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You are here: MacNN Forums > Enthusiast Zone > Gaming > Starcraft 2 Beta

Starcraft 2 Beta
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JoshuaZ
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Feb 18, 2010, 05:20 AM
 
So the first beta testing group for SC2 was announced. Sadly I did not get in (don't know if they're doing Macs yet).

Anyone get in on some sweet sweet SC2 action?
     
moep
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Feb 18, 2010, 08:44 AM
 
Macs aren’t supported until one of the next beta phases.
"The road to success is dotted with the most tempting parking spaces."
     
redJag
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Feb 18, 2010, 10:40 AM
 
I was selected way back in the day for the original WoW beta and it ruined my life for about 4 years. I wasn't even interested in WoW before that. Hope SC2 will do the same
Travis Sanderson
     
Mac User #001
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Feb 18, 2010, 12:19 PM
 
Didn't get in yet.
I have returned... 2020 MacBook Air - 1.1 GHz Quad-Core i5 - 16 GB RAM
     
JoshuaZ  (op)
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Feb 18, 2010, 11:50 PM
 
Yeah, I read the office FAQ that said there wouldn't be a Macintosh Beta for a bit. Sadness.

I can only hope with all my heart.
     
starman
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Feb 19, 2010, 02:02 PM
 
I'm in

Home - Twitter - Sig Wall-Retired - Flickr
     
besson3c
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Feb 19, 2010, 02:49 PM
 
Is there a way to obtain this beta and play it even if you aren't invited, or is there some special sort of serial/key used for each install?
     
SpaceMonkey
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Feb 19, 2010, 04:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by besson3c View Post
Is there a way to obtain this beta and play it even if you aren't invited, or is there some special sort of serial/key used for each install?
I'm sure if you email [email protected] they will help you.

"One ticket to Washington, please. I have a date with destiny."
     
jokell82
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Feb 19, 2010, 04:22 PM
 
Not in yet either, but didn't know Macs weren't in this phase. Gonna register for the Windows version instead.

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Hawkeye_a
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Feb 20, 2010, 09:54 AM
 
Anyone here know what the requirements for the Mac version will be ? This game will probably justify a hardware upgrade (depending on the multi-player model they support, if there is no adhoc LAN support ill be thinking twice)

Cheers
     
Peter
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Feb 20, 2010, 11:28 AM
 
not in, didn't bother applying for Windows beta as I assume its so flooded it'll be impossible

fingers crossed for Mac beta asap.
we don't have time to stop for gas
     
Rumor
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Apr 14, 2010, 11:08 PM
 
The OS X beta is going around. Anyone have an invite?
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jokell82
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Apr 15, 2010, 10:15 AM
 
Not me.

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Drakino
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Apr 25, 2010, 01:57 PM
 
The download option for the Mac version is still grayed out, so it's not quite available yet. The devs said the plan is to get the editor out, then the Mac version. Editor was patched in on Thursday night with beta patch 9, so hopefully an update this week.

Been tired of rebooting to play already, looking forward to beta testing under OS X.
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Hawkeye_a
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Apr 26, 2010, 08:24 AM
 
It seems like they have lost interest in the Mac. How long has it been since Windoze got the Beta ?
     
eyevaan
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Apr 26, 2010, 02:48 PM
 
[myLameOpinion]
1. I saw that original teaser of the Space Marine getting suited up [what was that 2007???] - it blew me away and still does. Texturing, shadows, cigar smoke, skin, bad breath - everything is top notch.

Fast forward to today 2010. There is a video on GameTrailers [ *sigh* It is like 2008 all over again. ]. This is a cut scene! - blow me away Blizzard - We now have realtime shadowing IN game play - the least you could do is make the orb in Raynor's hand NOT hover over his jaggedly rendered fingers.

2. how long have we been watching previews of gameplay? Around 4 years if I use my thumbs and toes. 20 elites who get filmed with lame commentary showing all the nifty strategies you can use to make the game more interesting.

Here's more interesting Blizzard: Stop niggling around with preview vids and SportsCenter inane dialog and get the damn thang released. Let US find the nifty strategies or fork out $25 for the Prima Insider guide [ more moola for you BTW ]. If you tell us everything then there really is no point in playing it - is there?

I want to see it and want to be a part of it so, feudally I'm even signed up for the OSXBetaTeam. I'll probably get the DL link around the end of Q32010 [it's slated for release on the precise date of Q42010]. In this day, of highly competitive gaming markets, that's the best they can offer - which is better than "Coming Soon" from 2007.

I should be clear. I will buy it. Undoubtably, but I have to wonder if they are about to have the "OverHype" label slathered upon their pristine facade to a level that it might be hard to scrape off.
[/myLameOpinion]
     
moep
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Apr 26, 2010, 03:52 PM
 
Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a View Post
It seems like they have lost interest in the Mac.
Greetings from Activision/Vivendi…
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jokell82
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Apr 26, 2010, 04:02 PM
 
As long as both versions are available on release day you should be happy. I think you're blowing things a bit out of proportion just because there is no mac beta yet.

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Big Mac
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Apr 26, 2010, 04:23 PM
 
We got the beta through the preorder. I'm pretty happy with it so far, although there are really substantial bugs for such a late beta. Also, maybe it's because I'm not playing at the highest settings, but the graphics aren't quite as good as I expected. And I'd like to see more optimization because it's kind of a hog on decent hardware.

I was really dismayed when I keep losing matches initially, but I finally got on the ball and won five matches until a Terran took me to school with a pretty unique strategy. If you've been in WC3 land for a while, you're not going to be used the far faster pace and much larger scale. Expect to lose a lot and be frustrated until you get the hang of it.

Are there going to be three separate battlenet realms for the three separate releases?

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
besson3c
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Apr 26, 2010, 05:47 PM
 
The beta plays fine in Wine: WineHQ - StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Beta

An update to XQuartz which you'll need to run Wine was just released by Apple at the end of March: X112.5.0 – XQuartz
     
Hawkeye_a
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Apr 27, 2010, 06:08 AM
 
Originally Posted by jokell82 View Post
As long as both versions are available on release day you should be happy. I think you're blowing things a bit out of proportion just because there is no mac beta yet.
Well i hope so. Cant help but feel left out by Blizzard for the first time (I'm not a 'superfan' (only player SC and WC3, but i dont like it when a once loyal developer slacks off on the platform)
     
Big Mac
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Apr 27, 2010, 07:15 AM
 
You're worried about simultaneous release for the Mac and Windows on launch day? Don't be. Blizzard always puts Windows in the preferred position early on in betas, but all recent titles have had simultaneous launches on both platforms.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
jokell82
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Apr 27, 2010, 08:08 AM
 
Originally Posted by Hawkeye_a View Post
Well i hope so. Cant help but feel left out by Blizzard for the first time (I'm not a 'superfan' (only player SC and WC3, but i dont like it when a once loyal developer slacks off on the platform)
It's just a beta. How is not releasing a Mac beta yet slacking?

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eyevaan
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Apr 28, 2010, 12:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
...Also, maybe it's because I'm not playing at the highest settings, but the graphics aren't quite as good as I expected. And I'd like to see more optimization because it's kind of a hog on decent hardware.

I was really dismayed when I keep losing matches initially, but I finally got on the ball and won five matches until a Terran took me to school with a pretty unique strategy. If you've been in WC3 land for a while, you're not going to be used the far faster pace and much larger scale. Expect to lose a lot and be frustrated until you get the hang of it.
graphics... shouldn't we be blown away with the graphics in gameplay? It looks like the machines articulate and move like machines should/could and perhaps that is enough but your comment kind of set me back - again.

I appreciate you candor about the gameplay - I came into the SC world a couple of years late (c.2000) so everyone was pretty talented by that time. In 1998, was there the same uneven start with some VoodooMasters and bunch of hopefuls who got thrashed on a regular basis? [I guess it's not fair to ask that since the world of gaming has changed quite a lot in 12 years. I'll stop now.]
     
jokell82
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Apr 29, 2010, 08:28 AM
 
Well the Mac beta is out. Now just to find a beta key...

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moep
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Apr 29, 2010, 08:47 AM
 
Originally Posted by jokell82 View Post
Well the Mac beta is out. Now just to find a beta key...
for US only, EU links are not working yet.
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::maroma::
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Apr 29, 2010, 12:28 PM
 
We gotta pre-order the game to get a beta key, right?
     
jokell82
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Apr 29, 2010, 12:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by ::maroma:: View Post
We gotta pre-order the game to get a beta key, right?
I could be wrong, but I think the only way to get one now is to win one.

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::maroma::
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Apr 29, 2010, 01:52 PM
 
I'm reading that you can still pre-order and get a beta key within a few days. I'm going to give that at try today.
     
jokell82
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Apr 29, 2010, 02:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by ::maroma:: View Post
I'm reading that you can still pre-order and get a beta key within a few days. I'm going to give that at try today.
You can at Gamestop, I just confirmed it. Not sure if you pre-order direct from Blizzard, though. Is that what you read?

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::maroma::
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Apr 29, 2010, 04:51 PM
 
Actually, I just got back from Gamestop while on lunch. You pre-order at Gamestop, they give you a code on your receipt. You go to battle.net and start an account (unless you already have one). Add Starcraft 2 to your game list, enter your code, and download the beta.

Not sure why some were suggesting having to wait to get the key.

Can't wait to get home and try it out!
     
Big Mac
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Apr 30, 2010, 02:01 AM
 
Originally Posted by eyevaan View Post
graphics... shouldn't we be blown away with the graphics in gameplay? It looks like the machines articulate and move like machines should/could and perhaps that is enough but your comment kind of set me back - again.
I'm going to reserve judgment for the final release and for when I can play it in full glory settings wise. It's definitely pretty, but right now I'd give it a 7 out of 10 graphics score when I was expecting 9 out of 10.

I appreciate you candor about the gameplay - I came into the SC world a couple of years late (c.2000) so everyone was pretty talented by that time. In 1998, was there the same uneven start with some VoodooMasters and bunch of hopefuls who got thrashed on a regular basis? [I guess it's not fair to ask that since the world of gaming has changed quite a lot in 12 years. I'll stop now.]
I was a bit late to the first party, too. I think it's much the same as we see now, with a really dedicated group of "pro" players and then lower grades. The last two times I played after upgrading to patch 10, I got my ass kicked pretty hard. Nothing like thinking you've got a respectable force relatively quickly, only to see it get easily slaughtered by your opponent.

Glad to see the Mac beta is out. What are the system requirements? As for beta keys, some of the Gamestops have had problems requisitioning them for some reason. They should appear on the receipt they print out confirming your reservation. If the store you reserved your copy at is having such difficulties, one the next town over will probably be handing them out a-okay.

Edit: I downloaded the beta on my G5 for shiz-n-giggles, and I got all the way to the launcher and got fully up to date, but when I clicked play it quit and went nowhere. Ah well.
( Last edited by Big Mac; Apr 30, 2010 at 04:28 AM. )

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
Hawkeye_a
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Apr 30, 2010, 07:19 AM
 
hmm.. thanks blizzard. Make sure it doesn't take this long next time
     
JoshuaZ  (op)
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May 4, 2010, 02:17 PM
 
Crud. I guess I didn't get into the beta. I'm tempted to pre-order at gamestop to get a beta key.

Then again, I could just spend my time playing Star Trek Online...
     
::maroma::
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May 4, 2010, 02:32 PM
 
Bummer for me, but my iMac has a video card that is not supported for the Mac version of SC2. And apparently will never be. Its has to do with the drivers written by Nvidia for the Mac version of that card. Because the same exact card works fine under Windows. So my options are to buy a new Mac, or install Windows on my iMac and install the Windows version.

Blech.
     
boy8cookie
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May 4, 2010, 04:18 PM
 
Originally Posted by ::maroma:: View Post
Bummer for me, but my iMac has a video card that is not supported for the Mac version of SC2. And apparently will never be. Its has to do with the drivers written by Nvidia for the Mac version of that card. Because the same exact card works fine under Windows. So my options are to buy a new Mac, or install Windows on my iMac and install the Windows version.

Blech.
What model iMac..? and what card?
     
::maroma::
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May 4, 2010, 05:15 PM
 
Its a 24" white C2D iMac, with a GeForce 7300GT in it. Blizz says that the entire 7-series GeForce cards are not supported on the Mac.
     
boy8cookie
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May 4, 2010, 06:34 PM
 
Originally Posted by ::maroma:: View Post
Its a 24" white C2D iMac, with a GeForce 7300GT in it. Blizz says that the entire 7-series GeForce cards are not supported on the Mac.
Unfortunate... luckily I have a newer model than you
     
Big Mac
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May 6, 2010, 12:02 AM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
I'm going to reserve judgment for the final release and for when I can play it in full glory settings wise. It's definitely pretty, but right now I'd give it a 7 out of 10 graphics score when I was expecting 9 out of 10.
Now that I've gotten to play the game with settings on their highest (see my PC thread in the Lounge), I can say that the graphics are excellent looking. And the game is really fun.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
::maroma::
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May 6, 2010, 01:15 PM
 
^ Thanks for rubbin it in!
     
eyevaan
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May 6, 2010, 01:31 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
Edit: I downloaded the beta on my G5 for shiz-n-giggles, and I got all the way to the launcher and got fully up to date, but when I clicked play it quit and went nowhere. Ah well.
I am guessin' you are talkin a PPC G5? Perhaps the final build will be Universal or has anyone read that it will be Intel only?
     
Big Mac
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May 6, 2010, 09:04 PM
 
It's possible, but I kind of doubt it eyevaan. The Blizzard Downloader is universal, but I doubt the game itself ever will be.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
Hawkeye_a
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May 7, 2010, 10:15 PM
 
anyone know what the min requirements for a Mac are ?

EDIT:
Mac Requirements
Mac Minimum System Requirements:

Mac® OS X 10.5.8, 10.6.2 or newer
Intel® Processor
NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT or ATI Radeon® X1600 or better
12 GB available HD space
2 GB Ram
DVD-ROM drive
Broadband Internet connection
1024X720 minimum display resolution
Mac Recommended System Requirements:

Intel® Core 2 Duo processor
4 GB system RAM
NVIDIA® GeForce® 9600M GT or ATI Radeon® HD 4670 or better

http://us.blizzard.com/support/artic...rticleId=26242
( Last edited by Hawkeye_a; May 7, 2010 at 10:23 PM. )
     
Peter
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May 14, 2010, 08:14 AM
 
I've got it. It's awesome. Pretty bad performance on my 8800GT C2D iMac though, ran it in bootcamp in the end.

I noticed that our favourite blizzard employee on macnn - rbarris is now working at Valve.

anyway, if anyone wants to battle.net: hejog
we don't have time to stop for gas
     
Big Mac
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Jul 8, 2010, 06:16 AM
 
The second beta opened up today, and I have to say they're really, really far from release quality. The game menus are more polished, but I can't determine anything about the game play because the queue is dysfunctional and once you get in it you doom your account to staying in it perpetually. Sucks.

Starting to lose faith in this new era of mega-corp controlled Blizzard.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
boy8cookie
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Jul 8, 2010, 03:21 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
The second beta opened up today, and I have to say they're really, really far from release quality. The game menus are more polished, but I can't determine anything about the game play because the queue is dysfunctional and once you get in it you doom your account to staying in it perpetually. Sucks.

Starting to lose faith in this new era of mega-corp controlled Blizzard.
I noticed the same about the WoW expansion beta, which is admittedly further from release, but it seems like they have a LOT to do still.
     
Brien
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Jul 8, 2010, 08:49 PM
 
After about an hour of patches, I found out none of my friends were online. Oh well.
     
boy8cookie
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Jul 27, 2010, 06:28 PM
 
This game is pretty amazeballs, but its seriously taxing on the machine. I'm playing at work on a 2.93GHz Quad-Core, with 8GB of RAM and it slows the machine down a good bit, even when it's in the background.
     
JoshuaZ  (op)
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Jul 27, 2010, 08:21 PM
 
Wow... have the game... only battle.net is down... so i can't register the game... which means I can't even play the frickin single player mode...
     
boy8cookie
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Jul 27, 2010, 09:27 PM
 
I was just online, seems to be working for me. I haven't been able to join a custom game yet, keep getting an error message.
     
 
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