Since 1999, Blizzard fans have dreamed about what it would be like to play a StarCraft MMO. I was one of these fans and our dreams are slowly becoming a reality. Though StarCraft Universe will not be a full scale MMO, it takes the team oriented raiding style of World of Warcraft and combines it with many slasher action RPG elements of Diablo.
We are working hard to have this mod for Starcraft II meet the eyes of the public as soon as we can.. but until then visit our website at www.StarcraftUniverse.org to find out more information!
This looks great. It's good to see a total conversion only a year after the game has come out, release a trailer showing plenty of progression. Nothing worse than waiting five years for a mod to come out. Looks like it will be fun, MMO style games aren't really my thing but I'll definitely give it a go. Can definitely appreciate how much effort they have put into this.
yes danny i fixed your post, thanks for the news but please put more effort by providing details / the actual trailer next time.
cant believe the sc2 map editor is so powerful, wow! and it will be a free custom map. curious to see the town / questing system tho, hvaent seen any of that in teh VODs.
from their faq page
What is Starcraft Universe?
Starcraft Universe (SCU) is a game mod project (Note: it is not a standalone game) for Starcraft 2. Originally named World of Starcraft, SCU's focus is recreating multiplayer raid battle experiences similarly found in the game: World of Warcraft. Starcraft Universe will be released in a series of Starcraft 2 custom maps and published officially on Battle.net.
What is the objective of this game?
The objective of this game is to experience dungeon raiding in Starcraft 2. The Definition of Raiding: A team of players creating/customizing their own hero character which they use to battle together through enemy forces and a powerful boss. These levels will be fun, exciting and very challenging.
What will Starcraft Universe feature?
- A wide variety of monsters, bosses and character classes. SCU classes include: Marine, Firebat, Ghost, Medic, Dark Templar, High Templar, Preserver, Zealot, and more to come.
- A game save system. These maps will allows players to create, save and load existing characters.
- Hundreds of customizable weapons, combat modifiers and equipment to choose from. They can be acquired as loot or bought in shops.
- Multiplayer experience. These maps allow (and encourage) up to five players in one instance.
More Q&A about the project:
Q. How many people can play this game?
A. We're still working on the player maximum per instance, we originally planned for ten, but this may be reduced to five to prevent server and FPS lag. Battle.net will allow unlimited matches to play at the same time.
Q. Do we have to pay a monthly subscription to continually play this game like World of Warcraft?
A. No, Starcraft Universe will not have a monthly free. Players just need to purchase their own valid copy of Starcraft 2.
Q. How many custom maps do you plan on making?
A. Right now, we are focused with creating one working solid map. Once we have that published and polished, we will then begin working on more SCU maps.
Q. Will players be able to join in a specific match once it has already started?
A. No, players will not be able to join in once a match has started. Alternatively, players can simply host a new match and invite others to play.
Q. Once I leave a game match, will I be able to use my created character (hero) on another match?
A. Yes, players will be able to create and save characters so that they may choose to progress with it anytime. Like any action RPG, players create, customize and save their own heroes.
Q. How many characters may I create and save?
A. You may save up to three characters at one time, this may cap may or may not be raised as time goes on. We have several character classes and we encourage SCU players to pick and try several of them.
Q. How many created heroes can we play at the same time?
A. Each player playing an SCU game can only control one character at a time, but SCU will offer items and abilities which support mercs and pets.
Q. How will there be any character progression?
A. Characters will gain exp from battle, loot, minerals, allocation-points to increase stat attributes, achievements, spell points to buy new abilities . These will help players in customizing and boosting their character stats. We will go into greater detail on this system as we get closer to release.
Q. What is Loot and how is it used in SCU?
A. Loot are drops of items from defeated enemies in SCU. We will create hundreds of custom weapons and items for players to fight for in their quest to dominate the galaxy.
Q. What are minerals and how will they be used in SCU?
A. Minerals will be gained while progressing through raid instances and will be used to purchase items and weapons.
Q.What are allocation points and how will they be used in SCU?
A. Allocation points (AP) will be granted from killing bosses, leveling up, and can be used to permanently boost a stat of your choice. The stat bonuses are very subtle and will hardly separate a casual player from a hardcore player.
Q. Will there be shops for players to purchase equipment?
A. Yes, several shops will be available in SCU.
Q. Hundreds of items seems tedious and overwhelming. How will they be valuable to a SCU player?
A. SCU players will NOT experience this: "oh yay I got a new sword that does more DPS and has a different model file...boring =( ". They will also NOT experience this: "Grrr, I must continue grinding and grinding for the next weapon so I can toss away my current one." Every weapon and item found in SCU will be both exciting and situational. They will ALL be useful and will have their own strengths and weaknesses.
Q. Will these custom maps have an original storyline?
A. No, SCU will be designed to reincarnate past battles from Starcraft 1, Starcraft 2 and Starcraft fictional books. No plans on creating original storyline.
Q. Will there be original designs implemented on SCU?
A. Definitely! SCU itself is an original custom map idea made for the Starcraft 2. Some items, weapons, and sounds will be original but heavily inspired by Starcraft lore. If you are a Starcraft 2 player, you will see many similarities found in SCU.
Q. Will we see any PvP (player vs player battles) on SCU?
A. Yes, we plan on bringing a PvP game mode to this project.
Q. When will the project be done? Is there a set release date?
A. There is no official release date set on this project yet. Continue checking this site for the latest news on this project.
Even the smallest donations help keep sc2sea running! All donations go towards helping our site run including our monthly server hosting fees and sc2sea sponsored community tournaments we host. Find out more here.