Join Editor Chris "Pwyff" Tom as he finally explores Starcraft II and the RTS genre for the first time... ever

As a former competitive gamer with a long history of "trying hard" in video games, I have to admit that I've always been interested in real-time strategy (RTS) games like Warcraft III and Starcraft, but since these communities have been around for so long, I've always been too afraid to really try my hand at this complicated genre.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like RTSes, it's just that the learning curve on these games will be so steep (think vertical), and my opponents will be so experienced that I would simply have too much learning to do. It was for this reason that I stuck with playing MMORPGs and First-Person Shooters competitively - they're easier to pick up and, intuitively, they just feel more accessible. In reality, that's what comes to mind when I think of RTS games like Starcraft and Warcraft III: it feels like there's just too much to learn to really get into this genre, so I avoided it… Until now.

You see, with Blizzard finally set to release their long-awaited sequel, Starcraft II, sometime within this year, and as SC2 closed beta keys have begun to slowly trickle into the outside world, now marks the perfect opportunity for players who have always been afraid of the RTS genre (me, for example) to wade in and get their hands dirty. Interestingly enough, however, many previews of SC2 that I've found on various websites have been from the perspective of Starcraft or Warcraft III veterans, with writers finding similarities or differences between the original Starcraft and its shiny new sequel. Sadly, I cannot offer the same insight (you can easily find those everywhere else!), but for those of you who have hidden in your MMORPGs or your FPSes all your life and Starcraft 2 represents the first time you will have ever ventured outside of your gaming bubble, read on!

So, in the hope of not being too terrible at Starcraft II, I decided that I would prepare by reading a few mini-guides on the internet and playing a whopping three games (one for each race!) of the original Starcraft against the computer… with cheats on. Thus, on one dark and stormy night a week and a half ago, I finally settled down to try my very first online RTS game: Starcraft II.

Before I get to the playing itself, it should be noted that the in-game UI is surprisingly easy to navigate, and a quick tour of the achievements page (just recently implemented) shows that there will be a plethora of aesthetic rewards for players to pick up while playing Starcraft II. Already there are portraits and decals to be unlocked (although I have heard that this is nothing new for a Blizzard RTS game), as well as a number of trophy achievements and a page allowing players to "display" their favorite achievements for their friends. It would certainly be interesting if Blizzard could implement any other forms of non-game play affecting aesthetic rewards, like unique race colors, or even the occasional unique model.

I was quite surprised by how smooth the game feels and how fast the games can get. Control in this game feels like an ultra-smooth version of Diablo II or any other click-to-move MMORPG, but with… a lot more units. As well, I was initially terrified that I would have to develop some godlike hand dexterity in order to individually control each of my units during fights in order to maximize their efficiency (this is called "micro-management"), but it turns out that, with the smoothness of the SC2 engine, it's not too difficult a chore, and even if you don't, the AI is smart enough to make sure that you don't do too terribly. Obviously micromanagement skills are definitely something to learn, but more often than not, superior strategy can be sufficient.