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Planet StarCraft Launches! Introducing the all-new unofficial site for all things StarCraft. We are proud to provide you all the latest and greatest coverage on StarCraft 2, as well as all you need to know about the entire series. Read a little about our site, get acquainted with all the new features coming in StarCraft 2, and check out the brand new Terran Gameplay video. More >
Terran Gameplay Video! Blizzard Entertainment released a brand new gameplay video from StarCraft 2, featuring the Terran race and its new units and buildings. Don't miss it! More >
PotBS Stress Test Be among the first to play Pirates of the Burning Sea in the FilePlanet stress test!
Interview: Lead Designer Check out GameSpy's exclusive talk with StarCraft 2's Lead Designer Dustin Browder.
BlizzCon Retrospective Relive the revelry of BlizzCon 2007, or experience it for the first time, with Blizzard's new video trailer of the event. This video captures the sensory impressions and experiences of being at BlizzCon as well as the atmosphere of fun and camaraderie that was the true lifeblood of the show.
Battle.net Q&A; Session 15 Reveals Starbase Removed[ Comment ] 12:32 PST | TheAcolyte | Print News | Category: StarCraft 2 - Battle.netThe StarCraft 2 development team decided to axe the Starbase building upgrade for the Terran Starport, Karune revealed in the latest Battle.net StarCraft 2 Q&A; session. The extra upgrades provided by the Starbase instead now require a Tech Lab add-on building to the Starport. This marks an interesting departure from the trend toward direct building upgrade in StarCraft 2, as the Starport was one of the few buildings for which this was the case.
The fifteenth Q&A; session focuses primarily on the Terran race, confirming that the Command Center cannot be mobilized once it is upgraded to a Surveillance Station (or Planetary Fortress) and revealing that Ghosts can simultaneously call a Drop Pad and launch a Nuke. A Protoss-centered answer indicates that caster units such as High Templar still lack a standard attack in StarCraft 2.
StarCraft 2 Battlecruiser Special Added[ 1 Comment ] 10:59 PST | TheAcolyte | Print News | Category: StarCraft 2The official StarCraft 2 product web site now features a new Terran Unit special, highlighting the new and improved Battlecruiser mega-ship. The feature profile shows the new Plasma Torpedoes special attack, which is essentially an array of high-powered phasers, as well as the beautiful new animation for the Yamato Cannon.
The old Behemoth-class battlecruiser has proven to be an enduring design when kept up to date with periodic upgrades. Even the more modern Hercules- and Minotaur-class ships have retained the distinctive hammerhead shape which so defines the classic terran battlecruiser. Research has led to the development of two alternative weapon upgrades that can be retrofitted into a battlecruiser hull to supplement its already formidable armament.
Recap on StarCraft: Ghost on "5th Anniversary"[ Comment ] 23:15 PST | TheAcolyte | Print News | Category: StarCraft: GhostIn reverence to the game announcement's fifth anniversary, BlizzPlanet offers up a feature touching at the heart of all the fans crushed when Blizzard Entertainment shelved the StarCraft: Ghost project. The brief article recaps some key moments and interviews, including a quoted explanation for why the project was cancelled.
Instead of the console game that kept looking better and better, Blizzard Entertainment and Pocket Books released the novel Nova based on the main character and the storyline meant for the game. BlizzPlanet's feature suggests that a sequel to the novel may be in the works.
The StarCraft II team is looking for an artist specializing in the design and creation of user interface art. This artist will conceive and create in-game background screens, UI containers/borders, item icons, command card buttons, unit wireframes, etc. While his or her focus will be on 2D concept and asset creation for the UI, the successful candidate may also contribute to the creation of 3D models and textures for both UI and game elements if they have the talents and interest to do so.
StarCraft Board Game Interview[ Comment ] 23:00 PST | TheAcolyte | Print News | Category: StarCraft - General Blizzard News - StarCraft 2GameShark interviewed Fantasy Flight Games on StarCraft: The Board Game, produced in partnership with Blizzard Entertainment. The feature discusses the gameplay design, the challenges of recreating the game universe in board game form, attracting gamers back to the traditional format, and the future of the StarCraft franchise.
Looking over the rules to StarCraft, the game was clearly designed with the StarCraft world in mind. How did you match up strictly board game mechanics with real-time strategy concepts and what are your feelings on illuminating theme and meaning in the structure of board game rules? How do you feel that board game design presents a different set of challenges in this regard as opposed to electronic game design?
Since StarCraft has such an amazing back story it was important for us that the theme was very central to the game. Each of the three races plays very differently and uses the same strengths and weaknesses that they have in the video game. When creating a board game, our objective was to capture the theme and feel of the beloved video game while not emulating the game 1 for 1. A computer game like StarCraft keeps track of so much information, that it would be impossible to emulate with physical components. We therefore had to create innovative mechanics that simplified while emulating the StarCraft video game. For example, instead of creating a real time board game, we created an innovative order system that simulated this by having players plan many actions at once.
Fantasy Flight Games is a board games publishing firm located in Minnesota that has worked with Blizzard Entertainment in the past, producing the World of Warcraft Board Game. The organization has also published adaptations of DOOM, Lord of the Rings, and Beowulf.
StarCraft Q&A; Session 14 Posted[ Comment ] 20:16 PST | TheAcolyte | Print News | Category: StarCraft 2Karune from Blizzard Entertainment posted StarCraft 2 Q&A; Session 14, answering six more questions from the fan site community and the Battle.net forums on various features and gameplay elements in the upcoming game. Here's a preview:
5) Will Dark Templars be invisible when warping in, or susceptible to attack for a few seconds before it fades out?
No, currently the Dark Templar will be invisible the instant it begins to warp-in, though of course we are still testing this for balance as it makes the Dark Templar quite strong in back door drops.
BlizzCon Professional Photo Gallery[ Comment ] 7:59 PST | TheAcolyte | Print News | Category: BlizzCon - General Blizzard NewsBlizzard Entertainment posted a new gallery of BlizzCon 2007 photos from the event, taken by professional photographers. The photos largely catalog the major parts of the convention excluding some of the developer panels, for example. It's a great overview of Blizzard's rare, exclusive fan event.
Welcome to Planet StarCraft! 7:13 PST | TheAcolyte | Print News | Category: Site FeaturesWe are proud to introduce Planet StarCraft, the home for everything StarCraft on the GameSpy Network made for and by Blizzard game fans. Leading up to and beyond the release of the highly anticipated StarCraft 2, we're excited to bring you the best coverage, game information, strategy guides, previews, videos, files, and many more community features.
Today we're launching with coverage on the entire series, including StarCraft and Brood War, StarCraft: Ghost, and StarCraft 2. We've got a great start already but that's not good enough for us. Each of these major sections will be expanding by leaps and bounds straightaway, including a completely redesigned Units Database and Buildings Database and many more features. Read more about the site.
Be sure to check out our forums, which will also soon be growing beyond what they are today. We want to create the best online community of long-time and new StarCraft fans, and the forums are a great resource to facilitate this goal.
Meanwhile, we are looking for dedicated fans who want to help continue to make Planet StarCraft the best resource for all things StarCraft as contributors. Check out our Join our Team guide for more details.
Relive the revelry of BlizzCon 2007, or experience it for the first time, with our new video trailer of the event. This video captures the sensory impressions and experiences of being at BlizzCon as well as the atmosphere of fun and camaraderie that was the true lifeblood of the show.
Terran Gameplay Video Released 1:56 PST | TheAcolyte | Print News | Category: StarCraft 2 - FilesBlizzard Entertainment released a new Terran Gameplay Video, the second official StarCraft 2 gameplay video following the initial Protoss video released shortly after the game's announcement at WWI Tournament 2007. This time we get a good look at the new Terran buildings and units, guided again by Lead Designer Dustin Browder.
Browder highlights select new buildings and units in the demonstration. We get a glimpse of the dynamic Tech Lab, Sensor and Radar Towers, and the new collapsing feature of Supply Depots. Additionally, we see the Planetary Fortress in action briefly. The video introduces the advantages and weaknesses of the Viking, Banshee, Reaper, Cobra, and even the gigantic Thor. Finally, we get a first look at the new Ghost Operative and its ability to summon instant units dropships.
BlizzCon Tournament Players Introduced 8:09 PST | Alienslof | Print News | Category: BlizzCon - StarCraftThe BlizzCon web site now features brackets and player profiles for the StarCraft, Warcraft 3, and World of Warcraft tournaments to take place at the event. The contests will occur in three stages over the two day convention, from quarterfinals to finals.
Six of eight contestants in the StarCraft tournament are of Korean nationality, which comes at no surprise due to the enduring popularity of the game in the country. The United States and Canada also each claim a spot.
Players represent a greater diversity of nations in the other two tournaments, including a number of Europeans as well as Koreans, Canadians, and Americans.
All but one contestant are previous tournament event winners, including several from the recent Blizzard World Wide Invitational 2007 at which StarCraft 2 was announced. Several players in the brackets are Battle.net Ladder Season winners.
Product and pricing information for purchasable merchandise is provided on the event's web site, including image previews of some items. The selection includes posters, apparel, license plate holders, game soundtracks, magnets and keychains, calendars, game novels, Warcraft manga comics, and peripherals such as a BlizzCon-branded USB flash drive. Prices range from $2 USD for Cardboard Poster Tubes to $80 for the World of WarCraft Board Game.
This year, the Goody Bag will include any or all of the following items; Blizzard Entertainment states that it does not guarantee that all will be included:
One code to be redeemed in World of Warcraft for a character wearable Murloc Suit.
One access code for "an upcoming Blizzard beta test."
One StarCraft 2 Colossus unit magnet.
One BlizzCon 2007 show guide.
One World of Warcraft JINX T-shirt.
One Heroes of Azeroth WoW Trading Card Game Starter Deck.
Miscellaneous other "practical" or "decorative" items.
BlizzCon 2007 Schedule Revealed 21:46 PST | TheAcolyte | Print News | Category: BlizzConBlizzard Entertainment today posted the official two-day schedule for BlizzCon 2007 on the event's web site. This convention for all Blizzard game fans opens at 9:00 AM PDT on Friday, August 3 and 10:00 AM PDT on Saturday, August 4 until 10:00 PM both days.
Entrance badges may be picked up at Will Call booths outside of Hall A between 4:00-11:00 PM PDT on Thursday, August 2 or 7:00 AM-10:00 PM on Friday and from 8:00 AM-3:00 PM on Saturday. VIP guests may pick up their badges with identification from the VIP Booth.
A few events of particular interest include:
Opening Ceremony at 11 AM
All-day StarCraft 2 open gaming Friday / Saturday
WC3, WoW, SC Tournaments from 1 PM Friday / 11 AM Saturday
Soundalike, Dance, and Costume Contests from 7 PM Friday
World of Warcraft Legendary Pictures film details at noon Saturday
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