StarCraft: Brood War

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StarCraft: Brood War
Brood War's box art displays Sarah Kerrigan, the series' antagonist.
Developer(s)	Saffire Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher(s)	NA Blizzard Entertainment PAL Sierra Entertainment
Designer(s)	Chris Metzen Rob Pardo
Series	StarCraft
Engine	Warcraft II engine
Version	1.15.2 (2008-01-16)
Platform(s)	Windows, Mac OS
Release date	NA November 30, 1998 PAL March 1999
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T) PEGI: 16+ ELSPA: 15+ OFLC: M OFLC/NZ: R16+
Media	CD-ROM, download
System requirements	Windows: Windows 95 or better 90 MHz Pentium 16 MB RAM DirectX-compatible 2x CD-ROM drive 640x480 8-bit display full version of StarCraft Mac OS: System 7.6 or better PowerPC 601 or better 16 MB RAM full version of StarCraft

StarCraft: Brood War is an expansion pack for the award winning military science fiction real-time strategy video game StarCraft. Released in 1998 for the Windows and Mac OS, it was co-developed by Saffire and Blizzard Entertainment. The expansion pack introduced new campaigns with new map tilesets and new music, in addition to a number of extra units for each race along with several upgrade advancements. The campaigns continue the story from where the original StarCraft ended,^[1] with the sequel StarCraft II continuing from after the conclusion of Brood War. The expansion was released for the PC and Mac OS in the USA on 30 November 1998.^[2]

The expansion was critically well-received, with many reviewers praising it for being developed with the care of a full game rather than as an uninspired extra.^[3][4][5] As of May 31, 2007, StarCraft and Brood War combined have sold almost ten million copies.^[6]

It is especially popular in South Korea, where professional players and teams participate in matches, earn sponsorships, and compete in televised matches.^[7]

[edit] Gameplay

Several new units have been added for Brood War, such as these UED Valkyrie-class frigates.

Further information: Gameplay of StarCraft

StarCraft focuses around three distinct intergalactic species: the psionic Protoss, the adaptable Terrans and the insectoid Zerg. The game revolves around players collecting resources to construct a base, upgrade their militaries and ultimately conquer an opponent. Brood War's gameplay remains fundamentally unchanged from that of StarCraft, although it introduces fine-tuning to unit costs and some abilities for strategic and balance purposes. These seemingly minor changes are designed to make rushing tactics impractical,^[4] a factor that gained some criticism in the original StarCraft. The single-player campaign has been boosted in difficulty; missions are no longer as straight forward and a greater deal of strategy must be incorporated for every tactic a player uses.^[5] In addition, the game's artificial intelligence has been augmented so that AI-controlled players are smarter and use tactics more effectively.^[3]

The most visible element of the expansion pack is the introduction of seven new units. Each race is given access a unique ground unit; the Zerg can create a defensive unit that can attack from the concealment of its burrow,^[8] while the Terrans can train combat medics.^[9] The Protoss are able to produce dark templar units, a powerful melee unit only given to the player in special missions in StarCraft. Protoss players can merge two of these units to create a special spellcaster unit.^[10] Each race is also given access to a dedicated air-to-air attack unit.

[edit] Synopsis

[edit] Setting

See also: Species of StarCraft

Brood War takes place in Chris Metzen's StarCraft universe, set around the early 25^th century. Terran exiles from Earth have colonised a distant area of the Milky Way galaxy called the Koprulu sector, and have established several governments there. Eventually, a civil war breaks out and ends with the formation of the Terran Dominion. However, at the same time, humanity becomes caught in a war between the Protoss and the Zerg, which culminates at the end of StarCraft with the death of the Zerg leader, the Overmind, on the Protoss homeworld of Aiur. Without the Overmind to command, the Zerg start to rampage mindlessly across Aiur, while the cerebrates, the secondary commanders of the Swarm, attempt to regain control. After the discovery of alien life in the Koprulu sector, the United Earth Directorate, the international body governing Earth, decides to send an expeditionary force to secure the sector and prevent the aliens from finding Earth. Brood War begins two days after the conclusion of StarCraft.

[edit] Characters

Main article: Characters of StarCraft

The player assumes the roles of three anonymous characters over the course of the game. In the first campaign, the player resumes the role of the Protoss fleet commander in the third campaign of StarCraft. The player's character is commanded by Zeratul and Aldaris, two adversaries from StarCraft who have since reconciled their differences in order to lead their people in the face of the rampaging Zerg. They are joined by Jim Raynor, a Terran rebel on the run from the Dominion, Artanis, a young and enthusiastic commander who has recently been promoted, and Raszagal, the matriarch of the dissident dark templar faction in Protoss society. The second campaign sees the player as a captain in the UED expeditionary force, reporting to the fleet's admiral Gerard DuGalle and his vice-admiral Alexei Stukov. To secure the sector, the UED plans to overthrow the Terran Dominion and its emperor Arcturus Mengsk, and are assisted in this by Samir Duran, a mysterious psionic ghost espionage agent, and his group of anti-Dominion rebels. The final campaign has the player assume the position of a Zerg cerebrate, a commander within the Zerg Swarm. The player is put under the control of Sarah Kerrigan, a Terran who was infested by the Zerg in StarCraft.

[edit] Plot

The story of Brood War is presented through its instruction manual, the briefings to each mission and conversations within the missions themselves, along with the use of cinematic cut scenes at the end of each campaign.^[1] The game itself is split into three episodes, one for the player to command each race. In the first episode, Aldaris, Zeratul and the newly promoted Artanis work to evacuate the surviving Protoss from their devastated homeworld through a warp gate to a dark templar colony on Shakuras, where they meet the matriarch of the dark templar, Raszagal. Although the Zerg are able to follow the Protoss to Shakuras, Raszagal informs the survivors of a Xel'Naga temple on the surface of the planet with the power to scour the Zerg from the surface if activated. Reluctantly partnering with Sarah Kerrigan, who informs them of a new Overmind growing on Char, the player joins Zeratul and Artanis in an operation to recover two key crystals necessary to operate the temple. Upon their return, it is revealed that Aldaris has begun an uprising against the dark templar, and although this is crushed, Aldaris is killed by Kerrigan. Kerrigan reveals that her motives are to ensure the destruction of the Zerg cerebrates on Shakuras so she can gain control of the Zerg herself, and departs the planet. Despite knowing that activating the temple will accomplish Kerrigan's objectives, Zeratul and Artanis proceed with little other choice, wiping the Zerg off Shakuras' surface.

Cinematic cut scenes are used at key plot points during the single player campaigns

In the second campaign, the player leads the United Earth Directorate's initial incursions against the Terran Dominion. Upon meeting Samir Duran, the fleet's vice-admiral Alexei Stukov conscripts Duran as a special advisor. The UED soon discovers a psi disruptor, a device capable of disrupting Zerg communications, on the former Confederate capital Tarsonis and although Duran persuades admiral Gerard DuGalle to have the anti-Zerg device destroyed, Stukov's forces relieve Duran at the last moment. The UED proceeds to the Dominion throne world Korhal IV where they defeat Arcturus Mengsk's armies in a decisive victory, although Mengsk is rescued at the last moment by a Protoss fleet commanded by Jim Raynor. The UED tracks Raynor and Mengsk to the Protoss homeworld of Aiur, but the two are able to escape when Duran moves his forces out of position and allows Zerg to interfere with the operation. Appalled at Duran's actions and DuGalle's unwillingness to see Duran's betrayal, Stukov takes a contingent of troops and reconstructs the psi disruptor. Duran consequently assassinates Stukov in the psi disruptor, but not before Stukov manages to convince DuGalle with his dying breaths that Duran is the real enemy, working for Sarah Kerrigan. Duran unsuccessfully attempts to sabotage the psi disruptor and flees. Using the psi disruptor's capabilities, DuGalle and the UED are able to assault the Zerg world Char and use drugs to take control of the new Overmind growing there.

The final section of Brood War sees Sarah Kerrigan attempting to defeat the UED. Prioritizing the destruction of the psi disruptor, Kerrigan and Samir Duran form a reluctant alliance with Jim Raynor, Protoss praetor Fenix, and Arcturus Mengsk. After destroying the psi disruptor, Kerrigan launches a full scale assault on Korhal, quickly breaking the UED's hold over the planet, but in the aftermath Kerrigan strikes out at her allies, destroying a large portion of Dominion forces and killing both Fenix and Mengsk's right-hand man, Edmund Duke. Kerrigan and Duran then travel to Shakuras and abduct Raszagal, who she uses to blackmail Zeratul into killing the Overmind on Char, thus bringing all Zerg forces under Kerrigan's control. Zeratul attempts to rescue Raszagal but kills her when it becomes clear she has been irreversibly brainwashed by Kerrigan. Upon leaving Char in search of Artanis, Zeratul stumbles upon a genetics facility run by Duran without Kerrigan's knowledge where a Protoss/Zerg hybrid is being developed. At the same time, Kerrigan is attacked on Char by the Dominion, the UED and a vengeful fleet commanded by Artanis. Despite being outnumbered, the Zerg defeat all three fleets and eradicate the surviving UED fleet, leaving Kerrigan as the dominant power in the sector.

[edit] Development

Development on Brood War began shortly after the release of StarCraft in 1998, and was announced after the release of StarCraft's first two expansion packs, Insurrection and Retribution.^[11] Most of the team at Blizzard Entertainment responsible for StarCraft returned to work on Brood War. They were assisted by members of Saffire, who were contracted for a variety of tasks comprising of programming and design for levels, visuals and audio effects.^[12] According to Shane Dabiri, the game's producer, Brood War aimed to drastically increase the significance of the story within gameplay, stating that the team were adding scripting that would allow "Final Fantasy type events" to be played out during the course of a level. Dabiri further explained that the objectives in the missions would also reflect the story in a far more interactive way, with players being presented with tactical decisions over which objectives to pursue and with less missions revolving around simple annilation of the enemy.^[11] Although originally slated for release in the US in October 1998,^[11] Brood War's release was delayed by a month for a November release.^[2]

As with StarCraft, an exemplar campaign showcasing the methods of creating a custom campaign for Brood War is available. Entitled Enslavers: Dark Vengeance, the campaign follows the actions of a rogue dark templar, Ulrezaj, and his attempts to remove the Khalai Protoss from his homeworld of Shakuras, with the player and Zeratul trying to stop him. However, it is not included in the release and must be downloaded separately from Battle.net.^[13]

[edit] Cultural impact

[edit] Critical reception

StarCraft: Brood War generally received very positive reviews, with an aggregate Game Rankings score of 96%.^[17] The magazine PC Zone gave Brood War a short but flattering review, describing it as having "definitely been worth the wait". PC Zone praised the inclusion of new units and the balancing tweaks as transforming the original StarCraft "from an okay game into something akin to the mutt's nuts". The review also drew note to the cinematic cut scenes, stating that they "actually feel like part of the story rather than an afterthought".^[16]

IGN praised Brood War as a "carefully designed" expansion, "with a surfeit of new features that will satisfy even the pickiest of gamers". Although stating that there was "enough to enrich the core gameplay without losing the flavor", IGN presented concern over the difficulty of the game: "Brood War's difficulty is an order of magnitude higher than StarCraft. [Players will] barely have enough time to acquaint [themselves] with the new units before the enemy starts coming at [them] full bore." However, IGN praised the plot as "compelling" and described the extended multiplayer as "one of the best features" of the game, ultimately rating the expansion as "impressive".^[3]

GameSpot was also positive in its review, stating that the design of Brood War "contains all the care, detail, and ingenuity of a true sequel" that "completely revitalizes" the original game. The reviewer praises the "seemingly minor but terribly significant modifications" to the balance of the game, putting the results as "outstanding", but draws concern to the interface's shortfalls in coping with these changes. GameSpot also notes the music and audio work on Brood War as a bold improvement, describing the voice acting as "completely convincing" in a heavily story-driven single player campaign that although becoming less innovative in the latter stages, "remains captivating to the end". The review concludes that Brood War is a "more-than-worthy successor to StarCraft and one of the finest computer game expansion sets of all time",^[4] and gave a special achievement award of "Best Expansion Pack" to the game.^[18]

In its review, The Cincinnati Enquirer commended Brood War's new content, praising the efforts gone to in the development of the expansion. Noting the increased difficulty of the expansion and its multiplayer success, The Cincinnati Enquirer stated that "While it’s rare that an expansion pack reawakens the joy birthed from the original, Brood War proves it’s not impossible" and concluding that the expansion was a "worthwhile choice".^[5] However, the critical response to Brood War was not universal. Game Revolution described the gameplay as "identical to StarCraft in almost every way" and displaying mixed feelings towards the new units. The reviewer continued by stating that "while the unit upgrades are good, the scenarios still don't cut it", describing the single player mission design as an "afterthought" despite the expansion possessing an "interesting" storyline. Dismissing the multiplayer additions as unimportant, Game Revolution summarised that while "a fun expansion", Brood War was "a mixed bag".^[14]

[edit] Legacy

See also: StarCraft professional competition

After its release, StarCraft, along with its expansion Brood War, rapidly grew in popularity in South Korea, establishing a successful pro-gaming scene.^[19] Pro-gamers in South Korea are media celebrities. StarCraft games are broadcast over three television channels dedicated to the professional gaming scene.^[20] Pro-gamers in South Korea have gained television contracts, sponsorships, and tournament prizes, allowing the most famous player, Lim Yo-Hwan, who is known in-game as SlayerS `BoxeR`,^[21] to gain a fanclub of over half a million people.^[7] Professional gamers dedicate a lot of time playing StarCraft to prepare for the highly competitive leagues. Lee Yun-Yeol, a Terran player known as [Red]NaDa, reported earnings in 2005 of US$200,000.^[22]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The official StarCraft: Brood War site at Blizzard Entertainment.
• The StarCraft Compendium on Battle.net