I was thinking, what if they did something like a mixing of the two genres. Like, an RTS on a huge scale with tons of commanders? The idea has been tossed around with global campaigns and such where victories lead to taking over territories, but what if they did something with few set boundries and people actually had to really hold fronts on their own or team up to take out heavily fortified structures. Make units and structures more meaningful as they take earned resources and more time to built. Have verteran squads really mean something because the combat isn't restricted to single missions.
It could be pretty interesting and be the next real leap for the genre in a long while. The trick would to getting the usual Blizzard charms: having everything really tight and accessable. It could easily fall into maddness as commanders just mass up and blow through areas or no one follow any sort of plan and forming a giant unmoving front. Given the right balancing and tricks to keep masses of armies from being too powerful, it could work.
Of course, I doubt that'll happen. Odds are it'll be something more traditional. I just don't think Starcraft would work as a straight out MMO because the universe just doesn't lend itself to it. Single people and small groups don't go out and adventure so much. Armies gather and fight. Behind the lines people just live their lives.
That sounds really cool, but it also sounds innovative so that automatically means Blizzard won't do it.
I think they want to keep milking the MMO cow, and I would personally have more interest in a StarCraft MMO than WoW purely because it involves space. When SW:Galaxies was being developed, I thought it had huge potential as did the rest of the planet... but it turned out to be a big dud.
As for StarCraft II, if Blizzard do it, I wonder what sort of game it will be. Basically all their RTS games so far have been highly polished yet been basically the same. I think they need to innovate and bring something out on the level of Supreme Commander or Company of Heroes, but I doubt they'd do that. I have a feeling they will just play it safe.
I even worry about a Diablo sequel. Even though Diablo is easily one of my favorite games, I just want to see something different instead of more of the same...
I have to say, of all the worlds Blizzard has produced, I always found the WarCraft universe least interesting. It was easily the most clichéd. While the trouble with having a Diablo MMO is that it won't work well alongside Diablo III itself.
A StarCraft MMO would be interesting ground for Blizzard though, since it would be the first time they would be designing a game which is essentially going to be a first person shooter.
