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.
Hey, is there any possibility of joining your clan?
Guest
4. 07-07-2008 14:52
Probably, clan bum have been accepting nubs since the start of the clan.
Guest
5. 12-11-2008 08:05
Well i remember Op Drumma Being the place to go for Helms games back in the day. Today another good place is op alliance- eastcoast. and dont forget to add in to the names of {FOX}BattleMage (the last person i know with {} in a name) and SpikeSpiegel-X, 2 of the greatest helmerz around. 2 of the only ppl i've seen fight off the dreaded Jedi//Drumma combo!!
Guest
6. 15-11-2008 07:13
Overall i remember clan bum being the biggest noobs on sc but reall heybumbum himself. out of all the the best of the best helms playes heybumbum is dead last. plz dont put him in the same line as drumma and jedi its just not right...just not right....
Guest
7. 15-11-2008 09:24
heybumbum used to be ok but he doesnt helms anymore and newer players passed him up
Guest
8. 15-11-2008 23:55
clan bum down new channes are op la-, op alliance- and op bum-
Guest
9. 10-02-2009 22:33
Wow you are all noobs still playin in clan bum.. give bum a shout fer me ltr.. txt me 1-502-259-8215
Guest
10. 05-05-2009 04:01
This needs editing. We should include either {FOX}Battlemage or Pwner in some form or another. He invented many strategies for helms deep, including the ladder trick, the orange goliath line, and the commander mid drop cave rush.
Guest
11. 05-05-2009 16:04
I cannot know anything. I want a Super RPG map :cry
Guest
12. 23-05-2009 21:46
Drumma and JediEmissary were actually taught by Desert_Fox. He was the one who perfected many of the bread and butter tactics used on the Uruk Hai side. This was about four years back.
Guest
13. 29-06-2009 19:49
i dont think so
Guest
14. 15-07-2009 01:25
Helms Deep? What the hell? Only real map on Starcraft was Lotr V LA. or better yet Sway.?
Guest
15. 21-11-2009 00:19
i really dont think u should mention pisspop in thier, he was an average player at best thier are many more players that surpass him easily
Guest
16. 09-12-2009 15:19
Actually Ultra20099 was probably the best player in the game at that time. I learned alot of strategies from him when he played Purple Uruk-hai and when he played aragorn.
Guest
17. 12-01-2010 11:11
hey... ppl don't play helms as much in USWest? Well the main server is Op helms, and alot of people play on it now.
Some good helmz players now are l)ark Lurker, Mr.Stinky, and Luigi(LsK) or something XD
Guest
18. 28-06-2010 03:23
Well everyone from east is now migrated to west and some of the players from Op Drumma still play. And for a fact Op Drumma was earlier then Clan Bums. FYI only like 4 bums play helms and the rest ds it. Those that do play helms have similar skillz to those from Op Drumma
Guest
19. 19-07-2010 05:02
Helms Deep Revamp was made after F3F. The best player currently is peruvian MaskedMarvel. I think we all remmember him.
Guest
20. 12-11-2010 06:16
Autumn~X u are sadly mistaken homeboy Clan Bum has been around since 04-05... i was the 4th member ever to join... Drumma's AKA is Soccer[Bum] and he is a damn good helmser.. but op Drumma came after clan Bum dawg...
Guest
21. 22-12-2010 01:38
Lol..what the heck are you talking about nick. Im talking about the channel the was made early on when many versions were out like helms deep gold, helms deep red etc, back in 98'ish I meant the original Op Drumma Channel. but that doesnt matter, everyone one i seen on are all very good.
Guest
22. 22-12-2010 03:18
sup i was in clan bums for awhil with heybumbum and gizzy[bum] running it.now really no one plays helms except for gizzy and zergkiller101.but few times people from all over would just come out of nowhere, so many that some couldnt play cause more than 8 ppl. Official F3F Pro List- not in any particular order - riddic zergkiller_101 protokomodo gizzy now8fire special_a battlemage[nod] drumma jediemissary bitter_defeat hello-gow mettallic0713 rabbidkiller maskedmarvel gaius_balter doomsday limweech sweet_victory heybumbum karma breakerd dragonpoo thespartan[zb] naked_wolf xgaram narguila ultra20099 die_alex84 spikespiegel-x and many many more.can someone else finish the list for me.
Guest
23. 07-01-2011 17:42
Op Helms on US West is a pretty good helmsing channel. Not a lot of people are on it anymore but some awesome helms players these days would be Mr.Stinky, Luigi.Flip(LsK)and l)ark_Lurker considering they're the makers of the new maps.
Guest
24. 17-02-2011 22:01
the first op drumma was before clan bums,everyone knows that, but thats not important. besides nick[bum] soccer isnt the real real drumma if thats what your thinking dawg. though he is a very good player. all the people i mentioned are all very good helmzers others just have more experince than others but their all good. shout outs to all you helms deep f3f and kodiakai's and clans as well as hld and hls players oh i forgot to mention kayomaro to the list. if i remeber others i will write them down
Guest
25. 13-07-2011 04:28
I've never played helms but im godly at evolves. there used to be a community but its mostly gone now, the only channel left is Clan EvO
