Warcraft III Press Kit

Warcraft III Press Kit
	; Cover
Developer(s)	Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Blizzard Entertainment
Release	July 3, 2002
Genre(s)	Press

For other press kits, see Press Kit.

The Warcraft III Press Kit was the physical press kit of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos which was released on July 3, 2002. It includes a disc of the digital press kit such as images.

The following article serves as an authentic copy of the original Warcraft III Press Kit. All material written in this article is of Copyright ©2002 by Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. The author of this article claims no right of the material written.

Transcript

Almost fifteen years have passed since the end of the war between Orcs and Humans. An uneasy peace has settled over the land since the drums of war were silenced. But as the human kingdoms rest on their laurels, the Orc clans unite behind a young, visionary leader.

A darker shadow also begins to grow, a menace to all life and hope. The drums of war beat again in an ominous crescendo as the hour of chaos inexorably draws near. When fire rains from the sky, the world will tremble before the Burning Legion.

This summer, Blizzard Entertainment will unveil the 3rd chapter in the epic Warcraft saga: Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.

Game Highlights

Four unique races, each with its own units, magical powers, and special weapons.

Humans
- Humans are the youngest race of the world of Warcraft. Compared to the long lives of Elves and Dwarves, the life of a human is short and hectic.
Undead
- Thousands of walking corpses, disembodied spirits, damned souls, and entities from other planes march in the units of the terrifying army of the Undead.
Night Elves
- Night Elves, the first race to awaken in the Warcraft world, purposely remain apart from the other races. These immortal yet somber beings were also the first to study and practice magic, almost 10,000 years before the time of Warcraft I.
Orcs
- The savage green-skinned Orcs are one of the most prolific races in the Warcraft universe. Few know that Orcs had developed a noble, shamanistic civilization on Draenor prior to their invasion of Azeroth.

Two new warrior nations in the Warcraft universe: the Undead and the mysterious Night Elves.
Incredible 3-D graphics enhanced by proprietary software support multiple resolutions and a choice of several detail levels.
Legendary heroes have the ability to learn new spells and skills as they advance in level, and they play a key role in the military organization of each race.
Heroes use special items obtained from Neutral Units or purchased at Neutral Buildings. These items can reverse the course of battle completely!
Neutral Buildings offer a selection of magic items and formidable mercenary allies. Of course, everything has its price.
Neutral Units people the world of Azeroth... but their neutrality does not prevent them from delaying a careless traveler.
Immersive single player campaign with more than thirty levels.
Complete multiplayer support, including Internet matches on Battle.net.
New multiplayer features include shared control of units and exchange of resources among the players.
A unique World Editor to edit your own campaigns.

The Humans

Humans are the youngest race in the Warcraft universe. Compared to the long lives of Elves and Dwarves, the life of a Human is short and hectic. Their short span of existence drives Humans to expend incredible energy building huge empires, developing fabulous technologies, and studying magic, which explains why impressive Human kingdoms develop in such a short periods of time. Humans price honor and virtue, and they seek to protect themselves from the forces of darkness. Supported by the Divine Light, Humans endured the most terrible battles against the Orcish horde.

The noble warriors of humanity employ both a strong military and powerful magics in the defense of their shining kingdoms. Both knights and wizards fight side by side on the field of battle against those who would threaten the sanctity and peace of the Alliance. Although the Alliance has all but fallen apart, the valiant citizens of Azeroth and Lordaeron have once again taken up arms against the enemies of humanity.

Racial Identity

The Human Alliance is a conglomeration of Humans, Elves, and Dwarves. They are the most versatile army in Warcraft III, with good ground and air troops, excellent siege capabilities, and powerful spellcasters.

Advantages

Peasant Militia
Cooperative Building
Sturdy Construction
Improved Lumber Harvesting
The Humans' Defend ability is very effective vs ranged troops.

Heroes

Paladin
- Although the Paladins were once loved and revered throughout the lands of Lordaeron, they have since fallen on hard times. The entire Order of the Silver Hand was disbanded for refusing to kill innocent townsfolk who were believed to be contaminated by the dreaded Undead plague. Disenfranchised and driven from their former homes, the Paladins still work selflessly to protect humanity from the gnawing jaws of evil.
Archmage
- Hailing from the magical kingdom of Dalaran, the Archmagi represent the pinnacle of magical power. Weaving their intricate enchantments, these crotchety old wizards are called upon to defend humanity with all the magical powers at their disposal. Mounted atop their trusty steeds, the Archmagi brandish ancient staves that serve to channel their fierce energies in battle.
Mountain King
- The Mountain Kings, or 'Thanes' as they are known in Khaz Modan, are the mightiest Dwarven warriors under the mountain. Wielding both enchanted warhammers and hand axes, these fierce fighters live to test themselves against worthy opponents. Unconcerned with their race's preoccupation with mechanical devices and mining precious minerals, Mountains Kings live only for battle.

Units produced by the Town Hall

Peasant
- Peasants are trained from the hard-working and stout-hearted citizens that live in the numerous kingdoms of Lordaeron.
Militia
- The workers of the Human Alliance can be converted into Militia when the need arises.

Units produced by the Barracks

Footman
- The vast ranks of the Alliance armies have diminished over the years due to the incessant infighting amongst the former Alliance nations.
Rifleman
- The brave Dwarven Riflemen are excellent marksmen and can shoot both land-based and airborne opponents.
Knight
- Though the hearty Knights of Azeroth were destroyed during the First War, the shining Knights of Lordaeron still continue to serve amongst the warriors of the Alliance.

Numerous other units are available from other buildings.

The Orcs

The savage green-skinned Orcs are one of the most prolific races in the Warcraft universe. Originally from the infernal world of Draenor, Orcs were introduced into the realm of Azeroth through the Dark Portal, a dimensional gateway, to wage war against the humans. Orcs are commonly believed to be brutal and stupid, devoid of humanity or any trace of empathy for other races. The Orcs, who once cultivated a quiet Shamanistic society on the world of Draenor, were corrupted by chaos magics of the Burning Legion and formed into a voracious, unstoppable Horde. Lured to the world of Azeroth through a dimensional gateway, the Horde was manipulated into waging war against the Human nations of Azeroth and Lordaeron. Recently the Orcs have begun to free themselves from the corruptive, Demonic forces and are prepared to combat the vile Legion with courage and honor. Using the ancient, Shamanistic magics of their rediscovered culture, the powerful warriors of the Horde will stop at nothing to ensure that they're never used as pawns again.

Racial Identity

The Horde possesses the game's most powerful ground units, including the savage Grunt and gargantuan Tauren. The Orcish Horde has modest air and ranged capabilities, but their true strength lies in their raw melee power. Even the magic of their spellcasters is designed to enhance their frontline troops.

Advantages

Spiked Barricades
Pillage
Protective Burrows
The Orc Raiders are very good for destroying buildings.

Heroes

Blade Master
- Though their numbers are few, the seasoned Blademasters represent an elite fighting force within the Horde. These skilled swordsmen were once part of the ill-fated Burning Blade Clan which consumed itself in the throes of Demonic corruption. With their Clan scattered and broken, the proud Blademasters swore a grim oath to free themselves and their brethren from Demonic control once and for all.
Farseer
- Farseers are ancient Orcs who represent the pinnacle of Shamanistic power. These powerful Shamans are counted amongst Thrall's closest advisors and are constantly in tune with the workings and maneuverings of the Horde. Farseers are not only tied to the elements of the earth and sky, but are also adept at foretelling the future.
Tauren Chieftain
- These elder Tauren warriors lead their tribe in daily life as well as in battle. Ceremoniously decked with the ancient totems of their Tribes, Chiefs uphold the honor and simplicity of Tauren culture. when roused by battle, the gigantic Chiefs employ enormous warblades which are capable of tearing through solid trees with one mighty swipe. The Chiefs are fascinated by the Orcs, especially their young leader, Thrall.

Units produced by the Great Hall

Peon
- The label of Peon denotes the lowest station amongst those in the Orcish Horde. Inferior in all skills of worth, these dogs are relegated to menial tasks such as harvesting lumber and mining Gold.

Units produced by the Barracks

Grunt
- Grunts are the first and last line of Horde's defense. These powerful fighters arm themselves with mighty battle-axes and display all of the savagery and cunning of their race. In past generations, Grunts were characterized by their depravity and brutality.
Troll Headhunter
- The disenfranchised Trolls of northern Lordaeron have once again pledged their savage services to the Orcish Horde.
Catapult
- The Orcish Catapult has always been a standing asset to the Horde. Capable of hurling fury projectiles over great distances, Orcish Catapults have been the added of many Alliance regiments.

Numerous other units are available from other buildings.

Night Elves

The reclusive Night Elves were the first race to awaken in the in the^[sic] Warcraft universe. These shadowy, immortal beings were the first to study magic and let it loose throughout the world nearly ten thousand years before Warcraft I. The Night Elves' reckless use of magic drew the Burning Legion into the world and led to a catastrophic war between the two titanic races. The Night Elves barely managed to banish the Legion from the world, but their wondrous homeland was shattered and drowned by the sea. Ever since, the Night Elves refused to use magic for fear that the dreaded Legion would return. The Night Elves closed themselves off from the rest of the world and remained hidden atop their holy mountain of Hyjal for many thousands of years. As a race, Night Elves are typically honorable and just, but they are very distrusting of the 'lesser races' of the world. They are nocturnal by nature and their shadowy powers often elicit the same distrust that they have for their mortal neighbors.

Racial Identity

The Night Elves of Kalimdor are a mighty race that emphasizes mobility, ranged firepower, and spell-craft. They do not have the brute strength of other races, but their skills with bow and magic more than compensate for this deficiency.

Advantages

Ancients
Shadowmeld
Enhanced Night Vision
Moon Wells
Night Elves do not consume trees when harvesting lumber, which facilitates resource management.
Night Elf Archers are very effective against air units.

Heroes

Demon Hunter
- Demon Hunters are dark, shadowy warriors who are shunned by the greater Night Elf society. They made a pact, long ago, to fight against the forces of chaos using its own terrible powers against it. These mysterious warriors ritually blind themselves so that they develop 'spectral sight' that enables them to see demons and undead with greater clarity.
Keeper of the Grove
- The enchanted Keepers are the favored sons of the demigod Cenarius. Like their lesser Dryad sisters, the Keepers appear to be half Night Elf, half stag. They have enormous antlers and manes of leaves that flow down their backs. Their right hands are disfigured and twisted - as if they had become like the gnarled root-claws of the Treants. Keepers possess many strange powers over nature and the animals.
Priestess of the Moon
- The fearless leaders of the Sentinel army, the Priestesses of the Moon epitomize the power and grace of their race's ancient Moon Goddess, Elune. The Priestesses, equipped with silvery, glowing armor, ride the fearless Frostsaber tigers of Winterspring into battle. Charged with the safekeeping of the Night Elf lands and armed with magical energy bows, the Priestesses will stop at nothing to rid their ancient land of evil.

Units produced by Tree of Life

Wisp
- Wisps are ancient spirits of nature that inhabit the forestlands of Kalimdor. Legends say that Wisps are actually the disembodied spirits of the Night Elves themselves.

Units produced by Ancient of War

Archer
- These brave warrior women are expect marksmen and use the concealing forests of Kalimdor to their advantage. Their lighting-quick ambushes are legendary.
Huntress
- Huntresses are the elite cadre of the Sentinel army. Drawing their strength from the moon goddess, Elune, these warrior women ride the feral Nightsabre panthers into battle.
Ballista
- Long-range siege weaponry. Exceptional damage versus buildings. Cannot attack air units.

Numerous other units are available from other buildings.

The Undead

The horrifying Undead army called the Scourge consists of thousands of walking corpses, disembodied spirits, damned mortal men and insidious extra-dimensional entities. The Scourge was created by the Burning Legion for the sole purpose of sowing terror across the world in anticipation of the Legion's inevitable invasion. The Undead are ruled by Ner'zhul, the Lich King, who lords over the icy realm of Northrend from his frozen throne. Ner'zhul commands the terrible plague of undeath, which he sends ever southward into the human lands. As the plague encroaches on the southlands, more and more humans fall prey to Ner'zhul's mental control and life-draining sickness every day. In this way, Ner'zhul has swelled the ranks of the already considerable Scourge. The Undead employ necromantic magics and the elemental powers of the cold north against their enemies. The undead are known for their ability to generate units upon the battlefield. This makes them a very persistent force.

Racial Identity

The Undead Scourge is a well-balanced faction that can field enduring ground forces and pwerful air units. Their spellcasters possess a variety of powerful magics, including the dreaded ability to raise fallen allies and foes alike into an army of walking dead. In this way, the Undead can assemble armies more massive than those of any other race in Warcraft III.

Advantages

Defensive elements are part of basic buildings.
Summoned Buildings
Can animate corpses or use them as weapons.

Legendary Heroes

Death Knight
- Death Knight were virtuous defenders of Humanity who became embittered by society's cruelty toward them. The Lich King Ner'zhul offered them untold power in exchange for their loyalty, and the warriors accepted his dark pact. Although they retained their humanity, their twisted souls were bound to his evil will for all time. Bestowed with black, vampiric Runeblades and shadowy steeds, Death Knights serve as the Scourge's mightiest generals.
Dread Lord
- Dreadlords are incredibly powerful demonic entities that are masters of darkness and mental domination. These cunning, malefic beings were once considered to be the most trusted lieutenants of the Burning Legion. Kil'jaeden, the Lord of the Legion, tasked his faithful Dreadlords to watch over The Undead and ensure that the Lich King Ner'zhul carried out his orders to sow chaos in the mortal world.
Lich
- During his mortal life as the Warchief of the Orcish Horde of Draenor, Ner'zhul commanded a number of Orcish Warlocks and Shamans. When these wicked sorcerers were captured by Kil'jeaden^[sic] and the Legion after the destruction of Draenor, they were transformed into twisted mockeries of their former selves.

Units produced by the Crypt

Gargoyle
- The dreaded Gargoyles of Northrend are voracious flying creatures who revel in slaughter and mayhem. Brought from the frozen north by the armies of the Lich King, these strange, wiry flyers have rough, crystalline hides which protect them from all manner of attacks.

Units produced by Saughterhouse^[sic]

Abomination
- The twisted, mutilated bodies of the Abominations are comprised of multiple dead limbs and body parts from various corpses. These enormous warriors love to carve flesh and tear their enemies apart. The slow-moving and slow-witted Abominations constantly drip blood behind them and smell like a disease-ridden slaughterhouse.
Meat Wagon
- One of the strangest and most dire tools utilized by the undead Scourge is the dreaded Meat Wagon. This rickety contraption is used to collect and store recently slain corpses from the field of battle.

Numerous other units are available from other buildings.

Single-player Mode

The single-player mode is focused on groups of fearsome warriors supporting mighty, legendary Heroes, each of whom can advance and become more powerful as the game progresses.

These Heroes are all that stand between the world of Azeroth and oblivion, and the choices that the player makes will change the future of a world.

Four linked campaigns - featuring the Humans, Undead, Orcs, and Night Elves - together form the story of the day the sky rained fire and war once again swept the battered lands of Azeroth. Players first take the role of Arthas, a novice Paladin and crown prince of Lordaeron, as he investigates an uprising of Orcs and rumors of a plague sweeping the northern end of the kingdom.

As the single-player game continues, the story moves on to the other races, with each campaign picking up where the previous one left off. Heroes of the other races make their appearances throughout the campaigns, many times as allies, yet other times as enemies.

Warcraft III immerses players in a compelling, dynamic 3D world of incredible depth and detail. Daunting monsters roam a landscape filled with merchant camps, enemy strongholds, and magical fountains, while stunning environmental effects bring the world to life.

The Campaign
- The overall Warcraft III story is told through a brief tutorial and four linked campaigns. In the tutorial, the player learns the basics of control and gameplay, as taught by the young Orc warchief, Thrall. In each campaigns that follow, the player controls units from the four playable races: the Human Alliance, Undead Scourge, Orcish Horde, and Night Elf Sentinels. Campaigns cannot be played out of order, but once completed, players can return to previous missions in the campaigns to replay them.
Side Quests
- While each map has a major objective, most maps also have one or more side quests. These allow a player to explore the world of Warcraft more deeply, as well as give their Heroes new equipment and opportunities - these side quests can thus mean the difference between success and defeat in the current mission and in missions yet to come.
Viewing a Replay
- At the end of every mission, the player has the opportunity to save a complete replay. With this tool, the player can review the battle at any time. Players can also send their replays to friends for the sake of sharing successful strategies, learning from defeats, or simply showing off a particularly interesting adventure.
Playing a Custom Game
- From the single-player menu, the player can also create custom games, which are games against one more computer opponents.
Custom Game Options:
- Choose a map
- Choose team configurations
- Choose advanced options

Multiplayer Mode

Blizzard will be implementing a vast array of groundbreaking enhancements to Battle.net for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. The following list highlights many of the new features designed to streamline your Battle.net experience and help you get the most out of Warcraft III.

Anonymous Matchmaking
- Blizzard's dedication to intuitive interface design extends to Battle.net. With the efficient anonymous matchmaking system (AMM), players are now just two clicks away from their next battle.
  - Players are anonymously matched based on skill level.
  - The AMM randomly selects maps based on players' preferences
  - Players can choose which race to player, or they can let the service choose for them.
  - Players can also select the game type, which indicates the number of allies and opponents.
  - The top-ranked players from each gateway will be listed on our Web site.
Arranged Teams
- The new custom team options lets players create games that friends and clanmates can see and easily join.
  - Players can team up with friends, and team records are tracked.
  - Arranged team games count toward a special team ladder.
  - Team members are automatically allied and set to allied chat.
New Ladder System
- Battle.net's ladder system has been revamped for Warcraft III. This new system promotes active competition and maintains the ladder's integrity.
  - The AMM prevents win trading and ensures that high-level players face opponents of similar skill.
  - Ladder-play prerequisites have been eliminated (everyone who uses the AMM earns a ladder rank).
Custom Games
- Players can join or create custom games with nonstandard game settings for added excitement and replayability. These games have a wide variety of play options, and they do not affect your ladder record.
  - Play with or against computer players.
  - Play on the map of your choice, including user-made custom maps.
  - Anyone that you permit can join, so you can play against opponents of your choice.
  - Allow/restrict observers, toggle fog of war on/off, adjust game speed, and adjust team settings.
Separate Gateways and Name Space
- Warcraft III name space is not shared with previous Blizzard games or even between gateways, so more names will be available for selection. To prevent name copying, nonstandard characters have been disabled.
New Built-in Friends System
- To help players keep track of friends, the friends list shows each friend's location (whether in or about to start a game, or on a chat channel).
  - Players can easily join a friend's channel or a game ready to start.
  - Players are notified when a friend enters or leaves Battle.net (this notice even appears in-game).
Advanced Battle.net Icon System
- Play your favorite race often to earn better icons, and earn upgraded icons by gaining more wins.
- Icons reflect the race you play most and your ladder ranking.

Warcraft III World Editor

Will you be able to modify Warcraft III?: You will be able to create 3D maps with the map editor, creating triggers and scripts within each map, as well as modify the many models present in the game. With a few exceptions everything we used to create the game is available as part of the editor.

Will Warcraft III editor be as advanced as the StarCraft editor?: The new editor is much more advanced than the StarCraft editor. You can now replace any of the play-balance statistics. Also, whereas you were previously limited to scripting events though triggers that we provided, you can now create new behavior scripts and game events from scratch, using our extensive scripting language.

Will the Warcraft III World Editor still be as easy for non-programmers to use as StarEdit was for StarCraft?: Our goal is to provide an easy-to-use 3D World Editor that anyone can use to make maps. It will also contain more advanced features that may have a more difficult initial learning curve to use to their fullest.

Is Warcraft III going to incorporate a tileset system such as StarCraft used, or are all different terrain types going to be accessible on one 'world'?: Terrain types are grouped into tilesets in Warcraft III; however, users can create custom tilesets that include elements from multiple tilesets.

Will Warcraft III support the MP3 sound format?: Yes, the editor will support the MP3 file format.

Are there any interior maps planned?: Yes. There are interior and urban tilesets available in Warcraft III.

Will indoor levels and such be treated as sub-maps that are attached to larger maps, rather than being maps of their own?: Indoor levels are separate full maps that can be linked to out-door maps by the use of triggers.

Will there be any multiplayer campaigns included with the release of Warcraft III?: None are planned at this time.

Will an individual be able to make their own in-game cinematics?: Yes. You will be able to create movies within the game engine to tell YOUR Warcraft story.

Will mapmakers be able to do everything that Blizzard can in regards to moving the camera for cut scenes?: Camera movement for in-game cinematic sequences should be fully controllable in the map editor.