The Insurgent is the first campaign of StarCraft Adventures, which takes place in Samos, a star cluster in the Milky Way, far away from planet Earth.
StarCraft Adventures tells the story of the first great war in Samos that pitted the Terrans against the Protoss and the Zerg, a war simply known as the Conflict of Samos.

Plot.
A Commander deeply indebted to the Interplanetary Confederation of Samos decides to bet everything on the conquest of a distant planet known as Nevada, as he suspects that it is rich in resources. Convinced that the possession of Nevada will allow him to pay his debts to the Confederation and improve the situation of his planet, Xylox, which is completely plunged into poverty, Commander Dumont decides to contact a young infantry veteran named John Radner, who lives on one of the Central Planets.
John Radner is Marshal of a prominent infantry squadron on the planet Hudson, whose long history of fighting the Zerg has given him remarkable experience. Upon discovering that Nevada is inhabited by the Zerg, the Commander decides to hire Radner's squadron for the exploration of the planet. He also chooses General Jackson to lead his conquest operation, as he is the General with whom he has the most confidence. He is also accompanied by a Magistrate from Xylox. Noting the Magistrate's potential for military service, the Commander asks him to travel to Hudson for training.

This is a classic style RTS campaign, with macro missions mostly, and focused in the player's execution of different strategies.

Features:
* Original storyline that spans three campaigns.
* Fully voice acted in English and Spanish.
* The characters and planets in the story are different from those in the official campaigns, but there are some similiraties between campaigns.
* Each one of the main characters has a special role in the campaign.
* Each planet featured in the campaign has its own story.
* Abundant trigger attacks that complement the standard AI attack waves.
* Tech tree is part of the story.
* Story is pretty straightforward, but most maps contains some extra elements and easter eggs.

Almost everything is done, now I'm doing the final modifications. I plan to post the first map in two weeks and I hope to release the maps weekly, one by one. I'm very strict to schedules.
Here are some screenshots of the campaign.







Additional info on StarCraft Adventures.
https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/starcraft/t/starcraft-adventures-a-series-of-custom-campaigns/2378

1) 2 Dukes? Why?
2) How many missions will there be?
3) I can test if you want. I suppose you saw this topic.

1) Yes, the two Dukes are twin brothers. The portraits are confusing but in the story it will be clear which one is General.
Including two Dukes was an idea from way before this campaign. I made some custom maps back in 2003 or 2004 but I lost them.
2) There will be eleven missions.
3) You would do me a huge favor testing the first mission. I think that my campaign can improve and I would make fixes before releasing the complete version. Based on feedback I can make some changes in the next mission. I saw your topic and watched one of your test videos. Your tests are appreciated, thank you .

Then I need the picture for the video's preview.

OK, I'll send you when I have it ready.

awesome! I'll check this out once all the maps are released. I've added an entry for this into the fan campaign listing/archive.

Just like waiting the end of season before watching a TV series. Fair approach .

I have played the first six missions: great job! I just want to pinpoint some minor issues I found while playing:

- Mission 2: when the second dropship with reinforcements arrives (on day 12 if I'm not wrong), actually the trigger creates two dropships: one moves towards the beacon and unloads the men, while the other remains stuck in its spawning location. I don't know if this second dropship was supposed to carry some more troops or if it's just an unit created accidentally by the trigger.

- Mission 4: I find the labyrinth passages a bit too narrow for a large army to pass through; maybe you could make them a bit larger.

- Mission 5: I didn't understand why you placed the two Medics so far from the rest of the player's starting units...

- Mission 6: I found very difficult to make my units land on the enemy's island, as the computer player actually trains a huge amount of units (fortunately with no special abilities like Cloaking for Wraiths...) that remain stuck there but are unable to attack as they are too far (and the same applies for the human player). I suggest you add some bridges to connect the various islands (at least the ones occupied by the Red Terrans), so that the computer can move its units more easily.

Thank you for taking your time reviewing the missions :]

- Mission 2: I think it's due to a bug in the triggers. Probably it was the first Dropship that never got removed from the map and then the second Dropship ended up there without removal either. I should make sure to remove the Dropships using "Anywhere" as Location. I'm going to check that out.

- Mission 4: Some maps are going to have big layout modifications. That labyrinth in particular will have wider passages.

- Mission 5: Those Medics were talking to each other (in the corner of the map) too far away from the units, separated enough so that they don't do their job which is to automatically heal the injured Marines. Since the player would gather troops anyway, basically that situation shows Medics not doing what they're supposed to do until the player gains control of them.

- Mission 6: Essentially I'll change the AI script, part of the terrain and I'll fix the problem of factories spawning too many units.

When I have time I'm going to play your campaigns. I still have to play some, but working on my own campaign didn't leave me time to spare.

________________________________________

I have an announcement about my campaign.

A new version of the campaign will be released within the following weeks, (I mean, hopefully this year). Here below I post a list of changes to implement. There will be a lot of modifications. When I finish, I'll release a file with all the maps. The campaign will be compatible with 1.16.1 (some maps aren't compatible with it for now) and of course SC:R.

Overall changes to implement: Set Next Scenario for victory conditions until map 11. Increase difficulty. All maps in .scx format. Terrain modifications. Remove unused triggers and briefings.

Specific for every mission:
T1) Fix mineral counter, Set Next Scenario for defeat condition. Zerg player will eventually replace Creep Colonies. Add some doodads and enemy units. Done.
T2) Minor text fixes. Changes in AI behaviour and terrain. Creep Colonies replaced by Sunken Colonies during certain in-game conditions. Done.
T3) Add enemy units and upgrades during game. Modify terrain. Done.
T4) Change AI script and include some Order triggers. Add enemy units. Modifiy terrain and resources. Done.
T5) Include Beacons next to operable computers. Modify layout. Fix map format so it can be played on version 1.16.1. Done.
T6) Change AI script. Add Order triggers and upgrades during game. Limit number of enemy units. Modify terrain. Done.
T7) Add preplaced units. Change AI. Order triggers. Modify terrain. Done.
T8) Fix map format. Change AI script and behaviour, terrain. Done.
T9) Remove misplaced doodads. Terrain modifications. Done.
T10) Terrain modifications. Done.
T11) Terran Factories are requested as Condition for trigger attack cycles. Move lifted off starting buildings. Proper Command Center ping during victory dialogues. Some modifications for enemy players. Done.

After all this is done I won't be making updates to newer versions unless critical changes are to be made, so I hope to receive as many opinions as possible before that happens.
I have enthusiasm over my next campaign, but I can't move to that one until I properly finish with The Insurgent.

Post has been edited 12 time(s), last time on Nov 10 2021, 4:32 am by Luigi.

Nothing personal, but I can't continue testing yet because now I'm very sick. When I feel better I will continue.

Man, that's really bad. I hope you get better soon. Health comes first.
As for testing, don't worry about it. I'll wait until you feel better. I understand perfectly.

- Mission 8: I found the beginning of the mission a bit tough, as the Wraith waves start very soon and you have a few units (Kerrigan/Horner + 6 Marines) for defending your base. Maybe you could consider adding a Medic to make things a little easier. However, once you find a way to land on the central island, most of the job is done.

- Mission 9: There are just two minor issues in the final dialogue sequence: you should add a 'center view' trigger on the area where Dirichlet, Horner and Radner talk, otherwise the player will hear their transmissions without seeing them. Also, I suggest you use another color (yellow, for example) to distinguish Dirichlet's ship from the other Wraiths.

- Mission 10: I got stuck at the point when the Zerg become enemies, as I got discouraged: I saw that the Protoss have more powerful units than usual and even with the Zerg as allies this was a really tough mission, imagine without their support! Keeping in mind that the Zealots and Dragoons are stronger, maybe you should limit the number of units spawned by the computer, otherwise the mission becomes practically impossible, given the limited amount of starting resources and the few opportunities to expand to other ore and gas deposits (in fact, there is only one area for doing this, and is already occupied by Protoss units). I suggest you place some more free mineral fields and geysers around the map, as I guess this mission is supposed to be a "big game" (given the strengthened Protoss). I also didn't get why should I give 500 of my minerals to the Zerg with so scarce resources at my disposal. Last but not least, the map has some narrow passages that make the units' movement more difficult (see attached pictures).



PS some more starting units and resources would not be a bad thing...

EDIT: out of curiosity, I had a look on Mission 10's map triggers and I noticed you use the 'Attack' order to send Zerg units to fight against the Protoss. I suggest you change it to 'Patrol', because in general it works better (the units attack not only the target location, but also any enemy unit they meet on their way).

Post has been edited 3 time(s), last time on Oct 9 2021, 4:15 pm by Omen.

Thank you Omen for your feedback!
Every map will have its modifications. I'm thinking about some changes for map 8.
You're right about the cutscene for mission 9. Good observations.
Zerg behaviour is affected by triggers and some things you do in-game. I agree that I should limit the number of units controlled by the Protoss.

I was thinking on terrain modifications, especially for the starting Terran base.

Compared to mission 9, I think there's a leap on difficulty that is too big. I will be making some changes to make the difference smaller.

Trigger attacks occur in multiple steps. I use Attack Order when units gather and prepare for an attack. Attacks use Patrol when units are sent to their final target.

________________________________________

Update:
I've been working on my second map, trying different AI scripts. Testing the gameplay took me a lot of time, but from here I think that everything will go faster. Changes for the first two maps of my campaign are finally done!

I couldn't find a download link on this page, so I've downloaded the campaign from Zincoshine's archive. Please let me know if you have a more recent version available somewhere before I go any further.

I haven't played any map so far, but I gave a quick glance at them both in the game and in the editor, and I noticed two strange things:

- Maps are incorrectly saved as .SCM, you should save them as .SCX since these are Brood War maps: the extension tells the user what game a campaign is for.
- Maps 5 and 8 don't start. I have SCBW 1.16, and I get the error message "This scenario is intended for use with a StarCraft Expansion Set". Oddly enough I can open these two maps with SCMDraft2, but not with StarEdit. The other maps seem to work fine and can be opened in both editors.

There are some issues with the original maps from my campaign, the .scm format being one of them.
I'm going to send you a fixed version now. It's not the final version, because starting from map 9 the changes have not been completed.

I've played the first three missions. The first suggestion I would like to propose is about file names: you may consider about numbering your maps 01,02,03...10,11 instead of 1,2,3...10,11. That way your missions will be displayed in the correct order in the game maps window: this may seem trivial, but it will enhance the overall presentation of your campaign (obviously, if you are going to rename the files, you will also need to edit the triggers that are used to load the next map).

I will not be commenting too much on the story and setting, which seems quite generic. I will only pinpoint plot holes and inconsistencies, in case I find any. It's clear that you have opted for a light-spirited approach with frequent comic relief, and while I prefer more "serious" campaigns, I respect your choice. The English is understandable, yet the manuscript would still benefit from some editing, and it could be quite improved if you could get it proofread by a native English speaker.

Kudos for providing full voice acting, even though the overall quality is average at best. Jackson's voiceovers are particularly bad, they seem to have been recorded into a cave or a bathroom! But then again, adding voices requires the right equipment, experienced actors and a shitload of work, so my criticism here is marginal. The truth is, I have very high expectations when it comes to voice acting, I think that it should be extraordinarily good to justify itself, and nothing outside of the official Blizzard campaigns has ever been good enough to me, so far. That's one of the reasons why I don't add voiceovers to my campaigns.



Mission 1

Very simple mission, thankfully on a small map size. I think you were trying to mirror the Boot Camp tutorial from the original Terran Campaign, not the most original idea ever, but overall you did it right. The objective of collecting 1000 minerals feels superfluous and is also non-consistent: it would make sense if the player started with that amount of minerals in the next mission, but sadly this does not happen. The layout fits the mission quite well, except for the location where the player has to build his base: that place is excessively cramped, you should really give some more buildable land, possibily by removing the highlighted high terrain:



I see that some work has been put into the terrain, but it could be easily improved by adding more doodads. The Badlands and Jungle tilesets have awesome terrain details, why are people always so scared of using them?



Mission 2

I like the idea of reinforcements, which adds some variety to another very straightforward mission, but you can execute it better: this is one of those cases in which Center View will disorient the player, I suggest you to not use it. Instead, think about a slightly different solution: you can have Dropships unload their units in a less off-centered location of your base, maybe adding a Dropship audio clip that will warn the player of incoming reinforcements. The Beacon feels superfluous, you can use unbuildable terrain for the drop zone instead of the Beacon and still achieve the desired effect. Some additional reinforcements would be nice and add some variety (how about an handful of Goliaths?), since the player is limited to Marines and Firebats. Finally, the single mineral field next to the Barracks feels terribly out of place, I strongly suggest you to remove it.



Mission 3

Some advanced triggers at work here, especially for rallying units and sending them to attack, very neat! This map shows your true potential as a designer, and I really appreciate low and high ground distribution. Again, the mission is on the easy side, since I was able to win with Jackson (with 2 SCVs for reparations), 24 Marines (with 1/1 upgrade) and a ComSat Station for Lurkers. However, given the gentle difficulty curve of the campaign so far, the increase in difficulty from Mission 2 to Mission 3 feels on the level. The resources in the starting base are more than adequate to complete the Mission without the need for an expansion, maybe you could slightly reduce them. By the way, there is an inaccessible Mineral Field (the one containing 1479 ore), it seems to be accessible in the editor, but actually the StarCraft interface prevents workers from mining it.

In my ranking, the presence of voice acting gives a huge boost to a campaign's score. The quality of it isn't taken into account unless it's truly awful such as in the last mission of the "torn" campaign.

You'll be making comments on the plot soon.... I assure you.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Oct 31 2021, 1:10 pm by Zincoshine.

Thanks Andrea for reviewing my campaign!
I think the same about map names, but I didn't think it was an important matter. I'm guessing that many others may think the same as you do, so I'll change the numbers.
Although I don't like the voice acting myself, I thought that at least such peculiar voices would fit better with a light-spirited story.

Very good review of my modified maps!

#1 It's true that it was inspired by Boot Camp and it has the same tech tree as Wasteland.

#2 I set the starting resources to 0 on purpose, but it was a mistake not to say anything about what happened to your minerals. Your starting base costs 950 minerals, precisely.
In my opinion, the mineral field further down the geyser seems more out of place.

#3 Good to see that the 3rd mission went well. I haven't fully tested it with the recent modifications because I didn't have the time, however I hurried up to send you the maps anyway.
The Siege Tank makes a huge difference. I have underestimated its usefulness when I was designing this map. However I think the same about the difficulty curve going fine and the starting minerals being a bit too much (even though players that don't send Jackson to attack would need to spend a lot more resources than you did).

Post has been edited 2 time(s), last time on Oct 31 2021, 7:55 pm by Luigi.