Updates:
* Thanks to Xordiah we have it confirmed that the game will be
based upon Pixel Shader version 2.0. This comes as no surprise, and
has become a pretty basic level of shader technology to most graphics
cards for the last five years. Nothing requiring outrageously
demanding in terms of the graphics cards inherently in that. (more on
shaders)
* We know that the game is not a Vista exclusive title; it has to
run on XP and Mac OSX as well. This means it cannot be a native
DirectX 10 title at heart, because that simply wouldn’t run on XP as
XP doesn’t have the appropriate API libraries and therefore wouldn’t
run the game. So don’t expect out of this world next gen graphics
through this route (though some use of X10 features while using Vista
through extensions would be possible). (more on Vista & DX10)
* The use of DirectX 9 is also in line with the use of Pixel
Shader 2.0 technology discussed in the first bullet point. More
specifically, it looks as if Blizzard would be using either DirectX
9.0 or 9.0a as the DirectX basis, not 9.0c as that would be using
Pixel Shader 3.0 then. (more on Shaders & DX10)
* Additionally it also has to have an OpenGL rendering
capabilities which would be necessary to run on OSX, as it has no
DirectX APIs of any kind to speak of, thus the game must have an
OpenGL mode, just as its predecessors World of Warcraft and Warcraft 3
did. It would be possible then to use one mode or the other for
rendering for either on Windows XP or Vista.
* Blizzard licensed Havok’s Physics technology and development
tools nearly two years ago, well before the announcement of Starcraft
II, for use in their games. This technology would ease the creation of
realistic movement, destructibles, and basically enhancing realistic
appearance. Blizzard confirmed in an FAQ listed on their website that
the Havok Physics engine has been integrated into Starcraft II and
will feature in the game. (more on Havok)
* At this point there are few Product lines that will/will not
work by definition:
o Sorry all of you out there with Nvidia Geforce 1-4 cards,
you have no Pixel Shader 2.0 support, and as far as Blizzard have made
clear that’s a basic part of the game’s requirements. Without
compatible cards with the PS 2.0 standard, they are a no-go, not that
the performance of these cards have allowed for their owners to have
any real gaming use out of them in the last few years anyway.
o Compatible Pixel Shader 2.0 and above cards start with the
Geforce FX series from Nvidia, the Radeon 9500 and above from ATI/AMD,
and the GMA 900 onboard graphics from Intel. These are pretty much the
bottom grade possible to get StarCraft running with Blizzard’s
technical demands. These aren’t recommendations to rush out and buy
for your machine as most likely these cards would run awfully, but
they’d get the game going on a bare level, and if you have worse than
that… Unlucky
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