Blizzard released a 7 minutes footage of StarCraft II multiplayer mayhem. The footage is a from a collection of different multiplayer matches during last weeks Blizzard press event to show of the state of the game to the press. Video below:
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
StarCraft II Ditching Offline LAN Support
Playing Starcraft in big LAN event were a big deal during the old days of the classic RTS. These days I suppose the LAN party phenomenon has dwindled perhaps because of faster broadband connections. Blizzard said during their recently held press event that StarCraft II will not support offline LAN support. According to a Blizzard PR spokesperson's reply to bigdownload:
“We don't currently plan to support LAN play with StarCraft II, as we are building Battle.net to be the ideal destination for multiplayer gaming with StarCraft II and future Blizzard Entertainment games. While this was a difficult decision for us, we felt that moving away from
LAN play and directing players to our upgraded Battle.net service was the best option to ensure a quality multiplayer experience with StarCraft II and safeguard against piracy. Several Battle.net features like advanced communication options, achievements, stat-tracking, and more, require players to be connected to the service, so we're encouraging everyone to use Battle.net as much as possible to get the most out of StarCraft II. We're looking forward to sharing more details about Battle.net and online functionality for StarCraft II in the near future."
Many other sites have posted news about this and it is still a little vague if LAN support is not supported at all. Speculation is that Battle.net will be similar to how Steam is and will require an internet connection to set up a p2p LAN match.
PS : I need to reiterate that this does not mean you will not be able to play StarCraft II on a LAN with friends or in competitions. Blizzard has said they want to make StarCraft II an important e-sport game like its predecessor. Which mean they might look at a solution that might allow LAN when connected to Battle.net or a virtual LAN type setup. Again we do not have enough information about the new Battle.net to make any conclusions.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Blizzard Still Keeping Mum On StarCraft II Beta Date
According to Shacknews, StarCraft II lead designer, Dustin Browder made no commitment to a date for the Beta during a press event at Blizzard HQ. Browder said:
“We're still working on [Battle.net], and it's kind of up in the air,”StarCraft II lead designer Dustin Browder told me. "I kind of wish it wasn't, but it kind of is."
Browder gave the typical "when it's ready" response when asked of a beta timeframe. The test is scheduled to begin sometime this summer.
I guess we’ll just have to wait in suspense for the Beta. Nothing was said about the single player campaign at the press event. You can read Shacknews interview with Dustin Browder here.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Men of War Standalone Expansion Announced
1C Company announced that Men of War will receive a standalone expansion called Men of War: Red Tide. The expansion will have a new 20 mission single player campaign that will see players take command of the Soviet Marines. Screenshots below:
Michael Jackson in Moonwalker The Video Game
With the news of possibly the biggest musical influence of my generation, Michael Jackson passing away, I looked for videos of the only Michael Jackson video game I knew of, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker. I remembered playing it at my neighbours house(as they had a home computer). Moonwalker had levels based on his major hit singles and you play as Michael Jackson and used his dance moves to defeat enemies:
RIP Michael Jackson.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
My New Total War Campaign Blog
I’ve started a new blog titled Total War Diary which will document my campaigns in a Total War game. To share with the blogosphere my strategic ineptitude. The blog starts with a new campaign I have started with The Ottomans in Empire: Total War.
Check it out here
Warhammer40k: Dawn of War II World Builder Included With Next Update
Relic revealed another new feature included in the There Is Only War update. A world builder will now allow players to build their own maps for the game. This could alleviate the communities common complaint of lack of map diversity(although Relic has been releasing many new maps themselves). Info below:
World Builder lets you add victory points, power nodes, and requisition points under Urban, Desert, Tyrannoformed, and Jungle map tilesets. You can deform terrain, place cover objects, choose the weather, and define the size of the map. Maps can be released for two, four, or six players.
When released, World Builder can be opened from the local DOW2 directory. It will also include a sample map and a documentation file explaining how to publish a basic map for online play. It is recommended to run World Builder on a PC that handles Dawn of War II on ‘high’ or ‘ultra’ graphics settings.
When is it released?
World Builder is yet another part of our massive ‘There is Only War’ update coming out later this summer, and will be available when the beta goes live in early July.
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War II ‘There Is Only War’ Developer Walkthrough
Taking a cue from Blizzard’s Starcraft II battle report, Relic released the first of two multiplayer video walkthrough of the upcoming there is only war update for Dawn of War 2. The video demonstrates the balance changes and new strategies that can be used with the new update. Video below:
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Max Payne 3 First In Game Screenshots
Now that information about Max Payne 3 has leaked out that he is bald, old, and addicted to painkillers, Rockstar releases in game screenshots of the game. Screenshots and game description below:
Developed by Rockstar Vancouver. 12 years after the events of Max Payne 2, Max finds himself in Sao Paolo, Brazil – where security work is plentiful but the risks are high. When murder and betrayal dog his every step, Max is once again thrust into the heart of a brutal city with nothing but his weapons and his instincts in a desperate search for truth and a way out.
Part of the leaked info hinted at a new cover system mechanic in the game.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Empire: Total War 14 Elite Units of The West DLC Announced!
With the release of update 1.3 for Empire: Total War, Creative Assembly announced that a DLC pack called 14 Elite Units Of The West is available for download. This is in addition to the 14 other free units included in the patch. The DLC costs only USD$3.49 and is available now. Details below:
Expand your Empire with downloadable content! The Elite Units of the West Downloadable Content for Empire: Total War™ introduces 14 completely unique brand new units from all the major Western factions. Featuring all new infantry and cavalry units, equipped with the best weapons and having undergone the most rigorous of training, the Elite Units of the West DLC is the perfect addition to your Empire's army and will bring even more options on the battlefield to all tacticians seeking to defeat their enemies.
Once you've purchased the content, you will unlock all new 14 Elite Units of the West in the single player campaign under the conditions below. They will also be available in multiplayer and single player battle modes, when playing with the appropriate faction.
Hungarian Grenadiers (Austria) — Hungarian Grenadiers fought in the Austrian army of the 18th century and were deliberately selected for their physical size and stature. They had to have a good throwing arm, being able to propel a grenade far enough that it wouldn't kill them! Single player campaign requirements: Military Governor's Barracks in Hungary
Horse Guards (Britain) — The elite British horse guards are a heavy cavalry shock troop used by the British army. Used as a battering ram to brutally smash enemy infantry lines and drive holes in enemy ranks, these were prized troops of the British army. Single player campaign requirements: Army Staff College in London
Swiss Guards (France) — The Swiss Guards fought for the French nation and were the prized palace guard of Louis XVI. Wearing resplendent bright red uniforms and carrying smooth bore muskets they were a better calibre of heavy infantry than most of their opponents. Single player campaign requirements: Palais Bourbon in Paris
Blue Guards (United Provinces) — The Blue Guards are a strong infantry unit of the United Provinces, and have been personal bodyguards to kings since the 1600s. These are a high status regiment with a long tradition of fighting and winning key battles. Single player campaign requirements: Army Staff College in Amsterdam
Gardes du Corps (United Provinces) — The Gardes du Corps were the strongest, and often, the last line of defence for many monarchs in the United Provinces. Dressed in splendid uniforms and riding heavy horse these royal bodyguard soldiers specialised in almost unstoppable charges and benefit any army with a high morale and solid combat discipline. Single player campaign requirements: Army Staff College in Amsterdam
Guard Grenadiers (Poland-Lithuania) — The Polish Guard Grenadiers are a highly trained and well disciplined grenadier unit unique to the Polish army. These troops spent years being properly trained in the correct stances for priming and throwing explosives and were constantly assessed on their appearance and discipline as well as their technique. Single player campaign requirements: Army Staff College in Warsaw
2nd Hussars (Prussia) — These light cavalry units were specially drawn for their shorter stature and low weight making them quick and nimble on the battlefield. Ideal for hit and run attacks and ambushing enemy formations on the move, these fast and mobile hussars specialised in running down survivors and ambushing scout parties. Single player campaign requirements: Brandenburg Gate in Berlin
Bosniaks (Prussia) — Prussian Bosniaks are an irregular mounted soldier on light horse capable of a devastating charge. These riders are historically mercenary in nature hailing from the Balkans as their name suggests. They fight with a passion and zeal as they were often paid in plunder! Single player campaign requirements: Army Board in Prussian home regions
Frei-Korps (Prussia) — These irregular light infantry forces are a much needed counter-weight to the disciplined and organised ranks of the Prussian army. Professional scoundrels, they are particularly effective against soldiers that organised Prussian infantry find difficult to counter. Single player campaign requirements: Army Board or Military Governor's Barracks in any province
Gardes à cheval (Russia) — An aristocratic heavy horse unit drawn from the nobility, exclusively to protect the Tsars. These rich notables were selected not for their soldiering ability but more for their relative attractiveness to Catherine the Great. Single player campaign requirements: Winter Palace in Moscow
Siemenovski Foot Guards (Russia) — These elite line infantry were far better equipped than their standard brothers and a touch more arrogant too. With splendid uniforms and far better trained they made excellent garrison soldiers, punishing popular decent harshly. Single player campaign requirements: Winter Palace in Moscow
Walloon Guards (Spain) — These superior infantry were drawn from a region of the Spanish Empire that produced excellent soldiers. Their distinctive uniforms and colours marked them out on the battlefield as the bodyguard of kings and queens, and as effective soldiers in their own right. Single player campaign requirements: Palacio Real de Madrid in Madrid
Legion of the United States (United States) — The United States first official organised army unit. A well drilled and trained unit of soldiers taught to fight in both the traditional European line of battle style, and a looser more irregular pattern better for confronting the native tribes of the Americas. Single player campaign requirements: Army Board or Military Governor's Barracks in any province
US Marines (United States) — These are some of the toughest and bravest soldiers the United States can boast. Either on land or at sea this unit is a fighting force above all else. The marines' greatest strength alongside their flexibility and speed in combat is their resolve. They will rarely if ever run from a fight once committed, often preferring to fight to the death than hand an inch of ground to the enemy. Single player campaign requirements: Naval College in any province
Monday, June 22, 2009
Dawn of Discovery(Anno 1404) Demo Impression
Related Design has had a very good run with its popular Anno series and the new one called Dawn of Discovery(for North America) seems like a good follow up.There is a demo available now and this my impression of the demo.
The demo is a time limited demo that has an hour limit for two scenarios(in total, you can play 2 hours of the demo). First off, the game looks gorgeous. It’s art is cartoony in a way, but the look is soft and pleasing to the eye. The game performs well enough while looking this good. I mean performance isn’t such a critical issue in city building games anyway.
The main campaign features a scenario like story based mission which starts with nicely drawn animated art. Each mission has new objectives and introduces new characters that demand or plead for your help. They tend to get pretty irritating as they demand for specific goods for their cause. In the demo, you are overloaded with quests to fulfil(in the second level) as you meet 2 new characters and your king calls a crusade on the orient(a middle eastern equivalent faction in the game).
The characters are memorable such as the sly and obnoxious Guy Forcas and Marie D’Artos which is the games equivalent of Jeanne D'Arc. Be prepared to do lots of favours for them in the campaign. While the emphasis on specific objectives is a good way of adding a progression in a campaign, the strength of games like this is the sand box game.
I feel it shares a lot of similarities with Impression games city building games such as the Caesar series, Zeus and Pharaoh but the campaign is less fun compared those games. But the sand box level is awesome as you don’t have to listen to endless whining by story characters.
Dawn of Discovery is similar to Impression type city building games in the way you need different production buildings to make the raw materials and plan the entire production line for it. It doesn’t use walkers, buildings instead can receive materials or transport goods if connected to a road. All building have a zone of influence in which it affects its environment like logging huts affect the tree around the radius etc.
The heart of all towns is the marketplace. The marketplace in Dawn of Victory doesn’t represent a trade center that much but it creates the zone in which you can build all buildings in. Placement of the marketplace is very important as a badly placed marketplace will affect your future plans of adding different industries.
Dawn of Discovery(Anno 1404) introduces a new culture for the first time in the series. The orient, the games equivalent of a middle eastern is a great place to trade your goods at as they pay good price for some goods. It adds diversity to the game as the previous games has always had settlements with the same aesthetics(European architecture).
Overall, I was impressed with this demo. Dawn of Discovery seems to be a good city building game as well as a light trading game with many improvements to the user interface and mechanics that make this one the best in the series.
Download the demo here
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Left 4 Dead Next Update Add On Campaign Explained
Valve explained in the Left 4 Dead blog the next update for the game will introduce an Add on campaign option that will allow players to look for custom content and install it as easily as clicking on it(without downloading file packs and extracting them in the correct folder).
They also mentioned that match making will now be able to see custom community content to find servers hosting custom campaigns. The next update will also be followed with the release of the final version of the Left 4 Dead Authoring Tool(which is currently in beta).
Read the entire entry here
Friday, June 19, 2009
StarCraft II Battle Report 3 Video
Blizzard releases another battle report video this time featuring a Zerg(Yeon Ho Lee) vs Protos(David Kim) match. This battle report witnesses good use of the zergling’s burrow ability and infestor’s mind control ability. Battle report video below:
Warhammer40k: Dawn of War II ‘There Is Only War’ Update Announced!
Relic announced on their Warhammer40k: Dawn of War II community site, that they are prepping up to release a major update called ‘There Is Only War’ for Dawn of War II. The update will bring new features, balance changes and new content. 8 news maps for multiplayer has been confirmed. Relic will reveal more details in the near future. The update is planned to be released in July. New maps after the jump.
Golgotha Depth 2v2
Angel Gates 3v3
Legis High Stratum 1v1
Calderis Refinery 3v3
Outer Reaches 1v1
Calderis Refinery 1v1
Leviathan Hive 1v1
Calderis Refinery 2v2
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