This Read Me contains what you need to know about the Starcraft Demo.
Important Note: The Starcraft Demo is NOT compatible with the PC Shareware.
However, rest assured that the retail Mac Starcraft is fully compatible with the retail PC Starcraft.
First of all, thank you very much for trying out this demo version of Starcraft. We worked very hard to create a game that you will want to spend many, many hours playing, and we hope that this will serve as a good introduction to the game. The campaign included in this demo is just the tip of the iceberg...
Starcraft takes on an entirely different feel when you are in a multiplayer game. The differences in how you have to think and react make for a very exciting and very new play experience. Once you are done with the campaign, head on up to Battle.net and try your hand at some Terran vs. Terran multiplayer games with the included demo map.
Finally, if you enjoy this demo, you won't believe the challenges that await you in the full version. Starcraft is a VERY different play experience depending upon which species you choose to command. The tactics and advanced strategies employed by the Terran, for instance, would be ineffective for the Zerg or Protoss to attempt.
• 16 megabytes of physical memory for a single player game. If you only have 16 megabytes of physical memory, you will need to turn on Virtual Memory. We recommend setting VM so your system’s largest unused block reports at least 27 megabytes free.
• DrawSprocketLib 1.1.4. This is required for Mac Starcraft to function. You may already have DrawSprocket installed (it will be in your Extensions folder). If you do not have DrawSprocket installed, you can download it.
At press time the current version of DrawSprocketLib is available at:
The Campaign Editor is not included in the Shareware distribution. Please buy the full retail version of Starcraft to get the Campaign Editor, and design your own maps and campaigns.
[Shift+Select Unit] Add/Remove Unit from Current Selection
[Option-Select Unit] Recall last group selected unit was in
[Ctrl-Select Unit] Selects all units of that type on the Main Screen
[Double-click Unit] Selects all units of that type on the Main Screen
[Shift+F{2-4}] Assign Location
[F{2-4}] Center on Assigned Location
[Shift+Issue Command] Set Waypoint
[Ctrl+C] Center on Selected Unit
[Option+C] Center on Selected Unit
[Tab] Hide/Reveal Terrain in Minimap
[Shift+Tab] Toggle Diplomacy Colors in Minimap
Green = Your Troops
Yellow = Allied Troops
Red = Enemy Troops
Multiplayer Options Only
[Return] Send Message
[Shift+Return] Send Message to All
[Ctrl+Return] Send Message to Allies
[Ctrl+R] Toggle Leaderboard from showing all player scores to only the leading players score
[Command+M] Toggle Screen Mode switches Starcraft between full screen and window mode
NOTE: Starcraft uses DrawSprocket, which is designed for best performance while running in full screen mode. Running in a window will degrade performance significantly.
The unit and kill counts on the score screens may not always match up. For example, if you destroy a building before it is completed you will receive full credit for the kill but the builder will not receive credit for the building.
Higher Ground
Starcraft utilizes the elements of both higher ground and cover to add a deeper level of strategy to the game. Experimenting with different units in these terrain types can yield some very effective tactics.
Units that are in trees are considered to be "in cover". Any units that are in cover only have a 70% chance of being hit. Keeping more vulnerable units, such as Marines, under the cover of trees greatly increases their life expectancy and allows them to hold their own against more powerful units.
Units attacking from lower ground to higher ground only have a 70% chance to hit. Also, units on lower ground cannot see higher ground but will counterattack any units that are attacking from higher terrain (even if the higher terrain is not visible). Using units with longer ranges, such as Siege Tanks, on high ground areas gives them a better field of vision and makes them much less vulnerable to attack.
Damage Types & Units Sizes
Units in Starcraft have three different designations: small, medium and large. The size of a unit is taken into account when calculating the effects of different classes of damage. This means that while a Firebat is more effective than a Tank against a Marine, he is less effective against a Vulture.
The damage classes and their effectiveness in relation to the three unit sizes are as follows:
• Normal Damage is equally effective against all types of units.
• Concussive Damage does 50% damage against Medium units and 25% against large units.
• Explosive Damage does 50% damage against Small units and 75% against medium units.
Some units, such as a Siege Tank, also have a Splash Damage modifier added to their damage. Any units or buildings within a set radius of the target unit take a peripheral amount of damage.
The following is a table that lists each of the damage types and unit sizes:
Terran Units
Unit Size Ground Attack Type Air Attack Type
SCV Small Normal N/A
Marine Small Normal Normal
Firebat Small Concussive* N/A
Ghost Small Concussive Concussive
Vulture Medium Concussive N/A
Siege Tank-Tank Large Explosive N/A
Siege Tank-Siege Large Explosive* N/A
Goliath Large Normal Explosive
Wraith Large Normal Explosive
Dropship Large N/A N/A
Science Vessel Large N/A N/A
Battlecruiser Large Normal Normal
Special Abilities
Some units can use special abilities, usually obtained through upgrades that enable them to affect other units or buildings. An example of this would be the EMP Shockwave employed by the Science Vessel. Every special ability has an energy cost associated with it that is deducted from that unit's available energy when the ability is activated. Some of these, such as the Cloaking ability of Wraiths and Ghosts, also have a continuous upkeep cost while the power is active.
Units that have special abilities usually have upgrades, such as the Apollo Reactor for the Wraith, which grants them a higher amount of available energy. While expended energy does recharge over time having larger initial stores to draw from is very valuable.
Mini Map Options
The TAB key toggles the mini map between two different views during gameplay. These views are the standard view (shows known terrain and units) and unit view (shows units only). The unit view is especially useful for tracking down units on a complex map.
The SHIFT-TAB key toggles the mini map between the diplomacy colors:
Important Note: The Starcraft Demo is NOT compatible with the PC Shareware.
However, rest assured that the retail Mac Starcraft is fully compatible with the retail PC Starcraft.
Starcraft and Battle.net
Battle.net is an Internet gaming service provided by Blizzard Entertainment which allows players to meet up, challenge other players, and join games, all without paying any special connection charges.
In order to use Battle.net your computer must have OpenTransport v1.1.1 or higher and an internet connection, either over a Dial-up connection or a LAN connection.
Q. I click on Battle.net but nothing seems to happen.
A. Sometimes your Mac may not be able to connect to your ISP while Starcraft is running. Try making the PPP connection to your ISP before starting Starcraft.
If you have successfully connected to Battle.net in the past, then you will want to delete the “Starcraft Prefs” file from the Preferences folder, and the “Battle.net Cache” file from your Starcraft folder. After deleting these files, restart Starcraft and you should be able to connect to battle.net
Q. I can chat with other users but I can’t join a game.
A. In order to play in a multiplayer game your system must be able to receive packets of game data (technically, UDP packets) from other players. Some service providers don’t allow incoming data of this type or don’t provide users with a unique Internet address to which packets can be sent. If you are unsure whether your provider is blocking this type of connection, please contact them for more information.
If you are trying to play Starcraft through a computer that is directly connected to the Internet through your employer or other organization, you should be aware that some companies block certain types of incoming data to their networks. To play multiplayer games on Battle.net you may have to ask your network administrator to allow incoming UDP packets on port 6112.
Starcraft and AppleTalk
AppleTalk is the preferred protocol for a Mac only local network.
Q. I am looking for a game in another AppleTalk Zone but when I hit “Create Game” it doesn’t create the game there.
A. Mac Starcraft allows you to search any zone that is on your AppleTalk network. However, when you create a game, that game is created in the zone that your Mac is set to in the “AppleTalk” control panel.
Starcraft and IPX
Starcraft uses MacIPX to communicate using IPX protocols. Many IBM compatible computers have IPX network drivers. If a PC is on a network it most likely has IPX on it. We only recommend IPX to play Starcraft between Macs and PCs on a local area network. Since the demo is only capable of playing with Macs we strongly recommend using AppleTalk.
Starcraft and Modems
Modems are useful to play against your friends when one party doesn’t have access to the internet.
Q. Mac Starcraft says that it “Can’t Initialize the selected device”, Why not?
A. First check to make sure that your modem is properly connected to your computer. Then check to make sure it has power and that it is plugged into your phone line. If all of the connections are in order your modem probably didn’t like the INIT string.
The INIT string is set in the Starcraft “Startup Options” window under the “Modem” tab.
We Recommend trying the default INIT string “AT &F.” If that fails, we recommend trying “ATZ” or “AT &F &K1.” If all of these fail, then you will want to check your modem manual and use an INIT string that disables error correction and data compression. If it still doesn’t work, please contact Blizzard Technical Support and let us know what kind of modem you are using.
Starcraft and Direct Connect
The Direct Connect option is provided primarily for Mac-IBM games when there is no network present. Mac to Mac direct connect games can be played using serial cables connected via the modem or printer serial ports. Since the demo is only capable of playing with Macs we strongly recommend using AppleTalk.
The Startup Options dialog has three tabs: General, Advanced, and Modem
At the bottom of the Dialog there is a Balloon Help button, which toggles Balloon Help on and off. There is also the "Don't Show Again" checkbox, checking this will cause Starcraft to skip this dialog in the future. If you wish to bring this dialog up again hold down the OPTION key while starting Starcraft.
General
Quit Other Applications
For best performance we recommend using the startup option “Quit other Programs” when playing Starcraft. This ensures that Starcraft can have more of your computer’s processing power. If this does not yield sufficient results, check the “Quit Finder Also” option.
Choose Monitor...
If you have more than one monitor attached to your mac the Choose Monitor button allows you to choose which monitor the game will be played on.
Game Volume
This popup lets you change the base volume for Starcraft. This sets the entire System volume, however, when you quit Starcraft your System volume will be restored.
Advanced
Share Processor Time
This will force Starcraft to give time to the system and any open applications. Turning it on can can adversely affect Starcraft performance.
Prevent CD-ROM Spindown
This will prevent the CD-ROM drive from spinning down while idle. (i.e. while in a Battle.net chat room). This only affects certain ATAPI CD-ROM drives, such as the one found in the iMac. If you own an ATAPI CD-ROM drive you should always leave this option checked.
Use Low Memory Art
This option forces Starcraft to use art that has fewer animations. We recommed that you only use this option if you have experienced out-of-memory errors when playing complex scenario files.
Use Multi-Button Mouse
Starcraft uses InputSprocket to support multi-button mice. If you do not have InputSprocket installed, this option will not be enabled. If you want to configure your multi-button mouse, check the box and click on the Configure Mouse button. We recommend that you set the leftmost button to "Left Button" and the rightmost button to "Right Button". You do not need to adjust the Left/Right or Up/Down settings.
Modem
Initialization string
This is where you enter the string that will initialize (set up) your modem.
Serial Baud Rate
This is where you set how fast your computer will talk to your modem.
Dialing
Toggles between Tone dialing and Pulse dialing.
Performance Tips
• Starcraft uses digital streaming audio for the music in the game. This is processor intensive and can affect performance on slower processors such as the PowerPC 603 and 601 families. If you want to speed up your game, go to the options and turn music off (Ctrl+M).
On some slower systems, turning off color cycling in the game can dramatically increase speed. This can be accomplished by opening the MENU while in the game. Select the GAME menu and then open the OPTIONS menu. Now open the VIDEO menu and turn color cycling to OFF. Also, you can disable unit portraits in the VIDEO menu. This can increase your game speed as it reduces disk access and screen redraw times.
Programs that run in the background while on the Internet, such as ICQ, web browsers, Pointcast or Netcast cut into the speed at which Starcraft plays. Turning off these Internet specific applications can also increase your game speed.
Another method of increasing performance in Starcraft is to add RAM to your computer if you are playing on a 16MB system. If your computer only has 16MB of RAM, you will need to turn on Virtual Memory to play, which can adversely affect performance.
Q. There seems to be a problem, what minimal extension set should I use?
A. With System 7.6 and later, we recommend that you open Apple's Extensions manager.
Go to the Selected Set pop-up menu and choose "Mac OS <version> all"
Then Duplicate Set...
Make sure that these extensions are active. Add them if necessary:
Apple CD-ROM 5.31 or greater (or third party equivalent)
DrawSprocketLib 1.1.4 or greater
These two extensions are the minimum requirements for a single player game. For multiplayer games, the following extensions are also necessary:
For multiplayer games over the Battle.net service or on an AppleTalk network:
OpenTransport 1.1.1 or greater and support files (Included on Mac OS CD versions 7.6 and higher)
For connecting to your dial-up ISP for a Battle.net connection:
Open Transport/PPP 1.0 or greater and support files (Included on Mac OS CD versions 7.6 and higher)
Q. I can’t connect to Battle.net. What now?
A. If you are having problems connecting to Battle.net, you will need to contact your network administrator and ask them to open UDP port 6112. Starcraft requires that this port be open to communicate with the Battle.net servers.
Q. I clicked on a Battle.net ad and Starcraft gave me an error message about Internet Config. What is that?
A. Internet Config is a standard way for your Macintosh to figure out which Internet related program to use to provide an Internet service. Starcraft uses Internet Config to find out which web browser to open when you request more information about any advertisement you see on Battle.net.
You can get more information and download links at:
Q. My cursor goes black on the Battle.net screens. Huh?
A. We noticed this behavior on certain third party video cards. We recommend contacting your video card manufacturer and getting the latest version of drivers and BIOS available.
Q. I’m running Starcraft in window mode and the colors went psychedelic on me. Why?
A. Starcraft is designed to run full screen. We don’t recommend running Starcraft in window mode. We also don’t recommend trying to change the screen resolution while running Starcraft in window mode
If you are having problems, please consult the “Troubleshooting” section of this read me file before contacting Technical Support. If you can access the world wide web, please point your browser to:
<http://www.blizzard.com/support.htm>
This is a technical support index for all of Blizzard Entertainment’s products and links to all of the current Technical Support FAQs.
If you encounter further problems, please consult Blizzard Technical Support through one of the convenient options below. Please note that we receive many calls, faxes, and e-mails every day and can deal with your inquiry more efficiently if you know the following information:
• The model and manufacturer of your computer
• How much RAM your computer has, and if/what kind of Virtual Memory is enabled
• The version of Mac OS you are running
• The model and manufacturer of any third party video cards you may have
• The model and manufacturer of your modem (Modem problems only)
All of this information can be found by running the "Apple System Profiler" found on the Apple menu.
On-Line Support
Blizzard Entertainment provides upcoming news, updates, product demos, technical support and more on the following on-line services for modem users.
World Wide Web
Blizzard Entertainment maintains a web site at address <http://www.blizzard.com/>. The Web site is Blizzard Entertainment’s clearinghouse for all publicly available information. If you want to know about our future games, release dates, system requirements, etc, please check the web site first. If you have a specific question not related to release dates that is not answered on the site, feel free to contact Blizzard through one of our other channels.
E-Mail
The e-mail address for Macintosh Technical Support is:
macsupport@blizzard.com
E-Mail is answered from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday, holidays excluded. Please allow 1-2 working days for your answer, though we do try to answer all e-mail within 24 hours.
Phone Support
Our Technical Support number is (949) 955-1382. Our Hours are 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday, holidays excluded.
NO GAME PLAYING HINTS WILL BE GIVEN THROUGH THIS NUMBER.
Fax Support
Our Technical Support Fax number is (949) 955-0157.
We accept faxes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Faxes are responded to from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday, holidays excluded. Please allow 1-2 working days for your answer, though we do try to answer all faxes within 24 working hours.
