Heart of the Swarm Lore Panel

[Sheliek]

Yeah, except that's been asked several times in the past already.

To be fair once again, that was mostly Wings of Liberty stuff. It could have been addressed in that game, but it makes far more sense (this one being focused on Kerrigan) to be brought up in this game. At least to me.

[Broken_Lamb]

Would be a lot more confident about the story if Metzen had kept his mouth shut. And the way he's talking about "These kids" and how Kerrigan has "This guy over here that she loves, this guy over here that she hates."

I totally agree with you on the amnesia, and its problems are synonymous with the prophecy; it just lacks that integrity that a really powerful story has.

But with Metzen, it seems more like Kindregan is in control of what happens in the game and how events play out, and of course beyond that the gameplay comes first. Just the way Metzen's got to confirm things with Brian as if he has little creative freedom irks me... I mean, Metzen was there day one with James Phinney and they made SC what it is.

Brian seems to be very unfamiliar with the significance of characters, and his background consists of Disney cartoons and Jack+Samara from ME:2. Also interesting to note.. the VA director has worked primarily on cartoons and stuff for kids. So we've got the cheesy plot, the cheesy voice acting (save for maybe Brian Bloom or Neil Kaplan), and the cheesy dialogue..... because Blizzard is hiring people who write for kids?

[Sheliek]

Amensia can be an excellent writing tool, if its used well. There's truly not a lot more personally tragic than mental illness, especially portrayed realistically.

In a perfect world, Kerrigan's amnesia would be treated that way. I don't believe video games are a (trying to choose the right word, and probably failing) credible enough medium for that yet.

[Broken_Lamb]

Amensia can be an excellent writing tool, if its used well. There's truly not a lot more personally tragic than mental illness, especially portrayed realistically.

In a perfect world, Kerrigan's amnesia would be treated that way. I don't believe video games are a (trying to choose the right word, and probably failing) credible enough medium for that yet.

Haha of course, I just meant in the context of HotS and the direction Blizz is taking with it :P

[Sheliek]

Haha of course, I just meant in the context of HotS and the direction Blizz is taking with it :P

I know. I just felt like griping ever so slightly about the start of Heart of the Swarm, promising though it looks.

[Broken_Lamb]

As for HotS's story in general I'm just concerned about the foreplay with Kerrigan in this state. It's like we're starting from the ground up again, and this rampage for Mengsk seems a little counterproductive in terms of what occured in WoL. EDIT: Also the messing around with the brood mothers and Ishza... all for the sake of gameplay (which is important but.. to an extent to how it can affect the story) ... there's no plot development just like WoL until 3/4 through the campaign - of course we can't say for now, but it's not unlikely.

I miss the level of storytelling of SC1. That political intrigue and the dynamics between the characters. I mean Mengsk just seemed so pathetic in WoL and I really hope since Kerrigan is so focused on getting back at him that he'll pose a much more significant threat especially at an intellectual level, which was what Mengsk really did well in in SC1.

His character really only resonated in that brief moment before Char but they really dumbed him down with his reaction to the recorded messages played during the conference. I understand that Blizzard was trying to convey the fact that he's been caught the way he has, but they need to understand that the audience isn't stupid and Mengsk should have been able to handle the situation with tact and ease.

[Aldrius]

Also interesting to note.. the VA director has worked primarily on cartoons and stuff for kids. So we've got the cheesy plot, the cheesy voice acting (save for maybe Brian Bloom or Neil Kaplan), and the cheesy dialogue..... because Blizzard is hiring people who write for kids?

Um, SC1 had like 4 voice directors. None of them had worked on ANYTHING, because they were just members of Blizzard's creative team staff.

Andrea Romano is an incredibly experienced voice director. She knows what she's doing.

As for only doing cartoons... what else would she have done voice directing for? Live action doesn't use voice directors. She did the DCAU (which had a pretty high standard for voice acting. Michael McDowell, David Warner, Keith David, Michael Ironside.) all the DC Direct to Videos. She's done mature things in addition to doing Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs.

Granted, I think there are some weird choices. (Cree Summer as Silendis is a very odd choice for me.) But I think some of them are just BRILLIANT. (Josh Keaton as Valerian and Gary Anthony Williams as Warfield? Beautiful.) If the writing was better, Tricia Helfer would be a cool choice for Kerrigan too. So hopefully that'll have improved with HotS.

As for Brian, according to IMDB the only stuff he's written was in Jade Empire and Mass Effect 2. He was a storyboard artist for animation. (Like the Iron Giant, which was a really good movie.)

I miss the level of storytelling of SC1. That political intrigue and the dynamics between the characters. I mean Mengsk just seemed so pathetic in WoL and I really hope since Kerrigan is so focused on getting back at him that he'll pose a much more significant threat especially at an intellectual level, which was what Mengsk really did well in in SC1.

I don't know if he was really that much of an intellectual, he didn't... do much in the original StarCraft. He's only really IN two of the campaigns in the whole game. Now in WoL he did even less, so my personal hope is that with HotS we get to see him actually doing things, rather than revealing he had an ace up his sleeve the whole time.

I think in general Metzen's just gotten really soft. He's not quite as ambitious or cutthroat as he used to be. One thing the original StarCraft campaign had, was a lot of heart, and a ton of guts. WoL by comparison was... just... wimpy. It wasn't as honest, because Metzen got tired of his own tone, I guess.

I'm hoping the amnesia thing doesn't last, and I hope Kerrigan gets a sense of humour. Those are my only two... worries. Kerrigan's just not spunky enough. She's no fun to watch. It's unpleasant.

[Broken_Lamb]

I think in general Metzen's just gotten really soft. He's not quite as ambitious or cutthroat as he used to be. One thing the original StarCraft campaign had, was a lot of heart, and a ton of guts. WoL by comparison was... just... wimpy. It wasn't as honest, because Metzen got tired of his own tone, I guess.

I'm hoping the amnesia thing doesn't last, and I hope Kerrigan gets a sense of humour. Those are my only two... worries. Kerrigan's just not spunky enough. She's no fun to watch. It's unpleasant.

Kudos to that! But about Mengsk.. well it's more so about his character than what he'd done. His inauguration speech, the way he deals with the characters; pushing their buttons and manipulating those around him, and then his tyranny and aggression in the few moments he cracks since he keeps himself so composed... it's all in the writing rather than his involvement in the gameplay.

And as for the voice acting it's just I get this feel, and not just in these games but a lot of games today, that actors tend to approach their acting in a game - as a game. Rather than the more fluid, natural approach to a role in a film, they tend to take things less seriously (or too seriously) and really lack the heart of the good old days.

[Eligor]

Kudos to that! But about Mengsk.. well it's more so about his character than what he'd done. His inauguration speech, the way he deals with the characters; pushing their buttons and manipulating those around him, and then his tyranny and aggression in the few moments he cracks since he keeps himself so composed... it's all in the writing rather than his involvement in the gameplay.

And as for the voice acting it's just I get this feel, and not just in these games but a lot of games today, that actors tend to approach their acting in a game - as a game. Rather than the more fluid, natural approach to a role in a film, they tend to take things less seriously (or too seriously) and really lack the heart of the good old days.

You're spot on about Mengsk. He felt like a real politician/rebel leader in the first StarCraft, the sort of man that people will follow (both charismatic and eloquent, giving the impression of a no-nonsense approach and down to earth practicality while at the same time dealing in much more twisted intrigues and moral shades of grey than would at first appear) but with a ruthless and obsessive undercurrent running below the surface. In WoL they made him a buffoonish villain spouting generic threats (without even the saving grace of satire). He deserves better treatment than that.

[sandwich_bird]

No questions about the leaked ending? Fail!