Stalemate Detection

Stalemate detection is a feature of melee games that ensures the game ends when no player can make progress towards victory.

Stalemate Detection [help] [edit] The final three minute warning before a stalemate is declared. Type: Mechanic

Description

A stalemate occurs when all players are unable to complete any of the following actions:

• Generate income
• Produce a unit
• Construct a building
• Research an upgrade
• Destroy an enemy building

After three (in-game) minutes, if no player has completed any of these actions, the game issues a final three minute warning. If these final three minutes elapse without a player completing any of these actions, the game ends in a draw for all remaining players. If a player completes any of these actions, the timer resets and play continues normally.

The conditions for a stalemate are precisely those described above. In particular, the following actions will not break a stalemate:

• Mine minerals or gas without returning them to a base
• Begin production of a unit, construction of a building, or research of an upgrade without finishing it
• Damaging but not destroying an enemy building
• Letting fire or creep deprivation destroy a building
• Destroying a non-enemy building (e.g., a neutral Supply Depot)
• Damaging or killing any unit

Patch Changes

Patch 1.2.0
Stalemate Detection has been added. This will end the game in a tie for all remaining players if no players have income, production, or destroyed structures for three consecutive minutes. A countdown timer will now appear when the game detects this scenario.

Patch 1.3.0
The stalemate timer will now reset when any player gathers resources, researches an upgrade, produces a unit, constructs a building, or destroys an enemy building.