StarCraft II Q&A Batch 51

[Grrblt]

No, that's not how it will work. It's not magical forwards compatibility (being compatible with something that doesn't exist). What they will do is keep the old code for the AI (if they update it in patches) in the game, and switch based on the game's version.

As long as it's just numbers (damage, HP, mineral cost etc) getting updated, there's no reason they couldn't make it work both ways.

[Zabimaru]

Am I the only one who is excited like a kid just like I was when SC2 was announced?

I was, but it died. But on the eve of SC2’s release, I’m sure it’ll come rushing back again.

[Nicol Bolas]

As long as it's just numbers (damage, HP, mineral cost etc) getting updated, there's no reason they couldn't make it work both ways.

Yes, but that was true for SC1/WC3. Because replays rely on the AI working the same at the time the replay is replayed as it did when the replay was created, it is AI changes that created incompatibilities in replays. There were plenty of versions of SC1 patching that didn't make replays unviewable, but there were some that did. Those that did changed the AI.

[GeeGee]

Disappointing Q&A as expected.

With the way Blizzard releases information, I may as well quit fantasizing about the beta being released any time soon.

[Metalhanger89]

I want to see the deaths caused by a nuke

[Arathon]

Does it bother anyone else how ridiculous the Hydralisk's spine attack looks shooting up in a high arc, and then zooming down at it's target? They should be bullet-like and fire straight at the target, not be launched up like a mortar..

Now that you mention it...YES. That animation looks really ridiculous, in my opinion. I really hope they'll change that. Bullet-like would be excellent, in my opinion.

Part of the reason it looks so ridiculous is that it's clearly exaggerating the effects of gravity. The spines are descending at a speed way too fast to be anything remotely resembling Earth gravity, and while we're obviously not necessarily dealing with planets of mass equal to ours, it's probably reasonable to aim for something in that general vicinity. Better yet, though, just make the animations uncurved and avoid that problem altogether!

[Nicol Bolas]

Bullet-like would be excellent, in my opinion.

Yes, because a Hydralisk throwing a bullet makes much more sense...

Part of the reason it looks so ridiculous is that it's clearly exaggerating the effects of gravity.

You could say the same thing about arrows in any RTS game except maybe the Total War series.

[Equiliari]

Yes, because a Hydralisk throwing a bullet makes much more sense...

Not throwing, but like in the original SC; shooting. There are tons of organisms that are able to shoot projectiles in nature, there is no reason why the Hydralisk should throw the projectiles instead of shooting them.
I always imagined the hydralisk having several small chambers with spines in it. Theese chambers then shoot the spines out kinda like how some sea creatures (Like theese) or plants (Like this) do that somehow reloads somehow after each discharge.

In a different note, if you search through the soundfiles in SC, you can find the original Hydralisk attack sound. It sounds much more like a spine attack rather than an acid spit attack.

[easyemail]

with all the spins that hydralisk have shot out. If they are so strong to even neosteel. I was wonder how about a ship built on hydralisk needles. melt it down and build a ship that is indestructible to hydralisk. just a side thought.

[Zigurd]

I find the Hydras attack submissive and ridiculous. How are we supposed to believe a normal speed traveling arrow can penetrate armor ?

Bitches be crazy.