14 DAY TRIAL // Blizzard Entertainment has released an update for Mac users and fans of the world's most popular RTS title, StarCraft. The update brings StarCraft to version 1.16 on Mac, and includes new / changed features, bug fixes, as well as exploit fixes.
Particularly, feature changes include: in-game chat is now saved in replays (whispers are not saved); hitting the Escape key while in the chat room will clear your typed text; "/reply" (or just "/r") will send a whisper to the person who most recently whispered you. As far as bug fixes go, Blizzard was able to fix localization issues with "from" and "to" in whispers, while the game now only uses as much CPU as it needs to run smoothly.
Exploits that were fixed previously allowed Zerg players to gain minerals through mutations, to recycle an upgrade building, to extend their creep with a drone, and to move Drones over impassable terrain. On the Terran side, Blizzard fixed an exploit that allowed players to drop a nuke anywhere on the map, while none of the players can now pause the game while in the pre-game lobby.
Among the many impressive features Blizzard's old StarCraft boasts, the game also includes a full-featured scenario editor, which lets players build their own worlds and even entire campaigns, providing unlimited gameplay. StarCraft's unique Trigger system allows them to create special scenario events, messages, and victory conditions.
Blizzard advises fans to install the game on a hard drive that is formatted as Mac OS Extended. To find out how your hard drive is formatted, select your hard drive in the Finder and choose "Show Info" from the File menu. For the best color quality, it is recommended that you run Mac OS X's Display Calibrator Assistant. It is located in System Preferences -> Display. Select the Color tab and click the Calibrate button. Then follow the on-screen instructions to calibrate your display.
As far as the Internet settings go, networking over IPX, AppleTalk, Serial and Direct Modem-Modem is not available in StarCraft for Mac OS X. Also note that, if music is turned off in the game, you may notice occasional pauses while the CD-ROM drive spins up. It is best to leave music turned on to avoid this.
StarCraft requires at least the following: PowerMac (PPC), 16 MB RAM, Mac OS 7.6 or higher, 256 Color, 640x480 Display or Better, Double-Speed CD-ROM (Quad Speed for Cinematics).