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StarCraft maps are files containing scenarios for the StarCraft real time strategy (RTS) game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft maps have the file extension .SCM for the base game, and .SCX for those compatible with the expansion, Brood War.

Creating StarCraft Maps

StarCraft maps are developed with the StarCraft Campaign Editor, named StarEdit.
The most commonly used maps are provided courtesy of PISSPOP, one of the games first professional players and map makers.
Common Types of Custom Maps
Using different rules from the RTS format. Custom maps tend to fall into a few categories.

Defense Maps
In any defense map, the purpose is to stop waves of enemy units from reaching a specified target on the map. A popular type of this map is called Sunken defense, in which the players each control a group of Zerg Sunken Colonies. There is a specified number of waves, and when all waves are successfully defended, the players win.

Some types of this map employ a "point" system, in which the player can use points to buy more powerful units or defenses. There is also a technique called "Stacking" in which players can place defenses on top of each other, and is used by some maps.

Stacking
Stacking is a glitch in StarCraft that allows players to stack buildings on top of each other. It involves using triggers to make it so the map is covered in the fog of war. The StarCraft game engine recognizes buildings covered by the fog of war to be nonexistent, since they could have been destroyed since the player last saw it. Using triggers in the StarCraft Map Editor, the map is made so that a player can cover his whole vision in fog of war, and he will not receive vision from his units and buildings-meaning he cannot see his builder. However, StarCraft allows players to assign a hot key label to units and buildings. Thus he presses the number of the previously hot keyed unit, and can build where he wants because, as mentioned earlier, any buildings at that site are considered non-existent. Therefore, using this glitch, players can build on top of already existing buildings. This technique cannot be utilized in normal StarCraft.

Historical Maps
These maps follow an historic event or situation. Examples of these maps are Troy and WW1. These maps themselves fall under different categories, such as many so called "world war" maps utilize the tax collection system of diplomacy, but these maps generally allow players to have larger and more varied battles.

Board Game Maps
These maps are old board game rules adapted to StarCraft. Examples of these maps are Risk and StarCraft Diplomacy.

D&D style/Fantasy Maps
Maps based roughly on the Dungeons and Dragons rules and set mostly in fantasy settings. Ex. Mage RPG. Commonly used in games to show detail of a fictional place. The most widely known game that uses fictional maps is Dungeons and Dragons.

RP (Role Play) maps
RolePlay maps are vast 6-7 player maps, where the players are given no set goals, and have the ability to spawn any unit they please. After a brief "Setup" time period, each player commences RolePlay, making up their own story, RolePlay maps take place in many timesets, Medieval, Modern, Future and Post-Apocalypse

Evolve Maps
In this style of map/gameplay you have a choose four bunker defender. You get two vessels that spawn units. Fighting your enemy gives you points which allow you to improve your units by 'evolving' them. Another type of map, Random Evolves, has been created in which unit archetypes are given randomly.

There is a variation on this type of map known as "vovles" which is based loosely on the theory of Intelligent Design. Players spawn random units instead of a set hierarchy of units as in evolves, but the aim is still to destroy one's opponents bunker.

Diplomacy Maps
Diplomacy is a genre of custom multiplayer maps which utilizes real world terrain and tax collection as opposed to gathering as means of achieving minerals. The game most likely takes its name (but not its rules) from the Diplomacy board game.

Bound Maps
Bound maps give each player control of a single unit and all of the players attempt to pass many different types of obstacles without dying. Mostly, the obstacles are timed explosions.

LotR maps
In LotR/LotRish maps you can choose from 5-8 different nations. Each nation has different heroes and spawns that you use strategically to defeat your enemy. These maps are usually based on books like the Lord of the Rings, and Wheel of Time series. Popular maps of this style include: Rise of Sauron, Downfall of Numenor, Battle of Five Armies, White Moon, Sauron's Deciet, The Revelation, Wheel of Time - War of Power, Siege of Gondor, and Last Alliance. There are over 100 different LotR/LotRish maps for Starcraft, and still more being made.

The most successful strategy in LotRish maps is "opping". (Using your heroes to destroy a foes special building.)

Special Forces
This map is similar to a Role Playing Game but you are given an instruction

to kill all the crazy Kerrigans (Infested Kerrigan) units and all the cerebrates to win.

The player selects a powerful unit and then kills units to get gold. Gold is exchanged

for minerals at certain places. The player uses these minerals to upgrade; and at higher

level, even build more units. Mostly, the player plays as Terran against the Zerg but there are

games where you play as the Protoss and sometimes as the Protoss and Terran combined.

There are also some games in which you control a Zerg hero and attempt to kill (Terran and

Protoss) combined. In some cases there are secret units the player might get. These units are

super powerful and are a great addition. There are so many versions of this game but they all

circulate around the special forces. most secret units can only be gotten once, and that's

only by picking a specific unit at the beginning.

Helm's Deep
This is a map type that has evolved over the years. It was originally constructed by I_Am_Evil_Homer and was vastly improved by DarkStrake. Essentially, a fraction of the players play as the 'Orcs' while the others play as the humans (and sometimes elves). Though the goal of Helm's Deep varies with the version, in most there is a time limit in which the Orcs must destroy certain targets (either buildings or heroes, such as Theoden).
The game is made with several super powered units to represent Aragorn, Gimli, Saruman, etc. with hundreds of other units to represent soldiers.
Generally, because of the constraints of the map on how many units can be placed at any given time, more units spawn periodically.

Currently there is a huge Helms community in Battle.net especially in the USeast Server. Players like NarguilA, Dark-soul, Pisspop, JediEmissary and drumma have become legends by playing and inventing strategies that are thoroughly unique to the map. drumma is the creator of the most successful version. It is estimated that at least 200 games of "Helms Deep Fair 3 Final" are played daily on USeast. The majority of the helms deep players congregate on a channel named op heybumbum lead by heybumbum and pisspop.

The Annatar (a version of Helms Deep) community on USEast is headed by the 4H clan (4 Horsemen), while the community on USWest is far more fluid, but as several east players migrated there it has become much more active.

Sims
There are many variations of this map, Sims, Sims Vacation, SimCity, Sim School and possibly more. Each are based on the game developed by EA Games, The Sims. Usually, you start out as one person. You then build a house or move into a hotel or already existing house. In most versions of Starcraft Sims there are usually special players that will play as the police and gangsters. The gangsters are out to cause mayhem, and the police are trying to stop them.

Another variation of the Sims map is the "A Civilian's life". This is based on the life of a civilian. You do not necessarily have to have a house at the beginning. Your goal is to keep your happiness up (by eating, playing games, etc.)

Original variants of Starcraft Sims were small RP-spawned maps that were often rigged in favor of a certain player, usually the host. Invincible units and pre-built houses were not uncommon. Often maps would be spawned which were biased in favor of a certain clan, or a group of friends. In late 2005 many of these maps were deemed 'Obsolete' in favor of a more fair, industrial sims.