Yeah, hopefully there will be a "work around" for LAN support with no internet connection. I play WC3 via LAN about once a month, and it would be really nice to replace it with SC2.
I'll wait for LAN support, which any decent multiplayer game has had for the last two decades.
Those two aren't the only choices, and SC2 isn't a multiplayer-only, internet-only game by nature like WoW is.It's the exact same login process that I have gotten used to from the last three years of playing WoW, so I am used to it and it is no big deal. I'd rather have this form of "DRM" rather than always having to have the disk in the drive or hunt for the serial number when I have to reinstall.
Yes, Battle.net 2.0 is free. Considering the original battle.net has been running for longer the 12 years with no announcements of it being shut off, I doubt there's much to worry about. Also, they're planning on using Battle.net 2.0 for all their future games so your worried that one of the biggest gaming companies in the world will suddenly cease to exist.
If you have two copies of the game you and your son can easily play together. You just have to start the match in Battle.net. What most people don't realize as well is that once the games started you are actually directly connected to the other players. So technically you'll still be playing over your lan.
So, even though you have 2 computers 6 feet from each other on the same 100Mb or 1Gb network, everything will be running across your internet connection. I could see a LAN party of 6 people on a <2Gbps DSL connection running into problems with that. And if there's a 2-second blip in the internet connection, I'm guessing the last 1 hour you spent playing a game will be for naught.According to the site, a rumour had circulated stating that players could at least connect to Battle.net and then start a limited LAN, however Pearce confirmed: That functionality is not there. Our goal is to make sure that connectivity to the Battle.net servers is such that [it's] the experience people want. (Source)
I'm a little confused about one of peoples issues with SC2, the lan option? with the advent of high speed internet are lan parties/ tournaments even worth the hassle? do people still drag thier pc's around like 1999 playing games?
I've heard that said several times, but Blizzard says it's not true:
So, even though you have 2 computers 6 feet from each other on the same 100Mb or 1Gb network, everything will be running across your internet connection. I could see a LAN party of 6 people on a <2Gbps DSL connection running into problems with that. And if there's a 2-second blip in the internet connection, I'm guessing the last 1 hour you spent playing a game will be for naught.
Yes, people (such as I) still do this. My friends and I (usually 4-6 of us) get together about once a month to play Warcraft 3. I have another friend who goes to LAN parties for COD4.
I'm not sure how many people still play LANs, but I am certain that the only ones saying that "No LAN doesn't matter to me in the least" are those who don't go to LAN parties. It would be like BMW no longer making cars with manual transmissions. Would that affect the majority of BMW owners? No, and that majority would say, "Meh, it doesn't affect me, so I don't care." However, there are some big advocates for manual transmissions that would be in an uproar over it.
FWIW there are over 250,000 signatures for the SC2 LAN Petition.
Starcraft II demands an internet connection if you want to play with your friends in the same room a $60 license each.
Funny how the company's policy took a 180 turn.
Starcraft / Broodwar officially supported installing an unlicensed "spawn" to facilitate having fun at LAN parties.
Starcraft II demands an internet connection if you want to play with your friends in the same room a $60 license each.
Maybe you're right. But that really doesn't make sense from the way the internet works. I wonder, has anyone been in an internet match and lost their connection to battle.net. It happened to me while i was playing the campaign at one point. Did the game still continue?So, even though you have 2 computers 6 feet from each other on the same 100Mb or 1Gb network, everything will be running across your internet connection. I could see a LAN party of 6 people on a <2Gbps DSL connection running into problems with that. And if there's a 2-second blip in the internet connection, I'm guessing the last 1 hour you spent playing a game will be for naught.
You should be able to play single player campaign both at the same time but definitely not multiplayer. I think all you'd have to do is hit play as guest on the log-in screen.ok so say i have a one copy of starcraft2 but i have two computers (one desktop, one laptop). the only time the disc is needed is during installation. i wanna be able to play on both computers coming from one copy. but i can't have both games on at the same time, not even single player campaign mode. everytime i start starcraft2 it does an authentication through internet connection.
is the above correct or do i need two copies (or two cdkeys) of sc2 to do this...
This real ID thing is pissing me off, you would think they would let people know its broken before launch. Now I bet a bunch of parents and other people who don't want to be known by real name are pissed off knowing its on by default (seriously, on by default what parent wants that). Plus its flat out broke so you can't turn it off with parental controls.
Damn it, online activation.
I'll be waiting for sub $10 sale or removal of said online activation. Either way I'm in for a long wait.
Oh, and to those who can't possibly imagine why anyone wouldn't like online activation, get you panties out of that bunch and exercise your brain for a change.
I just entered my name as shorty lickens.
It worked.
And I wasnt stupid enough to put in my home address and phone number either. I made up streets and towns and I think I made up a zip code.
This. I live on Happy Street! :awe:
Meh I won't buy it for a while. Played quite a bit in beta phases, but sort of lost interest.
Gameplay gets stale as Zerg, the only race I enjoy playing since SC1. Has a lack of units compared to other races; fairly annoying.
I feel like I'm the only one even playing. Due to the lack of chatrooms and just Bnet 0.5 in general, it feels like there is no community at all. I feel like I'm playing single player, even online. Not all my friends will be on all the time and even if they are it's nice to meet new people. What is this 'always connected' experience? I don't feel it at all.
RealID. Real name shown to friends of friends? Sweet. /sarcasm. Would be fine if I could actually change my account's name. Newp, permanently attached and unchangeable. Score one for marketing and Blizzards affiliates they sell my information to. Can't even go into an invisible mode if you want to play without being pestered. The fact I have to make a new Battle.net account, just for this game, is beyond stupid.
Only Terran campaign (the race I least like). I doubt that in 12 years they only have one campaign done. I feel they are holding things back to bang the customer like an ATM machine.
Some things that don't affect me that are stupid:
No LAN.
Constant internet connectivity.
I'll probably buy it in the future, but a lot of those major things need to be corrected.
I really think everyone on Anandtech should be forced to take a basic supply/demand seminar before they are allowed to post here.
So this game requires you to activate it on battle net, right? And to play multiplayer, you must also be connected? But for single player, you have the option to play as a "guest", effectively meaning you don't need to connect for single player?
So, if I only care about single player, I could buy this with a group of friends, and we could create 1 battle net account, and then all play single player? Even simultaneously?
what if im in the airplane and want to play sc2 in the air? im stuck playing the campaign only? where the hell did custom games go? i want to play against the computer at least, or even try out the challenges mode. :thumbsdown:
yes, you have to be connected to the internet to play online, and now basically do anything else besides play the campaign. i had taken my macbook pro to my bed last night and i fired up sc2 to play single player, but i had forgotten to turn on wifi (connected via ethernet at my desk), and it prompted me to just play as a guest, and i literally only had the option of playing the campaign (without achievements of course) and viewing the help files...and thats it. no custom games, no multiplayer (obviously), nothing else. it really feels barebones if you arent connected to the internet, which sucks to be honest with you. i mean, its not too big of a deal because i have internet all the time, but when you dont, it is such a stripped down game.
what if im in the airplane and want to play sc2 in the air? im stuck playing the campaign only? where the hell did custom games go? i want to play against the computer at least, or even try out the challenges mode. :thumbsdown:
i would say that since you're only interested in single player, i dont think there is anything stopping you from buying one copy of the game, and playing the campaign offline as a guest. i have no idea if sc2 detects if you have internet before you click sign on as guest, because who knows what might happen if it sees that all the copies that your friends play all were connected to the internet, but then played as a guest. :\