EPTHow to Change Starcraft 2
A Guide to Theorycrafting
I have received messages from theorycrafters asking how they can improve their mechanics, bring attention to an issue, get blizzard to read there idea, etc…
I thought it might be a good idea to compile a short guide outlining theorycrafting strategies that helped Project Purification succeed. Oh yah and also win a Beta key!
Blizzard is listening
First, it is not about getting Dustin’s secret email and sending him your idea. It’s about developing a good solution that the community embraces. Blizzard reads all of these forums. If your idea generates a lot of positive response they will notice.
Rallying People around the Issue
Try and make connections with other gamers who share your ideas. Network. Always be inclusive even with people you don’t agree with. Create threads that quantify the community’s opinion through polls. Encourage everyone to put their two cents in and at the end of the thread state what the community consensus about the issue is.
Identifying a Problem
What do you think is the problem with the current version of Starcraft 2? If your proposal is focused on adding something cool to the game you should be able to justify why this cool thing is needed. Having a clearly defined problem gives you direction to craft your goals and proposals.
Example from Thesis to Increase Macro:
“Macro gameplay in the current build of Starcraft 2 is not adequate to satisfy both the casual and professional gamer. Lead designers have frequently pointed this out and formally requested helpful ideas from community.”
Source: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=78501
Later we refined this definition of the macro problem to include the concepts of multi-tasking and decision making.
Setting Goals
Goals can be about anything you want but like the problem should be clearly defined before theorycrafting. Goals are manufactured limitations that help focus your imagination on solutions. Your goals should be broad enough that you can explore a multitude of ideas but not so broad that you have no idea where to start.
Example from SCLegacy Macro Theorycrafting Contest (which I believe were drafted by someone here on TL)
• “The ideal mechanic should be direct in its usage and provide beneficial gameplay.
• The ideal mechanic should have both advantages and disadvantages.
• The ideal mechanic should not have a drastically negative effect for any player, whether for you, your teammate or an opponent and his teammate.
• The ideal mechanic should not discourage micro.
• The ideal mechanic should not alter the MBS or auto-mining features.
• The ideal mechanic should be flexible in its ability to be balanced.
• The ideal mechanic should not be forced upon a specific map or upon a certain type of player.
• The ideal mechanic's effect should not be random - its results must have definite results.
• Preferably, the ideal mechanic will be dependent upon a player's choices.”
Source: http://sclegacy.com/index.php?start=75
Righting Gooder
Got writers block? Just start typing about anything. Talk about how you first came up with the idea. Talk about things that this mechanic reminds you of both in RTS games and real life. If you’ve ever taken an English class you’ve learned how to improve your writing. Use it!
Proofread your proposals before posting them or better yet get a friend to. Ask yourself if every line in the thread needs to be in there. It can be hard tossing out paragraphs and pages you’ve spent hours toiling away on but less is really better.
Dissecting Ideas
Figure out which parts of your mechanic work, which don't and why? There are a lot of ideas that have really cool aspects but still cause problems. Sometimes you have to let the whole idea go. Other times you can salvage the cool features. You will find that some parts exist because they excite you. You will find parts that you had to throw in there to make the mechanic come together. And you will also find parts that have no business being in your mechanic in the first place.
Modeling Your Mechanics
Test your ideas. Modeling them in SCUM or the WC3 world editor helps you to refine just how your mechanics work. It can also alert you to any problems you may have overlooked. This is the only way to truly be sure your idea works the way you think it will. There have been a ton of ideas I have had that sounded brilliant on paper and then I put them in a game engine and realized they weren’t what I really thought they were. If after modeling you find that your mechanic is still as good as you originally thought it was then feel free to share the maps with the community.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
If you have any photoshop skills consider including pictures to illustrate your mechanic. Maybenexttime’s proposal for the SCLegacy Macro Theorycrafting Contest is a perfect example of how much pictures can add to your proposal.
![[image loading]](http://sclegacy.com/images/uploaded//starcraftiinews/macrocontest/PICTURE%203%20ALT.jpg)
You can read Maybenexttime’s Macro Mechanic here
http://blizzforums.com/showthread.php?t=22956
All in all an excellent example of everything a theorycrafting proposal should be. Great job Maybenexttime!
Taking Advice
Theorycrafters have a lot of trouble seeing what is wrong with their mechanics. You should always be willing to admit your idea could use improvement. Do not grow so attached to your ideas that you cannot break or discard them. This kind of pride stifles self-improvement. Others can often see things about your proposal that you are blind to. Encourage your readers to offer constructive criticism with an emphasis on the constructive part.
One last thing about overly negative criticism (the not-to-constructive type). You must remember that a poster who does not like your idea is much more likely to respond to your post then a poster who does like your idea. If the poster is just flaming it is often better to just ignore them. Don't let overly harsh criticism deter you from your purpose.
Building on the Work of Others
If you want to improve your own proposals you need to read the proposals of others. Don't be afraid to let their thoughts influence yours. Ask yourself "Does anything here connect with, fill in a gap or fix a problem I am having with my ideas.”
Always reference! For partial referencing a poster's name is significant. When borrowing heavily you should include the poster, forum, and a link to the original source. When you can not find the original source you should make note of it in your proposal and invite the author to come forward and take credit. Remember, you are not diminishing your proposal when you reference someone else. Let your improvements stand on their own merit.
Compiling Feedback and Iteration
Compile the communities advice and refine your proposal. If a poster gave you a good idea develop it. Your mechanics should be ever evolving and your threads should reflect this. Feel free to add addendums to your opening post. I use a 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 system to keep track of how the mechanic has changed throughout development.
Don’t go Overboard
Lastly, try and not create too many theorycrafting threads in a short period of time. This can make moderators mad
If you are like me you will have a huge amount of ideas and want to post every single one. Weed out the really good ideas, refine them and then post those premium proposals in well developed threads. If there is any advice in this guide that I probably haven’t followed perfectly it is defiantly this one.Keep Theorycrafting!
