Starcraft/Diablo and Supreme Commander
Day 1 thoughts:
So far, singleplayer is fantastic. There are a bunch of units that weren't in multiplayer beta that you get to use in singleplayer(probably too many to balance perfectly). Your between mission screen reminds me of Wing Commander/Tie Fighter.
I think I read there are around 30 missions, and the ones I've done so far have been really varied. The most fun so far:
Lava planet where your only resources will submerge under lava pits every 4 minutes, meaning you have to be extremely maneuverable with your resource gathering. When you throw on the "Hard" level the AI hits you with enemies every time you should be microing your guys out of the lava areas, and you end up toasty a few times, great mission.
A virus mission, where you have to destroy a plague infecting a colony, during the day it's managable and you can make headway against the infection, at night the infection spread rapdily, and you have to hole up in your base and fend off assaults until morning.
A train mission, where you have to simultaneously monitor 3 enemy railroad tracks as you salvage rail cars for resources, while dealing with the enemy fortifying the tracks and stepping up patrols.
It's really, really, well done, exactly what I would expect from Blizzard. It's neat seeing all these new units I wasn't expecting, too.
Edited By Troy on 1280288035
So far, singleplayer is fantastic. There are a bunch of units that weren't in multiplayer beta that you get to use in singleplayer(probably too many to balance perfectly). Your between mission screen reminds me of Wing Commander/Tie Fighter.
I think I read there are around 30 missions, and the ones I've done so far have been really varied. The most fun so far:
Lava planet where your only resources will submerge under lava pits every 4 minutes, meaning you have to be extremely maneuverable with your resource gathering. When you throw on the "Hard" level the AI hits you with enemies every time you should be microing your guys out of the lava areas, and you end up toasty a few times, great mission.
A virus mission, where you have to destroy a plague infecting a colony, during the day it's managable and you can make headway against the infection, at night the infection spread rapdily, and you have to hole up in your base and fend off assaults until morning.
A train mission, where you have to simultaneously monitor 3 enemy railroad tracks as you salvage rail cars for resources, while dealing with the enemy fortifying the tracks and stepping up patrols.
It's really, really, well done, exactly what I would expect from Blizzard. It's neat seeing all these new units I wasn't expecting, too.
Edited By Troy on 1280288035
I'm surprised at how little interest I have in playing this game.
I enjoyed the first one too. This one just carries no interest for me.
I enjoyed the first one too. This one just carries no interest for me.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Coworker was at Best Buy at midnight for the release. Took off Tuesday. I bet he played from 1am to 8pm straight.Leisher wrote:I'm surprised at how little interest I have in playing this game.
I enjoyed the first one too. This one just carries no interest for me.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Even if you aren't big on Multiplayer, the Storyline missions are simply fantastic, and there are a fair amount of extra "Challenge" missions and Quick matching against the AI.
Not sure about the DRM thing. I was playing the game at 6 P.M. on release day, having downloaded the entire game online directly from Blizzard. I then called in sick the day after that and blew through 1/3 of the Single player storyline.
The game is just so much more polished than anything I've played recently. Every 7-8 missions you also get a 3+ minute intense CGI video, which are pretty slick. In between each mission, you get after action reports in in-game video, which is often amazing, as well(High res and on "ultra" settings)
I spent a lot of the first few playtime hours wondering if I really liked the game, or if I was just being a fanboy. Eventually I just decided that it was super fun and that it wasn't worth thinking about. It's the real deal, and it's better than anything I've played in a LONG time.
I expect Multiplayer will keep me interested for quite some time.
Other mission highlights I've done recently:
Map where the planet is being burned in a Supernova, and a giant flame wall is engulfing the map from the side you are closest too. You have to migrate into each enemy base as you take it, staying one step ahead of the flames but still building your army as your go.
Escorting a giant killer robot as he goes on a killing spree against your enemies. He launches nukes and bombards with his huge turrets and you try to keep your smaller units buzzing around him, protecting and killing things that slip through his defenses.
Edited By Troy on 1280515706
Not sure about the DRM thing. I was playing the game at 6 P.M. on release day, having downloaded the entire game online directly from Blizzard. I then called in sick the day after that and blew through 1/3 of the Single player storyline.
The game is just so much more polished than anything I've played recently. Every 7-8 missions you also get a 3+ minute intense CGI video, which are pretty slick. In between each mission, you get after action reports in in-game video, which is often amazing, as well(High res and on "ultra" settings)
I spent a lot of the first few playtime hours wondering if I really liked the game, or if I was just being a fanboy. Eventually I just decided that it was super fun and that it wasn't worth thinking about. It's the real deal, and it's better than anything I've played in a LONG time.
I expect Multiplayer will keep me interested for quite some time.
Other mission highlights I've done recently:
Map where the planet is being burned in a Supernova, and a giant flame wall is engulfing the map from the side you are closest too. You have to migrate into each enemy base as you take it, staying one step ahead of the flames but still building your army as your go.
Escorting a giant killer robot as he goes on a killing spree against your enemies. He launches nukes and bombards with his huge turrets and you try to keep your smaller units buzzing around him, protecting and killing things that slip through his defenses.
Edited By Troy on 1280515706
Only about 7 or 8 missions into the campaign but so far SC 2 is awesome. I have not done any multiplayer games yet but I am sure when I do I will get crushed.
So far every level has had its own theme beyond just killing the bad guy on the map. Night and Day or lava flows stuff like that. Not a ton of difference between them but still adds something different.
The gameplay is the same as before and really have not noticed any major difference between 1 and 2 in that respect so if you didn't like the first then you probably aren't going to like the second. For me I don't let gameplay get in the way of enjoying a game so staying the same as the first doesn't really bother me.
I do like the research tree and earning cash for upgrades between missions. I don't know how I am going to feel about playing the humans for a full game but if it stays as fun as it has been so I can see this being my favorite RTS ever. That is until the next one comes out and I can control the Zerg.
So far every level has had its own theme beyond just killing the bad guy on the map. Night and Day or lava flows stuff like that. Not a ton of difference between them but still adds something different.
The gameplay is the same as before and really have not noticed any major difference between 1 and 2 in that respect so if you didn't like the first then you probably aren't going to like the second. For me I don't let gameplay get in the way of enjoying a game so staying the same as the first doesn't really bother me.
I do like the research tree and earning cash for upgrades between missions. I don't know how I am going to feel about playing the humans for a full game but if it stays as fun as it has been so I can see this being my favorite RTS ever. That is until the next one comes out and I can control the Zerg.
No. Make no mistake, it WILL hit that price point on Steam. In the stores it won't for years, but Steam is different. They can knock a huge chunk of the cost off because they're cutting out the brick and mortar stores and all packaging. It just won't happen until sales die down, which also WILL happen.
I expect deals will start occurring a few months before the next one releases to get folks like me who didn't buy the original excited about the next one.
I still have little interest in it, but I do like the genre and based on the positive reviews, I'll give it a shot.
In comparison, I bought C&C 4 this weekend for $5 after passing on it when it came out due to how unimpressed I was with the previous game. And that's a universe I really liked.
I expect deals will start occurring a few months before the next one releases to get folks like me who didn't buy the original excited about the next one.
I still have little interest in it, but I do like the genre and based on the positive reviews, I'll give it a shot.
In comparison, I bought C&C 4 this weekend for $5 after passing on it when it came out due to how unimpressed I was with the previous game. And that's a universe I really liked.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
Except it will never be on steam. Blizzard uses battle.net to sell its games and content online and sees steam as a middle man. That is why I asked I thought you were making a joke about how you would never buy the game. I don't think you will see on steam and I don't know when it will hit the $15 price point because the original with the expansion included is just starting to hit the $15 price point and that is 14 years later. Diablo 2 bundle is still $30 and that is 10 years old. Blizzard just doesn't drop the price of their games.
This is the first game I purchased at its $50 price tag in 10 years. But seeing their track record I figured it is not the end of the world to get a game that I really at its release price. Plus I need something to hold me over until the Mass Effect 2 game of the year edition comes out with all DLC and with a $25 price tag.
This is the first game I purchased at its $50 price tag in 10 years. But seeing their track record I figured it is not the end of the world to get a game that I really at its release price. Plus I need something to hold me over until the Mass Effect 2 game of the year edition comes out with all DLC and with a $25 price tag.
My official statement about Starcraft 2: It'll make it to Steam eventually or I won't be buying it until it's $15 in the stores.
I liked Starcraft, but not enough to pay full price for "part 1" of their sequel.
And just to stir the pot, I respect the hell out of Blizzard, but I think they're the most overrated company out there. If you want me to explain I'll start a new thread so as not to derail this one.
I liked Starcraft, but not enough to pay full price for "part 1" of their sequel.
And just to stir the pot, I respect the hell out of Blizzard, but I think they're the most overrated company out there. If you want me to explain I'll start a new thread so as not to derail this one.
"Happy slaves are the worst enemies of freedom." - Marie Von Ebner
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell
"It was always the women, and above all the young ones, who were the most bigoted adherents of the Party, the swallowers of slogans, the amateur spies..." - Orwell