As Guns n’ Roses would say, we’ve got both fun and games. The time of the beta is upon is, with its official start having happened on Feb 17, 2010.
So far, here’s what we’ve learned.
First, it’s very easy to update your Battle.net account to say that you want access to the Beta. You download a little program that takes a peek at your system specs, it uploads that and your soul to Blizzard, and you’re in the queue as a potential Beta tester.
We have no idea how many spots Blizzard has for this thing, or how they’re determining who gets in. If they’re smart (and by now, we should know that they are) they’ll take people from different regions, with different specs and internet connections, just to see how this thing handles on a myriad of machines. That being said, if you haven’t gotten a Beta invite, don’t hold your breath (or do, if you want – more chance for us).
Second, StarCraft II plays a lot like StarCraft. This shouldn’t be shocking, but there was great concern that the new version would somehow taint the pure StarCraft experience. In an article over at Gamepro, editor Tae K. Kim talks about getting owned in a quick multi-player Beta match up. From what we read, all of the old mechanics are back, plus some new ones, especially in the form of new units.
Tae mentions the Terran Hellion, for example, a dune buggy with a flamethrower – not sure how that could be made any more awesome – which his opponent used to harry his base by micromanaging it to stay just ahead of his marine’s rifle range, a technique often used in the original StarCraft.
Third, excitement about this game is still high. During a WoW raid last night, someone in our guild casually mentioned that they had been granted access to the StarCraft II Beta, and the vent channel exploded. Suddenly people were talking about how much they loved the old one, how great Terrans were, and how they were even watching streaming multiplayer matches from the Beta.
There was even discussion of some of the changes already being made by Blizzard, such as to the Terran “Titan” unit, also known as the “Giant Gundam” for its similar robot appearance. Initially, this unit was constructed in the same manner as a building, but became a mobile force of destruction when finished. Now, it is produced from a building and pops out fully-formed. The general consensus is that it was cooler the old way.
Overall, first impressions of the Beta are positive, though it’s too early in the process to know what the end product will look like.
A suggestion to Blizzard is to keep handing out those Beta keys like candy, especially to small, struggling websites (*cough*) counting down the hours until the game’s final release date. C’mon Blizzard – you’ve got everything we need.
