Creative Development Q&A 7

[Hawki]

Well, this Q&A was…okay, I guess. For what it’s worth:

Question 1: Mixed. It’s a fair question I suppose, whether the protoss or zerg learnt of Earth’s location during or after BW. Notice that the notion of a zerg invasion has been teased again. Guess we know where the series is headed, for better or worse.

Also nice to see Stukov mentioned again.

Question 2: Again, mixed. On one hand, if it was only the Overmind Zeratul was seeing, it’s an explanation I think makes sense, considering that some residual charge exists in a brain after death and all that. On the other hand, I don’t like the ambiguity with Tassadar, as it feels reactionary to fans. Granted, I don’t think Tassadar had to come back, but at least it was foreshadowed, and meshed with previous lore of protoss communicating with their ancestors, and if I don’t like it, it’s my problem. It’s like he’s fishing for what the community wants. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, fans shouldn’t dictate story direction.

Question 3: Like this. It’s going over old ground, but it makes sense. Shows how the zerg are more “Kerrigany” under Kerrigan, and meshes with what we’ve seen before.

Question 4: Treading over old ground again, but hey, it’s nice to get a confirmation.

Question 5: Old ground, again. And it’s been established that zerg remained on some planets besides Char, such as Urona Sigma (as in, zerg under Kerrigan’s control rather than the ones on Aiur). Still, I like the idea of terrans staying on Char for its mineral wealth. Very ‘terrany.’ Feral zerg are nothing compared to riches and all that.

I would now like to know if there is any radical difference between the Khalai Protoss and the DTs.

It’s been stated that Nerazim value individuality and are more free-spirited than Khalai.

For them to not act like retards.

As opposed to when they were quite rational in the previous games.

I actually like this a lot, and I hope that there are some Zeratul musings to this effect in one of the expansions. Tassadar just being there the whole time and Zeratul going "but you died!" was so lame.

Not as lame as revealing Tassadar wasn’t really there or some mumbo jumbo.

Yeah, the Protoss (Zeratul in particular) sounded, spoke, and acted far less intelligently than they did in the original game.

…

SC1: “Fellow protoss, the time has come for us to hunt Tassadar. Let’s ignore the fact that the zerg are rampaging across Aiur. Let’s engage in civil war if it comes to it.”

Stellar Forces: “Fellow protoss, let us be hostile for no reason. Or the end game trigger is botched. I don’t know.”*

Insurrection: “Fellow protoss, let us ignore the terrans on Brontes and do our own thing, fighting them as well as the zerg if it comes to it. Because we’re awesome like that.”

Enslavers: "Begone, foolish terrans. You can't hunt your criminal here. Despite the fact that we're in the middle of a zerg invasion, we still have time for you." (admittedly in the non-canon branch).

BW: “Fellow protoss, let us trust Kerrigan. Or, if not, engage in civil war. Again. Because it worked so well the last time.”

Dark Vengeance: "My followers, let us drive the Khalai off Aiur. Nevermind the whole zerg thing."

HunCraft: "Fellow protoss, let us rebel again. Nevermind that we're in a very precarious situation, what with Duran having taken control of the Swarm and the whole hybrid thing. I'm Mojo. That's how I roll. Or fly."

WoL: “What's a hybrid?"

You know, if anything, the protoss have gotten smarter by WoL. If anything, the lack of inter-racial conflict bar the Tal'darim kidnapping some Nerazim, along with them wisely keeping to the sidelines bar Haven, is a sign of them adapting to their weakened condition. Yes, there’s Zeratul’s “what’s a hybrid?” line, but it’s hardly the next “what’s a paladin?” Yes, the Tal'darim have a tendency for making empty threats, but as they're fringe protoss and religious fanatics at that, I don't think they're meant to come off as being entirely rational (by the same logic, the Fist of Redemption would sour one's perspective of terrans as a whole). And since we've dealt with protoss rebels and bandits before, they're not a far-cry from them in concept.

*Actually due to game triggers most likely. But I don’t get many chances to bash Stellar Forces, and it’s a game that bloody well deserves it.

I've noticed that Kindregan is asking about what we think and what our ideas are. I'm not sure whether he's either a) cheekily baiting us with his own knowledge of what's going to happen by not telling us or b) he really doesn't know what he's talking about and is actually canvassing for ideas. What do you think?

I think the Q&As are still too reactionary. But of the two, I hope it’s a. I’d like to think that HotS’s story is finished at least.

[The_Blade]

It’s been stated that Nerazim value individuality and are more free-spirited than Khalai.

We know this, but I want to know how this attitude affects the approach of Nerazim Protoss towards technology. We know the Conclave restricted many ideas and technologies; but we also know that the Nerazim made Dark Archons illegal.

In some way, the Nerazim have similar ideologies to those of the Khalai. They fear some technologies and banned them over the centuries. Only when threatened they act outside of their comfort zone and react with "outlaw" technologies like the Colossus or the Dark Archon.

So, how has the Nerazim ideology limited technology in contrast with that of the Khalai?

[Pr0nogo]

Hawki, you cited mostly third-party releases. HunCraft isn't accepted canon, and the others have a lot wrong with them that Blizzard apparently didn't recognise when they authorised the campaigns. (Terran/Cerebrate hybrid, anyone?). Either that, or they've always been incompetent.

The Protoss have racial conflicts brought about by the shortsighted Conclave, and yet their speech is always elevated, their diction always representing of a higher intelligence. The Dark Templar are thought to be wiser, but in the end are shown to be too collegial with outside forces - the opposite of the genocidal Conclave. The Protoss' intelligence lies in their art, their technology; what they can do when they are united. This is never shown in Wings of Liberty. Instead, we just get another race that's as dumb as the humans are, and more foolish than Kerrigan (hurr let's go get aye-urr back).

[Gradius]

The difference between the Conclave and the Wings of Liberty protoss is that the writers made the former stupid & vain on purpose, and the latter was that way because the writers didn't think things through. The conclave were a bunch of shortsighted bigots because of their religion, and it was awesome. On the other hand, I doubt a single person actually believes that Selendis was made to look like a fool on purpose. She is pedaled to us as a highly rational individual.

[Hawki]

Hawki, you cited mostly third-party releases.

Not sure how 3/8 counts as "most."

[Turalyon]

On the other hand, I doubt a single person actually believes that Selendis was made to look like a fool on purpose. She is pedaled to us as a highly rational individual.

Oh, I don't know about that. Not knowing much about the character before playing WoL, to me, Selendis seemed to be shoehorned into WoL for the express purpose of being a fool. What's more foolish than relishing the prospect of wasting precious Protoss lives over a pissing contest?

[Gradius]

Not knowing much about the character before playing WoL, to me, Selendis seemed to be shoehorned into WoL for the express purpose of being a fool.

You must have made the rookie mistake of using "human" logic by which to judge her actions. It happens to the best of us.

[Pr0nogo]

Not sure how 3/8 counts as "most."

Thanks for responding to everything else Gradius and I posted! Keep up the good work!

[Hawki]

There was no point in responding. Anything I say will be refuted, will be refuted in turn, and the debate will keep going until the next Q&A is released. I only brought the maths thing up out of snark, and the whole "are the protoss stupid in WoL?" debate has been done to death like everything else. The main reason I brought up the other examples was to make fun of the protoss as a whole, and because mirroring "what's a paladin" with "what's a hybrid?" is potentially fun as well.

But look, since it's been forced, I'll make the following quick points:

*The protoss have always had a bigoted, egotistical streak. The Conclave was the prime example of this, but they're an extreme case of traits that seem to exist in the race as a whole.

*WoL plays it's extremes as well. Selendis is the extreme of "valour," and her actions, while questionable, fit in with her established character of being rational for the most part, but hot-headed and bigoted, and willing to show off protoss might with the Purifier. The Tal'darim are the extreme of religous fervour. The Daelaam for the most part however, are quite rational.

*Ergo, it seems odd to me that the prior games are given a free pass over things that WoL is chastised for. Religous fervor? Tal'darim and Conclave. Short-sightedness? Selendis and Fist of Ulrezaj.

*I'll address the issue of canon that yes, I see Insurrection and Retribution as canon. Would have seen HunCraft as canon too until it was rendered null by default (suppose the DTS would have done that at first). Glad it isn't canon, but by my systems of inclusionism, I wouldn't be entitled to say "well, it isn't canon because I don't like its story." Hence why I'm still obliged to treat Stellar Forces as canon on the individual level.

[Pr0nogo]

I don't recall HunCraft ever being supported by Blizzard. It also sucked across all aspects. The story is in Hungarian, so good luck making sense of it.

I'm solely pointing to Blizzard's actions. They had no hand in shaping the story of Insurrection, Retribution, or Stellar Forces. Treat them like the third-party fanpaigns they are.

/e IT EVEN FUCKING SAYS IT'S UNAUTHORISED YOU FUCK UGH WHY ARE YOU SO DENSE WHEN IT COMES TO SIMPLE FUCKING THINGS GODDAMNIT