Blizzard on chatroom and crossregional play {Blizzard confirms channels}

[redmarine]

These features will be implemented after the official release of the game.

Chatrooms

There will definitely be "chat channels" coming in one of the patches after the release. The system will be based around groups, where you will be able to join public channels that are based around your interests, which can be virtually anything. Also the system will include private chat channels (in plans for release in the first few months after the release), where you will be able to meet with your friends.

As for identifiers they are returning for the second phase of the beta. The previous system did not work as intended to some degree and based on feedback received the developers decided to implement a variation of this, which is going to attach character codes. These will be three digit numbers added to your nickname and they will be seen in the UI screens. Thanks to this you will be able to add friends manually, just like previously with identifiers. On top of that you can still add friends using all other methods (using the score screen or RealID).

I'll pause with that.

Cross regional play

Getting people online, playing and interacting is obviously the overall goal for the Battle.net platform, and that includes allowing people to play across regional boundaries as they have in the past.

Unfortunately, there are a multitude of challenges we have to overcome due to the unique regional account and billing options that didn’t exist in the past. But those hurdles aren’t insurmountable, and we are looking into solutions that will allow interested players to obtain access to other regional versions without having to buy another full copy of the game. Those solutions are something we’re currently planning to have available through Battle.net Account Management within the first few months of StarCraft II’s release.

Before that solution is implemented though, you’re correct in that you’d need to purchase a US copy of the game on launch day to play in the US region.

EDIT: Regarding the 3 digits following your name:

The number will be automatically generated. Please keep in mind that you won’t be able to see this code everywhere, but only on certain screens. (i.e. it won’t get in the way and it won’t ruin the “look” of your nickname, don’t worry! )

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

Nice, all I wanted to say in other threads was these problems arent a fiction created by moa, but are really needed and just because some of you find them useless because you dont play specific matches or formats, doesn't mean they are not needed... Some failed pretty hard at understanding that.

Also these replies are a result of the hundreds of threads that flooded Blizzard and fansite forums, again not a fiction as some called it my 'non-existent theories'. However, let's not think big until we really see them. All the angry posts people made had effect it seems.

The three-digit code for Identifier was my idea btw
http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=25026404354&sid=5010

• Identifier could be a small 3 letter tag, no need a 2nd name. What game uses such 2 name system?

That's meeee

 

[Gleeful]

I don't understand, what exactly changed? It's the same broken identifier system as before, except now you don't even get to choose the second part of your name.

 

[Vengeancekael]

Now what i REALLY want, is a username with 4 characters

 

[mrzwach]

Actually, they were planning the chat groups for months, as they stated before.

On a side note, lol@your forum post that you linked. How does playing a game for fun mean that you aren't also playing to win? If the game isn't fun, why are you even playing it at all?

Also, an identifier at all is retarded. All that will happen is that you have people with the same uncreative retarded name, and its only possible to tell them apart "sometimes".

 

[Agarwa3n]

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/60156 This is for LAN. It's old, but I dont know why they abandoned this. It seems like a good idea.

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

In a later list with suggestions I even offered a removal of identifier, but Blizzard listened to my old suggestion which is still better than having 2 names. The forum link is my old suggestions, the new one separating the serious gamers from others was in the new list.

 

[BlackArmsShadow]

I knew Blizzard would listen to cranky players about this.

 

[Mooglefrooglian]

So no /w then? Great.

 

[Anti_Bodies]

really hoping my character code is 666

EDIT:

or 001
or 007
or 747

 

[Gallin]

Why does it say that each of these things will be released a few months after the game comes out? Why don't they just release the game in a few months? And just have the beta for another month? I get that they want money but don't they want the consumer to be very happy with the product. They obviously know that people want these features in the game or they wouldn't be adding it later.

 

[Verus]

Regarding the chat channels and multi-realm play, I think their own quote off their own trailer suits it:

"Hell, it's about time."

 

[Mille25]

some people are never happy, really.

i think its ok to patch them in later and give the game to us right now. stop crying.

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

Yes, I also dont mind the so wanted features happening few months after release. As I said, Im mostly concerned about proper chat channels (incl. commands) and clans, I personally don't have a prob with no LAN. What needs to happen in final phase is bring back the ability to add to fr list by acc. Any further share email info is unacceptable..

 

[LordDz]

Why does it say that each of these things will be released a few months after the game comes out? Why don't they just release the game in a few months? And just have the beta for another month? I get that they want money but don't they want the consumer to be very happy with the product. They obviously know that people want these features in the game or they wouldn't be adding it later.

Because then they would have a shitstorm on how it became delayed

 

[Dr Super Good]

I hope they allow the changing of regions to be done in less than 2 minutes.

In the case of WC3 I often played on europe during the day but as night came and activity dropped I went to US where games were more active. I would not mind having to log in to my account and then go to management and change from EU to US and vicaversa a couple of times a day but I will get seriously pissed if they expect a total reinstall as they are basically telling me then "Piss of, everyones asleep so go play something else" which is not what I want a game to do.

 

[Mooglefrooglian]

Well, why wouldn't they let you do it that easily? Theres no way they would seriously hardcode that, would they? It's just connecting to a different server.

 

[redmarine]

They probably just have to make some minor changes in order to let it work. Like allowing authentication in every region of all StarCraft II copies.

 

[Ghost765]

if its only 3 digits...would only 1000 players be able to play sc2?

 

[mrzwach]

Its a unique combination of name and identifier. So basically only 1,000 people can have the same name.


Stupid system, imo. With identifiers, it lets people have whatever name they want, which means that there will probably be 500 different people named "JimRaynor". Additionally, if identifiers are visible at all times it looks bad and gets annoying. If they are not visible at all times, then it is hard to tell people apart who have the same name. I'm sure there will be dozens of people who name themselves the same as pro SC players or renowned mapmakers, which is just stupid.

 

[Dark.Revenant]

It would probably be more useful to just force every name to be unique, allowing all alphanumeric characters plus the basic punctuation marks. That way, if you're forced to call yourself DumbNoob163 rather than just DumbNoob, you can do it that way. Or you could call yourself Dumb.Noob or DumbNoob666 or DumbN00b, or whatever.

But at least this is a step in the right direction.

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

When I suggested the 3 char Id, I meant letters as well. So that one could use it as a team/clan tag etc but they decided numbers. My only prob with numbers is I dont want to have my name noob style aka Chris89. newb123, Name888. Otherwise you must be joking if you say that 1000 people will use the same name even after 7 years and will run out of numbers.

 

[ElectricSaiyan]

Thank you Blizzard!

 

[Dark.Revenant]

When I suggested the 3 char Id, I meant letters as well. So that one could use it as a team/clan tag etc but they decided numbers. My only prob with numbers is I dont want to have my name noob style aka Chris89. newb123, Name888. Otherwise you must be joking if you say that 1000 people will use the same name even after 7 years and will run out of numbers.

You know, Blizzard probably thought of the idea themselves, then decided to implement it when they saw that their first and second methods didn't work and a few of the fans were asking for it explicitly.

 

[Mooglefrooglian]

I *really* hope they force names to be unique. I want to be able to /w people.

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

You know, Blizzard probably thought of the idea themselves, then decided to implement it when they saw that their first and second methods didn't work and a few of the fans were asking for it explicitly.

The member posts in their forums incl. mine have influence as long as they consider them a good idea. But they decided themselves that code be numbers. Why would anyone want just numbers, I dont think posters asked for numbers.