How did they screw up the single player that bad?

[phazonjunkie]

This is a good point, but as the writers said, the swarm just spread out all over the sector to look for artifacts, so it would have been easier to get to Char. Still, they should have gotten owned when the Swarm pulled back. And maybe Kerrigan was even toying with them at the beginning, threatening infestation, and letting them land so she could infest them.

IIRC, according to the news reports, the extended swarm was only in the process of being recalled to Char; it obviously hadn't all made it back yet. That was kinda the whole point, Raynor & Co. had to hurry up & take care of business before Kerrigan's reinforcements showed up.

[Twilice]

We all know that more and more zerg advanced to kill them all in the last mission. And without the artifact they would be easily outnumbered several times.

[The_Blade]

IIRC, according to the news reports, the extended swarm was only in the process of being recalled to Char; it obviously hadn't all made it back yet. That was kinda the whole point, Raynor & Co. had to hurry up & take care of business before Kerrigan's reinforcements showed up.

Remember that at the end of the ending cinematic of WoL we also see how the fleet is being wrecked by something. It could be the Zerg reinforcements or even Dominion forces.

[Sheliek]

If so, the game did not do a very good job of hinting it.

Do you think death is the worst thing that can happen to you here? Infestation is what's coming for you.

There's not even an if in this situation. She was planning on doing so, and directly stated to the characters and the player that this was the case.

[Gradius]

IIRC, according to the news reports, the extended swarm was only in the process of being recalled to Char; it obviously hadn't all made it back yet. That was kinda the whole point, Raynor & Co. had to hurry up & take care of business before Kerrigan's reinforcements showed up.

The report said "most of the aliens appear to be massing near the fiery planet." Obviously they're still in transit, but that seems to say that alot of them have returned. The news report was after the first Char mission. If the Zerg didn't already pretty much all arrive, then they should have by all-in. Even a fifth of the full Zerg swarm should have crushed them IMO.

[phazonjunkie]

Remember that at the end of the ending cinematic of WoL we also see how the fleet is being wrecked by something. It could be the Zerg reinforcements or even Dominion forces.

All I saw was a fleet of Dominion battlecruisers flying overhead, with one of them engulfed in flames and going down. There were no other explosions or weapons fire indicating that a battle was still raging at that point. It simply meant that the remainder of valerian's fleet had succeeded in securing the planet and were now patrolling it's skies/maintaining low orbit, sort of reminiscent of the UED victory report that showed it's fleet occupying char in BW.

[Turalyon]

What was actually ludicrous is that in SC2 we were able to get to Kerrigan landing on char, something that two terran fleets from both the Earth itself (DuGalle's) and the Korpulu sector (Mengsk's ) plus a protoss fleet (Artanis') could not even attempt to do in the end of StarCraft 1!!!

It's not that 'ludicrous'. There have been multiple unmolested landings upon Char by both Protoss and Terran armies in SC1 when the Overmind was still around (Duke, Raynor and Tassadar for example). Even in BW, Raynor and co. were able to land almost right on top of the new Overmind (granted it was weak - you'd think it'd still be powerful enough to prevent a landing right next to it!!). Not to mention Kerrigan landing her own 'rebel' Zerg force on UED controlled Char in "To Slay the Beast" (there would have been enemy Zerg forces and the UED crawling over that planet, too). Indeed, BW has a lot of planet-hopping between missions and yet no-one gripes about that.

Afterall, we are talking about a planet here. I'd think it would be difficult or next to impossible to maintain constant, up-to-date surveillance across the entire surface to prevent all intrusions. Also consider that Raynor's forces were scattered when they attempted that landing - they had to regroup and work their way through before assaulting Kerrigan. It wasn't like they landed right on top of her (although it does feel like it due to the short number of missions on Char). Also consider that Kerrigan wanted them to come to her - she wanted the artifacts too remember?

What's more ludicrous is Raynor's ability to land an army in the major city of Korhal without nary an explanation and to also defeat the entire garrison along with their reinforcements. WTF? This mission would have made more sense as a strict covert operation rather than what we got because it's the frickin' capital of the Dominion!! Is the major Terran faction and 2nd most powerful faction that limp-wristed they can't fend off a small military incursion on their own world? At least we kinda get the impression that Raynor would be eventually crushed on Char whereas he just seems to nick-off Korhal without batting an eyelid.

[phazonjunkie]

It's not that 'ludicrous'. There have been multiple unmolested landings upon Char by both Protoss and Terran armies in SC1 when the Overmind was still around (Duke, Raynor and Tassadar for example). Even in BW, Raynor and co. were able to land almost right on top of the new Overmind (granted it was weak - you'd think it'd still be powerful enough to prevent a landing right next to it!!). Not to mention Kerrigan landing her own 'rebel' Zerg force on UED controlled Char in "To Slay the Beast" (there would have been enemy Zerg forces and the UED crawling over that planet, too). Indeed, BW has a lot of planet-hopping between missions and yet no-one gripes about that.

Afterall, we are talking about a planet here. I'd think it would be difficult or next to impossible to maintain constant, up-to-date surveillance across the entire surface to prevent all intrusions. Also consider that Raynor's forces were scattered when they attempted that landing - they had to regroup and work their way through before assaulting Kerrigan. It wasn't like they landed right on top of her (although it does feel like it due to the short number of missions on Char). Also consider that Kerrigan wanted them to come to her - she wanted the artifacts too remember?

Just goes to show you. 'Science fiction writers have no sense of scale.' Apparently in some cases, neither do it's fans.....

[TheEconomist]

Such are the sacrifices you make when you try to merge gameplay with lore.

[Twilice]

Yeah I recall I fought several battles on char in starcraft 1 . . .