Hello again, people of SEN!

I'm here with one of the projects I've been working on during the last weeks:


I think that "Biting the Bullet" needs no introduction: for those who don't know, this is one of the two "cut missions" from the original Terran campaign, which was originally meant to consist in 12 missions (instead of 10); this was the 7th mission, whose events take supposedly place between "Norad II" and "The Trump Card". It was later eliminated from the official campaign; the main reason were probably the several bugs existing in the map triggers, which made this mission unplayable; the purpose of this work was to fix any bug found, keeping the original design and 'spirit' of the map in its entirety. Due to the changes to the map triggers, version 1.04 or higher is required in order to play this scenario (it won't work with the retail version, i.e. 1.00 to 1.03). Also, the mission is meant to be played in 'original' mode: using Brood War units and researches would be like cheating and would not make sense from a story point of view.

Attached you can find the ZIP archive containing the mission, both in its original version with bugs ("terran07_old.scm") and its updated version implemented by me ("terran07_new.scm"). You can also find the file "list of changes.txt" where all modifications are explained in detail. The map is provided with all its original sound files.

Here are also a couple of screenshots as a little preview.



Enjoy!

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Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Oct 24 2021, 4:17 pm by Omen.

For those interested, I also have the Italian version of the mission (extracted from the original CD I own, then reworked in the same way of the English version).

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Hi Omen,
Thank you for the fixed version of this map. I have a slight remark regarding the timeline of this missing in the StarCraft universe. In the game it indeed appears Blizzard wanted to place this missing between "Norad II" and "The Trump Card" but I read here : https://starcraft.fandom.com/wiki/Hidden_Missions
this: "The timing of this mission is up for debate in that MPQ files list it as "terran-7" and The Trump Card as "terran-8," which would suggest that this mission occurs before the Delta Squadron blockade. Of its adaptation within novels however, it distinctly takes place during/after the events of the latter mission.
Elements of this mission appear in the book StarCraft: Queen of Blades, with Raynor mentioning previously allying with the protoss against the zerg and being contacted by them on Antiga Prime."

Due to the fact Blizzard never officially released this missing, I think it would be more canon to place "Biting the Bullet" between "The Trump Card" and "The Big Push"?
See official timeline here from StarCraft Fandom website: https://starcraft.fandom.com/wiki/StarCraft_Episode_I_missions

it doesn't actually fit anywhere bruce. When biting the bullet was removed, Blizzard designed the big push in such a way that it would compensate for the absence of this mission. That's why the message comes at the end in regards to the psi emitters being placed even though it doesn't really make much sense since we were on a space platform, not on tarsonis.

Psi Emitters should be placed in what should be vT10 if we add both cut missions, Operation Silent Scream. Biting the Bullet is still an Antigan mission, in UEDAIP I placed it after Trump Card and before Big Push.

Did this mission get voice acted by the main starcraft cast, or just text only?

Hi Bruce,
I simply decided to stick to the missions numbering given by Blizzard. Honestly, I don't know if this scenario is previous or contemporary to "The Trump Card"; it may also be, as we have Raynor and Duke on one side and Kerrigan alone on the other. I can correct my statement adding "supposedly" ("...whose events take supposedly place...").

The two cut missions were fully given voices as the official ones. That's why I published the scenario in both languages (English and Italian)...

That's awesome wow never knew this.

I'd be interested to check out triggers made by actual blizzard employees.

Do you think there are bugs in other maps of the campaign?

Plenty, like white AI being completely incapable of researching upgrades or doing anything significant in xz4 due to having a request for nuke silo that cannot be satisfied, or the infamous guard crash on xz10.

You should do like the entire campaign bug-free. The ultimate goal.

If only there was a project that improves the campaign

I had a play through. Thought I was going strong coz I sneaky nuked the hive with siege tanks from the cliff. Then a massive invasion came which I barely survived. THEN Tassadar rocked up and shit got even crazier and I screwed up my macro and Tassadar's flagship went down, GG.

Hello! Are there any other modifications to this map other than trigger fixes related to Duke's Siege Tank?

Because I think the map should be pretty easy as it's between Norad II and The Trump Card. AFAIK ultralisks and guardians are at full force in this level, and it's much harder than anything in the terran campaign (and doesn't follow tech tree).

It's also has other problems, for example your weak starting units and the lack of gas fields near your initial base.

Feedback:
- Great work. Loved it.
- I especially like that it's not a remake and it stays true to the original.
- The mission is noticeably harder than both "Norad II" and "The Trump Card" (and even "The Big Push"). It's definitely playable, but it doesn't fit the difficulty curve.
- I found a tiny bug - Armory and Engineering Bay upgrades should be capped to level 1. Higher levels require a Science Facility and that's not available in this mission.

I do, however, have a problem with this mission and it has nothing to do with your release...

In Episode 1 of the original Starcraft campaign you never even see a protoss unit up until the end. But you constantly read about entire worlds being purged of life by the Protoss. You first fight Protoss in "New Gettysburg" (the second last to mission), but even then it's only their lower tier units. Then you spend the first part of Episode 2 fighting the Terran (with the exception of sneaking the chrysalis by a Protoss base). And even when Kerrigan defeats them for the first time, it turns out it was a trick. This surrounds them in an aura of mystique until very late in the campaign.

The thing that always bothered me about this mission is that it not only introduces you to Protoss units, but it also gives you control over them so early (especially Carriers). This really changes the whole progression. One thing I think might improve the storytelling is keeping the Protoss fleet as a computer/trigger controlled ally that sweeps the Zerg bases while you try to keep Raynor, Duke, and your bases alive. I even think it adds a little something to the Protoss image.