In the Gameplay Video, we are shown glimpses of the physics system in Starcraft 2. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think that falling debis from destroyed ships, for example, will hurt "small" units such as marines?

The video also shows such "items" disappearing after about 2 seconds, so I'm also wondering if they are actual blockages or just graphical doodads. For example, if debis rolls down a ramp, does that actually block and prevent small units from going up the ramp?

What are your thoughts?

I like the idea of blocking with debris! It'll be nice if they can hurt, and I think it's even possible to be implemented! But not the blocking part, its for a very short period and It wouldn't make a difference.

It would be my guess that physics system is in place only to add to the realism of the game. As we can see from the video, debris falls and lasts only for a few short seconds. In the scene where the warp rays are fighting the marines, when the debris from the far left warp ray falls, the marine doesn't appear to be blocked by it. This would be a good idea, but implementing the debris structure and such would be difficult. This too would be the case for debris damaging units. In the beginning when the zealots are demonstrating their charge on the Terran barracks, we see the structure explode but no zealots are damaged. If such damage were to occur, this would be one of the moments.

One question I do have is at the end of the Gameplay Video when the Protoss and Terran are in their final battle. We can see zealots and immortals running over environment that appears to have holes and ruined structures, but when the ghost's nuclear launch blasts three giant holes in the environment, are units still able to move over it?

Edit: After watching the scene again, we can see 2 ghosts walk right over the debris from the nuclear explosion. A few seconds later we see the hole disappear into the previous terrain and that is when the zerglings attack. I think it is confirmed at this point debris will not play more than a visual feature in StarcraftII.

Well nothing is even close to being confirmed now, don't you remember what the commentator said? "Nothing here is final"

You're probably correct though in that debris will just be a visual thing, and perhaps may even be an option in the visual settings of the game.

However, it would be the coolest thing if debris was indeed permenant.. even if it didn't cause damage. That would add an entire new element to the game...

well... got to download the movie first...
anyway, will a physic chip get the advantages from this?

From the looks of the video it seems that the physics of falling debree are just eye candy right now. I wouldn't be surprised if at the release its still that.

I would really like it if dead soldiers and broken machines remained in the game. It would add a new area of tactics unseen in previous games. If you needed to defend a key bridge you could blow up a wounded tank to slow the enemy down or something.