Here is a list of… well… not frequently asked questions, because we don’t have any yet. Rather it is a list of questions we anticipate people would like to know the answer to.
So without further ado:
Q: Is this legal?
A: Good question! Let us elaborate a bit: We are thankful to Blizzard for creating such an amazing game as the original StarCraft Brood War. We also perfectly understand the entrepreneurial risk involved and agree that investors are entitled to a return as a reward for taking financial risks. We therefore condemn piracy and copyright infringement. We are careful not to violate any law and strongly encourage you to do the same.
Please note for example, that game rules cannot be protected in the United States, where the original Brood Wars was developed. Furthermore, the entire code base of the core engine is written by us. It does not contain any proprietary code. Unfortunately artwork (graphics) and sounds are protected. We respect this by a) developing our own graphics and b) requiring users of the original graphics to own a legal copy of Brood War. Such a copy can be obtained here: https://us.battle.net/shop/en/product/starcraft
Q: Why do you do this?
A: Truly great games cannot be designed in a lab. Truly great games cannot be controlled by a small team of designers that may or may not be in touch with the player base and is owned by a company whose main objective is to generate profit. Brood War owes a large part of its success to the community. UMS games as well as competitive maps are entirely community-driven. Brood War had an API for AI developers developed entirely by the community long before Blizzard announces its collaboration with Deepmind for SC2. Bob Ross might have called Brood War a happy little accident – a good attempt which turned out to be a rough diamond, ready to be cut into something beautiful by the community.
The best situation for a player is if a game is in his own hands and under his own control. Total freedom to manipulate and play with things, alter things and learn how it works or improve it at will.
We feel the future of Brood War must reside in the hands of the community. We want Brood War to be the e-sports equivalent of Chess!
Q: OK, I get it. You guys are the guerillas of e-sports, fighting for a socialist internet.
A: That is not a question. But no, that is not the point. As stated in answer 1, we have nothing against profit-oriented companies and we are ready to play by the rules. We simply believe that a profit-oriented company has different objectives than a non-profit community of enthusiasts. Therefore there will be conflict of interest. The rational thing to do as a group of enthusiasts in such a situation is to explore the legal boundaries to get our interests fulfilled.
Q: What will you get out of it then?
A: Money-wise? Nothing. On one side, we are willing to work for free because we think it is for a good cause. On the other side, we just do this for ourselves. We hope to get people to play a great game. To provide a sustainable base for a strong community of players, viewers, fans, map makers, bot developers, and other enthusiasts, such that we all profit. Everything will be open-source and free to use.
Q: That sounds great! Can I donate?
A: No, you can’t. However, at some point in the future we might add a selection of charities that need your money more than we do.
Q: Can I at least collaborate?
A: Absolutely! Drop us an email, write a comment, or find us on TeamLiquid. Ideally you include a short description of your skills and experience.