A forum moderator of the former World of Starcraft Mod announced the name of the mod is now officially Starcraft Universe. A fact sheet about the mod has been posted to clarify what the mod is and is not, ironing out any confusion.
A new website for the mod will be announced at a later time.
Thank you everyone for expressing your interest for this custom map project. Recently, this idea has been blown out of proportion. Let me clarify a few things:
– World of Starcraft name is changed to Starcraft Universe.
– This project is not a true mmorpg; The backround story will be the existing SC Lore with no quest system or mob grinding.
– This project will be made and published through a series of Starcraft 2 maps. To play, you MUST have a valid copy of Starcraft 2 and have a Battle.net account.
– Similar to dungeon raiding in WoW, a party of players must carefully battle through high powered monsters and defeat a boss.
– Players may create and save multiple customizable character classes
– Players using existing characters may ‘evolve’ (not level up) them using loot and attribute points gained from battles.We will continue working on this project. Continue checking this site for more information. New website and forum coming soon
Ryan Winzen posted a Starcraft Universe Q&A to explain all the features of the mod.
QueenGambit: So, Ryan, can you tell us a bit about the project?
RyanWin: The project’s design is to take the look and feel of an MMO and combine it with Starcraft II’s assets to create an instance based multiplayer game within battle.net. In no way shape or form is this project to be played outside of battle.net. The game will be played through multiple maps over battle.net in which players can group with their friends before entering a game, or choose to go solo and group with random players. I (Ryan Winzen) acknowledge with full respect that the name “World of Starcraft” is owned by Activision/Blizzard and have every intent to respect their intellectual property.
QueenGambit: What can you tell us about the project’s Lore? Will we see new lore or will you use existing lore instead?
RyanWin: In regards to the lore behind Starcraft, this Starcraft MMO will be based on reliving previous events of already established storyline. Each instance a player enters will be like a memory of things that have transpired in Starcraft, Starcraft II, and the official Starcraft books and will be recreated as accurately as possible within an MMO setting. This will prevent upsetting any lore fans, as well as the writers themselves. Like Chrono Rift or something.
QueenGambit: Aah! fantastic, good setup. So some level designs will be themed to past battles and wars in the SC universe rather than a separate out-storyline
RyanWin: yes
QueenGambit: Either way works for me (although i would’ve enjoyed trying to help out coming up with a totally new storyline)
RyanWin: For instance the demo is based on an attempted Tal’Darim resurrection of Xava’Tor Ulrazej. not sure if your familliar with Ulrazej from the books. He was a dark archon made of 7 dark templar extremely powerful, kept the Tal’Darim under control by giving them drugs called Sun Drop
QueenGambit: Anyway, we still don’t have a grasp at the gameplay progression, what will dictate players from accessing the dungeons, will there simply be a (you must be level 20 to access this map) kind of thing?
RyanWin: No leveling. Everyone is level 80
QueenGambit: Aah, makes more more sense.
RyanWin: Plus it makes playbalancing realistic, think of how hard it would be for a small team to playbalance levels in an MMO
QueenGambit: Honestly, this setup is great for potential game expansion you can potentially have 100 maps having 100 kinds of raids.
RyanWin: Yep.
QueenGambit: Using all battle events found in the Starcraft universe
RyanWin: Yep.
RyanWin: And its realistic and within the realm of possibility.
QueenGambit: Its SCtastic!
RyanWin: *laughs* So yeah, loot based, with some progression through allocation points
QueenGambit: So the demo vid is 1 official map yes? Have you had any thoughts to other battles or events in mind?
RyanWin: Sure. All In remember? Last map of the Campaign in Wings of Liberty. The Raid on Kerrigan. Literally anything from Starcraft, Starcraft 2 or the Books that was epic. (Is) going in the game.
QueenGambit: cool
RyanWin: Also, you’re going to love this idea. How would you like to have a Hellion mount? You’ll be able to buy one
QueenGambit: Oh that would be nice!
RyanWin: Right now Mille25 is developing a separate UI for medics. Makes healing really easy. It’s called “Grid”, it’s a healer’s add-on taken from World of Warcraft
QueenGambit: So, you have like a default capital city map planned to be made? I am assuming this is where players choose and create characters. Will players be able to create multiple characters or just stick to one forever?
RyanWin: Multiple should be possible and you’ll be able to create a character on any map
QueenGambit: Oh that’s good too. You talked about buying stuff, will that be accessed only on the City Capital map or in any map? Or better yet just a in game inventory shop?
Good question. I’d like any map to have a shop somewhere, but that is TBD. First things first, getting inventory and item system developed. Then the raid drop system developed. Shops will come last
and won’t be in the demo most likely the first demo i mean.
QueenGambit: Well you don’t have to work on it specifically, an idea on how you want the finish map to look is important.
RyanWin: Ya, anything else?
QueenGambit: I can get a good grasp on how this project will be layed out now. This will be a series of many maps in which players can create and use existing RP accounts to go raid. Each map will allow character selection as well as existing chars. Players may also shop for specific things
RyanWin: Yeah!
QueenGambit: If you check out the sc2mapster forums, you’ll see i like to play around with adobe photoshop. Any chance you need some nice looking pictures let me know. TBH i don’t like that big huge banner on top of your forums.
RyanWin: yeah it was just a temporary thing, a screenshot from the loading screen in game
QueenGambit: Like is said, i had a misunderstanding of this map, the title World of Starcraft made me think RPG which made me think of final fantasy games. Great, powerful storyline with battle gameplay and role play progression. Totally wrong, too bad this map ain’t it, fortunately this project is even better!
RyanWin: It’s going to be different for sure
QueenGambit: It’s like a wiki system. Anybody can participate and discuss which battles/events to be made as a map and make it. Be a lot of work to put 100 battles.
RyanWin: Combined effort will make it easier.
QueenGambit: other than that book event with the 7 templars, what other raid events do you have in mind?
RyanWin: a raid on Kerrigan at some point
QueenGambit: right
RyanWin: And of course that: https://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Battle_of_the_First_Overmind_(Shadow_Hunters)
QueenGambit: down the road when this project has solidified with a few raids published, have you thought about creating OTHER KINDS of maps using these existing characters players made?
RyanWin: I’ve actually thought about doing the Starship troopers outpost defense as a map where you can get minerals for buying stuff using the Starcraft Universe units . But that’s a while down the road.
QueenGambit: Yeah, Starship Troopers Outpost Defense was a good map.
RyanWin: Someone made a TPS version of it in Starcraft2 that was kinda fun but died off the popularity charts.
QueenGambit: Yeah i played that too. Did you by any chance play sc1?
RyanWin: Yes of course.
QueenGambit: So the 1st map that will be published will be a Terran and Protoss city with an intro dungeon boot camp of some sort?
RyanWin: No, first map that will be published will be a battle against Xava’tor in some Tal’Darim ruins on Aiur.
QueenGambit: Ah, that okay
RyanWin: That’s the demo
QueenGambit: Right, right.
RyanWin: For people to playbalance.
QueenGambit: Yes, that’s a good idea too. Publish a map for others to try out and balance. Once there’s a good trend established, it will be easier to create the other scenarios
RyanWin: after that the second map will probably be a PvP map
QueenGambit: Oh that would be interesting.
RyanWin: So we can playabalcne PvE and PvP and I do plan on implementing a duel feature to the PvE maps at some point.
QueenGambit: So did Blizzard give you the go-ahead to use the name: World of Starcraft?
RyanWin: No, but they gave me the green light on Starcraft Universe or Starcraft Chronicles.
QueenGambit: My vote goes for Starcraft Universe
RyanWin: I’m thinking that too even though Chronicles does fit the time travel/memory thing better
still a toss up.
QueenGambit: Chronicles fits the technical description but Universe word is more pure, more common, and more easily spelled.
RyanWin: And rolls off the tongue better.
QueenGambit: SCU? SGU?
RyanWin: *laughs*
QueenGambit: Starcraft Universe – Battle of Xava’tor, Starcraft Universe – Battle of the 1st Overmind, etc…
RyanWin: All on the top of the popularity list
QueenGambit: Oh, no way!
RyanWin: Well maybe under Nexus Wars.
QueenGambit: All on the featured map.
RyanWin: That would be tight.
QueenGambit: there will be a another button on the Battle.net, “Starcraft Univserse” button
RyanWin: *laughs*
QueenGambit: Okay, tonight I’ll make a funny Battle.net mod picture on that. Anyway, you said you were a musician on one post in your forums.
RyanWin: Yeah, and 2D animator.
QueenGambit: Are you interested in putting custom music in these maps? If so, may I help you? I play Violin, Piano, Guitar, and I listen to this 24/7: https://www.youtube.com/user/DragonstarDT#p/c/0/RJVz0la9FnE
RyanWin: Nice… well I’ve already “hired” 2 professional musicians
QueenGambit: Haha okay, that’s just pseudo, I’m sure me and others can still share some music pieces anyway
RyanWin:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btnTtiaSN1U, you can listen to my music there and watch quick cartoon
QueenGambit: nice music, did you do the cartoon too?
RyanWin: yes
QueenGambit: *laughs* someone loves their FruityLoops* I like the cartoon, it is intense and it looks like Ratchet and Clank
RyanWin: *laughs* thanks.
QueenGambit: TBH, I’m not too thrilled with the uber techno beat. I have a website suggestion
RyanWin: Sixen is making us a new forum
QueenGambit:https://www.ucoz.com/is a free domain and site place. You can make easy sites as well as have things like a forum, check out what i did in a day: https://www.desertstrike.ucoz.com
RyanWin: Whoa nice!
QueenGambit: I dunno if sixen can do that. There are over 1000 nice web templates to choose from OR u can custom make your own. Plus the website is free. And I have established an account with www.dot.tk so that i have the website: www.desertstrike.tk
RyanWin: Are you volunteering to make one for us?
QueenGambit: Oh definitely. We can arrange another get together and browse and look up other template you might want to use within that site.
RyanWin: Do me a favor, get in touch with Sixen, and hash things out with him
QueenGambit: Okay, I’ll try to talk to him later, lets continue the discussion.
RyanWin: Ok.
QueenGambit: Don’t judge but the only “raid” I’ve seen is that viral Leeroy Jenkins video where a bunch of people go and get pwned by bats? I’ve played other MMORPGs, can you tell me if this is basically a raid – Group of players go inside and explore a dungeon. It’s usually linear and at the end of the dungeon, there’s a big boss fight? And the setting doesn’t have to be dungeon per se, any place with lots of extreme hard mobs and a big boss at the end?
RyanWin: Yeah that’s the jist of it but the thing I want to do that will set this aside from other MMO’s is complex scripted AI for all encounters. Boss fights will involve a lot of thinking and strategy to overcome and will be visually attractive.
QueenGambit: random question, is Starcraft Universe okay with blizzard?
RyanWin: yes
QueenGambit: Yeah these raid battles take a lot of time and thought.
RyanWin: Yes my favorite thing to do is script AI boss fights, and trigger effects
