StarCraft centers around the struggle between three different races, the humanoid Terrans, the vicious swarms of buglike Zerg, and the energy-based technology of the Protoss. All three races have distinct units and technology trees with fairly unique attributes. No longer do we have identical forces on either side of the battle. StarCraft shines because of the uniquely blended powers of the different races. Each race has ground, air, and "special" units to engage the enemy. The Terrans and Protoss generally have more ranged attacks, while the Zergs have swarms of closer- attacking units. The two basic resources are the same for every race. You must mine and convert minerals and gas in order to build and grow. After that, the similarities start to fade. Zerg units can burrow under the ground and lie in wait for intruders, Protoss units come equipped with powerful shields to ward off damage, the Terrans even get the capability of a devastating nuclear attack provided they can sneak a spotter near the intended blast point.

The game offers multiple modes of play. The single-player campaign mode comes with a rich story line detailing the battle between the races and the computer player is no slouch. Each race has a ten-mission campaign, and the overall story was designed sequentially: the player starts with the Terrans, moving on to the Zergs, and then the Protoss (although you can play them out of order). The style of the missions is pretty standard fare. At first you're simply building a few units, and then maybe destroying a small band of enemy units, but you can tell that Blizzard really put some thought into the mission and map design because the variety of tasks and locales keeps you coming back for more.

The real action that StarCraft provides is in multiplayer modes via LAN or through Blizzard's gaming site at Battle.net. Even via a 28.8 modem the game is thoroughly playable over the web. All you have to do is log on to your ISP and then run the game. You select multiplayer and then Battlenet to go to the site. Once there you can engage other players in a multitude of scenarios. The diversity of interesting battle scenarios provided in the game is impressive, but a host can design his own game if he chooses. Battlenet offers open games ranging in experience from "newbie" to advanced. There are also "ladder" games which require the player to gain a specific number of victories and experience before progressing up the ladder to another challenge. You can even password-protect your online games and design ongoing campaigns that you and friends can participate in, all for free. A word to the wise, stick to newbie for the first few encounters because the locals show no quarter and expect no quarter. I encountered only a few connection problems and even if someone is lost from a multiplayer game (including the host) the other players can still continue playing and the game doesn't crash (a nice touch).

Ethics online at one of these game sites resides in the prepubescent zone, so be prepared to get your butt kicked a few times by a maniacal, power-hungry 12-year-old. That being said, multiplayer gaming is the essence of this title. Newcomers to the online venture should also shy away from hosts that want to play at very fast game speeds (not connection speed but unit speed during the game). It's much harder to deal with fast-moving units in real time, especially if there's even a little latency now and then. You'll find that a bunch of your troops will charge to their doom before you can stop them and give new orders. There's nothing more frustrating than losing an expensive group of Zerg Guardians by accidentally ranging near some Terran BattleCruisers simply because you couldn't turn them around in time. Battlenet tracks your progress through your account name so other players can see how accomplished you are. It also keeps track of any "unethical" disconnects should you cut and run when things look bleak. Keep this in mind as some players are looking for a challenge, yet others are looking to stomp on a newbie with little or no experience.

Once again this is real-time strategy wargaming at its best and most inventive. So if you didn't like WarCraft or its ilk, you probably won't enjoy StarCraft too much either. If you are a real-time gamer, you simply must own StarCraft and you won't regret the purchase. Small enhancements to gameplay help make this such a solid real-time title. Little additions like a rally point for your newly produced units (they will proceed to a specific target when they appear instead of milling around waiting for orders) have spruced up gameplay.

Still after several years of real-time gaming evolution, some problems persist in the genre. From time to time you'll send a group of units off to a specific point and half of them will head straight there while the other half takes a circuitous route around some terrain to get there. I long for the day when programmers tighten up AI movement routines. It's also strange to find gas vents and mineral deposits on "battle platforms" in the depths of space but this is a minor issue. Everything considered, StarCraft delivers as a wonderful game within its ever-growing milieu.

Cheats

power overwhelming God Mode
operation cwal Increases Building/Upgrade Speed
the gathering Infinite Energy
noglues Compter Can't Use Energy
game over man Instant Loss
staying alive Let's You Continue Playing After You Have Finished the Mission
show me the money Gives You 10,000 Minerals and Gas
there is no cow level Completes the Mission
whats mine is mine Gives You 500 Minerals
breathe deep Gives You 500 Vespene Gas
something for nothing Everything Available is Upgraded
black sheep wall Reveals Entire Map
medieval man Gives You Free Upgrades to Units
modify the phase variance Ability to Build Anything
war aint what it used to be Disables Fog of War
food for thought Allows You to Build More Units Than Supply
ophelia Warp to Any Mission. Type in, press Enter, then type a mission number