heart of the swarm

[Hawki]

Ah, don't get too attached to that explanation now. Sc2 has shown us multiple times that previous lore can be "re-imagined" at will,

But the primal zerg aren't a re-imagining. They're using a concept that already existed in the setting (zerg pre-Overmind) and running with it. A re-imagining on a species level would be saying that all zerg are suddenly primal zerg, always were, always will be. They've not exactly been "necroned" or "Space Jockeyed."

The difference between the Primal Zerg and the Swarm Zerg may not necessarily be synonymous with the difference between Khalai and Nerazim Protoss. For one thing each Nerazim Protoss use to be, or rather could've been, a Khalai Protoss at one point whereas there is no such possibility (at this point in time...) for an individual Swarm Zerg becoming a Primal Zerg because of their inherent corruption.

A Khalai can become a Nerazim, but a Nerazim can't become a Khalai. Swarm zerg can have their essence devoured by primal zerg, whilst primal zerg essence can be assimilated into the Swarm (e.g. swarm hosts). The zerg are far more diffuse than the protoss in this regard.

You know, come to think of it, I wonder if the idea of transforming the Swarm zerg into primal zerg was part of the original intention. Kerrigan's line in the cut ending of "the zerg a free now, slaves to no-one, not even me" kind of fits this idea. If so...well, while there are many cut/altered storyline issues of HotS I'm iffy with, that's one change I'm glad was made.

It's an interesting possibility that the Primal Zerg will be capable of assimilating a Protoss on an individual level, yielding the proper continuation of the Xel'Naga.

Tell the xel'naga they can shove it.

[Visions of Khas]

You know, come to think of it, I wonder if the idea of transforming the Swarm zerg into primal zerg was part of the original intention.

Before HotS was released, I read stories that Kerrigan was attempting to boost sentience in the Zerg Swarm and create creatures that could direct their own evolution, called Metamorphs. It's obvious this was scrapped in a sense in favor of giving the Swarm their own Dark Templar "offshoots".

[Turalyon]

But the primal zerg aren't a re-imagining.

Depends on what exactly about them that was re-imagined - largely, that they exist at all is a surprise. The original lore stated that the Overmind assimilated or destroyed all forms of life on Zerus before moving on. It's just been "re-imagined" now that the Overmind didn't actually do a good job of either which is why there are Primal Zerg. Don't get me wrong though, I kinda like the idea of having alternative Zerg that are set apart from conventional Swarm Zerg.

You know, come to think of it, I wonder if the idea of transforming the Swarm zerg into primal zerg was part of the original intention. Kerrigan's line in the cut ending of "the zerg a free now, slaves to no-one, not even me" kind of fits this idea. If so...well, while there are many cut/altered storyline issues of HotS I'm iffy with, that's one change I'm glad was made.

I'm glad that this wasn't the case either but either way the inclusion of the Primal Zerg came along with the inference that the Swarm Zerg are kinda gimped. This is off-putting for the Swarm (or should I say 'classic'?) Zerg lovers.

[Gradius]

The fact that anyone thinks that "zerg without a hive-mind" had any precedence in the lore is disappointing to say the least. The entire idea is contrary to the zerg race. =/

For example, we're expected to believe that they absorbed our DNA when we landed. But there are hundreds of them in the very first mission. If these were swarm zerg, nobody would bat an eyelash. But primal zerg don't have a hive-mind, which means that each of them killed at least one of our soldiers. So what, are we expected to believe that a vast portion of our army got slaughtered behind the scenes?

As opposed to the psi emitter. Or psi disruptor.

Psi Emitter - Lures zerg to its location. Mengsk cleverly uses this to destroy a superior opponent. Kerrigan also uses this to combat the next plot device in Brood War:
Psi Disruptor - Disrupts control of zerg. Its value is debated between characters, one of which dies for it. It makes Kerrigan's job harder, and thus we got a more interesting plot than "Kerrigan steamrolls UED."
Xel'Naga Temple - Kerrigan needed the Xel'Naga temple activated so that she could destroy her former Cerebrate allies in order to gain control of their broods. She was then forced to work with the Protoss (her former enemies), who needed it activated as well in order to save their planet. So we got some fun new missions out of this (Braxis & Char). Yay.

Psi Destroyer - Shoehorned into the story in order to make the primal zerg seem relevant. This thing kills zerg. Kerrigan is zerg. Kerrigan steamrolls this thing in the same mission it's introduced. Yawn. An analogous plot device from SC1 would be the ion cannon from Rebel Yell. For all intents & purposes, it doesn't actually do anything.

What the plot device actually does is completely & totally trivial when compared to the effect it has on the plot & characters. That's why even though the Psi Destroyer and Xel'Naga temple have the same exact function, they're completely different. Though to be fair, the Psi Destroyer is more of a mission gimmick than a plot device, and it still doesn't achieve as much fail as the slowest supernova explosion ever, or fastest-dissipating lava ever.

[Hawki]

I'm glad that this wasn't the case either but either way the inclusion of the Primal Zerg came along with the inference that the Swarm Zerg are kinda gimped. This is off-putting for the Swarm (or should I say 'classic'?) Zerg lovers.

Welcome to the club. Terran lovers were put there back in Brood War. You can also find tagal and kalathi in room 2.

The fact that anyone thinks that "zerg without a hive-mind" had any precedence in the lore is disappointing to say the least.

Pre-Overmind zerg and feral zerg.

The entire idea is contrary to the zerg race. =/

No, the idea is contrary to the operation of Swarm zerg. We've seen the zerg be without hive minds before, only primal zerg can actually operate in that scenario.

So what, are we expected to believe that a vast portion of our army got slaughtered behind the scenes?

Maybe it's open to interpretation, but the impression I got is that it's a combination of scouts being taken out, and compressed mission mechanics being used to give primal zerg post-essence. Not ideal, but then again, the UED was using terran tech as per game mechanics.

[Gradius]

Pre-Overmind zerg

Exact words are "the Xel’Naga structured the collective sentience of the Zerg into a unified, amalgamated ‘Overmind’". This implies that the collective sentience already existed. Fact is, everything that the pre-Overmind zerg did, they still did as a team. There is not a shred of evidence or indication that they killed each other for "essence" or any of that crap.

Not saying it's impossible, just saying that it's pretty much another silly retcon.

and feral zerg.

What about feral zerg indicates that they have no hive mind? I'm aware of the myriad retcons that might suggest otherwise, but feral zerg can still answer to Overlords or Queens. Zasz's brood operated as one. This suggests a hive mind. Duran incapacitated a brood by destroying its hive. This suggests a hive mind.

All throughout SC, zerg broods work as a team, which suggests a hive mind. Pre-overmind zerg and even feral zerg do not kill each other. There are few, if any, instances of this. Primal zerg do nothing but kill each other.

Maybe it's open to interpretation, but the impression I got is that it's a combination of scouts being taken out, and compressed mission mechanics being used to give primal zerg post-essence. Not ideal, but then again, the UED was using terran tech as per game mechanics.

That's fair, but the point that I was making is that there is this sense that the writers still treat them as swarm zerg, since they seem to have shared their DNA so easily. I just think it's a crappy and ill-conceived idea, in which you are bound to run into problems like this. I could say the same about the UED, but if SC was made in 2012, Blizzard would have added custom units for the UED like they did for the primals, and there would be no problem. Unfortunately, the primal zerg concept is far too broken to get such an easy fix.

[Hawki]

"the Xel’Naga structured the collective sentience of the Zerg into a unified, amalgamated ‘Overmind’". This implies that the collective sentience already existed.

The implication I took from that was that it was a reference to the sum sentience of all zerg, pooling it. E.g. the "collect sentience" of humanity - all individuals, but an intelligence of the same species.

Fact is, everything that the pre-Overmind zerg did, they still did as a team. There is not a shred of evidence or indication that they killed each other for "essence" or any of that crap.

Looking at the manual, I can see that interpretation being reached, but if the zerg were really as unified as you say, it would negate the need for an Overmind in the first place. And primal zerg work in packs as well.

What about feral zerg indicates that they have no hive mind?

How they've been portrayed in HotS, the DTS, and Flashpoint. The lit. definition of feral zerg is "zerg not under the control of any higher entity. The zerg will simply attack everything around them, acting on the lowest level." There's a degree of leeway with that considering that in cited examples the zerg can still operate on a pack-like mentality, but would otherwise be incapable of coordination.

Zasz's brood operated as one.

Did it? I know the mission has it operating like a regular brood, but when Daggoth mentions the Garm Brood "rampaging" towards the main hive, the game mechanics don't match up. So while queens and overlords are there from a gameplay sense, I don't see them having any impact in a lore sense.

Or maybe they do, since the mission requires you to hunt down every last overlord in every last corner of the screen even after destroying every last Garm Brood structure...gah!

Duran incapacitated a brood by destroying its hive. This suggests a hive mind.

Were they feral zerg though? Going by the mission:

-Not Kerrigan's zerg - Duran would be serving Kerrigan at that point, so there's no reason for her to hinder his progress.

-Daggoth's zerg? Maybe taking out the hives allows Kerrigan to move in to Tarsonis later?

-Feral zerg? Not by the strictest sense, as they're too organized for that.

-Renegade zerg? As in, zerg that are using a hive mind, but are not under the command of either Kerrigan or the Overmind (e.g. the New Swarm). Maybe, but where are the cerebrates?

Point is, the zerg aren't that hemogenous as some would think. Their level of unity went into decline post-SC1 from a lore sense, and is arguably still in decline (primal zerg, maybe the Aiur broodmother is still doing her thing, etc.) But on the subject, I don't think the Tarsonis zerg can be classified as feral zerg, because from both a lore and gameplay sense, they're acting far too unified for that to happen.

Pre-overmind zerg and even feral zerg do not kill each other. There are few, if any, instances of this. Primal zerg do nothing but kill each other.

Except as I've said, primal zerg are still capable of a level of cooperation, what with acting in packs. Feral zerg have operated in packs as well.

[Visions of Khas]

Pre-overmind zerg and even feral zerg do not kill each other. There are few, if any, instances of this. Primal zerg do nothing but kill each other.

We can't say this with any certainty. Until the Overmind is created, there is no mention of either unity or conflict among Zerg, so nothing can be inferred about their organization or behavior. The Overmind was the amalgamated whole of sum total Zerg awareness, but again we cannot say whether the Zerg were individualistic or a collective hivemind. We have absolutely no proof of that, one way or another, until HotS.

Race histories for quick reference.

but the point that I was making is that there is this sense that the writers still treat them as swarm zerg, since they seem to have shared their DNA so easily.

Not necessarily. It's been a while since I've played the campaign, but I seem to remember some Primal Zerg Structures in the mission where we re-awaken Zurvan. Moreover, there are no real contradictions in the Primals making use of various Swarm strains. Say each Primal Zerg we encounter has consumed Swarm Zerg biomass, no matter how much or how little. From here, they conceivably have the ability to dissect the DNA and select those portions they wish to express. Therefor, a Primal may go, "Hey, look at these awesome traits I picked up from this heaping pile of Swarm Zerg junk DNA!" and express Guardian traits. Other Primals can then go, "Oh wow, that's cool, let me try!"; eat a Zergling; dissect the DNA; and emulate the strain themselves.

[Hawki]

Not necessarily. It's been a while since I've played the campaign, but I seem to remember some Primal Zerg Structures in the mission where we re-awaken Zurvan. Moreover, there are no real contradictions in the Primals making use of various Swarm strains. Say each Primal Zerg we encounter has consumed Swarm Zerg biomass, no matter how much or how little. From here, they conceivably have the ability to dissect the DNA and select those portions they wish to express. Therefor, a Primal may go, "Hey, look at these awesome traits I picked up from this heaping pile of Swarm Zerg junk DNA!" and express Guardian traits. Other Primals can then go, "Oh wow, that's cool, let me try!"; eat a Zergling; dissect the DNA; and emulate the strain themselves.

Kind of. There were primal hives and primal spawning pools, though the latter weren't production structures. In regards to DNA assimilation...

...well, my perception would be similar. A primal zerg on the lowest rung attacks and kills a zergling. The primal zerg takes on those traits. An aerial primal zerg does the same to a flyer unit and takes on the aspects of a mutalisk (and a guardian? Kerrigan didn't use guardians, so I'm guessing primal guardians morph from primal mutalisk and retain an air-to-air attack in this form). A primal pack leader is already at the apex (e.g. Brakk), so has no need to feast on zerg essence, except maybe Kerrigan.

This does raise the issue of how many Swarm zerg would have to be killed for this, but I'd contend that a) more than one primal zerg can feed on a single zerg corpse and b) the production of primal zerg units represents primals feeding on zerg over the course of the mission. Kind of fankwanky I know, but in a universe where battlecruisers can be built in minutes in terms of game-time, maybe it's something that just comes with the territory.

So yeah. Swarm operates on the macro level, primal zerg on the micro. Now all we need are some feral zerg to get some love. Where's my tale of feral zerg coming together and overcoming their lack of guidance, Blizz? WHERE IS IT?!

(Apart from Just an Overlord I guess.)

[Visions of Khas]

(and a guardian? Kerrigan didn't use guardians, so I'm guessing primal guardians morph from primal mutalisk and retain an air-to-air attack in this form).

Well, I considered that. A Primal or two eat a Zergling, then express Zergling traits. But we never saw any Swarm Guardians, so how do Primals have access to it? So I figured, the genes for all Zerg strains may be found in every Zerg. After a larva evolves, it loses access to those portions of DNA; in a mature Zerg, say a Hydralisk, the genes for a Guardian still exist but are non-coding, junk DNA.

There is some precedent for this, found in Stetmann's research notes on Zerg biomass in WoL. His samples contained bits of all strains, including the Overmind's.

Primal Zerg hierarchy/evolution could still play a role. A lowly Primal Zerg may sift through the Swarm genes and uncover only the most basic of evolutions, such as those of a Zergling. A Primal Zerg higher up on the food chain, with access to the same DNA, may be able to crack the code in order to access more highly evolved strains, such as a Hydralisk.

But this is all idle speculation.