StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

Heart of the Swarm is the name of the StarCraft II 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 Wings of Liberty and precedes Legacy of the Void chronologically and storywise.

Description
The Queen of Blades is gone. On the hellish planet Char, Jim Raynor harnessed the power of an ancient Xel’Naga artifact in a desperate bid to stop the zerg Swarm from overrunning the Koprulu sector, and the relic restored Sarah Kerrigan to her human form. Without their queen to guide and unify them, the Swarm has fractured into several broods scattered throughout the Koprulu sector. One of the greatest threats to the galaxy has been neutralized...or so it seems.

Sarah Kerrigan is on the loose. Even without the terrible powers of the Queen of Blades or the might of the Swarm at her command, the former Ghost remains a foe not to be taken lightly. But if the artifact really did set her free, then why is Kerrigan seeking out zerg broods scattered throughout the Koprulu sector? What happened to Jim Raynor? Is she still pursuing her quest for vengeance, or has her transformation given Kerrigan a new purpose?

Who is Sarah Kerrigan?

Development
Blizzard's storyboard team was already working on Heart of the Swarm while Wings of Liberty's gameplay was refined.

Blizzard does not expect to release Heart of the Swarm in 2011. As of March 2011 Dustin Browder expected Heart of the Swarm to finish development in approximately one year. As of July 2011, the first part of the campaign (including cutscenes) has been completed.

Heart of the Swarm is expected to have about 20 missions, and in much of the world will be priced as an expansion. It will require an installed version of Wings of Liberty to play.

Heart of the Swarm is expected to have a multiplayer beta. It is expected to last 3-5 months.

The development team numbers over 150, with a core team of 70 developers.

As of October 2011, Blizzard began releasing preview art of new units.

Storyline
"Fury. Revenge. Hatred."

- The main themes of the game.

Heart of the Swarm is a sequel to Wings of Liberty. Taking place in 2506, it focuses on Sarah Kerrigan and the development of a zerg empire. Kerrigan is no longer considered the Queen of Blades. Questions remain about why Kerrigan is no longer with Jim Raynor and whether her transformation has given her new purpose. More will be seen of the Kel-Morian Combine and Umojan Protectorate.

During the Invasion of Char, the zerg were recalled to Char, and were in route aboard leviathans when Kerrigan was deinfested. The broods aboard the leviathans died or scattered over the Koprulu Sector, according to Izsha. And the (temporary) absence of a leader for the Swarm opened way to rogue/dissident brood mothers, such as Za'gara.

Following the battle, Kerrigan was transformed into a human form but still has some infested elements (such as her "dreadlocks") leaving open the question of how infested is she, and whether she had her original personality back. Kerrigan was taken by Jim Raynor and Valerian Mengsk to a lab while she tried to reform the Zerg Swarm in order to topple Arcturus Mengsk.

A Terran Dominion task force led by Nova Terra attacked the lab, seeking Kerrigan. Raynor was also there, fighting and attempting to protect Kerrigan. Meanwhile, General Horace Warfield's forces are attempting to purge Char.

One of Kerrigan's goals is to reunify and enhance the swarm before dealing with Arcturus Mengsk. She has to make hard choices over the course of the campaign&mdash;she's on the run in a sense and will have to defend against herself against other races due to her past as the Queen of Blades. She is amnesic, and unsure of her place in regards to her subordinates. The question will be asked as to whether Kerrigan succumbs to her rage and is destroyed by it, or can she transcend it? Still, a more sympathetic side to Kerrigan will be seen.

The story is intended to have a darker feel than Wings of Liberty, due to the zerg being the protagonists. According to writer Brian T. Kindregan, the story is going to be "a complete story of Sarah Kerrigan and the zerg," and that it have "its own satisfying ending." He intends for the story to convey the zerg mindset and their code of ethics, though not so far to convey the idea that the zerg are simply misunderstood. Striking a balance between the "alienness" of zerg characters yet also making them relatable is another issue.

More emphasis will be placed on mission cutscenes than Wings of Liberty in regards to conveying backstory, such as information about the zerg.

Location-wise, Heart of the Swarm is intended to show more exotic locales than the ones featured in Wings of Liberty&mdash;no "farm areas" for instance. Ideas for locations include gas giants, frozen and hot worlds, places where the zerg were first formed and Dominion labs. Concept art shown at BlizzCon 2010 depicts a (number of) jungle setting(s).

It is unlikely that many characters from Wings of Liberty will return for Heart of the Swarm bar Jim Raynor and Arcturus Mengsk. Characters from StarCraft: Brood War will make appearances, with Samir Duran cited as one such possibility. Gabriel Tosh will not return, while Valerian Mengsk will.

Blizzard intends to use A canon choices by default, but wants to use whichever choice a player made in Wings of Liberty.

Units
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There will be new multiplayer units for each of the three playable races. As of October 2011, Blizzard has shown some of the new artwork. Blizzard is planning on new units or major fixes to existing units. The development team intends to create mutations of popular units from StarCraft lore that allow the player to feel that they're mutating and evolving your Swarm. Creatures seen, but never previously controlled are intended to be playable as well. Units may be removed from multiplayer and replaced. Not all races will be given equal treatment in regards to unit additions/removals.

According to Dustin Browder, the terrans have "enough stuff already" and as such, it is difficult to know what to do with them. Terrans are more flexible in multiplayer than the zerg or protoss and the team doesn't want to add units/unit properties that increase this trend. Still, Blizzard is planning on de-nerfing the reaper.

For the zerg, the lurker is a possibility but has not been confirmed and a different unit may be created to take the role the lurker once had. At BlizzCon 2010, the infested bunker was touted as a possible campaign unit. Concept art indicates the presence of another new zerg unit. Units may be removed also, with possible replacements&mdash;the overseer is such a possibility. Browder is open to the idea of the defiler being playable in the campaign, but is more reserved about the devourer.

A new protoss raider-unit may be added to the game, to give protoss players better raiding options than current phoenix/void ray combinations provide.

Among the new units revealed at BlizzCon 2011 include:
 * Battle hellion (terran)
 * Shredder
 * Warhound
 * Tempest (protoss)
 * Oracle
 * Replicant
 * Swarm host (zerg)
 * Locust
 * Viper

The units stated to be cut from the game include the carrier, mothership and overseer with their roles being replaced with the above units. Notable changes also involve the hellion, thor, battlecruiser, ultralisk and baneling. In addition, the nexus will be gaining new abilities such as Arc Shield and Mass Recall.

Singleplayer
The campaign operates similarly to an RPG, in which Kerrigan is focused on increasing her personal power through mutations. Zerg armies protect her as she garners this power. The greater her power, the more zerg she's able to control. Like Wings of Liberty, the player will be presented with choices as to which missions to carry out and which units to get, but such choices won't be based on cash. Both the missions and their objectives are intended to be quite different from the ones featured in Wings of Liberty. She will instead worry about evolving the Swarm. Kerrigan can increase her stats in a manner similar to Warcraft III, but not to the same extent.

According to Dustin Browder "Kerrigan will appear on almost every map in Heart of the Swarm. Unlike Raynor, Kerrigan is a creature of power that leads her army from the front, smashing aside siege tanks and destroying battlecruisers with her psionic abilities. And unlike Wings of Liberty, the mission isn’t over if she dies. Kerrigan will be able to revive at the nearest hatchery if she is killed, allowing you to use her aggressively against your enemies."

Kerrigan initially starts out looking very human and armed with a gun, though she can control zerg forces. The player can choose one of four "battle focus" for Kerrigan before each mission. Each battle focus allows Kerrigan to have a certain set of special abilities. She can increase different aspects of her own power, such as "spec-op" or "corruption", as well as purchasing upgrades at the evolution pit with mutagen points. About the "hive-evolution" mechanic Dustin Browder said "we are trying to focus the player on finding new DNA from exotic and strange creatures around the sector so that you really feel like the key to zerg success is finding and infesting the immense, deadly monsters that live on the most savage planets in the galaxy." It is intended that the choices of unit type/evolution by less clear-cut than in Wings of Liberty, with different options being equally viable.

The campaign will feature a branched storyline structure. Each planet will give access to multiple missions. Three missions are called War for the Brood, Silence their Cries and Shoot the Messenger. The set pieces will alter in accordance with planet and the results of missions. It is intended that the missions strike a balance in regards to foes, with terrans, zerg, and protoss getting equal limelight. Browder expects that it will take the average player 20 or fewer hours to complete the campaign.

Mini-missions will be available when a unit split is available. The mission will allow the player to use both types of units, enabling the player to make an educated choice by the end of it. There are 14 or so short skirmishes far from the standard missions. In one example, zerglings can be upgraded into raptors by absorbing the genetics of leaping creatures, while the alternative is to listen to a on a remote world who has developed swarmlings.

During the campaign, players can use the Destruction of Worlds mechanic to add a planet's resources to the Swarm's own resources. This evolves the swarm, not individual units. Old brood mothers will contact Kerrigan, wanting to rejoin the Swarm. Izsha will identify worlds to destroy, each of which gives a benefit. For instance, one might enable drones to harvest more minerals, or give overlords more control.

It is intended that character lines will be altered slightly based on context&mdash;not new scenes, but ones that will be contextually appropriate.

There will be little use for air-to-air units in the campaign.

Characters

 * Abathur
 * Matt Horner
 * Izsha
 * Sarah Kerrigan
 * Arcturus Mengsk
 * Valerian Mengsk
 * Jim Raynor
 * Nova Terra
 * Horace Warfield
 * Za'gara

Multiplayer
Blizzard plans on adding "drawing" functionality for referees in Heart of the Swarm.

From a multiplayer standpoint, Heart of the Swarm is an expansion, not a sequel.

It will have a separate ladder from Wings of Liberty.

Heart of the Swarm will have the same e-sports focus as Wings of Liberty. There are no plans to implement LAN.

The developers are considering expanding tier 1 scouting options for all three races.

Heart of the Swarm will include an arcade for finding games, part of the process for developing a marketplace.

Videos
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