Celestial Irruption

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Celestial Irruption
Written and Designed by Desler

Unwavering control. Many would say there is no such thing. From the highest military dictator to the lowliest servant, there is no such thing as absolute and unwavering control. However, there is one within the Koprulu sector who seeks to change all that. On the planet of Alarite, an epic struggle is about to ensue, one which may decide the fate of the entire sector.



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About Celestial Irruption - Information including the storyline, organization heiarchy, and characters.

Celestial Irruption
Story, Organizations, and Characters

PRELUDE

"Fate. That's what it all comes down to. We can try to avoid our destiny using doctors, machines, even stasis. But it was all destined to happen, every single step you take, a shortness of breath, a simple headache, even something like a glint of light that catches the corner of your eye, something so insignificant as that, and it is all planned ahead. For whatever powerful forces guide this universe, they have selected me to carry out one of their grandest of purposes. This sector of space, it has become corrupt. A disease walks amoung everyone here, from the most innocent child to the ravenous creatures we call Zerg. There is a battle being fought, but it isn't between us and the Zerg, it's fate itself being twisted and turned, and I am fate's last hope of restoring the natural order of things. This area of space we call the 'Koprulu sector' must be purged of all these evils. The Dominion and it's corrupt emperor. The Zerg, led by Kerrigan and her cerebrate puppets. And the Protoss, honorable warrios, it is humbling. No... we cannot grant them leniancy either. If one takes the fall, they must all take the fall. They must all form one union, one coherent thought. That thought being that I am the man who shall guide the destiny of this sector. Not Kerrigan, not Mengsk, not the Protoss. I shall lead, alone, this I vow, no matter the price." - Emperor Kaulin, Leader of Alarite

On the planet of Alarite, people are ruled under the tight government known as the Empire. It is a Terran world, unscathed by the war the Zerg have inflicted on so many other planets in the Koprulu sector. Under the leadership of Emperor Kaulin, the planet has managed to form a glorious military institute supported by the people. While it might seem like the ideal planet, it is being torn from within. A struggle ensues on the planet, a struggle over one thing, truth. The Empire hides its actions behind political terminology and a strict no-tolerance policy against anti-government speakers. Any who oppose, are summarily executed. All the same, the people do not mind, since they believe they have a good government. What some have realized though, is that this particular government is ruled by a mad man. Emperor Kaulin, some the resistance consider to be an extremely arrogant dictator. He is a man who believes his destiny was chosen by the gods, something he MUST fulfill, no matter the cost. Kaulin believes his order is superior, he believes it will bring about a clarity that the Koprulu sector has never seen. The resistance however, saw that the wrong man came into power, and now they plan to end it.

The resistance on Alarite isn't lead by any one man, nor is there any top leader. It is a desperation resistance, one composed of one or a few people in certain areas, scattered all throughout the planet, each of them trying to coordinate their efforts while not being caught, doing whatever is possible to stop Kaulin, or at least slow him down. To make matters worse, the price of being caught associated with the resistance is a very pricey one, torture, then summary execution. Few dare oppose Kaulin, and the resistance numbers are falling daily as more people are caught. Alarite is not a free world, it is a world enshrouded in lies by a chaotic man. In the midst of this, a greater threat is resurfacing, which if given the opportunity, may spark into a situation far beyond the capabilities of any army to handle. The cerebrate is rebuilding his broods, he needs only a planet to plant the seeds to bring about its return to power. The world of Alarite.

ORGANIZATIONS

The Empire



Currently, the Empire is a large organization with both full military and political powers residing in the hands of one man and one man only. The Empire had not always been as it was, Alarite once had a divisional system of power among several leaders. But the temptation of power was uncontrollable for one man, and the Empire was seized.



Emperor Kaulin
Human Male, Age 48
- When General Kaulin convinced the troops under his command to follow his cause, he quickly took control of Nilokor, the capitol of the planet of Alarite. Having seiged control of the capitol and executing all leaders, Kaulin proclaimed himself Emperor of Alarite. All cities and citizens on Alarite were forced to acknowledge his leadership, less they be forced into slavery for disobedience. Some still oppose Kaulin and his rule, knowing it is a threat to not only Alarite, but to Terrans and Protoss everywhere. Kaulin may conduct himself as a fair leader in public, thus waning control over the citizens, but his ultimate goals are nothing short of him receiving total control over the entire Koprulu sector.

In his youth, Kaulin was an aspiring military man, with only ambition, duty, and honor to look forward. He often received the approval of his superiors as a fine officer with whom to serve over. After taking control of Nilokor, those who had served with him had wondered how the man had gone awry from his promising youth, though few dare speak out against him. Treason is the ultimate crime against the Empire, no one even suspected of treason could expect to live long with Kaulin in command.



Captain Koe Lence
Human Male, Age 26
- Even the most corrupt empire needs a good military leader. Koe Lence, Captain of the Fleet, is that leader. Having joined the army when he was 14, his adaptiveness and military skills quickly landed him as captain of his own ship. At the age of 25 during a resistance attack on the capitol of Nilokor, the fleet suffered heavy damage from a surprise attack, and despite Emperor Kaulin's orders, they turned tail and headed home. All except one ship, Lence's. Lence's ship remained in position and kept enemy forces at bay until help could arrive. The ship itself in it's final moments of defense was turned into a flaming wreck, but Lence had his crew ready to evacuate. Kaulin, knowing that loyal men were hard to find of this quality, quickly promoted Lence to Captain of the Fleet, and executed the former. Lence served the empire as an honorable soldier, one of high moral values and standards for duty.



Interrogation Chief Graython Narek
Human Male, Age 30
- The empire may have control over most of the planet, but there are still those who are opposed to it, to the point of war, scattered members of a resistance movement. Narek's job is, when any member of the resistance is captured, they will be subjected to a most painful extraction of information, then killed. This is not publicized to the people, who believe that the Empire asks resistance members questions then locks them away. Nareks care-free attitude toward his brutal approach of questioning resistance members makes him a person to be feared, and a most rewarding target to any resistance member who might have a clear shot.

In the absence of any officer, Narek has the training to fill in for a select few important positions along side the Emperor. Because of this, the Emperor always keeps Narek near where he needs him. This however isn't looked upon as an opportunity to Narek, who would much rather spend his time in an interrogation chamber.



Commander Ken Maddux
Human Male, Age 28
- Commander Maddux is the leader of a 'enhanced' group of Empire soldiers referred to as the C.R.T., or Counter Resistance Team. They were put into service to deal with the rising terrorism threat from the Resistance, though they may be called upon often for other threats. Counter Resistance Team members are given no training, but rather they use technological implants which give them simulated experience over a long period of time. These implants are not without their liabilities, but for a period of 10 years a C.R.T. officer will receive extensive benefits from the implants, after which time, the body becomes as frail as an old men, and C.R.T. members are given considerable compensation to retire on. Commander Maddux handles every aspect of the Counter Resistance Team, his own implants allow him to take on any task that may be necessary, from the stealth of a ghost, to a pilot, or whatever else the task may require.

The Resistance



The truth is known by the few who have joined the resistance. Now the ranks rise up together to bring forth justice. Resistance members are meeting for a massive attack against the Empire, and it is only a matter of time before they strike at them.



Michael Dellen
Human Male, Age 37
- Dellen is one of the key figures of the resistance. Although the resistance has no leaders (it is composed of people who fight against the cause using whatever means they have, not organized leadership), he is a key figurehead associated with the resistance movement. He has been accredited with many victories in favor of the resistance. The empire is aware of him, but have not yet been able to track his whereabouts. Since he is a figurehead, other resistance fighters will surely recognize him and follow any instructions he may give. Dellen has a high success rate and low team casualty rating, making him a favored ally within the resistance to work with.



Ilia Clout
Human Female, Age 22
- Originally, Ilia was not involved in the resistance. When she was young, she resided in the neutral city of Toral with her parents. Unfortunately, a rumor spread that resistance members were gathering in Toral. Emperor Kaulin, in response, had the city of Toral bombed. Kaulin claimed that it was the resistance who bombed the town, but Ilia survived, and knew that it was in fact the Emperor's fleet who had bombed the town. She joined the resistance shortly thereafter, and has been fighting with them ever since.

Nugdraas Brood



A once powerful Brood was all but defeated after the Genid space platform incident. But now, the Cerebrate has returned to rebuild it's brood, and create mutations more terrifying then ever before.



Zerg Cerebrate Nugdraas
Age Unknown
- This infamous cerebrate has made his fame by invading the newest Terran Dominion world Dorasida, before it was accepted into the Dominion. It's defeat only made this cerebrate stronger and more hungry for power. It now looks for a new world, a vulnerable one to conquer to rebuild it's brood. Although many of this cerebrates forces were defeated at the Genid space platform, it still commands a sizable force numbering in the millions. To best service the Queen of Blades, cerebrates need numerous forces, forces which can only be grown through the growth of territory.

Since the Queen's rise to power, Nugdraas has been aiding her however it can. The Cerebrate's sole reason for living is to win the approval of the Queen of Blades, and it intends to reach that goal using any means necessary.



Unknown
Race, Age Unknown
- The mastermind behind a scheme which could destroy not only Alarite, but the entire Koprulu sector.



Eutares
Age Unknown
- One of Nugdraas' most powerful mutations. This particular mutation has the ability to regrow itself after it has been destroyed, making it a most annoying enemy for anyone in it's way. While Eutares itself has no direct attacks, it's inerts have been converted to grow 'mini-mutations' of formidable power. These mini-mutations themselves can only be stopped after a large amount of ammo is dumped at them.

The Narthok



Time travel is a very curious thing. One cannot help but wonder how different the world would be in time travel were to come into existance. Though how do you know history has not already been altered hundreds of times before?



Vilinthril
Protoss Male, Age 401
- As leader of the Narthok, Vilinthril carries a great burden of responsibility. A burden unlike any other. Because the Narthok deal in time travel, there are always a great deal of pretense during any situation. Vilinthril is indeed a unique individual to handle such situations with a calm demeanor. Vilinthril's rival in time, Roszogon, was defeated on the Genid space platform, with that huge responsibility off of his shoulders, Vilinthril can now return to the mission of the Narthok, which is saving the lives of all Protoss, in any time period.



Protoss Templar Rond
Protoss Male, Age 221
- This templar, through unusual circumstances, has the ability to change from an archon to a templar at will. His will is strong, and so is his might. This experienced templar warrior wields amazing control over psionic forces. Rond has hunted the cerebrate Nugdraas over the course of time, together as always, with his faithful companion. Rond is a disciplined warrior, with a sizable force to support him.



Tane
Protoss Male, Age 393
- Former Templar Master Tane now resides in the cold liquid ooze of the dragoon suit. Tane has trained Rond for a number of years, though through unusual circumstances, was never able to finish his training. Tane is an old warrior who has seen more then his fair share of battles. Tane no longer trains templar. Only because Rond was so close to finishing his training did Tane, who had only recently been forced into a dragoon, decide to try to finish training his pupil.



7576
Protoss Reaver, Construction Date Unknown
- A reaver programmed to follow Rond and protect him. Although this machine's feats are limited by it's programming, it is also unhindered by free will. This machine will always serve Rond faithfully.

Terran World Dorasida



Once the location of an epic struggle, the now peaceful world of Dorasida only struggles with the problems like any other normal society has. The peace is ensured through Dorasida's vast military forces, whom ensure a long future for the planet.



General Urusi
Human Male, Age 55
- Urusi comes from a noble blood line, and as much, is considered a fairly honorable man. Honor however does not ensure brilliance, as Urusi has made some questionable choices in his career. He now serves alongside General Skyler as one of two leaders of the Dorasida's Tarkenped Militia.



General Skyler
Human Male, Age 51
- Originally the leader of the 'Ped' forces, Skyler signed a peace treaty that ensured a bright future for Dorasida after the Genid platform incident. Skyler's past only says that this man has always been a fair leader with a strong hand.



Kid Morning
Human Male, Age 24
- Kid Morning is the radio DJ for New Dresdia's most popular radio station, SLAM Radio. He is an easy going fellow with no particular agenda other then to broadcast his music to the airwaves.



Mark Sanchez
Human Male, Age 28
- Gang leader of the infamous 'New Dresdia Skulls', a vicious gang of elusive vandals that the New Dresdia police has trouble dealing with. Mark Sanchez is an arrogant self serving criminal, who tries to play up a role he's not suited for, a crime boss.



Joe Kline
Human Male, Age 29
- After the Genid incident, Kline sought residence on Dorasida for about a week, intending to live the good life off of his share a very large cache of minerals he had collected on Char. He quickly became bored and asked to be assigned to Genid. After some time, he was fully instated as an officer of the Dominion, fortunately for him, unbeknownst to General Duke. Kline's an easy going fellow who would help out anyone in a jam. Just be prepared to pay the price. Many an officer serving under him were glad to get out from under his command, only citing that Kline had annoyed them to no end with two annoying words, 'Hoo Dee.'

E.D.A.S.T.



Expert Decision and Strategy Team. When large military tactics are not a viable option, this team of specially trained operatives steps up to the task to handle an entire ordeal, each with their own specialty talent.



Roger Norman (Shaddox)
Human Male, Age 33
- After the Nugdraas incident, the E.D.A.S.T. organization remained in function to carry out operations against the surviving Nugdraas Brood as their contribution to the war effort against the Zerg for Terrans everywhere. Roger Norman, codenamed Shaddox, is one such operative. Although disgruntled about the cerebrate Nugdraas' survival from the Genid platform incident, he has vowed to continue fighting. Shaddox looks for any opportunities to gain advantage over Nugdraas. He has the authority to call in Tarkenped Allied Army (Dorasida's army) forces to help him carry out difficult assignments.



Jack Miles (Quick)
Human Male, Age 29
- This egotistical pilot has much to boast about, being the man most directly responsible for averting Dorasida's destruction on many seperate occasions. From being called 'Nuke Shooter', 'Time Jumper', or just plain 'Good', this man has the talents to take on large numbers of enemies on a solo run without so much as a scrape. Whatever can be said about Jack Miles, deep down he is a good guy just doing what is right.



Admiral Horasi (Old Man)
Human Male, Age 61
- Once a Tark soldier himself, Horasi has picked up a great deal of knowledge, and as such, was the knowledgable choice for leader of the E.D.A.S.T. team.



Colonel Marsel (Blaze)
Human Male, Age 35
- Second in command of the E.D.A.S.T. team. Blaze is a tough talking no nonsense Colonel with an affinity to get things done fast and correctly. Although he does occasionally have some scuffles with the rest of the team, Colonel Marsel respects the abilities of each of his fellow teammates.



Kila Norman (Surety)
Human Female, Age 31
- Sister to Roger Norman, Kila likes to handle things with explosives moreso then with computer hacking. This almost always causes a sibling rivalry with the two, that is assuming they're not in a running firefight at the time.



Mick Narcine (Malcone)
Human Male, Age 24
- An all around handy man of the team, Mick has a little experience in everything, and as the youngest member of the team, while he does have a lot to learn, his youthfulness gives him a different way of thinking then the others, which has proven to be advantageous at times. Mick doesn't get in trouble with any of the team, he's liked all around.

Omanyss Brood



Serving the overmind for many years, the Omanyss Brood has always provided in support roles for the Overmind, indirectly assisting the high powers in side operations. With the Overmind dead, this cerebrate and it's brood now works to rebuild a shattered legacy.



Zerg Cerebrate Omanyss
Age Unknown
- Currently residing on Char, the cerebrate Omanyss keeps a watchful eye on Kerrigan and her movements to ensure that she does not become too powerful for her own good, that is, until the new overmind can be instated by Daggoth. Omanyss has a long and loyal history to the Overmind, and served a significant role in the invasion on Aiur. Omanyss commands a large and powerful brood.



Zergling
Less than 1 year old.
- A unique zergling was recently seperated from his cerebrate master, Omanyss. After tracking the mutations of Nugdraas, Omanyss itself tried it's hand at mutations. This particular Zergling is the one and only result. The Zergling quicly lost it's direction from the swarm and wandered off. Omanyss does not consider the Zergling significant, so no effort has been expended looking for it.

The Dhe'nari



There is a game called the 'Arena', it is a well known competition on one side of the sector on the planet of Krax. The competition pits two creatures of any race against each other. The Dhe'nari have dominated the competition for many seasons now.



Ten Koral
Protoss Male, Age 438
- As the leader of the Dhe'nari, Ten Koral is considered to be one of the most powerful beings alive, at least to those who know of the Arena challenges. His prowess with his blade is unmatched even by the most famous of dark templar. Working together with other Protoss, his group has conquered the Arena games for many seasons, and currently reign undefeated. Ten Koral is a very unique individual, he has become obsessed with the Arena games, so much to the point that while Aiur and Shakuras are attacked by the Zerg, Ten Koral continues competing in the Arena games, seemingly uncaring of the crisis on his home world.



Torl/Kalisyth
Protoss Male, Age 314
- This powerful archon makes famed Conclave warriors like Merlam/Aldrek seem as insignificant as a Zergling to a Carrier. Torl/Kalisyth is part of the Dhe'nari. This powerful archon itself has enough power to conquer the Arena games itself, though with all it's strength, is still ranked second within the Dhe'nari.



Riftur
Protoss Male, Age 185
- The most recent newcomer to the Dhe'nari. Riftur is a quick lightweight, and as such, competes with other lightweights within the arena games. Ten Koral recognized this particular zealot's up and coming strengths, and quickly took him under his wing.



Psyn
Protoss Male, Age 399
- Psyn competes in the vehicle competitions of the Arena games, equipped with his vehicle of choice, a standard Protoss scout. Psyn's flying style makes him a tough opponent to hit, and his arrogance in the cockpit only annoys competitors to the point of making critical mistakes against him. Psyn uses his powers as a former templar to supplement his scout's defense systems, making this particular pilot not only difficult to hit, but difficult to destroy even with successive hits. Any pilot would have a difficult competition when facing off against Psyn.



Campaign Credits - Learn who was involved in the making of this campaign, the roles they played, and other special information.

Celestial Irruption Credits and Cast:

Name: Marco "Desler" Hernandez
Age (Was): 20
Role: Project Leader. Writer of the Fall from Grace / E.D.A.S.T. / Celestial Irruption saga. Sole Map Designer and Voice Editor.
About: Marco Hernandez lives in the suburb town of Farmers Branch, just outside of Dallas, TX. He is aspiring to become involved in the gaming industry on a professional level. His past experience includes the StarCraft campaigns Crossworlds Saga, The Fenix, Fall from Grace, and E.D.A.S.T.




Name: Joel Steudler
Age (Was): 26
Role: Graphic Artist. Voice Actor for over 20 Seperate Personalities in Celestial Irruption (Most of which are the main characters). Promotional Art.
About: Joel Steudler, who currently resides in Pittsburg, PA, aspires also to become involved in the gaming industry on a more professional level, either through doing independant contract work, or work through NexusCore Studios. His past experience includes doing graphic art for the StarCraft campaigns War of the Tribes, Legacy of the Confederation, and Fall from Grace. Joel did voice actor work for these projects as well. For his animation, Joel uses Hash Animation Master 99, and does touchups and textures through Adobe Photoshop.




Name: Race 'Espionage' R
Age (Was): 17
Role: Voice actor for Mark Sanchez, General Skyler, and Colonel Marsel
About: A man with a rough accent, this man quickly filled the feet of some of our more tough talkers. Espionage has been involved in voice acting since the campaign E.D.A.S.T., and has reprised his roles in Celestial Irruption.

Name: The Inquisitor
Age (Was): Unknown
Role: Voice actor currently filling the rolls of the Dhe'nari.
About: A long time contributor to the StarCraft community, The Inquisitor is an up and coming campaign veteran, currently involved in a project called Trinity of Fire. The man had a voice talent that quickly landed him some roles on a CI. Inquisitor will serve as voice actor into the next project, also involving the characters he voices.

Name: Sophia 'WonderWear' Field
Age (Was): 26
Role: Voice actress for CI character 'Ilia Clout'.
About: Sophia Field, who runs Clan Wears as the omnipotent kick-your-arse alias 'WonderWear'. Clan Wears is a goofy Tribes Arena clan dedicated to the perserverence of fun first in Tribes through a group of top notch fun loving Tribes players. Sophia herself resides in parts unknown (or rather anonymousville). Sophia became involved with this project through fellow clanmate and project leader Desler. Sophia also runs Snail Shell Design, which works on web design for various sites.




Additional Thanks from Joel: To all the people that enjoy my work and continue to support our efforts at CC.

Additional Thanks from Desler: The fans, our wonderful audience. The entire Campaign Creations staff, for even making this project remotely possible on the scale it is now. Clan Wears for their support, and TupperWear specifically for lending his voice as the narrator in the trailer. Independant thanks to Brian "Hadiar" Tartell, who lends an ear during those long map making days. Ah yes, and Harlock, cause he begged moi. Just kiddin Harlock.



Celestial Irruption Design Journal - A special developers journal written by Desler, with various comments from Joel Steudler.



This design journal will outline the full process I go through with creating Celestial Irruption, but not just the process itself, personal things I think are important when making this campaign. Certain attributes exist that I always follow, and I decided to outline those, as well as the map making process. Also included are comments from Joel, and some of his own design philosophies that we intend to follow to the very end of this campaign. The reason I made this it to give public knowledge of the process I go through, so it can either (A), help them make their campaign, and/or (B), just simply to enlighten them on the amount of work and the philosophies we follow in designing Celestial Irruption. - Marco "Desler" Hernandez



Preface: Before I did anything with Celestial Irruption, before I laid out characters or even plotline, I set some goals on what I wanted this campaign to accomplish, what it would represent, etc.

The most basic premise is to create a campaign of a length to match Blizzard's 3 Episode expansion, Brood War.
Establish a storyline across from the mainstream StarCraft storyline which is both exciting and thoughtful.
Interweave elements from previous works (EDAST and FFG), and have it all change flow into this new direction, this new story, Celestial Irruption.
Introduce players to some unique gameplay styles and objectives, as well as expand on others previously laid out.
At least three times during the entire campaign, give the players something they have not seen before, something that doesn't pull from any plotlines from previous campaigns, or other campaigns within the community.
Establish a release schedule that can accommodate our map making style with the players needs. (This was eventually established to be every two weeks)



Preface: After I decided what my goals were for Celestial Irruption, I began thinking about the story. I knew I was going to be pulling in plot elements from E.D.A.S.T. and Fall from Grace, but at the same time, I wanted to give people something entirely new, a new set of characters, with a couple of familiar faces to help guide the way. Although I can't go into the specifics of the story, I did set a few guidelines that the story absolutely had to follow.



#1 in importance. NEVER let a universe YOU create break its own rules.
The number of actual characters should be kept to as few as necessary. Character development is vital, and this cannot be accomplished correctly with large numbers of characters.
The storyline, since continuous from the previous campaigns E.D.A.S.T. and Fall from Grace, should adhere to all standards set forth in those. Therefore, if Colonel Marsel for example, suddenly turned into a flower liking pansy, he should stay so in Celestial Irruption. Flexibility is of course, a given, as long as everything is believable.
Humor and enjoyment go hand in hand, even in the most serious of situations, there is always room for a little humor. Always take advantage of such instances and make the best of them.
Make sure everything is preplotted before you start mapwork. Dialogue can be the exception to this rule, as it is flexible, but if you start laying out a melee-style map for a commando-style mission, it can ruin the entire mission if you try using it purely for its unintended purpose. (This isn't to say that commando style missions don't belong on melee missions, just be sure melee missions actually contains some melee)
Treat each story nuance like gospel, if a character steps off screen for a while, explain it, if not sometime now, then sometime later. (This is a generic statement that applies to all situations)
Treat your characters like humans (even if Zerg, or Protoss), remember that besides their primary agenda, they have their own ambitions, lives, whatever. Keep reminding the player that these are 'real people' and not just heroes.
Don't overstate your story, don't epic-ize everything to be more grandiose then it appears, or else the truly grandiose moments lose their appeal.



Preface: The most fun part of any campaign, for both player and creator alike, are the characters. These are the people who have literally come alive from a spark of imagination. I knew that each character in Celestial Irruption needed to be different, each needed to have their own goals and ambitions, as well as anything, good or bad, they may of picked up growing up, and in the end, you can really picture these character as being someone who might really exist, even if it is in a fantasy world.

Emperor Kaulin - this human male, for reasons yet to be revealed, cares about only one thing, his mission, his destiny. Kaulin believes, in his mind, that fate has called upon him to do the duty of cleansing the Koprulu sector of a serious threat. I wanted Kaulin to have a "I hate my enemies equally" style, in other words, while Kaulin might want to wipe out the Resistance on his own planet, he certainly wouldn't prioritize them over a Dominion fleet preparing to attack his planet. He makes the wisest decisions based on all available information. Kaulin rises himself above small talk and other down-to-earth stuff that other people may do and only focuses on his one guidance in life, his belief in his destiny, nothing else matters to this man. Kaulin is an extremely intelligent dictator, he knows how to accomplish his goals without arousing suspicion or showing his hand, and he knows how to prioritize things.

Graython Narek - Interrogator for the Empire. This man, for good reason, has an obvious resemblance to Garak, from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Garak was one of my all time favorites characters from that series, because he was one of the most unique individuals I have ever seen anywhere, and I just had to pay tribute to him. Thus, Graython Narek was born, seemingly trying to capture the essence of what Garak was when he was an interrogator, Narek is just as sarcastic, scheming, yet surprisingly loyal as his DS9 counterpart. Narek, while obviously having a passion for his work, still has a few other hobbies in life, he isn't a total case like Kaulin, though he comes amazingly close to being a 'work is my sole reason for living' character. I do plan to take this man well beyond his role of a simple Interrogator, into a role that no one suspects.

Koe Lence - Captain of the Empire fleet. I would say this is your average self-starter turned Captain, Lence is young and still very fresh to military life, as such, he still retains much of his civilian morals. I wanted Lence to be the voice of reason, the voice of balance, an man who can give a view from all sides of the table that Celestial Irruption would take, no matter if those sides were considered evil or not. He has nothing but himself to truly rely on, and it will indeed be all he needs. Lence didn't need to be egotistical like Narek or set in his ways like the Emperor, he just needed to be a man, a simple man, who has let the tides of life take him where they may.

Michael Dellen - Resistance fighter. Dellen is a feared man among the Empire, feared for one reason, he's good at what he does. Dellen is a well known fighter that resistance members can quickly recognize and ally with. When I created Dellen, he was initially just supposed to be this hot shot resistance fighter, but then he developed more into a problem solver. Then me and Joel sorta just molded him into a Shaft like figure, a man with a lot of attitude who knows what he is doing. You don't want to get in this guys way, because even when he is losing, he is winning.

There were a few other characters, some new, some brought back from E.D.A.S.T. and Fall from Grace, each of them have a predeveloped personality that adapts to the situation. Each time I create some new dialogue, the first thing I have to ask myself is, "How is this one going to respond to what just happened, based on his personality, and feelings at the time?" By creating these personalities, along with quirks, tributes, and history, we can basically just say, "Characters - Situation - Go!", and it all molds together in a unique way. It is funny, because I know for a fact that a lot of people would react differently to these situations. If some wraiths started chasing Narek, he'd likely quote a sarcastic remark then retreat. If some wraiths started chasing Emperor Kaulin, he'd likely stand his ground and fight, because he believes he is destined to do something greater, and nothing can or shall oppose him. If Michael Dellen was being chased by wraiths, you'd likely see a couple marines come out of the bushes and fire, since Michael Dellen comes prepared for every situation, and always wins, even when he loses. Of course, these are just some basic examples, but I think we have indeed been very comprehensive about these sorta things, and it pays off, when people play the map, they notice the subtle/exuberant personalities, and take notice.



Preface: Well obviously we couldn't call ourselves a campaign if all we had were a bunch of non-relevant story summaries and hero rosters. Here is what the people come for, the levels, the meat of the campaign. What makes a level fun though? What makes a person want to play through that, to actually find out what is happening to the characters? Well, shortly after I created The Fenix, I knew that I had made one too many Melee maps. Although The Fenix did have some drastically different maps in a couple of places, the majority of it was melee. E.D.A.S.T. had no melee missions in it whatsoever. Although it went over well, I still consider that unacceptable, therefore, with Celestial Irruption, my new philosophy is to try to strike a balance between the two, and more importantly, find new ways to make Melee maps more fun!

Melee - use multiple objectives. Although not a guarantee, if the player knows he will be doing something entirely different in a moment, he or she will feel more inclined to complete the task.
Melee - cutscenes in between. When an objective is completed, the player needs more then a simple victory message as a pat on the back, they want something they can gaze upon or listen to. Games are essentially Entertainment, though obviously we make games for something to have fun with, there is nothing in the rulebook of games saying you cannot have a certain amount of entertainment/non-playing in a map. This is one of the key philosophies that I have believed in even in my first campaign, the Crossworlds Saga, which was the first StarCraft campaign ever to use in-game cutscenes (albeit, not very good ones). I cannot however, take credit for the idea, as my inspiration comes from Final Fantasy. Though StarCraft didn't have in-level cutscenes, Brood War was abundant with several small ones. Blizzard gave us the tools to develop in-level cutscenes to a professional extent, therefore, I always include them.
Melee - storyline. Melee maps, since they are long, are actually great for advancing storylines, since they ARE so long, you can throw subtle plot substances, maybe a random banter from a hero in the area, or even talk from the enemies encampment. Either way, Melee maps definitely serve as THE opportunity to develop these, especially since when using AI scripts, you don't have to trigger each unit to appear, and can concentrate on the dialogue.
Commando maps - uses vary. Generally, they were traditionally used in Installation missions, but can be used as a method of traveling from point A to point B, or even a way to choose your own plotline (point a, to point B, C, D, or E, depending on the route your team takes). Commando maps also provide a much more personal experience as far as the characters go. You're controlling the heroes, and they are actually heroes, they are fighting, they are getting the kills, it is THEM who are doing the work. Unfortunately, commando maps have a novelty that can wear off fast, so it should be used somewhat sparsely. This may sound somewhat sacrilegious of what I have preached in the past, but Melee maps are actually better, given the correct circumstances. Commando maps can basically be one thing, traveling to a destination, or to destroy something, but melee can be so much more.
Level Design Philosophy: Place fun above all else, ALL else. Sometimes things that are overstated are fun, such as boss fights, a seemingly ridiculous situation in real time can be turned into an amazing action sequence. But no matter what, keep the player entertained. If a task seems too mundane after a while, switch the task to something else, do something different. I have learned that it seems like people have the most fun when the campaign creator works the hardest, meaning, the more you include (and the less you rely on automated AI scripts), the more likely the player will see something unique and your map, and want to play it through.
Terrain - only recently have I really begun to take special notice of Terrain. Although my terrains have always been somewhat acceptable, many can often seem bland. You can almost always tell an experienced map maker from a newbie map maker from terrain. Most people have 'corner' syndrome, they start a mission off in a corner of the map, and go from there. Although sometimes it is necessary, it really doesn't show much creativeness to start things off in a corner, you feel trapped, as if "the area south and west of us we can see, but to the North and east, we, for some reason, cannot go there." It doesn't make sense from a story point of view to start in the corner, it's best to start somewhere corner-to-mid, meaning, close to the corner, but not on it. People don't like to be confined. Another thing I have recently tried to improve is cliff placement. Perhaps one of the annoying aspect in some of my Crossworlds Saga maps is that cliffs would be so close, you literally had to send your men through one at a time in order to get through. Over the two years I've been doing this, I've come a long way, and since I now know how to avoid these annoying terrain aspects, I can treat the player to an even richer experience just from nicely designed terrain.



Preface: Sounds, whether they be music, voices, or simple FX, is definitely an aspect that cannot be ignored. Although 'Bells and Whistles' might be considered somewhat optional, for StarCraft, they really add a third dimension to an otherwise two dimensional level.

Music can really open up new possibilities for StarCraft maps, as you splice together a heartpounding theme with a Zerg attack, or a dramatic theme at the death of a major character, these things really cannot be substituted by simple character dialogue. The drama factor of music itself is one that must be taken into account for any game, not just StarCraft. I absolutely praise games that take the time to invest in good music, often the games, even if they themselves lack in a lot of areas, can more then make up for it in the musical department. Without realistic resources to actually create these tunes myself in good quality and numerable fashion, I often look to the music used in Anime, Games, and Classical music score. Some of the best vocal songs come from Anime, just the fact that it is in a foreign language only makes it so much more powerful, the voice itself becomes an instrument rather then subtracting from a musical experience with unusual corny lyrics or such. If ever I did have the resources for a composer and orchestral accompanyment (or something close), I imagine we'd base it somewhere along the lines of the works of Square composer Nubuo Uematsu. This guy knows how to do game music, period. Nothing more to be said then that, anyone who has heard him knows what I am talking about.
Voices - There isn't anything better then your favorite character. Except when your favorite character has a voice behind it. As is the case with many Celestial Irruption voices, the driving force behind this aspect of CI is ultimately summed up with one man, Joel Steudler. Whether it be Narek's sarcasm, or Nugdraas evil undertone, or Kaulin's arrogance, Joel provides the voice to all these characters. I still think campaigns do not absolutely -require- voices, but they are indeed one great bellsnwhistle to have. One of the toughest things to do here was edit the effects and tone of the voice, so it doesn't sound like a straight-from-the-mic recording, yet still clear enough to decipher. Using Sonic Foundry Sound Forge software (the best in the biz), we are able to seamlessly add effects, albeit, the non-human voices are extremely exasperating to put together. I personally have a library of voice add-on effects (generic-static, generic-sciencevessel, generic-battlecruiser, and so forth) that I have put together so that background effects can be accessed quickly and integrated. It isn't as long a process as you might think, but it is still time consuming nonetheless. Joel does the majority of work on this portion obviously, by providing the actual voicework and editing out static and mic clicks and other annoying nuances.



Joel Stuedler on Voices: "I like to take my time with each voice sample I create, and usually do 2-3 takes depending on the length of the line. If I'm not pressed for time, I get pretty meticulous when it comes to choosing what gets sent to Desler for final editing. I usually run my vocals through a noise gate and compressor to bring out as much volume as I can while maintaining clarity, and I like to 'de-ess' them as well (softening 's' sounds that can otherwise be rather harsh). Clarity of sound is really my prime concern, and then of course the acting and inflections on the line has to be considered before I call it 'finished'. Also of the utmost importance is matching how Desler wants the character to sound. Some of his characters are homages to TV characters he likes (and I do too ), so matching their voices as best I can is always a challenge. When I'm finally done, I zip em up and send em to Desler so he can work his magic on them. When I am asked by Desler to do (yet another) new character voice, I usually ask him a few questions about the character's personality and demeanor so I can get the right 'feel' in their voice. Some may not think that I nail each and every one of them, but I aim to please the person that I'm doing the vocals for. It's hard to accept at first, but I know that I can't please everyone with my performances (and really I never expected to be able to- I only started voice acting on a lark... I certainly don't have any theater experience or anything of the sort, save for a short stint as a radio DJ in college). On the occasions I'm asked to imitate a certain known character in my vocals for one of Desler's (like Graython Narek- I'm sure you've guessed who he's modelled after, right?). I try to listen to as much of that character speaking as I can. This helps quite a bit in recreating their mannerisms and speech patterns."
Sound Effects - Whether you want to hear a sudden bout of evil laughter, typing on a computer, a heartbeat, a Zergling stampede, I have compiled a library of wav files of over 1000 sounds and effects. Obviously I don't use these all, a lot of them I mix together to create background noises for units, but whatever the purpose, we usually can whip something up to go with anything and not have to worry about taking a exuberant amount of time in creating an effect during our two-week mission time window. All effects were compiled, stocked, or recorded beforehand so this process of the campaign making would go smooth, and anything we don't have, is usually easy to mix together using current sound effects and entry-level SoundForge filters, insuring that we get a good sound effect in little time. It's truly one of those things that we worked out in preproduction, and we can use this library of effects in many projects to come, as we continue to build and expand on our library.



Preface: Ah visual effects, the science fiction eye candy we all look on with awe can take an important role in fueling your audiences imagination, particularly if you want to convey someone exactly as they are.

Art - Title screen art, promotional art, it is all a neccesary evil. Most importantly, when someone opens Celestial Irruption for the first time, you don't want them to come to the same view of Kerrigan, why have her up there when you can have something from the actual campaign? This aspect of the campaign also boils down to one man, Joel Steudler. Using Hash Animation Master, Joel can apply his talents into creating marvelous science fiction eye candy. I think this is an important part, history has shown that the best Science Fiction, Orson Wells, Gene Roddenberry, etc, is based on what we can see. War of the Worlds scared people when a promotion made some people think martians were in fact landing on Earth. Seeing a promo of the U.S. Capitol being exploded on Superbowl Sunday for a teaser of Independance Day certainly hooked more then one person, that hook then allows more people to enjoy the experience, which is why I think the art is such an important part of the campaign experience. Some things just can't be conveyed by word, and you can't guarantee that every individual has as spectacular an imagination as the artist who creates such things.
Portraits - One of the things Joel has done, is in addition to bringing our characters to life with voices, he has also given them their own unique identity with true to life portraits. In particularly, it seems so life like that if you ran your fingers over your screen, you could feel the texture in Rond's skin. Well, maybe not that lifelike, but it is definitely beyond believable that Joel could create some of these, which look very close to flesh and blood.
Joel on Art and Portraits: "Character art is something I enjoy quite a bit. I always try to reflect the personality of the character I'm depicting in the scenes that I create. Kaulin is regal yet condescending. Koe Lence is dutiful and loyal. Rond, well- he's just Rond. It also helps if I can show the character with some strong emotion etched into his face. Emotion defines character more than anything else. There isn't one feature or bit of anatomy I focus on more than another though. Easily the hardest thing to recreate on the equipment I have is hair. Hats are a 3d animator's best friend, unless they have the resources of the team creating the Final Fantasy movie or something similar. Remember that the next time you see a bald 3d rendered character! Truthfully, I spend the most time detailing whatever will be visible in most of the shots of the character I create (which is why I often focus on the upper body or head alone. No need to ceate the full body when the most you'll ever see is from the shoulders up! : ) My art is subject to much the same quality control as the sound work I do. I won't let something leave my computer without being 100% satisfied that I did it to the best of my abilities. I generally don't go for photorealism, but rather try to make the p_w_picpath as 'cool' as possible. When doing character art, I like to attempt to instill some of the character's personality into the piece... like the large render of Emperor Kaulin I did. I shot for making him look as haughty and imperious as I could. Sometimes the original renders aren't of the quality I like, and that was the case with the Emperor. He underwent some heavy Photoshop editing to get to look just right before I sent him off to Desler to post on CC."







Cutscenes - Sure, using in-game animation is great, but sometimes scenes need to be conveyed with more feeling. The best and most obvious example of this would be Fall from Grace. In the non-specialized edition, in the end, Rond was going aboard a Protoss carrier and flying away from Aiur, but all people got to see was Rond enter the carrier, then the carrier fly south. With Joel's cutscene marvel, you could see the battle raging around the carrier, and the carrier moving up into the atmosphere on a Z-axis course, something StarCraft lacks. Are cutscenes in the future of Celestial Irruption? Possibly, in the end, there will likely be something planned, I'm sure by the Protoss campaign (which will conclude CI), we'll be fully pumped and have lots of ideas planned, fortunately, that is far enough away that we only discuss it in casual conversation once a full moon, but you can be guaranteed that if any such thing is made for CI, it will be spectacular.



While Celestial Irruption is certainly well underway and far beyond pre-production, new surprises always crop up, new advances, a change for the creators, and other such occurences to make the campaign more unique then before, rest assured, the philosophies and standards discussed here are but a shadow of the true depth of the project. Celestial Irruption is indeed a grand creation, we hope you will share our vision in the months ahead as you get to look upon more of the campaign. Till then, keep looking up at the stars for that irruption. - Desler