Rewriting StarCraft II

[RODTHEGOD]

Well I always wanted to make a better version of StarCraft and Brood War (gameplay wise)
Kind of like what this guy was doing
http://www.sc2mapster.com/maps/aof/

Basically start off with the conflict of Chou Sara with this story as inspiration (I read it a while ago but thought it was awesome)
http://library.globalchalet.net/Auth...%20Cronoss.PDF
and turn the original StarCraft demo into 10 missions ending with your character (the magistrate) being killed in the final siege.

After that, turn the original Terran campaign into a 30-ish mission campaign and so on and so forth
(Think of how epic it would be, being saved by the sons of Korhal in another all out siege after being killed on Chou Sara)

[Turalyon]

I wasn't talking about weakness so much as isolation and ignorance. Terran weakness may have been largely from their own devising, their inability to work together leaves them vulnerable.

Eh, one seems to stem from the other. You can't really define the main characteristic of Terrans as being isolated/ignorant without them also being figuratively weak. The Terrans used to be representative of the "underdog". Regardless, that K sector human trait/characteristic no longer seems to apply for the Earth humans' appearance to really affect since Mengsk took charge of things.

I think you may be stretching a bit by defining Earth that way . Still, you do make a valid point. So, what narrative would you suggest for Earth that would take advantage of this difference?

I did say supposed. Besides, it's not that much a stretch when you can consider that possible interpretation as a natural extension of Earth's backstory telling us they're becoming a hegemony. As to a narrative, I don't really have anything specific at the moment - I was just trying to highlight that there is potential. One can draw inspiration from the American Revolutionary War if anything or look to the Alliance from Firefly or the appearance of the Battlestar Pegasus (with its illusion of being "better") for a sci-fi bent.

If you're contrasting them to the Koprulu Sector Terrans rather than the other alien invasions, then that's certainly plausible. But then they also render the Koprulu Sector Terrans largely irrelevant, since you are defining the difference between the two as the Earth humans being more competent in affecting the narrative.

Hey, is wasn't me who skewed the balance of power in the first place. The K-sector Terrans were represented as not much more than lambs to the slaughter for both the Zerg and Protoss initially. The lack of Terran relevance in affecting the narrative has been in place since Sc1. Rebel Yell only uses the Terrans to set the scene but are narratively largely overshadowed in terms of significantly affecting the plot. Aside from specific Terran individuals like Raynor and Kerrigan, the K sector Terrans (as a group) have no real presence on the main Protoss/Zerg story either way.

Mengsk is contrived to somehow make up that slack by making them a unified Terran front which is somewhat misleading as I stated previously, since the Terrans took massive losses as whole as well. BW goes on to reinforce and demonstrably show how weak the Terran force in the K sector really is (like it or not). Earth humans can potentially give the Terrans as a whole (not necessarily looking at them as K sector or Earth humans) a bit of a leg-up and presence whilst also becoming a viable threat.

[FanaticTemplar]

Eh, one seems to stem from the other. You can't really define the main characteristic of Terrans as being isolated/ignorant without them also being figuratively weak. The Terrans used to be representative of the "underdog". Regardless, that K sector human trait/characteristic no longer seems to apply for the Earth humans' appearance to really affect since Mengsk took charge of things.

Figuratively weak, certainly, but it doesn't necessarily follow that they are literally weak as well. Certainly not so weak that they cannot influence the setting, especially after the Protoss and Zerg were significantly weakened by the invasion of Aiur.

Hey, is wasn't me who skewed the balance of power in the first place. The K-sector Terrans were represented as not much more than lambs to the slaughter for both the Zerg and Protoss initially. The lack of Terran relevance in affecting the narrative has been in place since Sc1. Rebel Yell only uses the Terrans to set the scene but are narratively largely overshadowed in terms of significantly affecting the plot. Aside from specific Terran individuals like Raynor and Kerrigan, the K sector Terrans (as a group) have no real presence on the main Protoss/Zerg story either way.

Mengsk is contrived to somehow make up that slack by making them a unified Terran front which is somewhat misleading as I stated previously, since the Terrans took massive losses as whole as well. BW goes on to reinforce and demonstrably show how weak the Terran force in the K sector really is (like it or not). Earth humans can potentially give the Terrans as a whole (not necessarily looking at them as K sector or Earth humans) a bit of a leg-up and presence whilst also becoming a viable threat.

What you say is entirely true, yet the fact remains that doing so would have the Earth humans completely supplant the Koprulu Terrans. And to bring this back around to where it started, I've grown attached to the Koprulu Terrans by playing the original StarCraft, and having them eclipsed by some sudden new insertion is not going to sit well with me. It's the same problem with the Primals being the 'true, uncorrupted' Zerg or the Xel'Naga supertechnology completely shafting the Protoss' role in the setting.

[Turalyon]

Figuratively weak, certainly, but it doesn't necessarily follow that they are literally weak as well. Certainly not so weak that they cannot influence the setting, especially after the Protoss and Zerg were significantly weakened by the invasion of Aiur.

I don't know about that. There is nothing in Sc1 that ever points to the Terrans as ever being capable of affecting anything of significance within the narrative. Sure, you could say that Mengsk could turn it around but that's hardly an assurance given that his representative in Duke (the so-called general) continues to fail both in his encounters with the Zerg (in The New Dominion) and the Protoss (in Choosing Sides). Also, we have to consider that the Terrans, as a whole, have actually suffered a bigger blow than is given much credence - the loss of their dominant power for 250 years and their most powerful world no less is not something to be shaken off or taken lightly. When you also consider their isolation and comparatively smaller (losses in a small group are more devastating comparatively to losses in a large group) and less effective (not every Terran is a Marine) numbers to the other two (being in native Protoss space afterall), it's hard to think that the Terrans are not literally weak.

In this light, that BW then goes on to verify the actual literal weakness of the K-sector Terrans (by having them fight their own kind no less) should not be that surprising really.

What you say is entirely true, yet the fact remains that doing so would have the Earth humans completely supplant the Koprulu Terrans.

This does not necessarily have to be a bad thing if handled correctly. Besides, when we contrast this prospect with what we actually got in BW - that the UED came and went as if nothing happened at all (with WoL essentially cementing that as fact) - then "Earth supplanting the K-sector Terrans" at least justifies their initial inclusion because then they at least had an impact on the universe. Of all the things about the UED, that aspect of them disappearing with no legacy by the end of BW is perhaps one of the most egregious narrative mistakes/wastes of time (WoL is also up there given HotS' reversal of Kerrigan's infestation, too) in Starcraft's story.

And to bring this back around to where it started, I've grown attached to the Koprulu Terrans by playing the original StarCraft, and having them eclipsed by some sudden new insertion is not going to sit well with me. It's the same problem with the Primals being the 'true, uncorrupted' Zerg or the Xel'Naga supertechnology completely shafting the Protoss' role in the setting.

That's a reasonable concern to have. I wonder, if Earth humans (not necessarily in their established guise as the UED) had made there way to the K sector, would you have been happier had the Earth humans been ultimately used to somehow "boost" the K sector Terrans instead? That way, everyone can have a bit of the cake - the UED lovers can still have their precious "Earth humans" coming to invade, the UED haters can still have them being defeated, the K sector Terran lovers can have their identity of these Terrans remain but with much-needed power to tackle the aliens and the narrative structure lovers can have their consistency, continuity and consequences of each action within the story.

[Telenil]

In fact, I would have the hybrids come in at the very beginning and lay waste to the zerg, thereby canceling each other out and coming back to even ground with the other races.

Yeah, I expected something of the sort when they told about the three different campaigns. Raynor fighting Arcturus in the shadow of the Zerg in the first, an Evil vs Evil bloodbath between Zerg and hybrid in the second, and the Protoss cleaning up the mess in the third. That seemed the obvious way to use Kerrigan's superiority for a sequel, with Duran involvement and diplomacy between the factions to flesh it up.

I suppose there are a lot of jumping-off points to make use of. Such as how Kerrigan first encounters the Dark Templar of Shakuras and enslaves the Matriarch. Following the stray pieces of the UED after the defeat over Char. Cerebrates attempting to stay alive. Aeon of Strife. Earth conflicts. Umojan Protectorate...

If there is a campaign to be made from Brood War plot points, that would be the invasion of Tarsonis from the Zerg perspective and Tassadar's first Char expedition from the Protoss perspective. These events have a huge impact on the story, there is potential to make several mission out of them, and they happened almost entirely offscreen.

Of all the things about the UED, that aspect of them disappearing with no legacy by the end of BW is perhaps one of the most egregious narrative mistakes/wastes of time (WoL is also up there given HotS' reversal of Kerrigan's infestation, too) in Starcraft's story.

I personnally felt that the UED being wiped out was what really made them memorable. They come from the Earth with big, shiny ships and the elite troopers of humanity, they are fairly sympathetic for a dictatorship and they are rather realistic generals. Then they get wiped out by the main villain despite an eleventh-hour Heel Face Turn, their survivors specifically hunted down and slaughtered, while the Protoss and the Terran are more or less allowed to slip away. How often do you see the primary human army of a sci-fi universe not just defeated, but thoroughly destroyed and the vilain dancing on their grave? You couldn't do that to the Koprulu Terran, but done to a group of relatable high tech humans we didn't know much about, I liked it.

The UED had an influence on the Sector by having a huge impact in Episode VI, which makes the core of Brood War. It doesn't go much farther than that and medic technology, but I wouldn't have liked it if they remained a major actor. From a meta perspective, the UED was a superpower coming out of the blue and interfering with the original characters, and its fall was as brutal as should be.

[FanaticTemplar]

I don't know about that. There is nothing in Sc1 that ever points to the Terrans as ever being capable of affecting anything of significance within the narrative. Sure, you could say that Mengsk could turn it around but that's hardly an assurance given that his representative in Duke (the so-called general) continues to fail both in his encounters with the Zerg (in The New Dominion) and the Protoss (in Choosing Sides). Also, we have to consider that the Terrans, as a whole, have actually suffered a bigger blow than is given much credence - the loss of their dominant power for 250 years and their most powerful world no less is not something to be shaken off or taken lightly. When you also consider their isolation and comparatively smaller (losses in a small group are more devastating comparatively to losses in a large group) and less effective (not every Terran is a Marine) numbers to the other two (being in native Protoss space afterall), it's hard to think that the Terrans are not literally weak.

That's certainly a valid perspective, but on the other hand it's worth noting that in Overmind, General Duke attacked Char when the entirety of the pre-Aiur invasion Zerg Swarm was there, and the Overmind and his Cerebrates considered him a threat. Even after being overrun by the player and hunted down by Daggoth, Duke's forces survived with enough strength to feel that they could challenge Tassadar later. Also, you should keep in mind that the devastation of Tarsonis was incredibly fast - the Confederacy would not have the opportunity to bring their forces from the rest of the Sector back, unlike the Protoss who could teleport Templar from all their colonies straight to Aiur using Gateways.

This does not necessarily have to be a bad thing if handled correctly. Besides, when we contrast this prospect with what we actually got in BW - that the UED came and went as if nothing happened at all (with WoL essentially cementing that as fact) - then "Earth supplanting the K-sector Terrans" at least justifies their initial inclusion because then they at least had an impact on the universe. Of all the things about the UED, that aspect of them disappearing with no legacy by the end of BW is perhaps one of the most egregious narrative mistakes/wastes of time (WoL is also up there given HotS' reversal of Kerrigan's infestation, too) in Starcraft's story.

Agreed.

That's a reasonable concern to have. I wonder, if Earth humans (not necessarily in their established guise as the UED) had made there way to the K sector, would you have been happier had the Earth humans been ultimately used to somehow "boost" the K sector Terrans instead? That way, everyone can have a bit of the cake - the UED lovers can still have their precious "Earth humans" coming to invade, the UED haters can still have them being defeated, the K sector Terran lovers can have their identity of these Terrans remain but with much-needed power to tackle the aliens and the narrative structure lovers can have their consistency, continuity and consequences of each action within the story.

The problem is that once you establish that Earth can just send over an army whenever they feel like it, then they become a factor that has to be taken into account in any situation that occurs.

[Turalyon]

Raynor fighting Arcturus in the shadow of the Zerg in the first, an Evil vs Evil bloodbath between Zerg and hybrid in the second, and the Protoss cleaning up the mess in the third. That seemed the obvious way to use Kerrigan's superiority for a sequel, with Duran involvement and diplomacy between the factions to flesh it up..

Given the premise of Sc2 was supposed to be about the Hybrids and the Xel'Naga legacy, this rundown of what each instalment in Sc2 was about makes much more sense than what we got.

The linchpin holding that trilogy's theme is reliant on HotS in hitting that theme on the head. With Sc1 and BW, the middle chapters of each focussed on the antagonist to give the required stakes for a strong third act finish. HotS does nothing of the sort. It would've been very interesting to see that Evil vs Evil bloodbath you mentioned and have Kerrigan lose that conflict somehow (that would be quite unique indeed) so that LotV will feel more tied in and have more wright to it.

Much has been said of the issues regarding WoL, but like Rebel Yell, one can be more lenient if we assess it in terms of setting up a trilogy. HotS is a strange beast in that it does tie into WoL and makes some sense when viewed together, but when LotV comes around, LotV is going to be largely different and disconnected thematically from what came before if it concentrates solely on the Protoss and the Hybrid/Amon/stuff. With the initial focus of the trilogy supposedly to be about this Hybrid threat/Xel'Naga legacy, it is very unusual to only have the third and last of the trilogy to focus on it in any detail. At this stage, the focus has been so much on Terran affairs (and specific Terran characters and their relationship in particular), I cannot help but feel that LotV will seem tacked on and actually unnecessary narratively believe it or not, which is a huge shame and ironic because LotV was supposed to be about what the whole trilogy was meant to be about in the first place.

I personnally felt that the UED being wiped out was what really made them memorable.

I'm not saying they're not memorable (I actually like the concept of Earth forces), just that their place structurally (or "objectively" if you will) in the narrative amounted to nothing. That they're fleshed out enough to be memorable makes the issue of their net lack of impact all the more glaring.

The UED had an influence on the Sector by having a huge impact in Episode VI, which makes the core of Brood War. It doesn't go much farther than that and medic technology, but I wouldn't have liked it if they remained a major actor. From a meta perspective, the UED was a superpower coming out of the blue and interfering with the original characters, and its fall was as brutal as should be.

That's fair enough. But consider the UED's role on an objective level. They essentially fill the role in BW that the Zerg/Overmind did in Sc1. If we compare it on this base level (putting aside the fact that the two are continuous from one another for the moment), the Zerg were ultimately defeated but left an indelible mark, whilst the UED were ultimately defeated but had all their actions fully reversed.

BW takes the indelible mark left by the Zerg and continues to run with it despite somegoing going over the top with it. WoL papers over any effect the UED might have had with a non-descript comment from a news reporter and that Mengsk/Dominion have not only been able to regain their power over the majority of the Terrans but are even more powerful than before. This is not even mentioning that the story recap running over WoL's installation can blithely disregard it and the story still trucks along seamlessly.

That's certainly a valid perspective, but on the other hand it's worth noting that in Overmind, General Duke attacked Char when the entirety of the pre-Aiur invasion Zerg Swarm was there, and the Overmind and his Cerebrates considered him a threat. Even after being overrun by the player and hunted down by Daggoth, Duke's forces survived with enough strength to feel that they could challenge Tassadar later.

I haven't forgotten this. I've kept in mind that Terran might comes from a limited source of manpower - any further loss is not something that can be easily bounced back from unlike the Zerg's ability to reproduce and the Protoss' reliance on automation/advance tech to minimise loss and increase efficiency in warfare.

As to the Zerg perceiving the Terrans as a threat, well, we have to consider that their priority was protecting the Chrysalis so one would expect some anxiety on the Overmind's part of potentially losing something by unluck that it really only gained through luck. If that were not a factor, I'd doubt the Zerg would have seen them as genuine threat.

Also, you should keep in mind that the devastation of Tarsonis was incredibly fast - the Confederacy would not have the opportunity to bring their forces from the rest of the Sector back, unlike the Protoss who could teleport Templar from all their colonies straight to Aiur using Gateways.

It's a good point, but we don't know anything about the disposition or strength of the Confederates at the time. One would think that Tarsonis would be heavily defended on the matter of principle (given the Terran history of infighting and such) and that being recently made aware of an alien force (the Protoss) not within their control, blasting away their colonies and of unknown motivation, would have them put them on their toes.

The problem is that once you establish that Earth can just send over an army whenever they feel like it, then they become a factor that has to be taken into account in any situation that occurs.

How is that a problem? After a failed gambit by Earth, who says the K-sector Terrans can't then dish out terms of their own to stop a future reprisal? I'd imagine this setup as an allusion to the American Revolutionary War - the UED being Britain and the K-sector Terrans as the American colonies. See how that turned out for Britain...

[FanaticTemplar]

I haven't forgotten this. I've kept in mind that Terran might comes from a limited source of manpower - any further loss is not something that can be easily bounced back from unlike the Zerg's ability to reproduce and the Protoss' reliance on automation/advance tech to minimise loss and increase efficiency in warfare.

As to the Zerg perceiving the Terrans as a threat, well, we have to consider that their priority was protecting the Chrysalis so one would expect some anxiety on the Overmind's part of potentially losing something by unluck that it really only gained through luck. If that were not a factor, I'd doubt the Zerg would have seen them as genuine threat.

Even if I were to accept that as a justification for the Zerg's concern, what do you think made Duke think his force actually had a chance? And what explains his ability to endure the onslaught?

It's a good point, but we don't know anything about the disposition or strength of the Confederates at the time. One would think that Tarsonis would be heavily defended on the matter of principle (given the Terran history of infighting and such) and that being recently made aware of an alien force (the Protoss) not within their control, blasting away their colonies and of unknown motivation, would have them put them on their toes.

Certainly, but didn't Tarsonis' defence focus on their three orbital platforms? Despite the tileset used in the mission, New Gettysburg happened on the planet itself.

How is that a problem? After a failed gambit by Earth, who says the K-sector Terrans can't then dish out terms of their own to stop a future reprisal? I'd imagine this setup as an allusion to the American Revolutionary War - the UED being Britain and the K-sector Terrans as the American colonies. See how that turned out for Britain...

And that's more Terran versus Terran focus. Besides, as I mentioned earlier it reduces the scope of the setting. There is no longer a vast expanse of space surrounding the Koprulu Sector, they are metaphorically right next door to Earth. And Earth, being the planet where the writers and audience live, tends to draw in plots like a gravitational well.

[FanaticTemplar]

I'd fuse Brood War and Heart of the Swarm, focusing on Kerrigan and applying the objectives of the latter and the end result of the former, and ditch Wings of Liberty. Taken in itself, I like Wings better than the other two, but it doesn't really lead from or to anything.

The devastation of the invasion of Aiur has left both the Protoss and Zerg severely crippled, Mengsk takes advantage of the opportunity to press his newly unified Terran might against them. The small nomadic Dark Templar tribes make ideal targets, and Dark templar keep getting killed or captured for experimentation. On Aiur, the Protoss are forced to evacuate because the mindless Zerg are completely unpredictable and the Khalai population can't be protected. They escape to Shakuras, the world where the Dark Templar meet to discuss issues relevant to the tribes. There is significant resistance to the Aiur Protoss 'invasion' of their world (maybe introduce Ulrezaj as an antagonist) and to buy some good will, the Templar set out to help liberate and protect the Dark Templar from the Dominion.

Also fighting the Dominion, they find Kerrigan who is pretty dead-set on revenge. Mengsk is basically making enemies everywhere, and Kerrigan is using the Zerg to spearhead the assault. It's all a big happy alliance of Mengsk-haters, and the Dark Templar help Kerrigan gain control over more Zerg by killing Cerebrates, but eventually the Aldaris thing happens because Kerrigan no longer trusts anybody and had neuraled Raszagal to ensure the Protoss' cooperation. The Protoss are outraged and turn on her. This begins a sequence where Kerrigan's descent into inhumanity causes her to be abandoned by her allies one by one until, during the final assault on Augustgrad Kerrigan's complete berserking makes even Raynor realise that she's now closer to Mengsk than to human Kerrigan, sacrificing anything and anyone to achiever her goals.

She kills Mengsk, but that hatred was the only remaining human emotion in her, the only driving force that kept her alive. Without her love for Raynor or her hatred for Mengsk, the only thing humanity has for her is pain, and rather than endure it she submerges herself into the Hivemind, giving up the torments of a self and taking refuge in the embrace of countless others who are like her. More than friends, more than family. One heart, one mind, immortal in a multitude of bodies. She retreats with the Swarm to Char to complete her metamorphosis, and when she returns, there shall be nothing human left of her.

I've given this idea more thought (which I probably shouldn't) and have been refining the concept.

I think I'd keep the StarCraft 10-mission campaign structure, and order them Terran-Protoss-Zerg. As Turalyon mentioned earlier, there is a huge benefit to establishing the villain, and since I'd be using Arcturus Mengsk for that role until Kerrigan gets switched in, I want to establish the Dominion early. That first campaign climaxes with the Dominion becoming a massive threat, to set the tone for the subsequent campaigns. Then we get to retaliate during the Protoss campaign, but the narrative gets thrown off by Kerrigan's betrayal in the climax of the second campaign, setting up doubt as to who the real villain is for the third and final campaign. And of course, the Zerg campaign comes last as described in my previous post.

So I've been giving the Terran campaign some thought. I think it's good to have a player identification character, someone inexperienced enough that they can get exposition thrown at them and discover the narrative at the same time the player does, but is sympathetic enough that the player wants them to succeed. Raynor and Fenix fit that role in Rebel Yell and The Fall, and the lack of such a character in Overmind may have contributed to making it the weaker of the original campaigns. It's not as important in expansions - Brood War and Heart of the Swarm barely have any - Artanis, maybe - but by then the player is generally familiar enough with the setting, and still carrying the momentum of the original, that this character is not needed. I've always felt it was sorely lacking in Wings of Liberty though. By now, Raynor is a veteran of the setting - friend of the Protoss messiah, old flame to the Zerg Queen of Blades, personal enemy of the most powerful Terran leader in the Sector - and doesn't really fit that role. I think the game would have benefited from sticking closer to Tychus' point of view, someone who was locked in a cell during all the important events of the last few years. And it could have put more drama on his deal with Mengsk and his unwillingness to go through with it (playing this as a mystery was one of the many terribly executed good ideas of Wings of Liberty).

For my campaign, I obviously can't use Tychus, since we're running this one from the perspective of the Dominion. Instead, I've been considering Valerian Mengsk. Well educated, but growing up in isolation on Umoja and with little actual first hand experience of the setting. Important enough to be credible in a leadership role for the campaign. Naive enough to be sympathetic without being annoying. You could add the Umojan Protectorate as an adversary for some missions to draw out drama from his divided loyalties.

For his entourage, I'd put General Duke, who gets rescued by Valerian in the early missions, and the grizzled veteran underachiever makes a nice contrast to the idealistic young Prince. It'd probably write itself, except of course that I am a terrible writer. I want to keep Arcturus himself away as much as possible, I'm wary of overexposing our villain. Keep him mostly for the intro, setting up the campaign, and in the climax where he claims his position as big bad for the narrative.

Then, I think I'll use Emil Narud. If this is rewriting Brood War to better set up StarCraft II, I still want to get that Hybrid plotline started here, basically Dark Origins going mostly as is canon. But without the dynamics of DuGalle and Stukov, there's really no place to put Duran in this rewrite. So instead I think I'll use genius scientist Emil Narud to kill two birds with one stone. He can serve as a catalyst for Mengsk's massive threat boost at the end of the campaign, while also being established for Dark Origins. He gets introduced as a Umojan scientist seeking asylum in the Dominion because he is wanted in the Protectorate. He promises to build Mengsk an incomparable weapon if he can study Protoss and Zerg specimens. Of course, that weapon isn't the Hybrids, Narud is merely using the Dominion's resources to get the equipment, personnel and Zerg and Protoss samples he needs. Loathe as I am to use this plot device again, I think it could be using Protoss psionics to manipulate Zerg command strains, giving Mengsk control over some Broods. Eh, I'm not sure about this. I don't like it at all.

Hmm. I'll think about it some more.

[Turalyon]

what do you think made Duke think his force actually had a chance? And what explains his ability to endure the onslaught?

Duke thinks highly of himself as a general - he was proven wrong. As to the matter of him enduring - well, he wouldn't have to endure (which, by definition, actually implies weakness on the Terran's part to begin with) at all if the Terrans had the actual power to repulse the Zerg.

Certainly, but didn't Tarsonis' defence focus on their three orbital platforms? Despite the tileset used in the mission, New Gettysburg happened on the planet itself.

What's this got to do with the Terran's overall and potential defence capability over the entire planet? The purpose of the all out assault on the central platform in The Big Pushwas to cause confusion for an insertion team to go through (only to be revealed at the end that it was a means to gain time for a Psi Emitter setup).

And that's more Terran versus Terran focus. Besides, as I mentioned earlier it reduces the scope of the setting. There is no longer a vast expanse of space surrounding the Koprulu Sector, they are metaphorically right next door to Earth. And Earth, being the planet where the writers and audience live, tends to draw in plots like a gravitational well.

There's nothing wrong with Terran vs Terran focus as long as it's justified. Consider that there isn't as much of a problem when we have Protoss missions focusing on fighting the Zerg most of the time because the conceit of the universe often means it has to be that way. I don't see how it reduces the scope if accounted for properly - the Earth humans arrival in the sector could be made, in numerous ways, to be a one-off occurrence of a lifetime. Also, why must the focus of the Terrans be exclusively restricted to the K-sector for it to be considered not reducing the scope when when we can easily fathom the Protoss and Zerg having reach beyond the K-sector (especially when the Terrans, as a species, actually do have reach beyond the K sector) with that not being considered reducing the scope?