Calm Before the Storm is a new HotS Podcast, featuring content creators KendricSwissh and Nubkeks. Its first episode aired today with guest Heccu. We asked the creators questions about the podcast and it's place in the hots community



HH: First of all, tell us a little bit about your motivation to start the podcast!

Kendric: The motivation to start Calm of the Storm was a simple one. I wanted to start a podcast for the community out there and discuss topics in a way that would cause them to enjoy the game even more. Nubkeks: Motivation to start, well a jellybean dragon flew out of the rainbow and told me to believe in the heart of the cards so that could only mean one thing really :)

Also, I got to chat a lot with Kendric at blizzcon then a couple of months ago he mentioned the podcast and I said I'd love to take part! I like chatting about stuff I love!





HH: What are your goals for the podcast? Who in the community are you hoping to engage with?

Kendric: Calm Before the Storm is supposed to be a casual yet professional podcast. Whether it’s new players just starting to play the game or veterans who are looking for a discussion about the latest Heroes content, everyone is welcome to get involved!

Nubkeks: I'm pretty easygoing with the goals, I just want to have interesting discussions with Kendric and our guests about the game! Always space for more interesting discussion about the game imo.

We had some specific questions about “problems” players face in unorganized play, and wondered the guys thought!

HH: What roles or skills do you think are lacking in the HotS community? Are you guys hoping to address those kinds of gaps during the shows?

Kendric: I often think that the Heroes community is divided into two extremes. On the one hand we’ve got the casual part of the community, certainly a majority, who plays game modes like QM or Unranked on a weekly basis and does not necessarily care about being competitive.They just want to have fun. On the other hand, we’ve got die-hard esports fans who care very much about the game and who want to have the best and most competitive gaming experience possible. My goal is to bring those two extremes together and provide a little something for both of them.

HH: During Nubkeks last stream, rotations (or lack thereof) was an issue with teammates, is that something you could/might address in the community?

Nubkeks: Yeah I think rotations are definitely a weak point. A basic rotation setup on infernal shrines for example is 4 man rotation mid-bot and solo lane top. Then for first objective or 2 often 4 man objective while the solo double soaks the other lanes. I think there's a few things that make rotations a regular weakness for players:

1. other mobas like LoL don't have lane regular lane rotations like hots does but are v focused on extended laning matchups (in lol there are 3 fairly stable lanes for 10 mins with the junglers the main rotation, with long cd teleports and perhaps mid roams)

2. quick match with any 5 heroes on any map against any 5 totally undermines rotation meta which is based off draft and tank+healer team comp, players are taught not to think in terms of rotating at all

3. there are a lot of maps, where different lanes are solo lanes, different objectives have different values etc



HH: Do you think there are significant differences between EU and NA players, or the ranked ladder between regions. Will the Podcast appeal more to either region or will it be more universal?

Kendric: I don’t think there are major differences between the two regions. The EU ladder sometimes has to struggle with language barriers, however, I don’t play enough on the NA server to make judgment on the community there. Overall, I think what everyone wants is to have fun while playing Heroes.

Nubkeks: I haven't personally played on NA but from what I've heard it's much more chaotic at higher levels of play than EU. I believe there's a slightly smaller player base as well. The pro NA teams have historically been at a lower level than EU teams for quite a while as well which prob impacts HL. Though NA have really come on a lot recently and I'm excited to see more from NA teams in big events now :D



HH: When inviting guests like Heccu, are you hoping to cover topics that appeal to their playstyle (Heccu is an amazing tank!) or are you hoping to get their take on broader topics?

Kendric: First and foremost I would like to invite guests that have been involved with the community. Whether it’s content creators or esports personalities, the main thing is that the guests feel well in front of the camera and are willing to talk about the game in a chill manner. Heccu is an amazing streamer and a very talented cosplayer, I still remember her Jaina cosplay at Gamescom two years ago. Absolutely enchanting!

Nubkeks: Yeah, I actually suggested that we discuss Johanna with Heccu when she was on as she's Heccu's fav character this season and was mine as well so that's a perfect thing to cover for the viewers. Great to get info on heroes from people that are really into them!



HH: What kind of guests are you hoping to invite after Heccu? Streamers, pro players, Blizzard employees?

Kendric: I’d like to focus on influencers, meaning streamers and youtubers. However, I’d love to have pro commentators and players on the show at some point as well!

Nubkeks: I have no idea who further guests might be!

We wanted to know a little bit more about the casters themselves!

HH: Please tell us a little bit about yourselves. Where you are from, what roles or Heroes do you like to play, what is your favorite game mode, ect!

Kendric: I’m a rare breed. I like playing Tanks and I love supporting. Strange, isn’t it? My favorite game mode is Team League, especially when playing with friends. It’s a little bit unfortunate that right now there aren’t a lot of reasons to play that game mode. Hopefully we’ll have some news about how to improve Team League soon.

HH: Please tell me more about the picture of you in the knights costume. I love it!

Kendric: Oh wow that picture was taken before I started playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance during a 12 hour stream. I’m a huge fan of everything related to the European Middle Ages. That’s why most of my subscriber emotes on twitch feature a little knight.



Nubkeks: I'm from Ireland, I basically play flex, I like playing a different hero every game and that works well for yt and twitch I think :) fav game mode overall is team league, I like playing with friends!

HH: Your dog Winston just turned one! Please tell us something about him, and how he’s changed your life! Nubkeks: Haha well with Winston I have to be very careful about keeping the side gate closed and keeping any food away from the edges of the tables ;D it's wonderful having that happy furry fella always around always delighted to hang out with you!

Heccu: Heccu is my name. Saying “my bad” is my game. I am a streamer/freelance interviewer from Latvia, but currently I’m getting a masters degree in Switzerland.

During Beta my mains were mostly supports, but the always running away from heals teammates made me change to damage dealers. That’s when I faced a different problem - the lack of heal or peel. This all resulted in me playing tanks or bruisers who can be pretty independent.

My first tank hero was Johanna and my current main is Johanna. I like playing Johanna. Johanna. Did I mention Johanna?

HH: How was hosting HyperTown?

Heccu: I had a 3 year break from hosting, so I was not sure if I still had what it takes to do it. The amount of tasks that I had to do during the event was insane, because I was also responsible for organizing the Cosplay contest. There were many emergencies that I had to take care of, so I had absolutely no time to worry about being on stage in front of so many people. I was actually shocked by how easy it felt. I hope that time it will not take 3 years for me to go back on stage. :)

Thank you for reading, and we hope you all enjoy the podcast! You can find them live on Kendric’s Twitch channel http://twitch.tv/kendricswissh (next episode in two weeks!), or watch this week’s VOD here https://www.twitch.tv/videos/267394185