Over the past week, there have been a few note-worthy events taking place in the Starcraft II universe, and they both deserve a quick mention here.
The first is that the looming server wipe which Blizzard promised would happen on the Battle.Net forums has actually happened. Ostensibly, this was to simulate a “launch-day” situation, and should be a more accurate estimation than when the Beta opened as there are now double the number of players.
Personally, we think it was pressure from higher-level players who became concerned with our meteoric rise to the middle of the copper league, having heroically lifted ourselves from the dregs. Our unique style of doing the same thing every time and not being aware of our surrounding seems to have gotten someone’s attention. Clearly, a savage server reset was the only answer.
Regardless of the actual reason, all data has been wiped from the server. This includes not only league and ladder ranking, but friend data, settings, and your character themselves. While the Battle.Net naming system allows for anyone to have the name they want, making re-naming a non-issue, the reset definitely falls into the “slightly annoying” category, at least if you’re just an average Joe.
If you’re a professional player, just getting your feet wet in this new iteration of the game, you’re likely throwing a huge fit or wishing you’d taken a screenshot of yourself at the top of the platinum ladder. Suckers!
Even for us, this was a moderately annoying circumstance that slightly ruffled our carefully-arranged feathers. Or at least it did, until we realized we hadn’t paid a dime for the game. Right. Feathers smoothed.
In the long-term, and even the foreseeable short-term, this is a good idea. Having to reset the server after the real launch would cause a worldwide outcry, though we’re not sure how great geeks and gamers would be at mounting an assault on Blizzard’s headquarters. Their APM – annoyances per minute, in this case, would likely be sky-high, but any offensive would also necessitate braving direct sunlight, something which many of us haven’t done in years. If vampires were not only pale-skinned but malnourished and socially awkward, we too could be the stuff of popular teen-fiction.
On a positive note, the server wipe plus our continued effort in Starcraft II have led us to a spot in the Bronze league, up one rank from our previous home. Huzzah for not being the absolute worst!
The other announcement of note this week was Blizzcon. This annual fest of all things Blizzard is taking place in October of this year in Anaheim, California. There were rumors it had been moved to Las Vegas, the city of sin, but apparently we geeks are a wholesome bunch.
Blizzcon should feature healthy doses of WoW, Diablo III and Starcraft II for fans’ enjoyment. The event is always sold out, and is apparently more crowded than a Zerg hatchery. By the time October rolls around, Starcraft II – Wings of Liberty should already have been released. This should mean that Blizzcon will feature not only multiplayer tournaments, but also a look at the second installment of the Starcraft II series, likely about the stinky and despicable Zerg.
As with anything Blizzard, however, that could change.
The good news is that the Beta is on track, Blizzcon is coming, and Starcraft II is inching ever closer to actual release.
In other news, geeks in costume are still hilarious.
