Starcraft 2 Official!!!

[StarBound]

Ok above comment aside the game feels more like an rpg than rts. But so far so good. Pre renders are my only complaint.

[KimKagan]

This thing takes forever to install.

Most impressive thing about the collector's edition is the box. The book is kinda meh.

[StarBound]

Yeah it doesn't move on the install screen. Was at like 2% for about 10 minutes. Then it started downloading the 800mb patch.

[KimKagan]

I've had to install this twice no, for no apparent reason, and both times have taken about an hour.

Not at all impressed with how lazy they've been so far. The original game had a cool feature during installation that told you about the events of the previous game. This one just has a stupid link.

[KimKagan]

Okay, I installed it, but it's not available? When I try to play the campaign, it only has the HotS movie available as an option, then asks me to "upgrade" something? What's the deal?

Also my account it apparently locked for no apparent reason.

What gives? -_-

E: got it working. What a mess.

[Anakha56]

http://www.polygon.com/2013/3/11/408998 ... 2-heart-of

PETA to hand out Zerg anti-abuse pamphlets at StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm launch

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Mar 11, 2013 at 3:00p

Animal rights group PETA will attend the midnight release of StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm in Irvine, Calif., as part of a campaign to remind players to "have compassion for all beings," including those in the game.

"Zerglings Have Feelings, Too" is intended to help players view StarCraft 2's Zerg species with empathy, director of marketing Joel Bartlett said. In Starcraft 2, the Zerg is a race of arthropodal aliens and the game's main antagonists. In Heart of the Swarm, players will control Zerg queen Sarah Kerrigan and her broods as she seeks revenge on her former Terran allies.

"To paraphrase a great philosopher, the question is not 'Can Zerg reason?' nor 'Can they talk?' but 'Can they suffer when attacked with a Perdition flamethrower,'" Bartlett said. "PETA is full of StarCraft players, but we've always had empathy for the Zerg — and for anyone who is killed without consideration because they don't speak our language."

According to PETA's campaign, the Zerg are "killed or abused simply because the Terrans can't or won't understand them."

Blizzard, on the other hand, describes the Zerg as "ruthless killing machines" intent on driving the "zerg imperative of achieving absolute domination." We have contacted the company for comment.

PETA will be in attendance at the GameStop located in the Irvine Spectrum Mall at 9 p.m. on Monday, March 11. StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm will be available March 12 for Windows PC and Mac.

[StarBound]

You did read the article on Assassins Creed 4 right? The game will feature waling as a resource for the game as it is set in that era of piracy. The Ubisoft response was epic.

I cant find that article now though

[Kennyisalive]

Any one have Heart of the swarm yet?

got mine on release date.. played abit.. love it like always!!! but then BF3 end game also came out same day..

I have to many games to play!

[hamin_aus]

got mine on release date..

I got mine on Tuesday

[StarBound]

Picked up mine at the midnight launch monday. Was still awake at 1am Tuesday morning, clicked play, and started playing some missions. Stopped after 2 missions though since I had to get some sleep.

[Anakha56]

Also got mine... Have not had time to play just yet...

[KimKagan]

Got mine on Tuesday, played like first 5 missions, got bored, haven't played it since.

[StarBound]

Completed the game. Gonna give my thoughts in both spoiler boxes and non spoilers.

Firstly the game rendered pre-rendered cut scenes shame the game. Luckily there aren't that many of them but going from WoL to HotS you would expect more emphasis on blizzards real time art direction.

GUI has been simplified... really simplified. This is the first time I feel like a console control scheme might be intruding into a Blizzard game even though they have made their games for consoles in the past.

The story does not follow the normal Blizzard pattern of thought namely good guy, gets corrupted, kills everything, killed in the end. If I said it was a Disney ending would people be upset? However blizzards latest trend of rewriting their 10 years of lore and recycling characters from the grave is very clear.

Spoiler (show)

Alexi Stukov from SC:BW is alive as an infested terran now. Playing the zerg no longer feels like that evil they were back in SC1 or SC2:WoL but rather like they are the victim and out for vengeance.

The protoss feels like a sub race.

The single player is solid though. I enjoyed the game for the most part and once you started you cannot stop. The best part is that the zerg feels like a swarm that overpower in numbers.

For a score I would give it a 8/10.

[hamin_aus]

Firstly the game rendered pre-rendered cut scenes shame the game. Luckily there aren't that many of them but going from WoL to HotS you would expect more emphasis on blizzards real time art direction.

I really don't know why you keep on about game rendered cut-scenes - they are sporadic and really aren't that bad IMO.

GUI has been simplified... really simplified. This is the first time I feel like a console control scheme might be intruding into a Blizzard game even though they have made their games for consoles in the past.

GUI looks more or less the same as it ever did really. I'd say streamlined more than simplified. I get where you are going with this, but I disagree that are looking to bring SC2 to the console.
They tried to do it with WC2 and the result was tepid...

Lets face facts, console gamers are too A.D.D. for a complex RTS like SC. Thats why they tried to make an FPS spin-off in the early 2000's. It's a shame that never materialised and I really think Blizzards hopes of SC on console disappeared with Ghost.

The story does not follow the normal Blizzard pattern of thought

There is no "normal" Blizzard pattern of story telling. Just because they stuck to a formula for SC/BW/WoL doesn't mean they need to keep banging on with it.
Kerrigan and her relationship with the swarm is not the black and white relationship Raynor has with the Dominion, for example. To properly develop the Kerrigan character things have to be done differently. I quite enjoyed unfolding of the story, and while I never quite sympathized with the Zerg, the story in HoTS does make me more empathetic towards them...

The protoss feels like a sub race.

I think the plan to not have toss as a playable race in the single player campaign was a fair one.
We see so little of them that I'm not sure if Legacy of the Void will take place after the events of HoTS or if it they will run parallel. What is Zeratul up to????

Playing the zerg no longer feels like that evil they were back in SC1 or SC2:WoL

Zerg are legion. They do not forgive. They do not forget. Expect them. I must say after HoTS I have a new respect for Zerg.

For a score I would give it a 8/10.

Agreed. It lived up to the standard Blizzard have set for their games. A good effort worthy of the franchise.

[Molean]

Purchased my copy today...

[Anakha56]

The protoss feels like a sub race.

The Protoss have always been a sub race when compared to the other 2. Seems to be a common occurrence that just about every patch the Protoss get weaker while the Terran & Zerg get stronger more so the Zerg. I am hoping the Protoss expansion makes them strong again...

[StarBound]

I loved protoss in SC1. However the entire way the zerg looked in SC2 made them my favourite race.

[hamin_aus]

The protoss feels like a sub race.

The Protoss have always been a sub race when compared to the other 2.

[StarBound]

They were the SC2 breakout race

[Anakha56]

I'm being serious. The Protoss have always had their abilities, damage & health lowered with cool down timers increased while the Zerg and the Terran have had the opposite effect. The majority of final's are held between Zerg & Terran, Protoss are only lucky to get in the finals...


/talking nonsense here because I actually know nothing about the recent changelogs on the races or which races are more dominant in the pro finals...

[GreyWolf]

I'm being serious. The Protoss have always had their abilities, damage & health lowered with cool down timers increased while the Zerg and the Terran have had the opposite effect. The majority of final's are held between Zerg & Terran, Protoss are only lucky to get in the finals...


/talking nonsense here because I actually know nothing about the recent changelogs on the races or which races are more dominant in the pro finals...

ahem!

[StarBound]

The Protoss have always had their abilities, damage & health lowered...

Yeah. I know there was some big changes between 1.04, 1.05 and 1.06. When I install starcraft from disc I always install patch 1.05 which imo was the last balanced patch there was. Remember when zealots was 80/80 before they changed them to 60/100? and didn't they also go from 8x2 to 6x2?

[Anakha56]

I'm being serious. The Protoss have always had their abilities, damage & health lowered with cool down timers increased while the Zerg and the Terran have had the opposite effect. The majority of final's are held between Zerg & Terran, Protoss are only lucky to get in the finals...


/talking nonsense here because I actually know nothing about the recent changelogs on the races or which races are more dominant in the pro finals...

ahem!

Void Rays are awesome! But then Blizzard went and lowered their damage output, range and health ...

[GreyWolf]

Void Rays are awesome! But then Blizzard went and lowered their damage output, range and health ...

Absolutely, but you can't complain about 'Tos being left behind all the time.

[Anakha56]

Oh but I can when they increase the Terran & Zerg units to make them more powerful . I love playing as the Protoss just because of the carrier but then that was reduced down as well...