How is the Dominion "Powerful" in WoL?

[Turalyon]

Rather I think the real question should be; 'Why is Blizzard so invested in a villain like Mengsk in the first place?' Especially in light of Metzen's own admission that Mengsk's story has more or less been told & there is little more they can think to do with him. As far as the SC saga is concerned he's essentially dead weight. The fact that he comes off as being such a flanderized generic baffoon who get's bested at virtually every turn doesn't help much.

Isn't that the precise reason he's going to die by end of HotS? It's almost seems like a fact now even though it hasn't come out yet!

I'm not convinced that Mengsk as a character is devoid of any potential as Metzen says - he's just too lazy to think up something. Afterall, Mengsks' buffoonery only started in BW but it could've been stopped then and there given his generally limited appearance in BW. It's just a pity that WoL had to emphasise his incompetence as a confirmed fact...

[phazonjunkie]

Isn't that the precise reason he's going to die by end of HotS? It's almost seems like a fact now even though it hasn't come out yet!

He shouldn't even last THAT long! IMHO, he's no longer even worthy of such a grand finale. His continued presence at this point only serves to pointlessly drag the pacing of the story along. His end should come in the most mundane, anticlimactic and arbitrary manner, preferrably in the first quarter of the HoTS campaign. That would serve to free up space that could be given to addressing the growing threat of the hybrids as well as allowing Valerian his time to shine, as there's still hope for that kid.

I'm not convinced that Mengsk as a character is devoid of any potential as Metzen says - he's just too lazy to think up something. Afterall, Mengsks' buffoonery only started in BW but it could've been stopped then and there given his generally limited appearance in BW. It's just a pity that WoL had to emphasise his incompetence as a confirmed fact...

Which is precisely why I maintain that Metzen & the writing staff would be better of simply cutting their losses with respects to him rather than trying salvage his credibility as a legitimate antagonist for another campaign.

[Turalyon]

He shouldn't even last THAT long! IMHO, he's no longer even worthy of such a grand finale. His continued presence at this point only serves to pointlessly drag the pacing of the story along.

Sad but true.

His end should come in the most mundane, anticlimactic and arbitrary manner, preferrably in the first quarter of the HoTS campaign.

I'm liking that idea in light of the above statement.

"Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."

Never has a Shakespearean quote been so apt. RIP Mengsk.

That would serve to free up space that could be given to addressing the growing threat of the hybrids as well as allowing Valerian his time to shine, as there's still hope for that kid....

...until they turn Valerian, too, into a single archetype that should be culled off.

Valerian's character could easily just turn out to be another full-on evil Mengsk, be legitimately good (what are the chances of that ever happening in Sc? Then again, they somehow made a case for the Overmind to be seen as potentially good, so anything can happen with SC it seems) or be some pragmatic dude who has good intentions with murky methods. Either way, any of these could've been subsumed into Mengsk's character (making him more richer and complex) as a whole at any time without having to create and introduce a whole new persona (yes, I know Valerian was revealed in books but the point still stands) just to showcase an archetypical personality. Please note that I said could and not should

Which is precisely why I maintain that Metzen & the writing staff would be better of simply cutting their losses with respects to him rather than trying salvage his credibility as a legitimate antagonist for another campaign.

If they're not careful, the DV could easily fall into this boat, too. I've seen enough of it already in WoL to realise how shallow and non-credible a threat it really is. I mean seriously, does anyone think it will actually win despite it's supposed threat of omnipotent power and the ending of all life? Puh-lease!

[solidsamurai]

I think the real question, ultimately isn't why the dominion is still the most powerful terran faction after all it's setbacks and defeats, or even why Mengsk is still it's emperor.
Rather I think the real question should be; 'Why is Blizzard so invested in a villain like Mengsk in the first place?' Especially in light of Metzen's own admission that Mengsk's story has more or less been told & there is little more they can think to do with him. As far as the SC saga is concerned he's essentially dead weight. The fact that he comes off as being such a flanderized generic baffoon who get's bested at virtually every turn doesn't help much.

No, the real answer is that that's a fucking rhetorical question.

And blizzard says 'Fuck you for asking that! Or whatever. We don't care. Hey, did you know we're starting a program called barcraft, where you get to play starcraft in bars. We're trying to make a nerd's hobby and sport into something that is hip and that cool people can do in bars, where people normally do things like socialize.'

[phazonjunkie]

And blizzard says 'Fuck you for asking that! Or whatever. We don't care. Hey, did you know we're starting a program called barcraft, where you get to play starcraft in bars. We're trying to make a nerd's hobby and sport into something that is hip and that cool people can do in bars, where people normally do things like socialize.'

The sad thing is, that IS the answer I'd most likely get were I to ask, or something along those lines.

Then again that 'barcraft' might actually be something that could take off, in the right context anyway. LAN parties are a thing of the past, so it might be the next best thing!

[Gradius]

I'd never go to a barcraft. They sound like nothing but a giant sausage-fest.

[solidsamurai]

I'd never go to a barcraft. They sound like nothing but a giant sausage-fest.

Indeed, the only way to encourage females to go to bars is for dancing, 'ladies night', or socializing.