With StarCraft 2 becoming free to play soon, I've decided to compile some resources around the web to help introduce people that have no real experience with SC2 or RTS games to Star 2. These resources are drawn from around the Internet, and I do not own any of it, the main goal of this is to serve as an link that you can send to friends that you want to introduce to SC2. This is still a work in progress, and I'd like the help of the TL community to improve this and make it better.
StarCraft 2 (SC2) is an Real Time Strategy(RTS) game set in space and deals with the interactions between three distinctly different races: the Terran, Zerg, and Protoss. The Campaign is split into three different expansions: Wings of Liberty (WoL), Heart of the Swarm (HotS) and Legacy of the Void (LotV), which all follow each race, Terran, Zerg and Protoss, respectively. At this point of time, only WoL and HotS has been released.
An RTS game is one that involves strategy and does not use a turn-based system. Actions are entered in real time instead. Here is a video by a popular StarCraft 2 commentator explaining the basics of an RTS game, focusing on SC2:
The video is a little bit dated, but it still is relevant.
SC2 is a competitive game by nature, so the main aspect of playing SC2 will involve battling with other players. There is a ranked matchmaking system in place which is referred to as 'the Ladder', it works by placing people of similar skill levels in the same league, and it also gives people the chance to be promoted to a better league or demoted to a lower league depending on your current skill level. The multiplayer ladder system also polls your skill rating based on wins and losses to determine an MMR (match-making rating) for you. These are the leagues arranged in a ascending order with regards to skill level:
There is also the Grandmaster League, comprised of the top 200 players in the server:
SC2 also has a more light-hearted aspect to it - custom arcade games. There is a kaleidoscopic selection of custom maps made by users that are available to SC2 players. These include Tower Defence games, Hero-based games, custom campaigns, and many more.
Just a few selections of custom games available in the arcade section
Beginner's Guide to Interacting with StarCraft 2
How do I get started?
To get started in the competitive aspect of SC2, there are tons of video and textual resources available online. After watching the video listed above, you should have some basic idea of what SC2 is like. Here is a compilation of resources to dive right into SC2:
Good initiative, but I think there are enough places with guides. Would this just be a hub that lists everything useful? I love how this guide has links that lead to pages that have tons of links that lead to pages with content.
On November 27 2013 22:39 The_Templar wrote: Good initiative, but I think there are enough places with guides. Would this just be a hub that lists everything useful? I love how this guide has links that lead to pages that have tons of links that lead to pages with content.
This is a good idea. Since this thread is specifically designed for the F2P part of SC2 which is the arcade, it would be awesome to list the best arcade games with their description and screenshots
On November 27 2013 22:42 VieuxSinge wrote: This is a good idea. Since this thread is specifically designed for the F2P part of SC2 which is the arcade, it would be awesome to list the best arcade games with their description and screenshots
On November 27 2013 22:22 Azera wrote: With StarCraft 2 becoming free to play soon, I've decided to compile some resources around the web to help introduce people that have no real experience with SC2 or RTS games to Star 2. These resources are drawn from around the Internet, and I do not own any of it, the main goal of this is to serve as an link that you can send to friends that you want to introduce to SC2. This is still a work in progress, and I'd like the help of the TL community to improve this and make it better.
General FAQadapted from r/starcraft
What is StarCraft 2?
StarCraft 2 (SC2) is an Real Time Strategy(RTS) game set in space and deals with the interactions between three distinctly different races: the Terran, Zerg, and Protoss. The Campaign is split into three different expansions: Wings of Liberty (WoL), Heart of the Swarm (HotS) and Legacy of the Void (LotV), which all follow each race, Terran, Zerg and Protoss, respectively. At this point of time, only WoL and HotS has been released.
What is an RTS game?
An RTS game is one that involves strategy and does not use a turn-based system. Actions are entered in real time instead. Here is a video by a popular StarCraft 2 commentator explaining the basics of an RTS game, focusing on SC2:
The video is a little bit dated, but it still is relevant.
What are the main aspects of StarCraft 2?
SC2 is a competitive game by nature, so the main aspect of playing SC2 will involve battling with other players. There is a ranked matchmaking system in place which is referred to as 'the Ladder', it works by placing people of similar skill levels in the same league, and it also gives people the chance to be promoted to a better league or demoted to a lower league depending on your current skill level. The multiplayer ladder system also polls your skill rating based on wins and losses to determine an MMR (match-making rating) for you. These are the leagues arranged in a descending order with regards to skill level:
From Liquipedia
SC2 also has a more light-hearted aspect to it - custom arcade games. There is a kaleidoscopic selection of custom maps made by users that are available to SC2 players. These include Tower Defence games, Hero-based games, custom campaigns, and many more.
Just a few selections of custom games available in the arcade section
How do I get started?
To get started in the competitive aspect of SC2, there are tons of video and textual resources available online. After watching the video listed above, you should have some basic idea of what SC2 is like. Here is a compilation of resources to dive right into SC2:
On November 27 2013 22:22 Azera wrote: With StarCraft 2 becoming free to play soon, I've decided to compile some resources around the web to help introduce people that have no real experience with SC2 or RTS games to Star 2. These resources are drawn from around the Internet, and I do not own any of it, the main goal of this is to serve as an link that you can send to friends that you want to introduce to SC2. This is still a work in progress, and I'd like the help of the TL community to improve this and make it better.
General FAQadapted from r/starcraft
What is StarCraft 2?
StarCraft 2 (SC2) is an Real Time Strategy(RTS) game set in space and deals with the interactions between three distinctly different races: the Terran, Zerg, and Protoss. The Campaign is split into three different expansions: Wings of Liberty (WoL), Heart of the Swarm (HotS) and Legacy of the Void (LotV), which all follow each race, Terran, Zerg and Protoss, respectively. At this point of time, only WoL and HotS has been released.
What is an RTS game?
An RTS game is one that involves strategy and does not use a turn-based system. Actions are entered in real time instead. Here is a video by a popular StarCraft 2 commentator explaining the basics of an RTS game, focusing on SC2:
The video is a little bit dated, but it still is relevant.
What are the main aspects of StarCraft 2?
SC2 is a competitive game by nature, so the main aspect of playing SC2 will involve battling with other players. There is a ranked matchmaking system in place which is referred to as 'the Ladder', it works by placing people of similar skill levels in the same league, and it also gives people the chance to be promoted to a better league or demoted to a lower league depending on your current skill level. The multiplayer ladder system also polls your skill rating based on wins and losses to determine an MMR (match-making rating) for you. These are the leagues arranged in a descending order with regards to skill level:
From Liquipedia
SC2 also has a more light-hearted aspect to it - custom arcade games. There is a kaleidoscopic selection of custom maps made by users that are available to SC2 players. These include Tower Defence games, Hero-based games, custom campaigns, and many more.
Just a few selections of custom games available in the arcade section
How do I get started?
To get started in the competitive aspect of SC2, there are tons of video and textual resources available online. After watching the video listed above, you should have some basic idea of what SC2 is like. Here is a compilation of resources to dive right into SC2:
On November 27 2013 23:44 Shikyo wrote: Whole arcade? What does that cover exactly? Isn't it possible to have actual tournament maps or at least their clones in the arcade?
Yeah I believe the entire arcade will be available along with the custom games part.
If your focus are players joining because of the new F2P things you shouldn't focus on competitive play and ladder that much imho, that't the part of the game that's not free.
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/9egrVkW.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/7yqRUNm.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/GQNnyCx.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/cwybux3.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/tkvYFFN.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ALJ1T95.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/VdDz0dy.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/QxigDmb.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/BdGMN35.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/3zbL0Jr.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/5TxByvq.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/v0H5cH7.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/BZA6GPP.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ys6ReGB.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/QmXEefv.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ZCvYXjg.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/hkPFcNn.png)
