Did Dark Origin Sabotage SC2?

[Drake Clawfang]

This is something that occurred to me and I wanted to see what others thought. SC2's story has focused on the downfall of the Dominion with the Hybrids as a subplot that will take prominence in Legacy of the Void. However, Dark Origin a long time ago set up the hybrid and Duran stuff, and we've spent the decade since talking about it desperate for answers. I cannot help but wonder - would SC2's story work better, and perhaps be more palatable to us, if Dark Origin hadn't been included with Brood War?

Let's ignore The Dark Templar Saga, because Blizzard intends to anyway - let's say Zeratul never found that dark moon and just went home. Where would that leave us story-wise?

- We go into SC2 focusing on the Dominion and Kerrigan, and the story that unfolds does that.
- Zeratul's missions introduce the subplot of the Hybrid, and we speculate who could be behind it. WoL introduces it, HotS reveals the Moebius Foundation is behind it.
- With no explanation for why Duran vanished after Brood War, the Narud thing becomes much more subtle and is an actual plot twist, and he becomes a more interesting character. Who is this mysterious terran researching the Xel'naga, what does Kerrigan mean when she says she's "seen through [his] pathetic charade?" And then come HotS, reveal he's Duran and boom, plot connects.
- Lastly, on an emotional level, we wouldn't have ten years of speculation to build up the hybrid and Duran stuff, and so any disappointment we may feel over those subplots in SC2 would be negated.

When you look at how Dark Origin connects to SC2, it feels like they gave us the answers to questions they intended to pose later. SC2's story presumes we don't know what the hybrids are or who Duran really is. Because we do, we obviously know who Narud is, we know what the hybrids are, and connecting the dots between the two isn't hard. The game tries to play it off like a mystery, but the answers are obvious. Yet, without Dark Origin, we don't know about the hybrid or Duran, and the plot elements related to them in SC2 have a sense of mystery and intrigue that they lack in the final product.

[The_Blade]

I don't think it did. What Dark Origin proposed was just an arc, with potential. It also gave us a reason to question Kerrigan's cease fire at the end of the Brood War. Zeratul could have also grown as a character here.

Zeratul:
Maybe he actually hated the Kala Protoss and was never able to forgive them. He roamed the cosmos as a way to keep himself away from Shakuras, where the Kala was atm.
Or maybe he had PTSD linked to the Overmind. His actions could trigger toughts and feelings the Overmind had while alive. He could even have a desire to experiment on fellow Protoss as a reflection of the will of the Overmind.

We could even go a little further and ask if he feared Hybrids because they were Protoss beings under a Hivemind. Zeratul does not have to understand every detail, but just be horrified by what a Hybrid actually means and how close the Khalai Protoss are from the same association.


.....
However, Kerrigan and Zeratul both go apeshit about the prophesy. First, Kerrigan acts like a demigod that's willing to play a part of Amons plan. (We actually don't know if getting caught and all that jazz was part of her plan.) Then Zeratul goes full prophesy monk.

Amon could have been a renegade Protoss, Ulrezaj, another species, or even a Zerg Overmind prior to the final implementation. What ruined the arc for me was the "godlike" treatment that Amon got. He can only be killed by an exceptional chain of events, unlike the rest of the characters. The rest of the characters became really hard to kill... So Amon is probably beyond Godlike.

[Visions of Khas]

However, Kerrigan and Zeratul both go apeshit about the prophesy. First, Kerrigan acts like a demigod that's willing to play a part of Amons plan.
That's an interesting point in the story I'm still conflicted on. Kerrigan's character profile on the StarCraft II website claims she was Amon's puppet, "commanded" to seek out the artifacts before Mengsk or Raynor found them. In HotS, she claims Amon never controlled her, though she felt his subtle presence. I'm willing to bet Amon's power over Kerrigan manifested as compulsions and decisions she believed to be of her own volition; subconsciously effected by his agenda.

It's reminiscent of the Overmind's conflicting personae where Amon is concerned.

[Eivind]

When I first played Dark Origin, it was a pretty big moment. Revisiting it today, I still believe it has very good dialogue, and a very creepy atmosphere. Without this moment, Duran wouldn't have been the saga's up-to-then most mysterious character.

Perhaps the moment seemed better because it primarily teased, never going into specifics on what was actually going on (Duran didn't identify his boss, nor the purpose of the hybrids, except that they would "change the universe", which could be a lot of things).

I don't how many interesting directions they could have taken the plotline. Sure, it does tap into the core of the story (hybrids are combinations of protoss and zerg, two races we already know, so it's not like it's an ass-pull), and yes, it could have been better than what was used in SC2, but I don't know how, to be honest. Maybe if they fell into the hands of Raynor instead of Mengsk, which could turn it into a "does the means justify the ends" kind of story? I don't know. The hybrids don't have much identity, and Duran doesn't reappear that much.

[Nissa]

This is a very good question. Dark Origin, while enjoyable on its own, did create a lot of issues for Blizzard to face. They had to explain (1) what a hybrid is, (2) why it's different from an infested Protoss, (3) what they want, (4) how exactly they came into being, and (5) how they relate to the Xel'Naga. This is a load of conceptualizing work that Blizzard had to figure out one way or another.

However, this isn't so much a bad thing, as it just adds tension to the story. Finding out about a new enemy right before everyone finally gets their act together to fight Kerrigan is super ironic and dramatic. The problem comes in when Blizzard didn't seem to know what exactly they wanted to do with the hybrids. Since so many people left Blizzard since then, the new people didn't seem to have as many ideas. It felt more like, "Eh, we have to do something with these guys" rather than people with a passion to tell a story.

I would say that the Dark Templar Saga was a bigger negative than Dark Origin. Besides being poorly written in general, it retconned the manual and made the Khala seem really shallow. Not to mention that the idea of the Tal'darim being druggies only makes them more laughably worthless than they already are.

[The_Blade]

This is a very good question. Dark Origin, while enjoyable on its own, did create a lot of issues for Blizzard to face. They had to explain (1) what a hybrid is, (2) why it's different from an infested Protoss, (3) what they want, (4) how exactly they came into being, and (5) how they relate to the Xel'Naga. This is a load of conceptualizing work that Blizzard had to figure out one way or another.

However, this isn't so much a bad thing, as it just adds tension to the story. Finding out about a new enemy right before everyone finally gets their act together to fight Kerrigan is super ironic and dramatic. The problem comes in when Blizzard didn't seem to know what exactly they wanted to do with the hybrids. Since so many people left Blizzard since then, the new people didn't seem to have as many ideas. It felt more like, "Eh, we have to do something with these guys" rather than people with a passion to tell a story.

Right. This was a huge opportunity to expand the universe. So far we've explored more of the Protoss systems, but all of them were explored in SC2 for the same reason, find Xel'naga things. Zerus was mildly interesting because it was just a planet expansion of the Korpulu Sector rather than a story/trek. We came back to the classic planets to find out retcons and not build-up. BW had it, but not as bad as SC2.


I would say that the Dark Templar Saga was a bigger negative than Dark Origin. Besides being poorly written in general, it retconned the manual and made the Khala seem really shallow. Not to mention that the idea of the Tal'darim being druggies only makes them more laughably worthless than they already are.

The books are not coordinated with the games. For me this is the greatest issue in StarCraft lore. Authors are free to roam the plot of StarCraft and build stories that will almost never be associated with the game. Book characters, arcs and conclusions are not meant to construct the basic ground for future game stories. Nova and Tosh are great examples of this. They came from a series of books and comics as solid characters with enough backstory. However this story is never relevant within the game. SC2 Nova and Tosh are so different and independent from their book counterparts that they might as well be parallel characters on different universes. This happens to a lot of characters. Their stories are not relevant in SC2. Raynor and Kerrigan have this huge screen time, that might as well overshadow the Xel'naga thing. Valerian's story probably comes second, but at a really far distance and ONLY because he teamed with Raynor.

Other characters should have had the same treatment Kerrigan and Raynor had. The story would have improved dramatically. Flashpoint was a book that actually bridged WoL and HotS through these characters. Had the rest of the books been written with that at its core idea, the universe would flesh out beautifully.

SC2 is now the story of about 3-5 characters that have to fight out a conflict while never meeting an interesting or relevant secondary/support character. Tychus was a plot tool, Survan was a plot tool, Ariel Hanson was a plot tool, etc. The reason Abathur was so popular was that he was relevant and interesting. His role as a true support character is quite a rare occurrence in SC2.

[Turalyon]

I cannot help but wonder - would SC2's story work better, and perhaps be more palatable to us, if Dark Origin hadn't been included with Brood War?

No. The terrible writing in Sc2 alone was enough to make its story unpalatable.

As the others have noted, Dark Origins was just a launching point. It had potential due to it being a progression and a complication of the story. That potential will only be realised if it goes on to being written well.

Not knowing who Narud or what the Hybrids in in advance does make it a mystery in Sc2 for sure, but it's still not a really interesting one since they're both represented in such a two-dimensional way in actuality.

[Visions of Khas]

Maybe he actually hated the Kala Protoss and was never able to forgive them. He roamed the cosmos as a way to keep himself away from Shakuras, where the Kala was atm.

I like this element. Though he developed a bond with Tassadar, a Khalai, Tassadar was abandoned by the Conclave, and may be blamed for his death. Moreover, it can be argued Zeratul is the biggest reason Aiur and Shakuras are in such poor shape: His assassination of Zasz led the Overmind to Aiur, which led to the death of his friend ans student, Tassadar. This also led to Kerrigan's ascension, Aldaris' death, and he personally murdered Raszagal, leaving the Dark Templar without a leader. I can see Zeratul becoming extremely embittered. This character arc and development could have had SO much potential as he came to terms with his past and overcoming his prejudices.


Anyways, I don't think Dark Origins ruins StarCraft II in the least bit. The poor handling of characters, plot, and pacing does that. As for Narud, all he needs is a change in name and personality, and the Duran connection could have been preserved easily.

[ragnarok]

When I first played Dark Origin, it was a pretty big moment. Revisiting it today, I still believe it has very good dialogue, and a very creepy atmosphere. Without this moment, Duran wouldn't have been the saga's up-to-then most mysterious character.

Perhaps the moment seemed better because it primarily teased, never going into specifics on what was actually going on (Duran didn't identify his boss, nor the purpose of the hybrids, except that they would "change the universe", which could be a lot of things).

I don't how many interesting directions they could have taken the plotline. Sure, it does tap into the core of the story (hybrids are combinations of protoss and zerg, two races we already know, so it's not like it's an ass-pull), and yes, it could have been better than what was used in SC2, but I don't know how, to be honest. Maybe if they fell into the hands of Raynor instead of Mengsk, which could turn it into a "does the means justify the ends" kind of story? I don't know. The hybrids don't have much identity, and Duran doesn't reappear that much.

I know what you mean. We never got to see what the hybrid looked like, but that's a small point. What it's capable of was downplayed severedly in SC2. So far in WoL, HotS, and Whispers of Oblivion the hybrids have not been much of a threat. Only the In Utter Darkness mission were they dangerous, and that was only on brutal.

After Dark Origins, I was expecting that a single hybrid had the ability to fight the swarm all by itself and what not, and that was nowhere NEAR what SC2 showed.

[Gradius]

What it's capable of was downplayed severedly in SC2. So far in WoL, HotS, and Whispers of Oblivion the hybrids have not been much of a threat. Only the In Utter Darkness mission were they dangerous, and that was only on brutal.
Gameplay is irrelevant for lore. A single Hybrid dominator is able to crush Primal Kerrigan's mind from far away without even fighting her. That's damn impressive. It's one part of HoTS that didn't fail at worldbuilding IMO.

[ragnarok]

Gameplay is irrelevant for lore. A single Hybrid dominator is able to crush Primal Kerrigan's mind from far away without even fighting her. That's damn impressive. It's one part of HoTS that didn't fail at worldbuilding IMO.

And you had more than enough time to go there and kill it, even on Brutal