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Starcraft is a sci-fi themed Real Time Strategy game created by Blizzard Entertainment in the 90's. It is based in the far future where there are only three ruling races. Its popularity is partly due to the fine balance acheived between the abilities of the three races. Every attack can be countered by something else.
Elements of Strategy
Starcraft has some unique features that players can use to construct their strategy.
Spells
Each of the three civilizations has "spell caster" units, at least one that can cast spells in addition to regular physical attacks, and at least one dedicated spell caster that has no other form of attack1
Stealth and Detectors
All of the races also have the ability to create invisible or stealth units. These cloaked units are only visible to the player that created them and his or her allies. Enemy players cannot see them unless they are near a "detector". Detectors are either a specific defensive building or a mobile unit that can scout out nearby enemy stealth units. In the Zerg race, this stealth takes the form of "burrowing". Certain units can dig themselves into the ground, and pop up when needed.
Upgrades
Nearly all of the units can be upgraded by "researching"2at designated buildings. It is important because upgraded units will always beat basic units in battle. Additionally, some abilities and spells must be researched before they can be used. An important strategic decision comes in whether to dedicate resources toward creating more buildings and units or toward upgrading existing ones.Warping
The Protoss and Zerg races can traverse large distances instantly. The Protoss use the Arbiter ship to "recall" distant units to their location. The zerg can build Nydus Canals from their colony to any place the Creep grows, even into the middle an enemy Zerg base.Who's who? - The Races
Terran
The Terrans, Earthling humans who have been stranded in a remote part fo the galaxy3. The Terrans hold the middle ground in the war and most of their units are a cross between Protoss and Zerg, meaning not too expensive but not particularly strong. All their units are similar to usual military equipment, though naturally more advanced than the present day: e.g. Tanks and Marines, etc. and also stupid globes called Science vessels that detect invisible objects and cast spells.
The Terrans spend their campaign trying to kill of the Zerg infestations that spring up everywhere and threaten the Terran empire.
Terran spells include an invisibility spell for the commando units called Ghosts, which can also cast a Lockdown spell and direct nuclear attacks, and the Science vessel can make some units invincible for a short period of time, Irradiate enemy units causing damage to nearby units, and knock down Protoss sheilds with an EMP4 blast. The Ghosts' and Wraiths' (jet fighters) invisibility causes opponents no end of problems and if they carefully dodge detector vessels can make particularly sneaky attacks upon enemy bases.
Click here for strategy and detailed information on the Terran species.
Zerg
The Zerg are reptilian-like creatures. They come in various forms of bugs and have an Overmind to control them all. This Overmind is the only part of their species that thinks; all the rest are slaves to its will. The Overmind is a fat brainlike monster that you very rarely see that uses phychic power to control every Zerg. The Zerg's sole purpose is to overtake the universe by ridding the universe of Terran and Protoss. Zerg units are relatively cheap to create, yet weak, therefore they usually rely on strength in numbers to win. Everything the Zerg do is organic and they create their kind by hatching larva which evolve into higher species. They can only build their buildings5 on a mattress of biomatter called "creep" which spreads outward from zerg colonies.
The Zerg campaigns involve a huge amount of all out slaughter of Protoss and Terran alike and chasing leading Protoss figureheads, then killing them.
Zerg spells include Ensnare, whereby a blow of green goo covers enemy units and dramatically decreases their speed for a period of time; Parasite, which allows the player to see the line of sight of an infected enemy unit; and Plague, which slowly kills all the units touched by the red splatter. Another spell can turn the Terran command centre into a construction yard for exploding zombies! Zerg also have the remarkably annoying ability to burrow, dig a hole in the ground and hide where they can only be found by a detector, fortunately they can't move while burrowed.
Click here for strategy and detailed information on the Zerg species.
Protoss
An arrogant humanoid species, extremely intelligent and fairly pompous, the Protoss are trying to hold off the Zerg and eventually kill them. They are arch rivals of the Zerg and rely on fewer but more powerful units to fight for them. Protoss units can be very expensive, but they are strong, making each one count.
Protoss spells include Psionic Storm, which casts lightning over a small area and all the units inside that area. They also have an Hallucination spell whereby the unit cast on is replicated and creates dummies of the units (cover fodder in reality). The Protoss also have the Arbiter, a smooth yet bulbous aeroplane that emits a field of invisibility on the protoss units around it.
The Protoss kick off their campaign defending their home planet and then chasing down a so-called traitor Protoss. They eventually move to attacking the Zerg Overmind.
Click here for strategy and detailed information on the Protoss species.
Single Player Campaigns
All of these races fight it out in their own individual campaigns against each other over desert, space stations and jungle territory.
Beyond Single Player
Starcraft has a huge and extensive multiplayer network, BattleNet. Aside from Tournaments in the ladder (A system where depending on games won you rise up the ladder), there are a large number of friendly games. The real booster to Starcraft's popularity was the inclusion of the mapmaker of Starcraft so people could build their own games and as such their are a huge number of games available to play, from: WWII scenarios to "dodging the rapist". The former being a landscape reminiscent of the entire European and North African continent, where you each play the countries during the second World War. In the latter you must move your unit to the top of the map without touching any other unit (rapist). Perhaps the most popular map is the "Zero Clutter" map, which consists only of six unlimited deposits of minerals and gas and a wall with a gap in the middle. The most popular games involve a huge amount of monsters being produced and depending on how many of the other players monsters you kill, your units are upgraded to a better unit. the winner kills the other players means of producing monsters.