Well done, great read!

So looking forward to this! Not sure if I'll play Protoss or Zerg. Protoss is a bit easier for me to grasp mechanically, but the thought of getting brood war styled hydras back makes me really want to go Zerg. Hopefully I'll get into the beta and be able divide my time between the two to make a more informed decision before the actual release.

And great article. I'm glad giant bomb covers the starcraft scene. I look forward to seeing more coverage of HotS as time goes on Brad.

@ all the negative comments in this thread:

Why are you bashing the competitive multiplayer of this game? This is one of the few mainstream games out there that is doing all it can to provide good gameplay long term instead of selling out/dumbing down/etc for the masses. Resistance to games like SC2 and crap like that is what causes the entire industry to try to be Call of Duty instead of an art form. I know it's not really that significant, but come on.

It'll be interesting to see where this takes the game. I love Starcraft II and have sunk so much time into it. I'm not that great but I still get enjoyment out of it. I wish the Terran still had the shredder but oh well, we shall see how all of these new units play out in the coming months I presume.

@Hitzel said:

@ all the negative comments in this thread:

Why are you bashing the competitive multiplayer of this game? This is one of the few mainstream games out there that is doing all it can to provide good gameplay long term instead of selling out/dumbing down/etc for the masses. Resistance to games like SC2 and crap like that is what causes the entire industry to try to be Call of Duty instead of an art form. I know it's not really that significant, but come on.

There's like one person being negative in this thread, mate. Problem is that everybody quoted him when responding, trolls like that should just be ignored.

Love hearing Brad talk about SC, wish I was involved enough to follow it all. I started listening to State of the Game podcasts but most of what they cover is still a little over my head.

@NicksCorner said:

I care only for StarCraft single player. But I do care :)

Me too. I fucking hate the SC2 community and the "pro gaming" leagues etc.

I should get back into Starcraft actually

Thanks for the great post full of HotS info. As a fellow Toss player, I have to say that Mass Recall will be the biggest game changer. I tend to be very aggressive and toss mobility is so slow when moving back to defend your base. Judging from the Day9 video, the mothership core can be targeted separate from the Nexus so it isn't quite as effective for defending expands as a planetary is for Terran.

The Viper looks great for Zerg. I'm not looking forward to the return of dark swarm. The swarm host looks to further strengthen Zerg center map control.

The Terran, on the other hand, looks to have the least dramatic change. But lets be honest, they were the most complete race in WoL. They only really need tier 3 units to care about.

Also. SAVE THE CARRIERS!

I'll watch RTS, MOBA, and fighting games being played competitively and generally enjoy it, but I've been burned enough times to know that when I try to actually wet my feet any of them, it fucking sucks and also is carcinogenic.

@goatmilk: Lol why? How dare they try to play something competitively!

@Lively said:

I find Starcraft 2 to be by far the most entertaining e-sports game to watch, and personally I find it a lot more interesting than most real sports.

There is just something about how quickly the player is asked to make creative tactical descisions that is unmatched anywhere else. Once you get into the top rungs of a tournament with real money and pride on the line, you'll witness probably the single most taxing mental competition on earth. When paired with the right presentation and production values, it's a thrilling thing to see.

i'd be willing to bet that real-life MMA, or at the very least street fighter (if you want to stick with video games) is just as strenuous (i know boxing is, from experience), but yeah i take your point. love watching sc matches.

Thanks Brad, you're my portal into the realm of competitive SC2. I love to watch this stuff but I'm a bit too intimidated by it.

have to say thinking about the new units, i think the most exciting units comes for the protoss... the new units will allow protoss to go more air style and for it to not be so hard countered like it is atm...

and here is to hoping the temphest will actually be able to deal with the most broken unit in the game... the brood lord