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StarCraft

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Computer & Video games

   StarCraft
   Front cover of the StarCraft installation CD
   Developer(s) Blizzard Entertainment
   Publisher(s) (Win), (Mac)
   United States Blizzard Entertainment
   European Union Sierra Entertainment
   (N64)
   United States Australia Nintendo
   Designer(s) Blizzard Entertainment
   Latest version 1.14 ( 2006- 07-31)
   Release date(s) (Win)
   United States European Union April 1, 1998
   (Mac)
   United States 1999
   (N64)
   United States Australia 2000
   Genre(s) Real-time strategy
   Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
   Rating(s) ESRB: T (Teen)
   USK: 12+
   OFLC: M15+
   ELSPA: 15+
   PEGI: 16+
   OFLC/NZ: R16+
   Platform(s) Windows, Mac OS, Mac OS X, Nintendo 64
   Media CD-ROM, Nintendo 64 Cartridge
   System requirements Win: Windows 95 or better, 90 MHz Pentium, 16 MB
   RAM, DirectX-compatible, 2x CD-ROM drive, 640x480 8-bit display. Mac:
   System 7.6 or better, PowerPC 601 or better, 16 MB RAM.

   StarCraft is a real-time strategy computer game by Blizzard
   Entertainment. It was initially released for the PC platform in 1998; a
   Macintosh version of the game was released in 1999. Starcraft was also
   later ported to the Nintendo 64.

   The main storyline follows a war among three galactic species: the
   strong, stable human Terrans, the hive mind arthropodic Zerg, and the
   psychic humanoid Protoss warriors.

   It was the best-selling computer game of 1998 and won the Origins Award
   for Best Strategy Computer Game of that year. Nine million copies of
   StarCraft and its expansion pack, StarCraft: Brood War have been sold
   since its release. It is especially popular in South Korea, where
   professional players and teams participate in matches, earn
   sponsorships, and compete in televised matches.

Gameplay

   Starcraft's gameplay centers on the acquisition and control of two
   resources, minerals and Vespene gas, which are necessary to construct
   combat units and buildings. Minerals, which are required for all normal
   units, appear as blue crystalline formations protruding from the
   ground. They are 'harvested' or 'mined' by worker units ( SCV for
   Terran, Drone for Zerg, Probe for Protoss). Vespene gas, which is
   required for advanced units and upgrades, appears as a geyser with
   green clouds erupting from it. A particular structure (Refinery for
   Terrans, Extractor for Zerg, Assimilator for Protoss) must be
   constructed before worker units can harvest the Vespene gas.

   Players can have only a limited number of units at a time, each of
   which has a "supply/support" rating roughly correlated with that unit's
   combat strength. Players must maintain enough unit-supporters (Supply
   Depots for Terrans, Pylons for the Protoss, and Overlords for the Zerg)
   to support their forces.

   Players use their resources to construct buildings. Some buildings
   morph, train, or "warp in" units, while others upgrade the players'
   forces or allow more advanced units or structures. Resource management,
   expansion to control resource locations, and effective offensive and
   defensive combat tactics are key to victory. The unit types available
   to each species define its racial identity. Protoss marshal powerful
   and expensive warriors and machinery, while Zerg rely on sheer numbers
   and speed to overwhelm their opponents. Terrans are the versatile and
   flexible alternative to both races, providing a compromise between
   specialization and combined arms. No species has a net advantage over
   the others.

Multiplayer

   Blizzard's Internet service Battle.net granted online multiplayer
   gaming at no additional charge. Many fans, especially casual players,
   enjoy playing in groups against computer-controlled opponents in
   skirmish games called "comp stomp". Since experienced players generally
   do not find the artificial intelligence of the game challenging, fans
   have also created maps that are advantageous to the computer and can be
   extremely hard to win. Up to eight spots can be filled in a game when
   played on Battle.net, 4 with Direct Cable Connection, and 2 players
   with Modem connections. In cooperative play, several people can play on
   the same team, controlling the same units, or on different teams that
   are "allied" so they do not harm each other. Clans gather groups of
   people for competitive team play. Players usually attach a "tag" to
   their online name to indicate their clan allegiance, so that the name
   [XYZ]JohnSmith shows that JohnSmith belongs to Clan XYZ. Clan
   involvement ranges from casual friendship to mandatory meetings and
   tournaments. In multiplayer gameplay, some players use modified or
   "hacked" versions of the StarCraft client to gain an unfair advantage.
   People also use programs called "bots" to gain other unfair advantages.
   Some "bots" allow you to cheat in ways such as: invulnerability, no fog
   of war, infinite resources, and other unfair ways of winning. The
   infamous MapHack allows the player to see the whole map, ignoring the "
   fog of war". Blizzard attempts to detect and ban "hackers," and several
   third-party "anti-hack" programs are under constant development to
   prevent these hacks. In 2003, Battle.net banned over 400,000 accounts
   for cheating and hacking.

   Most competitive, high-level gaming outside of the Korean professional
   scene takes place on "private" ladders such as "PGTour" (Pro Gamers
   Tour) or " WGTour" (World Gamers Tour). These ladders use specific sets
   of maps (mostly taken from Korean pro leagues like MSL and OSL),
   hack-preventing third-party programs, teams of administrators, and
   sometimes even a private server (such as the PGTour's Bnet-X) to
   enforce fair play. Since the end of July 2006, with the release of
   patch 1.14, Blizzard has removed the Ladder option on all gateways,
   save the European gateway, whose Ladder is now held in cooperation with
   "WGTour".

   Beginning with version 1.08, StarCraft enables the player to record a
   game and save it as a replay, which can then be viewed with any other
   copy of StarCraft, displaying the entire course of gameplay. Replays
   allow for the studying of game players tactics, and thus pro-level
   replays are rarely released to protect team secrecy and to comply with
   the policies of pro leagues. Fans have developed applications such as
   BWChart and Lasgo's Observer Pack to analyze replays in detail and
   compute statistics such as the number of actions per minute ( APM).
   Some replays are accompanied by an audio commentary recorded by the
   player or an experienced observer in real time or during later viewing.
   When the audio files are produced using third-party recording and
   playback tools, the viewer must manually synchronize the audio with the
   replay. Alternatively, auxiliary applications such as RWA can ensure
   synchronization. VODs (from "Video On Demand") are videos showing a
   commentator or player during a pro-level game. They are sometimes
   illegally ripped from Korean television or Internet streams. They
   usually come in the ASF video file format for Windows Media Player or
   in the WMV format. Because they are compressed with an MPEG-4 codec
   into a small file, their video quality is poorer than replays.

StarCraft Campaign Editor

   The game is packaged with the StarCraft Campaign Editor (also known as
   StarEdit). The editor's trigger system allows users to change maps
   radically and create custom map scenarios. The StarCraft community has
   constructed new editors and functionalities that grant users even more
   power to modify the game. The company Microstar sold a CD with new
   levels created with the StarEdit feature, but was forced to stop when
   Blizzard won their court case against its distribution.

   Scenarios are generally either melee or Use Map Settings (UMS) games.
   Melee games start all players at a random location with only their main
   base building (command centre, hatchery, or nexus) and four mining
   units. This is the most popular type of game, used in tournaments and
   ladder games. Most casual melee games are played on "money" maps, maps
   with extremely large amounts of immediately available resources.
   Initial mineral and gas deposits are often set to cap of 50,000 or more
   units to eliminate the need for expansion sites. "Money maps" have been
   criticized for failing to challenge players to develop key skills such
   as order-building and expansion-taking, favoring weaker players.
   Defenders of money maps claim that the game still requires strategy and
   skill.

   Use Map Settings games are less structured and often incorporate
   liberal use of specialized triggers and setups to change gameplay.
   Scenarios based on 'genres' have surfaced, including Defense maps,
   StarCraft Diplomacy, RPG's, and Maddness. Single-player "campaigns,"
   long scenarios played out over several maps that have been edited
   together with StarEdit, have gained prominence. Following the lead of
   the Antioch Chronicles, many campaigns include modifications that add
   new "heroes." Mapmakers create new art files, creating completely new
   units and characters, which StarEdit can't do. Popular campaigns
   include Campaign Creations' The Fenix, Legacy of the Confederation,
   Life of a Marine, and StarCraft.org's official campaigns, The Shifters
   and Fields of Ash.

   More powerful, third-party editors, including the StarCraft X-tra
   Editor, StarForge, and SCMDraft, allow users to "stack" multiple
   mineral fields and buildings on top of each other, change player
   colors, use hidden AI scripts, protect maps from common theft, run
   size-less sounds directly from the StarCraft disc, change the colour of
   text, and compress their map. In more advanced areas, users can place
   raw sprites, sprite-units and disabled units. Some custom maps and
   campaigns, including StarCraft: Insurrection and StarCraft:
   Retribution, were released commercially via third parties. These
   add-ons were criticized for poor mission designs and did not sell well.

Plot and setting

Setting

   In the distant future, human exiles fight for survival on the edge of
   the galaxy, and a unified Terran government has formed through
   espionage, deceit and military might. Their resources have begun to run
   out, and they begin to look toward the worlds of their mysterious
   neighbors, the Protoss. In the midst of these events, the Zerg have
   begun a total war against Protoss planets, destroying everything in
   their path.

Plot

   Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

   The plot of the original StarCraft game revolves around the Terran
   civilization in the Koprulu Sector, which was founded by former
   prisoners exiled from Earth. The most powerful Terran faction is the
   Terran Confederacy. It is opposed by other factions, such as the
   terrorist organization " Sons of Korhal". The arrival of the Zerg, led
   by the Overmind and its Cerebrates, greatly complicates matters for the
   Terrans. The Zerg Swarm is itself closely followed by a Protoss fleet,
   led by High Templar Executor Tassadar, which burns all worlds the Zerg
   infest.

   The player assumes the role of a colonial magistrate of the Terran
   Confederacy, and soon meets Jim Raynor, a marshal of Mar Sara. After
   being arrested by the Confederacy for destroying Confederate property
   (even though it was infested by the Zerg), the player joins the Sons of
   Korhal, who free Raynor from prison. Raynor also joins the Sons and
   frequently goes on missions. After the Protoss destroy the
   Zerg-infested Confederate colony on Chau Sara, the leader of the Sons,
   Arcturus Mengsk, uses psi-emitters to lure the Zerg to Confederate
   installations and further his own goals. Mengsk acquires the services
   of General Edmund Duke, a Confederate general, and sacrifices his
   right-hand woman, the psychic Sarah Kerrigan, to the Zerg after she
   objects to his morals and tactics. Raynor, outraged over Mengsk
   abandoning Kerrigan, flees from Mengsk with a small number of soldiers,
   accompanied by the player. After the Confederacy falls through the use
   of psi-emitters on the Confederate homeworld of Tarsonis, Mengsk
   reorganizes the Terran worlds under his control into the Terran
   Dominion, crowning himself Emperor.

   In the second episode, the player assumes the role of a Zerg Cerebrate
   and is entrusted to the care of the Chrysalis which contains Kerrigan,
   who is being infested and prepared for rebirth into the Swarm. She soon
   awakes, and adds great power to the Zerg, effortlessly destroying her
   enemies. Meanwhile, Tassadar discovers that the Zerg Cerebrates can be
   killed permanently (otherwise they are near-immediately reincarnated by
   the Overmind) by the Dark Templar. He allies with them, and while
   Tassadar distracts Kerrigan, the Dark Templar Zeratul assassinates the
   Cerebrate Zasz. This disrupts the Overmind's control over the Garm
   Brood, but also makes the minds of Zeratul and the Overmind one for a
   brief second, allowing the Overmind to know the location of the Protoss
   homeworld of Aiur. The Zerg soon invade, despite heavy Protoss
   resistance, allowing the Overmind to embed itself into the crust of the
   planet.

   The player then takes the role of the Protoss fleet Executor, who at
   first serves the Conclave to fight the Zerg on Aiur, but soon rebels
   and joins Tassadar. This results in a Protoss civil war with Tassadar,
   Tassadar's unlikely Templar allies, and the Dark Templar, pitted
   against the Conclave and the Khala. However, Tassadar and the Dark
   Templar prove themselves to the Conclave by having Zeratul slay two
   Zerg Cerebrates. The Conclave then ally with Tassadar and the Dark
   Templar, along with the Terrans led by Jim Raynor, who all launch an
   offensive against the Overmind, destroying its nearly impervious shell.
   Tassadar then channels many Dark Templar energies into the hull of his
   ship, the Gantrithor, before crashing it into the vulnerable form of
   the Overmind, killing it and sacrificing himself in the process.
   Spoilers end here.

Characters

     * Sarah Kerrigan voiced by Glynnis Talken Campbell.
     * Tassadar voiced by Michael Gough.
     * Jim Raynor voiced by Robert Clotworthy.
     * Aldaris voiced by Paul Eiding.
     * Zeratul voiced by James Harper.
     * Fenix voiced by Bill Roper.

Development

   Warcraft II, an earlier Blizzard production, had been criticized for
   the similarity between its two races, which had only minor differences
   in spells and upgrade costs. Following a concept pioneered by the
   Strategic Simulations game War Wind, StarCraft implemented decisive
   asymmetries among its races. Further improvements included pre-rendered
   sprites and backgrounds using 3D Studio Max. An isometric view was
   used, unlike Warcraft IIs top down perspective. CD quality music and
   professional voice acting were also utilized.

   Operation CWAL (Can't Wait Any Longer) formed in 1997 as a writers'
   group in the StarCraft Suggestions Forum to try to "liberate" an early,
   unauthorized final copy of StarCraft, which appeared obviously
   completed despite numerous delays on the part of Blizzard
   Entertainment. Blizzard Entertainment went so far as to give special
   thanks to this group in the StarCraft manual and use their name as a
   cheat code.

   The Brood War expansion released by Blizzard in 1998 provided several
   new units and a new campaign for each race, continuing the original
   StarCraft storyline and changing the gameplay. Brood War allowed the
   production of units, such as Dark Templar, which StarCraft had only
   made available at the beginning of single-player missions, and created
   exclusive unit upgrades for all three species. Though the three races
   in StarCraft were slightly unequal in power when the game was first
   released, the expansion pack and twenty two patches, four of which
   affected the gameplay are thought by most players to have fixed this.

Versions and sequels

   In 2000, StarCraft 64 was released for the Nintendo 64. The game
   featured all of the maps from the original game and the Brood War
   expansion, as well as some exclusive missions, such as two different
   tutorials and StarCraft Resurrection IV. The game also required the use
   of an Expansion Pak. The game was not as popular as the PC version,
   perhaps because of the difficulty controlling the cursor compared to a
   mouse, and the lack of online multiplayer games. (Split-screen games
   were available, however.) Also, speech during mission briefings was
   omitted and the cut scenes were shortened. Blizzard had previously
   considered a PlayStation port of the game, but it was finally decided
   that the game would be instead released on the Nintendo 64.

   Blizzard had been working on a first-person shooter/ third-person
   shooter, StarCraft: Ghost, originally slated for a 2003 release, but
   repeatedly postponed through to 2006, and eventually delayed
   indefinitely. Although some players welcomed the concept, the change in
   genre from real-time strategy to third-person shooter, and the absence
   of a PC version aroused protests among fans. In March of 2006,
   StarCraft: Ghost development was put on hold indefinitely, while the
   producers considered next-gen consoles.

   Blizzard has indicated interest in a sequel. Blizzard officials have
   posted on the Battle.net forums, asking for suggestions for such a
   game. Many Easter eggs can be unlocked during and after completion of
   Warcraft III which relate to StarCraft, leading many to sequel
   speculation. There was also a leak about a 2007 release from
   HanbitSoft, the Korean publisher of StarCraft. Job advertisements on
   Blizzard.com looking for a "Game Balance Designer" with experience in
   StarCraft and Warcraft III, and the fact that there are several
   unannounced titles also being developed, suggest that Blizzard is
   working on another RTS, possibly StarCraft II, although a fourth
   Warcraft game or a new franchise remain possibilities. Development of a
   sequel has not yet been officially announced. Over 14,500 players have
   signed an online petition in support of a sequels creation. A group of
   fans operating under the name Snowflake Entertainment are creating a
   mod to make StarCraft using the WarCraft III game engine, titled
   Project Revolution. Although not a sequel, Project Revolution will
   transfer the game from two to three dimensions.

Reception

   StarCraft was the number-one selling PC Game of 1998, selling over 1.5
   million copies worldwide. As of 2006, over a third of total sales, or
   3.5 million copies, have been sold in South Korea. Blizzard's
   Battle.net online gameplaying service grew over 800 percent after
   StarCraft's release. StarCraft remains one of the most popular online
   games in the world, with over half a million Koreans alone playing
   nightly.

   StarCraft received a star on the floor of the Metreon as part of the
   Walk of Game in San Francisco in early 2006. IGN rated the game as the
   7th best on its Top Games of All Time in both 2003 and 2005 edition,
   calling it the "best real time strategy game ever made". It also placed
   #2 among PC games, behind Sid Meier's Civilization II. Gamespot named
   StarCraft the greatest game of all time.

   Not without criticism, the game suffers from "coarse resolution". It
   was also noted at release for the problem of " rushing" during
   multi-player mode, or allowing players to swiftly conquer one another
   by attacking first instead of allowing time to build up forces, though
   rushing has since developed as a normal feature of game play and
   strategy.

Legacy

   In the late 1990s, the game grew popular among South Korean online
   gamers, establishing a successful professional scene. Most active
   StarCraft players now come from South Korea, where professional game
   players are starred on some TV networks. Their games are broadcast over
   three television channels dedicated to professional computer game
   matches. A few top players have gained wealth as professional players
   from television contracts, sponsorships, and tournament prizes allowing
   the most famous player, Lim Yo-Hwan (known in-game as SlayerS_`BoxeR`)
   to gain a fanclub of over half a million people. Professional gamers
   dedicate nearly all their waking hours to playing StarCraft to prepare
   for the highly competitive leagues. Lee Yunyeol, a Terran player known
   in game as [RED]NaDa, reported earnings in 2005 of $200,000 USD.

   The immense influence that video games including StarCraft have on
   Korean youths has raised concerns. Lee Seung Seop (known as b0f1000 in
   StarCraft), a 28-year-old from Daegu, South Korea, died from exhaustion
   on 10 August 2005 after playing a 49-hour marathon session of StarCraft
   in an Internet cafe, sparking a new discussion about video game
   addiction, though StarCraft is notably less dangerous since its matches
   do not last hours like many popular MMORPGs.

Merchandise

   In addition to numerous fan fiction works taking place in the StarCraft
   universe, it has spawned several official novels and eBooks including
   StarCraft: Uprising, StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade, StarCraft: Shadow of
   the Xel'Naga, StarCraft: Speed of Darkness, StarCraft: Queen of Blades
   and the forthcoming StarCraft Ghost: Nova to be released in the fall of
   2006.

   Blizzard Entertainment authorized two short stories in Amazing Stories
   magazine, entitled StarCraft: Hybrid and StarCraft: Revelations.
   Blizzard also licensed Wizards of the Coast to publish StarCraft
   Adventures, a supplement for the role-playing game Alternity set in the
   StarCraft universe. Even manga comics and action figures have been done
   in the StarCraft universe. A CD was also released of 2 game tracks and
   11 original works by Korean musicians. A StarCraft board game entitled
   StarCraft the Board Game is in development.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarCraft"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
