Mengsk is shaping up to be the main villain of HotS; bad move for the story?

[sandwich_bird]

So with the recent HotS information, it seems that the campaign will revolve around Kerrigan fighting to regain control over the swarm to kill Mengsk. Mengsk is deja vu. What about the Dark Voice? I believe it is bad for the story to not give more presence to the dark voice right now. I mean, he IS the big villain of the universe and yet we only heard of him for half a minute.

Mystery is good for villains but not at the cost of presence. You can easily have both in fact. The villain doesn't need to be physically everywhere to show his presence. I mean, you need to hate the guy and you need to want to understand his motives but because their focus is so much on Mengsk (throughout WoL and probably in HotS) I don't care about the Dark Voice. So he wants to end the "cycle". Ok? Good for him! So I guess he'll pop up at the end of LotV and they'll stop him and that's it... Sounds pretty lame if you ask me. The hybrids are pretty much like the reapers from Mass Effect but worst. You don't know crap about them until they come other that they want to kill you all and it takes 2 games for them to come.

[Dalarsco]

Mengsk is her goal, but that doesn't mean that the Dark Voice won't have an important role. The premise given for WoL was that Raynor was trying to take down Mengsk, but there was so much more there. They didn't tell us the entire story before WoL came out and they won't tell us the entire story before HotS. Wait to see what actually happens before complaining about how you would have done it differently.

[ZealotPowerade]

Well considering what they pulled with the Overmind in WoL. I won't be surprised if it turns out that the dark voice has possessed Mensk since before SC1.

But it all seriousness I have no idea what in the world blizzard is planning. Because Mensk was a terrible villain in SC1. I kept feeling like he was the brunt of too many jokes. Thus reducing any sort of feeling that he was a worthy rival of Jim.

[sandwich_bird]

Well considering what they pulled with the Overmind in WoL. I won't be surprised if it turns out that the dark voice has possessed Mensk since before SC1.

I won't lie, I've considered it!

But it all seriousness I have no idea what in the world blizzard is planning. Because Mensk was a terrible villain in SC1. I kept feeling like he was the brunt of too many jokes. Thus reducing any sort of feeling that he was a worthy rival of Jim.

He wasn't the main villain at least so that wasn't so bad. The guy isn't even totally evil really. Yes, he likes power but to face the Zerg, the Terrans had to be united by someone in any possible way. The confederacy obviously weren't doing their job.

I just think it's funny how much they emphasize him being evil because he left Kerrigan on the New-Gettysburg platform. So... risk an entire battlecruiser crew to save one girl that is already boned? Hardly seems worth it.

[Romla]

I don't understand why is Mengsk Kerrigan's primary target right now. Is it not too late for vengeance? It seems Kerrigan really forgot what she told to Mengsk in Brood War. Are they planning to throw the whole Brood War story out of the window?

And I also didn't like how they changed the ruthless, but smart Mengsk with many reasons to be what he was in SC+BW to that humorous figure in WoL where even his own propaganda were joking about him.

[ZealotPowerade]

I don't understand why is Mengsk Kerrigan's primary target right now. Is it not too late for vengeance? It seems Kerrigan really forgot what she told to Mengsk in Brood War. Are they planning to throw the whole Brood War story out of the window?

And I also didn't like how they changed the ruthless, but smart Mengsk with many reasons to be what he was in SC+BW to that humorous figure in WoL where even his own propaganda were joking about him.

agreed.... It seems like the writing team didn't even bother to research the sc1 story.. they're just starting up their own.

and about leaving Kerrigan behind... yeah. That sort of thing I'm sure happens all the time in the military. The good of the many over the good of the few. Good leaders have to make tough decisions like that all the time. I think He made the right decision too with what information he had. Of course if he knew the future he might have threw his entire fleet into the fray to save her

[Triceron]

I think Mengsk will have something more direct to do with HOTS and Kerrigan's 'revival'.

If you watch the leaked ending, it may make more sense. You see the flashback with Kerrigan having something implanted in her... This might be something that happens in HOTS as a part of her revival process or perhaps after she was captured by Nova. After this it refuels her need for vengeance (or justice, as she calls it :/)

[Wankey]

Great another vengeance storyline. I for one will rush through the single player so I can just watch the cinematics and then multiplayer right away. Actually I'll probably not bother with singleplayer

[Triceron]

Great another vengeance storyline. I for one will rush through the single player so I can just watch the cinematics and then multiplayer right away. Actually I'll probably not bother with singleplayer

So, in other words, play it the way everyone else does? :P

[Eligor]

and about leaving Kerrigan behind... yeah. That sort of thing I'm sure happens all the time in the military. The good of the many over the good of the few. Good leaders have to make tough decisions like that all the time. I think He made the right decision too with what information he had. Of course if he knew the future he might have threw his entire fleet into the fray to save her

That's the first time I heard that opinion. And while I don't agree with it Mengsk certainly would.

A good leader strives to inspire loyalty in his men and Mengsk should have known what effect would it have on Raynor. In the end he lost one lieutenant to the Zerg and alienated and driven away another one (together with a sizeable force that went to become Raynor's Raiders). In purely impersonal and mathematical the loss of Raynor and Kerrigan and gain of Korhal certainly made sense. But it doesn't say much about Mengsk as a human being and pretty much represents the cardinal fault of tyrants and dictators who always believe themselves to be doing right and acting for the greater good. Not to say that all Mengsk did was evil, but then you can say the same about Hitler who did restore German economy and living standard to a normal level (for example). Of course none of this denies Mengsk's courage, resourfefulness and intelligence and had we played a campaign from the viewpoint of a Dominion general he could easily have appeared as an admirable leader.

I think he probably did have an ulterior motive in ridding himself of Kerrigan (whether the one stated in Uprising or something else), otherwise why risk Raynor's loyalty?