Thinking Of Picking Up SC2...

[Methais]

I've been bored as fuck lately and need some new pwnage to occupy myself with and am thinking of picking up SC2. GS has been stale and boring (shocker) and I'm bored with most of my current games.

Thing is I've never played any RTS games. I think the last strategy game I played was Military Madness on Turbo-Grafx 16 way back in the day, but that was turn based even though it still rocked.

So I guess what I wanna know is what's the learning curve on this game? I'm not looking to reach Korean status or anything, but just something to pass the time. But if it's all crazy where you gotta read encyclopedias about the game just to be half decent, then I'll pass.

I'm usually more into fast paced action/twitch type games like fighters and FPS games, but I've been wanting to try out a good RTS anyway, for a change of pace if nothing else, and I'm not sure if I wanna get back on the WoW treadmill again in November.

Do you pretty much stay "busy" in this game? Or is it more like a faster paced chess match, for lack of a better term?

I'm probably either gonna get this or Final Fantasy 14, especially since it's going to be free to play, but that will mostly depend on how group dependent leveling is, as in if it's anything like 11's forced group mechanics, then no thanks.

[Makkah]

I haven't fallen into the Starcraft hole that a lot of nerds fall into...

But to pass time lately, I've been playing a lot of Civ IV with the mods Fall From Heaven 2 and Rise from Erebus (actually a FFH2 modmod)

[peam]

But to pass time lately, I've been playing a lot of Civ IV with the mods Fall From Heaven 2 and Rise from Erebus (actually a FFH2 modmod)

The stuff I've seen from Civ V gives me a big ol' boner.

I wish I had the time to deal with the learning curve in games like this, but I know that 98% of the population has been playing beta or some shit and will make me cry like a fucking fairy little girl if I try to play online.

[iJenni]

hi,

i would very highly recommend SC2. it's a busy game. strategy oriented. if you don't like relying on others, you can play 1v1. my advice? buy it, play the campaign [which has a decent storyline] and then go for battle.net

~ Jen

[Stretch]

I heard there's this awesome text game with a Monk class coming soon.

[Thug Life]

When I bought the game I said fuck the campaign and dove right into battle.net. I did get my ass kicked a lot at first, but now I'm starting to pwn. I won the last 7 games in a row.

[Ardwen]

heh been playing Civ 4 next war mod lately waiting for the new one.

[peam]

Do the Civ games vastly differ from game to game in learning curve?

If not, I might have to download IV.

[Ardwen]

5 is going to be the single largest changes I have seen from game to game, with the exeption of the totally different colonization expansion for 4 anyway. Civ has always had a very easy learning curve though, and if ya play it on low enough level even a trained houseplant can probably pick it up

[StrayRogue]

Agreed. Civ is easy to pick up hard to master. I certainly don't get into all the nuances of the game, but then I don't play on the upper 4 difficulties. Civ IV is frigging amazing and highly recommended.

[Danical]

Just to echo what others have said, Civ IV is awesome; I could spend hours dicking around with it.

[Ceyrin]

I'm probably either gonna get this or Final Fantasy 14, especially since it's going to be free to play, but that will mostly depend on how group dependent leveling is, as in if it's anything like 11's forced group mechanics, then no thanks.

I just want to clarify here, about FF14. If you're saying it's going to be free to play, you're mistaken. It's going to be 12.99 a month. As for SC2, I have no idea if it costs to use battle.net.

[Ceyrin]

I haven't played a Civ game since Civ2 gold... are they still turn based?

[Makkah]

Turn based, yea. Civ IV was graphically bananas compared to Civ3. The mods are really what make it, though. Fall From Heaven 2 (and later Rise from Erebus) take it to a whole different world with fantasy-based civilization/spells/techs/units/etc.

Civ 5 looks pretty sweet. They're making it 1 unit per tile and hexagonal instead of square-tiles. Should really amp things up.

[Ceyrin]

Turn based, yea. Civ IV was graphically bananas compared to Civ3. The mods are really what make it, though. Fall From Heaven 2 (and later Rise from Erebus) take it to a whole different world with fantasy-based civilization/spells/techs/units/etc.

Civ 5 looks pretty sweet. They're making it 1 unit per tile and hexagonal instead of square-tiles. Should really amp things up.

That should be a good improvement. The stacking thing was way out of hand, even back in 2.

[Methais]

I just want to clarify here, about FF14. If you're saying it's going to be free to play, you're mistaken. It's going to be 12.99 a month. As for SC2, I have no idea if it costs to use battle.net.

Last I saw which was a couple weeks ago, there wasn't going to be any subscription, and instead they were gonna make their money via microtransactions.


I heard there's this awesome text game with a Monk class coming soon.

I thought you were talking about GS until you said "soon" at the end.

[Makkah]

lol @ class, btw


We all know GS has no class.

[Ceyrin]

Last I saw which was a couple weeks ago, there wasn't going to be any subscription, and instead they were gonna make their money via microtransactions.



I thought you were talking about GS until you said "soon" at the end.

Source please.

[Kitsun]

I love me some StarCraft II. I don't think the learning curve is that bad. How busy you are during gameplay is directly correlated to how good you are. You can scale down the AI or slum it in random online matches.

I love all the little details of SC. The research/tech improvements through campaign, unlockable portraits, random pointless achievement points, challenge modes, even the very Blizzard-y storyline.

[Ceyrin]

I'm afraid I'll never be able to respect Starcraft... it's just a cheap knock-off of Warhammer 40k.

No offense to everyone who likes it, I'm sure it's a fun game.

[Makkah]

I'm afraid I'll never be able to respect Starcraft... it's just a cheap knock-off of Warhammer 40k.

No offense to everyone who likes it, I'm sure it's a fun game.

For consistency, I hope you're the same for Warcraft...

[Celephais]

The campaign is worth the cost of the game. The multiplayer is a lot of fun, but you will get trounced if you're not up on the counters/strategies. Although if you're up on the strategies you can massacre some folk and give them big ole epeen mushroom stamps, it's quite satisfying.

This is by no means a turn based strategy, it's very fast paced once you get into it (the campaign lets you take your time and build up ... 'macro up', multiplayer rarely will an opponent sit on their laurels, they're generally sizing you up and harassing from the start). Rushes are unfortunately the majority of the game. (When you get good you can counter rushes and then the game develops into a nice full size game)

[Celephais]

I'm afraid I'll never be able to respect Starcraft... it's just a cheap knock-off of Warhammer 40k.

No offense to everyone who likes it, I'm sure it's a fun game.

I love 40k, but until a good 40k game with TYRANIDS (not the 12th expansion for the game either) comes out, I'll have to settle for SC. (I think there's a 40k MMO in the works, the warhammer fantasy mmo was fun, but my interest in MMOs is usually fleeting)

[Ceyrin]

For consistency, I hope you're the same for Warcraft...

I don't even care about warcraft and regular warhammer. =) How's that for consistent.

Cel, I totally feel your pain. The lack of Tyranid (and Necron) love in the WH40k videogames makes me sad like a pedobear in an oldfolks home.

[Methais]

Source please.

Turns out you were right. Not sure if this is the link I was originally referring to (http://gamer.blorge.com/2009/06/04/final-fantasy-xiv-free-to-play-and-beta-announcement-on-ps3/), but after some googling it turns out that Sony was trying to get SquareEnix to do a free-to-play thing on the PS3 version (which doesn't come out til March) and some SE rep at E3 mentioned it.

Then I found some official dev interview where they said it'd be $12.99 a month. :(

Or maybe the PS3 one will end up being free-to-play who knows.

[Parkbandit]

The thing I like about SCII is all of the different customized maps you can play. I don't think I've played but maybe 10 games against people I don't know.. I usually just play the customized maps.

[Fallen]

Source please.

It has been stated by GMs that Beta Testing wont begin until the end of the year at the soonest. Don't have the quote...but yeah, don't hold your breath.

[TheEschaton]

Is Civ IV resource intensive? I need something to play on Tuesday mornings.

[AnticorRifling]

Play Monster.com you bum!

[Ceyrin]

It has been stated by GMs that Beta Testing wont begin until the end of the year at the soonest. Don't have the quote...but yeah, don't hold your breath.

Uhm, if you're talking about Beta Testing for FFXIV... this is incorrect.

The open beta is already underway (I joined the other day). The game itself has a launch date of the 23rd (or maybe it's the 22nd, I forget) of this month.

If you're talking about something else, then I think you're talking TO someone else.

[TheEschaton]

Play Monster.com you bum!

I do. I play that game constantly, but there's no way of winning it.

[AnticorRifling]

Even when you win you really lose.

[TheEschaton]

Exactly. I need to become an alcoholic, but I suppose that's an even more expensive addictive habit. But at least there's no Tuesday morning downtime.

[IorakeWarhammer]

The thing I like about SCII is all of the different customized maps you can play. I don't think I've played but maybe 10 games against people I don't know.. I usually just play the customized maps.

Custom maps are fun MAY I SUGGEST RED TOWER TD!! MAKE SURE TO GET PLENTY OF AA!!!

[Parkbandit]

Custom maps are fun MAY I SUGGEST RED TOWER TD!! MAKE SURE TO GET PLENTY OF AA!!!

The one I like right now is Nexus War? Nexus something... 4 on 4.

I also played this Arena game where you control one guy and you simply upgrade his shit. Fun as hell if you play with 3 non-retarded people.

[Parkbandit]

I do. I play that game constantly, but there's no way of winning it.

Why did you move to Texas? I thought you had accepted a job...

Maybe put your ideology on hold for a couple of years and work for a profit evil company?

Are you putting as much time into getting a job as you are getting your 10th level 80 in WoW?