Update: Dustin Browder, lead designer for StarCraft 2, has made another of his rare series of posts in the Battle.Net forums.

Insight from the top of the StarCraft 2 game design food chain is always interesting, but on the subject of the Thor he was particularly forthcoming, providing us with specific details about the current role and stats of the unit:

The Cobra is out, the Thor is in, but it's not a "replacement" in the ways you guys are thinking of it since the Cobra and the Thor do such very different things.

We are just testing this idea for the Thor. In general I prefer to shield you guys from whacky ideas like this because I know that some of our ideas will be bad, and then you guys will get very grumpy with us for pitching you bad ideas. =(

But here's what I can tell you about the Thor in the current build:
- He is big, but the art is smaller than what we showed in the last demo, so he takes up less space and he can path a little better.
- He turns fairly quickly. Turn speed is not a balance factor.
- He has a lot of health (400 right now).
- He's not super expensive (250/200 right now).
- He has a good bonus vs. armored units on the ground and he tends to waste a lot of damage on small units.
- His AA missiles are effective but not crushing. You can over-whelm him with enough air. His pathing size does limit his mobility when trying to chase fast moving air units.
- His shoulder guns are not currently in opperation. If we keep the current design the art will change.
- He does great against Stalkers, and several secret Terran and Zerg units. He also does well against most (but not all) air units.
- He is balanced so that if you kill him and then leave him disabled while he burns down you will do pretty well. If you fight both the Thor and the Disabled Thor then things tend to go pretty well for the Thor (for cost).
- The current Thor is countered by range, mobility or certain powerful anti-armor units.

Right now he's kind of fun. I don't know if he's fun enough for StarCraft 2 or not. That will take a few more weeks at least.

That's a dramatic change from the previous incarnation of the Thor. The famous phrase "nothing is final" has proven its worth once again, as it becomes clear that few units from the BlizzCon build have remained the same over the last four months.

The Nomad also finds itself buffeted by the winds of change:

Yeah, we're still working on the specifics on this guy. For those of you who made it to BlizzCon you saw some of the ideas that are in the works but things have changed a bit since then.

The Science Vessel abilities are great but we are trying to provide new strategies as well. We'll have to see what happens with the specifics on the Nomad as we continue to test. The Nomad is starting to feel pretty different from the Sci-Vessel since his abilities are based around constructing things and those things can be destroyed.

EMP is in the current build of the game. Irradiate is not, nor is the old style D-Matrix.

At BlizzCon, the D-Matrix ability had become Defensive Matrix Field, a static area-effect ability. With the Nomad's new focus on abilities through construction, perhaps the latest version of D-Matrix is generated by some kind of device dropped by the Nomad?

Dustin later qualified the implications of his statement about Irradiate not being in the game:

Irradiate isn't gone, it's just "Not in right now." Those are very different places to be. I can't tell you how many times EMP has come and gone only to come back again.=)

Not only does EMP come and go, it switches units as well. These latest posts make it sound like the ability is back with the Nomad again, instead of with the Ghost.

Sources:

Dustin Browder on the Thor
Dustin Browder on the Nomad
Dustin Browder on Irridiate





Alongside his regular Q&A's release and the recent release of the December Discussion Topic, Karune has been foreshadowing some of the announcements to come early next year:

First off, I'm glad you have written this post, as we do indeed have several projects we are working on both in the Community Department, as well as the Developers for StarCraft II, many which will be revealed throughout Q1 2008. On top of that, there are other developments that are happening here at Blizzard which are considered 'big upgrades' and will be shown to everyone over the coming months (not related to the merger).

In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys the Q&As and the latest Monthly Discussion Topic about the Artistic Direction of StarCraft II, in which I know many of the Battle.net users and StarCraft fans have feedback for us on. After speaking to both Dustin and Sammy several times over the past month, they are definitely curious to the feedback and desires of the fans.

Also, I know you guys will hate this, but after viewing some of the cut scenes they have planned for single player, all I can say is WOW! Everyone will be very pleased with the extra work and attention the Devs are putting into StarCraft II.

Unfortunately, few details are given; we'll just have to wait to find out what these projects actually are. On the StarCraft 2 front, perhaps they will soon be ready to talk about some features of the new Battle.Net? The long-awaited launch of the Zerg section on the official site is a safe bet too, of course.

What is going on in the Community Department is a little harder to predict, but another recent Karune post may give us a clue:

"I am just as tired of the spam and trolls as all of you are and am working on something to make sure they are not a problem anymore so that we can have productive discussions once again." You can have those exact words :) Within the current parameters, this is the status quo of the forums, and we will make the best use out of them.

A while ago, Blizzard significantly revamped the support section of their website; they could be planning a similar overhaul of their in-house forum solution, which has been showing its age for some time.

Karune also made a brief return to his old thread discussing the Firebat screenshots released by a Korean gaming site a month ago, confirming that cliff-climber units can bypass the ramp-blocking destructible rocks:

Yes, Colossi and Reapers will be able to bypass those rocks.

Finally, Karune weighed in to a debate about Protoss balance, mentioning some changes and reminding us all that the real balancing work is still yet to be done:

Did I mention the Mothership now hits air? and the Phoenix's Overload ability got a buff as well.

Remember, everything is always changing. If you have balance concerns, it is best to wait until after Beta for those. We are still very much in the design phase, which will be followed by balance.

It has been so long since BlizzCon - the last major source of detailed information about the game - that there must be dozens of similar small changes to the Protoss and Terran forces that we aren't aware of yet.

The scarcity of recent news about the game has left us all wondering about how it's progressing. Blizzard's President Mike Morhaime answered a question on that very topic in a recent Q&A session about the Activision-Blizzard merger:

Starcraft 2 is coming along great. It's still pre-alpha. We don't have anybody outside the company playing it yet. We'll open it up with the alpha to the whole company. Then we will have the beta open up to outside players. We'll take their feedback.

Sounds as though the Beta is still many months away. In the meantime, we can look forward to announcements about the features of StarCraft 2 that Blizzard has so far kept under wraps. Things have been pretty quiet since the excitement of BlizzCon, so some major news in the first few months of 2008 will certainly be welcome.

Sources:

Karune on things to come
Karune on spam
Karune on bypassing rocks
Karune on Mothership and Phoenix changes
Karune on balance
Mike Morhaime Q&A on mercurynews.com

Our Q&A for next week comes early! Thanks again to our community manager, Karune, for all of his work getting these questions answered for us!

Here we are with our latest batch, answering a little something different for each fan site. Furthermore, one of the most talked about subjects in the community is about the Thor and what will happen to this robust unit. Luckily we've tracked down Dustin for his latest thoughts about this unique Terran unit.

Chat with Devs: The Thor has been the unit that just hasnt quite fit in, in terms of role, but it might have found its own little place it can call home. After the Devs tried out several things with the Thor, including making it a super unit, they have now decided to have it replace the Cobra, as the heavy and air unit counter. Additionally, they may be adding a new mechanic, in which the Thor will need to be killed twice, once to make it immobilized, due to its large size, and then the second time to kill it for good. When immobilized, the Thor will still be able to fire at ground and air units. Additionally, while the Thor is immobilized, a SCV can repair it back to full health, having it regain mobility.

As always, feel free to give the Devs and I a w00t if your enjoying these Q&As!  

1. Will there be a way for fan sites to parse replays uploaded to their website so they can pull information such as race, player names, map, etc.? ([url]www.vilegaming.com[/url])

Exact details have not been finalized, but we do plan to create a much more robust way of being able to search and share replays in game.

2. The Soul Hunter was considered a good counter unit against the Zerg; why did you remove the Soul Hunter from StarCraft II?

There were a couple of reasons, but one of the more important ones is that it was difficult to make it easily readable in big battles when the Soul Hunter had upgraded. Another reason is that this unit was way too targeted against the Zerg, since they have so many low hit point units, as opposed to other factions.

3. Has the Merc Haven been removed since the Reaper is built from the Barracks? If so, whats replacing it (if anything)? ([url]www.Starcraft-Source.com[/url])

The Merc Haven has been brought back in for the current build. It currently needs a Factory as a prerequisite, and is a prerequisite building to build Reapers from the Barracks.

4. Will "Unlockable Content" be included with the game, such as Art Packs, Secret Maps and Missions, Extra Units, and Special Sounds and Movies? ([url]www.starcraftzone.com[/url])

We are exploring the possibility of having various types of art unlockables, which may include some in-game decals.

5. Is it possible to build Phase Cannons, turn them into energy and then move them across the map to your opponents base or an expansion, redeploying them using a Phase Prism? ([url]www.starcraft2.com.au[/url])

Yes, this tactic will be possible.

6. How does a Zerg Overlord fly? ([url]www.gamereplays.org[/url])

To fly, the Zerg Overlord uses gas sacs (filled with helium) combined with a weak telekinetic psi-ability for lift and motive power.

--- End of Transmission ---

This batch has offered some answers to a wide range of questions. It seems as though the Thor has been a busy unit lately. The new mechanic sounds quite interesting and potentially dangerous for the other two factions. Unlockable content? Sounds good. And finally the Overlord flight debate settled - excellent. Here's to hoping we learn more about the Zerg and the newest changes soon!

Source:
Karune's StarCraft II Q&A Batch 24

StarCraft II Q&A Batch Archive - Batch 24

"[center][img]http://sclegacy.com/images/uploaded/starcraftiinews/nomad.jpg[/img]
[/center]

Blizzard has updated [url=http://www.starcraft2.com/]StarCraft2.com[/url] with information about the Nomad.

[quote]The TF-620 nomad is an all-around workhorse that combines the functions of light manufacturing center and observation post rolled into one. A common sight among the fringe-world colonies, the nomad is a robust, air-mobile vehicle built to operate independently in all but the harshest climates. Although the nomad shares a number of common traits with its smaller cousin, the SCV, the nomad is a far more specialized and advanced engineering craft.

Nomads are normally employed for first-line colony surveillance and protection duties against dangerous local life forms or climate events. These vehicles boast an impressive array of sensors delicate enough to detect even cloaked or burrowed enemies. By deploying its two aft-mounted nano-welders, the nomad can construct a variety of small, semi-permanent defensive structures to meet various threats in a matter of moments.

Several standard template constructions are available to the nomad, a popular example being the auto turret. This simple robot gun emplacement is suitable for driving off smaller hostile life forms for an extended period of time.

The Terran Dominion initially provided nomads to give low-level protection to its most isolated outposts, typically manning them with local civilians as something akin to a volunteer fire truck or ambulance service. Over time the military support applications of the nomad have seen it deployed in escalating levels of conflict, gradually replacing the older and vastly costlier science vessel.[/quote]

Although still maintaining its unique blocky shape, the Nomad's ability to place Auto-turrets could lead to a variety of new battlefield tactics.  In addition to the Nomad, several new pieces of artwork and screenshots were added.

[b]Source:[/b]
[url=http://starcraft2.com/features/terran/nomad.xml]StarCraft2.com Update: The Terran Nomad[/url]"

"The Monthly Discussion topic for the Christmas season is all about the aesthetics of StarCraft II. We've seen a wide variety of opinions about the look of StarCraft II, not the least popular of which has been ""cartoony"". Now you can make your voice heard.

Here's what [B]Karune[/B] says about this highly debated topic.

[quote][B][COLOR=""White""]December Discussion Topic: Artistic Direction of StarCraft II[/COLOR][/B]

[COLOR=""DeepSkyBlue""]As everyone has already seen, StarCraft II has brought the world of StarCraft into 3D and added many new units, landscapes, and effects that have never been seen before. On this journey of consistent artistic evolution, we have seen Warp Rays changed to escort ships, the infamous Carrier brought back into action, and even the Siege Tank get a makeover. There is still much left to this artistic journey and now is the community's chance to let us know what you love about StarCraft II visually and what you would change.
[/COLOR]
[COLOR=""White""]
[B]Community Questions for Fans:[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=""DeepSkyBlue""]
* Do you like the new look of the landscapes?
* How does the Terran faction look visually?
* How does the Protoss faction look visually?

* Additional Feedback you would like to give

Each StarCraft II fansite will be featuring different types of questions, so be sure to also visit those sites. All of this feedback will be compiled and sent to the development and community team.

If your fansite would like to participate in these monthly discussions, feel free to email me at [email] This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [/email].[/color]

[B][COLOR=""White""]Please structure feedback as follows:[/COLOR][/B]

[COLOR=""DeepSkyBlue""]-----

[question you'd like to answer]
[your answer]

[question you'd like to answer]
[your answer]

-----[/COLOR]

[COLOR=""DeepSkyBlue""]We are looking forward to some great discussions about the StarCraft II visuals![/COLOR][/quote]

In addition ask yourself these questions:

[quote]What overall theme do you think fits the SC universe best (ie realistic, huge disproportionalities, etc)?

Do you feel that SCII's art is more like SC or WCIII?

How much cartooniness is necessary in the SC universe?

How should the switch to 3d affect this universe's art?

Do you like SCII's art style?[/quote]

Please participate in here or in the discussion over at [url=http://www.blizzforums.com/showthread.php?t=14366]Blizzforums[/url] and make your voice heard!
[B]
Sources:[/B]
[url=http://www.blizzforums.com/showthread.php?t=14366]Blizzforums Discussion Thread[/url]
[url=http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?fn=sc2-general&t=178740&p=1&#post178740]Battle.net Discussion Thread[/url]"