SC2: Innovation and why it doesn’t matter.

Welcome to another Perch of StaticFalconar. This is a yearend series of blogs about my gaming experience in 2010.

            This topic was of course brought up as the fine line that divided people that doesn't get it and those that do. So instead of trying to defend Starcraft, I will instead defend the need for innovation (or lack of). 1 lets get this out of the way; saying you hate this game because its not innovative makes as much sense as saying you hate a game because its not an FPS. Just like not every game has to be an FPS, not every game has to be innovative.

            You know that game called Football (or just think whatever version of any sport that you like and follow) right? Well, that game is like FN old man. It needs to be innovated some more right? No. Other than perhaps rules in the name of safety and reduction in exploitation of certain rule sets/fairness, the game is fine as is. Same thing for Starcraft 2.

            Starcraft 2 took what worked and refined it with better graphics and constant patching. In fact, due to the number of units that got added and subtracted from SC1, SC2 is a very different game but just with the same core principles as SC1. Don’t like the concept of map control by building units and taking chances of when to expand as well as scout? Then SC2 just isn’t for you. Sure if you liked the Warhammer series where its more micro heavy instead of just purely a race of teching up versus massing stuff and when to expand/detect/etc, then SC2 may not be for you either. But even Warhammer did have the tenants of all RTS games where you are rewarded for map control. SC2 does this by getting you more resources when you build a base its just more simplified in a more micro heavy game like Company of Heroes. Kinda funny since if you like microing, you think microing your workers which SC2 demands of you should be something you don’t complain about. Either way, that may not be something you hated and I’m just rambling on at this point.

            Back on topic: Innovation. Innovation for the sake of innovation is redundant. Innovation because you think the old ways could be improved by making a new system as a whole is the only reason why one should go through that path. Oh, still don’t like SC2? well I never got into Halo, Modern Warfare, MechWarrior, or even Half life. Does that mean I have to hate those series, no. Stop being a Xenophobe. Just because you don’t get it, doesn’t mean it’s a bad game. The following any game has is the one true indicator on just how good it is. SC2 has one big ass following. And it totally extends beyond just Korea, the emergence of guys like Day 9 and Husky shows there is an american audience that is interested in SC2 as a spectator sport. 

            Alright, I kinda felt like most of what I wrote today was just me ranting, but honestly, you either get it or you don’t. Tomorrow’s blog will still be SC2, but more on the stream scene and my own stance on RTS games as a whole.