Blizzard launches new website - Project Blackstone

[Noomz]

Exactly, I don't think they're going to start work on the next Starcraft II expansion anytime soon, maybe in a year or so but probably not now so their time has been freed up a bit and I'm guessing Blizzard wants their plot writers to move onto this and hype it up. People need to stop bitching and just enjoy something that the guys at Blizzard didn't need to offer but are because they love to create excitement among the fans. I'm glad they hold events and such, it's really nice of them.

I actually think that they've begun work on Legacy of the Void some time ago. It might not actually be a game yet, but all the story, all the pre-production stuff has probably been done well ahead of actual production.

---------- Post added 2013-02-07 at 03:38 PM ----------

Wow...that looks like a lot of work from Blizzard for... nothing important. Seriously, why write all that plot and spread a team in releasing it, just for hype on something that already have a lot of visibility and attention on other circles?

Wow, aren't you a party-pooper. Yeah damn Blizzard for making something fun!

[Shanseala]

https://twitter.com/CameronDayton/st...23874661769216

Just in case anyone doubts its HOTS hype

[Edge-]

Seriously, why write all that plot and spread a team in releasing it

For the writing, it's part of viral marketing (as others have said). I have zero interest, but it's an effective tactic to generate interest/hype.

As for spreading the team to release it, they don't need to. You can automate much of the social media or have it prepared ahead of time. Technically if this was prepared early enough, they could have had one or two people get all of this set up and organized so that a single person could run much of the social media going about right now.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

With this latest tidbit I've come up with 3 new probable things Blackstone is.

1. Titan. IMO this is the biggest probability now. Blizz had dropped hints all along that Titan was going to be radically different from WoW, and theories/rumors of a sci fi MMO were abound all along. The fact this came out on the day of their big conference call to me is no mistake. If Blizzcon 2013 is announced today, I wouldn't put it past Blizz to reveal Project Blackstone as their new MMO this year. (I previously was saying 2014)

2. New Starcraft Game. Blizz has dabbled in the idea of making a console Starcraft game before, and at one point in the last 2 years was hiring for a console title. Could Blackstone be the in-dev title for such a game?

2. HotS ARG. Kind of pointless when we already know the launch date, but mysterious websites with passwords we have to guess screams valve-style ARG.

[Edge-]

How is Titan even being brought up?

The site is hosted as part of SC2's primary site. It's all Starcraft based information. I don't get the leap in logic from "Everything says Starcraft" to "It can be Titan!"

[barackopala]

I actually think that they've begun work on Legacy of the Void some time ago. It might not actually be a game yet, but all the story, all the pre-production stuff has probably been done well ahead of actual production.

---------- Post added 2013-02-07 at 03:38 PM ----------



Wow, aren't you a party-pooper. Yeah damn Blizzard for making something fun!

i'm a bit doubtful, mainly because of massive anmounts of cruticism due to racial imbalances, same happened when sc2 1.0 launched (post beta), most of blizz efforts will points towards units/ladder maps and a correct implementation of the sc2 arcade section

[Kryos]

So Titan is World of Starcraft? Looks to me that way. Yes, they said "new ip" but the latest rumours are, that Titan is not a new ip:
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01...be-heading-to/

It this is right, this could only mean World of Starcraft (with a different name and gameplay).

[Belize]

I typed whosyourdaddy and this is what I got:

Response 37M Deployed
Location confirmed

Hmm.

O.o well then...

[NatePsy]

With this latest tidbit I've come up with 3 new probable things Blackstone is.

1. Titan. IMO this is the biggest probability now. Blizz had dropped hints all along that Titan was going to be radically different from WoW, and theories/rumors of a sci fi MMO were abound all along. The fact this came out on the day of their big conference call to me is no mistake. If Blizzcon 2013 is announced today, I wouldn't put it past Blizz to reveal Project Blackstone as their new MMO this year. (I previously was saying 2014)

https://twitter.com/CameronDayton/st...23874661769216 That is all I have to say on this.. Seriously, a CM even replies to it! Rygarius! Come on.. It's not Titan, stop being ridiculous.

[Belize]

How is Titan even being brought up?

The site is hosted as part of SC2's primary site. It's all Starcraft based information. I don't get the leap in logic from "Everything says Starcraft" to "It can be Titan!"

There's also people saying it's D3... Makes even less sense...

[wynterlyn]

The folks who write plot related materials probably finished anything in HOTS requiring their input months ago. And I doubt the web design team had any involvement in making the game itself.

But hey, continue the proud tradition of bitching about anything and everything. Lord knows someone has to...

What is your problem? Seems you have something stuck up your behind. Isn't it ironic that you are the one that seems to bitch about anything and everything while picking on random statements people make in their comments? I mean really.. get it together. I've seen you already pick on 3 people in this thread and me as well. I've seen from your previous post history as well. Like really?

Everyone is discussing here and everyone has a right to make their own statements and I am fine debating them with someone with some common sense. But you definitely lack any and take it further by berating anyone that opposes your views.

[Noomz]

i'm a bit doubtful, mainly because of massive anmounts of cruticism due to racial imbalances, same happened when sc2 1.0 launched (post beta), most of blizz efforts will points towards units/ladder maps and a correct implementation of the sc2 arcade section

I don't think you appriciate how difficult it is to balance an RTS like this one. They need to balance it for more several leagues as well, something they've talked about that makes it all harder.

---------- Post added 2013-02-07 at 07:50 PM ----------

So Titan is World of Starcraft? Looks to me that way. Yes, they said "new ip" but the latest rumours are, that Titan is not a new ip:
http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/01...be-heading-to/

It this is right, this could only mean World of Starcraft (with a different name and gameplay).

Why is it so hard to understand that this is related to HotS, not Titan? It's on the SC2 branch of the website for crying out loud, no offense meant.

[Flutterguy]

Blizzard getting into viral marketing? I'm okay with this.

[unholytestament]

What is your problem? Seems you have something stuck up your behind. Isn't it ironic that you are the one that seems to bitch about anything and everything while picking on random statements people make in their comments? I mean really.. get it together. I've seen you already pick on 3 people in this thread and me as well. I've seen from your previous post history as well. Like really?

Everyone is discussing here and everyone has a right to make their own statements and I am fine debating them with someone with some common sense. But you definitely lack any and take it further by berating anyone that opposes your views.

Nice job ignoring the other people who called out the same guy.

[Pull My Finger]

What is your problem? Seems you have something stuck up your behind. Isn't it ironic that you are the one that seems to bitch about anything and everything while picking on random statements people make in their comments? I mean really.. get it together. I've seen you already pick on 3 people in this thread and me as well. I've seen from your previous post history as well. Like really?

Everyone is discussing here and everyone has a right to make their own statements and I am fine debating them with someone with some common sense. But you definitely lack any and take it further by berating anyone that opposes your views.

Seriously, your whole post could as well be directed at yourself. He commented a party-pooper-post and definitely had a point. What's your problem? The level of aggression and insulting language is totally out of proportion. You're picking on him because he's picking on someone, and I'm probably gonna get picked on because I'm picking on you right now. It's the pyramide of screaming by Barney Stinson.

[Edge-]

Keep the discussion on topic please.

[BigAssBoy]

new post is up on the site

Personal Log


Ludwig van Beethoven said, "Tones sound, and roar and storm about me until I have set them down in notes." It is wisdom I have carried throughout my career.Beethoven was a brilliant composer who has been largely forgotten by the vagabond Earthlings who have taken root here in the Koprulu sector. But I open this log with his words in the vain hope that my work here may someday match, in scientific form, the stirring musical legacy that great soul left for humanity.No, modesty has never been one of my strong suits. Modesty didn't pull me out of the drafty one-room farmer's shack I was born in. Modesty didn't win me top honors at Tarsonis U and a double PhD at Korhal Academy, nor did it help my seminal work become the first treatise on xenobiology to be made an Augustgrad Times bestseller. Modesty has its place: comfortably stuffed in the throats of those not ambitious enough to take a big, toothy bite out of the universe.Sadly, it was this selfsame lack of modesty that brought me here. How could the ever-seeing eyes of the Dominion ignore the undeniable efforts of my mind? A mind Michael Liberty called "an interplanetary treasure" in his UNN exposé. How could the Dominion Armed Military Nonsense resist putting my invaluable neurons to work for them?There I was, publishing valuable insights for the poor masses to consume... and there I was, not helping the D.A.M.N. fools turn knowledge into weapons. Granted, my work wasn't being shared entirely out of benevolence; the poor masses were making me rich. According to Ken, my agent, sales of Ayers on Aliens had already hit 10 million.That was only one week before I was aggressively recruited from my bedroom. By a ghost. Yes, I know it sounds like a Dickens novel. But, unlike Scrooge's nocturnal abductor, my ghost was armed with a knife, a rifle, and the ability to telekinetically make me lose control of my bladder. They can do that, right?Regardless, here I am. The Blackstone facility is cramped, stuffy, and it has an appalling lack of windows. The project head is so arrogant that I am surprised they were able to fit his enormous cranium into this tiny little asteroid. To make matters worse, I seem to have made a poor impression on good Dr. Branamoor, and he is now committed to making my time here even more unbearable. Surprisingly, I find it difficult to dwell on my current state of discomfort, due to the incredible resources we have at our disposal. I have worked in some of the most prestigious laboratories in the Koprulu sector and have never seen tools with the power and precision at my fingertips. Nor have I seen such an abundance of rare and unique samples of alien tissue. Rumor has it that Branamoor has connections in the black market, and I don't care to know any more than that. This assignment has given me access to complete specimens of zerg larvae, and I have witnessed things that have sent my imagination soaring. Wonderful things. Possibilities for healing the human race beyond anything dreamt of in our wildest fiction.

and this picture
http://us.battle.net/sc2/static/imag...2-zergling.jpg

[Darkrulerxxx]

New post up on blackstone website!

[BigAssBoy]

New Post is up

From:________________________________________To:
Dr. Talen Ayers_________________________________Dr. Talise Cogan

Zergling Dissection

I wanted to send you a quick note summarizing my findings in this morning's procedure. The dissection of the zergling-baneling series mutations (A through RR) created more questions than answers, and I wanted to see if your conclusions matched my own.

1. The specimen Subject L seems to have successfully absorbed the genetic material of the thermophilic pseudo-fungi of Cask, whereas the earlier specimens (A through K) were experiencing various degrees of rejection in areas where the foreign tissue had grown. Subject L seems to represent a biological watershed moment for the species, a point at which the xenocellular chemistry was integrated and accepted by the astoundingly receptive zerg cells.

2. The adaption and almost purposeful speed towards the new habitus evidenced by the post-watershed individuals were significant. Although the mutations visible in subjects A through K were minimal and subtle, the mutations in subjects M through RR were varied, complex, and even dramatic. It is almost as though there is recognition within the zerg biome, on a cellular level, that the hurdle has been overcome. Are the cells singing to one another? Ha! The instances of wild and unexpected mutation after that point are almost incalculable.

3. The notes provided by Dr. Branamoor regarding the timing and frequency of this outbreak of new zergling type "baneling" were remarkably insightful. It seems as though they were taken by a researcher in the field – a witness to the manifestation. I wonder if we could be put in contact with this individual. I like the way he thinks.

With this Picture
http://us.battle.net/sc2/static/imag...3-baneling.jpg

From:________________________________________To:
Dr. Talise Cogan________________________________Dr. Talen Ayers

RE: Zergling Dissection


Thank you for your summary, Dr. Ayers. I neglected to mention this in the lab, but I have great respect for your work. Your Xenobiological Basics was required reading in my lectures at TU. As for your conclusions, I concur with them on most counts. However, I disagree with the latter part of your second statement – the point where you attribute the increased degree of mutation to cellular "recognition." Frankly, and with all due respect, I find your thesis absurd. It is far more probable that the increased mutation is tied to some element in the zerg process we have yet to uncover, possibly linked to the controlling "Alpha Zerg" individual, be it hive queen or cerebrate. Until we can locate and dissect an Alpha, our findings will have a significant blind spot, and will thus leave room for questionable theories like your singing cells. We are analyzing a decapitated body, Dr. Ayers. Once we find the head, our conclusions will make sense.

As for your third point, I think the research notes provided are sufficient for us to proceed with tissue analysis. They seem to evoke speculation as farfetched as your musical organelles, and I'd rather not waste our resources in that direction. That said, I take umbrage at your assumption that this researcher is male. No gender-specific attribution was given in the summary provided by Dr. Gentry, and I'm sure that Dr. Branamoor has included any data we might find useful in his subsequent revision.

Next on our task list: a series of hydralisk bodies recovered from a failed experiment by a Dr. Loew on Thys. Apparently she attempted to get into their heads. We may be able to shed some light on our blind spot after all.

With This Picture
http://us.battle.net/sc2/static/imag...-hydralisk.jpg

[BigAssBoy]

# 04 Chat Log ______________________________________ 18:00:00 BST

Dr. Talen Ayers ___________________________________ Dr. Talise Cogan


T. Ayers
Oh good, you're online. I didn't expect you back from dinner so soon.

T. Cogan
Yes, well, I had to make an excuse to break free from Dr. Held's less-than-riveting discussion on protoss cellular mitosis. That man bothers me. No regard for negative social cues…

T. Ayers
Ha! He seemed ready to talk your ear off until the wee hours, Talise. You are the Houdini of conversational escapism.

T. Cogan
Who? Dr. Ayers, is this another one of your charming yet forgotten old-Earth heroes? You know that I am no historian.

T. Ayers
Yes, yes, apologies. My point is, you broke free from Held's blathering. I had hoped we might go over today's findings–? Ever since Branamoor lifted the ban on linked data pads, I have preferred comparing our notes in this medium. I think lively discussion provides insight beyond the measured facts.

T. Cogan
"Lively"? You know these chats are monitored just as closely as our research notes, right? It is hard for me to feel any genuine sense of liveliness when Branamoor's goons are eavesdropping on every word we say.

T. Ayers
Well, let's just accept the listening party as a given. Maybe it would help if you thought of them as nothing more than interested fans? Xenobiology buffs excited to pore through your discoveries?

T. Cogan
Dr. Ayers, you may have gotten accustomed to having fans – hell, sometimes I think you see everybody as a part of your devoted audience. But that idea does nothing for me. Can we simply get to the point?

T. Ayers
Very well. Just trying to help.

T. Cogan
Right. So... our notes from Dr. Sandra Loew. Have you been through them all? She had made some interesting leaps with prions, using them as a vector to influence zerg neurology. Although... from everything I saw, it looks as if she jumped into experimentation far too quickly.

T. Ayers
I have been through everything recovered from the site. Dr. Loew was – what's a kind way to put this? She was enthusiastic about her research. I mean, we have volumes of material here, and every word is acutely concerned with controlling zerg behavior. She had commendable focus.

T. Cogan
Or what some might call an obsessive compulsion, but that's neither here nor there. Regardless, she put her theories into practice before setting safe parameters. It looks as if her darling hydralisk wasn't quite as tame as she had hoped.

T. Ayers
"Dennis"? Oh my, yes. Once a researcher names the subject animal, you know that some degree of rational distance has been lost. How she went on about the creature.

T. Cogan
And you saw how he repaid her devotion? Another reason I am glad our research has been relegated to dead subjects thus far.

T. Ayers
"Thus far" being the operative phrase here. You think those sounds coming from the red hallways are being made by the furnace? Branamoor is testing us out on research that has already been terminated so that he can see how we operate. We'll be moving on to live subjects soon.

T. Cogan
I'm afraid you're right. Look, I've typed up the rest of my conclusions, and I will get the summary to you tomorrow morning. I... I think I might just go lie down.

T. Ayers
The thought of meeting another Dennis soured the conversation, didn't it?

T. Cogan
Something like that. And it looks as if we have a big day tomorrow: a new shuttle arrived with a coldbox from Choss. My guess is that we're opening up a big package from Professor Champlain.

T. Ayers
Champlain? From Special Research Ops?

T. Cogan
That's what it said on the box. "Champlain, SRO."

T. Ayers
Interesting. I wonder what the foremost expert on mutalisks has sent us.

T. Cogan
A mutalisk? Seems like the obvious answer...

T. Ayers
Talise, you must be tired. Have you ever dissected a mutalisk?

T. Cogan
No, but I... oh yeah, right. Volatile acidic hemoglobin. I had forgotten.

T. Ayers
The poor professor's chosen field of study keeps dissolving right in front of his eyes. Which only makes me more curious: what could he possibly have sent us?

T. Cogan
Well, the coldbox looked far too big for a mutalisk anyway. I was so caught up watching the marines unload it that I almost missed the new member of our team when he disembarked.

T. Ayers
They've conscripted another poor soul into our ranks? Fantastic. Were you able to get his name?

T. Cogan
Don't get too excited, Dr. Ayers. He was... weird. Not weird like Dr. Held, but just... really distant. As if his mind wasn't in the same room with us, if you get my meaning.

T. Ayers
I suppose so. You know, it does take a unique skill set to enter into our line of work, Talise. Xenoscience makes for strange bedfellows.

T. Cogan
Well, that's the other thing. He told me that his specialty was archaeology.

T. Ayers
That's odd. What could an archaeologist possibly contribute to a research lab devoted to alien biology?

T. Cogan
I'm sure I have no idea. He said that his name was Ramsey. Jake Ramsey.

And this Image
http://us.battle.net/sc2/static/imag...4-mutalisk.jpg