We all know Starcraft II is going to be HUGE when it comes out next week. I think TWL should host a Starcraft II ladder in preparation for when it comes out.
What do people think?
Starcraft released this mock trailer to get the attention of the public too. I LoL'd.
Can you provide any more information besides a video? Things like servers and AC are major players when it comes to determining if we can support a game.
I think SC competition could be big if done right. There isn't any AC for the game, but there are demos of every match that you play. I've had the beta since it began, and have found it very easy to set up custom games (1v1s, 2v2s, etc) through Battle Net. Server wise, the only real "servers" that exist are to separate the players by continent. For example, by default American players will play on the American "servers", EU players will play on the EU "server", etc.. I think that the ladders would be a hit primarily because hacking is not nearly as big of an issue as normal games, and the ladders would basically run themselves. The leagues (or tournaments) could be good to try and get some of the bigger names playing here at TWL if given the right incentives (prizes).
I can attest Starcraft 2 would be a great idea for TWL. Despite SC2 having formerly been in beta, already cash prizes have been exchanged, sponsors have signed on, and SC1 professionals have devoted themselves full-time to the transition, including some Koreans.
There is no question this will be a huge E-Sport phenomenon. This is the game many have waited for - a loyal fan base, no subscription fees, long life expectancy, balanced play (mostly), no glaring exploits, and an awesome developer.
It is very tournament friendly. All win/losses are recorded onto player accounts, ensuring smooth win reporting. All replays are automatically recorded and are as small as ~20kb each, offering for easy and fast file transfers. All games are run on BNet servers, offering relatively smooth connectivity. The game is not hardware demanding on the lowest settings, offering a wide ranging budget demographic. Optionally, matches can be easily commentated with anyone possessing basic FRAPS and movie software knowledge and technology.
Basically, TWL would be silly not to add SC2 to their games list. It's a gold mine opportunity. It's not a question of why it should be added, but rather why hasn't it been added yet? Post edited by Re/\/\eDy at 7/30/2010 5:23:12 AM
Starcraft was the most played Real Time Strat game ever produced. Starcraft 2 will again have a massive following. Gameplay is very similar to Company of Heroes or Age of Empires or Dawn of War. The game, if anything like other Blizzard games, will be patched, updated and fixed constantly. It is automatic and you dont have a choice about it.
Servers are owned by blizzard (kinda similar to xbox360). Lag isnt really any issue. FPS doesnt matter, ping doesnt matter. All in all, Starcraft could open an entirely new segment in TWL.
I have played through some of the campaign and it looks and feels like Dawn of War.
Anticheat?- I have played Company of Heroes (similar game) for longer than I am willing to admit. I have never, not one single time, ever found someone cheating nor have I ever suspected someone of cheating - unlike most FPS games. Games like these draw a more mature crowd.