Starcraft has been an all time favourite real time strategy game since its release.
A port of the StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War campaigns was released in 2011 as a fan-made mod for StarCraft II under the name 'StarCraft: Mass Recall'. The mod includes the original units, campaigns, and hidden missions, but uses the StarCraft II engine including the AI mechanics, which makes the game notably more difficult than the. StarCraft II is a competitive game of the highest order, and as such, it offers a fully featured online experience that is as thrilling as it is grueling. It begins with choosing the faction that.
The new Starcraft game is much awaited as the series has never failed to amaze Starcraft fans. Starcraft 3 news has already flooded the internet with the hype of Starcraft 3 release date.
The Blizzard entertainment has always raised expectations about their next game release because of the previous smash hits. But the fact is that there is no Starcraft release date announced yet. Although this may break the heart of Starcraft fans, the Blizzard franchise has not revealed their plans for a new Starcraft game. It may come as a surprise though in the year 2020.
The composers of the video game, Derek Duke, Jason Hayes, Glenn Stafford, and Tracy W. Bush have put their heart and soul in developing Starcraft. The hard work shows off in the success and fan following of the game.
Rumors About Starcraft 3 Release
Many rumors are circulating about the new Starcraft game but we still have to wait until Starcraft 3 release date announced. The fans are going crazy anticipating what this new game of the series is going to bring for them. But the wait is still not over until Blizzard announces their next game level.
The debut may still take time to appear and conquer the hearts of Starcraft fans. The original Starcraft and Starcraft 2 were released with a gap of 10 years after which the expansions made their appearance. The expansion of the series again took 3 and 4 years but the result has always been tremendous. Overall, the fans had to wait a decade to enjoy their gaming experience with Starcraft to the fullest.
Now, updates from Blizzard Entertainment are much awaited to add more fun. However, there is recent news about expanding their teams for developing the world-famous Warcraft, Candy Crush, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Diablo, and Call of Duty. The announcement did not include Starcraft 3 on the list and so the fans should be ready to wait longer. What's more happening at Blizzard is that they have recently cancelled a development which was in progress for the last two years. There is no first person shooter being introduced now in Starcraft as they are looking forward to put more resources in other games such as Overwatch and Diablo. These franchises have their name as well and need to be highlighted more by the company.
Blizzard's Response to Rumors
Blizzard has a huge fan following all over the world because of their massive projects. Although they never feel the need to comment on their unrevealed projects in order to boost the anticipation, they have clarified their decision of putting more efforts into other projects.
The response by the creator was that they usually do not discuss their on going projects with the public as the development process takes time and anything can happen until the release. Such a case has already happened in the past when the company decided to stop moving forward on the project.
The creators also shared that they have always worked with their heart and soul to being out fascinating results for the fans. Being players themselves, they made the decision based on what they thought was best for the company. Although this would have disappointed their fans, they tried their best to keep up their hopes with development plans for other ongoing things.
Blizzard has cancelled its developments in the past as well. So, this was not their first time. They previously made several changes in the third person shooter stealth game, delayed the release and then finally cancelled their plans in the year 2006. Despite all of this, the fans have never fallen short of their Starcraft experience. The news in the year 2017 about Stacraft going free to play was something hue for its fans. Blizzard had also announced the original Starcraft going free in early 2017.
The game has won many awards and been labelled as the best real time strategy game. It is also ranked seventh among the best games that have ever been made. The first release was for Windows in the year 1998 followed by the Mac OS version in 1999. The Nintendo 64 port was released in the following year 2000. Although the game is still able to win the hearts of players, we look forward to an advanced platform with improved features.
The rumours show how anxiously people are waiting for a new version to release although the company is not working on it anymore. The original game is still enjoyed with many series in the follow up. Moreover, the added features make the game even more interesting.
Starcraft – Original Game
Starcraft is a science fiction based real time strategy game owned by Blizzard Entertainment. The game was released in the year 1998 after 3 years of planning. Starcraft is all about dominating 4 types of species somewhere in the milky way galaxy.
The game's expansion was the next step soon after the initial release was made. New modern warfare game. The decision for expanding the series was made just days after the original series was concluded. The expansions have always come with new and improved features.
A game with large player base always makes it more popular as more people can easily get their hands on it. Therefore, real time strategy games are made with player base for multiplayers.
Plot of the Starcraft Game
The combat missions were set for the players to accomplish like most of the games. The introductory missions are easier while other battles get more challenging. The events are set and lead to the next battle. The background of Starcraft is much more detailed unlike other video games. The game is given cinematic depth by authors and artists to have a real time experience. This is how a real time strategy video game can make its existence in the world of new games with advanced features.
The different episodes of Starcraft are numbered and the third version is still awaited by the fans. People are also expecting the fourth version to release after the third one which is the true success of Starcraft. Fans are crazy for the video game and want more fun in future.
The background of the universe is well explained through video clips, text stories, and descriptions. The three races featured in Starcraft are renegade human Terrans, the noble psionic Protoss, and the horrific insectoid Zerg. The storyline revolves around these three races. The leaders fight to conquer the universe and each episode has new features for the fans.
The game shows how things are going to be in universe. The milky way galaxy is given the name, The Koprulu sector. All the three species of the game fight to have dominance over the other species. The Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss are all skilled in their own way. The Terrans being humans manage to adapt any situation in the game. They have exiled from Earth and have power to fight the other two intelligent species.
The Zergs are insectoid aliens known to be genetically perfect. The Protoss are the species with advanced technologies and abilitiesda to preserve their civilization. The Protoss have their own strict way of life which is why they fight for it. The powers are assigned to all three species in a balanced way and no one has any advantage over the other.
However, the Zergs have resources that are relatively cheaper and somewhat weaker which cannot overwhelm its enemies. The Terrans, on the other hand have versatile powers. Their access to machinery such as tanks and military weapons makes them fight for dominance. The overall balance of strength still persists between all species.
Starcraft Series – Order of Release
The series has a core set of games released in different years. The titles depict previous game events. The second game after the original Starcraft was Starcraft: Wings of Liberty which was released in the year 2010. This release was made after 4 years of Brood War.
There are two expansions of second part of the game known as Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void. These were planned to be released in the years 2013 and 2015 from the very beginning. The chronological order of the games adds interest for the gamer to continue gaming until the last level.
So, what is the game actually about that makes gamers go crazy for it? The player views the other species as a military commander. He dominates the species and fights them in the Milky way galaxy with his powers.
New Content Added in Starcraft
There is new content added continuously in the Starcraft game to amaze the gamers. The special mission packs, co-op commander missions, and the balancing truckload are all features for the gamers to love even more. The changes made in the original version of Starcraft was critically praised for balancing various issues.
Additional mission packs for Starcraft 2 were announced at the Blizzcon 2015. This definitely made the players more engaged with the game. There are 9 new missions in 3 episodes to achieve with the additions made. Moreover, the added commanders to the Legacy of Void will take you to a whole new level of game.
Starcraft 2
The starcraft fans enjoyed experiencing the new storyline of Starcraft 2. It eventually became a blockbuster with the innovations and smooth gameplay. The Blizzard franchise needed something like Starcraft 2 in the line to become a massive hit. Starcraft 2 had expansions in the follow up as Blizzard delivers the best even through expansion content. The expansions made in the second version won the hearts of players which is why they await the third version so much. People can never forget the impact Starcraft has made on their lives as they have spent hours and hours enjoying the game
The game was made free to play and this opened the gates for online play. It made the fans anticipate even more fun with Starcraft 3. The game reaches out to a larger audience through easy internet access. Hence, there are even more chances for the game to grow further. The game has an immense staying power.
After the success of Starcraft 2, many tournaments were held in Korea and many other parts of the world.
Latest Release
Starcraft: Remastered was the latest release in the year 2017. The version was remastered to update audio and video graphics of the game. The original Starcraft and Brood War expansion are available for free play and download from the Blizzard Website since 2017. The game can be played for free now which is great.
The remastered version of the Starcraft game was made with high definition graphics to improve quality and gaming experience.
What are Starcraft 3 Release Predictions?
The campaign for Starcraft 3 will be something huge keeping the success of Starcraft 2 in mind. This would pose a bigger challenge for the Blizzard Entertainment to live up to their audience's expectations. Although there are few chances of doing as great as Starcraft 2, the franchise will still work really hard to bring something new this time. Introducing a new evil or creating a prequel of the series is a good idea though.
The fans have already built their expectations too high in anticipation of Starcraft 3 release date. The new Starcraft game has to be worth the wait for the gamers. However, the gamers should be ready to wait for another decade to pass until Starcraft 4 release date gets announced.
Although their is no solid news about the Starcraft 3 release date, fans cannot hold onto their seats until the game actually makes its first appearance. However, the fans assume that they would have to pay a lot of money for the new game. The assumption is based on the huge success of Starcraft 2 and therefor the fans think Blizzard will invest even more in their third instalment. The fans keep raising the pressure as per their expectations although Blizzard has never revealed their plans for any such project in line.
The predictions were made for Blizzard to create a prequel of the series so they wont have to work that hard for the follow up. A fresh ground to work is what will make the project another success, players think. Moreover, players think about Starcraft coming out on a new platform this time. A Linux version of Starcraft 3 is much awaited to enjoy the new adventure.
Other consoles may be considered for the release of Starcraft new game as there are more advanced options to run the game on. The possibility of bringing up a new game with all new advanced features will live up to the expectations players have from Blizzard Entertainment.
Final Verdict
Starcraft is known to have brought new and unique factions in video games. The compelling story is able to grab the attention of the players even after years of the release. The individual traits of the three species have hone through a lengthy and expensive manufacturing process. This eventually makes the quality of the game outstanding. Starcraft has always preferred quality over quantity and it tops its strategy itself.
Blizzard has always taken time in developing and releasing its new games. Starcraft is one of the most polished games it brought in the world of gaming. The company makes sure it delivers the best without disclosing its on going project until they are completed and polished. This means there may still be years to wait until you hear the Starcraft 3 release date announced. The game will most probably be kept under wraps before hitting the shelves.
While it is likely that the Starcraft fans will wait anxiously for the new game to release, there is a possibility for other games to take over in future. The long wait might be risky for the company although they do not believe in hurrying up their tasks without a finish. Bizzard has pioneered real time strategy games and will not want to lose their reputation by launching a game not good enough to top the previous ones. Blizzard should be fair with the players who spent millions of hours on the previous two games.
Whatever the time of release, Starcraft 3 will make new records and break the internet once again. It is predicted to do better than Starcraft 2 and become a super hit. With millions of copies sold for the new game, the craze will take all over again no matter what other games come in future. Who knows the fans look forward for Starcraft 4 release date soon after the third instalment.
It felt like the end of an era for the fans when Starcraft revealed no plans for releasing another version of the game. However, the decision by Blizzard seems logical to put efforts into other projects and not Starcraft 3 this time. The video game raised the bar for all other games soon after its release. Journalists have always praised Starcraft for its performance and features.
Whatever the time of release, Starcraft 3 will make new records and break the internet once again. It is predicted to do better than Starcraft 2 and become a super hit. With millions of copies sold for the new game, the craze will take all over again no matter what other games come in future. Who knows the fans look forward for Starcraft 4 release date soon after the third instalment.
It felt like the end of an era for the fans when Starcraft revealed no plans for releasing another version of the game. However, the decision by Blizzard seems logical to put efforts into other projects and not Starcraft 3 this time. The video game raised the bar for all other games soon after its release. Journalists have always praised Starcraft for its performance and features.
Note: Much of this article is based on empirical research and scattered Blue posts, so there might be errors and inaccuracies.
The Battle.net Leagues are SC2's replacement to SC1's ladders and are Blizzard's official player ranking system. There are currently seven Leagues, each divided into numerous divisions as well as a Practice League for rookies.
- 1League Descriptions
- 1.1Overview
- 2Ladder Points
- 3Matchmaking Rating
League Descriptions[edit]
Overview[edit]
| Icon | Name | WoL Target[2] | HotS Target[3] | LotV Target[4] | Current Size (not necessarily active players)[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grandmaster | 1000 players | 1000 players | 1000 Players | 733 players | |
| Master | 2% | 2% | 4% | 4.3% | |
| Diamond | 18% | 18% | 23% | 21.7% | |
| Platinum | 20% | 20% | 23% | 21.3% | |
| Gold | 20% | 32% | 23% | 20.8% | |
| Silver | 20% | 20% | 23% | 22.5% | |
| Bronze | 20% | 8% | 4% | 9.5% |
Ranked from the lowest to the highest, the Leagues are: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master and Grandmaster. The Copper league, which was formerly below Bronze, was removed in favor of Diamond in beta patch 13. The Master League was added with patch 1.2, and the Grandmaster League was added in 1.3.
Players are placed in a league after having completed 5 placement matches. After that, a player may get moved to another league, depending on performance. Though the time and frequency of these movements are kept explicitly hidden. Regardless of a player's performance, however, placement matches currently do not place players in the highest league, Grandmaster. With even a perfect placement record, a player must work their way through the initial placement division(s) before being placed in Grandmaster.
Divisions[edit]
There are numerous divisions within each League, with each division being composed of up to 100 players. The name of each division is made up of a word from Starcraft terminology, and a letter from the ICAO phonetic alphabet, such as Gold League/ Division Zeratul Juliet.[6] The process of matchmaking is based solely on MMR and not on a player's division or league. This means players will often face opponents from other divisions, and may face opponents from different leagues. Players do not usually move from one division to another within the same league, though it is technically possible for a player to manually leave their division, and happen to be placed back into the same division.
Prior to Season 9, leagues below Master were subdivided into narrow skill ranges called division tiers.[7] The purpose of these tiers was to normalize displayed point ranges across a league via modifying point totals with fixed offsets. The lower the skill level of a tier, the larger the hidden point offset. Season 9 removed[8] division tiers, thereby widening the player pool for any given division in a league. As a result, points after Season 9 can be compared across divisions (but still not across leagues). Aggregators such as RankedFTW.com can be used to compare points within a league over an entire region.
Grandmaster League[edit]
Grandmaster League was added in patch 1.3 for 1v1 only.[9] This league represents the Top 200 players in each region. With the release of Legacy of the Void a Grandmaster League for Archon Mode was added. Grandmaster League opens one week after the start of a new season. Besides maintaining a high enough MMR, Grandmaster players need to play at least 30 games every 3 weeks to retain their spot. Every day at 5:00 p.m. local time, the bottom 5% of Grandmaster League is being automatically demoted to Masters League. At 8:00 p.m. local time, the highest rated master players are promoted to Grandmaster league to fill it back to 200. Contender league contains the highest rated non-Grandmaster players with at least 1 game played this season; players there either didn't have enough games played or MMR at the last promotion.[4]
Practice League[edit]
Starcraft 2 Games In Order
The Practice League no longer exists in the game, but was available early on in Wings of Liberty. The Practice League was separate from the rest of the ladder, which allowed new players to practice multiplayer matches prior to their placement matches. Practice league was completely optional. Players could conduct up to 50 matches in Practice league, which used a special 'novice version' of the ladder maps. The novice versions differed from the standard version as they included additional destructible rocks in rushing paths to slow the game down. This provided early game protection for newer players, which afforded them time to explore and learn both the interface and game. Additionally, the game speed in Practice League was 'Normal' instead of 'Faster'. After 50 matches, regardless of whether a player won or lost, players progressed to their placement matches for the competitive leagues.
'The other thing we're introducing is a casual league. It will work just like the regular league, except it doesn't do a bunch of ladder stats, so you don't have to worry about your rank and where you are. It'll be at a slower game speed setting, so it will be what you're used to from the campaign, and it will be on a bunch of maps that are anti-rush -- that are designed specifically to prevent rushing. Now, I can't promise you that you won't die at minute six -- you could be minding your own business and here comes a fleet of Banshees and, 'Aaauugh! I'm dead!' -- but you won't die in minute two. I can promise you that. You'll at least have a chance to get your feet wet and experience some of the tech tree before you get rolled.' (Quote by Dustin Browder - lead game designer)
Ladder Points[edit]
Players are ranked within their division based on their Points. The function of points is to determine a player's rank within their division. After having completed their placement matches, players start out with 0 points. The number of ladder points is only weakly correlated to skill. Especially if players have unspent bonus pool, ladder points tend to measure activity level much more strongly than performance.
Promotion Levels from Season 4[edit]
On November 15, 2011, Blizzard released a chart for season 4 explaining the point cutoffs required to almost be guaranteed a promotion.[10] This chart is a rough estimation of the number of points necessary to go from the bottom end of one league to the bottom of the next-highest league. The charts also contain information for team formats and for all regions. Note that this chart reflects the Wings of Liberty ladder, and no such chart has been published for Heart of the Swarm, where the league populations, bonus pool accrual rate, and season length are different.
| 2011 Blizzard Wings of Liberty Chart (Points including Bonus Pool, assumes an 8-week season) | |||||||
| North America | 1v1 | 2v2 Random | 2v2 Arranged | 3v3 Random | 3v3 Arranged | 4v4 Random | 4v4 Arranged |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze to Silver | 1200 | 1100 | 1000 | 1000 | 900 | 1000 | 900 |
| Silver to Gold | 800 | 800 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 |
| Gold to Platinum | 800 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 600 |
| Platinum to Diamond | 800 | 800 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 |
| Diamond to Master | 900 | 900 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 700 |
| Master to near Grandmaster | 1400 |
Earning and Losing Points[edit]
You earn or lose points by winning or losing matches, respectively. To simplify how it works in practice[11]:
y = (+/-)12 + x + z
where
- 'y' : the total number of points
- 'x' : the relative expected skill level between one player's points and the other's MMR (can be negative, calculated independently per player)
- 'z' : the points you get from your bonus pool
=> 'x' is a value in the interval of [-12,12], positive numbers are when your opponent is favored
- if the game says you are even, 'x' is part of {-2,-1,0,1,2}
- if it says your opponent is slightly favored, then 'x' is part of {3,4,5,6,7}
- if it says your opponent is favored, then 'x' is part of {8,9,10,11,12}
Starcraft 2 Custom Game Cheats
(of course, if you are the slightly/favored player, then 'x' is negative, which means you will lose more or win less than 12 points)
'z' will be greater than zero when your bonus pool is > 0. In which case z = 12 + x, permitted you have enough points in your bonus pool.
As of Patch 2.0.4, Players no longer lose points immediately. When a game is lost, points are subtracted from the bonus pool of the player.
After a player is promoted or demoted into a different league, points are always reset to 73 + spent bonus pool.[12] Because of this, bonus points earned are never lost when changing leagues.
Bonus Pool[edit]
The Bonus Pool is the sum of all 'bonus points' a player can get, which are added to the rating points a player earns after a victory or, in the case of a defeat, points are deducted from the bonus pool rather than the player's ladder points. The Bonus Pool serves two purposes: to encourage players to play games so their points are always trending upward, and as a global decay mechanism since all players have equal access to the same amount of Bonus Pool.
Players receive Bonus Pool points at a set rate per league. Before Season 3, all players received points at the Master league (original) rate. Season 3 introduced a separate accrual rate for leagues below Master. A player joining StarCraft freshly after the start of a season instantly receives the Bonus Pool as if he started at day 1 of the Season. (Example: Master League Player 1 joins on week 3 after the beginning of the Season he will receive a Bonus Pool of (180*3) 540 Points instantly after finishing his Placement Match.)
| League | Time per 1 Bonus Pool | Bonus Pool per Week |
|---|---|---|
| Grandmaster | 56 minutes | 180 |
| Master | 56 minutes | 180 |
| Diamond | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
| Platinum | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
| Gold | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
| Silver | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
| Bronze | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
Arranged 2v2 teams receive Bonus Pool at 66% the rate of 1v1. Arranged 3v3 and 4v4 teams receive Bonus Pool at 33% the 1v1 rate. This change was made in Patch 1.3 to make it easier to spend Bonus Pool on arranged teams, because of the logistics of having to play with the same teammates every time. Random 2v2/3v3/4v4 uses the standard 1v1 Bonus Pool accrual rate because those game modes can be played whenever the individual player decides to queue.[13]
Bonus pool accrual rates have been tuned for team matchmaking modes to make them more competitive:[4]
- 1v1: no change
- Random Team: 50% reduction
- Arranged Team: 75% reduction
- Archon Mode: 75% reduction
Matchmaking Rating[edit]
Starcraft – Original Game
Starcraft is a science fiction based real time strategy game owned by Blizzard Entertainment. The game was released in the year 1998 after 3 years of planning. Starcraft is all about dominating 4 types of species somewhere in the milky way galaxy.
The game's expansion was the next step soon after the initial release was made. New modern warfare game. The decision for expanding the series was made just days after the original series was concluded. The expansions have always come with new and improved features.
A game with large player base always makes it more popular as more people can easily get their hands on it. Therefore, real time strategy games are made with player base for multiplayers.
Plot of the Starcraft Game
The combat missions were set for the players to accomplish like most of the games. The introductory missions are easier while other battles get more challenging. The events are set and lead to the next battle. The background of Starcraft is much more detailed unlike other video games. The game is given cinematic depth by authors and artists to have a real time experience. This is how a real time strategy video game can make its existence in the world of new games with advanced features.
The different episodes of Starcraft are numbered and the third version is still awaited by the fans. People are also expecting the fourth version to release after the third one which is the true success of Starcraft. Fans are crazy for the video game and want more fun in future.
The background of the universe is well explained through video clips, text stories, and descriptions. The three races featured in Starcraft are renegade human Terrans, the noble psionic Protoss, and the horrific insectoid Zerg. The storyline revolves around these three races. The leaders fight to conquer the universe and each episode has new features for the fans.
The game shows how things are going to be in universe. The milky way galaxy is given the name, The Koprulu sector. All the three species of the game fight to have dominance over the other species. The Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss are all skilled in their own way. The Terrans being humans manage to adapt any situation in the game. They have exiled from Earth and have power to fight the other two intelligent species.
The Zergs are insectoid aliens known to be genetically perfect. The Protoss are the species with advanced technologies and abilitiesda to preserve their civilization. The Protoss have their own strict way of life which is why they fight for it. The powers are assigned to all three species in a balanced way and no one has any advantage over the other.
However, the Zergs have resources that are relatively cheaper and somewhat weaker which cannot overwhelm its enemies. The Terrans, on the other hand have versatile powers. Their access to machinery such as tanks and military weapons makes them fight for dominance. The overall balance of strength still persists between all species.
Starcraft Series – Order of Release
The series has a core set of games released in different years. The titles depict previous game events. The second game after the original Starcraft was Starcraft: Wings of Liberty which was released in the year 2010. This release was made after 4 years of Brood War.
There are two expansions of second part of the game known as Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void. These were planned to be released in the years 2013 and 2015 from the very beginning. The chronological order of the games adds interest for the gamer to continue gaming until the last level.
So, what is the game actually about that makes gamers go crazy for it? The player views the other species as a military commander. He dominates the species and fights them in the Milky way galaxy with his powers.
New Content Added in Starcraft
There is new content added continuously in the Starcraft game to amaze the gamers. The special mission packs, co-op commander missions, and the balancing truckload are all features for the gamers to love even more. The changes made in the original version of Starcraft was critically praised for balancing various issues.
Additional mission packs for Starcraft 2 were announced at the Blizzcon 2015. This definitely made the players more engaged with the game. There are 9 new missions in 3 episodes to achieve with the additions made. Moreover, the added commanders to the Legacy of Void will take you to a whole new level of game.
Starcraft 2
The starcraft fans enjoyed experiencing the new storyline of Starcraft 2. It eventually became a blockbuster with the innovations and smooth gameplay. The Blizzard franchise needed something like Starcraft 2 in the line to become a massive hit. Starcraft 2 had expansions in the follow up as Blizzard delivers the best even through expansion content. The expansions made in the second version won the hearts of players which is why they await the third version so much. People can never forget the impact Starcraft has made on their lives as they have spent hours and hours enjoying the game
The game was made free to play and this opened the gates for online play. It made the fans anticipate even more fun with Starcraft 3. The game reaches out to a larger audience through easy internet access. Hence, there are even more chances for the game to grow further. The game has an immense staying power.
After the success of Starcraft 2, many tournaments were held in Korea and many other parts of the world.
Latest Release
Starcraft: Remastered was the latest release in the year 2017. The version was remastered to update audio and video graphics of the game. The original Starcraft and Brood War expansion are available for free play and download from the Blizzard Website since 2017. The game can be played for free now which is great.
The remastered version of the Starcraft game was made with high definition graphics to improve quality and gaming experience.
What are Starcraft 3 Release Predictions?
The campaign for Starcraft 3 will be something huge keeping the success of Starcraft 2 in mind. This would pose a bigger challenge for the Blizzard Entertainment to live up to their audience's expectations. Although there are few chances of doing as great as Starcraft 2, the franchise will still work really hard to bring something new this time. Introducing a new evil or creating a prequel of the series is a good idea though.
The fans have already built their expectations too high in anticipation of Starcraft 3 release date. The new Starcraft game has to be worth the wait for the gamers. However, the gamers should be ready to wait for another decade to pass until Starcraft 4 release date gets announced.
Although their is no solid news about the Starcraft 3 release date, fans cannot hold onto their seats until the game actually makes its first appearance. However, the fans assume that they would have to pay a lot of money for the new game. The assumption is based on the huge success of Starcraft 2 and therefor the fans think Blizzard will invest even more in their third instalment. The fans keep raising the pressure as per their expectations although Blizzard has never revealed their plans for any such project in line.
The predictions were made for Blizzard to create a prequel of the series so they wont have to work that hard for the follow up. A fresh ground to work is what will make the project another success, players think. Moreover, players think about Starcraft coming out on a new platform this time. A Linux version of Starcraft 3 is much awaited to enjoy the new adventure.
Other consoles may be considered for the release of Starcraft new game as there are more advanced options to run the game on. The possibility of bringing up a new game with all new advanced features will live up to the expectations players have from Blizzard Entertainment.
Final Verdict
Starcraft is known to have brought new and unique factions in video games. The compelling story is able to grab the attention of the players even after years of the release. The individual traits of the three species have hone through a lengthy and expensive manufacturing process. This eventually makes the quality of the game outstanding. Starcraft has always preferred quality over quantity and it tops its strategy itself.
Blizzard has always taken time in developing and releasing its new games. Starcraft is one of the most polished games it brought in the world of gaming. The company makes sure it delivers the best without disclosing its on going project until they are completed and polished. This means there may still be years to wait until you hear the Starcraft 3 release date announced. The game will most probably be kept under wraps before hitting the shelves.
While it is likely that the Starcraft fans will wait anxiously for the new game to release, there is a possibility for other games to take over in future. The long wait might be risky for the company although they do not believe in hurrying up their tasks without a finish. Bizzard has pioneered real time strategy games and will not want to lose their reputation by launching a game not good enough to top the previous ones. Blizzard should be fair with the players who spent millions of hours on the previous two games.
Whatever the time of release, Starcraft 3 will make new records and break the internet once again. It is predicted to do better than Starcraft 2 and become a super hit. With millions of copies sold for the new game, the craze will take all over again no matter what other games come in future. Who knows the fans look forward for Starcraft 4 release date soon after the third instalment.
It felt like the end of an era for the fans when Starcraft revealed no plans for releasing another version of the game. However, the decision by Blizzard seems logical to put efforts into other projects and not Starcraft 3 this time. The video game raised the bar for all other games soon after its release. Journalists have always praised Starcraft for its performance and features.
Whatever the time of release, Starcraft 3 will make new records and break the internet once again. It is predicted to do better than Starcraft 2 and become a super hit. With millions of copies sold for the new game, the craze will take all over again no matter what other games come in future. Who knows the fans look forward for Starcraft 4 release date soon after the third instalment.
It felt like the end of an era for the fans when Starcraft revealed no plans for releasing another version of the game. However, the decision by Blizzard seems logical to put efforts into other projects and not Starcraft 3 this time. The video game raised the bar for all other games soon after its release. Journalists have always praised Starcraft for its performance and features.
Note: Much of this article is based on empirical research and scattered Blue posts, so there might be errors and inaccuracies.
The Battle.net Leagues are SC2's replacement to SC1's ladders and are Blizzard's official player ranking system. There are currently seven Leagues, each divided into numerous divisions as well as a Practice League for rookies.
- 1League Descriptions
- 1.1Overview
- 2Ladder Points
- 3Matchmaking Rating
League Descriptions[edit]
Overview[edit]
| Icon | Name | WoL Target[2] | HotS Target[3] | LotV Target[4] | Current Size (not necessarily active players)[5] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grandmaster | 1000 players | 1000 players | 1000 Players | 733 players | |
| Master | 2% | 2% | 4% | 4.3% | |
| Diamond | 18% | 18% | 23% | 21.7% | |
| Platinum | 20% | 20% | 23% | 21.3% | |
| Gold | 20% | 32% | 23% | 20.8% | |
| Silver | 20% | 20% | 23% | 22.5% | |
| Bronze | 20% | 8% | 4% | 9.5% |
Ranked from the lowest to the highest, the Leagues are: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master and Grandmaster. The Copper league, which was formerly below Bronze, was removed in favor of Diamond in beta patch 13. The Master League was added with patch 1.2, and the Grandmaster League was added in 1.3.
Players are placed in a league after having completed 5 placement matches. After that, a player may get moved to another league, depending on performance. Though the time and frequency of these movements are kept explicitly hidden. Regardless of a player's performance, however, placement matches currently do not place players in the highest league, Grandmaster. With even a perfect placement record, a player must work their way through the initial placement division(s) before being placed in Grandmaster.
Divisions[edit]
There are numerous divisions within each League, with each division being composed of up to 100 players. The name of each division is made up of a word from Starcraft terminology, and a letter from the ICAO phonetic alphabet, such as Gold League/ Division Zeratul Juliet.[6] The process of matchmaking is based solely on MMR and not on a player's division or league. This means players will often face opponents from other divisions, and may face opponents from different leagues. Players do not usually move from one division to another within the same league, though it is technically possible for a player to manually leave their division, and happen to be placed back into the same division.
Prior to Season 9, leagues below Master were subdivided into narrow skill ranges called division tiers.[7] The purpose of these tiers was to normalize displayed point ranges across a league via modifying point totals with fixed offsets. The lower the skill level of a tier, the larger the hidden point offset. Season 9 removed[8] division tiers, thereby widening the player pool for any given division in a league. As a result, points after Season 9 can be compared across divisions (but still not across leagues). Aggregators such as RankedFTW.com can be used to compare points within a league over an entire region.
Grandmaster League[edit]
Grandmaster League was added in patch 1.3 for 1v1 only.[9] This league represents the Top 200 players in each region. With the release of Legacy of the Void a Grandmaster League for Archon Mode was added. Grandmaster League opens one week after the start of a new season. Besides maintaining a high enough MMR, Grandmaster players need to play at least 30 games every 3 weeks to retain their spot. Every day at 5:00 p.m. local time, the bottom 5% of Grandmaster League is being automatically demoted to Masters League. At 8:00 p.m. local time, the highest rated master players are promoted to Grandmaster league to fill it back to 200. Contender league contains the highest rated non-Grandmaster players with at least 1 game played this season; players there either didn't have enough games played or MMR at the last promotion.[4]
Practice League[edit]
Starcraft 2 Games In Order
The Practice League no longer exists in the game, but was available early on in Wings of Liberty. The Practice League was separate from the rest of the ladder, which allowed new players to practice multiplayer matches prior to their placement matches. Practice league was completely optional. Players could conduct up to 50 matches in Practice league, which used a special 'novice version' of the ladder maps. The novice versions differed from the standard version as they included additional destructible rocks in rushing paths to slow the game down. This provided early game protection for newer players, which afforded them time to explore and learn both the interface and game. Additionally, the game speed in Practice League was 'Normal' instead of 'Faster'. After 50 matches, regardless of whether a player won or lost, players progressed to their placement matches for the competitive leagues.
'The other thing we're introducing is a casual league. It will work just like the regular league, except it doesn't do a bunch of ladder stats, so you don't have to worry about your rank and where you are. It'll be at a slower game speed setting, so it will be what you're used to from the campaign, and it will be on a bunch of maps that are anti-rush -- that are designed specifically to prevent rushing. Now, I can't promise you that you won't die at minute six -- you could be minding your own business and here comes a fleet of Banshees and, 'Aaauugh! I'm dead!' -- but you won't die in minute two. I can promise you that. You'll at least have a chance to get your feet wet and experience some of the tech tree before you get rolled.' (Quote by Dustin Browder - lead game designer)
Ladder Points[edit]
Players are ranked within their division based on their Points. The function of points is to determine a player's rank within their division. After having completed their placement matches, players start out with 0 points. The number of ladder points is only weakly correlated to skill. Especially if players have unspent bonus pool, ladder points tend to measure activity level much more strongly than performance.
Promotion Levels from Season 4[edit]
On November 15, 2011, Blizzard released a chart for season 4 explaining the point cutoffs required to almost be guaranteed a promotion.[10] This chart is a rough estimation of the number of points necessary to go from the bottom end of one league to the bottom of the next-highest league. The charts also contain information for team formats and for all regions. Note that this chart reflects the Wings of Liberty ladder, and no such chart has been published for Heart of the Swarm, where the league populations, bonus pool accrual rate, and season length are different.
| 2011 Blizzard Wings of Liberty Chart (Points including Bonus Pool, assumes an 8-week season) | |||||||
| North America | 1v1 | 2v2 Random | 2v2 Arranged | 3v3 Random | 3v3 Arranged | 4v4 Random | 4v4 Arranged |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze to Silver | 1200 | 1100 | 1000 | 1000 | 900 | 1000 | 900 |
| Silver to Gold | 800 | 800 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 |
| Gold to Platinum | 800 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 600 |
| Platinum to Diamond | 800 | 800 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 | 700 |
| Diamond to Master | 900 | 900 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 700 |
| Master to near Grandmaster | 1400 |
Earning and Losing Points[edit]
You earn or lose points by winning or losing matches, respectively. To simplify how it works in practice[11]:
y = (+/-)12 + x + z
where
- 'y' : the total number of points
- 'x' : the relative expected skill level between one player's points and the other's MMR (can be negative, calculated independently per player)
- 'z' : the points you get from your bonus pool
=> 'x' is a value in the interval of [-12,12], positive numbers are when your opponent is favored
- if the game says you are even, 'x' is part of {-2,-1,0,1,2}
- if it says your opponent is slightly favored, then 'x' is part of {3,4,5,6,7}
- if it says your opponent is favored, then 'x' is part of {8,9,10,11,12}
Starcraft 2 Custom Game Cheats
(of course, if you are the slightly/favored player, then 'x' is negative, which means you will lose more or win less than 12 points)
'z' will be greater than zero when your bonus pool is > 0. In which case z = 12 + x, permitted you have enough points in your bonus pool.
As of Patch 2.0.4, Players no longer lose points immediately. When a game is lost, points are subtracted from the bonus pool of the player.
After a player is promoted or demoted into a different league, points are always reset to 73 + spent bonus pool.[12] Because of this, bonus points earned are never lost when changing leagues.
Bonus Pool[edit]
The Bonus Pool is the sum of all 'bonus points' a player can get, which are added to the rating points a player earns after a victory or, in the case of a defeat, points are deducted from the bonus pool rather than the player's ladder points. The Bonus Pool serves two purposes: to encourage players to play games so their points are always trending upward, and as a global decay mechanism since all players have equal access to the same amount of Bonus Pool.
Players receive Bonus Pool points at a set rate per league. Before Season 3, all players received points at the Master league (original) rate. Season 3 introduced a separate accrual rate for leagues below Master. A player joining StarCraft freshly after the start of a season instantly receives the Bonus Pool as if he started at day 1 of the Season. (Example: Master League Player 1 joins on week 3 after the beginning of the Season he will receive a Bonus Pool of (180*3) 540 Points instantly after finishing his Placement Match.)
| League | Time per 1 Bonus Pool | Bonus Pool per Week |
|---|---|---|
| Grandmaster | 56 minutes | 180 |
| Master | 56 minutes | 180 |
| Diamond | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
| Platinum | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
| Gold | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
| Silver | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
| Bronze | 96 minutes, 3 seconds | 104.4 |
Arranged 2v2 teams receive Bonus Pool at 66% the rate of 1v1. Arranged 3v3 and 4v4 teams receive Bonus Pool at 33% the 1v1 rate. This change was made in Patch 1.3 to make it easier to spend Bonus Pool on arranged teams, because of the logistics of having to play with the same teammates every time. Random 2v2/3v3/4v4 uses the standard 1v1 Bonus Pool accrual rate because those game modes can be played whenever the individual player decides to queue.[13]
Bonus pool accrual rates have been tuned for team matchmaking modes to make them more competitive:[4]
- 1v1: no change
- Random Team: 50% reduction
- Arranged Team: 75% reduction
- Archon Mode: 75% reduction
Matchmaking Rating[edit]
Performance is measured via MMR rating, very much like the WoW Arena Matchmaking System. This rating decides which opponents a player will meet, and tries to quantify their skill level. The aim of the MMR is to rank players in such a way that they have a roughly 50% win ratio when paired against those of similar MMR.[14] When a player's MMR climbs above a certain value, they will be promoted into the next league.
Each play-season the visible points will be reset, while the skill rating, MMR, stays intact.[14]. Since Patch 3.4.0 (Ladder Revamp), MMR is no longer hidden to players.[4]
There also is a value 'sigma' that measures how uncertain the system is of a player's MMR. This is usually high if a player has not played many games recently, or if they are on a winning or losing streak. Sigma is used to calculate how wide a player's search range should be, and by extension how much their MMR will change as a result of playing rating-distant opponents (i.e. for Bayesian inference).
Since Patch 3.7.0, there is a separate MMR for each race played including Random (1v1 only).[15]
For more information on Blizzard's MMR system, see:
- Microsoft's TrueSkill rating, which is quite similar.
- Former Blizzard designer Josh Menke's lecture on Blizzard MMR at the University of California.
- Josh Menke's presentation at Blizzcon 2010.
- StarCraft II Secrets of the Masters (October 2010)
- Patch 3.4.0, The StarCraft II Ladder Revamp (July 2016)
- Patch 3.7.0, Separate MMR per Race (September 2016)
League MMR Ranges[edit]
Fortnite for laptop windows 10. In Patch 3.4[4], as part of the Ladder Revamp, Blizzard made numerous changes to the ladder system. MMR is now visible for players, each ladder league below Grandmaster is split into three tiers, and the post-game screen now shows specific information about a player's current skill rating, how close they are to the next tier, and the upper and lower limits of their current ladder tier.
The MMR boundaries are based on a prior distribution from the previous season, and during each season roll, the values are recalculated for the upcoming season.
| League | MMR Floor | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | US | KR | |
| Master | |||
| 1 | 4823 - 5054 | 4781 - 5012 | 5268 - 5522 |
| 2 | 4591 | 4551 | 5014 |
| 3 | 4360 | 4320 | 4760 |
| Diamond | |||
| 1 | 3973 | 3933 | 4347 |
| 2 | 3587 | 3547 | 3933 |
| 3 | 3200 | 3160 | 3520 |
| Platinum | |||
| 1 | 3067 | 3027 | 3360 |
| 2 | 2933 | 2893 | 3200 |
| 3 | 2800 | 2760 | 3040 |
| Gold | |||
| 1 | 2680 | 2640 | 2920 |
| 2 | 2560 | 2520 | 2800 |
| 3 | 2440 | 2400 | 2680 |
| Silver | |||
| 1 | 2267 | 2213 | 2493 |
| 2 | 2093 | 2027 | 2307 |
| 3 | 1920 | 1840 | 2120 |
| Bronze | |||
| 1 | 1689 | 1609 | 1866 |
| 2 | 1457 | 1379 | 1612 |
| 3 | 1226 | 1148 | 1358 |
Decay and Persistence[edit]
In Heart of the Swarm, if a player did not play any matches for an extended period of time, their MMR would decay, or automatically decrease. The details of the system are unknown, but it appears to be a linear decay,[17] and Blizzard has confirmed that decay begins after 2 weeks of inactivity, and decay stops after 4 weeks of inactivity.[18] MMR persists from one season to the next for each game type, as long as a Seasonal Placement Match was played for that season. If a Seasonal Placement Match was not played last season, then MMR and uncertainty are both reset to their default values and the system effectively 'forgets' about that player. A special note about this, though: Random Team MMR is linked with 1v1 MMR, which means that if no 1v1 games were played last season, but Random Team games were played, a player's 1v1 MMR would not be reset at the start of the next season.
MMR decay was removed in April 2015.[19]
2v2 Mechanics[edit]
Every arranged pair of 2v2 players is given a single rating. So players A+B's team will have a ranking completely unrelated to players A+C's team. In 2v2 random match-ups, an average rating of the two players will be compared to their opponents rating. This rule presumably applies for 3v3 and 4v4 as well.
Seasons[edit]
Starcraft II ladder is divided into several seasons per year, and the final results are generally recorded at the end of a season.
See also[edit]
Sources[edit]
- ↑Patch 4.0.0
- ↑TL: SC2 Master League Information
- ↑'Heart of the Swarm League Percentages'. 11 Mar 2013. Retrieved 19 Aug 2020.
- ↑ 4.04.14.24.34.4'Patch 3.4: The StarCraft II Ladder Revamp'. 28 Jun 2016. Retrieved 19 Aug 2020.
- ↑'SC2Unmasked homepage'. Retrieved 7 Jun 2017.
- ↑Battlenet: Overview
- ↑SC2 Ladder Analysis: Division Tiers
- ↑Season 9 Changes Announcement
- ↑Battlenet: Patch 1.3.0 Now Live
- ↑Climbing the Ladder: How to Earn a League Promotion
- ↑TL: An incomplete guide to bnet 2.0 ranking system
- ↑SC2 Master League Information
- ↑Excalibur_Z's Comprehensive Ladder Guide
- ↑ 14.014.1'StarCraft II Secrets of the Masters'. 22 Oct 2010. Retrieved 20 Aug 2020.
- ↑'Patch 3.7: Separate MMR per Race'. 29 Sep 2016. Retrieved 20 Aug 2020.
- ↑'StarCraft 2 Game Data API'. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ↑Excalibur_Z (20 Sep 2013). 'Ladder Deflation and MMR Decay'. Team Liquid Forums. Retrieved 21 Mar 2014.
- ↑Blizzard Entertainment (18 Dec 2013). 'Situation Report: The StarCraft II Multiplayer Ladder'. Battle.net. Retrieved 17 Aug 2020.
- ↑Blizzard Entertainment (27 Apr 2015). 'StarCraft II Ladder Update -- April 27, 2015'. Battle.net. Retrieved 17 Aug 2020.
|
