StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

By Lyric
in PC Gaming

 Share

Recommended Posts

Experienced

Lyric

Posted
Posted

sc2hots.jpg

BlizzCon2010_Logo1.jpg

RELEASE DATE: N/A

bk6ma.png2vs40a1.png

sc2hotsbox.jpg



Blizzard's Official HoTS Website


StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm is the second product in the StarCraft II trilogy featuring the zerg campaign and episode.

It will be released separately from the other two games, and is expected to be priced as an expansion. It follows StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty chronologically and storywise.

Heart of the Swarm is a sequel to Wings of Liberty. It focuses on Sarah Kerrigan and the development of a zerg empire. More will be seen of the Kel-Morian Combine and Umojan Protectorate. It will also have a separate ladder from Wings of Liberty.[/center]

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1001466-starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm/
Share on other sites
Grand Master

Yusuf M. Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

The official Blizzard preview page is up: http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/game/heart-of-the-swarm-preview/

updated the first post, a commentator got invited to blizzard headquarters apparently and recorded some real live game footage, much more detailed than the 2nd video I had up earlier.

It's up top, as well as here:

Awesome. Thanks for posting that video. (Y)

I just don' understand one thing .. if in WoL

kerrigan is turned human, why do the Zerg still follow her ?? And what happened to JImmy ??

I just hope they show us what the hell happened :whistle:

I edited your post to add spoiler tags, just to be safe.

To answer your question...

If I understand it correctly, the Zerg Overmind (created by the Xel'Naga) knew about the coming darkness that will wipe out the Terrans, Protoss, and Zerg. You get to play that mission in the Wings of Liberty campaign ("In Utter Darkness"). Anyway, the Zerg Overmind knew about this darkness before Zeratul and what it did was create the Queen of Blades so that the Zerg may stand a chance against it. Obviously, the events of WoL changed things because Kerrigan was restored to her human form. Of course, that doesn't help things which explains the Heart of the Swarm campaign. You play as Kerrigan and work your way to becoming the Queen of Blades once again.

Grand Master

LOC Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

The official Blizzard preview page is up: http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/game/heart-of-the-swarm-preview/

Awesome. Thanks for posting that video. (Y)

I edited your post to add spoiler tags, just to be safe.

To answer your question...

If I understand it correctly, the Zerg Overmind (created by the Xel'Naga) knew about the coming darkness that will wipe out the Terrans, Protoss, and Zerg. You get to play that mission in the Wings of Liberty campaign ("In Utter Darkness"). Anyway, the Zerg Overmind knew about this darkness before Zeratul and what it did was create the Queen of Blades so that the Zerg may stand a chance against it. Obviously, the events of WoL changed things because Kerrigan was restored to her human form. Of course, that doesn't help things which explains the Heart of the Swarm campaign. You play as Kerrigan and work your way to becoming the Queen of Blades once again.

From what one of the devs said in an interview yesterday or the day before, Kerrigan isn't going to become a Zerg again and that she's responsible for billions of deaths and would be horrified of that obviously. I don't know why she's trying to control the Zerg again, but she is certainly trying to control some portions of them, and she is obviously able to get certain psionic powers (among others) back again during the HotS campaign. Don't ask me how though lol

Apprentice

phendrome

Posted
Posted

The official Heart of the Swarm site of Blizzard, can be found here.

Other related links with a lot of information regarding the expansion:

Enjoy.

Experienced

Lyric

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The official Heart of the Swarm site of Blizzard, can be found here.

Other related links with a lot of information regarding the expansion:

Enjoy.

awesome information, added blizzards official website up top as well.

Grand Master

Yusuf M. Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Zerg is my least favourite race and despite that, I'm still looking forward to this expansion. I'm sure the campaign will be fun but to me, the real fun is on Battle.net. I can't wait to see the changes they make to the MP side.

Community Regular

Zaic

Posted
Posted

So will they force people to buy it?

I guess they will.

"For those that only play multi-player, they only need to buy one of the three games." 2009 or 2010 talk

from Heart of the Swarm FAQ 2011

Will Heart of the Swarm require ownership of Wings of Liberty?

For the regions that have a standard box business model such as North America and Europe, yes, Wings of Liberty will be required in order to play Heart of the Swarm.

fcuk blizzard they are going to the dark side

Grand Master

DukeEsquire

Posted
Posted

So will they force people to buy it?

I guess they will.

"For those that only play multi-player, they only need to buy one of the three games." 2009 or 2010 talk

from Heart of the Swarm FAQ 2011

Will Heart of the Swarm require ownership of Wings of Liberty?

For the regions that have a standard box business model such as North America and Europe, yes, Wings of Liberty will be required in order to play Heart of the Swarm.

fcuk blizzard they are going to the dark side

I'm pretty sure that was never confirmed. I remember they were very wishy washy regarding whether the expansion packs would include new units or not.

Grand Master

_neutrino Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

Will Heart of the Swarm require ownership of Wings of Liberty?

For the regions that have a standard box business model such as North America and Europe, yes, Wings of Liberty will be required in order to play Heart of the Swarm.

fcuk blizzard they are going to the dark side

It is an EXPANSION SET not a sequel game. keep that in mind. It is logical that it would require you to have the Base game to install the EXPANSION onto.

Grand Master

PGHammer

Posted
Posted

I'm curious as to how they are going to include a Protoss mission or Terran mission this go round (they said they will *probably* include them, but haven't guaranteed it) and make it actually make sense.

They included a whole Protoss sub-campaign in WoL, so I fully expect either a Protoss or Terran subcampaign in HotS (if not both).

Also, I've noticed some changes to the FX for the Protoss units - will the changes introduced in HotS be pushed into WoL? (It's already known tha HotS will *not* require WoL, though it can be added onto it.)

There are some serious changes to playing as the Zerg - also, the BattleFocus option for Kerrigan is a game-changer. But will the change be too much?

  • 1 year later...
Grand Master

+Mirumir Subscriber¹

Posted
  • Subscriber¹
Posted

Coming Soon: Starcraft II 2.0.4

In a few days, we?ll begin patching StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty to version 2.0.4, which will bring a number of new features to the game?features that all players can then immediately begin enjoying together.

Wings of Liberty 2.0.4 includes:

An all-new user interface with new menu screens.

The launch of in-game Clans and Groups.

New Replay features, such as Watch with Others and Take Command.

A multitude of Editor improvements.

New matchmaking options: Training Mode, Vs. AI Mode, and Unranked Play.

All-new AI Options, including AI Communication.

Players Near You, so you can find other StarCraft II players on your local network.

New customizable Observer UI.

Other enhancements coming with patch 2.0.4 include a revised help section, new game privacy options, new group sounds, and language selection (in some regions).

All of the above improvements will also be included in StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. When the expansion is released on March 12, players who upgrade will be among the first to experience the new campaign, new multiplayer units, enhancements to existing units, the new leveling system, new multiplayer maps, new tilesets, and new rewards such as skins, dances, portraits, and decals.

The background download for Wings of Liberty patch 2.0.4 was activated on February 9. We strongly encourage all players to leave the launcher running for an extended period of time at some point over the next few days to ensure that you?re ready to play when the patch goes live.

Veteran

YounGMessiah

Posted
Posted

Nice I was hoping they would implement the new system into WoL... I would hope they introduce it in before HoS for us who want to buy it, but want to get a feel of the new system!!!

MARCH IS ALMOST HERE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • Meta is reusing old DDR4 RAM in its servers instead of buying new hardware

      By pookie62 · Posted

      Good think I still have SDRAM and FP RAM sitting around.
    • Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker with Google apps is now at its lowest price with 47% off

      By Fiza Ali · Posted

      Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker with Google apps is now at its lowest price with 47% off by Fiza Ali Amazon is currently offering the Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker at its all-time low price with a 47% discount. The device features an AMOLED touchscreen display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 that should offer improved scratch resistance and durability. The Charge 6 is equipped with a range of sensors including an optical heart rate sensor, a 3-axis accelerometer, built-in GPS with GLONASS support, red and infrared sensors for SpO2 monitoring, a skin temperature sensor, an ambient light sensor, a vibration motor, NFC, and multipurpose electrical sensors compatible with the ECG and EDA Scan apps. Heart rate is recorded every second during exercise tracking and every five seconds during normal daily use. The device requires the Google Health app for setup and synchronisation. Furthermore, Bluetooth provides wireless connectivity for syncing and communication with devices running Apple iOS 16.4 or later and Android 11.0 or later. The tracker stores up to 7 days of minute-by-minute activity data and retains daily activity totals for the previous 30 days. In terms of water resistance, the Fitbit Charge 6 has a 5 ATM rating that should make it suitable for swimming and water activities. The tracker operates in temperatures ranging from 14°F to 113°F and at altitudes of up to 28,000 feet. Moreover, the included Infinity band is made from a flexible silicone material and features a loop-and-peg fastening. The small band fits wrists measuring 5.1 to 6.7 inches, while the large band fits wrists measuring 6.7 to 8.3 inches. Both small and large bands are included in the box. When it comes to battery performance, the Fitbit Charge 6 should deliver up to 7 days of battery life under typical usage conditions. Features such as the Always-On Display, built-in GPS, and SpO2 monitoring increase power consumption and may require more frequent charging. The rechargeable lithium-polymer battery should take approximately two hours to charge from empty to full. Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker with Google Apps: $85.45 (Amazon US) - 47% off Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Google's new hand-wave reCAPTCHA can be bypassed with a stock photo

      By Jdoe25 · Posted

      google, meta, microsoft, true cancers of modern society
    • TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28

      By Copernic · Posted

      TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28 by Razvan Serea TeraCopy is a compact program designed to copy and move files at the maximum possible speed, also providing you with a lot of features. Copy files faster. TeraCopy uses dynamically adjusted buffers to reduce seek times. Asynchronous copy speeds up file transfer between two physical hard drives. Pause and resume transfers. Pause copy process at any time to free up system resources and continue with a single click. Error recovery. In case of copy error, TeraCopy will try several times and in the worse case just skips the file, not terminating the entire transfer. Interactive file list. TeraCopy shows failed file transfers and lets you fix the problem and recopy only problem files. Shell integration. TeraCopy can completely replace Explorer copy and move functions, allowing you work with files as usual. TeraCopy is free for non-commercial use only. For commercial use you need to buy a license. The paid version of the program includes the following features: Copy/move to your favorite folders. Save reports as HTML and CSV files. Select files with the same extension/folder. Remove the selected files from the copy queue. Features added since version 3.17: Enhanced speed graph. New multi-threaded copy engine. Support for copying to multiple targets. Queue system for managing multiple copy operations. Support for receiving files via the LocalSend protocol. TeraCopy entry in the modern Windows Explorer context menu. Integrated toolbar in the title bar. Why receive LocalSend transfers with TeraCopy? Handle file conflicts: Skip, overwrite, or rename files when a file with the same name already exists. LocalSend always creates another copy, which can waste time and disk space, especially when resuming an interrupted transfer. Filter unwanted files: Apply ignore lists or remove files manually before accepting a transfer, so unnecessary files are not downloaded. Better performance on fast networks: In tests over a 10 Gbps connection, TeraCopy received files several times faster than the standard LocalSend app on Windows. TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28 changelog: Fixed a bug where Overwrite behaved as Overwrite All during same-drive move operations. AdvancedInstaller fixed the installer’s security vulnerability: EXE Bootstrapper resolved the %appdata% location incorrectly for the System account. Download: TeraCopy 4.0 Build 28 | 14.6 MB (Freeware, paid upgrade available) View: TeraCopy Website | Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware
    • Microsoft finally launches WSL Containers in public preview

      By BlueScreenJunky · Posted

      First exciting thing to come to Windows in a long time ! This is the kind of things they should focus on, instead of cramming as much AI as they can in everything.

  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      536
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      269
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      150
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      97
    5. 5
      macoman
      61
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!