Sweet Home Alabama

Just got a new car and road-tripped to Alabama for a friend. That was weird. They really like that Lynyrd Skynyrd song up there. I heard it five times a day. I did not get much gaming in though. These were not your gamer types, that is for sure. I did see one N64, crammed in a kid's closet. It had a neglected copy of Super Mario 64 in it.

Apparently, since the last time I played StarCraft 2, season 2 started. I had to re-rank. Not that it mattered much, I was waiting for the new season to play ranked matches. What I did not consider, however, is that the other players all have practice from season 1. The beginning of season 2 is definitely a very different environment and mood than that of season 1. People know how to play now and the assholes of gaming made their way in. Perhaps, I should have played some more in season 1, especially knowing I was going to be rusty when season 2 kicked up. Does this mean season 2 is a toss up? Who cares? I do not need to win.

It is fun to say I made it to Platinum in the 4v4 team league though. Too bad random teams are too unreliable to think I could pull off Diamond. My brother needs to get his butt un-grounded so we can 2v2 premade these suckers. He is even rustier than I am. We will have to make sure to acknowledge that we will suck. It is just how it is. Perhaps, we will have coordinated better by the next expansion, which is not set for release this year.

My guilty pleasure: achievements. It is easy to get sucked into the harrowing achievements, but it sure kills time. I stated back when achievements were starting on the 360 that I was displease when them. Truth is, I still am.  Most games feel insulting when they tack on superfluous junk to do. However, StarCraft 2 is well suited for achievements, I think. Most of them are expectedly gimmicky, but it is nice to slowly work toward the ones that ask you to win 1000 times--as each race option, including Random. At least, unlike World of Warcraft, where the achievement score is worthless and people end up just showing off their Feats of Strength (which signify simply that they were there when it happened), SC2 emphasizes the score a bit more. I feel like I am building up that score. There is no reason; I have the time.

GAMING MUSIC:

Themed theme, much? I just find this tune fun to have on in the background once in a while. Anyone else hear SCV's mining Minerals when this starts?

You require additional Pylons.

So,  I was bored the other day and loaded up StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty. This game is a work of art. I feel it deserves 2010's GOTY. It was definitely awesome to come out on my birthday (or the day after). So which race did I pick to main? Terran. Back in the day of StarCraft: Brood War, which I still play, I played out Terran pretty hardcore. Marine/Medic balls and Battlecruisers are a force to be reckoned. It is pretty hard to kill a group of Marines with healers in the middle of the mass. Of course, I was passing up the Dark Archon,  but I can deal. A Dark Archon takes too long to get up and running and hardly feasible in a real match. However, it was definitely fun to toast my brother with a mass of Mutalisks as Protoss.

How does SC2 compare? I cannot bring myself to say it is better, but I also cannot say it is worse. Many people complained upon release that they did not change enough about StarCraft in the sequel to merit the achy wait. Twelve years is a long time. People were also concerned that only a third of SC2 was released in 2010. Honestly? The changes are barely noticeable beyond the major graphical overhaul to a person who has not played SC maybe. The pacing is completely different. SC favors slower, longer games. SC2 favors quick, cheese matches. It is only apparent from the difficulty in countering cheeses (cheap, throw-in strategies). However, that is the best way to separate the men from the noobs. If you can overcome the horrid cannon rushes, you are already a step above your Protoss opponent. The flaw in this matter is that if you are placed in a lower tier for competitive play, then you will get cheesed a lot. It is not as common in the high tiers. But hey! Cest la vie. As for it being a third of a game: this third is no shorter than original SC or its expansion. I am safely happy to say that once the last installment is released, it will be an epic game. It is a strong stand alone title. There are at least 30 missions, some training missions, and endless multiplayer fun.

What is it missing? LAN. I am truly sorry for putting up a typical complaint, but where is the LAN? To be fair, I did share two copies of SC with 20 friends. I do not blame Blizzard (especially after the Acitivision takeover) for being a careful. The strange element is that this is hardly a cash cow for them. All the eggs are in World of Warcraft's basket. Why punish us for that? I think SC2 retains SC's longevity. Once I get bored and still need some of my SC fix, I will use the wonderfully organized map-maker.

Too bad Battlecruisers are lame now. Thors for life?

GAMING MUSIC

Remember Top Gear for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System? I bet not. Hopefully this track will soothe your soul like it did mine. It's a par-rate racing game from the 16-bit era. I would be lying if I did not say I only played it for the soundtrack. I bet everyone can remember playing bad games with good music. You know? Before the internet.