StarCraft - CSS Missions
- a review -
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-requires Patch-up-to-date StarCraft-

I've always enjoyed the elegant simplicity of real time strategy games and star craft was the first I really enjoyed. What I don't much like is the focus on development speed - success invariably depends on how quickly the player can gather resources and build through the sequence of factories, armories, engineering stations and whaterver. I've always wanted more time and freedom to focus on battlefield tactics so I came up with the following loose parameters when I designed my own StarCraft scenarios: Create as much character as possible focus game-play on maneuvering and battlefield tactics If I was going to focus on tactics, I would limit the number of units the player had and eliminate resources completely. How many units would be enough? What if the player only had 3 units? Each unit would certainly be more meaningful. I decided on the CSS - a small group of super-soldier special operatives. The leader would use the Raynor character and be the heavy hitter and damage absorber of the group, the two supporting soldiers would use the reticent ghost characters. I gave everyone names and moved on to creating the scenarios. The first mission would be very manageable - the three characters moving through the maze-like corridors of a space station, finding triggers, killing guards and what not. A lot like some of the single-player starcraft missions. I learned how to set triggers, had the characters react to enemy activities and scripted a teleporting sequence where the CSS teleports in a team of kamikazes (fire bats) that rush a heavily defended room to explosive results.

A guard rushes to sound the alarm, summoning more guards.

Beating the second mission would be a challenge. I opened up the playing area and introduced a few new game-play elements; nukes, allies and a time limit. This mission takes the CSS to a jungle where they need to find and destroy guerilla command centers. They start with a lab to research ghost upgrades and 3 nuclear missile silos where they can build an unlimited number of missiles. This mission has lots of situations that require careful maneuvering, scouting and coordinating. Enemy missile turrets are on the lookout for cloaked ghosts and siege tanks will obliterate anything that gets near. With limited time, the player must move quickly - making for tense, challenging game-play. Losing one ghost is trouble, losing both is catastrophic. I wrote mission debriefs and recorded my own audio, playing multiple characters myself. I tried not to use the actual starcraft universe, but it's difficult to differentiate much when you are using all of the same art. I had fun creating new characters with the voices - it may be a little corny but I like to think it's intentionally funny.

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