Frequently Asked Questions

SpecOps: General Questions

1.) What music will SpecOps use?
Unlike a lot of campaigns out there that have little snippets of familiar music to spruce up their campaign, the music in SpecOps has MEANING. The music is very specifically chosen. I am taking themes from Star Wars and Back to the Future (though mainly SW) and applying them to SpecOps. Major characters, groups, places, and races in the campaign will have their own distinctive themes, just like in the movies the music is from.

2.) How will the music be implemented?
Some background music tracks for each race will be replaced with new music. The majority of the music will be played during key events in the missions themselves (as in Project O).

3.) How many new portraits/unit sounds will be made?
As things stand now, there are at least ten characters that will get new portraits AND sounds.

4.) Are there plans for any other campaigns after/during SpecOps?
There is a SpecOps-related mini-campaign (6-8 missions) that we will likely do (probably fully-voiced), though exactly when we do it is still up in the air. We'll just have to wait and see.

5.) How big will SpecOps be?
That's hard to say. The maps range in size anywhere from 1-3 MB, and some will probably be bigger than that, and there will be about 35-40 maps total.... The average unit sound is around 100 KB, and there will be 12-15 of those for at least ten hereos.... The average portrait file is 20-30 KB, and there will be 7-8 of those for those same ten heroes.... The Stardraft patch is approximately 1.5 MB.... The Stargraft stuff will add a couple more MBs at least.... Add in a few more MBs for safety's sake.... I dunno, you do the math. :P We'll have to wait and see, I guess.

SpecOps: Prequel Demo

1.) Why was the demo made?
The demo was intended to introduce the players to the "SpecOps universe", introducing Jay Brockman and Alvar, showing what the Starcraft characters had done since Brood War, and portraying a couple key events (A.}Raynor's discovery of Duran's hybrids and his decision to return to the Koprulu Sector and B.} Zeratul and Rond returning to Shakurus and linking up with Artanis and the Protoss). It was also made to give the fans something to play with until Episode I came out (which was at the time still slotted for a New Year's release), and show that I could make decent maps and do basic Stardraft editing.

2.) What makes up the demo?
The demo was originally going to have three maps, one for each race, but the Zerg map was dropped early on and it now has a Terran/Protoss mission and a Protoss mission. In the Terran/Protoss, you play as Raynor, Brockman, and Alvar (along with the Terrans and Protoss that make up Raynor's Raiders) discovering a large group of Zerg outside the Koprulu Sector, and then finding Duran and his growing hybrids there. The Protoss map shows Artanis leading an assault on Skakurus against the recently-returned Zerg, and Zeratul and Rond enter partway through to rejoin the Protoss and assist in the fight. The demo has basic Stardraft enhancements (such as label changes and altered weapon/unit stats), two "new" portraits (one for Alvar made by Ius and one for Rond made by Joel Steudler, both of Campaign Creations fame), "new" unit sounds for Rond (made by Desler of Campaign Creations), and of course the two maps. Unlike Project O, there is NO new music.

3.) What is the Demo 2.0?
This is an idea I had after I released Project O. I quickly realized how simplistic the prequel demo was and, realizing I was capable of much more, decided to re-release it with new music, portraits, sounds, and advanced Stardraft/Stargraft enhancements to bring it up-to-date with the capabilities of the staff and me (I was the only staff member when the original demo was released). I originally intended to have this "Demo 2.0" out only a few weeks after Project O was released, but now current plans are to release it shortly after Episode I so that I can focus on the episode now.

SpecOps: Project O (a.k.a. Eye of the Storm II, Project Overmind)

1.) What is Project O?
Project O was a spur-of-the-moment project I put together at a time when I needed a little break from Episode I work. It is the original "Eye Of The Storm" mission from Starcraft (the final Protoss mission) edited to include three new heroes (Brockman, Fenix, and Nelgala) that were not in the original mission, new events (I can't explain this more without giving stuff away), new portraits (for Nelgala and Brockman), new unit sounds (for Brockman), new Zerg, LOTS of new music, and a few other little surprises.

2.) Why was it made?
Project O was made for several reasons. Mainly, it showed what the staff and I were capable of putting together (much more than the prequel demo), giving a much better representation of what the missions in SpecOps itself will be like. Another big reason was to introduce the musical themes that will be used all throughout SpecOps, and help more closely tie Starcraft and SpecOps together, making them blend more smoothly with the key event portrayed in Eye Of The Storm. It also introduced Nelgala and re-introduced Brockman (and put in Fenix, who I always thought should have been in that mission).

3.) What's with the music?
General question #1 up above explains the reasons I chose the music I did. Project O introduces the Protoss Theme (Star Wars' "Yoda's Theme"; which plays during Fenix's opening speech in the briefing), the SpecOps Main Title/Raynor's Theme (the "Star Wars Main Title"; which plays during the intro scrolling text and in the background of Raynor's briefing speech), the Zerg Theme/Kerrigan's Theme (Star Wars' "Imperial March/Darth Vader's Theme"; briefly played when the Overmind is mentioned in the briefing), the Friends Theme/Brockman's Theme, ("Back to the Future Main Title"; which plays when Brockman is introduced), and the 'main good guy theme' (Star Wars' "Force Theme"; which plays during Tassadar's closing speech and will be very frequent during heroic times in the campaign).

4.) Where's Aldaris' speech?
I took the speech out because I thought it was unnessesary...at first. Now that I'm looking back, and hearing from fans that it's missed, I'm not so sure. If you miss it, I'm sorry. That will be corrected in the future....

5.) Why the cerebrates?
The cerebrates were put in when I first started editing the map, just for fun. I realized after putting them in that they were silly and pointless (as Mason Wheeler pointed out), and meant to take them out before I released the map, but I got wrapped up trying to finish it and forgot. Just uhhhh...try to ignore them. :)

6.) Brockman's portrait is cool, but seems to wobble a bit. Will this be fixed in the future?
The portrait is far from the finished product. Zareiff and Derlin had little over a week to do almost the entire portrait, and in that little amount of time it's amazing they finished it at all, I think! Now that there's not such a time crunch, they'll have time to smooth it out (especially the mustache and tank coloration) and keep it from wiggling all around like it does. Expect a much smoother portrait for Brockman and all new SpecOps heroes in Episode I.

7.) What's this 'Project O2' I've heard about?
Project O2 is the name of a remake of Project O that will eventually be released. Improvements include removal of the cerebrates, the re-addition of Aldaris' opening speech, the addition of one new hero, improved portraits, improved sounds, and improved music. Plans right now are to release this project some time after Episode I.

SpecOps: Episode I

1.) WHEN WILL EPISODE I BE RELEASED?!
The original plan was to finish and release Episode I by New Year's Day, 2000. Obviously, that didn't happen. No official date has been set, but the staff and I are working as fast as we can and hope to finish the whole of Episode I early into 2001. More details forthcoming as work progresses....

2.) Will Episode I ever be given a name?
Yes. The staff and I have discussed this in the past, and I am close to reaching a final decision. Again, more details forthcoming....

3.) What old and new characters will Episode I feature?
You can find information on the heroes here. Everyone on the list will be appearing except possibly with the exception of Devlin Ward. Duran, S. Kerrigan, and Ward will not be controlled by the player until Episode II, and Mengsk, if he is controlled at all, will not be so until Episode III.

4.) What Stardraft and Stargraft enhancements will be seen in Episode I?
Most of these are described here, but certainly not all. Enhancements I can give away now are that A.) Rond will be able to cloak, as seen in the latest series of screenshots, B.) Raynor's vulture will have five spider mines instead of the typical vulture's three, C.) the Hyperion will have shields, increased speed, and other big surprises (advanced Stargraft stuff), D.) Julie Kerrigan will have at least one new spell added in addition to lockdown and cloak, and E.) Kaldor will have a unique weapon (not canister rifle or pulse rifle). There are a lot more enhancements than that, but I don't want to give them away just yet. :P

5.) How many missions will be in Episode I?
There will be nine fully-playable missions, one cutscene (non-interactive) mission, and one half-playable/half-cutscene mission.

6.) What tilesets will Episode I use?
Jungle, Badlands, Space Platform, Ice, Desert, Ash, and Installation tilesets will all be used, some more than once. Certain locations may be visited more than once in Episode I and/or revisited in Episodes II and III. Some of those locations are described here.

7.) Will Episode I be an all-Terran campaign?
As I have said in the past, Episode I is a Terran campaign, Episode II will be a Zerg campaign, and Episode III will be a Protoss campaign. You can expect to control at least Terrans and Protoss in Episode I, though the vast majority of the action will be as Terrans. Episodes II and III will have a lot of crossover, but all three episodes will still focus on their "main" race.

SpecOps: Episode II

1.) When will Episode II be released?
Our hopes are to release Episode II only two or three months after Episode I's debut. This should be acheivable, as we will still have most of the advanced stuff (Stardraft, Stargraft, MPQ, etc.) will already be done, and we won't have to spend several months learning how to do certain things like we did with Episode I. So mostly all that will have to be done is new sounds, new portraits, new music, and the maps themselves. Some of the music and a couple of the maps are already at least partially done. More details forthcoming as Episode I progresses....

2.) How many new heroes will Episode II feature?
Three. 'Nuff said, for now.

3.) What tilesets will Episode II use?
Ash, Jungle, Installation, Badlands, and Space Platform at least. The rest are undecided at this time.

4.) How many missions will Episode II have?
10-12. The exact number is still undecided.

5.) Will it be an all-Zerg campaign?
As stated before, Episode II will have a good amount of crossover. Zerg action will dominate, but you can expect to at least play as Terrans as well.

SpecOps: Episode III

1.) When will Episode III be released?
Episode III will hopefully be ready summer of 2001. This depends on how long Episodes I and II take. Some of the music and a couple maps are already at least partially done. More details forthcoming....

2.) How many new heroes will Episode III feature?
Three, as plans are now.

3.) What tilesets will Episode III use?
Jungle, Ash, Badlands, Space Platform, and Twilight at least. The rest are undecided at this time.

4.) How many missions will Episode III have?
10-13. The exact number is still undecided, though there will be at least one cutscene mission.

5.) Will it be an all-Protoss campaign?
As stated before, Episode III will have a good amount of crossover. Protoss action will dominate, but there will be a good amount of Terran action, too, and you can also expect to play as Zerg.

Any other questions? Just ask Seawolf.