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Fenix - Character Analysis
As a character, this guy probably gets the most flak in StarCraft. Commonly regarded as a static 2D character that basically boils down to the "honorable protoss guy" stereotype, his existence is largely considered unnecessary. I would like to go to bat for Fenix, and explain why he deserves more credit.
1) Plot
Fenix had a larger role in moving the plot forward than most people realize, and there are some subtle details that can be missed on a cursory playthrough. First off, he was the Praetor of the Protoss defense forces. Given that Artanis was revealed to be the Executor in SC1, and gets "promoted" to Praetor in the Brood War, it is very likely that Fenix possessed far more authority than immediately noticeable. In several instances, he is giving US commands:
"Executor, Tassadar may be right. If you can keep the Zerg occupied, my force may be able to penetrate their perimeter and slay the abomination."
"I will remain behind and observe the effects of our attack. Return to the Citadel. I shall notify you when the Brood becomes erratic."
As the "hero and steward of the templar" he possessed significant pull on Aiur. Upon resurrection he would have resumed his previous post and garnered far more support than before. I believe this to be a subtly hinted at in the original storyline, but Fenix was actually in command of the force that greeted Zeratul and Tassadar upon return to Aiur. The main piece of evidence I have to support this is the fact that Tassadar and Zeratul had virtually nothing after being defeated on Char, and the Executor himself only had a small fleet:
"Tassadar and the Dark Templar Zeratul survived Kerrigan's vicious attacks, but their Templar armies have been decimated."
"Now, with only a small fleet for protection, Aldaris and the Executor have traveled to the ash world of Char"
A small fleet would not have been able to withstand the might of the Conclave and the Ara tribe. It is almost certain to me that without Fenix's forces, the entire resistance might have been arrested and executed upon setting foot on Aiur. Not only did Fenix rescue Tassadar and Zeratul when they returned to Aiur, but he alone is responsible for singalehandedly keeping the stalwart protoss heroes fighting. After Tassadar had been arrested, he kept fighting on. He is the glue that bound them all together, allowing them to defeat the Overmind and thus fulfilling his primary purpose: to protect and serve Aiur.
In the Brood War he was partnered with Raynor, helping to take down the UED. They shared this responsibility, and Fenix, commanding the more powerful force, deserves far more credit than that of some idle bystander. Several months Raynor spent with Fenix, more time than he spent with Kerrigan. The type of bond they formed, that of one forged in war, cannot be dismissed so easily. Despite Blizzard's apathy towards the original game, even they were forced to acknowledge this in HoTS with their reference to Fenix due to fan outrage.
2) Setting/Worldbuilding
Part of what made SC great was its atmosphere and attention to worldbuilding. Fenix's contributions should not be discounted. First off, Fenix showed us how dragoons work. He helped personify not just the zealot, but this mysterious spider creature that astonished new players. And frankly, a crippled warrior that continues fighting in a metallic shell is just a badass concept.
StarCraft has a very sparse storyline. Like most characters, Fenix is given minimal dialog, but what dialog he does have hints at hidden depths, not just for him, but the StarCraft universe as well:
"You know, Executor, although we two have marched across hundreds of worlds together, I never imagined that we would be fighting on Aiur. The Zerg are indeed worthy foes."
"I prefer large scale battles over these covert missions. My heart longs for the epic struggles of my youth, to go into battle alongside my Protoss brethren again. Ah, but time will tell all things."
3) Theme
This should be obvious, given that Fenix's name is a homophone of the Phoenix: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThePhoenix
A well known symbol of death and rebirth, Fenix's incarnation as a Dragoon is an interesting implementation of the trope, and his death at the end of Brood War is an excellent subversion of it.
And finally, there's one thing that justifies his existence above all else: people love him. Doesn't matter if he had a minor role or his actions didn't make it into summaries or the "Story so Far". He didn't let something as petty as losing his body keep him from fighting. He gave his life for Aiur twice. The voice-acting, writing, and art all worked together to give us a noble, unique, and memorable character. Yes, he was a generic honorable protoss warrior, but he was the original. Most new protoss characters we see now-a-days are obligated to fit into the mold that he created.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
Gradius
As a character, this guy probably gets the most flak in StarCraft.
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Originally Posted by
Gradius
And finally, there's one thing that justifies his existence above all else: people love him.
?
Anyway, Fenix's role in the story is to serve as a 'friend' to the player. Aldaris and Tassadar are clearly the 'important people' who make the decisions and Zeratul is distant and enigmatic. Fenix is the player's gateway to understanding the Protoss as a race. He is the stereotypical Protoss because he was intended to serve as a demonstration of what it was to be a Protoss. He's very much like Raynor in Rebel Yell, who is the player's gateway to understanding life on the Confederate Fringe Worlds. The use of such low-level characters is one of the smarter moves of the original StarCraft, because they don't have to be as knowledgeable as characters like Mengsk or Aldaris or Tassadar, they can learn about the setting and the world at the same pace you do, guiding you along the way. The lack of such characters is one of the weaknesses of Overmind and Wings of Liberty*. It's also one of the reasons I think Tychus would have made for a better viewpoint character in Wings. Also like Raynor, he gets 'taken away' from you to demonstrate the unreliable nature of those you are working for. Duke imprisons Raynor for destroying an Infested installation, and Aldaris forces you and your forces away from Antioch, leaving Fenix vulnerable.
He wasn't important to the narrative in any way, but for a time he provided a useful contribution. By the time he died in True Colors though, like Duke his usefulness had pretty much run its course. He still gave us one of the defining quotes of the Protoss though: "There is no shame in defeat so long as the spirit is unconquered, and I am still able to serve Aiur to a degree."
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Originally Posted by
Gradius
In several instances, he is giving US commands:
"Executor, Tassadar may be right. If you can keep the Zerg occupied, my force may be able to penetrate their perimeter and slay the abomination."
"I will remain behind and observe the effects of our attack. Return to the Citadel. I shall notify you when the Brood becomes erratic."
Well, that's a bit of a stretch. Executors (or 'High' Executors post-retcon) were chosen by the Judicator Caste to relay their commands to the Templar. I speculate that perhaps the Praetor were chosen internally by the Templar and so would get more respect from them, but the Judicator were the leaders of the Protoss, and the one who executes their will would have the highest authority. Given Fenix's attachment to the Antioch province, I've suspected that Praetors were chosen as regional stewards for the Templar, but that too is just speculation. I agree with you that the forces in Homeland were Fenix's.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
I'd like to add a few things regarding his character in BW:
1. Fenix opting to help Kerrigan to take down the UED was NOT plot induced stupidity. The UED was human authority and Fenix is a protoss. The only human authorities that the Protoss have encountered before are the Confederates and the Dominion, both corrupt and both human authorities. For all Fenix knew, it was possible that all human authorities were corrupt. That's why in the end he relied on Raynor to make the ultimate decison of whether they should assisst Kerrigan.
2. Fenix was an honourable protoss but that ended up being an advantage as much as a disadvantage. As an honourable warrior, he had respect for his ally Raynor and he put faith in his judgement. However this caused him to overlook Raynor's flaw: his bias against authority. Raynor opting to help Kerrigan wasn't plot induced stupidity as much as it was him being biased towards human authority given his history under it. Fenix let Raynor decide the futue of his men when he allowed Raynor to decide whether they should help Kerrigan as Raynor was a human and obviously knew more of human authority than he did. However Raynor let his bias cloud his judgement (the UED weren't as evil as Kerrigan made them out to be) and he had to learn the hard way that you can't just look at anything with a black and white perspective.
3. Fenix being betrayed and killed by Kerrigan was NOT plot induced stupidity either. Raynor, the man who knew Kerrigan better than he did, said that he believes kerrigan is serious about taking down the UED. Kerrigan never told anyone that Korhal was the UED's primary staging point as evident by what she says after she betrays Mengsk. Basically Duran was supplying information to Kerrigan about the UED and Kerrigan could filter it to Raynor, Fenix and Mengsk so she could manipulate them. Thus Fenix was led to believe that Kerrigan was going to betray them on Char and NOT Korhal as Korhal was a planet that didn't seem to hold any value so what reason did Kerrigan have to betray them there? That's why Fenix and the others were resting on Korhal. Since they're not robots and they expected a betrayal on Char they decided to rest on Korhal. This is what Fenix meant when he told Kerrigan that 'this is a betrayal most foul'.
So Fenix was an integral part of Raynor's character development arc in BW. Through him, Raynor had to learn that you shouldn't just be biased towards all human authority despite how much you've suffered under them in the past. At the end of BW I predicted Raynor's character development arc in SC2 to revolve around him accepting that not all human authority was bad.
To some extent that does happen in SC2 with Varian but.............it's because Varian is helping Raynor to save Fenix's murderer? This is practically one of the most insulting ways to develop Raynor as a character. First he's in love with Kerrigan for no reason. Raynor's character in BW had to learn that you shouldn't look at authority with a black and white perspective and this was taught to him the hard way by the death of his friend Fenix............and now Raynor learns that authroity isn't bad when it helps him rescue Fenix's murderer who he's now in love with? Honestly SC2 pretty much gave a slap across the face to anyone who ever liked Fenix in BW.
This is why I doubt Metzen wrote all of BW. Either that or he was a completely different person back in 1998.
Anyway do a character analysis on Stukov and DuGalle. They don't get enough credit and I think they're the best written characters in the series.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
^ Who's Varian? A secret, hitherto unknown twin of Valerian?
As to Fenix being "stupid", I guess that depends on whether you interpret his loyalty and follower-type personality as being synonymous as being mindless in general.
Oh, and Metzen did write all of BW, hence the greater number of criticisms of certain story aspects between Sc1 and BW back then.
As for Stukov and DuGalle, they weren't perfect either. How much of the drama they went through could've been resolved had either Stukov and DuGalle dropped each other a line and had heart-to-heart chat? I mean, they were supposed to have been life-long friends, I'm sure they could've easily resolved that misunderstanding with the Psi Disruptor. This goes double for DuGalle trusting someone he labelled himself as a "turncoat" over a friend without bothering to ask for his side of the story. Unbelievable!!
****
I have no beef with Fenix as a character. Like FT said, he is an "in" to the Protoss (like Raynor is an "in" to the Terran dynamics and politicking in general) that is more grounded, relatable and unique compared to what one would expect from "high-minded and advanced alien beings". Unlike Raynor though, Fenix does get a bit short-shrifted in SC1 in that he doesn't really get to be much than the archetype he is initially presented as. I think the naysayers are probably just a bit overzealous because of Fenix's somewhat static character development - which isn't necessarily a bad thing in itself. Off all the characters in SC1, Fenix has the fairly unique trait of a mirthful stoic. He may express doubt at times but it never sways him from doing what needs to be done.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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In several instances, he is giving US commands:
It's strange why he does that. Is it a method of exposition? Is it because that in practise he is a better commander then Artanis, so that Artanis yields to him? Is it because he is personally receiving commands from the Conclave/Aldaris before you, e.g. he relays them to you?
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1. Fenix opting to help Kerrigan to take down the UED was NOT plot induced stupidity. The UED was human authority and Fenix is a protoss. The only human authorities that the Protoss have encountered before are the Confederates and the Dominion, both corrupt and both human authorities. For all Fenix knew, it was possible that all human authorities were corrupt. That's why in the end he relied on Raynor to make the ultimate decison of whether they should assisst Kerrigan.
2. Fenix was an honourable protoss but that ended up being an advantage as much as a disadvantage. As an honourable warrior, he had respect for his ally Raynor and he put faith in his judgement. However this caused him to overlook Raynor's flaw: his bias against authority. Raynor opting to help Kerrigan wasn't plot induced stupidity as much as it was him being biased towards human authority given his history under it. Fenix let Raynor decide the futue of his men when he allowed Raynor to decide whether they should help Kerrigan as Raynor was a human and obviously knew more of human authority than he did. However Raynor let his bias cloud his judgement (the UED weren't as evil as Kerrigan made them out to be) and he had to learn the hard way that you can't just look at anything with a black and white perspective.
3. Fenix being betrayed and killed by Kerrigan was NOT plot induced stupidity either. Raynor, the man who knew Kerrigan better than he did, said that he believes kerrigan is serious about taking down the UED. Kerrigan never told anyone that Korhal was the UED's primary staging point as evident by what she says after she betrays Mengsk. Basically Duran was supplying information to Kerrigan about the UED and Kerrigan could filter it to Raynor, Fenix and Mengsk so she could manipulate them. Thus Fenix was led to believe that Kerrigan was going to betray them on Char and NOT Korhal as Korhal was a planet that didn't seem to hold any value so what reason did Kerrigan have to betray them there? That's why Fenix and the others were resting on Korhal. Since they're not robots and they expected a betrayal on Char they decided to rest on Korhal. This is what Fenix meant when he told Kerrigan that 'this is a betrayal most foul'.
Very correct, but I think the Protoss' experience with the Confederacy has been ambiguous. They've been monitoring them from afar, so they probably know of their wrongdoings; but the Protoss has performed near-genocide with the Kalathi, attacked the Xel'Naga themselves and so on, so they probably aren't completely critical on the Confederacy's morality. Their negativity probably would be more condescending; seeing the Protoss as superior to the Terrans, e.g. the Imperium and the Eldar in Warhammer.
And remember that Duke's fleet engaged the Protoss to save Mar Sara; and that Tassadar personally met Andre Madrid on the surface of Mar Sara. So there has been some instances that has garnered Protoss respect for the Confederacy. However, this is contradicted by Duke and Tassadar's conversation on Char, where Tassadar says he'll burn Duke's fleet to the ground, whilst Duke says that Tassadar has to surrender because he's endangered Terran lives.
Regarding Fenix not correctly anticipating Kerrigan's time of betrayal, you're spot on but remember; that she needs Nerazim to kill the Overmind. Fenix's warriors are all Khalai. So I think he actually overlooked that fact.
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Anyway do a character analysis on Stukov and DuGalle. They don't get enough credit and I think they're the best written characters in the series.
DuGalle, Tychus and Aldaris are the best written and deepest characters in the series; one of the few that actually seem like humans. We haven't seen enough of Stukov though. What makes DuGalle, Tychus, Aldaris, Tosh, Stukov etc interesting is their anti-hero nature. DuGalle and Tychus are the only characters in the series that have been shown to have an inner conflict (Raynor to an extent) and to have many flaws, making them more sympathetic and relatable.
E.G. - DuGalle is torn up about how his pride has led to Stukov and his men dying.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FatalFlaw
E.G. - Tychus is torn up about how he has to betray Raynor, whether he should or not. This is lampshaded by Tosh, I think after Maw of the Void in the Hyperion.
Most of WoL's characters were destroyed by their lack of moral ambiguity and the fact that they're either 'evil' or 'righteous'. Tosh and Tychus were interesting and likable because they weren't. The original StarCraft as well. Raynor wasn't that interesting because he's a generic everyman good-guy. He was more sympathetic when he screwed up trusting Kerrigan in Brood War and when he goes emo in WoL.
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As for Stukov and DuGalle, they weren't perfect either. How much of the drama they went through could've been resolved had either Stukov and DuGalle dropped each other a line and had heart-to-heart chat? I mean, they were supposed to have been life-long friends, I'm sure they could've easily resolved that misunderstanding with the Psi Disruptor. This goes double for DuGalle trusting someone he labelled himself as a "turncoat" over a friend without bothering to ask for his side of the story. Unbelievable!!
I'm somewhat certain that there's more plot-holes in the original StarCraft then Brood War. A little bit of thinking and most of Brood War's plot-holes disappear.
Here's some fridge brilliance: Remember at the end of In Utter Darkness when the Hybrids destroy all the Zerg? And they're on Shakuras. Exactly where the Xel'Naga temple is. So you could say that Duran probably created the Xel'Naga Temple (or Amon) to destroy the Zerg when they weren't needed anymore.
And of course DuGalle being an idiot is probably from Duran mind controlling him. Stukov's a psionic, so of course he'll be able to resist Duran/sense that something isn't right with him.
To be honest, Metzen isn't that bad. Compared to most other video games, even modern Blizzard games are Shakespearean by comparison. Even StarCraft II had some basic trope deconstructions and philosophical talk. There's BioShock... Spec Ops... and... Not many other games that attempts that. IIRC, Kindregan is the 'lead writer', whilst Metzen is in charge of story. So wouldn't that equate to Kindregan being in charge of the dialogue?
Anyway, here's a quote from Metzen:
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Right… To be totally up-front with you guys, it’s my bad, straight up. The obvious lore contradiction with Sargeras and his encounter with the eredar was clearly documented in the Warcraft III manual. I wrote those bits about four years ago, and to be totally honest, I simply forgot. Genius, right? With my excitement to get the draenei up to speed and root them more firmly in the setting, I forgot to do my homework and go back over my earlier writing. I can assure you, no one’s more crushed about this mistake than I am. I’ve spent the last few days kicking my own ass over this one. Sucks to fail. It may not always be evident, but we take this story stuff really seriously at Blizzard. It’s been one of my personal missions at this company to maintain a high level of integrity throughout the Warcraft game setting (all of them, actually) and I think we’ve done a pretty decent job of upholding the continuity over the years.
I think it’s important to note that world building is far bigger than just “storytelling,” and it requires (in my humble opinion) a certain amount of flexibility. Sometimes you need to expand certain ideas or retcon whole sections of continuity to broaden the scope and accessibility of your setting. There are a good number of these types of situations already (like totally revising our timeline, suggesting trolls were the progenitors of all elven subspecies, etc. – there’s a hundred other examples). To make an omelet, ya need to break a few eggs, and WoW’s one big omelet.
I’m explaining all this not to excuse this particular mistake, but to give you some understanding of how the mistake was made. I’ve read a fair amount of posts over the past few days and I know there’s a lot of confusion and frustration surrounding the whole eredar/draenei train wreck. Believe me – I know exactly how you feel. At the end of the day, we’re all just a bunch of geeky fanboys and fangirls, and we all get pretty fired up when people start screwing with the worlds we love. If anything, all of the venting and creative suggestions I’ve seen over the past few days have reinforced for me the fact that you guys really do care about this world and its troubled denizens.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Raynor opting to help Kerrigan wasn't plot induced stupidity as much as it was him being biased towards human authority given his history under it. Fenix let Raynor decide the futue of his men when he allowed Raynor to decide whether they should help Kerrigan as Raynor was a human and obviously knew more of human authority than he did. However Raynor let his bias cloud his judgement (the UED weren't as evil as Kerrigan made them out to be) and he had to learn the hard way that you can't just look at anything with a black and white perspective.
I've never seen that in Brood War. What's your basis for this? The only time I remember us getting Raynor's opinion on the UED, he expresses only hesitation, and this in response to Kerrigan trying to guide him to the desired conclusion of mistrusting the UED. Clearly, that's no demonstration of irrational bias against the UED.
As for Fenix's role in curing Raynor of this alleged irrational hatred, that also seems highly unlikely. Fenix is always characterised as a follower or a front line man, while he obviously does have authority over a number of Templar from his station, his narrative role is never that of an authority. Why would he prove to be an example for Raynor rather than, say, Raynor's original Protoss friend Tassadar, the 'idealistic rebel crusader' who became a savior and beacon of hope for his people? Or Aldaris, the authoritarian persecutor who proves to indeed have the best interests of his people at heart, and accepts responsibility for his wrongdoings, a speech which apparently quite impressed Raynor back in Eye of the Storm?
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
I'm somewhat certain that there's more plot-holes in the original StarCraft then Brood War. A little bit of thinking and most of Brood War's plot-holes disappear.
Careful with the generalisations there. I could swap those two around or say "WoL had the least number of plotholes if you really thought about it" and there'd be a number of people who'd nod in agreement there too.
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Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
Here's some fridge brilliance: Remember at the end of In Utter Darkness when the Hybrids destroy all the Zerg? And they're on Shakuras. Exactly where the Xel'Naga temple is. So you could say that Duran probably created the Xel'Naga Temple (or Amon) to destroy the Zerg when they weren't needed anymore.
There is nowhere in the game that says that this battle was on Shakuras. When you said a "little bit of thinking", did you mean fanconning as well? :D
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Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
And of course DuGalle being an idiot is probably from Duran mind controlling him. Stukov's a psionic, so of course he'll be able to resist Duran/sense that something isn't right with him.
Ugh, Dugalle being mind-controlled essentially ruins his character by making all of his actions suspect and unworthy of any of the audience's sympathy - much in the same way WoL destroys the character of the Overmind. Dugalle's actions are only tragic and full of pathos (and memorable as a result) if he made them himself.
Also, this doesn't explain why Stukov doesn't try reaching out to his old friend. I suppose Duran was able to block those transmissions as well? God, one has to fancon/think a lot to cover this up...
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Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
To be honest, Metzen isn't that bad.
I think the operative word is wasn't. He's the guy that vet's all this stuff afterall.
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Originally Posted by
FanaticTemplar
I've never seen that in Brood War. What's your basis for this? The only time I remember us getting Raynor's opinion on the UED, he expresses only hesitation, and this in response to Kerrigan trying to guide him to the desired conclusion of mistrusting the UED. Clearly, that's no demonstration of irrational bias against the UED.
I think I can explain his reasoning. Raynor's history with being shafted from on high by larger authorities like the Confederation and Mengsk/Dominion would perhaps fuel/inform a possible general mistrust with any other larger beauracratic authority. That the UED are presented as such (another large beuracratic authority), irrespective of the particulars/differences and whether Raynor is aware of them, is what he could be railing against.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
Turalyon
There is nowhere in the game that says that this battle was on Shakuras. When you said a "little bit of thinking", did you mean fanconning as well? :D
I also assumed it was on Shakuras, since aside from Aiur there seems to be nowhere else better suited for the Protoss' last stand, and if I recall correctly, that tileset was called 'Shakuras' in the Editor. To be fair, that's not proof of anything though.
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Originally Posted by
Turalyon
I think I can explain his reasoning. Raynor's history with being shafted from on high by larger authorities like the Confederation and Mengsk/Dominion would perhaps fuel/inform a possible general mistrust with any other larger beauracratic authority. That the UED are presented as such (another large beuracratic authority), irrespective of the particulars/differences and whether Raynor is aware of them, is what he could be railing against.
Oh, I agree that Raynor has developed a strong anti-authoritarian nature, I just don't understand where the notion comes from that Raynor fell in with Kerrigan's plans because of his alleged hatred for the UED's authoritarianism (I'd think it far more likely to be due to his bias in favour of Kerrigan), and how Fenix was supposed to help him get over his anti-authoritarianism, and how this was apparently a major character development for Raynor in Brood War.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
FanaticTemplar
I just don't understand where the notion comes from that Raynor fell in with Kerrigan's plans because of his alleged hatred for the UED's authoritarianism (I'd think it far more likely to be due to his bias in favour of Kerrigan), and how Fenix was supposed to help him get over his anti-authoritarianism, and how this was apparently a major character development for Raynor in Brood War.
Ah, ok. I agree with the former part about Raynor backing Kerrigan more because "she's Kerrigan" rather than any real strong ideological bent against authoritarianism because the game itself is more "on the nose" in regards to Raynor's relationship with her. For the latter part about Fenix, I've no idea. I don't see it either.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Careful with the generalisations there. I could swap those two around or say "WoL had the least number of plotholes if you really thought about it" and there'd be a number of people who'd nod in agreement there too.
WoL didn't have that many story-critical plot holes, except for the fact that Narud can't even bother getting the artefacts with all the power he's got, regardless of whether Nyon's Tal'darim were a separate Tal'darim that wasn't under Narud's sway, but given that Tal'darim simply means 'The Forged' in Khalai, maybe. And the discrepancies with the WoL Tal'darim and the Christie Golden Dark Templar. Plot-holes don't really determine the quality of a story.
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There is nowhere in the game that says that this battle was on Shakuras. When you said a "little bit of thinking", did you mean fanconning as well?
The only planet in the campaign with the Shakuras tileset... one that looks identical, with identical Protoss architecture, to be honest, your base is actually quite possibly the one from The Insurgent (where Aldaris dies) in Brood War; as it's structured somewhat the same, and given that it's the Protoss capital, would be the heaviest defended Protoss territory. And I could go on and on...
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Ugh, Dugalle being mind-controlled essentially ruins his character by making all of his actions suspect and unworthy of any of the audience's sympathy - much in the same way WoL destroys the character of the Overmind. Dugalle's actions are only tragic and full of pathos (and memorable as a result) if he made them himself.
Well he's not being consciously and directly controlled, like say, the Overmind or Jack in BioShock. Let's just say that with the right amount of awareness and willpower you can break off the 'mind-control', which is what DuGalle did when Stukov died. So he was being subliminally manipulated, but not directly.
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Also, this doesn't explain why Stukov doesn't try reaching out to his old friend. I suppose Duran was able to block those transmissions as well? God, one has to fancon/think a lot to cover this up...
This is a plot-hole I don't have an answer for. Especially with the fact that Stukov radios the Captain (you). Well, I do have a possible answer. What if Narud and Duran are different people and Narud was the UED Captain, and that's why he leads the operation in the Psi-Disruptor and doesn't tell DuGalle about what Duran did... and... My head hurts.
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Ah, ok. I agree with the former part about Raynor backing Kerrigan more because "she's Kerrigan" rather than any real strong ideological bent against authoritarianism because the game itself is more "on the nose" in regards to Raynor's relationship with her. For the latter part about Fenix, I've no idea. I don't see it either.
I'm quite sure the death toll from Project Purification was higher then the Fall of Tarsonis.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
The Amon apocalypse took place on a planet called Ulnar, according to the editor.
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Ulnar: In protoss legends the planet Ulnar was the mythical last resting place of the gods, the very center of creation from which all life ultimately flows.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Bizarre, because the only mission in StarCraft II with the Shakuras tileset is -- In Utter Darkness. What if 'Ulnar' is the Xel'Naga name for it? Or what if Ulnar is one of Shakuras' sister-planets or moons? If it really was called Ulnar, then I don't think they'd confuse people by naming the tileset Shakuras and having it be identical to Shakuras.
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I think the operative word is wasn't. He's the guy that vet's all this stuff afterall.
He's relatively for a video game writer, not that bad, at least.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
Turalyon
Oh, and Metzen did write all of BW, hence the greater number of criticisms of certain story aspects between Sc1 and BW back then.
I'm not sure how valid this claim is. Simply seeing Metzen's name during the credits isn't enough to convince me that he wrote all of BW. But even if he did then he was probably a different person back then because the concepts in BW are more complex than anything in Vanilla. The only thing BW lacked was execution and I think that's a result of Metzen or Blizzard or whoever rushing BW before polishing their script.
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Originally Posted by
Turalyon
As for Stukov and DuGalle, they weren't perfect either. How much of the drama they went through could've been resolved had either Stukov and DuGalle dropped each other a line and had heart-to-heart chat? I mean, they were supposed to have been life-long friends, I'm sure they could've easily resolved that misunderstanding with the Psi Disruptor. This goes double for DuGalle trusting someone he labelled himself as a "turncoat" over a friend without bothering to ask for his side of the story. Unbelievable!!
Moment I read a comment like this, I know the poster hasn't understood Stukov and DuGalle's complex characters. Allow me to explain.
Stukov and DuGalle are lifelong friends but they're not happy go lucky friends. Their friendship is akin to the friendship betweeen Magneto and Professor X. Stukov and DuGalle each have their own way of doing things but their ultimate goal is always in the best interests of the Earth and the UED in general and this is what binds them to gether. DuGalle is the kind of guy who's by the book. His strategy is to always follow the plan. He never deviates away from the pre-established plan even if it may be beneficial. This fits in with the idea of how hte UED seem to be an organisation that gather intel and then formulate a plan of action. DuGalle's the 'orders are orders' kind of guy and when things don't go as planned he falls apart. In contrast, Stukov is pretty much the opposite. He's more of the open minded guy while DuGalle is the close minded one. He respects the rules but he's not strictly loyal to them like DuGalle and is willing to break them if he sees the benfit in doing so. He's more of the kind of guy who can improvise and is more used to surprise situations. However this also makes him more of someone whose easily influenced by what he experiences since he isn't as narrow minded as DuGalle.
This is all depicted in BW but it's so subtle and well nuanced that a lot of people miss it. This is a breakdown of what exactly was going in between DuGalle and Stukov in BW:
In the opening cinematic of BW what do you see?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoenk...03901&index=14
DuGalle realeses some zerg upon a Dominion colony because he claims he wants Stukov to get first hand experience. The question is why does he do that? Because he knows what his friend is like. The UED isn't on the most morally correct mission since they're going to enslave the zerg and DuGalle knows that his friend Stukov is someone who gets influenced by what he sees. So far Stukov has only watched videos of the zerg so he hasn't gotten first hand experience of what exactly he has gotten himself into. To DuGalle this is a very important mission because it's to save humanity so he can't let his best friend to have any second thoughts of morality or anything like that. That's why he's showing him these zerg attack the colonists in all their ferocity.
Next time we see Stukov is when he's attacking the Executor's fleet as the Executor is leaving Braxis in Episode IV. We don't see nor hear of DuGalle at all during that mission either which is strange.
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Alexei Stukov
Protoss Commander, I am Admiral Alexei Stukov of the United Earth Directorate. We are here to take control of the Terran Dominion and all of its outlying colonies. You are in direct violation of Terran space and have openly attacked Terran troops. Lower your shields and power down your weapons systems. The UED will be taking custody of your ships and whatever spoils you have garnered from this planet.
I wonder why Stukov cares about the Protoss attacking Dominion terran troops since the UED are going to attack them as well?
But wait what's even more strange is what's written in the manual:
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Never before had humanity encountered alien species of any kind. Thus, this unprecedented event caused a widespread panic throughout the UPL. Regardless of what happened to the expendable Koprulu colonies, the UPL could not afford to let aliens invade Earth. The momentous occasion brought many dissident countries into the UPL fold, thus expanding the powers of the organization and causing it to be renamed the ‘United Earth Directorate’. Taking a more proactive, militaristic stance in regards to alien affairs, the UED bent all of its considerable resources towards studying the aliens and their maneuverings. After monitoring the Protoss and Zerg for several months, the UED gathered data on the strengths and weaknesses of the two races. Believing that they were capable of countering any of the aliens’ attacks, the UED formed a military expeditionary force to put an end to the Koprulu conflict by any means necessary.
The expeditionary force, led by the brilliant Admiral Gerard DuGalle, had a secondary objective as well. Admiral DuGalle was ordered to take control of the Zerg Broods and use them to pacify Protoss activity in the Sector. In so doing, he would assure the survival and prosperity of Humanity throughout the galaxy…
The UED was ordered to take control of the zerg and use them to pacify the protoss. That means the UED wasn't supposed to attack the protoss. They were supposed to take Korhal then enslave the Overmind then use the zerg to defeat the protoss. That was all so why is Stukov attacking the Protoss now? After all the Executor's fleet is leaving Braxis. They're not invading it. They've gotten the Uraj and moving away so why is Stukov attacking them? In fact why is Stukov is forming a blockade and forcing them to engage him in battle?
That's right, Stukov is disobeying orders. That's why DuGalle isn't here. I think what happened was that DuGalle's little plan didn't go as well as he thought it would. He showing Stukov the monstrosity of the zerg did make him realise just what a dark mission he was getting himself in. However it also caused Stukov to realise how important first hand experience is. Since Stukov is the kind of guy who's more open minded the idea of first hand experience spread a bit too much in his head. Stukov decided that like the zerg, he needed first hand experience against the protoss. So Stukov got a couple of troops to come with him and gave DuGalle the slip. Then he found the Exeutor's fleet and forced them into battle with him because he wanted to experience the protoss first hand. That's also why he didn't bother chasing the Executor's fleet after it broke out of the blockade. Stukov probably managed to hide all of this from DuGalle as well which shows that he's pretty clever and knows how to decieve his friend. However don't get me wrong; Stukov didn't do this because he was evil or anything like that. He did it because he honestly believed it would have made him more useful for the mission. Sure its against orders but Stukov isn't as strict about orders as DuGalle.
This idea is further reinforced by what you see in the opening moments of the UED campaign:
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Terran Command Center
Adjutant online. Good morning, Captain. Our long voyage from Earth is over, and we are holding a stationary position near the borders of Dominion space. I trust that the effects from your long cold sleep have worn off by now. If not, the Med Officer can provide you with additional CryoStim supplements. Admiral DuGalle has issued a proclamation to the entire fleet via transmat. I'll patch it through to you now.
Gerard DuGalle
Attention! Defenders of the United Earth Directorate, this is Admiral DuGalle. You were all briefed before we left Earth, so you know that we have come here to conquer this sector in the name of Humanity. Should any of you have second thoughts about performing your assigned duties, be reminded that if we fail in our mission here, not one of us will be going home. We stand or fall together in this forsaken wasteland!
Serve the Directorate. Serve Humanity. All other priorities are secondary to victory! DuGalle out.
Terran Command Center
Transmat completed. Receiving incoming transmission:
Alexei Stukov
Good morning, Captain. I am Vice Admiral Stukov, tactical advisor to Admiral DuGalle. I see you've already reviewed his proclamation. I'm sure it doesn't cover anything you weren't already familiar with. Once you get to know the Admiral, I'm sure you'll find that he's actually quite personable.
At any rate, Captain, I do have orders for you. As we are about to begin our invasion of the Dominion, we will need access to their primary datanet and weapons diagnostics. To this end, you are to assault the outlying planet of Braxis, and take control of its capital city of Boralis. You are to deploy your forces within two standard hours. The Admiral expects perfect results, Captain. Stukov out.
By the start of the UED campaign, the captain has just woken up and DuGalle is giving his proclomation. This is something you see at the start of a military campaign and not in the middle of it. This and the fact that Stukov makes no mention of his attack on the Protoss reinforces the idea that the attack that Stukov led on the Executor's fleet in Episode IV was unauthorised.
The next important character moment is when the Psi Disruptor is discovered. Anyway DuGalle is a strict man who is reluctant to even take a step away from the predetermined plan. The Psi Disruptor was not something his superiors ordered him to use and DuGalle doesn’t sound like the one to make suggestion to his superiors. He’s more of the man who aims to make the most of what he’s permitted to do. Since the UED’s ultimate goal is to take control of the Zerg to help them control the sector, it’s understandable that he sees the Psi Disruptor as a threat. I also DuGalle isn’t fully expressing his thoughts in words here. It’s not really that he’s afraid that somehow Mengsk is going to gain control of the Psi Disruptor. How that would happen since DuGalle even trusts Duran now and there are no traitors in the UED? I think the real reason behind his motive is because that the device is something which can entice him to take liberties and DuGalle seems to believe that when you take one liberty you start taking more until you lose the faith you once had.
I think the next important scene is after Raynor and Fenix rescue Mengsk and take him to Aiur:
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Terran Command Center:
Captain, we have tracked the fugitives Mengsk and Raynor to the devastated Protoss homeworld of Aiur. Apparently, these two have taken shelter within a fortified Protoss encampment that lies at the base of a fully functional warp gate...
Gerard DuGalle:
I don't understand this. Why would the Protoss harbor these men?
Alexei Stukov:
I have no idea, Gerard, but the Protoss aren't our only problem. Our sensors have identified multiple Zerg broods surrounding the Protoss base. Presently, the broods seem to be passive, but there's no telling what might set them off. Should the broods attack, we'd be hard pressed to hold them at bay.
Gerard DuGalle:
I see. It is a risk we'll need to take. Mengsk represents a considerable threat to our agenda and must be eliminated. Captain, you will focus your attack against the rebel command center in the middle of the Protoss encampment. That must be where Mengsk and Raynor are hiding. We will deploy our own Valkyrie frigates and tighten up our air defenses. Vice Admiral Stukov and Lieutenant Duran will provide cover for your forces, and insure that no external threats interfere with your mission.
We start off by seeing DuGalle grow more confused as he witnesses something not in his reports: an alliance between Protoss, Zerg and Terran. Now he has to attack the Protoss without any zerg under his control. Perhaps DuGalle is even a little relieved that there are zerg for him to fight as well, something that he was ordered to do. As I’ve explained already, it’s understandable why this is hitting DuGalle so hard. In comparison, Stukov doesn’t seem as shocked.
But anyway the reason why DuGalle opted to listen to Duran over Stukov makes sense. So far Stukov’s actions have not made sense because DuGalle cannot see how they will benefit the mission. Dugalle should know Stukov has broken away from orders in the past but he has only done so to further the mission in his own way. But why did he abandon the battle on Aiur and not destroy the Psi Disruptor? DuGalle believes it’s because Stukov is working for Mengsk. Duran suggested the Psi Disruptor be destroyed because it would be detrimental if it were to fall in Mengsk’s hands. Stukov abandoned Aiur instead of trying to pursue Mengsk. Mengsk left through a warp gate so maybe Stukov had received orders from Mengsk to transport the Psi Disruptor to the planet where the warp gate would lead. Judging by how manipulative Mengsk is and how he’s willing to take liberties to achieve his goals similar to Stukov (although Stukov’s liberties are never as extreme) it’s believable for DuGalle. DuGalle also believes that Mengsk seemingly has alliances with the protoss and rebel terran Raynor so Stukov allying himself with him doesn’t sound that strange.
Regarding why Stukov never said anything to DuGalle: DuGalle is a guy who doesn’t veer away from the established plan. However this time Stukov had outright disobeyed him while Duran had not. Stukov had suspicions that Duran was with the Zerg. However he had no evidence for the matter. If he reported Duran moving away his forces, Duran could easily counter his argument by saying something like his equipment was malfunctioning and he thought zerg were approaching from a different angle. Duran could sabotage his own equipment before hand and say it was always like that. This is why Stukov knows the best chance of convincing his friend, DuGalle, is by activating the Psi Disruptor to reveal Duran is infested. If Stukov tries to communicate with DuGalle, his friend may try to stop him so Stukov has to act secretly. Ironically Stukov has to abandon his friend in order to save him.
So basically if Stukov told DuGalle about the Psi Disruptor then DuGalle would probably not have listened and would have tried to stop him which would have been detrimental for Stukov since he suspecte Duran was infested. DuGalle didn't try to ask Stukov because something like Stukov betraying was never extremely unlikely to happen. Stukov always gets influenced by what he sees and while so far he hasn't done anything that goes against the UED's goals, that time he had done something which LOOKED like it went against the UED's goal. So yeah DuGalle opted to kill Stukov because he considered the double betrayal (leaving Aiur and keeping the Psi Disruptor) to be enough proof that his friend was guilty. This may not be the most rational answer but DuGalle himself states at the end of BW that his pride killed Stukov so it makes sense considering that both men are human. Ironically killing Stukov is also what develops DuGalle into a more open minded character as he finally decides to give the Psi Disruptor a chance and begins to break away from his 'orders are orders' personality after his friend dies due to it.
Anyway I'll just respond to the rest of the stuff later but this is what I'm talking about. There wasn't a single character in Vanilla that was characterised as well as Stukov and DuGalle. That's the main flaw of Vanilla: too many straight forward characters. BW actually had characters that you didn't understand until you played the game a couple of times and thought about their actions.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Oh, Lester. I can't seem to resist your trolling....
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Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
Plot-holes don't really determine the quality of a story.
I don't know what yardstick you use to determine a story's quality but plot-holes encompass a great many things - most of which are detrimental to the logic and structure of any story and the universe it wants to present.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
The only planet in the campaign with the Shakuras tileset... one that looks identical, with identical Protoss architecture, to be honest, your base is actually quite possibly the one from The Insurgent (where Aldaris dies) in Brood War; as it's structured somewhat the same, and given that it's the Protoss capital, would be the heaviest defended Protoss territory. And I could go on and on...
You could go on but it's all just fanon. As FT said, this is not proof of anything. "Looks identical", "quite possibly", "somewhat the same" "would be" are not substantial qualifiers.
Being the "Protoss capital" (if one can even call it that given its non-descript nature - to me it was just merely a "last bastion") doesn't have to mean it's Shakuras nor does the strength of defense imply anything either (Char was easily invaded WoL afterall). Heck, Shakuras was almost overrun by weakened Zerg forces in BW whilst there were other Nerazim colonies lying about at the time. If anything, Shakuras would probably the first place to fall to Amon. Finally, the "Twilight" tileset maybe used for Shakuras but it's not exclusively called the "Shakuras tileset" - you don't see all "ice tilesets" and say that's the "Kaldir" (or "Braxis" in Sc1) tileset and assume all missions on an ice world are Kaldir/Braxis.
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Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
Well he's not being consciously and directly controlled, like say, the Overmind or Jack in BioShock. Let's just say that with the right amount of awareness and willpower you can break off the 'mind-control', which is what DuGalle did when Stukov died. So he was being subliminally manipulated, but not directly.
Where are you getting these magical rules about mind control from? It's bad enough that the ramifications of such a thing occurring would destroy the character, but there is no concrete evidence/basis for what is just an extension of your own fanon here. Given the extent of this "thinking", I'm surprised that you'd even be able to discern a difference in the severity of plotholes between SC1 and BW at all!
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Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
This is a plot-hole I don't have an answer for. Especially with the fact that Stukov radios the Captain (you). Well, I do have a possible answer. What if Narud and Duran are different people and Narud was the UED Captain, and that's why he leads the operation in the Psi-Disruptor and doesn't tell DuGalle about what Duran did... and... My head hurts.
When things all boil down to relativistic answers, you should know that no good can ever come from it.
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Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
I'm quite sure the death toll from Project Purification was higher then the Fall of Tarsonis.
Huh? Your point being that Raynor somehow holds an hidden ancient grudge (it happened >200 years ago) for the former UPL government that is now called the UED? How would this ever be at the forefront of Raynor's mind at the time?
Besides, Project Purification was also covered up. We don't even know the extent of what Raynor knows about Terran history is factually real or not. Is it safe for us to assume that Raynor knows all this backstory as the audience member knows it?
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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I don't know what yardstick you use to determine a story's quality but plot-holes encompass a great many things - most of which are detrimental to the logic and structure of any story and the universe it wants to present.
Every story doesn't seem to have much quality when you're reading it on a Wikipedia article. Music, voice acting, everything contributes to it. Plot-holes never really seem to dawn on you until after you've completed the game, and a story is always best the first time... mostly.
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but it's not exclusively called the "Shakuras tileset" - you don't see all "ice tilesets" and say that's the "Kaldir" (or "Braxis" in Sc1) tileset and assume all missions on an ice world are Kaldir/Braxis.
But the only usage of the Shakuras tileset in a StarCraft II mission, is In Utter Darkness. Say there was a second StarCraft expansion, and there was an ice-world with the same tileset as Braxis' tileset, which is called ice or whatever, blah blah blah...
But the tileset for In Utter Darkness isn't called 'Twilight Tileset', it's called 'Shakuras'; and the first and only time the Shakuras Tileset has been used in a mission is In Utter Darkness.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
But the only usage of the Shakuras tileset in a StarCraft II mission, is In Utter Darkness.
Just as the Kaldir tileset has only been used only for missions on Kaldir (Braxis tileset for Braxis missions). You have no point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TSCR
Moment I read a comment like this, I know the poster hasn't understood Stukov and DuGalle's complex characters.
Oh, I know how complex the characters are but the criticism is still a pertinent one. That you felt compelled to write an enormous essay (yes I read it all) to extract and bring every subtle nuance into the light and that you yourself admit that you had to play it a few times and mull it over before you understood it is a testament to the validity of that criticism - that the game doesn't make it readily clear why the two didn't just communicate with each other to resolve that problem.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Thus, In Utter Darkness is set on Shakuras just as Kaldir is set on Kaldir, because the first mission to have Kaldir's tileset was on Kaldir, just as the first mission to have Mar Sara's tileset was on Mar Sara, and so on. StarCraft II tilesets are not generic like StarCraft (e.g. Wasteland - Antiga Prime/Mar Sara), they are named after the first mission that they are used in's planet.
So basically what you're saying is that the only time the Shakuras tileset has been used, it was used for a planet that isn't even called Shakuras.
So I think the Media Blitz mission might not be set on Korhal, it might be set on Tarsonis, even though the mission's tileset is called Korhal and the first and only time it's been used.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
^ Heh, should have figured my response would've been too subtle for you....
The Kaldir tileset is one of ice. It does not follow that all other uses of that tileset means the planet we're playing on has to be Kaldir. Must I go on?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
So basically what you're saying is that the only time the Shakuras tileset has been used, it was used for a planet that isn't even called Shakuras.
Yes. As Gradius said, the planet was called Ulnar.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
It's called Shakuras tileset because we had Shakuras maps in melee ie. Skakuras Plateau. Not the first planet to use another planet's tileset.
And that description I copied is clearly not taking about Skakuras.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TSCR
But even if he did then he was probably a different person back then because the concepts in BW are more complex than anything in Vanilla. The only thing BW lacked was execution and I think that's a result of Metzen or Blizzard or whoever rushing BW before polishing their script.
It's funny, because I've always felt that Brood War was a terrible successor to StarCraft and plays out similarly to fanfiction.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TSCR
Moment I read a comment like this, I know the poster hasn't understood Stukov and DuGalle's complex characters. Allow me to explain.
There's an interesting passage where DuGalle talks about how he cannot abide traitors and Stukov replies that he knows that 'only too well', implying that he's felt the repercussions of DuGalle's hatred before. I've always wondered what this was referring to.
Anyway, I disagree with your analysis on one point, I don't think DuGalle is some blindly obedient follower, such a person lacks the adaptability necessary to becomes such an important and well-regarded commander for the UED's armies. The reason why you deal with Stukov rather than DuGalle on Braxis is because DuGalle doesn't deal with battles and tactics himself, delegating such assignments to Stukov, the Captain or to Duran while he concerns himself with the strategy and logistics of the overall campaign. That's also why he was worried about the Protoss involvement - the Protoss have now demonstrated that they are willing to interfere in his operations, and he needs to figure out why so he can predict when they are likely to strike.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Quote:
Anyway, I disagree with your analysis on one point, I don't think DuGalle is some blindly obedient follower, such a person lacks the adaptability necessary to becomes such an important and well-regarded commander for the UED's armies.
Is it possible that the UED has not gone up against any real foes, thus making them inexperienced, complacent and arrogant just like in Brood War? Being balanced out by their technology and such, of course, and the advantage of surprise by arriving in the middle of absolute chaos.
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The reason why you deal with Stukov rather than DuGalle on Braxis is because DuGalle doesn't deal with battles and tactics himself, delegating such assignments to Stukov, the Captain or to Duran while he concerns himself with the strategy and logistics of the overall campaign.
I thought that commanding officers deal with planning and execution of operations, whilst an executive officer (Stukov) deals with logistics and such. Given how rigid DuGalle was, I very much doubt that the roles of a C.O. and X.O. were reversed. Well, to be honest, StarCraft militaries are the complete opposite of real-life militaries.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
Is it possible that the UED has not gone up against any real foes, thus making them inexperienced, complacent and arrogant just like in Brood War? Being balanced out by their technology and such, of course, and the advantage of surprise by arriving in the middle of absolute chaos.
Who knows. Since we know aliens are out of the question, they'd probably only have experience fighting insurgents and comparatively underdeveloped countries.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
I thought that commanding officers deal with planning and execution of operations, whilst an executive officer (Stukov) deals with logistics and such. Given how rigid DuGalle was, I very much doubt that the roles of a C.O. and X.O. were reversed. Well, to be honest, StarCraft militaries are the complete opposite of real-life militaries.
I was thinking about scale more than military role, since I know very little about that. I meant that DuGalle's concerns are for the overarching objectives, rather than individual engagements, my reasoning being that DuGalle never takes direct command until pretty much every other UED character is removed in Queen of Blades. To me, the most telling passage is the attack on Aiur, where the Captain, Stukov and Duran are all deployed on the planet, but apparently DuGalle is not.
Although, since I'm not well-versed on the subject, I would appreciate knowing your opinion on how StarCraft militaries are the opposite of real ones.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Quote:
Who knows. Since we know aliens are out of the question, they'd probably only have experience fighting insurgents and comparatively underdeveloped countries.
I don't know. It's a plot-hole that there were South American, whatever countries still actually independent when the United Powers League had faster-then-light weapons. Which would theoretically would be capable of time-travel or destroying a planet. At the same time Chau Sara was going on, the Ishanti Uprising happened; something that Stukov participated in, being awarded.
I don't know. Maybe those countries had pretty much every rebel on Earth concentrated there. Maybe they were blackmailing the United Powers League with super-weapons and nukes to leave them alone.
Of course, remember that the Terrans pretty much did nothing but fight, giving them extreme amounts of experience. The UPL... it is quite safe to say they had almost no real experience.
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DuGalle never takes direct command until pretty much every other UED character is removed in Queen of Blades. To me, the most telling passage is the attack on Aiur, where the Captain, Stukov and Duran are all deployed on the planet, but apparently DuGalle is not.
Player-character syndrome... As soon as the UED Captain is removed and the player isn't in the UED anymore, the UED mysteriously start losing...
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Although, since I'm not well-versed on the subject, I would appreciate knowing your opinion on how StarCraft militaries are the opposite of real ones.
Rebel Yell:
- Duke is a 'General' (retconned to Colonel prior to Antiga Prime); a Marines/Army rank, even though he commands a Squadron, which is an air force/naval unit. Duke shouldn't be the commander of Norad II, because Norad II would logically be under the branch of the Navy, whilst Duke is a Marine. The Battlecruiser unit is a Commodore (in the U.S. Navy it's been renamed to Rear Admiral Lower Half, though where I live it's still Commodore), so logically a Commodore should be the commander of Norad II.
- Raynor is a 'Captain', given that we've heard nothing about an 'Army' branch in StarCraft and that Raynor was a Marine in the Guild Wars, he is certainly a Captain of the Marine branch. But if he's a Captain, then he should have had well over the around-five hundred under his command after the Fall of Tarsonis.
- The Magistrate is a 'Commander', which is a naval rank the equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marines and Army. Even though the Commander doesn't command any naval forces until late-Rebel Yell. Seems to be more of a literal then military meaning, like how Kerrigan is Mengsk's 'second-in-command', and is such his 'Lieutenant' rather then the rank Lieutenant.
Raynor and the Enslavers Player Character gain this rank as well. Both of former-Mengsk allegiance. So did it originate with the Sons of Korhal?
-Kerrigan is a 'Lieutenant', which is only a Naval rank, even though she is obviously not in the naval branch. I have no idea her command authority, as in New Gettysburg she doesn't appear to be in a commanding role.
- Mengsk is a 'General', but is the commander of the Sons of Korhal and such.
So in Rebel Yell every Sons of Korhal character is in a ground-based branch. This is a bizzare contrast with the United Earth Directorate, who every character (the UED Captain, DuGalle, Stukov) are all Navy. Excluding Duran... Who isn't. And is the only black character in StarCraft, with the only accent of his type in StarCraft. The odd one out; foreshadowing. Maybe Metzen intended this.
Brood War:
- The Medic is a First Lieutenant, which is a Marines/Army rank. But in real-life the Marines don't have medics in their branch, their medics are naval.
- The Captain is almost certainly not an Army/Marines Captain, instead being a Navy Captain, as an Army/Marines Captain would be far too down the hierarchy to be the third-in-command of the expedition, let alone DuGalle's second-in-command Patriot's Blood. But Captain is about four ranks down from Vice Admiral. Captain - Commodore/Rear Admiral (Lower Half) - Rear Admiral - Vice Admiral. Why is he seemingly the third/second-in-command?
- Like Kerrigan, Duran has a navy rank yet is a Marine.
- Mengsk when he is on the run after his palace is destroyed says, "I wish to parlay with your executive officer at once!" -- seemingly meaning the commanding officer (not the second-in-command) DuGale, who is the commanding officer, whilst Stukov is the executive officer.
http://i39.tinypic.com/2ilbsb7.jpg
That's just basically the start. Of course, I think I remember the Confederacy had an Army, but it was probably portrayed inaccurately; e.g. they probably had the same role as Marines. Logically the Marines should be the ones to deploy first and to secure a beachhead, then the Army arrives, etc. I have no idea about aviation and starships. Would Wraiths be in the Air Force or Navy? Would Dropships be in the Marines, Air Force or Navy?
Quote from TV Tropes:
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Starcraft appears to lack any sort of distinction between military branches. The Alpha Squadron, for example, is commanded by a general... who is in command of a starship. While this could be explained by having the Space Navy use army ranks instead of navy, we then have the UED show up with an Admiral in charge, with the Vice Admiral running around in a Ghost uniform (i.e. a psychic assassin). On a third hand, the UED and the Confederacy/Dominion are two very different governments; though both are human in origin, their society has been separated for centuries.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LestersPetZergling
Player-character syndrome... As soon as the UED Captain is removed and the player isn't in the UED anymore, the UED mysteriously start losing...
I'm afraid I don't understand the connection.
Thanks for the military information though!
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1 Attachment(s)
Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Turalyon
Oh, I know how complex the characters are but the criticism is still a pertinent one. That you felt compelled to write an enormous essay (yes I read it all) to extract and bring every subtle nuance into the light and that you yourself admit that you had to play it a few times and mull it over before you understood it is a testament to the validity of that criticism - that the game doesn't make it readily clear why the two didn't just communicate with each other to resolve that problem.
Complex characters are characters that you don't fully understand in your first reading. They're characters you have to think about to fully understand because they're multi-layered a.k.a Shakespeare. They're not bad characters; in fact they're characters that are interesting and memorable. Characters you completely understand on your first reading just aren't that memorable.
Fun Fact: the UED campaign was based on Shakespeare's play Othello which helps explains why it's so deep. It's plot and characters borrow heavily from the play.
DuGalle = Othello
Stukov = Desdemona
Duran = Iago
Racism was a theme in Othello but since it isn't an appropriate theme for a sci-fi 23rd century setting story, Blizzard didn't seem to portray it. However I do think they paid homage to the play by having Duran as the only major character whose a black guy.
There are also heaps of other similarities etc. DuGalle and Othello are both accomplished military leaders. Othello is with his beloved wife while DuGalle is with his best friend during the course of the story. They both get backstabbed by a lower subordinate who they believe can be trusted. At first they're doubtful of whether they should punish their loved one but then they both discover something (Cassio has the handkerchief and the Psi Disruptor wasn't destroyed) they decide to have them executed. After both the manipulator's betrayal is revealed they both escape (well Iago gets caught off screen according to the epilogue but he does manage to escape during the final moments of the play). Othello speaks to his dead wife before he commits suicide and DuGalle writes a letter to his wife before he commits suicide. Most importantly, netiher Othello nor DuGalle ever bother questioning their loved one (Desdemona and Stukov) when they're being manipulated by the traitor in their midst (Iago and Duran).
Even some of the minor elements of the plot is similar. At the beginning of the play, Iago is watching Othello and Desdemona's wedding in the backdrop while in Brood War Duran is watching DuGalle and Stukov in the opening cinematic:
Ever wondered who that black marine in the opening cinematic was? It's Duran, just take off his clothes and put glasses and a white marine suit on him. He seemed pretty relaxed compared to the white guy despite the fact that they were surrounded by zerg. In fact what happened to this black guy anyway? He just seemed to disappear. What's more interesting is that Blizzard had him not speak at all during the opening cinematic. When the white marine asked him where the air support was, he just pointed at the Alexsander without syaing anything. I think this was intentional by Blizzard to sotp us from figuring out this was Duran by his voice. This also acted as the only part of Brood War that foreshadowed that Duran wasn't loyal to Kerrigan (since Kerrigan made no mention of the UED until after Stukov attacked her then I presume that Duran didn't inform her of them since he saw them before Brood War even started).
Man Duran was so awesome in Brood War. I was looking forward to seeing his history and when he first met Kerrigan etc. I can't believe they dumbed him down to Narud in SC2. Anyway long story short Brood War had several flaws but had enough nuancies here and there in it that made me really like it (and even prefer it over Vanilla although I do agree that Vanilla was critically overall the better written story).
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Complex characters are characters that you don't fully understand in your first reading.
That's a pretty hefty generalisation that can go both ways. I don't fully understand Raynor's motivations throughout WoL either yet describing him as a complex character is more than an overstatement.
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Characters you completely understand on your first reading just aren't that memorable.
By that definition, all the Sc1 characters are not memorable then. Which is funny considering Sc2 continues to keep using these "uncomplex/unmemorable" characters to propel their story forwards...
Complex characters, on their own, are not memorable. They are memorable for the circumstances they find themselves in and how they act within them.
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Fun Fact: the UED campaign was based on Shakespeare's play Othello which helps explains why it's so deep. It's plot and characters borrow heavily from the play.
Where did you pull this from? Seems like over-enthusiastic speculation to me. I don't mind the possibility of parts within Othello being somewhat applicable to parts of BW's story but to say BW owes it's strength to the ripping off of another work is demeaning to both works. It says the new work (BW) is a hack job that can't really stand on it's own without being favourably compared to the old work and that the old work (Othello) is not applicable enough on its own such that it has to be dumbed down by the interpretations of a newer work (BW).
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Racism was a theme in Othello but since it isn't an appropriate theme for a sci-fi 23rd century setting story, Blizzard didn't seem to portray it. However I do think they paid homage to the play by having Duran as the only major character whose a black guy.
Or it could be that Duran just happens to be black, just like some other characters happen to be white. I wouldn't read more into that than necessary. The singling of Duran out because he's black as a suitable link between BW and Othello, even disregarding the unfortunate implications that alone brings, is a bit of a stretch. Then again, seeing how they portray Tosh in WoL, maybe racism (on Blizz behalf at least) is a theme afterall...
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
At the beginning of the play, Iago is watching Othello and Desdemona's wedding in the backdrop while in Brood War Duran is watching DuGalle and Stukov in the opening cinematic:
Ever wondered who that black marine in the opening cinematic was? ...In fact what happened to this black guy anyway? He just seemed to disappear. What's more interesting is that Blizzard had him not speak at all during the opening cinematic. When the white marine asked him where the air support was, he just pointed at the Alexsander without syaing anything. I think this was intentional by Blizzard to sotp us from figuring out this was Duran by his voice. This also acted as the only part of Brood War that foreshadowed that Duran wasn't loyal to Kerrigan (since Kerrigan made no mention of the UED until after Stukov attacked her then I presume that Duran didn't inform her of them since he saw them before Brood War even started).
As wonderful (or should I say incredulous?) as this speculation is, let's be aware that this is just speculation. This kinda reminds me of the Overmind issue where one has to jam this new revelation (square peg) into what was established as nothing more but an innocuous past (round hole) where there was a very simple answer one could come up with themselves with the info at hand (round peg in your pocket).
I could answer your questions about that guy in the BW intro by saying he was just some random dude and I'd have as much proof as you do (which is to say, nothing at all) about him being Duran and still have the similar degree of likelihood. Maybe that "black guy" was nobody at all just like that white guy. He disappeared because he died to the Zerg overrunning the trench just like the white guy. The black guy wasn't talking not because he was Duran and he'd give himself away but maybe because he had a serious case of the CBFs, was loopy or just plain didn't want to talk while listenin' to his tunes.
Besides if it was Duran, he's a shapeshifter and can change his voice such that he could've also been the white guy for all we know - he disappeared at the end of the cinematic too when it cut to a black screen. Heck, he could've been anywhere but where that BW intro took place too! How's that for a conspiracy? :p
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
I can't believe they dumbed him down to Narud in SC2.
I can't believe they dumbed every character down in Sc2.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Where did you pull this from?
Brood War has a fair amount of irony, though. We all know Duran is suspicious and that Stukov is right, but DuGalle doesn't, and so on.
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The black guy wasn't talking not because he was Duran and he'd give himself away but maybe because he had a serious case of the CBFs, was loopy or just plain didn't want to talk while listenin' to his tunes.
I'm quite sure it's inspired from this - http://www.metacafe.com/watch/mv-bpX...o_lung_bridge/ (wait to the end then replay Brood War intro, then you'll see, pretty much it's verbatim at 2:50)... and that the Brood War grenadier has PTSD. He's just seen too much.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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That's a pretty hefty generalisation that can go both ways. I don't fully understand Raynor's motivations throughout WoL either yet describing him as a complex character is more than an overstatement.
Complex characters still make sense and follow a formula. It just takes a while to figure them out. WoL's characters don't have much of a formula unless Raynor X Kerrigan is involved. With your definition, I don't think characters like Hamlet can be considered complex. Another game that has complex characters is BioShock Infinite (though the haters consider them to be badly written).
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Where did you pull this from? Seems like over-enthusiastic speculation to me. I don't mind the possibility of parts within Othello being somewhat applicable to parts of BW's story but to say BW owes it's strength to the ripping off of another work is demeaning to both works. It says the new work (BW) is a hack job that can't really stand on it's own without being favourably compared to the old work and that the old work (Othello) is not applicable enough on its own such that it has to be dumbed down by the interpretations of a newer work (BW).
Well call it applicable to BW or whatever but it's still there. Besides stories inspire each other all the time and Shakespeare's plays are universal. There's nothing wrong with basing your story after his as long as it can stand on its own (which the UED campaign can because it's sci-fi rather than a drama). There are a number of stories that have retold Shakespeare's plays in a new way e.g. Lion King.
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As wonderful (or should I say incredulous?) as this speculation is, let's be aware that this is just speculation. This kinda reminds me of the Overmind issue where one has to jam this new revelation (square peg) into what was established as nothing more but an innocuous past (round hole) where there was a very simple answer one could come up with themselves with the info at hand (round peg in your pocket).
I could answer your questions about that guy in the BW intro by saying he was just some random dude and I'd have as much proof as you do (which is to say, nothing at all) about him being Duran and still have the similar degree of likelihood. Maybe that "black guy" was nobody at all just like that white guy. He disappeared because he died to the Zerg overrunning the trench just like the white guy. The black guy wasn't talking not because he was Duran and he'd give himself away but maybe because he had a serious case of the CBFs, was loopy or just plain didn't want to talk while listenin' to his tunes.
Well I'm more inclined to believe it's Duran since even their facial hair is similar.
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Besides if it was Duran, he's a shapeshifter and can change his voice such that he could've also been the white guy for all we know - he disappeared at the end of the cinematic too when it cut to a black screen. Heck, he could've been anywhere but where that BW intro took place too! How's that for a conspiracy?
That shapeshifter nonsense is too fantasy-esque and sounds more like something that was invented in SC2. In the original I presume he was just a master of disguise. He only says he has had many names throughout the millenia.
Nobody said you can't be inspired from more than one source right?
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
That shapeshifter nonsense is too fantasy-esque and sounds more like something that was invented in SC2. In the original I presume he was just a master of disguise. He only says he has had many names throughout the millenia.
You think being millenia old alien that just happens to look exactly like a human is preferable?
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Jackson_Hauler
"He surface in the Confederate Marine Corps, having taken the identity of a non-commissioned officer named Jackson Hauler (and having murdered the real one). He used his memory-altering and mind control powers, along with some forgery, to make the substitution."
Apply this to Duran/Narud. Maybe he doesn't shapeshift. Also - 'mind control', thus it seems that poor DuGalle was being manipulated it seems...
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Complex characters still make sense and follow a formula. It just takes a while to figure them out.
As I said, it can go both ways since your descriptions of what makes a complex character can be rightly criticised as being unnecessarily obtuse and faux-complex as well.
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
With your definition, I don't think characters like Hamlet can be considered complex
I don't think I actually offered my own definition of one initially. I think that all characters are potentially complex, it just depends on how well the characterisation, the setting and the plot is written/realised together which then hopefully encourages one to think more of character, therefore making them "complex". WoL does potentially have complex characters but the way everything is portrayed/presented in it doesn't really lend itself to being analysed too closely or to be thought more of than what it is.
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Well call it applicable to BW or whatever but it's still there.
It's one thing to say something is applicable and another to say it's allegorical.
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Well I'm more inclined to believe it's Duran since even their facial hair is similar.
Lolwut, that's all it takes to convince you? You do know that "similar" doesn't mean "the same" right? :D
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
That shapeshifter nonsense is too fantasy-esque and sounds more like something that was invented in SC2. In the original I presume he was just a master of disguise. He only says he has had many names throughout the millenia.
Not getting into semantics and geeky definitions here, but you do realise that sci-fi generally is fantastical by nature, right? We have alien bugs that can mutate and change forms already and highly advance aliens with technology bordering on magic and you get hung up on Duran not being a shape-shifter because it sounds like classic high-fantasy? Fine, consider his different look to be due to holographic images, mutation, surgery or some other sci-fi concept then.
As FT intimates, Duran is revealed to be an ancient alien. Why would he even look exactly like a dark-skinned human at all times (or even simply, at all)?
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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I don't think I actually offered my own definition of one initially. I think that all characters are potentially complex, it just depends on how well the characterisation, the setting and the plot is written/realised together which then hopefully encourages one to think more of character, therefore making them "complex". WoL does potentially have complex characters but the way everything is portrayed/presented in it doesn't really lend itself to being analysed too closely or to be thought more of than what it is.
Yes, exactly. Tychus & Tosh (the best characters) were the most interesting and complex, but they were treated as UTTER jokes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6THWRV-vUyc
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Lolwut, that's all it takes to convince you? You do know that "similar" doesn't mean "the same" right?
TSCR has quite a point though about Brood War and Othello, so don't rule it out. Even though the marine looks suspiciously like Warfield -- they even have the same weapon.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Well a traditional storytelling rule is that everything should happen for a reason. This helps make a story concise. Despite BW having its flaws, it still was a concise story. There weren't random missions that didn't fit into the overarching narrative like you have in WoL.
Keeping that in mind, I'm more inclined to believe that the black marine is Duran rather than some random nobody. I mean if it were just some random nobody then it can raise questions like why have some random silent black marine that we never see again act so strangely on the battlefield and why have him mysteriously disappear? Why not just show him get ripped apart as well? The answer can either be Blizzard wanted to do something eerie or it was Duran and I like the second answer better so whatever.
Regarding Duran, I never really saw him as an alien but rather as a human with an extended life span thanks to his dark masters. He said he had countless names throughout the millennia so I thought that perhaps he was around since before Jesus and was guiding humanity into the Koprulu Sector or something. I find extended life spans to be more sci-fi than shapeshifting (or at least the kind of shapeshifting we get in HoTS). I also speculated he was the UED's source of information albeit the UED were unaware who he was because he was impersonating someone. The UED had plenty of knowledge and they were only lacking in 3 areas IIRC:
1. Kerrigan
2. Duran
3. Psi Disruptor
The UED didn't possess information of the above and I find it feasible that Duran (assuming he had somehow taken over their information gathering system) would not inform the UPL about them. I also speculated his plan was to draw Earth's greatest soldiers away so it'll be vulnerable to an invasion by Duran's dark masters or whoever (remember DuGalle was the UED's best admiral so his death was a blow to their overall strength).
Besides Blizzard actually does tend to borrow the framework of various storylines when writing their own stories. Did you know that the undead campaign in WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne was based on The Lord of the Ring: The Return of the King?
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Even though the marine looks suspiciously like Warfield -- they even have the same weapon.
I like to believe that the SCV pilot in SC1 is Warfield :p They both have a lot in common :rolleyes:
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
I like to believe that the SCV pilot in SC1 is Warfield :p They both have a lot in common :rolleyes:
They both pick their nose? :P
And Tychus is actually the guy on the front of the SC1 manual. Man, look at all this epic foreshadowing that we missed.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Despite BW having its flaws, it still was a concise story. There weren't random missions that didn't fit into the overarching narrative like you have in WoL.
This I agree on. The only mission to not feel necessary (narratively speaking) in BW was The Kel-Morian Combine because all it was about, at the end of the day, was getting resources. Despite all the variety in WoL and the barest of context and justification, a great number of missions in WoL ultimately boil down to not much more than gathering resources for some "final push", which we are led to believe to be Mengsk at first only to be baited and switched to Kerrigan toward the end.
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Keeping that in mind, I'm more inclined to believe that the black marine is Duran rather than some random nobody. I mean if it were just some random nobody then it can raise questions like why have some random silent black marine that we never see again act so strangely on the battlefield and why have him mysteriously disappear? Why not just show him get ripped apart as well? The answer can either be Blizzard wanted to do something eerie or it was Duran and I like the second answer better so whatever.
This is an argument from ignorance which I'm surprised you are using because it is a fairly common fallacy to justify many of the WoL revelations (the Overmind being always a slave thing etc) as well. Why are you assuming that people would ask questions about the black guy? If the guy was a nobody, I can easily describe his behaviour as being one of "combat stress reaction" (shell shock) and/or that he's an apathetic badass who realises the effed up situation he's in no matter what he does so why not chill out to some tune before going? Why? Because people are different and do not always behave the same way. There's no secret agenda behind it as you're making it out to be.
The black guys is as non-descript and no more special than any other Terran we see in all other cinematics featuring hapless Terrans. Jjust because he's black and that we see no other black guys in Starcraft shouldn't make one take a flying leap that any black man you see is also going be the only black main character we do see. There's a word for that sort of thing...
Also, he doesn't just "disappear". It is implied he dies just like the white guy as they're right next to each other when the Zerglings converge on their trench from both sides. If you're so inclined to think along those lines, we actually don't see the white guy get ripped apart either, so that must mean he's some sort of special character too, right? Just like whether the likelihood of some random black guy's identity actually being Duran, the answer is no in both cases.
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Originally Posted by
TSCR
Regarding Duran, I never really saw him as an alien but rather as a human with an extended life span thanks to his dark masters. He said he had countless names throughout the millennia so I thought that perhaps he was around since before Jesus and was guiding humanity into the Koprulu Sector or something.
How does Duran know so much about Protoss and Zerg physiology and somehow gotten around to seeding the universe with Hybrids if he originated on Earth as a bonafide human? Why a human at all given that they are the youngest species and the most fickle of the three? There has to be a lot of fanoning and speculation to make this work (not to mention being restricted and wracked with inane conspiracy theories - that Sc2 is already a testament of how bad such a thing could be should emphasise that point). It's easier and makes more sense if he was "just an alien".
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
Wait... I think there is something that points towards him being Duran. Do you notice how the Zerglings stop when they're pursuing the white-marine? Almost as if... he just entered the radius of a mini-Psi Disruptor?
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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This is an argument from ignorance which I'm surprised you are using because it is a fairly common fallacy to justify many of the WoL revelations (the Overmind being always a slave thing etc) as well. Why are you assuming that people would ask questions about the black guy? If the guy was a nobody, I can easily describe his behaviour as being one of "combat stress reaction" (shell shock) and/or that he's an apathetic badass who realises the effed up situation he's in no matter what he does so why not chill out to some tune before going? Why? Because people are different and do not always behave the same way. There's no secret agenda behind it as you're making it out to be.
The black guys is as non-descript and no more special than any other Terran we see in all other cinematics featuring hapless Terrans. Jjust because he's black and that we see no other black guys in Starcraft shouldn't make one take a flying leap that any black man you see is also going be the only black main character we do see. There's a word for that sort of thing...
Also, he doesn't just "disappear". It is implied he dies just like the white guy as they're right next to each other when the Zerglings converge on their trench from both sides. If you're so inclined to think along those lines, we actually don't see the white guy get ripped apart either, so that must mean he's some sort of special character too, right? Just like whether the likelihood of some random black guy's identity actually being Duran, the answer is no in both cases.
Woops I didn't see him at the edge at the end due to the poor lighting so I thought he disappeared. So I'm probably wrong about him being Duran but there may still be slight chance he is.
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How does Duran know so much about Protoss and Zerg physiology and somehow gotten around to seeding the universe with Hybrids if he originated on Earth as a bonafide human? Why a human at all given that they are the youngest species and the most fickle of the three? There has to be a lot of fanoning and speculation to make this work (not to mention being restricted and wracked with inane conspiracy theories - that Sc2 is already a testament of how bad such a thing could be should emphasise that point). It's easier and makes more sense if he was "just an alien"
His Dark Master?
I never really got the impression that Duran originated as anything other than a human. Although he was working with Kerrigan, he was believed to be an Infested Terran so he was presumably a regular Terran before joining the Swarm.
Besides keeping in mind that this was back when the word concise was actually applicable to StarCraft, I just didn't see Blizzard introducing another intelligent alien species and having to explain why its not included as the 4th race. So yeah I just see Duran as a modified human which fits in better with the sci-fi take on SC better than some shapeshifter.
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
How did Duran know so much about protoss technology to begin with? And why didn't Kerrigan find this suspicious?
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Re: Fenix - Character Analysis
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Originally Posted by
Gradius
How did Duran know so much about protoss technology to begin with? And why didn't Kerrigan find this suspicious?
I never got the impression that Duran ever revealed to Kerrigan that he had great knowledge of the Protoss?
The only great knowledge he seemed to display was when he was talking about the hybrids to Zeratul. Other than that he just seemed to be hypothesising IIRC.
