> Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm

Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm, an expansion to the inaugural Wings of Liberty was released across the globe just two weeks ago. Continuing Blizzard's tradition of fantastic games, HOTS updates the mechanics of the popular competitive Real Time Strategy Game, Starcraft 2. Being a longtime Blizzard fan, I sat down with the new expansion and decided to flex my army-commanding skills, to play through both the single-player campaign and the online multiplayer. There won't be very much technical or deep mechanics overviews this time, as I'm still trying to work some of those out. What I will cover is the Story and Community around Starcraft 2, and how much fun a game like this can be!

The second installment focuses on the Zerg race, aka the bugs from Starship Troopers

Heart of the Swarm's single player campaign picks up where the the previous campaign (Wings of Liberty) left off. I'll assume here you know enough about Stacraft to go on, as explaining it could be it's own post! Anyways, we're back with rebel leader Jim Raynor, who has finally suceeded in returning his love interest/potential murderer Sarah Kerrigan from a nasty Zerg infestation that had turned her into the omnipotent Queen of Blades (excellent story writing here, Blizzard). Of course, all is not well. While running experiments and tests to see if Kerrigan is indeed fully cured, Prince Valerian Mensk's facility comes under attack, prompting all shit to hit the fan. Raynor and Kerrigan attempt to escape, and I really can't go into any more detail without a ridiculous amount of spoilers. Suffice it to say, the action kicks off with a bang, much like the game's release.

So why is Starcraft such a popular game across the world? You could chalk it up to marketing hype, which Blizzard is VERY good at (see: worldwide launch event). But there is something else, something which keeps it's playerbase interested years after the game's launch. The community around Starcraft II is a key factor. Casual players from across the world compete in online matchmaking to improve their skills. Profesional players are showcased in several large sponsered tournaments for Fame, Glory, and prize money. Tournaments are often streamed online, in addition to having live audiences on location. Last Sunday, a large group of Starcraft Fans took over a local Bar & Restaurant to stream one such tournament and drink beer, in an event called Barcraft. For several hours the crowd cheered as we watched our favorite players go head-to-head , while listening to commentary from Streamcasters such as Sean "day[9]" Plott, and  Marcus "djWHEAT" Graham crack jokes and talk Starcraft Stategy. In the end, MLG Dallas came down to two high-level pros from Korea (The dominant country in Starcraft), Zerg player Lee "Life" Seung Hyun and Terran Lee "Flash" Young Ho. Although the player and fan base are the driving forces in the Starcraft community, business hasn't sat idly by. Companies like Jinx and Thermaltake, selling everything from clothing to CPU coolers line up to give away branded swag to fans and players. Many of the professionals are also sponsored full time by one company or another. Even some enterprising businesses like Twitch tv have answered the demands of gamers and fans by revolutionizing the way we view competitions and game content.

Even though H.O.T.S. is brand new, the community that loves it has been around for a long time. Back in the early days of multiplayer computer strategy games, circa 1998, the original Starcraft was released. I remember playing it a bit, even if I wasn't very competitive at the time. Back then, I was more into card games and console video games, so I left Starcraft and did something else for awhile. For years, however, the community of players grew, and early tournaments and professional circuits sprang up around it. It is because of these dedicated early players that the Starcraft 2 scene is as it is today. Even so, the community is still growing, and has only a small following when compared to professional sports like Football, Soccer, or Basketball. This may sound like a silly comparison, but the level of professional play in eSports is no less dedicated than any professional athlete. And with so much support, and ever growing player base (HOTS sold 1.1 million in its first day alone), it's hard to not see the phenomenon continue. I personally hope it does. As an on and off player, I've had a rather inconsistent history with Starcraft, but whenever I do visit again, I'm fascinated by the fierce competition, vibrant storytelling, and  amazingly dedicated community of players and fans. Perhaps this time, I'll stick around.

Before I run off, I think it's fair to say I wholly recommend Heart of the Swarm to any RTS enthusiast with a copy of Starcraft, and both WoL and HoTS to anyone even vaguely interested. There's so much more here than a single game in a box, it's an entire universe of it's own. So give it a try, and I'll be seeing you in the Koprulu sector!