The way Starcraft's online mode works is like this. When you start a new game of Starcraft, the map file determines how many minerals/gas/units you have. It initializes these values for each player. After this point, whenever a player does something (tells a unit to move, attack, makes a new unit) only the commands are sent to each computer. This way every computer knows exactly what's happening on each other computer. There are periodic checks for changes (I believe it's every 174 milliseconds, but I could be wrong) to check to see if something has changed unexpectedly. If it has, the computer(s) that detected the anomoly breaks their connection(s) with you, ending your game of Starcraft. This is how the disconnect hack works, and is often referred to as a desync.

Now let's examine all the possible methods of making a mineral hack, and I'll explain why none of them will work. As stated earlier, from the start of the game, each computer knows how many minerals each other computer has.

Trying to change the value that you start with will cause an immediate desync because the other computers still think you have a different amount.

If you attempt to change how much units/buildings cost, you will get desynced when you build something. Your computer sends the command that you are building a unit/structure at a certain location, then it subtracts the amount of mineras/gas it cost from your total. When the other computers recieve the command, they in turn subtract the cost of the unit/structure from the running total kept on their computer. Since your change to the cost of the unit/structure did not affect their computer in any way, the values go out of sync and you get dropped.

Changing the code that subtracts the amount from your resources to add it instead (which is quite possible to do) will cause a desync when you spend any resources. Once again, the other computers register a normal change and your computer has an abnormal change.

Changing to code that determines if you have enough resources to spend to always think you do will cause a desync when you spend your resources past 0. When you attempt to spend your resources past 0, two things happen. The value rolls back all the way to 4,294,967,296 and starts counting down. The other computers then detect that you didn't have enough resources to perform the selected action and break the connection with you.

Attempting to change the number of minerals an SCV/Drone/Probe is carrying also desyncs because these values are monitored as well.

There have been other proposed mineral hack ideas, but I can't think of them off the top of my head. I'll add to the list and explain why they don't work over time. If you wish to argue this with me, feel free to contact me at the forums at www.gamethreat.com, just prepare to be flamed by the Gamethreat Network collectively for doing so.

This hack is impossible for the same reasons a mineral hack is impossible. Each other computer knows how much energy each of your units has, changing that value will cause you to desync. I have seen people ask if you could make it regenerate faster, the answer is no. The other computers have their own regeneration speeds, and if yours regenerates faster, it will cause the values to be unmatched and you will desync.

A hack that allowed you to upgrade farther than level three was possible in previous versions of Starcraft and Warcraft II, however this is no longer possible. Now, each computer monitors what level your upgrades are at. If at any time the value is greater than three, you get desynced.

This hack is rarely asked about, but I thought I'd add it anyway. When a map file is read from to initialize a game, the build speeds are also initialized, leaving the possibility to change those build speeds and thus gain an advantage over your opponents. This is not possible however. Since the other computers know what speed things should be built at, attempting to build something at a greater rate will cause a desync because your computer only sent the command to build the structure with X unit at coordinates x,y. When production does not match up (yes, the other computers keep track of production percentages too), you get desynced. Simply changing your production speed will not cause a desync immediately, only when you build a unit/structure.

There is no way in which to see the messages sent to other players. These packets are sent directly to the other computers, and your computer never even knows they exist.

At the moment those are the only hacks I can think of that are asked about fequently. As more hacks are proposed, I will continue to add them to this page.