One of the main reasons StarCraft has endured so long in the popular consciousness of the gaming world is its map editing capabilities. With its out-of-the box map creator, StarEdit, and a dedicated base of fans who made maps and fashioned other editors seemingly out of electrical tape and magic, the game was able to take on a second life quite apart from its initial release and subsequent sequels.
Not satisfied with simply making maps for multiplayer use, some StarCraft fans took it upon themselves to create entire strings of single player missions, known as campaigns, featuring triggered events, handcrafted maps and even stellar voice acting. I’d imagine James Earl Jones was interested, but had other commitments.
The first campaign that really grabbed the public’s attention was actually a series of campaigns known as the Antioch Chronicles. It featured two large episodes, both with nine missions, which by all accounts were fun and varied, and there was a third episode planned that was never released. Rumors abound that its creator, Auspex Turmalis, is working on a campaign which will be released, not surprisingly, after StarCraft II finally arrives.
Unfortunately, multiple searches of the web have turned up 404 errors for websites that host this campaign, and even the original hosting site has been taken down.
Do not fear, however, for the Antioch Chronicles was merely the beginning of a flood of great (and not so great – and downright bad) StarCraft campaigns. One such great campaign – which is still available for download here – is “Life of a Marine”. Featuring a look at the less-than-glamorous side of being a marine in the Terran Dominion (is there a glamorous side to that?), the campaign features straight-talking Lt. Jack Sherall and his band of cronies as they romp through a seven-chapter campaign. The action in this one is fast paced and slightly frantic, allowing players to plow through all the levels in a matter of hours rather than days.
The campaign does a good job of putting the player in the center of the action, while also giving them actual characters to root for rather than faceless grunts. This means, however, that the player is loathe to lose a unit, and the whole campaign comes off with a slightly RPG feel.
Overall, the campaign is a worthwhile time investment and is further proof of how the StarCraft community has kept this game afloat and the desire high for the sequel. Jack Sherall would be proud. Or dead. Such is the life of a marine.
