It's been a long journey!

[Asfastasican]

So, Starcraft 2 was announced almost three years ago. On top of that, it's been over 11 years since SC1 since we've hoped for the sequel to be released.

Sure, those first 8 or so years weren't that bad since we've enjoyed 3 major Blizzard releases since then, but damn! We're going to get our hands on SC2 when its released three years after finding out about it! We've come to know SC2 before it has been even born. And what do we have to say for all of this? Well, we have a few memories of what will be barely remembered as SC2's alpha development.


First off, we experienced the first annoucement of SC2, when we first got a glimpse of the Protoss. They were the first race to be developed since the very beginning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30MBljXxg3M

This youtube video is pretty damn funny when you think about it. Do you guys even remember Soul Hunters? I mean damn! Has it been that long? Everything in this video has since been cut out of the game or redesigned since then! Mobile photon cannons? The Tempest? I'm not even sure if they changed Twight Archons to just plain Archons at this point even after trying the game at Blizzcon.

Terrans came next in line.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_bps...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaQ0m...eature=related

Remember how many times they've changed the Thor? Thors are built on the field in these videos and they were intended to be used for long ranged siege and to absorb some damage in return. They also had an awful turning speed at the time. Ghosts have probably been redesigned skillwise a handful of times since then. I doubt drop pods are even in the multiplayer or even single player game, last time I checked.

And of course Zerg were revealed to the public much later on and the development team has been trying to flesh this race out more ever since then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQoBnKa-e4E

Being able to Infest buildings is now a thing of the past. Queens have been changed a whole lot since we first saw them as well. What future changes will we see for the Zerg before release?

Just looking back on this soon to be 3 year period makes you realize how long it takes to make a game nowadays that has a fighting chance of being well played 10 years after release. Let's hope SC2 has more staying power than WC3 has had with its core game, or at least hope the editor will blow away anything Blizzard has created in the past. Who knows what mods or genres will be born through the power of the Galaxy editor?

[Sydarm]

its amazing how much has changed when you watch these old videos

[Godless]

lol soul hunters, i remember how much the community hated the "zealots on surfboards". blizz was pretty quick to get rid of them.

they're taking their sweet time in moving the thor to single-player only though.

[screw_ball69]

I forgot all about the Soul Hunters, thank god they got rid if them and the Tempest.

[Areoseph]

Sure has been a while indeed!

I remember when SC2 was announced three years ago. I'm in the Air Force and I had gone in to work that morning per usual. I was checking my email/setting up for the day, and a couple guys I worked with came tearing in giggling like little school girls. I asked them what was up and they kept squawking "haven't you heard? huh? SC2 was just announced yesterday!!". Now, of course, since I figured SC2 would never be announced in my lifetime, I was totally taken aback. I immediately got online and started checking websites, photos, videos. We literally had a 10 person group crowded around this one computer fawning over the SC2 announcement.

You know we've waited a long time when the Air Force completely geeked out at work over the announcement. I'm not sure we accomplished anything that day. Sorry to waste the taxpayers money haha

Areoseph

[//MavericK\\]

Oh man...I can remember watching that long Terran video over and over. I actually got sick of it after a while.

The past three years has been a bit rough...but the funny thing is, once we all finally have the game, we'll forget all about the long development time. It just wont really matter.

In fact, I'm confident I'm going to appreciate this game even more because of the long, sometimes truly maddening, wait.

[Sydarm]

wasnt the tempest just renamed to carrier? lol

[screw_ball69]

wasnt the tempest just renamed to carrier? lol

No, the tempest had a weird shield and could only attack ground units and it had a model overhaul.

[Sydarm]

No, the tempest had a weird shield and could only attack ground units and it had a model overhaul.

ah, i thought those shields were just the first graphics introduced before they had that bubble looking graphic

[Josue]

wasnt the tempest just renamed to carrier? lol

It was also recolored if I'm not mistaken.

Sure has been a while indeed!
[...]
Now, of course, since I figured SC2 would never be announced in my lifetime, I was totally taken aback.
[...]

quite a long time... I think it will be at least 12 years once the last expansion is released... like you, I thought I wouldn't see SC2 in my life time, now it feels so close that I can believe it!