Patch 9 Undocumented changes

New Portraits:
-Banshee portrait
-Marauder now has a vocal synethesizer that works (the 2 lights change in intensity as he speaks)
-Sentry portrait corrected
-New Dark Templar portrait to match model
-Added new glow to Stalker portrait
-Thor portrait now is constantly changing color
-Animated Egg sac portrait (wasn't animated before)
-Tweaked Protoss nexus portrait with less glow
-Tweaked Probe background
-Tweaked Zealot background, now is completely dark more focus on zealot
-Tweaked Hellion Portrait to make him look cooler and more concerned.
-Tweaked Ghost portrait (more contrast between smoke)
-Tweaked many camera orientations for Portraits to make them more focused on the character.
-Tweaked Terran adjutant portrait to give her a more concerned look
-Tweaked Corruptor with new background
-Tweaked Observer with star background

New Sound effects:
-New Zealot attack sound
-New Nexus chrono boost sound
-A few new death sounds and blood splatter sounds
-Cleaned up Phoenix sound effect
-Cleaned up many other sound effects to be more obvious.

Art / Texture updates:
-New Zerg creep tumor texture
-New Baneling morphing texture (thankfully)
-multiple updates to bloodsplatter animation.
-New Thor hit animation
-New morphing model for Spire
-Warp in animation touched up (more obvious signs of warping in) and now has a small orange colored circle
-New scanner animation
-All Zerg buildings now animate when researching something.
- Hellion upgrade now makes it shoot blue flames

Music updates:
-Tweaked Terran to be less mellow.
-New Protoss soundtrack

Interface updates:
-Improved art for menu items (lots of new gradients)
-Revamped the help screen to include tutorials, etc
-Individual race mouse cursors
-New loading screen

Miscellaneous updates:
-Hydralisk, Zerlings and Ultralisks can now cheer.

I've only just got into beta, but if I'm not mistaken I think the Warp-in has a slight touch to it now for the animation. I think there's a little circle or something underneath units that you warp in.

By the way what's new about the banshee portrait? I've never paid attention to it.

Seems like they're really polishing it. Now, please change that ugly Carrier model...

If possible I would like to see portraits...thanks for information wankey.

Hellion's pre-ignitor upgrade now makes the fire light blue. :D

You forgot about the new scanner sweep animation that the Terran has.. =D

Hydra/Zergling/Thor can all /dance and /cheer now :p

The Terran Adjutant' portrait also changed slightly. Her face has this very weird and slightly concerned expression now, as opposed to being more expressionless.

All Zerg buildings have an animation when researching now. Previously, only the Evolution Chamber did.

You mentioned the morphing model for the Spire, but you may want to state that it's specifically for when it morphs into a Greater Spire. It's pretty sick :).

yea i noticed the nexus portrait seems different. before he looked happy and smiling (kinda weird cuz it has no mouth) but now it seems more stern :D

Do we have pictures of these new portrait updates? I'd like to see these.

Looks like the corrupter got a new portrait as well.

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Originally Posted by Hav0x

Looks like the corrupter got a new portrait as well.

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Oh yeah forgot about that :p. It's just a new background, though.

I believe the Brood Lord's is slightly changed, as well.

Anyone else hoping they'll continue to touch-up details like this as the beta goes on? New Carrier and High Templar models, please?

The reason I mention this is that this patch was toted as a big content update; so I'm really hoping that they'll continue to tweak and polish more than just the game's balance from this point forward.

Do I expect updated models and sounds in every patch? No.

Well I highly doubt the carrier and High Templar will be remodelled. They're really just gonna touch up remaining effects, animations, and polish a few textures here and there. The soundscape is really what they're looking after now I think. Remodelling a new unit would be pretty crazy Blizzard work right now. I do hope they reintroduce the Carrier in Singleplayer as the Tempest and then create a whole new model for the carrier.

I'd like to see more sound updates, yeah. That's what they should be focusing on imo :P.

They also Tweaked the viking portrait.

Are you sure about the Terran music?

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Originally Posted by sandwich_bird

They also Tweaked the viking portrait.

Are you sure about the Terran music?

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I think a couple parts of the songs are refined a bit more -- with a more clear guitar sound. Least that's what I'm finding in-game.

1. There are critters now, at least on Twilight Fortress (not sure about other maps).
2. New art for many upgrades.
3. The archon no longer attacks with only the same, single-handed animation. There now three: the original animation, another single-handed attack in which the archon leans back, and a double-handed attack.
4. The roach's appearance now reflects its regeneration upgrade (or was it always like this?).

Can whe have some images or videos showing the changes?

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Originally Posted by sandwich_bird

They also Tweaked the viking portrait.

Are you sure about the Terran music?

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I noticed no change in Viking. Are you sure?

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Originally Posted by Wankey

I noticed no change in Viking. Are you sure?

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Yeah 99.9% sure. It used to be my portrait before patch 9 so I saw it a lot. They changed the lightning effects on the armor and on the helmet. This might only show on ultra settings though but I'm pretty sure they refined it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sandwich_bird

Yeah 99.9% sure. It used to be my portrait before patch 9 so I saw it a lot. They changed the lightning effects on the armor and on the helmet. This might only show on ultra settings though but I'm pretty sure they refined it.

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I gotta say that I didn't notice any difference :p.

It's worth noting, however, that the 2d portraits are often different-looking than the 3D one, such as the Roach :].

I want to see this changes.... anybody with SC2 care to make a small video about this??????

Good eye Wankey. Now that you've mentioned it, here's a few others I'm noticing. Apologize if these have been mentioned in this thread which I haven't read completely yet.

- Observer has a new portrait with stars in the bg.
- Archon has new attack animations. He'll now emit beams from both hands at the time time, or attack from the side.
- Sounds like the Immortal got a new sound effect when the hardened shield activates.

Immortal's hardened shield had the sound effect, it was just quiet. They've upped the volume.

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Originally Posted by Wankey

Immortal's hardened shield had the sound effect, it was just quiet. They've upped the volume.

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They've also slightly upped voice volumes I think, which is a huge change in the right direction.

I still have absolutely no memory of the sounds SC2 zerg units make though :/

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Originally Posted by newcomplex

They've also slightly upped voice volumes I think, which is a huge change in the right direction.

I still have absolutely no memory of the sounds SC2 zerg units make though :/

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You cant possibly tell me you never heard the seagulls??

any screen or video???

Greater spire animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EvY7_e3_3I

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Originally Posted by newcomplex

They've also slightly upped voice volumes I think, which is a huge change in the right direction.

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I've noticed more audible voice, but the sound cue's seem to be buggy or easily interrupted. If you click over and over on a unit they don't seem to speak as much.

They did a really nice job syncing the marine's mouth with the phrase he speaks. Don't remember if it was always like this. The level of detail and polish they've brought this game to is astounding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7XPQ_Q9je4&

any change high templar sound..in my opinion this is epic fail...


btw : thanks to spire animation TheRabidDeer

Man, you hate everything :D

What don't you like about the voice?

Omg I never clicked on my units on SC2. I forgot they had these quotes. That High Templar clip is hilarious Lol.

Ride the lightning!

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Originally Posted by TheRabidDeer

Greater spire animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EvY7_e3_3I

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I hurts to think they're using Spine Crawlers to attack and not awesome tentacles like that.

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Originally Posted by DemolitionSquid

and not awesome tentacles like that.

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I bet you came.

Lets hope for more art improvements like those in the next patches...Samwise cant dissapoint us.

One change is when you scroll down and have health-bars showing they don't cover the units face,
ex: Zealot

I played against the Zerg "Very Easy" AI and noticed that it built mutas, which it used to not do. I think some similar changes have come to the Protoss and Terran AIs, but I have yet to test them out.