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1 Technical Aspects of Game
- Machine Requirements
- Installation
2 Human Aspects of Game
- Learning to play - Intuitiveness
- Ease in playing - user friendliness,
configurability
- Target Audience
3 Social Aspects of
Game
- Who might the game offend?
- Values the game promote
- educational?
4
Game Concept
- Is game concept novel?
- Is game implementation novel?
- 'Genre'
- User interfaces used in
Starcraft
- Storyline
- Mental Challenges/Difficulty
levels
- Is the game appealing - fun?
- Graphics/Animation/Sound/Music
- Enjoyment?
- Other Agents - computer opponents/online opponents
5 Social Issues
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1 Technical Aspects of Game
Machine Requirements:
- Windows 95/NT 4.0
- Pentium 90 or higher
- 16MB RAM
- SVGA Video Card
- Microsoft-compatible Mouse
- Double-speed CD-ROM
- DirectX 5.0
- Macintosh PowerMac or compatible
- 16MB RAM
- System 7.5 or higher
- 256-color 13" display or better
- Double-speed CD-ROM
Installation:
Starcraft is easily installed by inserting the
installation CD into the CDROM drive and following the on-screen
instructions.
2 Human aspects of Game
Learning to play - intuitiveness
Starcraft is a easily playable strategy game.
To the intermediate to experienced strategy game players, Starcraft
is easily picked up. This is because this game has most of the
consistent features of strategy games such as Command and Conquer
and Warcraft. Some of these consistent features are a panel of
icons on one corner of the screen to allow for building options,
left clicking representing selecting a unit and right clicking
representing moving a unit or vice versa. To the beginner strategy
player, some time may be required to pick up the game. However,
most of the buttons and icons have designs that suggest their
meanings well.
Ease in playing -
user friendliness, configurability
Some features that helps in user friendliness
and ease in playing the game have been discussed in the previous
section. Another issue that arises when considering ease in playing
a game may be configurability of keys to suit individual players.
In the case of Starcraft, there is no problem of configurability
of keys because the keys involved in the game are few. Most game
selections and options are achievable via using the mouse to click
on icons on the screen. This makes the controls simple and easy.
To the inexperienced player, he need not know which keys to hit.
Target Audience
This game aims to target game players who are
interested in action and strategy. The many weapons in the game
interest players who love computer wargames. The 3 races, Terran,
Zerg and Protoss, let players see war not only between human but
also between aliens and ferocious creatures. This game satisfies
people who want to see different races exchange fire power and
also allows the player to put his planning skills to use because
it is a strategy game.
3 Social Aspects of
Game
Who might the game offend?
To critics or people who are against game violence,
Starcraft may not be a good game for youngsters after all. To
young people who are usually more susceptible to bad influence
from computer games, Starcraft may be inculcating the wrong values,
telling them that war and killing is right. As such Starcraft
may offend game violence critics.
Values the game promote
- educational?
The previous section talks about the negative
values that Starcraft can promote - war and violence. Some games,
though has contents of violence, may be educational to the player
also. Studies have shown that people who play computer games are
general more sociable and do better in academic problem solving
than the average individual who does not play computer games.
Starcraft, being a strategy game, may actually help an individual
learn to plan in a logical fashion when he does so in the game
to achieve victory.
4 Game Concept
Is game concept novel?
The game concept of Starcraft is mainly based
on strategy and action in the form of war. This type of strategy
game has probably been around for a long time since the bloom
of computer games. Other games that has the same concept as Starcraft
are Warcraft, Command and Conquer, KKND, Dark Colony and many
others. Its game concept is not novel.
Is game implementation
novel?
It is probably expected that since the game concept
of Starcraft and the above-mentioned games are similar, they probably
had the same implementation. Starcraft is a 2D game. Its implementation
may be simply described as the interactions of many objects on
a 2D plane and each object being controlled by the game's AI in
the background. This implementation in Starcraft is not novel
and has already been extended in 3D or other more complex games
after Starcraft.
'Genre'
Starcraft is a strategy game, involving action
in the form of war.
User interfaces used
in Starcraft
Illustration of game interface
Illustration of game interface
2
The above 2 links show illustrations of the game
interface of Starcraft while the player is playing the game. In
the game, the resources that a player has are shown on the top
right of the screen. The left bottom of the screen shows a mini-map.
The bottom right corner shows a group of icons that enables the
player to make all the necessary selections in the game. Left
clicking on a particular unit selects it and right clicking its
destination moves it.
Storyline
In the distant future, a small group of human
exiles have been doomed to fight for survival on the edge of the
galaxy. Through military strength, espionage, and deceit, a unified
Terran government has maintained an uneasy peace, but as resources
and fuel run short the Confederate nations find themselves looking
towards the rich worlds of their alien neighbors, the enigmatic
Protoss.
To further complicate matters, it seems that
a previously unknown species-- the Zerg-- have entered Protoss
space and are destroying everything in their path. The time for
war has come. The Terrans, Protoss, and Zerg will stop at nothing
to insure the survival of their species, and you'll need to develop
whole new strategies to master each side's unique abilities. Keep
checking these pages for detailed descriptions of each side. Terrans
are masters of mobility and versatility. Using converted industrial
vehicles and mobile bases, they move from world to world, pillaging
as they go. Their military consists of both "resocialized" criminals
and elite soldiers.
The Protoss possess powerful psionic abilties,
and in combat they use these powers to form weapons and shields
composed of pure energy. They also use highly advanced robotic
drones to make up for their lack of numbers. The Zerg actually
encompase a multitude of bio-engineered creatures, designed for
maximum killing efficiency. Their hives are also living creatures
which slowly infest any area the Zerg inhabit with "the Creep",
a thick blanket of organic matter.
Mental Challenges/Difficulty
levels
For a single player game, Starcraft provides several
campaigns in each race where difficulty increases with each victory.
The real mental challenges come when the players enter BattleNet
where human players meet one another and battles in the same online
game.
Is the game appealing - fun?
Starcraft is definetly one of the best games ever
to hit the market. There is no doubt that Blizzard has done an
excellent job on this game.
Graphics/Animation/Sound/Music -
Enjoyment?
Starcraft has been around for a few years now,
so its graphics may not be as good as current games on the market
such as Frozen Throne. However, they are still good 2D graphics
that looks grand.The game does have great cinematics. These cinematics
are great animations produced that brings the player into the
storyline and most times, arouses the player's interest in the
game. Sound effects are fine. Some sound effects used are explosions
and alien noises which are realistic. As the game progress, music
is used in the background. These music suits the warring environment
of the game. Collectively, the 2D graphics, animations, sounds
and music are important in adding to the enjoyment of the player.
Other Agents - computer opponents/online opponents
This is probably the most exciting part of the
game where players not only challenges the AI of the game but
also the strategies and intelligence of other human players online.
Starcraft allows up to a maximum of 8 different online players
to play against one another or team up against one another at
a time.
5 Social Issues
The main objective of game creators is eventually
to provide the best gaming experience so as to attract the most
amount of income. As such, there are usually several social issues,
debated by both parties - the game makers and the game violence
critics. In order to attract people to play their games, game makers
will usually incorporate contents of violence or sex in their games
and debate that players will not be affected since they are in a
virtual world after all. Game violence critics, however, will counter
that game players are usually kids whose thinking is very susceptible
to corruption. No matter how hard they argue about the harmful effects
of games such as Starcraft, games will continue to exist in the
lives of people and these issues will always coexist with games.
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