No online replays! - Rob Pardo Interview

Interview with Rob Pardo


In the week of 22 - June 28, we were at Blizzard in Irvine to visit. In America we have some interviews with famous StarCraft 2 developers brought for you.

Question:
When I right click on a player do, I can then click "ignore" represent? Or anflüstern[whisper] him?

Rob Pardo:

Wow, it must I think. I can not exactly all right-click options remember, but I think there is a possibility right click on someone to whisper.

Question:
Is there anything that you would like to change, but it can not because of Battle.net?

Rob Pardo:

Let me think there is something that we want to change? We still have some challenges. We want e.g. the performance or increase the minimum system even further down the key. But what game features side, we are now quite happy. Of course there are always a few little things, but not based on lack of time. It is not that we would say "with more time we could solve this problem," that it relates more to matters of taste.

Question:
How many portrait animations have you for a single unit planned?

Rob Pardo:

I have no idea! * laughs * But Sammy could know. The content is rather a question to our team of artists. * laughs *

Question:
Is there something in StarCraft 2 where you think that you are personally a big help you?

Rob Pardo:

There are a lot of things. But it is difficult to answer. Often my ideas merge with those of the rest of the team and vice versa. Also I do not think this way. And often I am not the only one who has a certain idea. Ideas evolve just often in small teams, such as the avenger with his ability to jump over cliffs. Therefore I can not exactly tell you "this and that is my idea."

Question:
How many speakers are in the dialogues of the campaign to hear?

Rob Pardo:

Wow, but it really tricky questions! * laughs * That I do not know exactly. It sounds like a question Russle who knew das But I will not even guess, the whole units alone ... And yet even then the characters. Moreover, often several units of a speaker talking even while the characters have their own spokesperson.

Question:
Ok, we remain in singleplayer. You were already on the first part involved. We can see that the bonus missions already allusions to events in the future are made. Did you already had a plan how the story should go forward?

Rob Pardo:

We had no complete plan. We definitely had a rough plan what could happen. As Broodwar nearly 11 years came out, we talked of course about the Story of Starcraft 2nd In addition, it should also give books. So we have like so many times together and our rough outline of the story through. What units do we want to see? What kind of characters we want to see? All things just so.

Question:
Let us about the missions editor talking.

Rob Pardo:

On the, we are really proud. We have a lot of work put into it and want all the people can do what she also in Warcraft 3 can do. We want for Starcraft 2 have the same progress as Starcraft 1 to Warcraft 3rd We want this time also the better support Battle.net. We want e.g. Maps showing which are most popular and such a thing.

Question:
Is it possible for me to invite a friend to replay the same or look in my game einzuklinken?

Rob Pardo:

We make it safe for observers games. The players want to have something simple. We will not make head games, because it could lead to tampering. In the replays, it would be stupid as soon as the release of the game, but that will come later, perhaps. Just for clarification: Of course we have to release replays, but replays the invitation to be still not be there.[I assume this means you can't join a game that's already in progress.]

Question:
Will Battle.net be free or there are a few small fee features?

Rob Pardo:

This comes on the region. In Europe, something similar to as in the past. The largest part, well, everything will be in vain[free]. In Asia, could run a little differently. It will provide certain features for which you pay. Take a look at the whole of World of Warcraft. There must be for certain things, such as Server transfers paid. So it is perhaps something for Battle.net, but we want to be sure that the full width of the Battle.net can use if you just buy the game.

Question:
Many players may like to view VODs. In some games like GTA, there is an opportunity for players VODs incorporated. Do you plan something for Starcraft 2?

Rob Pardo:

That was a feature, which we gladly would have done, but it then has not worked. We had this cool idea from the replay editor, something we will perhaps in an attempt addon[expansion], but it is probably not in the release version included. You will VODs still the traditional way to create and publish them.

Question:
In Warcraft 3, there are rewards. Do you plan something for the new Battle.net, or in particular for Starcraft 2?

Rob Pardo:

There will be rewards for the singleplayer and the Battle.Net give. But the rewards from the singleplayer need to get into Battle.Net login.

Question:
How will this work? Does it actually in the singleplayer Battle.net? Or do you just log in and then goes into the normal singleplayer?

Rob Pardo:

We want to encourage people to move with the community to be associated even if they play the singleplayer. I mean, it is not mandatory, you can also complete the singleplayer offline play. If you e.g. a friend did while playing the singleplayer but still connected, you can still write to him, etc.

Question:
Is there a possibility of Starcraft in LAN mode to play? E.g. Dream on the console hack?

Rob Pardo:

We have no plans for a LAN mode support. Who wants to play in multiplayer have to use Battle.Net.

Question:
Ok, so this is similar to Diablo3.

Rob Pardo:

Exactly.

Question:
It is said that it will be possible a few Protoss missions in Wings of Liberty play.

Rob Pardo:

Ähh, yes. In the Wings of Liberty campaign, 95% Terran missions. But we have a small addition to the story itself revolves around the Protoss. There it is possible to Protoss missions to play. But these are really very few compared to the Terran missions.

Question:
You said that there is no LAN will support. If you always have to be online, what is the minimum requirement on the Internet?

Rob Pardo:

I'm not sure honestly. I think we still have no limit. "As low as it goes" * smiles * I think we do similar to the graphic requirements. We look forward to what people have to try and 90% of people to reach.

Question:
So it is quite low at the end be?

Rob Pardo:

Jap.

Question:
Do you plan something like a league with live commentary, etc.?

Rob Pardo:

Yes, of course, we have made for Warcraft 3 and we will of course our future games at least as much support as the former.

Question:
Will it also give Baltte.Net tournaments in which players can be created?

Rob Pardo:

The times we originally wanted to have, we have talked about. We will not have from the beginning. At the beginning we started the first of Rob Pardoard-wire system.

Question:
How high is the chance that Rob Pardoard Starcraft 2 even on a game console rausbringt?

Rob Pardo:

0%. We want the game as well as it is and then look for which platforms are suitable. We can simply not imagine that a real-time strategy titles such as Starcraft 2 in the same quality on a console could publish. We had tried Starcraft 1 on the N64 to publish, it is still playable, but it is something quite different than on the PC. And this difference is not what we want.

Question:
Many players do not play on the Battle.Net but ICCup. Will you such additional servers for StarCraft 2 permit?

Rob Pardo:

No. This is partly the reason why we do not allow LAN games. We want all players on Battle.Net play and that this is a great game experience. If people have a reason not to want to play Battle.Net We want to improve Battle.Net.

Question:
They use their own modified version of Battle.Net.

Rob Pardo:

That is even worse. * laughs * This is called a pirate service.

Question:
Do you have a plan replays should be supporting that you make a click somewhere and it is because Replaypack Battle.Net on a page or YouTube or something to load?

Rob Pardo:

We want to make something. They think we are still after. But we can not replay in an AVI file or something to convert. But that would be cool.

Question:
Is there such thing as a replay client that only replays can play?

Rob Pardo:

I know what you are talking about. But this is something that we do not want. Warcraft 3 was the big problem that replays are not compatible with other versions of the game were. You play as a game, save the replay and then we patch the game. The old replay would no longer be playable. And we definitely want to improve. It should not be important in what version of the game the replay was saved. You should always be able to play.

Question:
Let us a little about the Battle.Net talk. This alternative Battle.net which we have spoken to has a slightly different ranking system than Battle.net, which is very popular. Do you think about this other ranking system in the new Battle.net to use?

Rob Pardo:

We have an entirely new system for Battle.net. We also have no problem with other people who have a different system want. They are merely playing on Battle.net.

Question:
How many missions did actually the Terran campaign?

Rob Pardo:

The Terran campaign is about as big as the 3 campaigns of StarCraft 1 together. However, I can not exactly tell you how many missions they keep ready for you, because you so choose your own missions can. It depends so entirely on player. But overall, we have about 30 missions of which you can choose.

Question:
And how long does it approximately to the campaign go through?

Rob Pardo:

Well, that depends on how well you play. * laughs * I'd say anything from 30 to 60 hours. Depending on how much time you can be everything to explore and consider how you're the enemy to completely destroy it. I think if you would try a new time record, perhaps you would need 20 hours, if you already know everything, etc. A little guidance is perhaps that you have any missions for about 30 to 60 minutes will.