Poll: Starcraft 2 Expansion Heart Of Swarm, are you excited and do you think it will deliver?

[Tanakh]

Oh I know, I just figured there were at least a few MP/esports folks around, since that's basically the core of Starcraft's appeal and has been for over a decade. The WOL campaign was pretty much rubbish, so I'm a little shocked to see people are clamoring for more of it.

I basically view the campaign as a necessary evil to get me up to speed for MP.

Well, there are quite a bit of esports fans around, but if you take out the LoL ones it's you, me and 2 dudes more I think.

And yeah, campaign is what you do to not be last place bronce in MP, that and to look at those gorgeous cinematics that Blizz does.

That said, damn real life seems determined to keep me sucking at SC2, DotA, LoL and SFIV. Every time I get decent good shit happens and I need to stop PvP. Just past week I got a good paying part time job... FUUUUUUU!11111

 

[kingthrall]

No to both questions. I think the story will be about as garbage as it was in WoL and possibly below that (seeing how "epic" D3 was), and I think with the way Blizzard is approaching custom maps there isn't much hope for good there. Which means I think if you're not buying the game for the competitive aspect, I don't know what the hell you're thinking. With the custom map thing maybe, maybe I can understand the appeal (even though the untapped (and never to be tapped) potential is just painful), but it's extremely disheartening to me to see just how many people are looking forward to that shlockfest of a story.

I am heavy into mapmaking using the editor and if you check out a lot of the custom games it makes multiplayer quite fun. The problem was with W.O.L was the popularity system kept putting the really lame and easy downloaded maps such as starcraft bejeweld, tower defense maps ect so it was more of a "most downloaded" and kept pushing really nice custom maps in the 200+ page bracket.

Here is a prime example of a game most people would not have played on-line using the custom multiplayer section, its a F.P.S using a RTS engine, I still cant fathom how awesome it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqiulSLFncc

So anyway Im not a huge fanboy of Starcarft at all (fanboy of myth II soulblighter). However if they fix the interface they can redeem themselves after D3.

 

[Abomination]

I really enjoy the Starcraft story and setting. The gameplay is always fun and the developers do put a lot of effort into making the factions diverse but balanced.

I also enjoy just how polished the game is, it's simple and elegant with how units move, fire, use special abilities and navigate the terrain.

 

[kingthrall]

No to both questions. I think the story will be about as garbage as it was in WoL and possibly below that (seeing how "epic" D3 was), and I think with the way Blizzard is approaching custom maps there isn't much hope for good there. Which means I think if you're not buying the game for the competitive aspect, I don't know what the hell you're thinking. With the custom map thing maybe, maybe I can understand the appeal (even though the untapped (and never to be tapped) potential is just painful), but it's extremely disheartening to me to see just how many people are looking forward to that shlockfest of a story.

I am heavy into mapmaking using the editor and if you check out a lot of the custom games it makes multiplayer quite fun. The problem was with W.O.L was the popularity system kept putting the really lame and easy downloaded maps such as starcraft bejeweld, tower defense maps ect so it was more of a "most downloaded" and kept pushing really nice custom maps in the 200+ page bracket.

Here is a prime example of a game most people would not have played on-line using the custom multiplayer section, its a F.P.S using a RTS engine, I still cant fathom how awesome it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqiulSLFncc

So anyway Im not a huge fanboy of Starcarft at all (fanboy of myth II soulblighter). However if they fix the interface they can redeem themselves after D3.

Well, I don't know about getting hyped about maps the engine straight up sucks at (like FPS, I'm sorry), but I do acknowledge that the engine is far more capable than, say, that of Warcraft 3. I just have a massive problem with Blizzard's approach to custom maps (and gaming overall). A "you play on our terms and we own everything" approach, with everything that entails.

I do agree however you could say this about Activision, EA and Bioware divisions also with Ubisoft and a myriad of other AAA platform game publishers with the same "my way or highway attitude". So really is it something you would single out compared to other games?

 

[The Lunatic]

I tested the water with Diablo 3.


Uh... I think I'll pass on Actiblizzion games for now.

 

[Scrubiii]

I can't play starcraft multiplayer anymore due to problems with my wrists, but I'm looking forward to seeing it played professionally. I'll still buy it, but only to complete the story, and maybe play some custom games.

Also, I'm curios to know how many of the people (three, at the time of writing) who chose the "Im buying as a pro-sc2 player" option are actually pros.

EDIT: Looking through the thread, I'm amazed by the amount of people spouting the "$40 for an expansion? Fuck you Blizzard!" opinion. You do realise this "expansion" is the size of the original game right? Care to explain to me how it's unfair for them to charge that amount for 20+ new campaign missions, 7 new units, huge changes to current units, balance and tech trees, graphical improvements, resume-from-replay feature, new UI, unranked play, clans, groups, global play, a leveling system, new map-making tools, unlockable unit skins and a crapton of other stuff? If they called this "Starcraft 3: Heart of the Swarm" no-one would have this issue, even though it would be exactly the same and would probably be priced at $60 instead of $40.

 

[Rblade]

I'd buy it for the single player alone, and in the replays I've seen sofar the new additions really seem to spice up the multiplayer aswell

Defenitly worth it for me.

 

[Kyrinn]

I thought the whole Kerrigan of being a damsel in distress instead of a revolutionist who got corrupted into a real evil ***** and Jim the white Knight instead of a decent guy who had his heart torn-out was a spit in my face..I don't think highly of SC2.

Did we play the same game? Kerrigan was a revolutionist who got turned into one of the most bad ass female villans ever. That doesn't suddenly stop because Jim "rescued" her from zerg control. Her one scene where she is portrayed as a damsel in distress is when a weapon that wipes out all zerg is used against her, so that one gets a pass in my book. Plus, going by what we've been told by blizzard about the HoTS story, she is more than capable of handling herself on her own.

Granted, a zerg with heels is kind of ridiculous but that's beside the point.

 

[SweetShark]

I was back then really hyped for this gama I must admit and I was waiting to buy it like crazy if it come out!
But after I played the first part of the Starcraft 2 trilogy.........I was disappointed a lot.

Sorry for saying this, but Blizzard did a very "weak" work for creating a interesting and engaging story even if the gameplay is enjoyable.

Spoiler

Especially the ending. The writers just pull out from the asses a mystic artifact that heal the bad Kerrigan and make her now good Kerrigan

Also I am very dissapointed they decided to change the "true" purpouse of the Overmind for creating Kerrigan.......Did we really needed to justify why somehow a new faction must be in the game with this way?

But I digress, maybe the writers have something in their minds that it will revealed in the other two games. I hope for the best.
Unfortunately for now I will just wait to see where the story is going, then I will buy/not buy the game.

 

[Backlash]

Ignoring Quake 3 arena, Starcraft was my first real PC games experience. Brood War was kick ass and the secret mission made me want SC2 very bad. I was not disappointments (for many months, there have been some horrible patches like one preventing me from playing single player offline anymore). The single player had so many options and as a whole a good story. I play Random on ladder so specific nerfs or buffs didn't screw me much, but cheeses are always something to watch for but that's the norm. Time the hots beta has shown some fun ahead on in multiplayer but I will be hammering the single player first. 12 Days!

 

[Thedutchjelle]

I thought the whole Kerrigan of being a damsel in distress instead of a revolutionist who got corrupted into a real evil ***** and Jim the white Knight instead of a decent guy who had his heart torn-out was a spit in my face..I don't think highly of SC2.

Did we play the same game? Kerrigan was a revolutionist who got turned into one of the most bad ass female villans ever. That doesn't suddenly stop because Jim "rescued" her from zerg control. Her one scene where she is portrayed as a damsel in distress is when a weapon that wipes out all zerg is used against her, so that one gets a pass in my book. Plus, going by what we've been told by blizzard about the HoTS story, she is more than capable of handling herself on her own.

Granted, a zerg with heels is kind of ridiculous but that's beside the point.

Compared to the Brood War, the Wings of Liberty Kerrigan is an idiot. Sorry.
From going to the most resourceful and cunning character in SC & BW, being able to outwit almost every single opponent and tricking them into fighting each other to "Darnit Raynor! I'll get you next time!" in WoL.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Don't care, Blizzard has gone too pants on head retarded to get any more money from me.

They've had one bad game!

And it wasn't even BAD, really, just...not good.

You are too unforgiving, Desert Punk. In my day, Punks of all variety...Desert, Forest or even Swamp...were far more generous with mulligans.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Nope.

I remember trying to "Lan" WoL with just 3 other people on the same network, and sure enough, bottlenecking killed more games than anything else (on a solid CABLE connection no less). On my home network, Bnet 2.0 kept derping out so online was pretty much dead-end gaming for me.

Though given Blizzard's further shenanigans with Diablo 3 and Bnet 2.0, I'm not all that heartbroken about skipping their products entirely from now on. They've lost my respect as a gamer, and confidence as a customer.

 

[Artemis923]

Starcraft has always been a Warhammer rip off....

But hot damn. I see bioships, mycetic spores, tyrant guard, and hormagaunts abound. Shit, there was even a trygon in there.

It looked like Tyranids charging an IG battle line to me, but no bolters or chainswords to make it awesome.

 

[Lazy Kitty]

I was excited about it when Starcraft 2 came out. Since I played Zerg myself.
Now I've pretty much lost interest because they took too long and I'm not playing anymore.