Command centers are the core of every terran outpost.

Contents 1 Overview 1.1 Interior 1.1.1 Bunks 1.1.2 Command Bay 1.1.3 Infirmary 1.1.4 Observation Deck 1.1.5 Operations Room 1.1.6 Reactor Core 1.1.7 SCV Maintenance Bay 2 Game Unit 2.1 StarCraft 2.1.1 Abilities 2.2 StarCraft II 2.2.1 Abilities 2.2.1.1 Transformation 2.2.2 Upgrades 2.2.3 Wings of Liberty 2.2.3.1 Abilities 2.2.3.2 Upgrades 2.2.4 Development 3 References

OverviewEdit

Command centers, or "command posts",^[1] were designed to be roving resource processors for Confederate prospectors. The command center can pick up stakes and move on to new mineral or vespene deposits. They also have the ability to manufacture SCVs and serve as the return point for mining vehicles. With pressed metal plates,^[2] command centers are heavily armored and sturdy, though are slow moving whilst in flight, where they are at their most vulnerable.^[3]

Structurally, the command center is as wide as it is tall (3 stories), easily identifiable from a distance through its flashing beacons. Massive repulsor landing claws support the main bulk of the structure with external ablative plates reinforcing the main hull. Observation towers, antennae, sensor domes and other similar devices are situated above the center proper. Processors are also maintained to process resources, taking up the bulk of the command center's external space.^[4] Command centers may be relocated using jump-jets, but must shut down all other systems to move.^[1]

After the Brood War, the command center design underwent expansion, including extra bay facilities to carry a number of SCVs while the command center is in transit. This facilitates rapid exploitation of fresh mineral fields or vespene pockets, as well as supplying a handy shelter for the SCVs in case of enemy action. In addition, the increasing use of command centers in combat zones has also led to the development of standard schematics for upgrading them to a dedicated military role,^[5] a change from previous standards where command centers featured minimal staff and defenses.^[1] Two such military variants of the command center were the ATVX orbital command, designed for surveillance and asset management, and the Ares planetary fortress, designed for planetary warfare.^[5]

Command centers of the Second Great War were equipped with Atlas boosters. The boosters could not lift the more massive planetary fortress.^[6]

InteriorEdit

BunksEdit

In some commander centers, bunks and a holo are located inside for rest and recuperation.^[7]

Command BayEdit

The command bay is the first point of call for anyone entering the command center.^[4] Standard operating procedure is for security checks and armor removal to occur for those entering.^[7]

InfirmaryEdit

The infirmary is located at one of the command center's lower levels. It is arguably the most well protected section of the command center, encased by the structure proper and set within its exact middle. However, command center infirmaries lack advanced equipment and only really function as a first-aid station, a place to keep an injured soldier alive long enough so that he/she can reach better facilities in time. Water is supplied via a basin and multiple bunks are present, which feature straps should a patient have to be restrained.^[4]

Observation DeckEdit

The observation deck is accessed via a lift. It includes a waiting area and the commander's office.^[8]

Operations RoomEdit

The operations room is situated at the very top of a command center. A ring of transteel windows surrounds the entire room, allowing an officer to look in all directions from the structure. The centerpiece is the command island however, a raised circular platform situated in the room's center. From here, command staff monitor activities of a base and the operations room itself. Various consoles are located below the island, specifically monitoring the aspects of a base. It is also from the operations room that general radio traffic can be monitored and answered.^[4] Security codes are stored here.^[7]

Reactor CoreEdit

The reactor core provides power to the command center via fusion. This leads to a warm floor and a steamy environment due to the heat generated. It is located in the dark, lower depths of the structure, accessible via service ladders. It has a main bay.^[7]

SCV Maintenance BayEdit

The SCV maintenance bay is located above the command bay, squeezed between the processors. In truth, it is something of a misnomer, as fabricators can create SCVs from scratch.^[4]

Game UnitEdit

StarCraftEdit

Command Center
Structure
Race	Terran
Role	Foundation building
Production
Minerals	400
Supply	Provides 10
Build time	120
Produced from	SCV
Protection
Hit points	1500
Armor	1
Function
Add-ons	ComSat station Nuclear silo
Produces	SCV
Allows	Barracks Engineering bay

The command center is the most durable base building without upgrading and can lift off, allowing it to fly into better positions. A commonly used tactic is to construct a command center in a defended area, and then fly it to another resource node to begin another base. However, like all other terran buildings, the terran command center will literally burn to the ground when lower than about 35% HP. Another dangerous weakness is the fact that command centers are able to be infested by zerg queens, resulting in an infested command center which creates explosive infested terrans.^[3]

A command center can build a ComSat station or nuclear silo add on. It can only use one at a time but can switch back and forth between them.^[3]

AbilitiesEdit

Lift Off
Usage Hotkey L
Notes
This structure can lift off, enabling it to fly. It cannot produce units or conduct research while in flight, and must leave add-ons behind.

Build ComSat Station
Acquisition Requires Academy	Usage Minerals 50 Gas 50 Activation/ Build Time 40 Hotkey C
Notes
The command center can add a ComSat station to itself, giving the terran player the ability to use scanner sweep. This prevents the command center from building a nuclear silo.

Build Nuclear Silo
Acquisition Requires Science facility with attached covert ops	Usage Minerals 100 Gas 100 Activation/ Build Time 80 Hotkey N
Notes
The command center can add a nuclear silo to itself, giving ghosts the ability to use nuclear strike. This prevents the command center from building a ComSat station.

StarCraft IIEdit

Command Center
Structure
Race	Terran
Role	Foundation building
Transport capacity	5 SCVs (10 with Neosteel Frame)
Production
Minerals	400
Supply	Provides 11
Build time	100
Produced from	SCV
Requires	None
Hotkey	C
Protection
Hit points	1500
Armor	1
Type	Mechanical Structure
Armor type	Armored
Function
Upgrades to	Orbital command OR Planetary fortress
Produces	SCV
Allows	Engineering bay

In StarCraft II, the command center may garrison SCVs for the workers' transportation or protection. Three aft thrusters and four ventral thrusters power the structure in flight.

AbilitiesEdit

Lift Off
Usage Activation/ Build Time 2 (for lifting off and landing) Hotkey L
Notes
This structure can lift off, enabling it to fly. It cannot produce units or conduct research while in flight, and must leave add-ons behind.

Load SCVs
Notes
The command center or planetary fortress may load and unload five SCV's. This may be done while a command center is in flight. The number of SCV's is increased to ten with Neosteel Frames.
Edit

TransformationEdit

Transform Command Center to Orbital Command
Acquisition Requires Barracks	Usage Minerals 150 Units Command center Activation/ Build Time 35 Hotkey B
Notes
The command center can transform into an orbital command. The transformation is irreversible.
Edit

Transform Command Center to Planetary Fortress
Acquisition Requires Engineering bay	Usage Minerals 150 Gas 150 Units Command center Activation/ Build Time 50 Hotkey P
Notes
The command center can transform into an planetary fortress. The transformation is irreversible.
Edit

UpgradesEdit

Building Armor Researched at Engineering bay Hotkey B Properties Minerals 150 Gas 150 Research time 140 Notes +2 armor for terran buildings Edit

Neosteel Frame Campaign Wings of Liberty (Zero Hour) Cost $50,000 Researched at Engineering bay Hotkey N Properties Minerals 100 Gas 100 Research time 110 Notes Increases bunker capacity by 2. The bunker model is changed. Increases command center and planetary fortress SCV capacity by 5. Edit

Wings of LibertyEdit

Orbital Command Campaign Wings of Liberty Cost $125,000 Researched at Hyperion armory Notes Orbital commands replace command centers in the tech tree. Starting command centers for the player are replaced by orbital commands. Orbital commands may be converted into planetary fortresses, replacing the ability set with those of the planetary fortress.[9] Edit

Command Center Reactor Campaign Wings of Liberty Cost 15 protoss research points Acquisition Researched at Hyperion laboratory Notes Command centers and planetary fortresses produce two SCVs at the same time (at the usual cost per SCV).[10] Edit

AbilitiesEdit

Scanner Sweep Usage Energy 50 Duration 12 Hotkey C Notes The orbital command has the ability to temporarily clear the fog of war and detect all cloaked units within the target area, analogous to the ComSat station in StarCraft. Edit

Calldown: MULE Usage Energy 50 Duration 90 Hotkey E Notes An orbital command summons one MULE via drop pod. If the ability is targeted on a mineral patch the MULE will begin mining automatically. The ability may be used only on areas uncovered by the fog of war. Edit

UpgradesEdit

Planetary Fortress Campaign Wings of Liberty Cost 10 zerg research points Researched at Hyperion laboratory Notes Enables the command center to transform into a planetary fortress. This cannot be unlocked if the Perdition turret has been unlocked.[6] Edit

Fire Suppression System Campaign Wings of Liberty Cost $90,000 Researched at Hyperion armory Notes All structures repair themselves to 50% life. All structure fires are automatically put out. This all-in-one safety system automatically dispatches robotic drones to put out any fires and perform basic repairs on damaged structures. Although these drones are effective at doing basic repairs, they do not have a strong enough AI to perform the more delicate repairs needed to restore a structure past 50% structural integrity.[11] Edit

DevelopmentEdit

The following section contains information from a previous version of StarCraft II which is no longer valid.

The command center was a solid month of work in StarCraft II. Design decisions constantly changed the landscape of the multiplayer art needs in the game, and when the dust settled, the revision was a monster task. Designing its planetary fortress and orbital command variants required even more planning.^[12]

Building Modular Construction[13]
Campaign	Wings of Liberty
Cost	$45,000[14]
Notes
Buildings cost -10%[13] due to the use of standardized pre-stamped components.[14]
Edit

ReferencesEdit

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Grubb, Jeff (February 27, 2001). StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-671-04148-7. ↑ McNeill, Graham (December 30, 2008). StarCraft: I, Mengsk. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 978-1-4165-5083-9. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Hickman, Tracy (May 21, 2002). StarCraft: Speed of Darkness. Simon & Schuster (Pocket Star). ISBN 0-671-04150-9. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Blizzard Entertainment staff. SC2 Command Center. Accessed on 2008-11-18. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Zerg research (in English). 2010. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Waugh, James. "Changeling." (November 18, 2009). Blizzard Entertainment. Changeling: A Short Story by James Waugh Accessed 2009-11-18. ↑ Dietz, William C. (April 6, 2010). StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils. Simon & Schuster (Gallery Books). ISBN 978-1416-55084-6. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard) (in English). July 27, 2010 ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Protoss research (in English). 2010. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Armory upgrades (in English). 2010. ↑ 2011, Terran Command Center. Deviantart, accessed on 2011-05-30 ↑ 13.0 13.1 Michael McWhertor. 2009-08-17. StarCraft II: The Unit Upgrades That Make Single-player Shine. Kotaku. Accessed 2009-08-28. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Medievaldragon. 2009-08-21. Starcraft II Single Player Hands On: The Armory Room. Blizzplanet. Accessed 2009-08-28.

Terran Units and Structures of StarCraft/Brood War

Infantry SCV · Marine · Firebat · Medic (BW) · Ghost Ground vehicles Vulture · Goliath · Siege tank Air units Wraith · Dropship · Valkyrie (BW) · Science vessel · Battlecruiser Basic buildings Command center (ComSat station · Nuclear silo) · Supply depot · Engineering bay · Barracks · Refinery · Missile turret · Academy · Bunker Advanced buildings Factory (Machine shop) · Armory · Starport (Control tower) · Science facility (Physics lab · Covert ops) Other Nuclear missile · Spider mine Scrapped units Cargo ship · Mercenary gunship · Raider Scrapped buildings Cantina · Dry docks · Power station · Repair bay · Star base · Weapons plant

Terran Units and Structures of StarCraft II

Infantry SCV · Marine · Reaper · Marauder · Ghost Land Vehicles MULE · Hellion · Hellbat (HotS) · Siege tank · Thor · Widow mine (HotS) Air Units Viking · Medivac dropship · Banshee · Raven · Battlecruiser Basic Buildings Command center · Refinery · Supply depot · Barracks · Engineering bay Automated Defenses and Explosives Auto-turret · Missile turret · Point defense drone Support Buildings Orbital command · Planetary fortress · Sensor tower · Bunker Add-ons Tech lab · Reactor Advanced Buildings Ghost academy · Factory · Armory · Starport · Fusion core Other Drop pod · Nuclear missile Campaign-Exclusive Terran Units and Structures of StarCraft II Infantry Firebat · Medic · Rebel · Spectre Mercenaries Devil Dogs · Hammer Securities · Siege Breakers · Spartan Company · War Pigs · Hel's Angels · Dusk Wings · Jackson's Revenge Land Vehicles and Machines Armored personnel carrier · Diamondback · Goliath · Predator · Vulture Air Units Hercules dropship · Science vessel · Special ops dropship · Wraith · Gehenna cruiser (HotS) Structures Laser drill · Hive mind emulator · Merc compound · Nuclear silo · Psi disrupter · Shadow ops · Tech reactor Automated defenses Perdition turret · Shrike turret · Spider mine Canceled Terran Units and Structures of StarCraft II