First off, this is on no way meant as an insult to the developers at Blizzard. Not only have they lived up to the just about impossible hype of delivering a fantastic sequel, but they also added some experiences that we’ve all come to expect since they last released anything from the StarCraft franchise.

This game is easily the best $60 I’ve spent so far this year and with the exception of a dark horse (which I will name later this year), StarCraft 2 and Halo Reach will be battling it out for bragging rights as the best game of the year for 2010.

One thing that is most impressive is the FREE battle.net service for logging all matches. Unlike the Star Trek Online clusterf$ck, Blizzard is smart enough to know not to be that greedy. Of course, they are also in the rare position of getting millions of dollars every month from their World of Warcraft subscriptions, so they aren’t as needy as most developers.

So, now let’s get to the 5 items that Blizzard can improve on by the time they release the next expansion pack, Heart of the Swarm.

Here goes:

1.) Bring back LAN play!
Yes, I know Blizzard won’t be able to track stats or protect from piracy by doing this, but taking away some of the core reasons why people play the game isn’t the best way to get more players.

2.) Create gameplay matches that I can tailor.
For example, how about a “No Rush” setting? Very similar to the 5 minute restriction on transferring resources to your allies. Yes, I can already hear some of you laughing and that’s cool. Some of us actually like to “tech up” to the highest levels AND build all of our units. It gets really old having to wall off my base so that some phuktard doesn’t rush me with his zerglings and ends the game.

3.) Don’t Let People Pause the Game
The first time it happened I thought it was a glitch. Then after the second time it was un-paused, I had Marines in my base ripping it to shreds. While I know computer gaming offers more than console gaming, as a courtesy to other players, that feature needs to be turned off. If you can’t play for whatever reason, just leave!

4.) Boot players with poor internet connections/bad video settings
How many times have you’ve gone to click on something and that effing lag screen pops up because someone’s graphic card can’t process all the pretty images, or their internet provider is slowing everyone else down. Talk to Bungie about how to handle that.

5.) Make it easier to play Custom maps
I have seen some crazy-fun maps from the online community that are great and should be found at the top. On the other hand, if I am friends with someone through battle.net, they should easily be able to find any custom map I upload and vice versa.

Overall, it’s still a fantastic game and if Blizzard doesn’t address any of these, I am still going to play.

Any other ways to make StarCraft 2 better? List them in the comments!

Suggested by Megaraptor18

Making his debut on FactPile is Mengsk from StarCraft up against a site favorite in some in the shape of the Zerg Queen Kerrigan.

This is not a deathmatch.

But a match to find out who had the most effect on the Starcraft Universe also and/or who deserves to die the most.

I originally had this post slated to go over 4 different StarCraft 2 Guides that I was going to promote. Each one seemed to have it’s own merits on the surface.

But then I got to look deeper and it became crystal clear as to which one was the best.

I had the opportunity to talk to the author of the best selling Starcraft 2 Guide the Shokz Guide and he gave me a chance to look under the hood. After reading through the massive guide I was convinced that this is a great tool for all new Starcraft 2 players and even many Veteran players. The guide is loaded with information and is a massive guide filled with great strategies teaching players the skills to earn a spot in the diamond league.

But more importantly to me was that I got to talk to him on the phone – great guy AND, a huge StarCraft player. Not some guy trying to make a quick buck with some crappy guide that I would write, but a detailed guide that would really get you ready to kick some ass in the game.

Additionally, there is a membership forum where you can talk to other people who’ve purchased the guide and in the very near future he is going to offer something very cool – I can’t disclose it yet, but let’s just say that if you ever wanted to know where you really stack up against the elite players, you’ll be able to find out.

The Shokz Guide is broken down into Strategies offering guides for every aspect of Starcraft 2. Each category contains lists of strategies that are all very detailed and in depth, I was really impressed with the quality of the guide and the amount of time Shokz spent writing each strategy.

The various categories of strategies as of now are:

• General Guides
• Terran Guides
• Terran Unit Guides
• Protoss Guides
• Protoss Unit Guides
• Zerg Guides
• Zerg unit guides
• Team Guides
• Galaxy Editor guides

A couple things really stood out to me in the Shokz Gude. One was the build orders in each strategy he has his build orders listed for those strategies breaking it down so you know how to do it exactly like the pros do, along with video guides where he explains his goal / execution of the strategies. It is really nice to see an author put this amount of content and quality into a guide which is what makes it stand out from the rest.

A great feature about the Shokz member area is that he allows you to request features and then has all the members vote on them to decide which strategy he will work on next. He works on releasing new strategies and content to his guide almost every day which is unheard of with the other guides on the market. After talking with the Author for a while and trying it for myself I have to say that it is the best Starcraft 2 guide on the market and is a great choice for anyone that is looking to learn the basics of the game or become a better Starcraft 2 player and compete at a high level.

The Guide also comes with a 60 Day Guarantee so there is no reason not to try out this great guide, you won’t be disappointed!

Shokz Starcraft 2 Guide

And, that thumping noise you hear? That’s Expert getting thrashed by the Protoss…

Suggested by Diana

What a shock that this particular match gets posted today, eh?

Anyways, just on the eve for the release of StarCraft 2, we have the UNSC from Halo up against the Terrans of Starcraft.

While I think the UNSC can put up a fight, I doubt that they could withstand the continued assault that the Terrans would bring.

What say you?

Thanks to megaraptor18 for the link. This just couldn’t wait for the recap. I’ve already got my copy pre-ordered and already have my battle.net account set up. Needless to say, about 15 minutes after midnight on July 27th, I’ll be diving into this…

Suggested by starsteam

Here we have yet another duel between Starcraft and Warhammer 40K in the shape of the Tau Empire up against the Zerg in a Universe fight.

Normal Universe rules apply.

Which side will win?

Suggested by Cjrodarte

Here we have a nice battle between the Protoss from Starcraft up against the Covenant from Halo.

While the Covenant might have an advantage in the numbers, I just don’t think they have the technology to keep up in any sustained battle.

What say you?

Suggested by Syncourt

Very interesting match here.

Both ships house incredible powers and have no hesitance in using them to help ensure victory.

While I’d like to think that the Protoss have this in the bag, I don’t think it would come easily.

What say you?

Suggested by EnigmaJ

This might be one of the most balanced fights for MC in quite some time.

The Hydralisk would certainly present some issues for MC to overcome, but in a bit of time, the Zerg would be finished.

What say you?