No LAN Play For Starcraft II


Recommended Posts

That's a little disappointing. Most of my family (meaning my brothers etc.) loved playing Starcraft via LAN in my house being we are all connected to the same network.

Now I have to deal with Battle .NET just to get a game in. With that said they better fix the 1 person per network on Battle .NET issue that plagued the first Starcraft.

I suppose we can thank all the pirates for this. Abusing Hamachi, Garena and other LAN-over-Internet software for internet play with pirated copies.

And how will this thwart piracy? They'll crack battle.net authentication out of the product alongside any copy protection, quickly develop a server emulator and whoosh they'll be playing just like they were before. Poor excuse is a poor excuse.

The only people who will be butt-funked here will be the legit owners who now have to resort to dubious hacked servers/software to allow LAN gaming. Hooray for that.

Seriously, it's 2009. There's Internet everywhere, or well, if there's a place without Internet there probably won't be Starcraft 2 either anyway.

What happens if battle.net goes down during a tournament? What if the customers ISP goes down? What if Blizzzard decides to ban you from their battle.net? What if..

Yes, there are several reasons why having a non-auth-LAN-only gameplay is a good idea and having 0 ping vs your opponent is a good reason if any.

If it was really that easy to just hack LAN gameplay in to a game we'd see more games with that kind of hacks, but we don't. Besides, Blizzard will most likely supply tournaments (the big ones with cash prizes etc) with special LAN enabled copies of the game, like they have those WoW Arena things used at tournaments.

Now I have to deal with Battle .NET just to get a game in. With that said they better fix the 1 person per network on Battle .NET issue that plagued the first Starcraft.

The old battle.net was 4 connections per IP (network, that is), I had no problem playing online (Starcraft or Diablo II) with me and 2 friends being on the same IP. If we tried launching more clients, 4 would connect fine, 5 would cause 1 client to randomly disconnect.

Ok to clear up a few misconceptions in this thread...

Battle.Net 2.0 is working in the same way Battle.Net 1.0 is, its P2P. So, if all players are on the same network.. then players will send the information over LAN, not the internet.. The same it did in the original starcraft.

The only thing that has changed, is that there is no direct LAN option.. You are required to login to Battle.NET first for authentication and thats it. So you can still get LAN speeds, without disconnects.. As long as you have a intnernet connection.

Ok to clear up a few misconceptions in this thread...

Battle.Net 2.0 is working in the same way Battle.Net 1.0 is, its P2P. So, if all players are on the same network.. then players will send the information over LAN, not the internet.. The same it did in the original starcraft.

The only thing that has changed, is that there is no direct LAN option.. You are required to login to Battle.NET first for authentication and thats it. So you can still get LAN speeds, without disconnects.. As long as you have a intnernet connection.

Still, what if your internet is down or b.net is down? It's pretty shoddy if you ask me :/.

Edited by Guest
Still, what if your internet is down or b.net is down? It's pretty shoddy if you ask me :/.

It's like MMOs, if the servers are down or your net is, you don't play. But Blizzard tend to have fairly good uptime on the servers, leaving downtime to a minimum.

Wonder if single player is gonna demand you to be logged in too.

but I thought SC2 battle.net was supposed to be free? or at least for the basic gameplay modes?

AFAIK, there will be no charge for playing SC2 on Battle.net (there wasn't, and still isn't, for the original SC (now SC Anthology) on BattleNet today).

Has AB said differently?

I don't really think this is a "money hungry" gimmick. Blizzard has stated many times before that Battle.Net will always remain free. It's certainly not about stopping piracy, because the game still has a single player mode, and although Blizzard's spawn technology was incredible back in the day, it's just not practical anymore.

Blizzard wants to capture as much of a 'community' feel as it possibly can with the new Battle.net, because it promotes striving for goals, which boosts the replay factor. It's purely about stat tracking...

I don't really think this is a "money hungry" gimmick. Blizzard has stated many times before that Battle.Net will always remain free. It's certainly not about stopping piracy, because the game still has a single player mode, and although Blizzard's spawn technology was incredible back in the day, it's just not practical anymore.

Blizzard wants to capture as much of a 'community' feel as it possibly can with the new Battle.net, because it promotes striving for goals, which boosts the replay factor. It's purely about stat tracking...

But they also said that there may be some paid services, like creating custom leagues/tournaments and stuff related to pro gaming.

hmm well the game data would only travel between the clients, it shouldn't route through bnet. So the pings for a LAN game should still be 1ms, I hope

I don't think so. Without any LAN play, you're forced to log into Battle.net to play against other users. That means any online activity will be carried out with that service. Essentially, you won't get the same reduction in latency as you would in a LAN game.

On the plus side, this will mean more players on Battle.net at any given point in time. And more players means Blizzard will put more money and resources into powering Battle.net. Hopefully, this will translate into better ping, features, etc.

Thankfully, Real-Time Strategy games aren't 'sensitive' to ping times as much as other games, like First Person Shooters. Yes of course you'd want smooth gameplay and that you will have, even by going through Battle.net when in a LAN "environment".

Indeed. Unfortunately, the side effect is quite daunting. For example: If Player A joins with a ping of 200ms and plays, he'll slow down Players B, C, and D. Fortunately, there's an option to drop a "laggy" player from the game.

It could be an issue with a regular game over Battle.net, but I don't think that'll be an issue with pseudo-LAN games. Why? Well, think of it this way: If you're with a bunch of friends who want to play some StarCraft II, then chances are you'll be playing from the same Internet connection. Logically, one would assume that each person's ping would be similar.

I think battle.net will be free, as long as you pay for the game.

Its like this, my teacher who got me to play SC(yes a teacher, 7th grade social studies) hooked us on SC becuase 1 day close to summer we were done and had old school macbooks(yes ibooks) haha and he had 1 copy but installed it on all 10 lappys.

He wasnt pirating or anything since he installed a "spawn" i think its called and we played local.

But I dont play blizzard becuase I know a few people who lately passed around 1 copy between 15 people to install it and play and its working just fine.

I have a legal copy so im fine. But I undersatnd what there doing. Now if they truly DO make battle.net paid service like WOW is, then **** that. I dont need SC that bad.

Then they will put a bad taste in 1/2 of the SC Fan Group.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Save 66% on a MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card for Apple or Android by Steven Parker Never Lose Anything Again with MagTag Today's highlighted deal comes via our Gear + Gadgets section of the Neowin Deals store where you can save 66% on this MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card - Works with Apple Find My App. Keep track of your world with MagTag, a sleek, ultra-slim, reliable tracker that’s built to help you safeguard your most important items. In the size of a credit card, just 1.5mm thick, you can slip MagTag easily into your wallet, backpack, passport pouch luggage…etc. Integrated seamlessly with Apple’s FindMy app, MagTag offers precise real-time global tracking, instant left-behind alerts, loud location beeping, and a long-lasting rechargeable battery. Whether you’re heading to work, on vacation, or simply running errands, MagTag ensures you never lose what matters most. No item left behind Precision Global Tracking: Works seamlessly with the Apple FindMy app, providing real-time tracking anywhere in the world, powered by the vast Apple network. Ultra Slim Design: At just 1.5mm thick and the size of a credit card, MagTag slips easily into your wallet, passport pouch, backpack, or luggage. Instant Alerts: Receive notifications the moment you leave behind your valuables, and locate them easily with a loud beeping sound. Versatile Attachment Options: With a built-in keyring hole, attach MagTag to keys, ID lanyards, kids’ bags, or name tags for easy access and protection. Long Battery Life & Wireless Charging: Lasts up to 5 months on a single charge and can be easily recharged with any Qi wireless charger. Durable & Waterproof: IP68 waterproof and dustproof built to withstand your adventures, perfect for vacations and everyday use, no matter where life takes you. Specs Color: Black Materials: ABS Dimensions: 0.05" x 3.35" x 2.13" (1.5mm x 85mm x 54mm) Ultra-slim Apple FindMy App Built-in keyring hole Battery life: up to 5 months Charging: Qi wireless IP68 rating (waterproof, dustproof) Manufacturer's 90-day warranty Good to know Ships to US Expected Delivery: Expected Delivery: Jun 23 - Jul 2 All sales final. This item is excluded from coupons. Here's the deal: This MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card (for Apple or Android) normally costs $59.99, but you can pick it up for just $19.99 for a limited time - that represents a saving of $19. For a full description, specs, and shipping info, click the link below. MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card now just $19.99 (was $59.99) Get the two-pack and save 70% Ships only to Contiguous US Support queries If you have queries or need support for any of the Neowin Deals, please use the contact form here. Neowin Deals are managed and sold by StackCommerce who represent Neowin on an affiliate basis. Why we post these deals We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. So for those that keep moaning and complaining, be thankful we're still online for you to even do that. Other ways to support Neowin Whitelist Neowin by not blocking our ads Create a free member account to see fewer ads Make a donation to support our day to day running costs Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: Neowin benefits from revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site powered by StackCommerce.
    • I cannot believe this is a news post from Neowin. This should be embarassing, coming from a "senior editor". Is it your first day using Windows?! Maybe it's time to find a new Windows news site.
    • It's from having Core Isolation enabled in Windows security settings, which is a good thing!  It's letting you know it's not loading the Bonjour module as it's not signed in a way it would prefer. Bonjour was most likely installed along with iTunes. Feel free to disable that message using the checkbox.
    • I'm looking forward to starting over online. I have no reason to keep all the money, cars, rank after 13 years. Now if I can just move my character itself and nothing else. I would be fine with that. But I doubt they would do a setup that way.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      Huge Trailer earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      Classifyskilleducation earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      eurospharma62 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      With What earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      Harris Gilbert earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      589
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      169
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      74
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      66
    5. 5
      ATLien_0
      64
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!