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Blizzard updated [URL=""http://www.starcraft2.com""]StarCraft2.com[/URL] today with a new Protoss unit, the [B][COLOR=Yellow]Observer[/COLOR][/B].
[quote=StarCraft2.com]These small drones are employed to survey vast wasteland areas or observe and record battles for study within the Protoss archives. Their complex sensor array leaves little energy for defenses, but they can detect cloaked or concealed enemies with ease. This ability makes observers invaluable auxiliary units on the battlefield.
Observers that are used for deep-space exploration are often deployed without any form of defensive systems. However, those destined for use in a combat zone are equipped with a micro-cloaking field to hide them from the enemy. The small sensor signature of an observer means that the drone does not have to drain its energy in order to maintain the field over long periods.[/quote]
Besides the Observer, Blizzard also added various interesting art pieces to the site, including Jim Raynor in a Marine suit and what seems to be Dark Templar ornaments and unknown buildings. There are already some speculations that the structures below are Xel'naga in origin:
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[LEFT]Who knows?
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Source:
[URL=""http://www.starcraft2.com/features/protoss/observer.xml""]StarCraft2.com Official Update: The Protoss Observer[/URL]"
 Medievaldragon from Blizzplanet.com recently posted his second interview with Christie Golden, the author of the The Dark Templar Trilogy. He asked her a number of excellent questions about the upcoming second book and how it all will tie together. It's been noted before by Metzen himself that these novels will serve as a prolouge to the SCII single player campaign. The second book in the series is set to be released on November 27, 2007. Be sure to check out both this interview and the book! From this awesome interview: 8. Will we see Tassadar's memories within Zamara, the Preserver?
Christie: Yes. I'll continue using the motif of a friend of the great protoss figure to show readers these very important protoss in history. I'm really enjoying it, moreso than actually doing the point of view of Khas or\'82\'c4\'b6others.
9. What should we expect in Starcraft: The Dark Templar, Shadow Hunters and the upcoming third book: Twilight?
Christie: Much more protoss culture. More revelations about the Xel'Naga. Betrayals and twists. Some characters won't make it. Hints at what you'll see in the game. Big battles and very quiet intimate moments. Source:Blizzplanet's Christie Golden Interview #2Read an Excerpt from Book II
"  Today Blizzard released information on the Terran's new "discovery" building: The Sensor Tower. From StarCraft2.com: Top Terran military analysts all agree that "Knowing is half the battle" and that early warning is one of the keys to victory. The sensor tower is a vital tool for long-range surveillance of enemy movement and the detection of stealthed aggressors. Sensor towers are a lynchpin of terran base defenses, and as such, they need to be heavily guarded. A smart attacker will try to destroy sensor towers as the first priority.
A sensor tower processes a whole battery of input, constantly updating a commander's knowledge of the battlefield. By using both passive and active thermal and electromagnetic scanning mixed with millimetric radar sweeps, input from seismic sensors, and Doppler analysis, a sensor tower can quickly pinpoint any target within range. Even foes that are out of sight behind terrain can be detected, although a visual verification will still be required to positively identify them.
The downside to all this multi-spectrum output is that foes can easily detect the presence of a sensor tower and use it to identify the whereabouts of a terran base. Other strategies revolve around "spoofing" the tower with decoy units or simply staying outside its range. Terran commanders have been known to counter by erecting sensor towers in fake base locations just to keep enemies guessing. Everyone has seen these new buildings in the demo videos and at BlizzCon they were pretty impressive. Definitely adds a different dimmension to early detection and it'll be interesting to see how these play out. Source: StarCraft2.com Update: The Sensor Tower"
The mighty iconic flagship of the Protoss fleet has docked at the StarCraft2.com site! I'm sure we all remember a time when the Tempest seemed destined to replace our beloved capitol ship. But the Carrier is back, and here's what it's official profile on StarCraft2.com has to say about the Protoss' aerial fortress! Builds From: Stargate
Armament: Interceptors
Role: Capital Ship
The massive carriers serve as operations centers for leaders of the protoss fleets. Heavily armored and shielded, carriers can punch their way through enemy blockades by unleashing flights of robotic interceptors at vital enemy targets. These maneuverable, computer-guided craft tear through enemy flight formations and relentlessly strafe slower ground targets with potent plasma charges.
Interceptors are automatically manufactured and serviced inside the carriers’ bays, and a number of prepped interceptors can be launched in rapid succession. In battle, carriers appear to be virtual hornets’ nests of activity as their agile offspring dart out to launch their attacks and retreat just as rapidly to repair any damage they sustain. Terran scientists have long yearned for an opportunity to study just how the smoothly orchestrated operations of a carrier are achieved in detail.
Most carriers have no weapon batteries of any kind, but their deployment of interceptor flights makes them devastating in a ship-to-ship battle. However, a handful of heavily armed "super carriers" exist, most famously the Gantrithor. This was the flagship of Executor Tassadar when he led a protoss expeditionary force in its attempts to eradicate the zerg in terran space. The Gantrithor was powerful enough that it single-handedly defeated an entire terran battlecruiser squadron under the command of General Edmund Duke. Tassadar later sacrificed himself and his ship to destroy the zerg Overmind when it manifested on Aiur. The Carrier is back, it still has that flurry of drones to launch, and Tassadar is still revered as a mighty hero. Ah, the more things change, the more they really do stay the same. Our old pal Karune also had this to say on the Carrier's demo video on the site. The Carrier is not at all balanced in that video. The video is more showing off the animations involved in the Carrier's attack, so no need to worry about it being completely 'nerfed.' Furthermore, Blizzard revealed the artwork for the new Protoss Executor, Selendis (who was originally revealed by Metzen on BlizzCon): 
(Press for a full-size version)
Thankfully, It currently seems like Blizzard abandoned the awkward "female Protoss with breasts" concept that could be seen in some old StarCraft: Ghost screenshots. Source: StarCraft2.com - the Carrier
 Today Blizzard finally released the Official FanSite Kit to the public on StarCraft2.com: The Complete FanSite Kit:
The assets in our official StarCraft II Fansite Kit are a potential bonanza for those who wish to build their own StarCraft II related fansites. This downloadable package contains the following content, including some exclusive assets:
-Art assets including screenshots, concept art, hi-res logos, and wallpapers
-Site design elements including borders, backgrounds, fonts, and stylesheets
-Exclusive content: Unit renders and forum avatars / Messenger images
-StarCraft II fact sheet and FAQ
-Sample StarCraft II text content
-Site building tips Be sure to check it out. Even if you don't make a site it's got some very nice stuff included. I'm sure you'll see some of it integrated into our designs in the near future. Source: StarCraft II Complete FanSite Kit
 The Monthly Fansite Discussion Topic for October: Battle.net is now live! Battle.net is a topic that everyone has a wish list or ideas for. Blizzard has said that the Battle.net expierence is evolving but no specific details have been released. Now it's your turn to be heard. What do you want to see in the next version of Battle.net? What features are most important to you? Check out our thread or reply to this thread. At the end of the month we'll aggregate the information and send it to the devs. Thanks very much to everyone that participated in the September discussion on the Mothership. SC:L/BF produced one of the most productive feedback threads on the net! Here is part of Karune's Battle.net post: Thank you to all those who have participated in last months discussion about the Protoss Mothership. It was a fierce debate over what the community felt about the Mothership being unique or no unique. I will relay feedback from both the Battle.net and Fan Site Community to the Dev Team and give you an update later in the month.
October Discussion Topic: StarCraft IIs Battle.net Features and Wishlist
As our Dev Team works hard on StarCraft II, so is our Battle.net team, in creating an online experience that will achieve the same pioneering spirit of the original Battle.net, as well as evolve the StarCraft II Community in refreshing and innovative ways. One of many new features that have been included in Battle.net is voice chat, providing better communication for more precise attacks and counterattacks with your teammates. Tell Blizzard what else you would like to see! You can read the rest here! Battle.net is for the players - so what do you want? You can post your suggestions/comments in either the Battle.net thread, here, or in our official Blizzforum's thread (where it will receive constructive criticism and individual attention). Sources: Official Blizzforum's Discussion TopicOfficial Battle.net Post
 The mighty Battlecruiser has returned! From the offical StarCraft2.com update: Battlecruiser
Builds From: Starport
Armament: Laser Batteries, Yamato Cannon, Plasma Torpedoes
Role: Capital Ship
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These massive, heavily armored combat ships are virtual flying fortresses, built to keep the peace and dominate the space lanes of the Koprulu sector. Outfitted with bristling laser batteries and thick neosteel armor, these imposing vessels are among the most powerful to be found in terran space. Many commanders use battlecruisers as their command vessels during extended campaigns. There are several examples of vessels specifically refitted for this purpose, such as General Duke’s Norad II and Norad III, as well as the battlecruiser Hyperion commanded by Jim Raynor.
The old Behemoth-class battlecruiser has proven to be an enduring design when kept up to date with periodic upgrades. Even the more modern Hercules- and Minotaur-class ships have retained the distinctive hammerhead shape which so defines the classic terran battlecruiser. Research has led to the development of two alternative weapon upgrades that can be retrofitted into a battlecruiser hull to supplement its already formidable armament.
The Yamato cannon is a terrifying weapon that uses an intense magnetic field to focus a nuclear detonation into a cohesive beam of energy. The cannon requires a huge reserve of energy to fire, but its effects on the target are impressive, to say the least. Plasma torpedoes give battlecruisers an armament capable of saturating a target area with a lethal deluge of fire, ideal for breaking up oncoming attack waves or ravaging a defensive position. As with the Yamato cannon, a battlecruiser needs to build up a sufficient reserve of energy to unleash a plasma torpedo bombardment. The Terran weapons of war are being upgraded - but will they be enough to stop the reunited Protoss or the relentless Zerg? Source: StarCraft2.com - The Battlecruiser
Coming straight from Karune, here is the 50th batch of questions and answers. Chat with Devs: StarCraft II from its conception has been designed to be an eSport and one of the backbone features to helping players learn more about their own gameplay as well as their opponents is through replays. In our chat with Dustin this week, he highlighted various features that will be available to players while viewing replays. These features are designed both to help players improve in StarCraft II as well as serve as a platform of statistics for eSports commentary.
• How much damage did that Reaper raid do on the enemy economy?
• Does it look like the enemy is going to be able to make a comeback?
• Is that player walking into a losing battle?
These are all questions that are raised in exciting competitive games and replays. With the new replay system, players and eSports casters will be able to follow these games in much more depth, as well as understand the repercussions of players’ major decisions on the battlefield. Players will be able to easily compare statistics of opposing players in real time as well as make their own predictions based on stats comparing army size, resource collection rate, resource allocations, and tech research in progress.
Reapers Raiding Zerg’s Economy
http://www.battle.net/Images/misc/3-17/Replay_UI%20_Resources_1.jpg
http://www.battle.net/Images/misc/3-17/Replay_UI%20_Resources_2.jpg
Comparing Army Sizes
http://www.battle.net/Images/misc/3-17/Replay_UI%20_Units_1.jpg
** Replay UI is still very much work in progress
*** Shown are two tabs of various info tabs the player will be able to view while viewing a replay
As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if you're enjoying these Q&As!
---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 50---
1. Overlord can be upgraded to carry units, and spawn creep, and Overseer can detect, spawn changeling, and has a longer line of sight. Why not just have the Overlord upgraded with these abilities, rather than have him transform? – Mooiki (Lordaeron)
We want each race’s detection ability to be well balanced. We don’t want to see every Overlord with detection after upgrading the ability once at Lair. Separating detection capability into two units creates important choices for Zerg players, to ensure their army has enough support of each type available.
2. Any support for stereoscopic play? - Ylleks (Azeroth)
Stereoscopic vision can be an interesting feature, as we’ve seen with the recently added support in World of Warcraft and other games. For now however, the team is concentrating on the core aspects of StarCraft II and making sure the core features of the game that will be used by everyone are as good as can be. Later on down the road we can evaluate more features like this and see if they make sense to support in StarCraft II.
3. At previous events with playable StarCraft II stations we often saw players doing classic Brood War build orders and tactics. Taking all the new things into account, how far do you get with playing just like in Brood War? Is it a clear disadvantage or a good way to start? - instarcraft.de
It will depend on the player’s play type and creativity. The experience and skills from the original StarCraft will definitely help players get familiar with StarCraft II. However, there are a lot more units, abilities, and buildings in StarCraft II than the original StarCraft. Players can always start out playing in the way that they used to play in the original StarCraft. As they grow more comfortable with the game they can begin exploring the new units and abilities and discover lots of new strategies. It’s not a matter of advantage or disadvantage, it depends more on the players’ play styles and preferences.
4. Will it be possible to use characters to colour ingame text like in SC1? – StarCraftWire.net
No, currently there is no in-game colored text support. Colored text was a neat trick in the original game, but we wanted to ensure that all in-game communication is clear and easily-readable, so we’re only supporting default text style.
5. In the single player, you said we can choose from the missions and the way we want to go forward. Will it be like we definitely will play all the missions and we can choose the order, or does it mean that probably we will miss some missions? – StarCraft II Hungary
In most cases, you’ll be able to go back and explore a mission branch that you skipped earlier in the campaign, so you can experience almost all of the missions in a single play-through of the campaign. There may be a couple of rare cases where a choice you make closes off a mission, however.
6. Will campaign decisions in the Terran portion affect campaign outcomes/branches in the Zerg and Protoss portions? - TheWarCenter
We looked into this possibility, but after some debate, we decided it was most important that each campaign delivers a self-contained, yet epic storyline. Giving each campaign a single start and ending was the best way to ensure a coherent plot.
7. In the original StarCraft, you could make the Lurker (through bug use), while burrowed, hold fire until told to attack, something which led to many exciting situations. Are there any plans to include a “hold fire” command for the Lurker in SC2? In addition, worker units lacked Hold and Patrol commands in SC, will this be the case in SC2 as well? – Team Liquid (Zanric)
There is no hold fire command for Lurker in the current build. However we will look into every possibility that encourages more tactical, exciting gameplay and keeps the game balanced.
---End of Transmission---
Source: Battle.net - StarCraft II Q&A Batch 50 StarCraft II Q&A Batch Archive - Batch 50
"Karune is back with Q&A number 19.
[quote] I hope everyone enjoyed our last batch of Q&As about Map Making, which is just the beginning of a series. This batch, we have a new set of exciting community questions about StarCraft II as well as reasonings to why Devs make the decisions they do. In addition, we also have a mini chat with devs about all the new changes that they are continuing to experiment with.
I also want to wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween!
Chat with Devs: Since the Terran Cobra took over the Protoss Stasis Orbs slowing attack, the Protoss Orb got a few new abilities including the Force Field ability. This will be very interesting for early team games, as you can use a force field on a choke point to keep an opponent's teammate from arriving to help their allies. The Devs are testing out various abilities on different units as you can see, and even the Templar has received its classic Hallucination ability back.
As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a [color=""white""][b]w00t[/color][/b] if your enjoying these Q&As!
---StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 19---
1. Will the Protoss be getting any mechanism for healing their units or repairing their buildings?
There are no plans to give the Protoss any healing abilities, especially since their shield regeneration rate when out of combat, is more than twice the rate of the original StarCraft.
2. With the new physics engine, can explosions affect surroundings? (like hurt or push units, destroy doodads, etc ) (sc2blog.com)
Explosions will not be able to push units, but they can destroy doodads. In fact, destroying certain doodads will be vital on certain maps, to get access to expansions or other strategic locations. Furthermore, explosions will not be able to push units because it would affect gameplay and balance negatively, in having units be knocked off cliffs, be stuck in unplanned locations, or ultimately have units disoriented where the player cannot control them.
3. How long does a unit typically take to make from concept to playable unit?
With a finished concept piece, it could take from a few days to a few months, to create it for the game. Much of this time depends on the priority of the unit amongst other development goals, as well as the iterations necessary to perfect the unit. The Zerg Baneling is an example of a unit that took only a few days to complete after the concept, whereas the Protoss Stalker has gone through several iterations, and has taken 4-5 months.
4. Are the units on the official site finalized, or is everything still up for grabs at this point? (gamereplays.org)
We are still heavily in the development phase of StarCraft II, thus none of the units on the website are 100% final. We are also still testing out several new units, abilities, and mechanics, to create the most fluid StarCraft II experience.
5. What do the Protoss eat? (where do they get energy and mass?) (starcraftcz.com)
Protoss gain nutrition from sunlight, or at a pinch, moonlight (which is just reflected sunlight anyway) by absorbing through their skins. They can go for extended periods without absorbing sunlight. What little moisture they need is also absorbed through their skin.
---End of Transmission---[/quote]
Looks like the High Templar is back to his classic spells in the current testing build, and the inclusion of destructible doodads is sure to open up a wide variety of strategies in maps. And finally an absolute answer to one of the Protoss' many mysteries!"
Source:
[url=http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?fn=sc2-general&t=60845&p=1&#post60845]Karune's Q&A - Batch 19[/url] StarCraft II Q&A Batch Archive - Batch 19
" Karune has just posted Batch 18 of his Q&A. This time around, he gets a bunch of questions about ScumEdit answered. Hope everyone had a great weekend! For this batch, I'm pleased to announce the introduction of the Map Maker Series of Q&As, which will be mixed in periodically with our traditional batches of Q&As, to give map makers the 'heads up' on our powerful Map Editor for StarCraft II. I know many of you have great plans for mods and maps for StarCraft II, so I can't wait to tell you more about the program you'll be using.
Answering questions, we have Brett Wood, our StarCraft II Senior Software Engineer, but better known as our 'Superfly Father of ScumEdit Programmer by Day Ninja by Night.'
As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if your enjoying these Q&As!
---StarCraft II Q&A Batch 18: Map Maker Series---
1) Will doodad placement values increase? (ie, more than 256)
We expect the doodad placement value will be on the same order as Warcraft III, which I believe was something like 10,000, so definitely way more than 256.
2) Will the number of available locations/triggers increase? The current limit on locations really cramps some ideas.
Any limits on both regions and triggers will be at least in the thousands.
3) Will the new map editor include ALL the triggers in the program unlike Staredit?
Yes, even moreso than Warcraft IIIs WorldEdit. Weve been making a point of ensuring that ALL script functionality is also exposed in the Trigger Editor UI.
4) Will max unit limits increase? The current unit limit on maps is quite a crimper, and nobody likes CCMU (cannot create more units).
I dont recall the exact unit limit in the original StarCraft, but the StarCraft II limit will likely be a healthy boost over the limit in Warcraft III. The exact value hasnt been nailed down yet and will depend on optimizations near the end of the project (i.e. shortly before release).
5) Will the new map editor include unused units such as the crashed scouts, turrets, eggs, nukes, scarabs, crash command center, etc? Third party programs were needed to use these.
All units defined in the data files will be usable in the editor. I believe this was true in Warcraft III as well.
---End of Transmission---
Just a bit of info for all the mappers out there, restating that the editor will go above and beyond that of WorldEdit for Warcraft III."
Source:
Karune's StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 18
StarCraft II Q&A Batch Archives - Batch 18
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