If it had been any other game, I would have politely declined 'n gotten on an airplane t' go home. But if ye know me, ye know that StarCraft II alone would have the power t' snare me for an extra day in southern California directly after a grueling week a E3, so Drew 'n I made the quick jaunt over t' Anaheim last Friday t' check out the latest multiplayer build a Heart a the Swarm, being shown at the Major League Gaming event going on over the weekend there.

Honestly, not a lot has changed dramatically with HOTS multiplayer since Brian Leahy gave us an exhaustive look at all the new units from BlizzCon late last year. If ye just want the quick info dump on where things currently stand, watch this!

If ye remember the BlizzCon report, ye'll notice the Terran shredder 'n Protoss replicant be both gone, the latter because, according t' Dustin Browder, it be actually causing opposing players t' avoid making units they didn't want turned against them. that be counter t' the goal with HOTS a increasing the level a complexity 'n range a options available t' all players a the game, not removing them. In lieu a the shredder, Terrans will still pillage some area-denial 'n passive defense capability with the widow mine, which itself sounds heavily subject t' change. 'n although I don't care much about playing Terran myself, I be happy for the inclusion a the warhound's auto-casting missiles that auto-target other mechanical units such as, oh, I don't know, siege tanks? Blizzard be confident that this one ability will help t' break up a lot a the viking-tank stalemates ye see in pro play, 'n I hope they be right; I think TvT be by far the least interesting matchup t' watch at the moment.

The least-significant-sounding but probably scariest change in the current version be a late-game hydralisk upgrade t' movement speed, which Browder said be actually the single tweak having the most profound effect on the metagame in Blizzard's tests. That one change seems like it might restore the ubiquity a the hydra that ye saw in Brood War, though I be not looking forward t' dealing with a big mobile ball a pure DPS flying up 'n down the creep highway all the time. The swarm host 'n viper don't seem all that different from a few months ago, but since zerg be such a mechanically complex race I be not even going t' speculate about what broad effects these things will have.

Actually, as a Protoss player who's basically never touched the other races, I can only speak with any sort a authority at all about the changes on the Toss side, 'n I be extremely excited about what's going on there. Right now it be very difficult not t' make a robotics bay in every single matchup--just for the observer's scouting 'n detection, if nothing else--so Blizzard be making an obvious push t' legitimize the stargate as a viable tech path in it be own right, primarily with the oracle. In addition t' that thing's unchanged ability t' entomb an entire mineral line with a single 75-energy cast--which I can tell ye from me brief experience be amazing--the oracle's preordain ability, which gives ye a long period a vision on a target building, will now also add detection t' that vision. a course, that will make it about a million times safer t' go stargate now, without having t' worry as much about cloaked banshee or dark templar rushes. Neither a those would have a very easy time hitting the oracle.

In exchange for the replicant we now pillage the mothership core, which ye can build quickly 'n cheaply straight out a yer nexus in the early game ('n then upgrade into a full mothership with a fleet beacon as usual). This thing has amazing potential t' change how aggressive ye can be early on, since it has the same mass recall as the bigger version. So ye can try an initial push 'n then pillage the hell out a there if things be going badly, or pillage yer army back t' base for defense if necessary. The core can also briefly act as an overly powerful photon cannon, which best make ye feel a little more secure about taking a quick expansion. The core can warp between bases for very little energy 'n seems like an invaluable addition t' early-game defense. I be really bad at using group hotkeys above 5 (that be where me nexus goes) but the mothership core will most certainly occupy a current home on 6 when I play.

Lastly there's the tempest, which be a capital ship that back at BlizzCon be meant as an air-t'-air AOE monster suited for dealing with tons a mutalisks. The tempest has now changed roles t' some kind a bizarre long-range aerial siege weapon that by default can fire about as far as a siege tank, which has a range a 13. But with the fleet beacon range upgrade, the tempest has a whopping range a 22. YARRRR, TWENTY-TWO. On the downside, the DPS be pretty low, so ye'll need a lot a tempests t' do much actual damage, 'n a course ye'll need a spotter for them t' fire that far, since their upgraded range far exceeds their sight range. I be not sure exactly how the tempest will fit into the final game, since it be extremely expensive for the amount a damage it can do, 'n Browder seemed doubtful the range upgrade will remain in there as-be. it be also worth noting that Blizzard has mostly reversed course on it be plan t' cut existing units from the game, with the current exception a the carrier. But Browder said the team be having fights every day about the fate a the carrier, so who knows if even that most-disused unit will ultimately exit the roster. I imagine every pro game where a carrier be used effectively moves the minute hand on the carrier doomsday clock back just a little bit.

The most natural way t' pillage a sense a how a lot a this stuff works would be t' watch this video with Day[9] 'n Blizzard's Rob Simpson commentating a sample HOTS match in an instructional sort a way. If ye're new t' watching StarCraft II, note that this be the general format a what a pro match be like, but ye're going t' find a lot more energetic 'n dynamic scenarios taking place in actual pro-level play (much a it commentated by Day[9] himself). It gets way better than this!

Well, if ye made it through all a that dry, amateur analysis, odds be ye care an awful lot about StarCraft 'n everything going on with it, so let's talk about MLG a bit. I blew out a town Friday afternoon before the tournaments got started, but spectating through the weekend from me couch, this be the best event these lads have put on so far that I've seen. Full disclosure: me employer has a business deal with MLG, but I've been fairly critical in the past about their failures, which have mostly centered on flimsy production values 'n basic logistical issues like making sure matches don't lag out, 'n keeping the video stream running. The production 'n scheduling this weekend be much more professional by comparison, with quality commentary throughout, multiple matches running almost all the time, 'n not much downtime in between. Hell, the casters even classed things up a bit by wearing coats 'n ties. I had some issues with the highest-quality HD feed consistently crapping out on me, but otherwise MLG be inching closer t' the point where I can wholeheartedly recommend throwing down the cash for a weekend pass.

The big tentpole aspect a MLG this weekend, 'n the main reason I even bring the event up, be the absurdly hyped KeSPA invitational tournament that featured the all-time biggest names from current Brood War competition. KeSPA be the governing body that essentially made competitive StarCraft what it be in Korea, but it be been notoriously hard t' work with 'n it initially shunned StarCraft II altogether, since the lack a LAN-only play meant it had t' do business with Blizzard in order t' run SC2 tournaments. Now that the two organizations be playing nice together, KeSPA's top players be starting t' transition over, 'n this weekend be the first public chance for true legends a the game like Bisu, Jaedong, 'n Flash t' show what they can do.

Just as a lot a people predicted, they didn't exhibit a lot a especially creative play--the broad strategies be the same sort a thing ye'd see in yer average match between existing pro players. But the pure mechanical execution from some a these lads be very exciting t' watch. Considering they've only been playing SC2 at all for a few weeks, seeing a lad like Flash keep up a staggering rate a production while also being able t' split his marines 'n otherwise micro his units as well as pros who have been playing for two years... well, that makes me really hopeful that there be levels a skilled play in StarCraft II that we haven't even seen yet. I be excited t' see how well these lads be doing after a few more months a practice.

Around the office 'n in the games press at large, I feel like I've made little headway in getting other people t' care about competitive SC2. 'n maybe I be not one t' talk, since I sort a feel the same way about competitive fighting games (appreciate them academically, glad they be there, little interest in actually watching them) 'n MOBAs (don't find the game flow interesting t' watch at all) that most people do about StarCraft. But here 'n there, I keep running into likeminded individuals in unlikely places who secretly harbor the same passion. How about the Sony booth at E3? There, I got a chance t' meet Shawn McGrath, the lone developer behind Dyad, an indie action game coming t' PSN that seems like it be t' Tempest what Geometry Wars be t' Asteroids ('n I mean that in the best possible way). Shawn seems like an all-around swell lad--ye'll see an interview about Dyad hitting the site soon--but I also discovered we share a mutual love a two-rax pressure builds 'n baneling landmines over the weekend while tweeting feverishly about the competition taking place at MLG.

The idea that pro StarCraft be leading t' little stuff like this in the indie scene--the place where the most consistently invigorating game design be happening these days--makes me feel like just a little bit less a a "yeah sure professional video games whatever buddy" pariah. This stuff be great! Just give it a chance! I very earnestly believe there's no purer an expression a complex video game mechanics 'n the human ability t' approach mastery a them than what's going on with pro-level StarCraft these days.

Anyway. It best go without saying that I be really eager for Heart a the Swarm t' come out, mainly because competitive play in Wings a Liberty has largely settled into a repetition a similar builds 'n strategies, 'n because I've also kind a hit a wall in me own game that has me sitting around mid-platinum without much hope a advancement unless I quit me job 'n play full-time. Heart a the Swarm best give a nice boost t' both a those problems. We'll have video interviews with Dustin Browder 'n designer David Kim later in the week t' provide some more depth on the new stuff, 'n reading between the lines a bit while talking t' those lads, I be hopeful that beta may not actually be all that far away.