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This is a long post.. and the first 99% will bore you!

It has been well over 2 years since I left the whole StarCraft community and friends behind. I have played StarCraft since the year it came out. I can honestly say I've done it all, in my opinion. I've experienced everything on Battle.net/StarCraft. I created countless maps, both Melee and UMS. I've created/administrated a money map league for over a year, suprisingly the site is still up at http://www.vgtour.net. I have done the whole "illy" trading/selling business for a while too. I've played money and non-money maps always and enjoyed both styles. And last but not least, I've had my share of modding the game, nothing spectacular, just changing some unit looks and basics. Some friends even knew me as something of the sort of "mafia king" of Battle.net (courtesy of Calvino@USWest back in the day ).

A little more about me: I am a college student. I am 19 years young. I BMX. I workout at the gym. I party it up and drink just like any college junkie. I've done and do my share of drugs. I like to program/design websites as a little hobbie. I am single again (hehe.. ).

Now that I've completely bored you to death.. I'll be quick to the point (sorta). Basically, I plan on revisiting the StarCraft universe that Blizzard has shunned in spite of their franchise World of Warcraft (yeah, I played that game for over a year also. it ruined my life). Not by means of just simply playing the game again. I mean to leave a bigger permanent mark on the community, much more than the mark I have left on the money map community. I mean to make another "expansion" to the game. As of right now I am looking at two options: adding 1-2 new BALANCED units to each race OR add a whole new race (still looking into the latter option, if it is possible and such).

Let me clear a few things up before all the comments come rolling in.


- You're bullcrapting me!
Yes, I understand my goal is a big undertaking and everyone wishes they could make an expansion and whatnot. But I'm a rather motivated person when it comes to things I really want to achieve.

- What makes you think you can even attempt/do something like this?
Like I mentioned earlier, I have the skills/resources and motivation to do so, which is enough reason for me.

- With Project: Revolution coming out in the future, why even try what you are doing?
Because all PR is is a 3D port of StarCraft, nothing new, but it will also sustain the slowness of the engine that is WarCraft III. Besides, 2D is awesome.

- You're a little late in the game!
Yeah, I know there are probably other mods/TCs out there already that are done or in production, but what do I care. I also recently found a little scrap notebook I had from my childhood StarCraft days with ideas for units for each race and such. And I was looking at them and some of them seemed pretty balanced and great additions to the game.


3.. 2.. 1.. flame on folks!

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All that aside, I have a small question to ask of you experienced modders here.. I am not up-to-date with all the new/available tools for modding. So would it even be possible to add a new race? Or should I just stick to my option of adding 1-2 new units to each race.

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Miscellaneous links:
VGTour: http://www.vgtour.net
VGT on GosuGamers.net: http://sc.gosugamers.net/nyheter.php?i=n&id=2781

Unless you wanna rebuilt the whole game engine, a true fourth race isn't possible, not even with amazing tools like FireGraft. You could make a race a subset of one race. Example: Make a new tech tree by altering various neutral/unused buildings and hero units. Problem is, the new race you add in this manner wouldn't be selectable in Melee/UMS games... It would only be available on a map that has it preplaced. Adding a few new units per race certainly is doable, but keep in mind that it has been done before a LOT. In my opinion, someone should make a true full Total Conversion in that EVERYTHING is different. I can't really think of any TCs that change literally everything. I've had idea for this and even started working on it, but I've failed working alone since my computer can't run the necessary tools to edit certain things...

BTW:
Welcome back

yeah you cant do a totally new race, cause you cant add another start building. So this is what I suggest. Give them a option when you start, basicly if you build one thing you can build everything else for that group, but wont let you the other group.

Thanks.

Is it still the same process of the old days. Meaning, just using a pre-existing unit in the game that is rarely used and making it a new unit. Or is there new ways of adding a whole new unit.

Unfortunately, we cannot add new units, either, nor new weapon entries, nor, so far as I know, new sprite or any kind of entries into the *.dat files

yeah its to demanding, though Disciple of Adun has been looking into it, right now his focus is firegraft.

Just like one of the unit themes was in Brood War, which was the anti-air ships. My little expansion will have it's own theme.. ground transportation that will hold roughly the same amount as a bunker, but units cannot attack whilst inside. Each race will get 2 new units, one of which will be the race's transport. I think ground transportation will add a hold new aspect to style of gameplay.

Here are the planned units..



Protoss (TBA)



Terran

A grenadier type infantry with range between a marine and a ghost. Has stim pack ability after it is upgraded, just like marines and firebats. Has an ability to use a smoke grenade that casts a grey smoke screen, looks sort of like the dark swarm graphic. All units under this screen will move slower and take more damage. Size of smoke area to be determined still.

A siege mode for the goliath. The goliath plants it's fet into the ground, in which it cannot move, but the range/accuracy/damage of the goliath increase rapidly. However, just like the siege tank, the sieged goliath cannot attack units that come too close. The attack will utilize the goliath's air missles and it can only fire against air units. Think of it as a movable missile turret without the detector ability.

Instead of getting a new transport unit for the terrans. The siege tank will functon as their transport.



Zerg

Another "lurker" unit. Basically, the zergling will have the ability, once upgraded, to morph ito the new unit. This unit can shoot a spike, not spikes, straight up out of it's burrow hole. Think of a lurker but without the splash damage and trail of spikes. Damage will scale accordingly.

The hydralisk will have another morph option, once upgraded, to morph into another creature that will have the transport ability. This unit's other ability is to "explode" into several broodlings, about 8-12.



Any comments/suggestions are welcome. As well as changes/ideas for keeping things balanced between all races.

Some interesting ideas indeed. The only way you will be able to do the goliath thing is if you turn the other tank into a goliath, and a whole lot of Iscript editing!

I see a huge rigging potential with a seige moded Goliath.

Well, it's just that seige tanks alone pack immense destruction with their massive range and damage. But, they could be countered by Guardians with ease back in original SC. Then BW came along and Goliaths were given the air range upgrade, allowing them to make a stand against the Guardians. Now if the Goliath were to have a seige mode, it would just make the combination of Goliaths and Seige Tanks unstoppable. Such a seige would be almost un-beatable.

Lol just my two cents... But yeah like you said, balance usually comes last.

Good point, I completely forgot to factor that in. Maybe the goliath in siege mode shall attack ground only. Because if I were to just shorten a goliath's range in siege mode that wouldn't make sense logically.

Heres a idea, you can instead of a goliath you can add another mode in the tank that becomes available when you upgrade siege mode, you can make a mode that attacks air like the goliaths mode.

Unfortunately, that really isn't plausable at all... I don't think you can make different modes for units, just change the two units that use them...

Grafting can't help?

Not even grafting can help there, only exe editing. I believe that offset has been found in the exe and will be included with firegraft once released.

I don't really think making units in the smoke screen take more damage is very plausible.

I see it plausible. Think about it.. if the average person were in a smoke screen, he/she wouldn't go running around without knowing the direction and surroundings. He/she would probably take precaution and not haste. Also, from the person inside the smoke screen's point of view, he/she could see almost nothing because the smoke is so thick/close to him/her. From people outside of the smoke screen they would already have a general idea of where the target is and thus could "spray n pray". Also, they most likely would see a shadow figure/silhouette of the target inside. So they would take more damage because they have more accuracy and knowledge of the opposing force.

I think he ment plausible in starcraft as in actaully doing it!

Well, once I learn to edit iscript and the other files. Basically all I have to do is use a clone of the dark swarm, and add the ensnare's effect to it.

But how you going make them take more damage?
You could make a seiged goliath be able to protect units (like a bunker, put rines in and they shoot from the goliath)