
Show HN: HTML5 version of StarCraft - gloomyson
https://github.com/gloomyson/StarCraft
======
SXX
Looks funny, but I recommend you to remove all proprietary Blizzard graphics
from GitHub and possible just recreate repository without it. If you want to
host assets there better to keep them in different repository.

Otherwise you'll clearly get DMCA because Blizzard has long history of banning
any project even remotely copying their products no matter if it's done for
fun or whatever.

PS: It's also affect repository name, etc.

~~~
gloomyson
Much thanks for you recommend, I make this game just because I love this old
StarCraft game so much and want to realize it in web browser, no plan for make
money, and it's much weaker than the original Blizzard game

~~~
SXX
Fact that you don't make money off it would work for almost any game
developer, but not Blizzard. In past they take down several open source
projects just because of their name or clean room reverse engineering. And
you're basically pirating their game assets.

~~~
andrepd
>Fact that you don't make money off it would work for almost any game
developer

It really wouldn't. I know it's fun to imagine Blizzard as an oppressive
corporation overlord, but any developer in the world will take steps to
protect their IP.

~~~
SXX
I have no doubt that any developer would send take down for illegal assets
usage and there is nothing wrong about it. This where project creator gone
wrong and hope he won't do anything like that in future.

Though Blizzard in particular aggressive towards open source projects that
recreate their games and generate a lot more lawsuits than other game
development company. It's just like that 'Candy Crush Saga vs Banner Saga'
lawsuit. These guys had right to do that, but it's still looks awful.

PS: As example of company that nice to the community look at Rockstar Games.
Even if they're not really do anything for modding community there is tons of
hobby software projects created around GTA include custom multiplayer servers,
editors and any kind of mods, So far no one ever get lawsuit threats for doing
anything like that. Now check Blizzard with their pro-DRM and anti reverse
engineering lawsuits.

~~~
andrepd
I see. That's probably true; I'm not up to date on that stuff. Still, in this
particular case, I can't blame any company for protecting their IP. It's a
freely distributed clone of one of their games, after all. Even if they are
not making money out of it they are hurting their business.

------
hitekker
For those wishing to play without downloading:

Open
[http://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://github.com/gloomyson/S...](http://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://github.com/gloomyson/StarCraft/blob/master/index.html)
in FF (or Chrome without its security stuff on)

~~~
niutech
Thanks for promoting my project ;) I hope it will serve you well.

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galenko
This is awesome, but as others have said, the Blizzard legal team will come
knocking on your door very soon. If I were you and if you're serious about
continuing working on this, I would take this down immediately, get in touch
with their legal team and see if you can work something out with them to get
their blessing on this.

They're not evil, it's their job to protect copyrighted assets, without them
Blizzard would be out of pocket and SC2 might not have been created, from my
experience, there are some really friendly people there, but you have to get
on their good side and I'd say you've already gone about this the wrong way
(by githubbing their copyrighted stuff).

~~~
SXX
Pretty sure contacting Blizzard legal team would be dumbest thing ever because
you'll never get an answer or just get youself in trouble. Best solution is to
remove current repository (or make it private) and then create new repo
without copyrighted stuff.

~~~
tracker1
That, or remove said assets and scrub the history.. as another thread mentions
there are sites with open game assets that can be used... or simple sketch
patterns and generated voice assets can be used in the interim until better
assets can be released.

------
hvidevold
Good job gloomyson! I've been working on HTML5 version of Starcraft 2, see
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoPNrz2LUG0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoPNrz2LUG0)
,
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvhUteDp3o8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvhUteDp3o8)
, and source is at [https://github.com/emnh/rts](https://github.com/emnh/rts)
. Only free assets are included in github repository submodule, same
separation strategy as Stratagus.

------
MasterScrat
Looks very interesting :D

I'm currently doing the same with Baldur's Gate engine. I am using Mootools, I
want to study your code more to see if Dojo would be better (Mootools
introduces overhead with constructors)

Basic demo here:
[http://lumakey.net/labs/battleground/demo1/](http://lumakey.net/labs/battleground/demo1/)

For multiplayer I'm making tests with Firebase...

Also I'm looking into WebGL for some animations (explosions etc) probably it
could help performance in your case as well.

~~~
gloomyson
Very glad to hear that; for dojo, functions in dojo/_base/lang and require.js
attract me; and can you share your github URL then i can also watch your
project? PS: Are you afraid if game company accuse you pirating their assets?
Their words make me nervous

~~~
MasterScrat
I have not yet published the code publicly but I plan on doing it soon.

With Mootools I like the classical inheritance style. Something else that
looks interesting is TypeScript, when you reach ~10k lines of codes pure
javascript gets really tricky to debug/refactor.

Yes I am worried about company reaction, I wouldnt publish game assets on a
public repo. What I am considering is publishing my game engine along with the
scripts I use to process the game resources into suitable web formats.

------
Mizza
Cool.

Anybody looking for an HTML5 Startcraft-esque multiplayer game might want to
check out [http://littlewargame.com](http://littlewargame.com)

------
unicornporn
Funny thing, I tried to play SC on a LAN last week. No go on my MacBook
though. Wine gives graphics glitches and VMWare Fusion was too slow on my
ageing MBP.

I downloaded version 1.0 of this and it seems to work quite well! The version
live at [http://www.nvhae.com/starcraft/](http://www.nvhae.com/starcraft/) is
0.1. Guess we shouldn't hope for multiplayer, which is what I'm really after.

~~~
danielsamuels
You can use the rawgit to view the current version (1.0) -
[https://rawgit.com/gloomyson/StarCraft/master/index.html](https://rawgit.com/gloomyson/StarCraft/master/index.html)

~~~
gloomyson
Wow, I didn't know this, but i guess you will hardly enter the game because by
now my audio files are separated as a result will trigger large amounts of
http requests; I will later join them together to reduce audio file amounts,
will play each sound like sprite

------
xytop
Play it online here:
[http://shvelo.github.io/StarCraft/](http://shvelo.github.io/StarCraft/)

(fork with gh-pages added)

------
j_s
Check out the StarCraft AI competition if you need some ideas:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8884694](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8884694)

------
jpatokal
Anybody got this running without downloading the whole lot and hosting it
locally?
[http://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://github.com/gloomyson/S...](http://htmlpreview.github.io/?https://github.com/gloomyson/StarCraft/blob/master/index.html)
loads up to the splash screen but no further.

~~~
kaoD
Worked for me whitelisting the site in Disconnect.

------
S4M
Is it just me, or it's the "gather" function to mine resources is not working?
Really nice apart from that.

~~~
gloomyson
The "gather" function is just not added into game by now, the code is not
done, you can use cheat "show me the money" to easily get resources as much as
you want.

------
Plishar
I make games all the time for myself, sometimes using copyright protected
images. But I can't share the source code or publish the game in Google Play
if I do that.

If I want to share or publish, I have to use free stuff or make it myself. If
I want to use copyright material and publish it, I need permission and a
contract with the owner of the IP, a license or agreement of some sort to use
their stuff.

All this applies to everyone, not just the US, if you want to do business. If
it's just for fun that's fine but you can't distribute it in anyway, including
github.

------
thomasahle
Amazing work! I put this in full screen, and at times, playing the 'Protect
Athena' level, I even forgot it wasn't the real thing. Must have taken you a
lot of tuning :)

~~~
gloomyson
I suggest you use cheat code "full recovery" or "power overwhelming" or "the
gathering", or finish this level is mission impossible

------
jlebrech
I would commit a change that removes the assets and see what pull request you
get. or even better i'd make it load assets from a theme then anyone can theme
it.

------
david_p1
Well nice game, few days ago I found something very interesting, html5 game
that is a combination of starcraft and clash of clans, with much better
graphic and real time AI, but the game doesn't seems to be ready yet...
[http://ageofsalvation.com/](http://ageofsalvation.com/) It is the most
advanced html5 game I have seen though.

------
vegancap
Amazing work! Red Alert next??

~~~
gloomyson
To replace sprite images and sounds in my game will easily change it to
another RTS like Red Alert, but i'm nervous about the copyright now, I just
want to produce my own game for fun so if I make RedAlert, will not upload to
github again

~~~
kzrdude
You don't need to be nervous. Blizzard asking you to take down your copy of
their assets is inevitable. No need to sweat it more than that, it's a fact of
life.

Here's something interesting, an open source Warcraft II style engine
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratagus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratagus)

You'll have to adapt the same strategy as they do, or any other engine remake:
Host and share your engine, require the user to themselves supply the original
game installation. That way your project is just a mod.

Another example of a great engine remake is "RttR"
[http://www.siedler25.org/](http://www.siedler25.org/) a remake of the
Settlers II engine. They require a separate installation of the original game
to play.

~~~
ponytech
See also [https://www.openttd.org](https://www.openttd.org) a remake of
Transport Tycoon Deluxe.

~~~
Mchl
Which over the years and thanks to a massive effort of contributors have
managed to create its own set of graphical and sound assets and is now a
stand-alone game.

(Still some copyright issues remain)

------
iopq
As someone who still plays the game sometimes, this will take way too much
effort to reproduce satisfactorily. Cursors need to change on mouseover, or
when a command is selected. There need to be hotkeys, ctrl groups, etc.

Not sure if you're going to finish this, because it is going to be quite hard
to polish.

~~~
gloomyson
Yes, I'm still developing this game, and will be glad if you can watch my game
until completely finished

~~~
iopq
Sure, post it again when it's more polished and I'll comment more.

------
mentos
Are there any Html5 game frameworks that this could/should have been built on
top of? I feel like there are a bunch of games that could be made with an
html5 client...

------
tallerholler
this is awesome! please continue and get multiplayer but also don't get busted
by blizzard...

~~~
gloomyson
Thank you, please don't tell blizzard my game, hope it can live longer in
github

~~~
artmageddon
They'll find it pretty quickly. You'll want to move fast to protect yourself.

------
songgao
Even the cheat codes still work!

~~~
gloomyson
Yes, to check cheat code list, you can check cheat.js by itself, they're all
listed in switch~case expression

