StarCraft 2 Cheats

The Zerg continue to be the focus of Blizzard’s revelations and, true to form, the information being released on them continues to be centered on things we already know.

The most recent addition to the ongoing teasers is a bio of the planet of Char, the Zerg homeworld. It sketches out in greater detail the history of the planet, and fleshes out some of the plot points already discussed.

All in all though, as with just about every Zerg update, it’s merely treading old ground. At several points in the article, it simply reiterates the points made in other entries, such as “The Story Thus Far.”

What the update does give us is a screenshot of an actual Zerg base, although even then, not much new is seen. Most of the structures are easily recognized as a hatchery, Spawning Pool, Extractor, and Hydralisk Den. There is, however, another, a strange structure that almost looks like a larger and reinforced chrysalis from the original Starcraft, the one in which Kerrigan was kept while being infested. The structure, if it is indeed even a structure at all, appears to be much akin to an octopus, with tentacles protruding from its lower regions.

Also of interest is a creature that appears near a Hydralisk swarm on the lower part of the screenshot. They are similar in build to the Hydralisk, suggesting an upgraded version, now with an array of spines on their backs. The screenshot captures one in the midst of its attack animation, showing that it appears to have the ability to fire these spines at its target, although the effect of them remains yet to be discerned.

Finally, there are three larger Zerg units on the battlefield that are most certainly new. One appears to be a heavily armored crablike creature, another, a huge quadruped with long, bladed legs that likely allow it to climb up ramps like the Terran Reaper or the Protoss Colossus, and the third boasting an almost draconic appearance. The screenshot does little in telling us what their capabilities, but we can at least surmise that two of the units are powerful melee combatants.

Again, these are just tantalizing hints, with no concrete data to back it. How long Blizzard intends to hold this drought is unknown, but for those hungry for more information on the Zerg, their appetites will remain sadly unsatisfied.

Several online stores have set the release date to 12/3/2008.

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 Could this be a hint from Blizzard? 

Static defenses have never been the strong suit of the Terran. While the Protoss had the versatile if not fragile Photon Cannon and the Zerg had the stronger but more specialized Sunken and Spore colonies, the only Terran static defense that didn’t require the expenditure of valuable population units to create was the Missile Turret, a low-defense surface-to-air bombardment which had a slow rate-of-fire and was all but ineffective against certain airborne threats like Mutalisk swarms.

When defending against ground units, the Terran Bunker was likewise fragile, and was really only a means to station infantry units in one spot and protect them for longer periods of time. While the effectiveness of these defenses could be aided by SCV support, they still were a drain on the population to be used effectively. Many Terran commanders would also place lines of Siege Tanks, which would even further strain their population capacity.

This problem may be mitigated, although evidence suggests that bunkers and Siege Tanks are still a core part of Terran base defense. The TF-620 Nomad, a new construction unit will be replacing the Science Vessel, and is said to also have the ability to construct automated defenses.

Details on the versatility of the Nomad defensive structures remain unclear, but it is known to have the ability to construct small Auto-Turrets, and is implied to have other construction capabilities as well. It would not be much of a stretch to say that if they still exist, Missile Turrets can likely also be built by the Nomad.

From the game-play videos, the Turrets appear serviceable, but not overly powerful in either offense or defense. Whether or not there will be stronger methods of static defense remain to be seen, but at least the option is there.

One thing Blizzard has shown is the population limit has been vastly increased since the first iteration. Depending on the scope of this change, it may be that the Terran unit-based defenses are perfectly serviceable. On the other hand, money maps on Battle.net are extremely popular, and if the game lasts long enough, population becomes the most important resource on the battlefield. Whether or not the Nomad will mitigate this problem for Terran players remains to be seen.

Starcraft was in many ways groundbreaking as a real-time strategy game. It featured three different races that were wildly different in terms of play style but surprisingly well-balanced. The core game-play, however, was not the game’s only strength. Starcraft boasted a robust and involved campaign mode with stellar characterization and narrative pacing.

In addition to revealing new units, Blizzard has also taken the opportunity to recap the story of the original Starcraft and Starcraft Brood Wars. In a two-part section entitled “The Story So Far,” detailing the events leading up to the situation Starcraft II will open with.

It seems an uneasy peace has fallen over the Koprulu sector. As fans of the first game and the Brood Wars expansion know, Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades won a significant victory against the Terran Dominion and their Protoss allies, utterly destroying the United Earth Directorate fleet and crushing the other forces. However, she and her zerg forces have remained silent for four years, instead of pressing the attack and eradicating the Terran and Protoss from the sector entirely.

Among the Terran and Protoss, there is still uneasiness but they have begun to rebuild. Arcturus Mengsk, despite opposition from Jim Raynor, has managed to rebuild the Terran Dominion, and Raynor has fallen into disfavor at the hands of Mengsk’s propaganda. On the Protoss world of Shakuras, the once divided race is once again reuniting, although tension still runs strongly among them.

Starcraft Brood Wars left many questions in the minds of players, and the four years of uneasy peace the Koprulu sector has endured have done little to answer them. The Dark Templar Zeratul found evidence of a Protoss/Zerg hybrid, an abomination orchestrated by the alleged infested Terran Samir Duran. Evidence and theory suggests that the Xel’Naga were not completely destroyed by their Zerg creation, and continue to have a hand in the evolution of both the Protoss and the Zerg.

Before Starcraft II was announced, there was speculation that an additional race, either the hybrid referenced in the hidden mission or the Xel’Naga themselves might be added to the roster. When Starcraft II was announced, it was further announced that the races would remain the same – Terran, Protoss, and Zerg. However, with the groundwork already in place, it seems likely that some other units will make themselves known over the course of Starcraft II’s campaign. Blizzard has left many plot-hooks unresolved; it seems they intend to make use of all of them.

Since the announcement of Starcraft II in Seoul, the Starcraft II website has been releasing a steady stream of information on the units and structures that will be found in the game. They have, however, remained especially tight-lipped on the Zerg units.

That has remained the case for quite some time. On March 10, 2008 the first Zerg units that will be appearing in Starcraft II were released. However, the two units weren’t exactly big news. The Hydralisk and the Mutalisk, two units that appeared in the original game had both already been unveiled in various trailers. The newest unit, the Baneling, is hardly a step up.

The Baneling, which was unveiled in the original Starcraft II trailer is a mutation of the Zergling that turns it into a land-based suicide unit. Strategically, this should provide several options, especially to players who liked to make heavy use of the air-based Scourge in the original game, as the Infested Terran unit of the first game was difficult to obtain in Battle.net play and could not be strategically planned around.

What is frustrating for Zerg players, however, is this isn’t exactly new news. The Baneling was unveiled over a year ago; the excitement has long since faded. Blizzard has given tantalizing shots of various other Zerg units, such as units that can infest Terran structures and even Terran air units, but they’ve yet to release any concrete information on their own site.

Speculation already runs rampant regarding the Zerg units and their abilities. Hopefully within the next few months, Blizzard will be willing to give zerg players a glimpse of something new and exciting to offset the long wait. Terran and Protoss players have already seen their fun new toys, it’s about high time Zerg players get a piece of the action as well.