EPTafter completing my Mercs only playthrough on hard, which was good fun, I decided to collect all interesting constraints I've seen for playing the campaign. I also include a few new constraints that I haven't seen before. Hopefully it gives you some ideas for your next playthrough!
If you post any other crazy and fun rules, I'll add them to this post. Please explain the rules carefully and think it through before posting: is it conceivably possible? What missions do you expect to be hard? What happens in the prophecy missions?
Also, let us know if you complete the campaign using any of the challenges that have not been listed as completed yet. If you decide to create a new thread for your playthrough, please post a link to that thread so I can put up a link.
I colour challenges:
- green if they have been completed at the hardest reasonable difficulty,
- blue if they have been completed at a lower difficulty than what should be possible,
- red if they haven't been completed yet,
- black if I don't really know.
Please help paint this whole thread green, and have fun!
Miscellaneous:
Hurry Up: It's Raid Night
Finish the campaign in 8 hours or less. You even get achievement points for doing this.
Threads:
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=5857525
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=6180633
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=5853107
Brutal Achievements
Complete the three achievements associated with each mission on Brutal difficulty.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7542448
Sometimes the best counter is to go fucking kill him
Complete the game killing as many enemy structures as you can, except perhaps on all-in. This means eradicating all enemy presence on zero hour, evacuation, moebius factor, maw of the void, devil's playground, welcome to the jungle, great train robbery, cutthroat, media blitz, whispers of doom, sinister turn, echoes of the future, gates of hell and shatter the sky. Kill as much as you can on the other maps; you decide your level of obsessive-compulsiveness here.
Variants: Do you have to kill things on supernova before the fire kills it? Do you have to kill stuff on all-in? Etc.
No Upgrades or Research
Hardest difficulty completed: Brutal, see http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7306827
Thread: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=6098752
No Buildings
Your scvs may not make any buildings except supply depots and pylons.
Note: Add-ons are allowed. Although this forbids bunkers, turrets and PFs this is probably just about doable on Brutal (?)
It's too quiet
You're not allowed to make more than one of any building except defenses and supply depots.
Reactors are also not allowed, including Tech Reactors.
So no more than 1 CC, 1rax, 1fac, 1port.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7903724
You only live once
Complete the campaign without losing a single unit (also applies to mind controlled units). Buildings are expendable but every unit must survive.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7520123
Hardest difficulty completed: Completed on Normal, including all bonus missions, by Zeross, see http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7683098
Minimalistic
Skip as many missions as you can, i.e. only do artifact missions and some missions required to get to those. youll have limited upgrades, but im pretty sure this is doable on brutal.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7775187
No abilities
Do not use any of the non-autocast abilities at any point in the campaign. This includes stimpack and siege mode.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7775187
Feelin' Techy
Do not use any autocast abilities at any point. If a unit has an autocast ability, you must switch autocast off before you can use it. Have fun repairing :D
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7921296
Put this revolution into overdrive
Every unit produced or ordered (merc) must be instantly rallied to attack. You are not allowed to accumulate troops before you attack. If a unit or a group of units survived an attack, it must be asap send to another attack before reinforcements arrive.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7815614
Hurry up, it's Raider night / Rush hour
Complete all 26 missions in under 8 hours.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7815614
Gas Leak
You may not mine from vespene geysers, but you can pick up special gas drops. Optionally, you must pull all workers to destroy any starting refineries immediately.
Note: A watered-down version of the Marine-only challenge.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7850424
Batteries Not Included
Units can be given orders only once. Two exceptions: (1) you don't have to do this if you have no base, and (2) an SCV can be told to build something (One thing- no shift building!) and then resume mining. Their batteries are charged, since they keep vising the command center.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7599058
Variation: Alternatively, you can allow giving units a single command queue by shift-adding a long list of commands. In this case, you may be able to beat some of the parts where you have no base, but you'll have to find a good balance of difficulty.
For Uniden! Chaaaaaaarge!
You are not allowed to have any supply building left before you move out to attack. The last of your supply building must be destroyed by the enemy. You cannot rebuild supply buildings.
This is possible with zero hour. Fly a barracks away and hang on before it is focussed down by mutas.
I don't know yet if it is a good constraint to also forbid to build any supply building before you attack.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7815614
Unit Restrictions:
No Units
You are not allowed to make any units whatsoever, or call in Mercs.
Hardest difficulty completed: Hard (including all bonus objectives). Lots of fun! See http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7682832
Thread: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7546763
Mercs only
You can not train units, including scvs. You can use any other units you get, including mercs.
Hardest difficulty completed: Hard. Was fun, but No Units is funner. See the OP in the thread below for specifics.
Thread: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7370190
Hurry Up It's Marine Night!
You are not allowed to make any units other than SCVs and Marines and you have to complete the campaign in less than 8 hours total mission time.
Note (by Drunken.Jedi):Pretty sure this can be done on brutal, but it won't be easy.
Note: I don't know if either A Sinister Turn or In Utter Darkness can be completed on brutal without making units. So if this is too hard, either allow some protoss units or skip some of the missions, which helps with the time as well.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7584847
Hardest difficulty completed: Normal, see http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7921296
Marines and Zealots only
It is not allowed to make scvs or get mercs. You can use non-marine units that you are given. A variation is to allow War Pigs, or to replace zealots by stalkers.
Cloaked Units Only
Here you have to unlock ghosts or spectres ASAP and from then on you can only make cloaked units (and scvs I presume). Uncloaked units that you are given can only be used defensively.
Thread: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7385573
I don´t like multiplayer
Finish the campain (from evacuation onwards) without using a unit that is also in the multiplayer part (scvs excluded).
You are allowed to use:
Firebat, Medic, Goliath, Vulture, Diamondback, Spectre, Wraith, Science Vessel, Predator, Hercules
Note: There seem to be two variations: either avoid prophecy missions or also allow all Protoss units.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7517728
Hardest difficulty completed: Brutal, reported to be fun. See http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7850424
I don't like SC2
You can only use starcraft 1 units:
marines, firebats, medics, vultures, tanks, ghosts, goliaths, wraiths, bc's, sci vessel, and dropships. Zealots, high/dark templar, carriers, etc.
Note: Should be doable on brutal
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7542401
Out of the box
You're not allowed to, with exception of forced circumstance (like the very first mission) use the unit or building introduced in that level. Once the forced circumstance is gone (the banshees clear the landing zone in Supernova for example) you must in fact destroy the "introduced units."
Note: The Odin should be considered a hero Thor, so you must let it be destroyed without it doing any unnecessary damage in Media Blitz.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7520082
Choose
Choose ONE unit for every mission where you can make units; make only that unit and SCVs. You can get the mercenaries that match your chosen unit, but you can't use the same unit twice.
Note: You will mostly have to make the featured unit of that mission, making this pretty much the opposite of "Out of the box".
Some discussion in this post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7537810
Sky Terran
You only train air units. You only train mech. The missions before you have access to air units are excluded (but you have to get air units asap). You can train SCVs.
Note: Should be doable on Brutal.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7534765
Mech only
You only train mech. The missions before you have access to mech are excluded (but get mech ASAP). You can train SCVs.
Note: Should be easily doable on Brutal.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7534765
Pirate mode! (RELEASE THE GRACKEN!)
Marauders, Vikings. I know both are kinda far apart in the campaign so substitute marines until Safe Haven/Smash and Grab.
Note: Do this on Brutal, dammit
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7550082
Combinations:
No Units or Buildings
See above.
Note: Some missions would be very challenging even on Normal difficulty: in a No Units playthrough the lack of units is compensated by using turrets, bunkers and PFs. How are you going to beat the evacuation?
Marines, SCVs and Zealots only, No Upgrades or Research
No mercs allowed. You can use non-marine units that you are given. It's both previous constraints simultaneously, except that making scvs is allowed.
Hardest difficulty completed: Shiladie seems to have gotten stuck on All-in brutal.
Thread: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=6402671
Commandments:
Instead of forbidding anything, the following rules require that you play in a certain fashion.
A very standard transition
Every single time your base is attacked you must lose at least, or destroy yourself to fulfill this requirement, 5 buildings- two of which must be unit producing structures. Every 4 attacks, you must destroy all engineering bays and forges you own, including those under construction. Every 3 attacks on your base, you must annihilate the command center/nexus you own that has the most workers assigned to it and must cancel any that are under construction at the time.
You are not allowed the "Orbital Depots" upgrade from the Protoss research line.
You are not allowed the "Automated Refinery" upgrade from the Protoss research line.
You are not allowed the "Advanced Construction" upgrade for SCVs.
You are not allowed to Salvage bunkers.
Due to the way that All-In functions, in that you are technically bombarded constantly by a constant stream of hostile units, substitute "audio warnings" (Seismic disturbance detected- nydus worm inbound. / Matt Horner warning about incoming air) in place of "attacks."
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7794699
Video communications blackout
A building you own must always be centered on screen, unless the mission itself moves the screen against your will in which case you must put it back at the first opportunity. This means that most of the time you're not going to be able to micro your units (unless of course you center the view on a bunker that's in on the action.) If the building you're centered on is losing health, you must change to a different building when/if it falls under half HP.
This means that while you're able to access a control group and give the orders to attack, retreat, and stim or whatnot, you can't actually view what they're doing yourself. You must rely on the information given by the unit status panel and the audio cues to determine what is happening outside of your base.
This obviously doesn't apply to missions where you don't have buildings. You may think another exception to this may be Welcome to the Jungle but for those unaware- that mission can be automatically completed by destroying every protoss on the map. I think the Reaper mission follows this as well.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7755384
Mutiny
Approximately every 4 minutes you must somehow destroy at least half of your own current supply of units. This can be accomplished by killing them yourself, endlessly move-commanding them into the enemy, or by any other creative method you can think of. Round up for odd numbers if needed. This doesn't apply to missions where you have no production facilities as that would make them impossible.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7755384
Inexperienced scientists
When adressing the research console, roll a die and if the result is even, choose the left research, if it is odd, choose the right research.
When upgrading in the armory, you are not allowed to choose upgrades for the base, the marines, the siege tanks of the medics.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7838229
Terran Typing Class
After selecting any building, unit, or control group you must type- in it's entirety and perfectly in terms of spelling, grammar, and punctuation to the best of your abilities- an introductory line from a song or movie of your choosing. You must do this before giving the selected unit or building(s) orders of any kind.
When you have chosen a line in this fashion, you must then continue along the script of that movie or lyric sheet of that song and cannot deviate until the movie, song, or map ends, and must continue to type in chronological order the lines used in that movie or song after every selection change you make. It is your choice how to specify which character is talking if/when speakers change during your typing choice.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7846839
What do you mean "I lost my credit card"?!
he moment you queue any non-worker unit, you must fill the entire queue of all buildings you own to their maximum. You must then keep those queues maxed out at all times and must continue this until the end of the map.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7857436
Loan Shark
You can't build anything except workers, supply depots and refineries until you build up 3000 minerals and 1500 gas in reserves. From then on, you're not allowed to drop below those amounts. If and when you gain 5500 minerals and 3000 gas, these restrictions are lifted until the end of the mission.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7857436
Cheater Terran
Once you start producing units from a building, you may never stop producing units from that building (unless you hit 200/200). This includes scvs from command centers. You may only build new unit producing structures if you are already producing from all of the ones you have, and when a new building finishes you have to start producing from it immediately.
Note: This implies that you can't lift command centers, or construct planetary fortresses, except, if you like, your starting cc before it has made any scvs. You will also likely end up with an excess of scvs (don't get the cc reactor!). On the other hand, your production efficiency should be so high that you should easily beat brutal with this.
This drill of mine shall pierce the heavens
For any mission where you have SCVs, you must end that mission with one SCV in your possession that has performed at least 20 kills and obtained the rank of "Commander." Specify this SCV at the start of the mission. You're not allowed to let it die.
Note: This is a more reasonable variant of the SCV all-in below.
Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7867844
SCV All-In
You can train anything, however only SCVs and structures can get kills. This does not include when you cannot train/don't have any SCVs.
Note: Oh, and you're not allowed to build units, then destroy your cc, and then attack
The idea is obviously that you bring down enemy units to near-zero health before engaging with your SCVs. On all-in to reduce the amount of micro required you can use hive mind emulators to grab units quickly (after which you'll have to kill them quickly to make sure they don't kill anything), and planetary fortresses. You can only use turrets vs air units!Post: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewpost.php?post_id=7526788
