SCII Flashpoint novel

[phazonjunkie]

How many Battlecruisers we destroy in WoL alone? Of course, SC gameplay isn't ever "official", but in how many situations do we even face BCs?

Even if it is just Loki, it would mean destroying 2% of the Dominions Fleet with a single blow.

On Blizzard's side, if the whole dominion had only 50 BCs, it isn't that absurd that the Raiders, with one overpowered cruiser, could handle most encounters.

But that's just it. The Hyperion isn't an overpowered cruiser; or at least it isn't 'supposed' to be anyways. Lorewise, it's a clunky old workhorse that's being held together by duct tape (figuratively speaking).

[Eivind]

I'm feeling jealous of you guys. If I want a copy of Flashpoint, I'm going to have to pay 38 dollars for it and wait up to 7 weeks until it arrive.

You can order it through iTunes. I did so yesterday, which cost me about 85 NOK (approx. 15 USD). Got it a minute later.

I might post a review when I'm finished. I'm liking it so far.

[Gradius]

Finished it. Spoilers.

Hidden Content:

• Hybrids are weak. Really, really, weak. I don't get how Kerrigan can just randomly explode their heads and tear their limbs off in such a weakened state. They're supposed to be the fusion of purity & essence, beyond Zeratul's conception, changing our history forever. I bet a powerful ghost or a random protoss could defeat them in a 1v1. Meh. =/
• Nice to see more of the crew fleshed out. Next time I play WoL and see Cooper in the cantina I'll think to myself "Cooper, you traitorous bastard!"
• Yeah the 25 BCs number just gets reiterated over & over. It almost feels like the number was artificially lowered to better fit in with the novel. Typical.
• The Hyperion warped out of the asteroid field and behind its original location. So you don't have to be facing the direction you're traveling? I guess this invalidates the premise behind shadowarchon's speed calculations? It also made short periodic jumps between stardust fields. I'm surprised that didn't burn out their engines.
• The idiotification of Mengsk continues. His actions make zero sense. If he was friends with Narud to begin with, then why not let him take Kerrigan to Tyrador and then swoop in with hundreds of ground troops, as opposed to attacking your own battlecruisers, which, apparently, are in limited quantity these days and have the option of just jumping out anyway. He just lost thousands of crewmen. And if he's going to ask Valerian to give up everything & surrender, then at least offer Valerian 100% of the credit like he originally told Arcturus he wanted. Instead he says "I'll swallow my pride & let you live". Is he stupid? I think we can all agree at this point that the "Mengsk is the best thing for humanity" excuse is pretty much bunk. He's been shown to be an incompetent leader of the Dominion in pretty much every new piece of media.
• We get it, Narud = Duran, and he's another generic bad guy.
• My favorite character has to be Mira Han. Felt like I was playing through story mode again when I read her dialog.
• Valerian knows about the prophecy and rebelled against his father because of it. And the novel makes it clear he has morals, so I think it's safe to say Valerian won't go the evil route.
• The white marine suits in the HoTS trailer....are they Umojans then? I doubt at this point that they're moebius soldiers.
• I'm probably being pedantic here, but why do all of Golden's novels have to take place at Dead Man's Rock. Jesus Christ, find a new location to write about already. I'm sure there are other junkyards in the koprulu sector...
• Where the hell is Warfield?
• Given how easily Dr. de Vry reproduced Egon's voice, why did anybody in Wings of Liberty actually rebel over a recording of Mengsk? They treated it as some sort of irrefutable proof. It seems that making false recordings should be as easy then as photoshopping is now.

[Eivind]

This obsession over the numbers is veering on Simpsons-level (read: comic book guy). Who cares?


I also wrote a review (that is pretty positive):

Flashpoint (Christie Golden)

Because Flashpoint is a book that I figure most StarCraft players won’t read, I opened it wondering how much it could really reveal, and how much story it actually could contain. Now that I’ve finished it, I am more concerned about those who will play Heart of the Swarm but not read the book. It has a lot of plot, and a lot of information. Answers are given about the artifact’s true intent (Kerrigan’s de-infestion is just a side effect) and Valerian’s motives, and a surprising amount of time is given to significant characters, both from the plot’s frontline (Emil Narud, Mengsk), and margins (Mira Han, Swann, Annabelle).

I figured the book mainly would be concerned with scenes containing either action or fleshing out of characters in a logical manner, both of which we get (there are at least three action set pieces, and we learn more of Raynor and Kerrigan’s past relationship). What I hadn’t expected that it would feel like a genuine part of the larger story. I could imagine the temptation to merely write a quick cash-in, but Flashpoint truly has more important plot points than any other StarCraft novel I have read (which mainly tell stories from the sidelines or flesh out existing characters without affecting the main narrative). How Blizzard will manage to make playing the campaigns understandable without referencing this book, I do not know.

As for the quality of the book itself, it sure has pages that fliy by. Even the parts of it that seem like it is filler is later revealed to be build-ups to some pretty engaging action scenes. Occasionally we get small characters moments that seem insignifcant, but end up having relevant pay-offs. Golden has a gift for fooling us into thinking she is wasting ink even when she is not (a most valuable gift for a writer). She pays heed to the reader’s knowledge of the characters, and the action greatly benefits from the fact that we both care for and are curious of the them. Kerrigan, in particular, spends much of the time either being unconscious, sedated or too paranoid to act, and just as we wonder if this really is the girl we used to know, she displays the true magnitude of her powers in the final act, in a manner that is truly satisfying.

There are some weaknesses, though. StarCraft is a visual story, and it is a good thing we know of the game’s aesthetics beforehand, because a lot of what happens would be more impressive if we could see it (Golden’s ace in the hole is the medium’s room for details, something often lost in the fast pacing of games). Some story-telling tricks grow old over the course of the book (the ambiguity of everyone’s motives is milked dry, to say the least), and I occasionally felt that although no scenes are wasted, the truly revealing ones could perhaps come a tad earlier (however, once they did, I truly enjoyed them). Also: despite the fact that a lot of important story elements do exist between the book’s covers, there is a natural limit, as Blizzard can’t possible expect everyone to buy it (StarCraft novels will always be for the most dedicated players, and should not feel like curricula). Still, it is a good read, and for lore hounds, it is a must. Expect a quick cash-in, and you will be surprised.


@Gradius (more spoilers)

Hidden Content:

Hybrids are weak. Really, really, weak. I don't get how Kerrigan can just randomly explode their heads and tear their limbs off in such a weakened state. They're supposed to be the fusion of purity & essence, beyond Zeratul's conception, changing our history forever. I bet a powerful ghost or a random protoss could defeat them in a 1v1. Meh. =/

You have to remember that Kerrigan is strong enough to take on Battlecruisers. We might not have seen the Hybrids displayed at their most optimal level either.

Nice to see more of the crew fleshed out. Next time I play WoL and see Cooper in the cantina I'll think to myself "Cooper, you traitorous bastard!"

Yeah, I liked how they made the bartender an important part instead of making up a new character. Whether or not they planned it is insignificant; the fact that they could take a character we already knew existed and flesh him out like that is satisfying (imagine playing WoL now, and going to the cantina).

The Hyperion warped out of the asteroid field and behind its original location. So you don't have to be facing the direction you're traveling? I guess this invalidates the premise behind shadowarchon's speed calculations? It also made short periodic jumps between stardust fields. I'm surprised that didn't burn out their engines.

Not sure how they pulled that off either, but an explanation before would have ruined the surprise, and one after might seem contrived. Details like that doesn't concern me, really.

The idiotification of Mengsk continues. His actions make zero sense. If he was friends with Narud to begin with, then why not let him take Kerrigan to Tyrador and then swoop in with hundreds of ground troops, as opposed to attacking your own battlecruisers, which, apparently, are in limited quantity these days and have the option of just jumping out anyway. He just lost thousands of crewmen. And if he's going to ask Valerian to give up everything & surrender, then at least offer Valerian 100% of the credit like he originally told Arcturus he wanted. Instead he says "I'll swallow my pride & let you live". Is he stupid? I think we can all agree at this point that the "Mengsk is the best thing for humanity" excuse is pretty much bunk. He's been shown to be an incompetent leader of the Dominion in pretty much every new piece of media.

I think we're seeing Mengsk on the back heels. He was planning on Kerrigan dying on Char. Having failed that, he lets his impatience get the best of him. Few of his post-Char actions are planned; even Narud's betrayal is an improvisation.

We get it, Narud = Duran, and he's another generic bad guy.

I still think it's too early to pass judgement here. He might be what you say he is, and he might not. I don't doubt he is bad, but he is a tad to cunning for me to find him to be generic.

My favorite character has to be Mira Han. Felt like I was playing through story mode again when I read her dialog.

I loved seeing her again too. I don't know who I feel most sorry for: Horner, for being married to her, or her, for being married to him.

Valerian knows about the prophecy and rebelled against his father because of it. And the novel makes it clear he has morals, so I think it's safe to say Valerian won't go the evil route.

Agreed. A betrayal would not only seem illogical, but also unsatisfying. There are enough double crosses, and Valerian is more interesting when he really is what he says he is.

[Hawki]

Been asked/suggested to copy-paste a theory from the whole Duran-Narud thing in regards to the novel:

Hidden Content:

Raynor, Valerian, Kerrigan, along with Dr. Narud, and the others were taken to a placed called the Prometheus Space Station in an asteroid field. Valerian assured Raynor that Moebius was his, not his father's, and everyone on the station is loyal to the Dominion prince, not the Dominion emperor.

However, a little while after their arrival, Narud betrayed them, claiming his loyalty was to Arcturus, not Valerian, and much of the marine security on the station is also loyal to the emperor. Raynor and Valerian found themselves under the barrels of guns once again, and the marines were on their way to detain Kerrigan (though it didn't work).

Narud explained that Mengsk and his fleet would be here soon to take them into custody. When Raynor, Valerian, and the others made a break for it, Narud released a hybrid (like the one found on Castanar) on them. Valerian said he knew of the hybrids, but Narud told him that research is only in its preliminary stages, meaning Narud lied to him.

Mengsk arrived, claiming that the hybrid Narud released was under the emperor's control, and he could control it by a push of a button. We don't know if that's true or not, because Kerrigan killed it first.

Before escaping the station, Raynor and Valerian discovered that Narud had fled the station too, and he took the Xel'Naga artifact with him (that was taken aboard the station for study).

Ok, now here are the hints as to why Emil Narud is probably Samir Duran (and no, I'm NOT using the name as evidence):

In the Blizzcon 2011 trailer, you could clearly see the Zerg attacking Korhal, and the Dominion troops being overrun. Now, if Narud is really loyal to Mengsk, he would have delivered the artifact to the emperor right away. That way, however huge a Zerg army Kerrigan gathers, Mengsk would be able to destroy it with a push of a button.

But since we saw Dominion troops being overrun by the Zerg, it seems to imply that Narud did NOT deliver the artifact to Mengsk. If that's the case, then it would be the same with the hybrid situation: Narud made Mengsk THINK he was loyal to the emperor, when in reality he actually wasn't.

This would be EXACTLY what happened during the Brood War: Duran only gave Kerrigan the impression he was her loyal servant, when in reality he was playing her the whole time. Here, it seems Narud is playing Mengsk the whole time.

Make of it what you will.

[Eivind]

I think that sounds pretty reasonable. If it's true, Duran seems to be using people, then discard them. First, Kerrigan, then Valerian, then Mengsk. I doubt Duran would want the latter by his side for too long. Once his purpose is served, Mengsk will be useless to him.

I wonder how powerful he is, though. He can fool people and change appearances, yes, but he relies on Terran technology to create the hybrids, and has to use a device to cloak. Nothing fancy alá the Protoss, or for that matter, Kerrigan, who is a better qualification for demigod.

[Gradius]

Hidden Content:

One other thing that bugged me about the novel....where the hell is Warfield? o.O

This obsession over the numbers is veering on Simpsons-level (read: comic book guy). Who cares?

It's not the numbers themselves, it's the fact that there is zero continuity in the sense of scale. When you look at Korhal, New Folsom, space platforms, the re-terraforming of Mar Sara....it starts to look ridiculous that he has so few battlecruisers given how disposable they are in other media. The problem is that this is canon and will be referenced again.

I could imagine the temptation to merely write a quick cash-in, but Flashpoint truly has more important plot points than any other StarCraft novel I have read (which mainly tell stories from the sidelines or flesh out existing characters without affecting the main narrative). How Blizzard will manage to make playing the campaigns understandable without referencing this book, I do not know.

Maybe it will be an installation recap? But really the only thing the audience needs to know is that Valerian and Raynor spirited Kerrigan away to a Umojan facility in order to protect her from Mengsk.

You have to remember that Kerrigan is strong enough to take on Battlecruisers. We might not have seen the Hybrids displayed at their most optimal level either.

Kerrigan can take on battlecruisers, and Zeratul can take on Kerrigan. Now that she's no longer even zerg, Zeratul could probably beat her. Hybrids are now not so impressive in retrospect. I guess I just expected something more from the hybrids than relegating them to disposable henchmen that Kerrigan can just mind-crush like any other minion. Is this what the Overmind meant by "perfection"? Meh. =/

I still think it's too early to pass judgement here. He might be what you say he is, and he might not. I don't doubt he is bad, but he is a tad to cunning for me to find him to be generic.

The fact that he's a "genius" is nothing but extraneous flavor information. If he was truly cunning he wouldn't have let everyone get away by boasting at the dinner like a cartoon villain: "Baha! you all fell into my trap! Let's toast to my smartness! "

Duran was never the type to gloat like that in BW when he screwed over the UED or left Kerrigan. He struck me as someone that was actually cunning. Now I know most characters have lost 40 IQ points since the brood war, but still.

Been asked/suggested to copy-paste a theory from the whole Duran-Narud thing in regards to the novel:

Make of it what you will.

Hidden Content:

Nice observation, but that's not really proof that Duran == Narud, since the artifact could be captured or destroyed in HoTS. The proof is that Metzen confirmed they're the same person at a blizzcon, so...nothing that anyone really disagrees with.

[Hawki]

Hidden Content:

The fact that he's a "genius" is nothing but extraneous flavor information. If he was truly cunning he wouldn't have let everyone get away by boasting at the dinner like a cartoon villain: "Baha! you all fell into my trap! Let's toast to my smartness! "

Duran was never the type to gloat like that in BW when he screwed over the UED or left Kerrigan. He struck me as someone that was actually cunning. Now I know most characters have lost 40 IQ points since the brood war, but still.

Hidden Content:

Well, to be fair, we never saw what Duran did during his 'off hours.' Just imagine, take off the cap, drink a cold one...

Or more realistically (hopefully) it's Golden's writing style. While she's demonstrated some great villain writing in the past IMO, she's also delivered cliche villains as well. Go figure.

[Visions of Khas]

I just got my copy of Flashpoint less than an hour ago and am hitting chapter 4 now. Once I get past the excerpts I've read so far, it gets pretty good. The prose and style isn't all that great (I'm a William Gibson kinda guy), but an interesting character reunion has just revealed a few interesting tidbits and character depth.

[AngryMatt]

Could anyone tell me if Matt really died in this book? My book is still on the way but someone told me such bad news and I didn't know if it's true You can tell me by private message. TKS!