Starcraft Course opened for College - earn credits

Tuesday, January 27 2009

Students in UC - Berkeley can take up StarCraft studies for college credits. Something we’ve never imagined would happen. I figure World of Warcraft would’ve been the first to be opened for classes but Starcraft did come out much earlier than WoW. Maybe another 2-3 years?

This is a gamers dream come true, something they’ve always fantasized about other than a porn course (which has came true as well). Some of the prerequisites for the course is that students “should be familiar with all units and some basic StarCraft strategy”. Anyone interested in the course needs to enter the class with “an open and analytic mind”. Oh, and you need to have StarCraft: Brood War, doh!

An interesting point for us in the StarCraft Community with all of this is all the final projects that students will make. A lot of new, interesting points of view will emerge by the end of this course? The only thing the students could want in addition to this is a Blizzard sponsorship and playing around in StarCraft II!

Further details of the course can be found in a Facebook group as well as their official site. Starcraft Wire was also priveleged enough to have an interview with the professor which they will be posting shortly.

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Course Description:

UC Berkeley students with an interest in real-time strategy games and the competitive gaming landscape are encouraged to participate in this class.

This course will go in-depth in the theory of how war is conducted within the confines of the game Starcraft. There will be lecture on various aspects of the game, from the viewpoint of pure theory to the more computational aspects of how exactly battles are conducted. Calculus and Differential Equations are highly recommended for full understanding of the course. Furthermore, the class will take the theoretical into the practical world by analyzing games and replays to reinforce decision-making skills and advanced Starcraft theory.

Class will start with lecture and usually include a special discussion topic having to do with the day’s lecture to inspire new and original thought. At the end of lecture, there may be time to analyze student-submitted replays to illustrate a point or to improve analysis. Homework will be assigned at the end of each class and is due at the beginning of each lecture.

Course Learning Objectives and Goals:

What may look like complex topics are just ways we want you to think more deeply about the game to derive a greater satisfaction from playing. Furthermore, this understanding should have applications in real life, to further synthesize new information from limited inferences. The primary goal is for students to learn, enjoy the art of competitive StarCraft, and have fun. Overall, students will be applying critical thinking, quick decision-making, and game theory skills throughout the sessions. Students will also learn what to look for in a replay or game to learn most effectively.

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