Continued Legacy: StarCraft Esports

StarCraft 2 has shown the world why even a real-time strategy game can step into the stage of the Esports industry. So far, StarCraft has shined bright in terms of growth and strong changes , but then the game has proven to be a blueprint for most strategy games to follow.

Sure, there are a lot of players who have loved the way that the single-player campaign has followed with the strong story that was built in the first game. However, the multiplayer side of StarCraft has proven to be a big factor in the game’s rise in the Esports industry.

The improved graphics and immersive gameplay have drawn a lot of players who loved the way that the story was delivered in the single-player story, and since then, the competitive side of StarCraft was born.

StarCraft has seen a lot of games over the years and has shown no signs of slowing down, being able to keep up with the likes of Dota 2, CSGO and even League of Legends. The game itself has been really received well and one can say that it is very unique compared to its counterparts in the Esports industry.

The strategy game has seen two expansions since Wings of Liberty was released back in July 2010. The first base game was focused on the story of the Terran Dominion, while the expansion, Heart of the Swarm, follows the Zerg storyline and Sarah Kerrigan’s rise. The final expansion saw the closing story of the game with the Protoss race delivering their legacy to a finish.

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StarCraft 2 has changed the way that the game is played due to the big additions per race and the improved graphics. The game has been very efficient when it comes to maximising player tactics with the DeepMind AI, which poses as a strong training AI compared to the ones from other games.

So far, the Esports community has been big enough for StarCraft that it continues to have big tournaments all over the world. Players are working hard to study and create their own tactics in using either Terran, Zerg, or Protoss in hopes of winning big in the tournaments.

One can say that the game is really not that hard to play if they are patient. Unlike fast-paced games, StarCraft has been really slow in terms of starting economy builds. However, pro players have done well in pushing the game speed and delivering stunning wins in just a matter of minutes.

Looking back, StarCraft was just a game that was set along with Warcraft, which is the base game for Blizzard to begin with back when the first game was released in 1998. StarCraft has improved a lot and have done well in giving back to the community that followed them through the years.

Brief History of StarCraft

Much like CSGO, StarCraft goes all the way back to the first game in 1998. The graphics were still not that good, but the game was already leading the growth that the gaming industry needed to push for more games like StarCraft.

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The first StarCraft game was the foundation of South Korea’s interest in competitive gaming and was considered to be one of the early Esports. The ability to connect with different players and play on LAN or online proved to be the stepping stone that the Esports industry has walked on to success.

Compared to common themes such as medieval and modern ages that most Esports games have used, StarCraft focuses on a futuristic setting with advanced warfare at its focus. The first game delivered so well that it pushed Blizzard to work well on the second game which is the one used in the current Esports industry.

StarCraft 2 made its launch and was an instant success along with its expansion packs. Prior to the release, StarCraft: Brood War was called the most successful Esport and was well-known in South Korea. StarCraft 2 then made its way and became a hit in the Esports industry just a few months after it was launched.

It became the feature of many leagues and circuits all over the world and later had one of the largest prize pools as well. The first pro league for the game was formed in South Korea, known as the Global StarCraft 2 League or GSL. The game became a hit in Dreamhack in November 2010 and Assembly in the same year. 

Since then, there have been a lot of leagues that featured StarCraft as its main game, and that led to the growth of the game’s community. One can say that StarCraft is an innovator for most Esports to follow as it made a lot of changes much like CSGO free skins did for the shooter game. For a strategy game, the achievements that it has gained is impressive.

The Warcraft 3 mod led the birth to Dota 2, but other than that, there were no more games that delivered the same impact that both StarCraft and Warcraft has done in the line of strategy games. 

Other real-time strategy games such as Command and Conquer Generals, Red Alert, Hearts of Iron, Battle Realms and so many more failed to become a relevant game over the years. StarCraft has stood the test of time and proved that a strategy game can thrive as one of the leading Esports.

Playing on Different Races

StarCraft does not have many factions to go around. Only the Terran, Zerg and Protoss serve as the playable teams in the game. These races work on different levels and one must put some time and effort into studying them well to play better.

The Terran race is human and are focused on average unit costs. Buildings can be built almost everywhere, and the race has great defence and mobility compared to the other two races. 

The humans also have a huge pool of units on a balanced scale. They thrive on air dominance but also proved to be a fine opponent on the ground. One can prove to be a fine Terran player as it is quite easy to manage the resource and unit needs for a single match.

The best way to win as Terran is to use the heavy armour that the faction boasts. The Thor Rush has proven to be one of the best ways to win in just minutes. It only needs one or two Thors and a crop of SCVs to support and repair the big unit when needed.

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Playing as Zerg is one of the finest experiences that a player can have in StarCraft. The unique alien swarm relies on big numbers to win matches, and their fast economy build is favoured by most players especially in huge tournaments.

The Zerg needs Creep Tumors to work on their ground before a player can build a base. That means spreading all throughout the map to ensure that defenses and other structures can be built.

The big advantage of playing as Zerg is the strong infantry units that the race has. From the dual-attack Hydralisks to the heavy Mutalisks that crush through almost every unit, the Zerg can be overwhelming depending on how many Zerglings a player has in his arsenal.

Using Protoss can be challenging at first, but once you get the hang of using multi-function barracks and the teleport function. Protoss focuses on strategic attacks and strong unit composition. One can easily get a win with a big attack composed of Void Rays and Zealots.

Unlike the first two races, the Protoss rely on their balanced economy and fast pacing from one point in the map to another with their ability to deploy units at any place with a Pylon. That means that the race is dangerous enough and it means a lot for a player to deliver the right timing in pushing with his units.

Using the Protoss Mothership or Carrier can be quite hard. With the right tactic of using Archons and Colossus, one can easily win a game without much hassle thanks to the strong air dominance that they have over the first two factions, and a great player can handle that well.

Players have to be very careful in using these factions as managing is hard, and attacking alone is a different part of the game due to the unit economy factor.

Best StarCraft Players

The best StarCraft players have proven to be a strong inspiration for those who are just starting their gaming careers. So far, Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala is arguably the best player there is in StarCraft. The Finnish star has proven himself to be a strong player for the Zerg race and is thriving in most games he played.

The star of Ence eSports is the sole star to win all of the WCS Circuit Tournaments held in 2018 and is the only non-Korean player to ever get the Triple Crown.

Other big stars in StarCraft include Sasha ‘Scarlett’ Hostyn, Riccardo ‘Reynor’ Romiti, Won Lee-sak among many great players. They have set the golden standard for future players to follow, and so far they have proven to be fine leaders in the game.

StarCraft 2 continues to thrive thanks to its strong community. It is safe to say that the game would still beat other strategy games and stand as a symbol of gaming in the Esports industry.

For more StarCraft updates, visit Gamdom.com

Words: Paul Daniel Flores