Credits and Thankyou's

Credits usually show up at the end of a project, but wanted to show my appreciation for all those that made this mod possible by vaulting them straight to the top! While PEAI has been a one man show, there are a lot of ppl to thank that were an integral part of the mod's evolution. Mostly I would like to thank the 3rd party tool developers for keeping BroodWar modding alive even if it that translates as "merely providing us the potential to mod should we care to".

FireGraft by DescipleofAdun = couldn't be more easy!
SFGRPConverter by ShadowFlare = the nail on Retrogrp's coffin.
PyIce and IceCC by poiuy_qwert and ShadowFlare = iscript eyecandy!
DatEdit by BroodKiller = a breeze to use!
PyDat by poiuy_qwert = nice sound preview feature + lists strings by index value!
BinEdit2 by O)Farty1Billion = smokin! PEAI's menus were a breeze.
PyAI by poiuy_qwert = pretty much child's play. Allows for the 3 difficulty levels.
WinMPQ by ShadowFlare = couldn't be easier to use!
Tblpad by ShadowFlare = did I mention how polished this mod was?
ProTRG by poiuy_qwert = PEAI triggers made simple!
LoEdit by ShadowFlare = not much done, but still needed.
SFPlaylist plugin by ShadowFlare = made the "single race" spoof a piece of cake.
SCMDraft2 by SuicidalInsanity = power to the people!
DrTester Diablo2 Viewer by Dr. Sloan Roy = rips Diablo2 images!
NearInfinity + InfExplorer = ability to rip infinity game images!
Gif Movie Maker = .grp manipulation made simple
Old Smaker Tools = .gif to .bmp palette manipulation made simple!

To mod or not to mod?

As of 2011, Starcraft BroodWar is 14 years old and the much anticipated sequel, SCraft II, has overshadowed its predecesor. While there certainly have been some memorable mods created during this era, modding was never very popular and understandably so. Starcraft is nearly a perfect game and if one were to mod, you most likely would do so for a few chuckles or some light hearted amusement. You certainly wouldn't invest hundreds of hours dedicated to a single project, that in the end, would be dwarfed in comparison to the quality of the original unaltered game? As would be expected, most SCraft mods took the safe route and are uninspiring mini projects with no ramifications nor hurt feelings should they be scraped or abandoned... which most were.

A few however weren't afraid to make the necessary sacrifces and forged large scale "serious" projects with blood, sweat, and tears. Some invested more than others, but all required a lot of dedication and commitment.

Here are some of the fantastic mods that fall into that category:

Gundam Century by Stuart Ng
Open Rebellion by Adam Cassara
Starcraft Team Fortress by Hercanic
Armageddon Onslaught and ITAS by IskatuMesk
Ad Astras and Project Miranda by Lord Agamemnon
Antithesis Rising by Voyager
Ultimate Doom by BSTRhino
BWAI by the BWAIProject team
...and several others I've failed to mention.. sorry!

Planar Erratus definitely consumed many hours of my time and continues to do so as of this writing. Whether it can be categorized in the same company as the aforementioned super mods is yet to be seen, but I feel this is one of the more complete and stable mods if nothing else.

Humble Beginnings and a plan

PEAI began around Dec. 2007 in the twilight of BroodWar's history and has continued production long past most modding activity. It very well could be that "last SCraft mod". Like a lot of ideas, it began with a few scribbled notes and grew from there. I had become a "modder" (or so I thought) after dissecting and rebuilding Open Rebellion, Antithesis Rising, and AdAstras into single player AI supported versions (ORAI, ARAI, and AAAI) and was ready to do my own thing. Progress moved at a snail's pace as I soon discovered that a TC of this magnitude involved a lot more than previously anticipated and so PEAI slowly lurched forward.

The experience has been fulfilling and rewarding seeing your digital project come to life. In the process, I've learned some simple basic programming tools and languages such as 3DsMax, Ollydbg, C++, java scripting, photoshop, and of course intimate knowledge of the fabulous 3rd patry Starcraft tools. The road however wasn't without bumps. There were a few nasty unknown crashes that were quite taxing to troubleshoot, but were eventually all ironed out. I lost a few months of work (the 2 campaign maps + a lot of documentation) due to being a dumbass. Lesson learned - backup your stuff to a second source! Digital projects aren't tangible! They exist as 1's and 0's on your computer... they can dissappear fast!

What is Planar Erratus?

Planar Erratus is a celebration of the classic rpg games of the not so distant past. Fantastic adventures such as Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Torment, Arcanum, and yes even the click-fest that was Diablo. It is not a recreation of any one of these games, but rather a collective gathering of bits and pieces of these classics twisted into a dungeons and dragons fantasy theme.

Reference:

The world of Planar Erratus revolves around a small realm called Wyrmspear. It is here in Wyrmspear that a managerie of races call home. While things aren't always harmonious among the various groups, there exists equilibrium. And until recently all was just dandy. The sudden and mysterious arrival of a dark lord however, now threatens the very existance of Wyrmspear. All tribes regardless of past histories now find themselves united in a joint campaign to defeat Lord Erratus.

Let's jump right into the big question, "What about gameplay?"

Planar Erratus is a very symmetric and fast paced combat oriented mod. While the graphics for each race are totally unique, the core fighting units tend to mirror one another. Variety lies mainly in the different spellcasters + doctrine unit choices. Stability was a major concern and so the mod doesn't stray too far from the norm in terms of the mechanics. The game is atypical in that more emphasis is placed on the micro management of smaller forces and the use of advanced magic to penetrate enemy lines rather than huge recyclable armies and brute force. Large base building is also quelled by additional upkeep and supply costs.

Not everything in PEAI is combat based. Several Doctrine combinations provide variety in the means of unique units, upgrades, tax evasion, sabatoge, and other strategic choices/spells that profoundly effect you, your enemies, and everyone in general. The cat and mouse strategy of Transcendent paths can be considered a mini game within the game itself.

What is so special about this mod? What separates it from others?

From the beginning, Planar Erratus has been about reserving and merging default spellcasters from all 3 races into one computer. After working on many mods and toying with AI scripts, it became very apparent that most customized computer opponents tend to miss out on spellcasting. Most AI mods are composed of computers with huge recylable waves of fighters that just attack - attack - attack - attack. This can lead to a somewhat stale opponent. PEAI stives not to be your typical melee carnage by focusing on spell usage instead. While the AI still is composed of armies, the troops themselves are a very hardcoded-spell-intensive computer opponent with access to the complete Protoss, Terran, and Zerg tech tree; Nukes, Stasis, DMatrix, Heal, Storm, Hallucination, Restoration, Maelstorm, MindControl, Plague, Spawn Broodlings, Lockdown, Scanner Sweep, Carriers w/ interceptors, Seige tanks, Reavers, Observers, ect! With this much tech available to one computer, the AI's actions will mimic that of a more "micro" managed cpu despite still adhering to the default internal AI engine. The AI just feels and plays "smarter".

I read that the CPU is actually weaker than the player?

YES, the cpu's hitpoints are considerably less than their human counterparts for several reasons. The first being that the AI can be very overpowering and almost inpenetrable with the aforementioned spellcasting. Total population supply is also very regulated. You simply will not be able to churn out huge armies nor construct expansive bases.

So the AI is a pushover?

On the contrary! The AI has been nerfed several times for a reason. Even though the AI is wounded (lower hitpoints), it still has a lethal bite (full damage attack). Unlike AI mods that will try to pounce on you with huge armies, Planar Erratus AI will wreck havoc with its spellcasting and tenacity. You can expect the cpu to stasis your front line, lockdown your tesla sentries, mind control your strongest units, storm all your Bokis, irradiate your familiars, freeze your assests, plague your buildings, backdoor drop a Fanatic and nuke your base, and then mop up with its own Planars. All of this with just a handful of units!

What if I enjoy getting a good ass whooping?

There are 3 difficulty levels to choose from within the game thnx to PYAI's external jumps. Choose wisely!


Neophyte, Adept, and Xtreme

Why so much emphasis on AI and what about the multiplayer experience?

How many actually get together and play mods? And if you do manage to find a willing opponent, what are the chances they actually know HOW to play the mod yet alone much about its strategy? In the end, being able to play the mod in Single Player at any desired time is all that remains. While PEAI is a step up in terms of how "smart" the spellcasting CPU appears to behave, it is dwarfed by the player vs. player experience as would be expected.

But all is not just about AI! Myk, Archon_Wing, and Derqua have helped play test a handful of 2v2 games and we were very pleased with how much variety and different strategies emerged from this limited testing. Player vs. Player PEAI games revolve around trying to figure out a means to break through enemy lines or sabotage the enemie's taxes. Transcendent paths can wreck havoc on your sanity and ppl tend to get desperate when a timer starts counting down. PEAI doesn't compare to the depth of Starcraft proper, but I'm pleased with how varied things turned out. I hope the future holds more player vs. player games than against the AI!

Turning a Sci-fi GUI into a fantasy theme can't be too easy?

Very few Scraft mods stray from the sci-fi universe and the ones that do seem to still feel very much like Starcraft. A lot of energy was put into the small details that make up the PEAI universe. The changes are insignificant in themselves, but as a whole, they help convey a total new mood.

Planar Erratus Buttons

One of the first attempts to alter this sci-fi mood, was to allow for a more colorful GUI. PEAI buttons still possess on/off characteristics (represented by a red background), but better convey a fantasy world than the default monotone yellow. PEAI buttons are also categorized. Green, yellow, and blue frames for instance represent buildings, units, and spells respectively. There are other combinations as well.

NEW! Hotkey letters added to all cmdicons.

Cmdnicons now have their respected hotkey letter integrated into the button's graphic. No longer do you need to memorize or hover over the button to pick up the tooltip. Using hotkeys is now a breeze even for the 1st playthrough newcomer.

Colorful wireframes

PEAI uses colorful wireframes to complete the new look. Sci-Fi Monotone just doesn't fit the fantasy theme.

Warning: these vibrant colored buttons may take a little getting used to!

Game Creation

You may notice the absence of race selection drop down boxes in the image to the right? There's nothing to choose, nobody to wait on, and yet 3 races to choose from. Similar to "random", your race selection is hidden from the game creation menu and fellow competitors. Only once the game has launched, do you select your race. Just gogogogogo!

Sounds interesting. So how do I choose my race?

Upon game's launch, you will be greeted by the Boki's Great Vault. The vault and its underlying buttons aren't accessible due to the Dawn of Consciousness aura that clouds the monument. Clicking on this aura reveals that you must align with one of the 3 races, select 2 of 3 available doctrines, as well as choose an AI difficulty (vs. comp only). Race selection is straight forward while doctrine combinations may require some decisions. Doctrines represent special skills and additional game options accessible throughout the game. The 3 race choices are: Elerans, Gorgons, and the Undead. Doctrines are represented as Salvations, Oracles, and Sacrifices. The 3 AI choices are Neophyte, Adept, and Extreme.

NOTE: Because the actual race selection is an additional unit that hovers above the Vault, the underlying base can sometimes be selected, but not very easily. By design, nothing is available to you should you inadvertently select the underlying vault, but it can be a little confusing in those rare instances. Simply focus your clicking on the globe if you find yourself in this position.

How many races are there?

There are 3 playable races and one computer only race, the Erratum, led by Lord Erratus. Each race is composed of a unique melee fighter, ranged unit, rogue, shapeshifter with 2 forms (cleric & fighter), mage, and 3 planars.

Erratum? Sounds like an evil and dark race?

The Erratum began with an idea called Zbath Heros for Clan[MM]'s Summer Modding Contest II. The mod would be based entirely on the Diablo universe and show off extensive use of the now perfected M.U.A.I. concept. This mod would feature a 4th computer only demon race. However the talented modder IskatuMesk has since expanded on that theme with the spectacular light show that is AO and so PEAI changed courses. PEAI consists of 3 playable races + a 4th computer race instead of one gigantic computer force. The Erratum however is still demonic, chaotic, and of dark intent as it should be!

My race and doctrine selections took no time at all. In fact a lot of things in PEAI don't require much time?

Yes, PEAI is designed to be fast paced. Unit training and base construction times have been sped up considerably. Times are about half that of Starcraft's counterparts. Not all things come quick though. Schools of magic that allow advanced units increase in research time as you progress along the tech tree.

There appears to be more than one supply type?

You will be controlling 3 supply types with each game; Neutral, Military, and Planars. Neutral supply consists of all buildings, Doctrine Uniques, Doctrine Drones, and common units such as Boki, Wanderers, and Familiars. Wanderers and Wanderer Chambers supply all military units and Familiars allow for the creation of Planars.

What is the total supply then?

You are allowed 150 of each for a total of 450 supply. It must be noted that every building supplies full neutral supply. Supply depots are not used for the production of neutral units. At the same time, nearly every building in PEAI requires a caretaker and thus eats up a bit of supply. This is by design and puts a ceiling on how many buildings you can build. One must decide whether another barracks, more workers, or tower will be worth the supply costs.

So Wanderers and Familiars are similar to Overlords?

Familiars are very much like thier SCraft counterpart in that they fly, detect, transport, and can be upgraded. Wanderers on the other hand are wild permacloaked entities that have a mind of thier own. Wanderers have changed significantly since the demo release. Players now have limited control (hold position). Additionally, their duty as providing sole supply for your military has been relieved with the introduction of Wanderer Chambers.

Occasionally my units display an icon above their heads when attacking?

PEAI units employ random attack loops designed to represent the D&D combat system. Units have a random chance to land a critical strike represented by the combat icon or a critical miss represented by the doom icon. Critical strikes are typically a second weapon or some kind of improved attack resulting in considerably more damage dealt to the target. The unit's animation will very often be very different as well. Critical misses on the other hand do no damage and typically last one attack cycle. Units suffering from a critical miss are stunned and suffer a small delay before resuming normal tasks. Critical misses occur less frequently than critical strikes.

My vampire died in battle, but nothing seemed to kill it?

Vampires, Shadow Thieves, and Widowmakers are rogues and represent the gambling that is common in the every rpg. Rogues typically have an attack or some attribute that makes them extremely powerful. Vampires being especially boding with their lockdown effect. Similar to Planars, such powerful units must not be allowed free reign and so all rogues suffering a critical miss are penalized by immediate death as a balance check. This may happen on the first attack or the 60th attack. The random chance a rogue will roll a critical miss is also considerably higher than the standard unit.

How do player colors work for units like the Shapeshifter Bear or Diablo?

There are a lot of creatures in PEAI that would look silly with player colors added to them. That, plus a shit load of extra work which in the end would probably only do more damage than good. Diablo, Bears, Claw Vipers, Dolgars, Pixies, and Firkraag are good examples of units that will not have player color schemes integrated into the physical unit.

Won't units without player colors be confusing tho?

No, a special multipurpose shadow disk makes its debut in PEAI. The PEAI shadow disk is integrated directly into the .grp similar to an underlay of sorts and boldly displays the player's color. This disk also voids the need for a second shadow sprite which means more units available before the sprite limit maxes out. As with anything NEW, these disks will take some serious getting used to. Without them however, the game would be unplayable.

What are planars?

Planars are gods or heroes. They represent the final tier of the tech tree and are noticably larger in size than their standard counterparts. These titans do considerable damage, have larger hitpoints, and are everything you would expect from a superunit. Naturally their production is limited.

How many planars am I limited to?

The planar tech tree consists of 3 tiers and each race controls different planars. Tier1 planars typically are melee in nature and require 32 planar supply each. Remember, there is a 150 supply cap for each supply type, so 4 tier1 planars would max out planar supply. Tier2 planars are always fliers AND represent your only air force. At 42 supply each, this equates to a max of 3 tier2 planars at any given time. Finally, Tier3 planars are Super Planars! Super Planars cost a whopping 76 supply and you are thus mathematically restricted to a single tier3 planar. Planars rely on Familiars (provides 50 supply) for their existence both in terms of mobility and support. Familiars can ferry 4 of any ground unit including the massive T3 Planar.

And Doctrine Drones and Uniques?

Doctrine Uniques are made up of Pixies, Fanatics, and Fiends. While these 3 units are distinctly different, they share a common attribute in that they all possess a unique Wanderer hunting skill. Doctrine Drones are a descendent of Antithesis Rising. They have no movement ability and must be transported via Familiars. Each combination has its own perks and experimenting with different doctrine choices never gets old.

What about Economy?

As mentioned, PEAI doesn't deviate too far from the standard mode as there is Gold and Ferillium (minerals and gas) to mine. For added spice, a currency cylce similar to Ad Astra's has been woven into PEAI. All players receive a base bonus of $1500 Gold and 750 Ferillium per 1:30 min cycle for the entirety of the game. Don't get too excited tho. This extra income is taxed based on the number of key structures you own. Some structures are more cost effective than others and generally speaking military buildings are levied the most. The idea is that a player with a large income can afford the taxing of more military buildings, while a weaker player will benefit from the added income. Smaller empires will of course receive more bonus cash and can stockpile income, but will be vulnerable and at risk of attack. Heavy fortification (Tesla Sentrys) will be the most taxing and will nullify your bonuses if too many are built. Additionally, various civics buildings can be built depending on the doctrine path you choose. Some doctrines will reduce your taxes as well as those of your allies. Other doctrines can actually penalize your foes. Civics also act as a market place and one can trade Gold for Ferillium or even give money to an ally in need. Yes, you can reduce your enemies Gold stockpile as well.

What is Transcendence?

Transcendence represents the final chapter in one's journey that began with the Dawn of Consciousness Globe and the subsequent chosen paths. Transcendent events redefine the planar boundaries and radically change the course of the game for better or worse. A bit of a chess match within the game itself, initiating a transcendent victoy, may force other players into a counter productive response. The bait can be as simple as forcing opposing players to expend armies by attacking the fortified player or as complex as leaving other players no other choice but to initiate a riskier transcendent path of their own thus leaving them to defend themselves.

How do you initiate these events?

The path to Transcendence begins with the somewhat expensive creation of a Transcendence Globe as well as the completion of Lvl2 School of Magic. The cost however is worth it. The ability to train powerful T3 planars is unlocked with its completion. In addition, the Transcendent Globe is without doubt the most powerful defensive structure in the game due to its devastating Ice Blast attack, shattering most creatures with as little as a single blast. The weapon has one of the longest ranges and can easily target creatures lurking considerable distances away. The attack however, has a relatively long cool down rate. Finally, owning a trans globe, equates to being in Transcendence standby ready to initiate or counter trans paths as necessary.

NOTE:    Only one globe can be possessed at any given time and severe penalties await those that tempt fate by building a second one.

What happens once a Trans path is initiated?

When a player initiates transcendence, all players are notified AND the initiating player's transglobe is revealed (via map revealer) to all players. The leaderboard will also denote which player is currently racing towards transcendence (red player is in the 4th round of 8 in the screenshot below). The game ends in victory for that team/individual IF they are able to maintain the globe for 8 rounds. The game will end in defeat for the same player/team if the globe is destroyed; victory for those that are able to destroy it. A trans path can also be countered by initiating another rather than attacking. Once a player decides to make the bold move towards transcendence, the game is forever locked in this victory condition. There is no turning back and eventually the game must end with someone either maintaining a globe OR the destruction of one. This is because you are limited to only one transpath per game. Having the last say can either be a good or bad thing so transpaths should be carefully thought out before initiating.

What are the differences in the 3 types?

The 3 types (denoted by the 8/1 - 6/2 - 4/3 buttons as shown) vary in requirements, costs, train time, and maturity. The requirements being one of the 3 spells on the 3rd School of Magic. The more expensive of the 3rd school corresponding to the more expensive trans paths. The first number represents the maturity. So 8/1 will require the full 8 rounds to mature while 6/2 gets a 2 round headstart towards the 8th round completion and 4/3 gets a whopping 4 round headstart. The 2nd value represents how long it takes to train/build the corresponding path. 8/1 trains very fast requiring only 1 round. 6/2 requires 2 full rounds and 4/3 a whopping 3 rounds to complete.

4/3 thus is the fastest to mature and doesn't give opponents much time to react. Naturally this will be the trans path most will initiate and begin with. You can expect most to respond to a 4/3 with an 8/1 due to time contraints and desperation. Thus the countering player is now stuck with having to defend for a whopping 8 rounds! Here is the actual breakdown:

8/1 - Transcendence Level 1:

Costs 1000 Gold + 1000 Ferillium
Maturity: 8 rounds
Research: 1 round (90s)
Requires: Fascination

6/2 - Transcendence Level 2:

Costs 2000 Gold + 2000 Ferillium
Maturity: 6 rounds
Research: 1.5 rounds (135s)
Requires: Conveyance

4/3 - Transcendence Level 3:

Costs 3000 Gold + 3000 Ferillium
Maturity: 4 rounds
Research 2 rounds (180s)
Requires: Phantasam

Does the computer play the Transcendence game?

YES! tho by popular demand the computer has a 50% chance to respond to a trans threat by initiating unlimited trans responses of his own thus having the chance for the last word regardless. So basically the computer cheats. To make up for this injustice, the computer will respond by randomly selecting from any one of the 3 trans path. There is a good chance the cpu will pick a poor response and possibly even initiate with an ill-advised 8/1.

Are there any other ways to combat a trans path other than fighting fire with fire or attacking?

You'll notice a blonde siren with an hour glass as one of the buttons on the magic shrine. This button activates/deactivates time seduction. Time seduction will slow the countdown timer to a crawl and can buy you valuable time to plan your attack. Slowing the countdown timer also means you and your enemies won't be receiving those paydays so this can be considered an offensive weapon as well. Messing with time can be a dangerous and addicting habit, so use carefully!

Can I help?

What can you do? The graphics are now for the most part done. There is some plugin work that would allow for some nifty features, but this is only icing on the cake if it should happen. A small mini-campaign is in the works and this defiinitely would be one area where outside help would be most welcome. Any offers to tweak the simple AI script of course are always welcome.

Did I read this mod will be an open source project?

YES. With the eventual public release, you are welcome to tweak the mod or use any content to your heart's desire. This mod is very well organized and extremely well documented which makes it an ideal study for those wanting to learn modding.

What does open source really mean?

If you would like to alter some stats, improve some graphics, add a new unit, rearrange some of the tech tree, or just fix some annoying bugs, please don't hesitate to do so. However, do not claim the mod as yours nor append some lengthy credits splattered with your name describing in great lengths your delusions of rebuilding the mod from the ground up. In other words, refrain from being a narcistic attention deprived jerk should you work on the project. Fantastic, if you can improve the mod, and by all means please do so taking due credit for your efforts, just be coy about it. PEAI is a humble and low key project void of blarring titles and "created by ME's". I only ask that you keep it that way.

Can I host your mod on my website?

You most certainly can link to these pages, but would prefer that you link directly to any file here on this site rather than upload a local one. This saves future troubles dealing with outdated versions for all of us.