A perfect storm

A perfect storm, by definition, is a convergence of independent events that form an environment never experienced before.

Gamers & Blizzard fans beware, a Perfect Storm awaits you: “Starcraft 2” will be launching in the Philippines very soon.

I’ve only had a sneak peak of the in-game videos and trailers. A variety of excitement has coursed through my veins and hopefully yours, too, when it debuts next month. It operates on Real-Time Strategy (RTS), which is the thinking man’s game. It’s the grandchild of the oldest games, which are RTS predecessors (turn-based games).

RTS is defined as games that “are a genre of computer war games which do not progress incrementally in turns. In an RTS, as in other war games, the participants position and maneuver units and structures under their control to secure areas of the map and/or destroy their opponents’ assets.” (According to Wikipedia.)

Chess and Game of the Generals are all within this genre. I was hooked on Stratego as a kid. For those of you who don’t know Stratego, it is basically Chess meets Game of Generals on steroids. It all sounds nerdy but when you get into the thick of the game, you thirst for nothing but the sweet taste of victory. Nothing nerdy about that.

In my opinion, RTS games are near the pinnacle of skills-based gaming. It requires intelligence, foresight, strategy, measured risk taking, and a little luck. Much like being a contestant on The Apprentice. The kind of fulfilment one gets from RTS is very different from the comparatively mindless bloodthirsty sessions you would get from a First Person Shooter (FPS). FPS is about winning the battle, RTS is about winning the war. Some people are meant to be soldiers, while others are generals. For general wanabees, this year’s most exciting RTS awaits you.

Philippine Gamers have a lot to look forward to with Blizzard’s latest title, Starcraft 2. As a seasoned player, Blizzard is arugably the best game developer in the world. Almost every title produced by Blizzard has become a category killer, and their recent MMORPG “World of Warcraft” is the most successful and profitable online game to date.

Starcraft 2 is a continuation of the original Starcraft which boasted than 11 million sales since its introduction in 1998. The game has three races, Protoss, Terran and Zerg. Terrans are humans, Protoss are technology-obsessed aliens, and Zergs are a hybrid cross of alien species. All the things we hope to be.

I am still angling for a beta account so I cannot give an in-depth game review. However, based on the trailers, in-game videos and tons of literature coming out online, a few killer features that you can look forward to are:

• Better graphics and cool trailers.

• Amped-up battle Net service. Welcome to your new home.

• Replay function. Very useful in studying how you lost, or what your enemy did right.

• Lots of different units. Terran reapers throw explosives, Zerg’s commit kamikaze near enemy troops.

• Good zoom in/zoom out functions.

• Different views. You can actually play the game and flip views to see what your enemy is seeing through their viewpoint.

Ultimately, the whole SC2 experience is the thrill of competition. I believe this game will take the cyber-sports experience to the next level.

Watch out for it. Boxes are available soon. I’m waiting for my copy.

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What kind of gamer are you? E-mail me at egtheplayer@gmail.com.