Omnimaga

General Discussion => Technology and Development => Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: DJ Omnimaga on August 08, 2011, 07:57:35 pm

Title: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 08, 2011, 07:57:35 pm
I just noticed that Blizzard recently replaced the Starcraft II Trial with a Starter Edition. Basically it lets you play Starcraft II for free, after you downloaded the huge game client.

Basically it's a limited version of Starcraft II where there are the following restrictions (Quoted from their site): "Starter Edition players can only play up to the fourth campaign mission, and most Challenge Missions are unavailable. Starter Edition players are also unable to use versus and co-op matchmaking, most custom maps, chat channels, and the party system. Publishing custom maps to Battle.net is also restricted, and offline play is unavailable to Starter Edition players. For single-player and custom games, Starter Edition players may only choose the Terran race."

However, the cool thing is that you can still play multiplayer against random people and most importantly, there's no trial time period, so it won't expire.

Despite the limitations and not being able to use parties/friend lists, I thought I would share this here in case some people ever thought about trying Starcraft II but did not want to buy it yet.

Here's the link: https://us.battle.net/account/sc2/starter-edition/

Available maps
Xel’Naga Caverns - max 2 player
Shattered Temple - max 4 player
Discord IV - max 4 player
High Orbit - max 4 player
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: annoyingcalc on August 08, 2011, 07:58:11 pm
O.O cool
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Juju on August 08, 2011, 08:03:03 pm
Oh nice :D
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 08, 2011, 08:13:19 pm
Now to wonder why the game client is still 6.99 GB large... (at least it's better than 12, tho)
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Eeems on August 08, 2011, 08:16:22 pm
Hmm, interesting. I would download and play it, but I've got too many new games to fill up my time with right now :P
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: TIfanx1999 on August 08, 2011, 08:17:30 pm
Hmm.. thanks for the info. Maybe I'll give it a try. =)
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: fb39ca4 on August 08, 2011, 08:30:41 pm
Interesting. I'll have to give this a try.
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Hot_Dog on August 08, 2011, 10:30:12 pm
This is awesome!  I've got to say it's quite generous

I wonder if they'll do something like this for Heart of the Swarm...there's no need to, but I wonder if they plan on it

Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 08, 2011, 11:03:39 pm
yeah it would be nice.

By the way it seems we can still add friends, just not create parties.
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Hot_Dog on August 09, 2011, 12:11:08 am
Btw, I saw this thread and thought it was spam at first :)  I'm glad to find out it wasn't
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: fb39ca4 on August 09, 2011, 12:14:33 am
I thought it was going to be a rickroll as well :P
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Silver Shadow on August 09, 2011, 03:12:22 am
I thought it was going to be a rickroll as well :P
Me too. ;)
Might check this out, but I'm a bit discouraged by the size of the download (my connection isn't very fast :()...
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Scipi on August 09, 2011, 02:30:19 pm
I left the computer running overnight to finish the download. Totally worth it I think. XD
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: SolusIpse on August 14, 2011, 12:20:37 pm
@DJ_O:  What's your BNet name so we can find you and play?  Or is that not even allowed in the Starter Edition?
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 14, 2011, 12:25:35 pm
I don't remember if it is. I know we cannot create parties but we can possibly still do the old Brood War trick of chatting on IRC telling each others which game to join then quickly trying to join the same game lobby. That could be challenging, though.

I'll PM you my gamertag/code.
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Deep Toaster on August 14, 2011, 01:13:59 pm
I should try this some time...
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: fb39ca4 on August 14, 2011, 02:20:21 pm
I downloaded it but never got around to installing it :P
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 14, 2011, 09:28:03 pm
It's a really big file O.O

On a side note, I wonder if it's possible to install multiple copies of SC on one computer, because when I tried it would still try to overwrite the default folder path, even if I chose a different one. I wanted two installs (my main copy and the starter edition) so I could also play on the European server from the starter copy.
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: SolusIpse on August 14, 2011, 10:36:17 pm
Did you use a different BNet account for the starter edition?  It kind of sucks how Blizzard game keys get linked to your account.  My guess is that this prevents an account that doesn't own the full game from playing on a full install. 

I do miss LAN.  Stable internet isn't available in every corner of the Earth... yet.
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 14, 2011, 10:48:02 pm
Yeah I used a different one. And yeah it sucks how it was done. The region lock sucks even more. I remember in Brood War we could at least do LAN or connect to multiple servers.

That said if you ever get the original SC there's always iccup there too. I'm not as good at that version though :P
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 23, 2011, 03:38:06 pm
Btw I checked on Battle.net and it seems like the starter edition uses the public test server for playing, which means we might not even be able to play together between the full and starter versions. Maybe it could work if I play from the PTR server, though, when they don't test new versions of the game.
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Yeong on August 23, 2011, 05:35:04 pm
It certainly sounds cool, but I won't need it since I have the full version... I just want HotS but I'll have to wait about a year... XP
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 29, 2011, 06:52:34 pm
Isn't it coming out during holidays? Or is it just the beta that does?
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Yeong on August 29, 2011, 06:58:28 pm
What I heard is it won't come out until April 2012
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 29, 2011, 07:05:13 pm
Oh I see. I guess they'll start the beta around holidays then release it in April or so. I bet it will be April 27th, which will be the end of Season 5 most likely :P
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Yeong on August 29, 2011, 07:06:54 pm
I wish it was April 21st (Mah Birthday) :P
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Builderboy on August 29, 2011, 07:23:10 pm
I actually downloaded this a couple days back, prompted by a friend, and I have to say I am enjoying it a lot ^^
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 29, 2011, 07:36:27 pm
Glad to hear. I hope when the expansion comes out that they will reduce the price of the classic+game so hopefully you can all buy it. It would be nice if there were some games just for fun between me, cooliojazz and others.

It would probably have to be somewhere else than Friday nights, though.
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Builderboy on August 29, 2011, 07:41:42 pm
I know that it is possible for people with the full version to invite people with the trial version to a hosted game (Starjeweled or Regular), but trial cannot play as any race except the Terran.  That being said I have been practicing and am getting better ^^
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Yeong on August 29, 2011, 07:55:33 pm
Glad to hear. I hope when the expansion comes out that they will reduce the price of the classic+game so hopefully you can all buy it.
But I will be angry....
SC2 WoL that I bought = $60
HotS estimated cost = $40
Total I will spend = $100

$100 for a computer game O.O
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on August 29, 2011, 08:08:19 pm
Yeah I mean if it remains at $50 like it is now but the expansion costs like $50 too it will be a lot. As a SC fan I don't mind paying as much as $200 for a SC game but still...

EDIT: Also it appears we can invite ppl from starter edition to our full version games, according to Builder. THey just can't invite us. However, when I create a game it doesn't state which map they can join. I'll append them to the first post as a guide

Xel’Naga Caverns - max 2 player
Shattered Temple - max 4 player
Discord IV - max 4 player
High Orbit - max 4 player

Not sure if Free For All is available, though. It migth just be 1v1 and 2v2

EDIT Weird now it shows them ???. I guess Battle.net is just laggy tonight
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: JL235 on September 13, 2011, 12:17:34 am
I was thinking similar before I got Starcraft 2, that's the three combined make up a lot of money for one game. However after buying Starcraft 2; it's actually around the same size as the original Starcraft. Maybe a tad shorter, but it's certainly not short, and it's missions are much better designed. It is a full game in it's own right, and the next two are expected to be bigger.

But I really didn't like the story, including how it's told. For most of the game, it's conveyed through reports your given from elsewhere in the galaxy. As a result it feels like the main plot is just passing you by, since for most of the game your saving colonists or completing side quests. It's only on the last couple of missions that you really get involved in the main plot.

But it was still easily the best game I played last year, and the missions in the story mode are truly some of the best designed.
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: BalancedFury on September 14, 2011, 09:16:33 pm
I just noticed that Blizzard recently replaced the Starcraft II Trial with a Starter Edition. Basically it lets you play Starcraft II for free, after you downloaded the huge game client.

Basically it's a limited version of Starcraft II where there are the following restrictions (Quoted from their site): "Starter Edition players can only play up to the fourth campaign mission, and most Challenge Missions are unavailable. Starter Edition players are also unable to use versus and co-op matchmaking, most custom maps, chat channels, and the party system. Publishing custom maps to Battle.net is also restricted, and offline play is unavailable to Starter Edition players. For single-player and custom games, Starter Edition players may only choose the Terran race."

However, the cool thing is that you can still play multiplayer against random people and most importantly, there's no trial time period, so it won't expire.

Despite the limitations and not being able to use parties/friend lists, I thought I would share this here in case some people ever thought about trying Starcraft II but did not want to buy it yet.

Here's the link: https://us.battle.net/account/sc2/starter-edition/

Available maps
Xel’Naga Caverns - max 2 player
Shattered Temple - max 4 player
Discord IV - max 4 player
High Orbit - max 4 player
Even if it's good cause you don't hav to spend 60 dollars, I don't think it will be much fun :P
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on September 14, 2011, 09:21:14 pm
Actually it isn't too bad if you just plan to play with friends. It seems we can still invite them to partys and games. It just sucks if you plan to play the campaing or compete in leagues. Also you can 3v3 or 4v4 but those aren't as fun if you just play to compete, since it's pretty luck-based (or imba, in case you ever play vs 4 terrans x.x)
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Yeong on September 14, 2011, 10:04:11 pm
speaking of 4v4, fun, true story.
our team is entirely zerg.
somebody got a good idea.
we all goes 6z rush.
enemies pwned bc they didnt scout early XD
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: BalancedFury on September 15, 2011, 08:49:48 pm
The first time I played Starcraft(I)
MY bro vs Me
(Zerg)      (Terran)
My bro brought zerglings... I had marines, I won
I started building Siege Tanks, not knowing what they werwe
MY bro brought Hydras and Zerglings
I pwned them, and started building more siege, cause i thought they were good
MY bro brought 6 Mutas... I was owned.. lol
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: Yeong on September 16, 2011, 07:27:20 am
The first time I played Starcraft(I)
MY bro vs Me
(Zerg)      (Terran)
My bro brought zerglings... I had marines, I won
I started building Siege Tanks, not knowing what they werwe
MY bro brought Hydras and Zerglings
I pwned them, and started building more siege, cause i thought they were good
MY bro brought 6 Mutas... I was owned.. lol
That's the 2nd one. :P
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: BalancedFury on September 17, 2011, 06:09:50 pm
Really? I'm keep thinking it was the first one.
Title: Re: A FREE version of Starcraft II!
Post by: DJ Omnimaga on January 22, 2014, 09:30:39 pm
Good news: Patch 2.1 now allows people to play all arcade games for free! :D

This means Nexus wars (Tug of War), Monobattles (kinda like standard Starcraft but where each player can only build one type of unit through the game), Fastest map by wolf as well as a few other (although not very popular) modifications to the real game and lots of other arcade games of any kind.

On top of that, custom games are now free too. (They're like standard Starcraft games, but in a game lobby like Brood War rather than searching for players)