Gradius's HoTS Story Review

[Hawki]

Smash'n'Grab - Lost, Raynor grabs the Artifact before her

And overran an entire planet, killing every Tal'darim present.

Moebius Mission - Lost, Narud and his colleagues get away

And overran Tyrador VIII.

First Protoss Mission - Lost, Zeratul gets away with the prophecy knowledge

And kills every protoss present bar Zeratul and his group.

Care to try again?

Other victories include:

-Mar Sara (possibly rendered null by Operation Burnout).

-Prompting evacuation of Outer Colonies to extent where locals must rely on mercenaries due to Dominion withdrawal.

-Other worlds that fall to Swarm include Agria, Meinhoff, Tiria, and Redstone.

-Presses in on Core Worlds. Flow of refugees becomes so great that Dominion is forced to turn them away, and consequently many colonies declare independence.

-Kel-Morian Combine suffers losses as well, military smashed in the process.

So basically, Kerrigan's winning the war, and while the flow is slowed thanks to Warfield, it's clear that the Dominion is fighting a losing battle. The only times Kerrigan loses at all is with the artifacts, Lakius, Char, and possibly the Sara and Dylar systems as well (since the outcome of those battles was never specified). The notion that "Kerrigan loses every battle" is like saying that "the Overmind loses every battle" during SC1 bar Tarsonis because it never gets what it wants (a terran psychic that can maintain his/her power during infestation) until the end of the first campaign.

[Aldrius]

(since the outcome of those battles was never specified). The notion that "Kerrigan loses every battle" is like saying that "the Overmind loses every battle" during SC1 bar Tarsonis because it never gets what it wants (a terran psychic that can maintain his/her power during infestation) until the end of the first campaign.

Sort of? Kerrigan's objective in WoL almost seems to be the artifacts more than conquest. So failing to get those makes it seem like she's losing. (And when the Artifacts are all snatched up she seems to just give up on invading). Again, I really wish they'd been WAY more clear about what Kerrigan knew and what she was after. Being coy and vague was just an excuse to avoid having to come up with actually writing the story. Like there's mysteries/vague statements in SC1/BW, but they usually WENT somewhere. Questions were answered by the end of the story. WoL finishes with us still having NO idea what Kerrigan knew, what she wanted, and why.

And HotS answers nothing except to contradict stuff in WoL because Blizzard clearly didn't know the answer to their own question. That's a horrible way to write a plot.

[Hawki]

Sort of? Kerrigan's objective in WoL almost seems to be the artifacts more than conquest. So failing to get those makes it seem like she's losing. (And when the Artifacts are all snatched up she seems to just give up on invading).

It's true that she pulls back, but in the course of the war itself, it's reinforced time and time again that the Dominion is either losing or barely holding the line. And every time the artifacts are recovered from under her, a world is overrun in the process. She technically fails to get the artifact, but from a terran sense, that hardly matters - she could wipe them off the face of the K-sector anyway. It's a trademark case that's brought out well IMO how (as cliched as this sound), Raynor can win every battle against the zerg, but never come close to winning the war until the Dominion provides the means for that to happen.

Again, I really wish they'd been WAY more clear about what Kerrigan knew and what she was after. Being coy and vague was just an excuse to avoid having to come up with actually writing the story. Like there's mysteries/vague statements in SC1/BW, but they usually WENT somewhere. Questions were answered by the end of the story. WoL finishes with us still having NO idea what Kerrigan knew, what she wanted, and why.

Um, if you say so. I never really had any confusion with what Kerrigan wanted:

-End of BW: Left with a premonition of something on the horizon.

-Interbellum: Spends all this time developing the zerg, preparing for another conflict, probing the terrans and protoss occassionally but never making large overt moves.

-Prophecy Arc: Searches for info on said coming conflict.

-Second Great War: Seeks artifact, withdraws to Char, rest is history.

So yeah. What's "self-apparent" may vary from person to person but in WoL's case, I never had any confusion as to what Kerrigan wanted or what she knew - there was a clear chain of cause and effect from BW to SGW. But I suppose it can vary. For instance, people make a lot of claims about what's "self-apparent" in SC1 that was never the case for me, and has only become evident because of EU filling in the gaps.

And HotS answers nothing except to contradict stuff in WoL

Such as?

because Blizzard clearly didn't know the answer to their own question. That's a horrible way to write a plot.

In terms of concept, I strongly disagree. Going by your statement, I'm guessing you tend to favour planning over plotting in terms of the "plotters vs. planners" paradigm. The idea that every question has an answer at the time the question is raised sounds good in concept, but it can be very detrimental in practice. But still, it's subjective. For example, I favour planning over plotting in terms of writing individual stories, but plotting over planning in terms of writing series.

Looking at HotS, I can only speculate how much of its content ended up on which side of the paradigm. However, the ending very much falls into the planning rather than plotting paradigm and therefore we've got the artifact debate. In contrast, Izsha being a former Amanda Haley falls into the plotting section of the paradigm and like so much else, was cut.

[RetlocLive]

It's true that she pulls back, but in the course of the war itself, it's reinforced time and time again that the Dominion is either losing or barely holding the line.

This just brings up my point I mentioned in a thread on B.Net that Blizzard absolutely fails at "continuation".

If you really consider that as a victory for Kerrigan, then there should of been signs of her WoL invasion having a lasting effect on the Dominion in later games and such. Do you honestly believe that the Dominion looks like they were previously on the edge of defeat after seeing how they were portrayed in HotS? I definitly didn't see it, which is why I don't consider that as a victory for Kerrigan. Her invasion, despite it being stated that she pushed the Dominion back to it's core worlds, was irrelevant in the long run. And I might as well add...that all happened off-screen aside from a few brief mentions from the television. On screen, despite successfully invading the planets, her primary goals ended up in failure unlike in BW where she practically won at every corner which, again, I found jarring to see her constantly lose afterwards in WoL.

Hell, regarding the Dominion in general there is absolutely no continuation whatsoever. Everything you've accomplished against them from the Dominion being created in SCs: Episode 1, all the way to Kerrigan's invasion on Korhal in HotS has practically been Filler. Cut it all out and nothing would seem out of place except Duke's sudden disappearance.

1) The Dominion arises on the ashes of the Confederacy (SC).

2) Duke dies (BW).

3) Kerrigan invades Korhal to destroy the Dominion (HotS).

4) The End.

What a great ongoing story spanning the course of FOUR freaking games.

[FanaticTemplar]

Point 1 serves its purpose. Kerrigan becoming the Queen of Blades is an example of character change rather than character development, so it's equally valid to use the technique to reverse the technique. Luckily it's not as simple as that, and Kerrigan spends much of HotS doing the things described, but is clearly a different person by the end of it. Light spot at the start, goes into a dark spot after Raynor's supposed death, gets back into a light spot by the end with Korhal and the like.

Problem is that this is already the position she was in at the beginning of Brood War. If they had wanted to do Heart of the Swarm, they should have done it then rather than now. With Kerrigan released from the Overmind's control, you could have easily played with Kerrigan's human nature fighting against the influence of the Zerg mutation, without any need for something like the Zerus Spawning Pool. And with Kerrigan's last human memory being Mengsk's betrayal, it makes perfect sense for Kerrigan to go for revenge. Meanwhile, since StarCraft ended with the Zerg and Protoss both devastated by the battle on Aiur, while the newly unified Terran Dominion is stronger than ever, Mengsk would have made for a far more formidable adversary than he is now, after his Dominion was completely taken down by the UED in Brood War and then pushed against the wall by the Zerg in Wings of Liberty.

Heart of the Swarm is a story I actually would have preferred to Brood War, if it had taken place then. As it is, the story is just running around in circles, and Wings of Liberty just becomes a means of regressing the setting.

[Hawki]

If you really consider that as a victory for Kerrigan, then there should of been signs of her WoL invasion having a lasting effect on the Dominion in later games and such. Do you honestly believe that the Dominion looks like they were previously on the edge of defeat after seeing how they were portrayed in HotS?

Yes. They're barely holding the line when Kerrigan's goal is going after the artifacts. When she goes up against them directly, they don't fare any better.

Her invasion, despite it being stated that she pushed the Dominion back to it's core worlds, was irrelevant in the long run.

Define "long run." A mere 3 weeks pass between WoL and HotS, and after that interval, Kerrigan's pushing against the Dominion again.

And I might as well add...that all happened off-screen aside from a few brief mentions from the television.

Which is still more in-depth than any other game gave us. It manages to avoid the disconnect between story and context that SC1 had.

On screen, despite successfully invading the planets, her primary goals ended up in failure unlike in BW where she practically won at every corner which, again, I found jarring to see her constantly lose afterwards in WoL.

And that's jarring...why?

I'll put this in context:

Duke: Only gains victories when controlled by the player, loses in everything else.

Player characters: Gain victories when being controlled by the player, lose otherwise (the Episode II cerebrate, the UED captain, etc.)

Tassadar: Loses at Tarsonis, loses bulk of forces on Char, springs back in next campaign.

UED/DuGalle: Easy wins in Episode V, loses all gains in next episode.

Kerrigan: Succeeds in Episode II (when controlled), fails against protoss against Episode III (when not controlled), fails in Episode V (when not controlled), succeeds in Episode VI (when controlled), loses artifacts in WoL (when not controlled), gains victory in HotS (when controlled).

The win/loss character ratio has always fluctuated in accordance as to whether they're being controlled or not. The ratio varies per character. For instance, Tassadar has a loss ratio until he's actually controlled, but still gains some victories such as killing Zasz. Likewise, Kerrigan in WoL misses out on key objectives, but still conquers worlds. So why is this suddenly a problem for Kerrigan when the same principle has applied for basically every character?

Hell, regarding the Dominion in general there is absolutely no continuation whatsoever. Everything you've accomplished against them from the Dominion being created in SCs: Episode 1, all the way to Kerrigan's invasion on Korhal in HotS has practically been Filler. Cut it all out and nothing would seem out of place except Duke's sudden disappearance.

1) The Dominion arises on the ashes of the Confederacy (SC).

2) Duke dies (BW).

3) Kerrigan invades Korhal to destroy the Dominion (HotS).

4) The End.

What a great ongoing story spanning the course of FOUR freaking games.

Yet another case of selective memory, but after Kerrigan, I'm not surprised. Let me fill in the gaps:

*Dominion rises from ashes of Confederacy, brings in Umoja and Moria (SC1)

*Dominion weakened due to the Brood War (BW).

*Effects of Brood War felt - Umoja and Moria leave Dominion. Rebellion springs up everywhere (Interbellum)

*Start of Second Great War - Umoja and Moria still separate, Dominion has rebuilt somewhat but is still weaker, still has to deal with ongoing rebellion (WoL, also the context of Ghost)

*End of Second Great War - Dominion in tatters, Umoja and Moria still independent (HotS)

So basically, supposing that BW didn't happen, or at least didn't involve the damage done to the Dominion, the chain of events would followly roughly as thus:

*Moria and Umoja still likely part of Dominion, adding to its overall strength.

*Less rebellion, or, if it's there, more easily quashed (e.g. Ghost would be much easier to complete because the KLF would be a less major threat). Same applies to Raynor's Raiders.

*Kerrigan's attack in WoL would be less severe in a comparative sense because she's having to deal with three allied powers rather than three separate powers, Dominion meanwhile has less to worry about rebellion.

*Valerian doesn't get to take Kerrigan to the Umojan lab. Or if he does, the Umojans are taking a much larger risk than they would otherwise.

So yeah. Without BW, SC2 would have played out very differently.

Problem is that this is already the position she was in at the beginning of Brood War. If they had wanted to do Heart of the Swarm, they should have done it then rather than now. With Kerrigan released from the Overmind's control, you could have easily played with Kerrigan's human nature fighting against the influence of the Zerg mutation, without any need for something like the Zerus Spawning Pool. And with Kerrigan's last human memory being Mengsk's betrayal, it makes perfect sense for Kerrigan to go for revenge. Meanwhile, since StarCraft ended with the Zerg and Protoss both devastated by the battle on Aiur, while the newly unified Terran Dominion is stronger than ever, Mengsk would have made for a far more formidable adversary than he is now, after his Dominion was completely taken down by the UED in Brood War and then pushed against the wall by the Zerg in Wings of Liberty.

They could have, but they didn't. BW could have played that card, but didn't, so there's no real reason for Kerrigan to play that card then unless put in a psychological position where it's feasible. If her psychology doesn't change between BW and WoL, then the only way for character development to occur is through character change, which the artifact provides.

BW could have gone the way of HotS if not for the UED. Back with the old episode order debate, hypothetically, it could have gone Episode IV, Episode VI (where Kerrigan gains full control of the zerg) and, with no UED to have thinned their numbers, brings the Swarm to bear against the Dominion ala HotS akin to Episode V (e.g. with the zerg invading Korhal rather than the UED). But that doesn't happen. The Dominion's military is in tatters, but Mengsk is still alive, and Kerrigan gets a degree of revenge - revenge that seems to have been inserted into her plans rather than being there from the start. But the adversarial relationship is left open-ended at the end of BW. Kerrigan can continue the war, but chooses to consolidate (zerg need to rebuild, the whole premonition thing, etc.) Mengsk's military has been bloodied and the Dominion weakened, but still has the capacity to rebuild, and that's the last we hear of him in the game. HotS, among other things, brings the thread to a close. HotS picks up where BW left off, it doesn't repeat it.

[FanaticTemplar]

They could have, but they didn't. BW could have played that card, but didn't, so there's no real reason for Kerrigan to play that card then unless put in a psychological position where it's feasible. If her psychology doesn't change between BW and WoL, then the only way for character development to occur is through character change, which the artifact provides.

Right, but if it takes an entire game just to put Kerrigan back in a situation comparable to where she was in Brood War, then perhaps this is not the story that they should be telling.

Back before Heart of the Swarm, I said that the only way Wings of Liberty's resolution could be significant was if Kerrigan stopped being Zerg for good. And having seen Heart of the Swarm I feel I was correct in that call.

[Hawki]

While there's some similarities, there's also key differences. Militarily, Kerrigan's no longer interested in the protoss or terrans. Niadra is a bit of a loose end, but HotS ends somewhat hopefully - Amon aside, the zerg are united, Kerrigan's shed her emotional burdens, and the terrans aren't without hope, that it's possible to rebuild and that Valerian is a better man than his father. End of BW, Kerrigan is basically full evil, and makes it clear that one day she'll return to finish the job.

Entertaining the idea, I'll entertain the notion that Kerrigan's de-infestation is permenant in WoL, which raises issues for the zerg campaign. Firstly, it would peave a no. of people that we don't play as Kerrigan and instead play as someone/something else. That something/someone would have to appear in WoL (EU aside), but would still not have been built up to the same extent. So either the zerg campaign would be about getting the zerg back together (basically returning the zerg to the same state they were in at the start of WoL) or go the full mile and negate everything done in WoL (Dominion fully destroyed, all characters killed, etc.), a move that's already been done in the games (Brood War and Insurrection are the key examples of "evil wins, all good negated."). HotS has the zerg in a similar position of power, but thanks to Kerrigan, not in the same position of intent. And before you say "she was going to fight Amon anyway!", ask, what after that? She'd finish the job she started likely with the terrans and protoss. With HotS, the zerg get a 'win' in that they're in a position of power. Unlike BW, the terrans get a 'win' as well in that there's a chance for a better future now that Mengsk is gone. Kerrigan finishes the revolution effectively. And WoL provides the means for that to happen. The old QoB would happily kill everyone on Korhal and not blink twice.

[Turalyon]

BW could have played that card, but didn't, so there's no real reason for Kerrigan to play that card then unless put in a psychological position where it's feasible. If her psychology doesn't change between BW and WoL, then the only way for character development to occur is through character change, which the artifact provides..

But the card was played in BW - the Overmind dying provided for the character change. It's just that the change wasn't what everyone was expecting back then. It looked like she turned "good" after the Overmind died, but she was still "evil" with the only difference that she now chose to be a bitch about it. They could have just as easily made her "good" again then... as it later was in HotS.

BW could have gone the way of HotS if not for the UED.

Considering how superfluous the UED are in the scheme of things (as much as I like them), the question of whether it should have gone the way HotS did back then is a good one since Mengsk was at the height of his powers (having usurped the Confederacy) and Kerrigan had a reasonable excuse (the Overmind dying) for character change in between Sc1 and BW, which is the same setup that we have in HotS.

[Hawki]

But the card was played in BW - the Overmind dying provided for the character change. It's just that the change wasn't what everyone was expecting back then. It looked like she turned "good" after the Overmind died, but she was still "evil" with the only difference that she now chose to be a bitch about it. They could have just as easily made her "good" again then... as it later was in HotS.

It's not entirely the same card though. Kerrigan does develop as a character between SC1 and BW in that in the latter, she's less rash, more of a manipulator, less likely to go out in the field, and arguably more sadistic. She claims to have gone good due to the death of the Overmind, but it's a lie, and it's doubtful in many ways whether the Overmind ever controlled her at all (going by the end of SC1 and the QoB novel). The Overmind's death provides her with opportunity, but it doesn't change her personality, and whatever changes occur are on her own terms.

So in a sense, Kerrigan's had two instances of "character change" as opposed to "character development." First is when she's infested, second is when she's uninfested, and she spends the aftermath of both coming to terms with that, to the extent that by BW she's gone full evil bitch, whereas by end of HotS she's gone the opposite way.

Considering how superfluous the UED are in the scheme of things (as much as I like them), the question of whether it should have gone the way the HotS back then is a good one since Mengsk was at the height of his powers (having usurped the Confederacy) and Kerrigan had a reasonable excuse (the Overmind dying) for character change in between Sc1 and BW, which is the same setup that we have in HotS.

Yay, someone else thinks the UED is superfluous.

But yeah, it's a fair point. This is hypothetical, but assuming the UED never turns up, we can assume Episode IV goes as normal, we can then cut to where Kerrigan kidnaps Raszagal and gets the DT's to kill the Overmind, betrays Zeratul, then with the full Swarm under her command (and with the lack of a UED, a Swarm that's in quite good shape) can therefore wage war against the terrans and/or protoss. So either it goes the route of HotS where Kerrigan kills Mengsk (with the added 'bonus' of killing everyone else) or the route of WoL where the terrans use the psi disruptor, fight their way to Char, and Kerrigan is killed.

Course the problem with either endgame scenario is that it basically makes continuation a drag. Either the terrans and protoss are wiped out, or the zerg lose their leader and are therefore as good as dead anyway. Unless Dark Origin still happens after the terrans and/or protoss have won, zerg are taken control of or replaced by a new race, therefore easy to balance, etc.

I guess if you think about it, the UED are kind of a buffer - wiped out, but weaken the zerg enough that Kerrigan has to consolidate her position, giving the Dominion and protoss time to recover. And with Dark Origin thrown in, there's another hook to lever. Makes sense franchise-wise. Storywise...well, I don't mind too much actually. The UED may have come out of nowhere, but its impacts are still felt, given that without the UED, it's doubtful that BW could have ended the way it did. Course that means we're kind of obliged to get the UED in a hypothetical SC3 since they're the next logical plot point to follow, but beggers can't be choosers I guess.