Blizzard, simply go here.
And shame on Blizzard for trying to bully the media.
Bruce