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//: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm |OT| Like Riding a Bike

D

duckroll

Member
ThreeSixty said:
Total idiotic question incoming but I've read conflicting responses on the net. My Internet speed has been nerfed by my ISP (thanks Virgin Media) which means this game would take hours to download from Blizzard's servers. I'm thinking of picking up the disc version of Heart of the Swarm tomorrow to marathon the campaign tomorrow night.

Here's my stupid question: do I need Wings of Liberty to play this? I had it installed on a previous machine but the game's not on this one. I don't have a copy on hand (meaning I would have to buy it again; however cheap it may be used). If I buy HOTS tomorrow and install it from the disc will it play on a machine without WOL?

I'm certain this may have already been answered but this thread is becoming a monolith. I would appreciate an honest and accurate response to this. I really don't want to buy the game and come home without the ability to start the campaign.

Anyone?
Click to expand...

You need WoL on your B.net account for HotS to work. If you do a fresh install from the disc for HotS, you will probably still need to download several gig of shit before it is functional. You do NOT need the WoL disc.

Keikaku said:
This is straight from the Blizzard website:
Click to expand...

That's not really what he's asking though. As long as he has the game attached to his account, he's fine. If he doesn't... then well... I dunno! You don't need the WoL disc, and you don't even need it installed to play HotS.
 
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Esiquio

Member
jackdoe said:
Man, I hope that they release some higher bitrate FMV. Almost thought this was a console port for a second.
Click to expand...

Are you saying the FMV and in-game cutscenes in HotS don't look good? Hmm, too bad, thought they looked good in WoL. The CE of HotS I got has a Blu-Ray with the FMV apparently, so I'll check that out later.

If you guys go into the Menu > Options > Gameplay - you'll see the "Expansion Level" of the game is selectable. Out of curiosity I selected "Starter Edition - HotS". I can play against the A.I. and do some training, and earn XP during a game against the A.I. I leveled up to level 2 as well...strange. Just waiting for my friend who went to the Irvine Blizzard event to send me my CE code.
 
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duckroll

Member
Esiquio said:
Are you saying the FMV and in-game cutscenes in HotS don't look good? Hmm, too bad, thought they looked good in WoL. The CE of HotS I got has a Blu-Ray with the FMV apparently, so I'll check that out later.

If you guys go into the Menu > Options > Gameplay - you'll see the "Expansion Level" of the game is selectable. Out of curiosity I selected "Starter Edition - HotS". I can play against the A.I. and do some training, and earn XP during a game against the A.I. I leveled up to level 2 as well...strange. Just waiting for my friend who went to the Irvine Blizzard event to send me my CE code.
Click to expand...

The biggest problem is that WoL had actual realtime cutscenes. HotS instead chooses to pre-record almost all of them using in-game assets instead, and the encoding quality for the cutscenes leaves MUCH to be desired.
 
B

bar mitzvah

Neo Member
Esiquio said:
Are you saying the FMV and in-game cutscenes in HotS don't look good? Hmm, too bad, thought they looked good in WoL. The CE of HotS I got has a Blu-Ray with the FMV apparently, so I'll check that out later.

If you guys go into the Menu > Options > Gameplay - you'll see the "Expansion Level" of the game is selectable. Out of curiosity I selected "Starter Edition - HotS". I can play against the A.I. and do some training, and earn XP during a game against the A.I. I leveled up to level 2 as well...strange. Just waiting for my friend who went to the Irvine Blizzard event to send me my CE code.
Click to expand...

They look good, artistically, but the encoding quality is looow. Mine pretty much looks like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVbeoSPqRs4 set to 1080p. Loaded with compression artifacts.
 
S

ShaneB

Member
Gritesh said:
Sorry if I missed this, but is there a chat channel that the GAF'ers are using to join up together and play together?
Click to expand...

There is the NeoGAF group in game, and the chat room in there usually has people in there, seemed pretty active. I'm a bit confused though, can I not see those chat messages during campaign?? that seems silly.
 
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Esiquio

Member
duckroll said:
The biggest problem is that WoL had actual realtime cutscenes. HotS instead chooses to pre-record almost all of them using in-game assets instead, and the encoding quality for the cutscenes leaves MUCH to be desired.
Click to expand...

bar mitzvah said:
They look good, artistically, but the encoding quality is looow. Mine pretty much looks like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVbeoSPqRs4 set to 1080p. Loaded with compression artifacts.
Click to expand...

Okay, sorry, are you guys talking about the far-and-few-between FMV, or the very common, in-engine rendered "cutscenes". Good God, the first minute of that video looked incredible. I don't want to watch anymore until I get a chance to sit down and play.
 
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duckroll

Member
Esiquio said:
Okay, sorry, are you guys talking about the far-and-few-between FMV, or the very common, in-engine rendered "cutscenes". Good God, the first minute of that video looked incredible. I don't want to watch anymore until I get a chance to sit down and play.
Click to expand...

The latter. The CG FMV looks pretty great, but I think it's probably just an opening and an ending. Most of the scenes are in-engine, but now they're pre-recorded movies instead, and they look kinda ass.
 
U

ultron87

Member
duckroll said:
The latter. The CG FMV looks pretty great, but I think it's probably just an opening and an ending. Most of the scenes are in-engine, but now they're pre-recorded movies instead, and they look kinda ass.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they look really awful. I don't understand why they didn't just keep it real time.
 
F

f0rk

Member
The conversations between missions are so Bioware like it's off putting. How all the characters have very deliberate ways of talking and how Kerrigan phrases her questions it feels like there is a Mass Effect dialogue wheel hidden that the game is just circling around.
 
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Esiquio

Member
Ah, okay. They probably just wanted to save time/money. Blizz FMV is world-class stuff and takes a really long-ass time to do. I hope there's more than two in HotS - there were four in WoL, just looked at the list and I'm pretty sure that count is right.
 
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antitrop

Member
I can confirm that reloading your last autosave at the end of a mission and finishing it again will get you the Achievements if you finished the mission while the service was down.
 
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Draft

Member
Blizzard the console developer has begun using console style difficulty levels. Normal is probably a joke, I haven't tried it yet. Hard is very fun and I've lost a couple times and have had to scramble a bit and use a bit of my terrible but better than a total newb Zerg macro.
 
B

Bisnic

Really Really Exciting Member!
I can't seem to find the last 2
Zerg Biomass on Char and i'm at the last Gorgon.
Where the hell are they?
 
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duckroll

Member
Draft said:
Blizzard the console developer has begun using console style difficulty levels. Normal is probably a joke, I haven't tried it yet. Hard is very fun and I've lost a couple times and have had to scramble a bit and use a bit of my terrible but better than a total newb Zerg macro.
Click to expand...

I'm definitely moving up to Hard now. Lol.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
antitrop said:
Everyone gets Metabolic Boost first, right? :p
Click to expand...

I went for adrenal glands. I don't really want my lings running ahead and dieing in the campaign and i found that's what was happening with metabolic boost. Plus on a lot of missions i really want the extra DPS (plus i spread the creep fast and have lots of speed negating the speed loss somewhat).

Once i got the lings that can jump they use that as a gap closer instead of speed anyway and the +2 damage along with adrenal glands is just disgustingly strong.

Draft said:
Blizzard the console developer has begun using console style difficulty levels. Normal is probably a joke, I haven't tried it yet. Hard is very fun and I've lost a couple times and have had to scramble a bit and use a bit of my terrible but better than a total newb Zerg macro.
Click to expand...

This was the same in WOL except i would argue that hard was a joke as well.

EscapingJail said:
I agree with this. I think too many people in here have this "New is bad" mindset. They have these preconceived notions of what the characters should be. Everyone changes.
Click to expand...

What the hell is this? Preconceived notions? You do understand that SC2 is a sequel right? Of course we have an idea based on how the characters should be based on what we already know of them. SC2 is full of plot holes and characters that have just become entirely new people even though it makes absolutely no sense.

I didn't expect SC2 to be exactly the same as BW, change is good. Just randomly changing characters personalities, intentions and back story for no reason is just bullshit.

I also strongly disagree with the notion being posted yet again that SC1's dialogue is as bad as what we have got in SC2 (comparing it to books and films annoys me to no end, you don't have to be a top quality novel to have a good story).

The dialogue in SC2 is far worse than in SC1. Sure SC1 had cheese but it wasn't cringe worthy bullshit like we're getting now. It was used to lighten the mood and stop the game from taking itself so seriously.

Everyone can have their own opinion but it's kind of insulting to imply that we just hate it because it's new.
 
A

AppleSmack

Banned
I have gotten no acheivements for the first 4 missions :(

I have to replay them to get them don't I?

antitrop said:
I can confirm that reloading your last autosave at the end of a mission and finishing it again will get you the Achievements if you finished the mission while the service was down.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this!
 
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Keikaku

Member
Just finished the campaign and played my first placement match.

Went up against a Protoss called "Pkm" who tried to one base all-in me. It was only after the match that I remembered facing this guy multiple times on the WoL ladder and, yes, his bread and butter was some form of 1 or 2 base all in.

Not today, Pkm. Not today.
 
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Paches

Member
Keikaku said:
Just finished the campaign and played my first placement match.

Went up against a Protoss called "Pkm" who tried to one base all-in me. It was only after the match that I remembered facing this guy multiple times on the WoL ladder and, yes, his bread and butter was some form of 1 or 2 base all in.

Not today, Pkm. Not today.
Click to expand...

My first placement match was a cannon rusher. Yep, he was bronze.

(I deflected it easily).
 
K

Keikaku

Member
Draft said:
Most people are much better at gaming than I. Hard is keeping me on my toes.
Click to expand...
With regards to the difficulty level, I would say that if you can play Zerg at anything around Gold league level in WoL, you'll crush the campaign on Normal and Hard.

If you combine any semblance of macro with the double Drone and extra supply Overlords upgrades, you'll curbstomp the AI on any difficulty.
Paches-EJ- said:
My first placement match was a cannon rusher. Yep, he was bronze.

(I deflected it easily).
Click to expand...
Pkm was Platinum...what the fuck
 
D

drexl

Banned
GAWD the writing in this is so cheesy and self-indulgent. the whole forced jim-sarah romance is straight out of a fucking soap opera, it makes bioware romances look oscar-worthy by comparison

can blizzard please fire chris metzen already?
 
C

Crimsonlink

Member
I only played a bit thanks to class.

Here is my experience in parts.

Campaign: Only did about 3 missions so far. Gonna finish it tonight. :D

MP: Did 2 placement matches both Terrans. 1st Terran was kinda noobish and I beat him easily. 2nd Terran was much better and I lost thanks to late transition to Battlecruisers.

I have to say though PROXY FACTORY FTW!

Man getting a Tank with 2 mines and siegeing the base of a fast expanding Terran/Zerg is so fun. They try to send over stimmed/fast units, Widow Mines take care of them. Of course the smart ones send only 1 rine or ling to activate it and then take out the tank but man is it worth it.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
OriginofHysteria said:
Well since I hear that the story is crap, how's the actual campaign of this game compared to WoL?

Speaking of...I have the urge to re-install WoL now.
Click to expand...

It's different but i'm enjoying it just as much as the WOL campaign. It's a completely different play style, this campaign you are going for more of a swarm army than a turtling one. I like the feeling of constantly reinforcing my army and swarming the enemy (especially once you get respawning lings my god).

Going for achievements adds a bid of a challenge to the campaign as well, moreso than in WOL imo.
 
F

f0rk

Member
Where can I find 3 builds to learn if I want to play random? Or can someone recommend one for each race. Going 1 for each matchup seems like a bit overkill for now.
 
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