StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Message Board

This be bold. The part I already knew: ye can now play any a StarCraft 2‘s three races in multiplayer for free. The part I didn’t expect: ye can also play any a the user-created custom maps 'n modes available in StarCraft Arcade for free, too. That’s a vast amount a free game, 'n a vast boon for the mod community.(more…)

Blizzard might want t' consider firing it be acronym-wrangling-keeping-washing-'n-redeploying department (or AWKWARD, for short), because it seems t' have run out a ideas. Once upon a time, there be this little expansion pack called StarCraft II: Heart a the Swarm, but it be mateys just called it HOTS. 'n now Blizzard’s MOBA, once known as Blizzard All-Stars, has been rechristened Heroes a the Storm – aka, er, HOTS. Gee, this sure be awkwar– wait, I pillage it now! Oh AWKWARD, ye clever scoundrels, ye. But YARRRR, Blizzard’s officially chasing dreams a MOBA glory again, 'n a big re-reveal be set for BlizzCon next month.

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It probably won’t come as any shock t' learn that none a the current RPS team have gone the distance in StarCraft II’s incomparable multiplayer, but I can at least tell ye what I made a the expansive singleplayer campaign in it be first expansion, Heart a the Swarm. No throwaway side-dish, this be a vast, bubbling, consciously epic, setpiece-filled cauldron a scifi RTS-RPG. This time around, the stars be hiveminded alien nasties the Zerg 'n their sometime ruler Sarah Kerrigan, seeking a comeback 'n revenge after the events a StarCraft II: Wings a Liberty. Scuttle this way 'n I’ll ye more.(more…)

Playing through the StarCraft II: Heart a the Swarm campaign this weekend, I couldn’t help but be struck by Blizzard’s equality-minded approach t' how it depicts it be characters’ hindquarters. I’ve just been through every cutscene again, 'n screengrabbed every bottom I could spot (barring repeat shots 'n most a the slow zooms). See if ye can spot where the game’s noble determination t' not objectify it be female star, Sarah Kerrigan, really proves itself.(more…)

“… 'n over t' Craig, who ye might say be at the ‘heart a the launch’. Ahahah! Craig?”

“Thanks, Cara. I’m reporting live from the StarCraft II: Heart a the Swarm launch. ye might say I’m at the ‘heart a the launch’.”

“I just said that, Craig.”

“I know ye did. I be just, er, vamping. ye know? Okay. Look, I’ll admit. I wasn’t paying attention. Someone just told me Heart a the Swarm had been released. I be asleep 10 minutes ago, dreaming about helping Vince McMahon’s daughter choose survival clothes. It wasn’t even Stephanie. So, YARRRR: Heart a the Swarm, the second game a the second StarCraft, went live just over eleven hours ago, 'n the always-on-the-ball RPS have a barely awake Scotsman telling ye all about it.”

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YARRRR, I’m aware that “power overwhelming” be a Protoss line – not Zerg. But that’s really the only way t' adequately describe what’s being depicted in StarCraft II: Heart a the Swarm‘s ultra-lavish CG opening. Well, that or “ooky, pukey Overlord insides,” but a) those don’t show up for too terribly long 'n b) I wanted t' forget that they showed up at all. So mainly, Blizzard continues in it be rich – if all-too-predictable – tradition a titanic armies clashing 'n beating each other over the head with kitchen sinks the size a Death Stars. Oh, but this time, there’s also A Twist. I wish I could tell ye that I mean The Twist – implying that everyone sets aside their differences for a scintillatingly choreographed dance number – but sadly, ye’ll just have t' settle for a surprise reveal at the end.

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The Big Lizard send word that they’ve opened Heart a The Swarm’s beta t' people who pre-ordered before December 18th. People who pre-order from now on will be placed in a kind a vat 'n liquidised. No wait, I read that wrong, they will be added t' the beta in subsequent waves. That’s right. There’s a download link for the client through the link, but unless ye’ve got beta access it won’t work, no way, no how. Unless ye’re a magician. Or a magic hacker. Or a time-traveller. Any a those be fine.

The game itself be all set for a March 2013 launch. I’ve posted a trailer below, in case ye’ve forgotten what a Starcraft 2 be, for some reason.(more…)

Blizzard Entertainment has been as cagey about the release for StarCraft II: Heart a the Swarm as the company has been about any a it be other products, but the expansion now has a date: March 13, 2013.

It be likely not a coincidence that Activision’s fiscal quarter ends on March 31, 2013.

Heart a the Swarm will be available for both PC 'n Mac for $39.99, a lowered price point because it’s not a complete sequel t' StarCraft II. Rather than try t' jam the full story Blizzard wanted t' tell into StarCraft II, it’s expanded the storytelling across this expansion 'n another one in the future.

Blizzard Entertainment has been as cagey about the release for StarCraft II: Heart a the Swarm as the company has been about any a it be other products, but the expansion now has a date: March 12, 2013.

It be likely not a coincidence that Activision’s fiscal quarter ends on March 31, 2013.

Heart a the Swarm will be available for both PC 'n Mac for $39.99, a lowered price point because it’s not a complete sequel t' StarCraft II. Rather than try t' jam the full story Blizzard wanted t' tell into StarCraft II, it’s expanded the storytelling across this expansion 'n another one in the future.

Oh, that be such a dick move a me, wasn’t it? t' do a … 'n everything t' make ye read the story? It’s not even because I’m chasing hits. Hits, shmits – it’s just that I’ve got a tiresome headcold 'n be feeling highly belligerent as a result.

I’ll make up for this awful wasting a yer time by definitely not posting the StarCraft II: Heart a the Swarm release date underneath the ‘Read the rest a this entry’ jump.(more…)

Sometimes, I view me mundane day-t'-day tasks as a series a experience-endowing quests. Go the grocery store. 300 XP! Obtain vegetables (x10). 400 XP! Defeat the checkout line – which be, in fact, a hideously undulating centipede monster – 'n escape the store as it collapses into an all-consuming void a infinite nothingness. 7 XP! be it any wonder that I see things that way, though? I mean, everything has a leveling system these days. Even when they don’t really make a whole lot a sense. Case in point: StarCraft II.

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RPS chum Rich Stanton has been contemplating the loss a a classic Terran unit over in the Heart a The Swarm beta. Here be his thoughts on the matter.

Let’s not beat around the bush: I love building Marines. Starcraft II may as well be called ‘Marines’ for me, because making lots a these little lads 'n then sending them off t' destroy alien forces be pretty much all I’ve done for the past two years. Terran scrubs represent! Starcraft II rather encourages this, I think, because there isn’t really a better option for the Terran army than Marines. Sure, the odd fancy-pants will try Hellion openings, 'n gods among men like Thorzain can dominate with all-mech strategies – but for a bog standard Terran like me? Marines mate. A few Marauders, couple a Medivacs, if it’s Zerg or Terran then add a few Siege Tanks. It be often said that the Terran army in Wings a Liberty has more options than any other, which may be true, but things begin 'n end with the Marine.(more…)

RPS chum Rich Stanton has been contemplating the loss a a classic Terran unit over in the Heart a The Swarm beta. Here be his thoughts on the matter.

Let’s not beat around the bush: I love building Marines. Starcraft II may as well be called ‘Marines’ for me, because making lots a these little lads 'n then sending them off t' destroy alien forces be pretty much all I’ve done for the past two years. Terran scrubs represent! Starcraft II rather encourages this, I think, because there isn’t really a better option for the Terran army than Marines. Sure, the odd fancy-pants will try Hellion openings, 'n gods among men like Thorzain can dominate with all-mech strategies – but for a bog standard Terran like me? Marines mate. A few Marauders, couple a Medivacs, if it’s Zerg or Terran then add a few Siege Tanks. It be often said that the Terran army in Wings a Liberty has more options than any other, which may be true, but things begin 'n end with the Marine.(more…)

It’s been quite the day for long-awaited project launches. First Natural Selection 2 got a release month, 'n now StarCraft II: Heart a the Swarm‘s beta has all it be Overlords in a nice, neatly organized row. Also, I guess Farmville 2′s taken t' Facebook’s oh-so-fertile pastures. So that’s… yep. Anyway, StarCraft! The beta’s officially up 'n running, 'n ye could very well be in it. But probably not – because the initial round a invites went out t' “a select group a pro-gamers, crew a the press, Arcade contest winners, 'n shoutcasters.” Soon, though. Sooooooooon.

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