The only thing I actually care is 'Is HotS a public mod or not'.
Could we create custom maps based on HotS? I think this is the most important question for the map making scene.
There are question during QA and Interview talk about this. They said that users can create their own Battleground (maps) that can be played. Even though there are certains things users cannot make right now (The pirate ships for example). User created contents is a big part of making this game happen and they want to help support it in this game. There are no mentions of links between HotS and SC2. Everything they tried to show it being a standalone game even though what they showed heavily hinted the game running on the SC2 engine.
Here's my guess based on the whole situation. There will be a modified editor made specifically for HotS that will be otherwise identical to sc2's editor. The main functionality will be limited to terraining and inserting certain standardized waypoint/spawn point and units etc... Triggering will be limitied. The game client will be standalone but is the sc2 engine.
We're all hoping that everything links together to make storm a mod of sc2. That's the best case scenario but I highly doubt it. Everything is just a plan right now and the game is still in a very early stages.
It could still happen if they plan some major change to the arcade that support standalone mod in the future. One can hope :)
Alright I'm done for today. All the video and pics I feels worth taking. Also, if you find any fansite videos, feel free to share it here and i'll add it to the main post.
kinda disappointing? I'm hoping there's more to announce on the side and they just aren't announcing it because your regular Blizzcon attendee wouldn't care about advanced map features.
There wasn't enough time. The entire blizzcon has only 1 SC panel. The rest are dedicated for HotStorm
Extend a game mode to work with any map and tileset without making a bunch of maps. Example:
- Big Game Hunter
- Monobattle
New level cap: 35
New level cap: 35. Added potraits and decals from CarbotAnimations
New Remastered Soundtrack from SC1
WC3 Heroes models coming to SC2 Editors
(Orcs for now)
Arcade is now free !!!
- Starter Editions now has all 3 races available
CarbotAnimations Video
- Nerf fight from CarbotAnimations (featuring Dustin Browder and David Kim)
Audio from Blizzcon is messed up. Waiting on Carbot's official video from his channel.
When is this coming ?
PTR is starting 1 week after Blizzcon. Full release is expected at the end of the year. Patch 2.2 will come next year.
Q&A
- Reconnect Features: Still working on it. (Maybe 2.2)
- Art Tools: Still in beta, intend for other 3D modeling program other than 3DSMax
- Death of Micro: Focus more on visibility of play first
- Moar Skins: Technical limitations for low-end machine.
- Marketplace: Did not have time/infrastructure to make it work. Heroes of the Storm will start the infrastructure.
HotS Panel
How HotS become what it is
- Thanks to the WC3 and the custom map community.
- Thanks to the editor. Thanks to the engine to make it possible.
- Blizzard All Stars at blizzcon: originally made with only SC2 models
- Bliizard All Stars is put on an arcade machine in blizzcon
Heroes Showcase
- 14 heroes playable at Blizzcon
- Malfurion
- Witch Doctor
- Jim Raynor
- Demon Hunter -> Vampire Hunter
- Arthas. Alternate skin (prince Arthas instead of Lich King)
- Goblin Tinkerer
- Kerrigan
- Wolf ridding Kerrigan
- ETC
- Diablo -> Murkablo
- Abathur !!!! Infest and tunneling claw.
- Uther Lightbringer with a Medic suit
Lore
Nexus is a zone that is out of cannon, where world clash together. Anything can happen in the Nexus
<shows Kerrigan riding wolf again>
Mechanics
- 20 minute matches
- Customizable skills. Heroes have more skills than you can bring into battle.
- Team level: shared between the team. Make sure that support/specialist can shine (Abathur, siege tank) without farming.
- Interesting map mechanics: Like Burning Tide for SC2.
- Map rotation that changes over time in the matchmaking
Blackheart's Bay
- Pirate map: Take coins give to pirate, he'll fire cannon at your opponents. Hunt other players with coin
The Haunted Mine
- 2 maps: Underground and above ground. Hunt the skeleton and golems underground
- No custom shop. Heroes pick from their own shop which is called a talent tree.
- Most other mechanics stays from the Blizzard Dota version (Tower ammo)
Golem capturing
CarbotAnimations Gameplay Video
Q&A
- Prevent snowballing: Can still hide and farm, spread out and come back. Objective swings the balance quickly.
- Easier player communication: Players will be guided slowly. Objective are straightforward.
- What's the point of the wolf: Out of combat and mobility. And also, Nexus. It's also looks cool, like Abathur riding motorcycles.
- Individual playstyles: You can be the Dragon Knight and show your micro skills. But the game is always team based. Win or lose together.
- Core audiences: Not worried, we make game we want to play.
- 1v1 play, counter play: Team wide interest, good mobility, it's rare to be stuck in 1v1.
- Non-objective map: When new maps are in, no one play the traditional map.
- No items: Customized talents tree are the item. Boots are gone
- Where does it fits in esport: Let's see what the community do first.
- Tower with ammo: Still in
Post Panel Interview with DirectTV
- Dustin Browder is spending 70% of the time with Heroes of the Storm. He got a great team is still working on LotV and he is just helping them how to see problems before it comes up.
- Total of 4 battleground (maps) right now:
- The Cursed Hollow: The Tributes mechanics explained: If any team got 3 tributes, the Ravenlord is pleased and curse the enemy team instead. Tributes spawn randomly on the map. Towers will not shoot and minion takes double damage.
- Dragonshire: Control both obelisks in the middle of the map to give a player the Dragon Knight.
- Map editors: Absolutely will be. Still not sure how we would do it. (Integration with core team sc2 ??)
- Lost Vikings heroes: Definitely opportunities to add them in. There will be more heroes overtime.
- Plan: Keep making heroes. New battlegrounds
- Can we make our own battlegrounds: No date, we hoped and wanted it.
-Esport: Replay, Reconnect, customized observer UI are the features. The community decide whether or not the game is an esport with the tools we made.
- Favorite hero: Sonya (female barbarian): never die, Nova: Triple Shot (enemy heroes can block sniping shot like Caitlyn in LoL)
- Easy to play characters are unlocked first. Harder heroes like Abathur comes over time
- Team level enable unique heroes design (Abathur, healer ...) and be more objective focused.
- Multiple of same heroes: There might be maps that make it happen. Some heroes' heroic ablity (ultimate) is unbalanced for now.
- Control: Much more direct. Skill shot, delayed skill with timing.
- Beta: Small and getting larger, open beta and then release.
There are question during QA and Interview talk about this. They said that users can create their own Battleground (maps) that can be played. Even though there are certains things users cannot make right now (The pirate ships for example). User created contents is a big part of making this game happen and they want to help support it in this game. There are no mentions of links between HotS and SC2. Everything they tried to show it being a standalone game even though what they showed heavily hinted the game running on the SC2 engine.
Here's my guess based on the whole situation. There will be a modified editor made specifically for HotS that will be otherwise identical to sc2's editor. The main functionality will be limited to terraining and inserting certain standardized waypoint/spawn point and units etc... Triggering will be limitied. The game client will be standalone but is the sc2 engine.
We're all hoping that everything links together to make storm a mod of sc2. That's the best case scenario but I highly doubt it. Everything is just a plan right now and the game is still in a very early stages.
It could still happen if they plan some major change to the arcade that support standalone mod in the future. One can hope :)
Got an album and quite a few videos from the Deep Dive panels.
I won't be making videos for the Live Match due to its duration. Feel free to post them here if you found them somewhere else.
I just added it in 10 minutes ago (ok maybe 30)
Edit: Also added post panel interview.
Alright I'm done for today. All the video and pics I feels worth taking. Also, if you find any fansite videos, feel free to share it here and i'll add it to the main post.
There wasn't enough time. The entire blizzcon has only 1 SC panel. The rest are dedicated for HotStorm
They could not invest in an infrastructure for marketplace. So they decided to test the water with Heroes of the Storm's infrastructure first.
HotS panels coming in 1.5 h. Keep refreshing if you don't have a stream
@Nebuli2: Go
We do have some Orcs model confirmed during the SC2 panels. The rest I do not know for now.
This thread is for all things Blizzcon Related. I'll keep it updated live. Mainly HotS and HotS related (not Diablo)
Day 2
Imgur Album
Skin showcase:
Mount showcase:
Map terraining:
King's Crest Flyover
The Cursed Hollow Flyover
Stiches:
Other random videos here
Live Match Shoutcasted by Dustin Browder
Match #2
Other
CarbotAnimations Interview:
Chris Sigaty Interview with DirectTV
Another Chris Sigaty Interview
Sixen's HotS Interview
Day 1
Opening Ceremony
We got our first 2 trailer for Heroes of the Storm today. A cinematic trailer and a gameplay trailer
Interview:
Note: The editor is very similiar to SC2's Galaxy Editor (as Tolkfan pointed out): http://i.imgur.com/p0RM93M.jpg
Official website
http://www.heroesofthestorm.com/
Also, don't forget to opt in to the beta
SC2 Panel Patch 2.1
New Maps
Group and Clans
- Upload custom clan decals visible in game
- Create Events with calendars.
Mods Extension
Extend a game mode to work with any map and tileset without making a bunch of maps. Example:
- Big Game Hunter
- Monobattle
New level cap: 35
New level cap: 35. Added potraits and decals from CarbotAnimations
New Remastered Soundtrack from SC1
WC3 Heroes models coming to SC2 Editors
(Orcs for now)
Arcade is now free !!!
- Starter Editions now has all 3 races available
CarbotAnimations Video
- Nerf fight from CarbotAnimations (featuring Dustin Browder and David Kim)
Audio from Blizzcon is messed up. Waiting on Carbot's official video from his channel.
When is this coming ?
PTR is starting 1 week after Blizzcon. Full release is expected at the end of the year. Patch 2.2 will come next year.
Q&A
- Reconnect Features: Still working on it. (Maybe 2.2)
- Art Tools: Still in beta, intend for other 3D modeling program other than 3DSMax
- Death of Micro: Focus more on visibility of play first
- Moar Skins: Technical limitations for low-end machine.
- Marketplace: Did not have time/infrastructure to make it work. Heroes of the Storm will start the infrastructure.
HotS Panel
How HotS become what it is
- Thanks to the WC3 and the custom map community.
- Thanks to the editor. Thanks to the engine to make it possible.
- Blizzard All Stars at blizzcon: originally made with only SC2 models
- Bliizard All Stars is put on an arcade machine in blizzcon
Heroes Showcase
- 14 heroes playable at Blizzcon
- Malfurion
- Witch Doctor
- Jim Raynor
- Demon Hunter -> Vampire Hunter
- Arthas. Alternate skin (prince Arthas instead of Lich King)
- Goblin Tinkerer
- Kerrigan
- Wolf ridding Kerrigan
- ETC
- Diablo -> Murkablo
- Abathur !!!! Infest and tunneling claw.
- Uther Lightbringer with a Medic suit
Lore
Nexus is a zone that is out of cannon, where world clash together. Anything can happen in the Nexus
<shows Kerrigan riding wolf again>
Mechanics
- 20 minute matches
- Customizable skills. Heroes have more skills than you can bring into battle.
- Team level: shared between the team. Make sure that support/specialist can shine (Abathur, siege tank) without farming.
- Interesting map mechanics: Like Burning Tide for SC2.
- Map rotation that changes over time in the matchmaking
Blackheart's Bay
- Pirate map: Take coins give to pirate, he'll fire cannon at your opponents. Hunt other players with coin
The Haunted Mine
- 2 maps: Underground and above ground. Hunt the skeleton and golems underground
- No custom shop. Heroes pick from their own shop which is called a talent tree.
- Most other mechanics stays from the Blizzard Dota version (Tower ammo)
Golem capturing
CarbotAnimations Gameplay Video
Q&A
- Prevent snowballing: Can still hide and farm, spread out and come back. Objective swings the balance quickly.
- Easier player communication: Players will be guided slowly. Objective are straightforward.
- What's the point of the wolf: Out of combat and mobility. And also, Nexus. It's also looks cool, like Abathur riding motorcycles.
- Individual playstyles: You can be the Dragon Knight and show your micro skills. But the game is always team based. Win or lose together.
- Core audiences: Not worried, we make game we want to play.
- 1v1 play, counter play: Team wide interest, good mobility, it's rare to be stuck in 1v1.
- Non-objective map: When new maps are in, no one play the traditional map.
- No items: Customized talents tree are the item. Boots are gone
- Where does it fits in esport: Let's see what the community do first.
- Tower with ammo: Still in
Post Panel Interview with DirectTV
- Dustin Browder is spending 70% of the time with Heroes of the Storm. He got a great team is still working on LotV and he is just helping them how to see problems before it comes up.
- Total of 4 battleground (maps) right now:
- The Cursed Hollow: The Tributes mechanics explained: If any team got 3 tributes, the Ravenlord is pleased and curse the enemy team instead. Tributes spawn randomly on the map. Towers will not shoot and minion takes double damage.
- Dragonshire: Control both obelisks in the middle of the map to give a player the Dragon Knight.
- Map editors: Absolutely will be. Still not sure how we would do it. (Integration with core team sc2 ??)
- Lost Vikings heroes: Definitely opportunities to add them in. There will be more heroes overtime.
- Plan: Keep making heroes. New battlegrounds
- Can we make our own battlegrounds: No date, we hoped and wanted it.
-Esport: Replay, Reconnect, customized observer UI are the features. The community decide whether or not the game is an esport with the tools we made.
- Favorite hero: Sonya (female barbarian): never die, Nova: Triple Shot (enemy heroes can block sniping shot like Caitlyn in LoL)
- Easy to play characters are unlocked first. Harder heroes like Abathur comes over time
- Team level enable unique heroes design (Abathur, healer ...) and be more objective focused.
- Multiple of same heroes: There might be maps that make it happen. Some heroes' heroic ablity (ultimate) is unbalanced for now.
- Control: Much more direct. Skill shot, delayed skill with timing.
- Beta: Small and getting larger, open beta and then release.
Other
Introducing the free Arcade