In playing Starcraft, you have to use map editor at various times even though the game may be complex and confusing enough without it. It is very likely that as a beginner you will need help in using a device for editing a Starcraft map to help you make your own campaigns and scenarios. The basic form of map editor is StarEdit, which is what you should use to get started before you go on to more advanced editors. Through StarEdit, you can modify most of the aspects of the game and build your own form scratch. You can form completely typical missions, which are straightforward fights between the races or highly unusual ones, such as a game of interstellar football.

You need to realize that in map editing the terms mission and scenario are synonymous in the directions for how to use the Starcraft editor. However, the term campaign refers to a series of scenarios or maps that are linked together so that you can easily progress from one scenario to the next.

The most basic feature of StarEdit is its map editing ability. In using this feature you can place different features of terrain, such as rivers and cliffs, wherever you wish on the map. In addition, you can also place buildings or troops in various locations. You can also changes aspects of the scenario, which is called scenario editing. These changes can include such things as how many players there are, how many races will be involved and which units and upgrades are available.

You can edit and formulate the briefing session and the messages each player receives before and during the mission. There is also a feature that allows you to link scenarios into a campaign so that when a player finishes one he/she automatically advances to the next. When editing the map, you have to include triggers. This is basically a statement about how the mission is to behave. There are an unlimited number of triggers you can use in one map, but even advanced maps contain only about 300 triggers. A trigger consists of describing how a mission should play out and what happens when certain conditions are met.

In the StarEdit, there are pre-assembled artificial intelligence scripts for you to choose from. These aid in assigning computer-controlled forces. They tailor the behavior of enemy species to specific situations for each mission. You can mix and match these with various triggers to control the computer.

In order to play the mission you cerate with your map, you must first start the StarEdit and select either Play or Custom from the single player option. You can also select a new game from the menu and then select the scenario you want to play. The melee map is the basic map in which you build a map for a melee or other multiplayer games. You can play these maps in Melee, Free For All or Use Map Settings. After you gain experience with building a few melee maps, then you can start experimenting with building a few advanced maps.