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For those of you not aware, Jim Rossignol is a games reviewer and one of the members of Rock, Paper, Shotgun - a PC gaming blog/news site that is the amalgamation of the writing skills of four British games journalists.  He recently uploaded an article he wrote a few years ago after visiting Korea.  Although it's a little old, it's all still relevant, well written and features a good amount of StarCraft-related content.  A must read for those of you interested in StarCraft's fourth race.

Source:
Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Korea

As we reported last week, iccup has now come back up and is once again providing a premium Battle.netesque service.  Season 7 has already started.

Please note that Iccup is not using the recently released patch 1.16.0 due to the appearance of bugs and lag that came with this latest update.  Their downloads section has a fully compatible version of StarCraft available, already equipped with all the necessary maps - though some additional maps are available in the official map pack.

Definitely check it out; it's a blast and a great way to improve your SC skills!

Source:
Iccup.com

Some of you may be familiar with iccup, the StarCraft (among other games) custom battle.net style ladder.  For those of you who aren't, think of it as a battle.net for "pros", although anyone can play there.  The average skill level is usually vastly superior to standard battle.net, although there are no UMS games played (1v1s and 2v2s only).  Normally I'd suggest that anyone interested in improving their play should go check it out.

Only it's down, and has been for a few days.  Displaying nothing but that countdown.  Rumors as to a NASA takeover (notice the space shuttle) are running rampant throughout the community.  Slightly more likely (and with the added benefit of being vaguely sane) is a website revamp - the old one wasn't exactly great - a new season and a server migration.  This combines to make it a perfect time to get in on the action.  All will be revealed in a few days and we hope to see you all online afterwards.

Source:
International Cyber Cup

Earlier today Blizzard released a major patch for StarCraft. The patch made the following changes:

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- patch 1.16.0
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Feature Changes

- In-game chat is now saved in replays. Note: whispers are not saved.
- Hitting the Escape key while in the chat room will clear your typed text.
- "/reply" (or just "/r") will send a whisper to person who most recently whispered you.

Bug Fixes

- Fixed localization issues with "from" and "to" in whispers.
- Starcraft now only uses as much CPU as it needs to run smoothly.

Exploits

- Fixed an exploit which allowed Zerg players to gain minerals through mutations.
- Fixed an exploit which allowed Zerg players to recycle an upgrading building.
- Fixed an exploit which allowed Zerg players to extend their creep with a drone.
- Fixed an exploit which allowed Zerg players to move Drones over impassable terrain.
- Fixed an exploit which allowed Terran players to drop a nuke anywhere on the map.
- Fixed an exploit which allowed players to pause the game while in the pre-game lobby.

This is an awesome patch. Most of the major bugs have been addressed and some nifty new features have been added - features that the community has asked for and will actually use. It looks like Blizzard is trying to make the change to SCII as smooth of a transition as possible.

Source:
StarCraft Broodwar Patch Information

BlizzPlanet has reported that Tokyopop's manga StarCraft: Frontline Volume 2 is due in January 2009:
 


Here are descriptions for some of the stories that will be included in the second volume:

The brutal... The menacing... The twisted... Confront the vast, renowned world of StarCraft inside this collection of mind-blowing adventures.

Heavy Armor ‚Äì Part 2 The adrenaline-pumping firefight between mentor and protv©gv© escalates to a fierce climax. Will the young Viking pilot outwit the man who taught him everything? Or will the teacher remain the undisputed master of heavy armor--and doom a colony?

A Ghost Story Sterilized by war, a rocky planet's bounty and dark terrors have remained safely hidden--until a Kel Morian Combine crew catches wind of it hoping to strike big. There's just one problem: The planet seems to be haunted by a "ghost." Newsworthy

A pro-Dominion reporter lands the scoop of lifetime: an exclusive sit-down with Emperor Arcturus Mengsk following an embedded mission with terran marines. Every good reporter tells both sides of the story, but when she comes face-to-face with atrocity, can she handle the brutal truth, much less report it?

Creep Feared by all and understood by none, zerg creep finally comes under the knife in the laboratory of protoss scientists. But instead of shedding light on the bizarre bio-matter, the scientists spiral into a psychologically disturbing and nightmarish struggle against a completely unknown foe.

In case you missed out on the first volume, be sure to read StarCraft Legacy's comprehensive review.

Source:
BlizzPlanet - Starcraft: Frontlines Vol. 2 Manga on January 2009

SC2P has posted screenshots from what appears to be the pre-WWI build of StarCraft II:



See the rest here.



In other news, Blizzplanet has reported on the status of some of Keith R.A. DeCandido's current projects. The Starcraft Mangas Ghost Academy and Starcraft: Ghost: Spectres are expected to be on sale around Summer 2009. Starcraft: Ghost: Spectres is expected to be released June 30, 2009.

It seems that Blizzard is adamant on continuing with the Ghost storyline. Could we possibly be seeing Ghost on the PC?




In addition, Blizzplanet has acquired the back-of-the-book description for the upcoming StarCraft novel I, Mengsk:

Sixty-thousand light-years from Earth, the corrupt Terran Confederacy holds the Koprulu sector tightly in its tyrannical grip, controlling every aspect of its citizens' lives. One man dares to stand up to this faceless empire and vows to bring it to its knees: Arcturus Mengsk -- genius propagandist, tactician, and freedom fighter.

A monstrous act of bloody violence sows the seeds of rebellion in Arcturus, but he is not the first Mengsk to rail against such oppression. Before Arcturus grew to manhood, his father, Angus Mengsk, also defied the Confederacy and sought to end its brutal reign.

The destiny of the Mengsk family has long been tied to that of the Confederacy and the Koprulu sector, but as a new empire rises from the ashes of the past and alien invaders threaten the very existence of humanity, what will the future hold for the next generation...?

Sources:
SC2P.com - SC2 Screenshots
Blizzplanet - Starcraft: Ghost Novel and Manga Update
Blizzplanet - UPDATE: Starcraft: I, Mengsk

Blizzard has released patch 1.15.3 for StarCraft today. The changes made by this patch are:

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- patch 1.15.3
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Bug Fixes
- Fixed a communication bug affecting third party leagues.
- Alt-F6 no longer stalls the game on Windows.
- Game now works correctly on versions of Mac OS X which do not support 256-color mode.

No mention of any other exploits being fixed, so it is most likely that they still remain. However, it is nice to see Blizzard still showing they care about StarCraft over 10 years since its release.

Source:
StarCraft Broodwar Patch Information

Update: Christie Golden has written on her official blog that Twilight is set to come out April of 2009.

Book three of the Dark Templar Saga by Christie Golden is scheduled to be released May 1, 2010 according to most book retailers. The date has been pushed up from September 30, 2008.



Recently, PopShopOnline updated their site with the back-of-the-book description of Dark Templar Saga: Twilight:

After the seeming defeat of the dark archon on the Protoss Homeworld, archeologist Jake Ramsey is catapulted across interstellar space. But Jake does not have long to live - his enemies are regrouping, and Zamara's essence must be separated from Jake's mind before time runs out! His only hope rests with the powerful and legendary Zeratul, but as Jake is about to learn, even a dark templar can have a crisis of faith!

Sources:
Wordpress - Christie Golden
StarCraft: Dark Templar: Twilight
PopShopOnline - StarCraft Dark Templar Saga Twilight

XSOLDIER and StarCraft: Legacy have teamed up to create a review for StarCraft: Frontline. StarCraft: Frontline is a manga that features four adventures set in the StarCraft universe. As the first manga for StarCraft, StarCraft: Frontline warranted a more in-depth review than would normally have been required. This review offers a summary and a critique of the storyline and artwork for all four stories.

Even if you have already read the manga, be sure to give our summaries a skim as they clear up some confusing details and highlight others that might have gone unnoticed.

Source:
StarCraft: Legacy - StarCraft:Frontline Volume 1 Review

Excerpts from the Tokyopop Manga Starcraft: Frontline Volume 1 have been posted on the Tokyopop website. StarCraft: Frontline are a series graphic novels about adventures in the StarCraft universe.



See the rest of the excerpts from Volume 1 here:

Why We Fight
Thundergod
Weapon of War
Heavy Armor (Part 1)

Source:
Tokyopop - StarCraft Frontline




Team Liquid has created an overarching guide for StarCraft professional gaming. Containing information on all the major StarCraft progaming leagues, this guide will hopefully draw more people into the StarCraft e-sport.

At long last there is a vast source of information readily at your fingertips organized neatly for your convenience. The Teamliquid.net Ultimate Progaming FAQ is your one stop shop for all your questions relating to progaming. This thread is perfect for anyone new to Professional Starcraft or anyone wanting to quickly bring themselves up to date with the latest formats in Korea or the newest ways to watch Starcraft. The FAQ is also perfect if you are confused about any aspect of progaming; simply ask away and your questions will be answered.

Source:
Team Liquid - Ultimate Progaming FAQ