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It’s okay… I play Brood War

Blogs > SirJolt
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SirJolt
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
the Dagon Knight4010 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-05-09 23:56:44
May 09 2011 21:24 GMT
#1
Edit: A lot of people seem to have taken this as a jab at BW's graphics, it was far more just that I loved the idea of reinterpreting other things in the same kind of low resolutions that BW was perfectly understandable in. Turns out most things are pretty much unintelligible.

My friend, Atom Cannister, often opens a chat window and starts a conversation about some old TV show or movie. He’ll ask me how I feel about a German buddy-cop series about a dog called Kommissar Rex, and I’ll say, “No, I’ve never seen it, I’ve been mostly watching Fawlty Towers.” He will eventually get around to saying something like, “I don’t suppose you happen to have that do you?” Often I'll say that I'm sorry, but the quality is dubious or that I’ve only got an iPod version.

Every single time, the response that I get is:

AtomCannister: It’s okay… I play Brood War.


When he first said it to me in person, he said it as though he were possessed of a special talent, a fireproof man running towards a burning building to save someone’s baby. Years of Brood War had inured him to dodgy resolutions, he is a titan in a country of poor bandwidth.

Brood War players, try to remember that other people don't see the world the way you do. You've been blessed with a second sight; you can love something for what it is on the inside, underneath all that tawdry harlotry of "beauty."

For those of you who’ve only ever played StarCraft II, I thought it would be worthwhile to put together a simulation of some things you might enjoy, shown through the eyes of a seasoned Brood War player.

This is my celebration of those hardened BW players out there


Playing StarCraft II:

[image loading]

Fig. 1: Holy shit, do you have any how hard it is to see a tech-switch like this? "He's building a... barra- factory! No wait, armoury?"

Watching A Game of Thrones:

[image loading]

Fig. 2: Sean Bean’s ability to portray emotions at low resolutions is one of the reasons he’s my favourite actor.

Watching the GSL:

[image loading]

Fig. 3: This picture has been divided in two, to highlight the difference between viewing as a BW veteran and viewing as a normal human.

Browsing TeamLiquid:

[image loading]

Fig. 4: There’s every chance here I’m actually viewing TramLiquid.net…

Playing Team Fortress 2:

[image loading]

Fig. 5: I’m about 30% sure I’m shooting a medic here… Not gonna lie, could be a barrel.

Appreciating Fine Art:

[image loading]

That thing where you Alt+Tab out of Brood War to change your music, and everything gets all messed up, but in SC2:

[image loading]

Fig. 7: Because, well, what is that thing?


***
Moderator@SirJolt
Chef
Profile Blog Joined August 2005
10810 Posts
May 09 2011 21:27 GMT
#2
Except that BroodWar actually does look better than StarCraft II, the same way it looked better than WarCraft III. 3D models aren't everything yo.
LEGEND!! LEGEND!!
rel
Profile Blog Joined January 2005
Guam3521 Posts
May 09 2011 21:27 GMT
#3
Hahaha, as a person who has played BW. I found this funny as well.. GREAT JOB lol!

5/5
I'll tank push my way into her heart. ☮♥&$!
SirJolt
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
the Dagon Knight4010 Posts
May 09 2011 21:28 GMT
#4
I'm not sure if it I'd say that it looks better, but I'd definitely agree that the art direction felt a bit better. I'm not sure how much crossover there is in those two things.
Moderator@SirJolt
Kashll
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
United States1117 Posts
May 09 2011 21:28 GMT
#5
Did you actually consider the fact that Brood War players are just better people than those who haven't played Brood War? I mean better as in better in every aspect and facet of their life.
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
phosphorylation
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States2935 Posts
May 09 2011 21:29 GMT
#6
good idea but from purely spectator's point of view, broodwar looks better (clearer, more colorful etc)
Buy prints of my photographs at Redbubble -> http://www.redbubble.com/people/shoenberg3
ArvickHero
Profile Blog Joined October 2007
10387 Posts
May 09 2011 21:34 GMT
#7
ironically, BW is much cleaner and clearer than SC2
Writerptrk
Zergneedsfood
Profile Blog Joined September 2008
United States10671 Posts
May 09 2011 21:37 GMT
#8
On May 10 2011 06:34 ArvickHero wrote:
ironically, BW is much cleaner and clearer than SC2


This.

Though I like the colors reference.
/人◕ ‿‿ ◕人\ Make a contract with me and join TLADT | Onodera isn't actually a girl, she's just a doormat you walk over to get to the girl. - Numy 2015
fabiano
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Brazil4644 Posts
May 09 2011 21:39 GMT
#9
BW is much cleaner and clearer than SC2 indeed, and I can assure you it looks much more dark and mature too, unlike SC2 that the art seems to aim teens with Thors looking like megazords.
"When the geyser died, a probe came out" - SirJolt
endy
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
Switzerland8970 Posts
May 09 2011 21:40 GMT
#10
How paradoxical, in BW everything looks clear and precise while in SC2 everything looks blurry.
I think my problem when trying to watch sc2 is that the contrast in very poor in that game. Almost every unit of every race is dark blueish or grayish and that's the same for the background. In BW, everything is made easy to distinguish.

The funniest part is that I have an extremely good sight at close distance, I can only use hi res screens or I feel very uncomfortable, and need to disable that piece of shit of Microsoft ClearType on every computer I use, but I'm perfectly fine playing BW haha
ॐ
Thrill
Profile Blog Joined May 2007
2599 Posts
May 09 2011 21:42 GMT
#11
The colossus - a unit that somehow manages to beat the dreaded BW assimilator in a fierce battle for the title of ugliest pixels in Star Craft.
Kipsate
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
Netherlands45349 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-05-09 21:44:46
May 09 2011 21:43 GMT
#12
On May 10 2011 06:34 ArvickHero wrote:
ironically, BW is much cleaner and clearer than SC2


This^

There is only one thing that I find annoying, and that is(due to my own inability)

I CAN NOT READ IF THE UPGRADES SAY 3-0 OR 0-0(which is a huge difference).

Kommissar Rex,


Don't hate, this stuff was good when I was young :>.
WriterXiao8~~
SirJolt
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
the Dagon Knight4010 Posts
May 09 2011 21:43 GMT
#13
On May 10 2011 06:40 endy wrote:
How paradoxical, in BW everything looks clear and precise while in SC2 everything looks blurry.
I think my problem when trying to watch sc2 is that the contrast in very poor in that game. Almost every unit of every race is dark blueish or grayish and that's the same for the background. In BW, everything is made easy to distinguish.

The funniest part is that I have an extremely good sight at close distance, I can only use hi res screens or I feel very uncomfortable, and need to disable that piece of shit of Microsoft ClearType on every computer I use, but I'm perfectly fine playing BW haha


This is one of the weird things about SC2; clearly there were people in it screaming to make sure that things like death animations were as obvious as possible, since when a marine dies to a baneling//roach you get that bright green, or a colossus that bright orange, but somehow it stands out a lot less than the big red splatter that BW had. Storms looked miles better too, but I guess that would have been awkward to render in 3D.

I sometimes wonder if part of what made BW so good was that the artwork left a little more room for interpretation.
Moderator@SirJolt
Logo
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States7542 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-05-09 21:52:56
May 09 2011 21:51 GMT
#14
Well watching and playing SC2 is very different. Streams broadcast in medium/high/ultra settings while player's play in low. It's not unlike quake. Though BW still has better visual clarity.
Logo
m4gdelen4
Profile Joined October 2008
United States416 Posts
May 09 2011 21:52 GMT
#15
Haha this was really funny. Well written!
But to some of us BW players, SC2 has the same effect you know?

Pretty much what every above has said: BW has clearer graphics.
it does to blue what blue does to you
moopie
Profile Joined July 2009
12605 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-05-09 21:56:55
May 09 2011 21:53 GMT
#16
BW graphics may be dated, but they are clear, clean and work perfectly. A giant 200/200 TvP battle is clear as day instead of a clusterfuck of tiny units and glowing particle effects.

The alt+tab windows 7 issue is annoying sometimes though.
I'm going to sleep, let me get some of that carpet.
Enervate
Profile Joined August 2010
United States1769 Posts
May 09 2011 21:58 GMT
#17
On May 10 2011 06:34 ArvickHero wrote:
ironically, BW is much cleaner and clearer than SC2

Haha. Yea, I remember when I first saw the graphics for SC2. I thought they were pretty crappy at the time. I guess I just wasn't use to the 3d stuff. I've gotten used to do it now.
SirGlinG
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
Sweden933 Posts
May 09 2011 22:01 GMT
#18
Nice Pootling sir!
Not my chair. Not my problem. That's what I say
Crais
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
Canada2136 Posts
May 09 2011 22:46 GMT
#19
Uh oh Sir Jolt plays with photoshop again
RIP MBC Game Hero
Trap
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States395 Posts
May 09 2011 22:50 GMT
#20
I was going to rate this 5/5, but because of my old BW tinted eyes I misclicked :-(

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coffeetoss | "Team Liquid Fantasy Proleague: Tales of Miserable Failure and Deep Regret" -Kanil
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