Blizzard Aren’t The Only Ones Trying To Remake StarCraft

Blizzard’s already working on making the original StarCraft more compatible for modern operating systems. But they’re not the only ones trying to give the aging RTS a new lease on life.

Shieldbattery is a new community project designed to, according to the TeamLiquid post, revitalise the experience for modern gamers on modern systems.

“I’m happy to announce ShieldBattery, a brand new server that can finally give Brood War a smooth, seamless multiplayer experience replete with all the features you’d expect from any modern game,” the creators write. “Free from the shackles of its 90s interfaces and options, we can finally see what Brood War is like if things just work, if the system is designed around how people actually want to chat and play.”

Features include support for both DirectX and OpenGL; support for new windowed modes and modern operating systems, smart mouse sensitivity, auto-matchmaking, IPv6 support, matchmaking, and the removal of the need for port forwarding.

Users can sign up for the beta now, although your capacity to host games (which, for StarCraft, isn’t particularly taxing even on Australian internet) appears to be a factor in the registration process.

One of the long-time veterans of the StarCraft community, GTR, showed off the current state of the beta in a livestream:

In the meantime, you can go and buy Brood War through Blizzard’s various services. (The Battle Chest is probably available in a bargain bin somewhere for bugger all, too.) A patch is in the works to make the iconic RTS work with modern systems, although there’s no ETA as to whether the multiplayer systems and other features will get a refresh for modern times.


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