[SC2B] Game On

Blizzard Entertainment is pleased to welcome all of our beta testers to the first phase of the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty beta test. You will have an early opportunity to play, test, and experience the online multiplayer aspect of StarCraft II, as well as get a first look at the newly revamped Battle.net.
- Blizzard

There are video games, and there are video games. While none of us are strangers to controlling animated characters or wandering through virtual worlds, we do know that for a game to be truly great, it must capture a generation. Indeed, for a game to be great it must enthral and entertain, drawing you in and shutting the world out. The best games you play not because you can, but because you must.

Starcraft was one of those games, a title that transcended bytes and packets and moved into a sphere that was hitherto out of reach. From ICCUP to the OSL, this is a game that bridges languages, continents and prejudices. Starcraft, a game that could have been just another rts, showed us one thing. Something good can beget something better. The game, make no mistake, is a legend. Its true power however lies not in its finely tuned balance or the skill it requires at the highest level. No, Broodwar's strength is the sum of its players. You. Me. Us. We made this game. With ladder play and forum posts and guides and VODs and uploads and downloads and hundreds of thousands of man hours that will never be measured, we forged it.

For more than seven years, Team Liquid brought us together, giving us the best of Professional Starcraft and in the process creating the most far reaching, vibrant and influential ESPORTS community on the planet. Warcraft 3 came and went. CNC3, Dawn of War, RA3 - all games, but indeed, not games. They entertained for a while, they created competition for a while, but when all was said and done, they were not Starcraft. Not Starcraft: Broodwar.

Remember this, nerds?

In 2007, Blizzard announced SC2, and the reactions across this community were varied.

On May 19 2007 15:28 {88}iNcontroL wrote:
We will see how this goes >_<

On May 18 2007 23:05 Zelniq wrote:
WHO IS DUSTIN BROWDER? [...]

On May 13 2007 02:46 travis wrote:
I would actually prefer that its diablo 3 than it being SC2.

Diablo 3 would almost certainly be awesome. SC 2 would most likely only be decent.

On May 18 2007 23:25 mahnini wrote:
It hasn't quite sunk in yet. Breathe. Just breathe.

On May 18 2007 23:30 Last Romantic wrote:
"SC2 looks, at least visually, strikingly similar to SC1 - both in unit and map designs."

YESSSSS

On May 19 2007 09:44 Jonoman92 wrote:
Have they said anything about when it'll be realeased?

As you may remember, and indeed, as you can see above, some loved the idea. Others hated it. SC2 would be good, they said. No, it would be bad, really bad. It would rock. It would suck.

TL did the only sensible thing - cover it. For more than two years debates have raged across the SC2 forum, over just about every change made, the ebb and tide of nerd-rage shifting with every new piece of information unconvered. One of the main catalysts for discussion were staff and members writing about their SC2 experiences.

From what I've heard of the latest build before BWWI, the game has come a long way. It's fun as hell to play. It's intuitive and quick to learn. No one is doubting that this is going to be another epic RTS that will break sales records.

But will it become StarCraft or Warcraft 3, in terms of competitive longevity? It's still much too soon to call.

- Manifesto7

Despite my earlier complaints, Starcraft 2 was very entertaining to watch on stage and there were many breathless moments that carried over from Broodwar (Naruto fending off a 10 pool with 2 marines and a few scvs and slaming the Teamliquid hammer down on the Blizzard employees). The question that remains then is once the novelty has worn off, will Starcraft 2 remain competitive and revitalize the esports community? Most likely. I have little doubt that Blizzard will fix or compromise the “key issues” and that it will be a great game to play and watch – during our Teamliquid dinner I talked to many good and bad players who agreed that Starcraft 2 in its current build is in better shape than many RTS games released by other publishers. When one considers the amount of time and dedication Blizzard will put into this game before its final release, there is a great sense of confidence that it will last as long as its predecessor.

- Kennigit

I really felt that the speed of game (in terms of purely unit moments) was kept true to the original. That is, the units move quickly, attack quickly, and die quickly, just like in Brood War. There was some talk that the game felt slow, and rumours formed that the game speed was locked on Fast instead of Fastest. I really think these are both wrong in the regards to keeping SC2 similar to its predecessor.

- Chill

In an industry where RTS games are routinely released incomplete, Starcraft 2 is a breath of fresh air - we all agreed that in its current condition it surpasses anything that major publishers have released to this date. Huge steps have been taken since the first play test at Blizzcon 07 and it is evident that the game we have been waiting for is finally taking form.

- haji

TLers have traversed oceans, spent sleepless nights in hotel rooms and given up food, drink and clean clothes to get their hands on this latest offering from Blizzard. Why? Because we know, we sense that this could be something great. A game that transcends the traffic jam of thousands of titles released every year. A game that captures us, and brings us together to play for years to come. Many months, and countless theorycrafting sessions down the road, we're finally here and,

We are here, we are many, we are ready. Today, with the beta announcement still fresh in our ears, Team Liquid is proud to announce its Starcraft 2 Beta Coverage arm. As always, when we deliver, we deliver in siege mode. Over the next few weeks as the beta unfolds, you are going to see TL's finest hands at work. From old schoolers like Nazgul and Drone, to contemporary giants like Nony, we're taking our coverage of SC2 above and beyond anything we've ever attempted before. Starting this week, we will give you coverage throughout the week, until the beta ends. From semi-daily News coverage under the banner of Beta Diaries to a weekly Beta Podcast brought to you by the legendary Day[9], TL News will be working overtime to make sure that you needn't go anywhere else for your Beta news. In fact, what better time than this to show you exactly what we're going to do?

Bonjour, Beta Page!

Once again, Team Liquid's wizards deliver. While a lot of staff members came together to nitpick the beta page, it was zatic who sat down and cranked out a working prototype in one weekend. Despite a very busy schedule, our resident vod machine has managed to give us a functional page by launch! From streams, to VODs, news and forum posts, this is TL's SC2 Beta coverage at a glance, and a must bookmark page if you plan on following the beta.

> SC2 Beta Page <

Hello Beta Diaries

Imagine Mark Twain kept a diary. Now imagine he was an accomplished Starcraft player, had a beta key and was willing to write weekly columns for TL. Now, thanks to the combined efforts of our SC2 Beta Coverage team, you don't have to. Here's what our pool of players are going to bring you every week.

Starcraft: Then and Now

By Nazgul and Drone

Every week, Team Liquid will kick off its beta coverage with the views of two veterans - players who have been around since Starcraft's infancy. Long before lurkers and DTs and medics, these players were playing the game, and indeed, playing competitively. Victor "Nazgul" Goossens and Eivind "Drone" Leknes are both members of the illustrious Liquid` clan, and were active in the Starcraft: Broodwar multiplayer scene from its earliest days. Now, they are here to give you the low down on what they think of Starcraft 2 and its ESPORTS potential.

Build by Build

By Nony

Next, we plan on bringing you nothing but the best in Team Liquid Theorycraft. In this beta diary, top American player Tyler "Nony" Wasieleski will tell you exactly what flies and fails in the beta. From builds to timings and counters, Nony obviously has a sound strategical knowledge of Starcraft: Broodwar and is sure to draw from this experience as he sets about exploring the new game. Be sure to catch him once a week with the what's what of competitive play.

Noob School / Eye on Esports

By Hot_Bid and Waxangel

Thursday is noob day at TL SC2 Beta Coverage. While we begin each with analysis from top players of two different eras, in our midweek beta diary we get down brass tacks. Hot_Bid, benevolent Administrator and CJ Entus fanboy at large will bring you the Starcraft 2 Beta from a noob's point of view. Join him weekly for a rundown of how SC2 looks to people who play the game mostly for fun.

"Welcome to Noob School. Here you will be learning how to abuse a mechanic for wins until Blizzard fixes it. The first thing I'm going to do is download, install, and go 1-Hatch Queen/Hydra rush someone to see if Blizzard nerfed the larvae injection mechanism. If they did, I'm going to hunt for the second most abusive mechanic and abuse that to as many wins as possible. If they didnt... well class will be very repetitive."
--Professor HotBid

The second part of our Thursday coverage is brought to you by WaxAngel, long time TeamLiquid writer and Korean progaming devotee. Blizzard has made it no secret that they want Starcraft 2 to have E-Sports success, and WaxAngel ponders how exactly it might fare in the arena of competitive gaming. Check in to see if Starcraft 2 has a chance at usurping its illustrious predecessor in Korea, and around the world.

G'Day, Day!

Player, commentator and entrepreneur, Sean "Day[9]" Plott needs no introduction. A top US Zerg and TSL caster, he is best known on Team Liquid for his Day9.tv shows in which he dissects and discusses Professional Starcraft. As a part of our Starcraft 2 Beta Coverage team, he'll be bringing you a weekly podcast with everything SC2B. Whether interviewing a guest or just going off on one of his usual rants, rest assured that Day is going to show us SC2 as we've never seen it before.

Sup, Beta Blog?

Of course, it's not like you nerds are ever going to be satisfied, right? But but but, only semi-daily updates? MOAR! Indeed, more, via the SC2B Coverage Beta Blog, an eclectic outpouring of coverage as and when it happens. From screenshots to rants and one liners, expect our beta players to vent and roar in this space. Keep it bookmarked, and watch out for DTs!

On Trial
So, our conclusion? None yet, obviously. Based on what we have seen and heard though, we're here to sincerely give Starcraft 2 a chance to be the game it could be. Not just a game, but as we've said before, a game. As the next weeks and months unfold before us, we'll be looking closely at this title and where Blizzard takes it. Given the right decisions are made, SC2 could very well be the game that captures the next generation of nerd.

Are we excited? Yes, and more than we've been in a while, in fact. We hope you are too, because no matter how much or how little you have followed SC2, the beta is certainly the place to start making real conclusions. As a News team, we're going to be busting out the coverage on a level even we've never tried to reach before, and rest assured that like always we're going to go all the way!

So play if you are fortunate, or read, watch and listen with us as Blizzard takes a game to generation, much like it did just over a decade ago. Will they succeed? Just like last time, it's you who decides. Game on, Team Liquid, game on!

This post was made by the Team Liquid Starcraft 2 Coverage Team. For more of TL's coverage, please visit the Team Liquid Starcraft 2 Beta Page.