Attendees of Blizzard Entertainment's not-exactly-annual fan gathering BlizzCon were treated to some playable StarCraft II this year at the show, but don't feel left out if you weren't able to complete the pilgrimage to Anaheim, CA. Blizzard graced us with some hot new screenshots and answered many questions that were on gamers' minds. They also profiled the Terran race; discussing some new units and new abilities.

"In StarCraft II, the Terrans have a number of elements that make them a force to be reckoned with. For example, the Viking, one of the new Terran vehicles, can attack ground units in its assault mode and also transform into an airborne fighter with the ability to attack air targets. This makes the Viking strong at hit-and-run attacks and allows Terran players to respond to a variety of different enemies."

"The Terrans can also upgrade their Command Centers into Planetary Fortresses, armed with laser cannons. This technology enhances the Terrans' fearsome defensive capabilities. In exchange for this firepower, the Planetary Fortresses are unable to lift off and fly away as most other Terran buildings can."

"Another unique addition is the Thor, a massive assault mech that is specialized for attacking enemy structures and heavily armored enemy units. The Thor is so large, it must be constructed by an SCV on the battlefield. Its massive size is also its Achilles' heel, as the Thor moves and turns at a relatively sluggish rate."

"The Terrans have even more new features than these up their sleeves, and a great deal of information about them can be found on the official StarCraft II website, which will continue to be updated regularly."

Here are the new screenshots showing lots of StarCraftian carnage. Click the thumbnails to super-size.

In addition to the new screenshots Blizzard also released a rather lengthy F.A.Q. that may answer some of your burning questions. Here are some snippets.

When is the game coming out?
At this point, it's too early to provide an initial estimate on the release date. As with all Blizzard games, we will take as much time as needed to ensure the game is as fun, balanced, and polished as possible.

Will there be a console version of StarCraft II?
StarCraft II is being developed for the PC. We have no current plans to bring the game to any console platform.

How will StarCraft II be different from StarCraft?
StarCraft II will run on a vibrant new 3D-graphics engine that will be capable of rendering beautiful landscapes as well as massive individual units and army sizes.

We're also introducing a number of distinct new units to the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg, and even some of the familiar units that return in StarCraft II will have new tricks up their sleeves, which will give the game its own unique flavor.

In addition, Battle.net will be overhauled with some new and exciting features to enhance online play and competition, while the single-player campaign will also offer some unique aspects for players who enjoy single-player content. We'll have more details on all these aspects in the months to come.

How many cinematic cut-scenes will be included?
We know that StarCraft II players will expect to see some Blizzard-quality cinematic content in the game, and we have definite plans to include multiple cinematics, starting with a cinematic intro. We'll provide further confirmation once final determinations have been made.

How many races are in StarCraft II?
In StarCraft II, players will see the return of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg races. Our goal is to ensure that all the factions in the game play even more distinctly from one another than in the original StarCraft, while still maintaining the fine balance that helped make StarCraft a classic. We're also introducing a number of new units to each race, as well as modifying some of the familiar units returning in StarCraft II. With these design refinements and the new features we have planned for the single-player and multiplayer elements of the game, StarCraft II will offer a next-generation StarCraft experience.

StarCraft II has some big shoes to fill - is there added pressure in developing a follow-up to one of the most beloved games of all time?
We recognize that the bar is set pretty high, but this type of pressure is not new to us. Warcraft III had to follow in the footsteps of Warcraft II, and Diablo II had to follow the original Diablo. Creating a StarCraft game that's bigger and better than the original is definitely a big challenge, but it's one that we fully intend to meet and exceed.

Will Battle.net be overhauled? Will there be new features?
There will be some exciting new changes and features to Battle.net that will help us ensure that StarCraft II will be the ultimate competitive online real-time strategy game. We're not quite ready to discuss those features at this time, but we look forward to getting into more detail in the future.

What are the system requirements for StarCraft II?
We'll have more details on specific system requirements closer to the release date.

Will the game run natively on Windows Vista?
StarCraft II will be fully compatible with Windows Vista, as well as XP. We'll have more details on system requirements closer to release.

Will StarCraft II take advantage of DirectX 10? What other graphical goodies are included?
The game will be compatible with DirectX 10, and we're still considering whether there will be exclusive DirectX 10 graphic effects, but the graphics engine will also be very scalable to ensure that a wide range of different systems will be capable of running StarCraft II. The new engine is also capable of rendering very large units, as well as large numbers of units on screen together. Havok physics have been integrated into the engine for added realism as well.

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