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.
They call it the "galaxy platform" which both games are using, according to this .
But that doesn't tell us, if sc2 can access heroes' data... that would be cool, though.
Also, it would mean that arcade users need to download even more archives, but many people might have just both games installed already. They just need to find a way to make SC2 find and use the heroes mods. I really hope that will be possible.
In the end, we can always ask them publishing a mod with the assets. They should work fine in SC2, since it's the same engine. There won't be work required to make models compatible for SC2 like the wc3 orc hero model update process.
Else, the coolest models will be transfered into SC2 anyway. I need that Diablo model... I need it... badly... :D
When arcade becomes free, can people with sc2 starter edition play arcade maps with HOTS dependencies?
Well, they used the word "completely" in front of "free", so I assume that. Else, it just adds even more initiative to not use expansion's assets. Atm, I'm already not using them because I've only little benefit from them in my flagship map.
SC2:
- 2.1 PTR next week
- group & clans (2.1)
- - events with date, notifications for friends when data comes closer
- upload clan logos that you can use ingame and you and the enemy will see it
- mods for bnet easily usable with existing maps (extension mods), examples:
- - big game hunters mod on bnet
- - monobattles
- - imba league
- level cap 30 => 35
- decals & portraits from "STARCRAFTS"
- more soundtracks (SCBW music remastered)
- orc hero models for sc2 (far seer, shadow hunter, blademaster, tauren chieftain) [for next year, eventually all heroes one day]
- starter edition receives all races
- custom games free for all (so, basically only ladder & campaign aren't free)
- balance patch next week, changes are tested balance changes
ARCADE:
- 2.1 arcade completly free for all
- release this year
- no more afk hosts (afk after time -> notification, no response => removed from the game, other player becomes host)
Q&A:
reconnect feature?
- continueing to working on reconnect feature (patch 2.2 comes next year). they continue to look at it
art tools importer?
- cloaken had no info about that. They plan to make the plugin for other modelling programs too
depth of micro video thoughts?
- amazing comparison. It was cool, but the viewer doesn't understand that. They try to do aspects for the casual viewers, so skill visibility is important.
TvZ is dominated by bio+mine
- we want more diversity in the matchup. => patch changes next week
- if that is not enough, they try to continue to make mech viable before next year's wcs season
skins for units and unit sounds?
- excited about skins, but there is a memory cap when they add new skins. They need to solve that first before they can offer more skins.
marketplace?
- they talk about it all the time. they know when they launched arcade that it was an intention for the team to do that and they continue to look at it. Atm they had not the time to invest into the tech-infrastructure to make it work. the good part of that is that they are spending time building a tech-infostructure that works for heroes. So they hope to potentially build on that and eventually reach that goal. They have no timeline for that and
atm they will learn from heroes and look at that in the future.
tournament size is shrinking, plans to get more people into the game?
- free arcade and custom games, ....
They call it the "galaxy platform" which both games are using, according to this .
But that doesn't tell us, if sc2 can access heroes' data... that would be cool, though.
Also, it would mean that arcade users need to download even more archives, but many people might have just both games installed already. They just need to find a way to make SC2 find and use the heroes mods. I really hope that will be possible.
In the end, we can always ask them publishing a mod with the assets. They should work fine in SC2, since it's the same engine. There won't be work required to make models compatible for SC2 like the wc3 orc hero model update process.
Else, the coolest models will be transfered into SC2 anyway. I need that Diablo model... I need it... badly... :D
Well, they used the word "completely" in front of "free", so I assume that. Else, it just adds even more initiative to not use expansion's assets. Atm, I'm already not using them because I've only little benefit from them in my flagship map.
Custom Games are free, too. You've missed that.
Here are my notes:
SC2:
- 2.1 PTR next week
- group & clans (2.1)
- - events with date, notifications for friends when data comes closer
- upload clan logos that you can use ingame and you and the enemy will see it
- mods for bnet easily usable with existing maps (extension mods), examples:
- - big game hunters mod on bnet
- - monobattles
- - imba league
- level cap 30 => 35
- decals & portraits from "STARCRAFTS"
- more soundtracks (SCBW music remastered)
- orc hero models for sc2 (far seer, shadow hunter, blademaster, tauren chieftain) [for next year, eventually all heroes one day]
- starter edition receives all races
- custom games free for all (so, basically only ladder & campaign aren't free)
- balance patch next week, changes are tested balance changes
ARCADE:
- 2.1 arcade completly free for all
- release this year
- no more afk hosts (afk after time -> notification, no response => removed from the game, other player becomes host)
Q&A:
reconnect feature?
- continueing to working on reconnect feature (patch 2.2 comes next year). they continue to look at it
art tools importer?
- cloaken had no info about that. They plan to make the plugin for other modelling programs too
depth of micro video thoughts?
- amazing comparison. It was cool, but the viewer doesn't understand that. They try to do aspects for the casual viewers, so skill visibility is important.
TvZ is dominated by bio+mine
- we want more diversity in the matchup. => patch changes next week
- if that is not enough, they try to continue to make mech viable before next year's wcs season
skins for units and unit sounds?
- excited about skins, but there is a memory cap when they add new skins. They need to solve that first before they can offer more skins.
marketplace?
- they talk about it all the time. they know when they launched arcade that it was an intention for the team to do that and they continue to look at it. Atm they had not the time to invest into the tech-infrastructure to make it work. the good part of that is that they are spending time building a tech-infostructure that works for heroes. So they hope to potentially build on that and eventually reach that goal. They have no timeline for that and
atm they will learn from heroes and look at that in the future.
tournament size is shrinking, plans to get more people into the game?
- free arcade and custom games, ....
I'm going to write an article on staredit.net. :)
2.1 PTR starts next week. 2.1's release is scheduled for later this year.
Patch 2.2 will arrive next year.